enJOY it

the books I loved in 2018.

December 4, 2018

I set a goal in 2017 to read 52 books and fell short at 37. Thinking I'd set myself up for success this year, I set a goal to read 36 books and with a few weeks left in 2018 I am at 54. Most of were checked out from the library, some were from my Book of the Month subscription, but a few were audiobooks (listened at 1.5x speed). All were good (I stop reading if a book isn't clicking) but a few were AMAZING. I wanted to share the amazing here with you.

FICTION:

We Were The Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter – this is the true story of what the author's grandfather and his four siblings went through during WWII. It was masterfully told. I couldn't put it down.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid – if I judged books by their cover I would never have picked this up. In fact I saw it on the shelf at the library and didn't think twice, but then I got a message on Instagram recommending and so I gave it a shot. I am glad I did. It's a surprising love story and a great read.

Circe by Madeline Miller – this was a story as told through Circe, daughter of Helios, the sun God in Greek mythology. Embarrassingly, I didn't realize that going in and found it strange that I kept remember snippets of freshman year mythology. This was entertaining and smart and a very fun book. I hope they start letting freshman English classes read it.

Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff – I remember this book getting a ton of buzz last year and I finally picked it up myself early in 2018. I really enjoyed it. It's a decades long story about a marriage and is told through first the husband's and then the wife's perspective. I wasn't expecting the narrator change and loved getting the mirror image of the same events.

Kindred by Octavia Butler – this was written in 1979 but could have been written today. The main character is an African American woman who inexplicably finds herself time traveling back to the early 1800s to a plantation in the deep south. I knew nothing about this book going in – it was recommended – and so I don't want to say too much else…just that I would recommend it to you.

Commonwealth by Ann Patchett – another sprawling story, this one with two intertwined families. Honestly, I picked this up because I loved this article written by the author. I am glad – I loved the book.

NON-FICTION:

Becoming by Michelle Obama – surely you've already heard of this memoir? This was the only book I pre-ordered this year. I am in awe of her honest and relatable story-telling. I didn't know much about Michelle Obama's life pre-Whitehouse before reading this and it was delightful getting to hear more about her background, education, marriage and parenting style. I am curious to see what will be next for her.

Calypso by David Sedaris – the most recent memoir from David Sedaris did not disappoint. This might be my favorite of his yet. So much stuck with me but the most hilarious was picturing him out there getting all his steps each day. Or the stuff about how you have to act as a couple when guests are over.

Educated by Tara Westover – now this was a BOOK. I listened on audiobook and couldn't get over it…often having to skip back to make sure I heard correctly what disastrous thing had just occurred. The author was born to survivalists in rural Idaho and had nothing resembling a formal education but she got through it and tells us about it. I am not hyping this book very well, but I am sure most of you have read it already. If not, do.

Tell Me More by Kelly Corrigan – legit perfection from Kelly Corrigan. Twelve essays about the things that Kelly has learned to say. I loved them all and it made me think about my own list…

Bad Blood by John Carreyrou – this is the deeply researched and entertainingly told true story of the Theranos scandal and it played out like fiction. Listening (this was another audiobook) to the creation of this start-up and then hearing it ultimately unravel was fascinating.

Born a Crime by Trevor Noah – another excellent memoir. I knew from watching The Daily Show these past few years that Trevor Noah was brilliant. But hearing about his childhood was on another level. His story-telling is entertaining, of course, but his way of looking at the world is important. I read this in paper form, but have heard from many that the audiobook, read by him, is great.

This will sound dramatic (because it is) but when I put together this list I just wanted to cry with joy. How lucky are we that, ages ago, humans figured out how to put sounds together in such a way that stories are possible. What a gift for us all.
ME MADE MAY 2018

June 5, 2018
For the month of May, I participated in "Me Made May" a DIY clothing challenge hosted by Zoe. (You can read more about this challenge and FAQs here.) I had followed along with this challenge on Instagram in 2016 and 2017 but this was the first year I felt like I was ready to jump in. People approach this month in different ways – some wear all handmade, some focus on making more handmade, some try to create entirely new outfits each day. My goal was to just wear at least one thing I had made (sewed or knit) each day and I wasn't worried about repeats.

I learned some good stuff from this challenge. Let's break it down:

ONE: Taking outfit photos is awkward! There are many reasons I am not a fashion blogger but this is at the top. HOWEVER! Taking photos is SO HELPFUL in actually seeing your garments, figuring out what you like to wear and finding patterns within your wardrobe. I love that I have this catalog of outfits and am already excited to compare my 2019 outfits when I do this challenge next year.

