We had an amazing anniversary this week. Not only did we get so many thoughtful, kind comments from all of you here on the blog, facebook, twitter, and instagram, but we got a surprise cake sent over from the lovely Lisa over at Sweetpea Baking! So incredibly sweet (both the gesture and, of course, the …

Why do you sew? I mentioned last week that I went on a little writing retreat. I packed up our mazda with a week’s worth of food, a bottle of wine, some dark chocolate, and my laptop and booked myself into a teeny little wooded cottage. It was magical, and I plan to do it …

Breaks are on my mind this week. See, I decided to do something a little different this week. You may recall that my watchword for 2014 is “focus.” Focusing is not always easy for me. As the person running the creative side of things around CPHQ, I have a lot of different jobs. I often …

Recently, Jenny of Cashmerette and Mary of Idle Fancy decided to do something about the lack of representation they saw in the sewing blog world for curvy women. They got together with several other amazing bloggers and started The Curvy Sewing Collective. I’m thrilled that one of the first projects they’re embarking on as a …

Every year at this time I face a conundrum in my garden. You see, I have a little condition known around our house as tulip mania. We’ve even given it a theme song (sung to the tune of The Damned song Psychomania, fyi). So when the tulips begin popping up in April, I get dorkily …

I hope you all have had a good week! As I mentioned before, my folks were in town, and my dad and I ran a 10k, our first ever race together! The photo above is one I took during the race as we crossed the broadway bridge. Enjoy your weekend, and check out these wonderful …

I had a major closet cleanse this past weekend. I am pretty bad at getting rid of things, especially things I like or feel sentimental attachment to. I know I’d feel better without the clutter of stuff I don’t use, but it’s just. so. hard. So my strategy this time was to challenge myself. I …

You guys, I am so excited for this weekend. My parents are coming into town, and my dad and I are going to run a 10K together! My mom and a couple of her friends here are also going to walk the 8K at the same time. I’m hoping for good weather, though it looks …

I am definitely a creature of habit. This is something I’ve discovered over and over in the course of running a business for the last five years. When I first started, I was on my own, working out of a spare bedroom in my house, setting my own schedule and doing things at my own …

I always find it interesting to see quilting techniques used in fashion, like the vintage trapunto dress I snapped above. One of my favorite books, The Art of Manipulating Fabric, can show you how to do this. Jane makes some excellent points about the blogging world and its distortion field over economic realities. Prada allows …

Yesterday was the first day of spring, and I welcomed it with open arms. I’ve noticed that when spring starts to hit, I have a strong desire to make changes. Every day, I see dramatic changes taking place around me. The sun shines in the morning more and more, my walk to work is filled …

I bought this little primrose plant for my desk last weekend. It’s amazing how much pleasure $1.29 worth of greenery can bring to a workspace. Hope you all have a great weekend, and enjoy some of these links I’ve rounded up: 10 basic principles for the perfect wardrobe. Simple and easy to understand (the trick …

This is Portland right now, in a nutshell. It may not officially be Spring yet, but the trees have burst into blossom, the daffodils are everywhere, and the sun is starting to peek out. After this week’s post about hair and makeup, I’m in the mood to start clearing out cabinets. I’d also love to …

Well well well. Look at this adorable silk georgette I picked up on Wednesday at Mill End. I almost died when I saw the brand new bolt of it. I can’t wait to make it into a dainty little summer camisole. (It’s actually a light tan, though it appears pink in the photo.) I’m planning …

The other night, we were grabbing dinner at a local dive bar (this is what one does in Portland, where the food is good practically everywhere). But before we walked in, I saw this dress in the window at Xtabay, one of the best vintage stores in town. And my jaw dropped from all the …

Whew! It’s been quite a week, with our new book announcement and your terrific response to my swimsuit and all the issues around it. Thanks again for the warm and sweet messages you all have been sending my way. I want you to know that I read and appreciate every single comment. Here are some …

I’m happy to be taking part in the blog tour for my friend Christine Haynes‘ brand new book, The Complete Photo Guide To Clothing Construction. Today, we’re offering one lucky reader a free copy of the book (see details below). First, I wanted to share a few pages of this fantastic book with you, to …

I’ve been working on a few projects for my house lately. Nothing fancy, just some simple linen pillowcases with pretty trims. It took me forever to replace the worn out, cat-damaged ones I’d been using, but now that I have, I’m amazed at home much better they look, how much more comfortable they feel, and …

It’s been good to be back in the studio this week, although we’ve been met with a whirlwind of activity. Proofs have arrived for our next print run (yay!) and Kristen is leaving today to go on a cruise she won in a contest (!). As for me, I’m headed up to Astoria this weekend …

I’ve been getting a lot of wear out of my new swimsuit this week here in Palm Springs. I’ll be sure to share the photos when we get home again. Kenn got some good ones of me in the pool, right before I got out and was bitten by crazy ants (!). Sewing it was …

Just a few links for you this week while we’re out of town! Above is a photo I took on the plane over San Francisco on our way out to lovely PS. California has been treating us very well, but we’re headed home later today. Go inside the studios of Nanette Lepore, a designer who …