Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do. I’m Brandon Hayden of Happily Dressed. I strive to show people that being yourself is the best way to maximize your life. Through my personal sewing projects and teaching classes, I am reminded that we each have something unique to offer the world. Being able to…
Category Archives: COMMUNITY
At the ripe ole’ age of 32 and after an almost-ten-year career in teaching, I have recently (and shockingly) found myself in corporate America. While many of you have been walking these fluorescent-lit hallways since graduating from whatever business or engineering program you attended, this is my first foray. I had masterfully dodged these stodgy…
My favorite sewing machine is the second machine I’ve ever worked with. When I was 15 years old, I was given a pretty basic Singer machine by my mother – completely unprovoked. Unsure why I received this machine, I started making simple alterations to my hand-me-down clothes from my sister, but I don’t remember much…
With some warm-weather travel upcoming, I’ve been thinking about sets that can mix and match easily. Sets offer versatility while keeping packing light. A monochromatic outfit will also look effortlessly put together and elegant. The Fabric Store Sol pattern is beautiful, including pants, a “cardigan,” and a tunic. I was immediately drawn to the sophisticated…
There’s something really lovely about working with scraps, especially when they’re soft linen scraps. I love improv-sewing shapes together and whenever I do these kinds of projects, I tell myself to keep going and make more (curtains, pillowcases, shirts, dresses, skirts), but then I clean up my giant mess of thread and fabric pieces and…
This chutney is the main component of Patra Ni Macchi (featured above, look out for the recipe next month), but with some creativity, it’s easy to transform into a dip, a sandwich spread or a delicious accompaniment to a meal. When I was a kid, my mum used to give me this chutney sandwiched between…
Slowly I’ve started to spill out bits and pieces of my wedding and dress sewing journey on my social media – things like location (San Francisco!) and potential fabric choice (glittery sparkling tulle!). Our wedding takes place this coming May so I’ve been obsessing over all planning details and it seems like the to-do list…
After years of sewing off and on with a secondhand, beginner Janome, my husband surprised me with my Singer Heavy Duty machine for Christmas almost ten years ago, and it’s been a beloved and cherished member of our family ever since. It has the perfect blend of mechanical simplicity (which allows me to perform almost…
Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do. My name is Katie and I live outside of Portland, Oregon with my husband and our two young boys. I stay home with the kids, but as they’ve gotten older I’ve had more time to pursue creative interests. I sew, primarily quilts, but also do…
There are so many sewing machines on the market, options as well as opinions on each machine will always vary! Tastes may change according to personal sewing preferences and what type of items you are sewing. I encourage you to listen to the opinions that line up with your needs and the textiles you plan…
Makes just over 500ml From April onwards, India becomes a mango-lover’s paradise, as Mumbai’s Crawford Market bustles with lorries laden with Kesar, Badami and Alphonso mangoes brought in from all corners of the subcontinent. Huge wicker baskets overflow with pale yellow orbs, carried into the large indoor market atop sellers’ heads. Inside the market, workers…
There are only a few days left until the end of winter, which means you can already officially prepare your wardrobe for spring. As a mom, I care about what my children will wear. I don’t like retail shopping, it’s hard to find something that I might really like, instead, I prefer to buy online,…
My Bernina Matic 910 and I have been creating for last seven years together. The range of materials she sews well is delightful. She is an excellent all-round machine. She can handle several layers of heavyweight denim and cotton canvas. She also handles lightweight fabrics and knits well. So far, she and I have made…
Serves 6–8 I have fond memories of cooking kedgeree at St John Bread and Wine. An Anglo-Indian dish of boiled rice, eggs and smoked haddock tumbled together. The aromas of steaming basmati rice subtly spiked with cinnamon, cardamom and cloves and of haddock fillets poaching in a milky bath tinted orange from saffron all created…
Double gauze and I have a love-hate relationship. I love to wear it, hate to sew it, and I just can’t quit it. I find most of my issues with trying to navigate the notoriously lovely cloud-like wrinkled texture when choosing a size to cut, pressing, interfacing, deciding to prewash or not, buttonhole disasters etc. And this is where…
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