TWO: I have a set style and I am comfortable with it. It has taken me four years of actively working on this to get to a place where I love everything in my closet and drawers. I have had a lot of false starts in finding my style but my focus (finally) is on a small color palette made from natural fabrics that are easy to wear and easy to care for. Blue, gray, tan, white, black, olive green and a touch of light pink/purple. That's it.

THREE: I enjoy getting dressed. This challenge reminded me of that. I work from home and so it's easy to stay in leggings from pilates all day but I don't want to do that. I feel better and more creative when I take the two minutes to put on an outfit.

FOUR: I really don't need any clothing. Assuming I don't change shape too much, I don't think I would ever have to buy clothing again except for new bras and underwear. (Yes, I know I could make them…maybe someday). I feel like my wardrobe could be complete. But, I will continue to make clothing because I enjoy the process SO much and yes, it's fun to have new things (as long as the are things that will truly get worn!!). My focus will continue to be on "what will I actually wear?" instead of "what would be fun to make?"

If you're into stats here is how this broke down:

I wore 7 pairs of shoes in May (two are not pictured – rainbow sandals and a pair of heels for date night). All of them are a shade of tan.

I wore 16 store-bought pieces. Eight bottoms (four jeans, two shorts, one pair of black denim and one green pair of pants). Eight tops (four t-shirts, one sweatshirt, one cardigan, one denim vest and one jacket.

I wore 19 made by me pieces that came from 10 total patterns (linked below). Two bottoms, three hand-knits and 14 sewn tops and dresses.

In total, my May wardrobe had 42 pieces + workout clothes, pjs and undergarments.

BOTTOM LINE:

For the past two years (since reading Overdressed) I have been committed to making slow(er) fashion choices. Learning to make (and love!) my own clothing is a hobby that has brought me SO MUCH JOY. The month of May was a good way to celebrate that.

PATTERN LINKS:

Here are links to all the patterns I am wearing above. For some of the pieces I hacked the patterns (to create dresses or different looking versions).
one pattern, five ways.

May 24, 2018

So, I am still very much into all the sewing projects. I am taking a break from buying ANY ready to wear apparel in 2018 and instead am trying to sew and knit anything I might like to wear or add to my wardrobe instead. One pattern that was new to me this year is top called Shirt no. 1 from 100 Acts of Sewing. (Here's a link to purchase.)

It's a super simple pattern (great for the beginner sewer!) with just two pieces, one for the front and one for the back. The neckline is finished with bias tape. If you need one, I shared a tutorial for attaching bias tape and finishing a neckline in my highlighted Instagram stories. You can see it here.

The first time I completed the pattern exactly as recommended. I used this beautiful nani iro double gauze fabric and it was a great weight for the top. I decided to add a contrasting striped pocket (just a simple rectangle).

The second time I had some patterned linen from Jo-ann fabrics that I wanted to turn into a dress. I use the top of the pattern to shape the top of the dress and finished it with a gathered skirt made from two rectangles (each were 36" wide and 26" long) sewn together like a tube. To get the top shape right, I folded the pattern up and cut in about 1.5 inches at the body so it was tighter around the chest. I shared a full tutorial for building this dress on my IG stories (you can see that highlight here).

I love how this one turned out! I probably could have used a bit less fabric for the skirt because there is a lot of fabric at the waist but it's a super easy wear.

For my next try, I got a little more complicated. My original plan was to make this top in a striped fabric (see the sample in the photo above) but I wanted to test the size and process first so I used white linen. I ended up loving the fit of the white so much that I'm saving my striped fabric for something else.

I extended the length of the pattern by three inches and chopped it into three different shapes (you can see a sketch of how I broke it up in the photo above). Then I sewed the shapes back together with a flat felled seam. The result is a more fitted and structured top. Because of the way I had to sew the pieces together it lost some width and length.

Next I went for more of a tunic top length. I added the same three inches to the pattern length but just cut one piece for the front and one for the back. I used silk noil fabric for this one and decided to paint a grid using solar dye. I LOVE the result so much.

Unlike fabric paint, solar dye really blends into the fabric so it looks like it's part of it, not just sitting on top. There is also no texture to the dye. BUT, unlike dye, you can really manipulate it during application because you can paint it on. I painted it freehand (no measuring) with a standard paint brush then let it sit in the sun for about 15 minutes.

