{photo by BrittneyBush} As I’ve mentioned here and there, we’ve just bought our first house. And as most of us do when it’s time to move, I’ve been cleaning out the closets, getting rid of things I don’t need, and reflecting on the amount of stuff I own. I tend to have a little inner …

Kate Towers was a founder and co-owner of one of my favorite Portland shops in High School—Seaplane was open 2000-2008 and carried a variety of handmade garments from a variety of local designers. Kate’s collections are non-seasonal and often more akin to art than mainstream fashion. Since Seaplane, Kate has focused exclusively on custom items …

Image sources: 1, 2 For more about fabric, check out our fabric series!

Image sources 1 2 For more about fabric, check out our fabric series!

Norman Norell (1900-1972) American Norman Norell was known for his tailored silhouettes, elegant suits, and sequined gowns. Today, he is considered to have been one of the foremost American fashion designers with a style consisting of sophisticated and luxurious garments executed in a relaxed manner. After spending some time in military school during World War …

Image sources: 1 2 For more about fabric, check out our fabric series!

Image sources 1, 2 For more about fabric, check out our fabric series!

Mainbocher (1890-1976) American Born Main Rousseau Bocher in Chicago, after serving in World War I, he decided to remain in Europe. His career in fashion began in 1922 when he worked as an illustrator for Harper’s Bazaar. Later he moved to Vogue, working there from 1923-1929 as a fashion editor and eventually became editor-in-chief of …

Folks, I’m pretty shocked. I actually managed to finish all of the garments I planned for my Spring Palette Challenge within the ten week time frame. I’m pretty proud of myself. These shorts were my final project, and I finished them last week. I love them! The pattern is an out of print vogue pattern …

Our fabric series is at an end, but Rachel will continue to post quick looks at different kinds of fabrics for the next few weeks! We hope that these fabric posts have helped educate and inspire you. For easy reference, here’s a roundup of the posts: Learn about lustrous and luxurious silk. Cotton is a …

Image sources: 1, 2 For more about cotton, check out our fabric series post!

Image sources: 1 2 For more about silk, check out our fabric series post!

This last post in our fabric series covers two lovely types of materials, linen and rayon. In previous posts we discussed common types of materials and distinguished between the way they were woven. Now that you’ve seen these different weaves, it’s important to understand that they aren’t exclusive to to the fiber. For example, charmeuse …

Image sources: 1, 2 For more about cotton, check out our fabric series post!

Images sources: 1 2 For more about cotton, check out our fabric series post!

Mena at The Sew Weekly is doing this really cool little project in which she sends sewing bloggers five yards of some lace, asks them to make something with it, and then write about it. Well, my project is up now, so take a look! I tried to do something a little different with the …

Vera Huppe Maxwell (1903-1995)   American Vera Maxwell is another nearly forgotten designer from the same 1940’s period as McCardell, Cashin, and Hawes. Similar to their ideas, her fashion philosophy involved her designs being both fashionable and functional. According to a 1964 New York Times article, Maxwell’s clothes were described as “handsome, interesting, and eminently wearable”. Maxwell …

I’m a little bit behind on my Spring Palette Challenge. I took a detour from it last week to work on a special sewing project that I’ll be telling you more about this week. But on Sunday I finally had a chance to get some photos of me in my new Daisy Dress! The fabric …

Continuing our fabric series, today’s post is all about wool. Wool is synonymous with warmth and is used primarily to make winter garments. If handled correctly, a wool garment will last for many years. Figuring out the best way to treat your wool can be a little challenging because wool is a sneaky material. It …

photo by peagreenchick Since we’ve been talking about different kinds of fabric, we thought it would be helpful to put together a little list of fabric terms. You’ve probably heard these words before and may even know all of them. If so, consider this a little refresher! Fabric Terms and Descriptions Drape refers to the …

Bonnie Cashin (1915-2000) – American While many of us may know the name of Claire McCardell, the work of Bonnie Cashin isn’t that well known to modern lovers of fashion. Yet Cashin was honored with the 2003 Fashion Institute of Technology exhibition, “Bonnie Cashin: Practical Dreamer.” Cashin did not use unnecessary adornment or details, her …