AND FINALLY, I wanted to make a "fancier" version and experiment with an open back. For this one, I used a woven ikat fabric. The front is one piece but again, for a more fitted look, I cut in about an inch around the body. The back is three pieces.

For the back I cut a yoke (I hope I'm using that term correctly) and then two triangle like pieces. I stitched them together along the long horizontal seam and then used the whole piece as the back of the top. This was such a fun experiment. I think I like the math portion of sewing as much as I like the art portion.

I really enjoyed making these and to me they do feel like five different tops even though the base pattern was the same. I have decided to temporarily retire this pattern from my toolbox and am going to move on to other pieces this summer but exploring this one so fully was amazing and taught me a lot about construction. I realize none of these pattern hacks are full tutorials, but hopefully they give you an encouraging push to try something new! Figuring it all out (and ripping out stitches along the way) is part of what makes this hobby so fun.

links to the ready-to-wear pieces I am wearing above: madewell boyfriend denim (similar), denim vest, madewell high waist skinny denim, birkenstock gizeh sandals, daniel wellington watch (similar here)
BOOKS I READ THAT HELPED ME CHANGE MY LIFE & WORK.

March 8, 2018

//

JavaScript is currently disabled in this browser. Reactivate it to view this content.
getting started making clothing.

January 25, 2018
For the past few years I have spent a lot of time thinking about my wardrobe (remember when I did a capsule wardrobe?), pairing down what I own, learning about where my clothing is made and paying more attention to the garments I feel good in and how much use I can get from my clothing. It's a process. It's taken years of changing how I buy and adjusting my habits and I am still far from a ideal slow-fashion consumer.

During those past few years I have also gotten more excited about making my own clothing – both through sewing and knitting. If you've been here awhile you have seen my experiments in this over the years! There has been some success but a lot of failures too. I finally feel (seven years after learning to sew and 24 years after learning how to knit) comfortable following patterns and creating clothing that I am proud of and want to wear.

I have been sharing my adventures in DIY clothing on Instagram a lot recently and wanted to round up answers to all the questions I frequently get in one place. As always when I post something like this I have to give my disclaimer… I AM NOT AN EXPERT AT THIS! I do things wrong, don't follow all the rules and am still learning. This is My Experience not "The Experience."

Ready? Get some cake or something this is over 5000 words.

ON TIME

How do you have time to do this?

The first thing that I always have to say with time is that my girls go to full-time childcare Monday through Friday at a local daycare/pre-school. I hate for people to think I am working full-time job while raising two little ones and sewing a DIY wardrobe. Maybe some people are doing that, but I am not.

That said, I mostly knit while watching TV in the evenings with Paul. I knit while the girls are playing or painting or watching TV themselves. I knit while waiting for the mac and cheese to cook. I knit while on the phone or while on a trip with friends and family. When I am loving a project, I knit all the time. Some parts of knitting patterns demand focus and counting but the majority of each project is just mindless stitching. I LOVE to have my hands-moving. For me, knitting fits easily into daily life.

Sewing is a little bit harder because it's not quite so "pick up and put down" and a sewing machine is loud and not really portable. But sewing garments takes so much less time overall. It might take me two months to knit a sweater but just an afternoon to make a tank top so that helps. But here is the other thing…every single sewing pattern can be broken down to these basic steps:
- find pattern (and print/assemble if necessary)
- find fabric
- wash fabric
- iron fabric
- pin pattern to fabric
- cut out fabric pieces
- sew initial pieces together
- iron
- sew more pieces together
- iron
- sew more pieces together
- iron
- hem
- iron
All of those steps take about 10-20 active minutes at a time (maybe less). So often I break up my sewing projects into 10-20 minute chunks. I take the girls with me to shop for fabric on the weekends. I wash my fabric along with other laundry. I iron while the girls are playing. I pin and cut when I have some spare minutes often right on the floor in the middle of their stuff (they are VERY used to seeing me work on projects). I sew and iron when it makes sense, sometimes while they are around or at school or sleeping. I fit it into my life the way I fit walking or reading or anything else.

This is a hobby that I enjoy and so prioritizing it is important to me.

Do you have any tips on time management when it comes to making clothes? Sewing is more time effective for me, but I love the look and feel of knitted garments. I’m just a slow knitter unless I use a larger gauge yarn.

I don't really. Knitting does take longer! But that's okay. Slowing down the process is part of the beauty. 🙂

If you stall out on a project do you leave it for awhile and come back or give up on it? How do you keep momentum of a project gets hard?

My personality isn't really a "stall out" type. I either finish or quit…without much fanfare either way. That said, if I get bored with a project but not bored enough to give up completely I will keep it in a basket until I'm ready to go through and evaluate. Sometimes I can rework and start over or sometimes I can salvage the materials for a new project.

It's tough when a project gets hard but this is my hobby so working through challenges is part of the point. I just google until I have figured out what to do next.

ON COST

Is this expensive?

This depends on a million factors. We all have different ideas of what is expensive. As far as hobbies go, I have had more expensive hobbies (pottery) and much cheaper hobbies (writing pep talks). I have also learned a lot over the past seven years. I made my first top out of quilting cotton because that was the only fabric I new how to find and buy (and didn't wear it much). Today, I make most of my garments out of linen. I go with linen because it washes well, drapes well, feels good to wear and I tend to like neutrals colors in my wardrobe. PLUS (and this is key) I am very comfortable sewing with linen. I need to explore other fabrics but this is the place I am right now in my sewing adventures. You can get linen at Jo-ann Fabrics for $9/yard with a coupon (and I do) or $31/m from a shop like Merchant & Mills (and I probably will someday if I have something extra special to make).

What I have learned (through repeated trial and error) is that when I spend some money and take care to do my best work I am often happier with the result. When I am happy with the result I am more likely to wear the piece again and again and THAT is the whole point for me. This doesn't mean that buying the most expensive fabric will result in the best garment. It doesn't mean that buying the cheapest fabric will result in something you don't wear. It just means that cost or "getting a great deal" can be a factor but it cannot be the only factor. If cost (or saving time) were the only factors I would not be experimenting with this hobby.

How do you end up with something you love? I always end up something wonky that sits in my closet. I understand the "just start and try it" mindset but I've screwed up enough things that I'm a little gun shy now. I'm stuck in between the try it and see mindset (& a willingness to spend money on hobbies) and my desire to not be wasteful or have extra crap lying around.

Yep, yep, yep. I have definitely had my share of wonky crap. It's not fun at all to spend time and money on something and have it not turn out. However, it's part of the process. If you don't want to make some mistakes along the way don't sew or knit…or try any new hobby. 😉

There is a learning curve with this just like anything else. It has taken me years to develop my style as a consumer of clothes and then even more time as a maker of clothes. I am finally at a place where at least I know what I really like to wear and what fits my body and lifestyle. I wear simple clothes that are easy to care for. I wear mostly blues and neutrals and muted tones. I don't love florals or big patterns or bright colors. I love stripes.

For sewing this means simple (often boxy) tops and loose fitting tanks with a longer hem (thankfully these are easy, straightforward pieces to sew) in a linen or more recently I tried and loved a cotton double gauze.

For knitting I finally figured out this means thinner yarns (DK or smaller) in neutral colors with un-complicated shapes. Chunky knits are fun and fast but I don't wear them. And who cares if it's fun and fast if I don't wear it? I would rather spend months on something with small yarn if it becomes the piece I reach for over and over again. I also learned that I would rather spend the money natural fibers from smaller brands than big box stores. All of this – the cost and the time that goes into each garment – means I make less but I love what I have much more.

The above photo grid is not all handmade but it's a good sum of my style over the past few years. There are four me-mades (black and white striped top, navy dress, Ellerie's skirt & the knit striped top). Then the J.Crew jacket and maroon Ace & Jig dress were both bought second-hand. The brown striped tunic top was the first high-quality handmade item I ever bought from years ago. I remember it was over $100 and I was very nervous to purchase. But it's linen, timeless, perfectly-me and has held up so well.

Part of the point to all of this is that you have to have some trial and error to create a wardrobe you love. That goes for shopping too. We all make dumb purchases or buy things we regret. One thing you can do is figure out what has gone wrong in the past. Did you chose overly complicated patterns? Start with something more simple. Did you choose fabric that you "loved on sight" but didn't really match with your existing wardrobe? Go with a neutral. Are your technical skills not there yet? Spend some time sewing a quilt or knitting a blanket. Making something other than a garment will help give you practice getting comfortable with your sewing machine or with your stitching. If you have never knit or sewn in your life then take all of this advice: start with something simple, use a neutral and practice your skills on NON-garments first.

The most important thing (with sewing and life) is that you can't continue to do the same thing over and over and expect a different result. I had to look at my failed garments and figure out why I didn't like them in order to make changes and build pieces I was going to love (and wear).

I’d love thoughts on cost and time – I know the point isn’t to get clothes cheaper than you would in a store, but just curious about the investment and how you view that.

I enjoy this process very much. I enjoy looking for patterns. I enjoy looking for fabrics. I enjoy keeping my hands moving and the thrill that comes with garment construction (it's MAGIC I swear). I love putting on a top that I made. So for me, the hobby of making is worth the cost and the time.

But also, I read the book Overdressed in spring 2016 all about the cost of fast-fashion and it made me think hard about my consumer habits and the definition of "cheap." This year (2018) I am not buying ANY clothing, shoes, accessories, etc. This has been a gradual transition (I bought very little in 2017 and most of that was from smaller brands). Some of the money that I save from not shopping I will put towards this hobby but I know I must stay very aware and not just mindlessly make. This isn't about HAVING ALL THE STUFF but instead investing my time and money into a hobby I love and having a wardrobe that feels like me and is enjoyable to wear.

ON LEARNING TO SEW/KNIT

When did you learn to knit?

My grandma taught me when I was nine. Then I made scarves and blankets for 18 years. Then cowls then finally my first sweater in 2014. I did not love my first sweater but you gotta start somewhere. (I should have started with a kid sweater.)

When did you learn to sew?

Right after my wedding in 2010 (I got a sewing machine for my bridal shower) my mom taught me to make curtains. Then I was off and running.

Do you crochet?

I don't.

What should I start with?

For knitting: start with a scarf. Go back and forth making rows and rows until you get used to using your hands in this way. Then, make a cowl – here is my tutorial. A cowl is an important next step because it will teach you how to knit in the round with circular needles. This IS NOT THAT HARD but like anything takes some practice.

For sewing: start with a pillow. Sew some straight lines and just get comfortable on your machine. Make a quilt. Pillows and quilts are just straight lines and the fit isn't a big deal. You can take my Get Quilty ecourse if you want some lessons in buying quilt fabric, sewing and making five fun projects.

I just want to start with a garment though.

I hear you. I promise you will not regret doing the scarf/cowl/pillow/quilt first.

Where can I find tutorials?

I recommend purlsoho.com for knitting tutorials. They are super clear and easy to follow. Watch them once. Then pause as you work through the steps. I pull up these videos all the time.

What about online classes?

There is such a need for a super straight-forward beginner online knitting class that works you through the basics then has you learn a few different projects. In my next life I'll write it. For now Craftsy has a ton of both sewing and knitting where you can learn oodles of techniques.

How do you follow a pattern?

One. Step. At. A. Time. I know what I am doing at this point and reading a full pattern still makes me nervous so I NEVER DO THAT. Instead I gather the supplies and worry about one line of that pattern at a time. When I get stuck I google the exact phrase "make one left" or "pick up one below" and let google tell me what to do. Some patterns are written better than others. Wiksten knitting patterns in particular are GREAT. I highly recommend. I learned how to knit socks from Jenny (using a pattern in this book) and got back into knitting last fall by test knitting a kid sweater for her.

THE KEY HERE THOUGH – you are only going to learn by doing. You have to get your hands moving. You have to make the the mistakes. You have to sew the sleeve on inside out or wind up with a hole in your scarf in order to figure it out. Garment construction is complicated but also amazing. The more you learn the more you'll understand and the instructions you are following will start to make sense. You will begin to appreciate how the pieces in your closet were constructed (and be able to note the many flaws). It's extremely rewarding. Don't try to avoid making mistakes, learn from them. You'll get better.

ON KNOWING WHAT TO MAKE

How do you find patterns?

For knitting I follow a bunch of knitters on Instagram and basically piggy-back off their ideas. I like to see the types of yarns and patterns they pair together and use that for inspiration. I also am on Ravelry (eliseblaha is my username) and find patterns there. You can see my favorite patterns here for some simple shapes. What I love about finding a pattern on Ravelry is that I can see other people who have made it which gives me a better idea of how the pattern looks in real life. I recently knitted the lightweight raglan sweater from Purl Soho. On their site it looks it's fine. But what sold me on the pattern was the knitter who added stripes to hers. I added stripes, added length to the body and shortened the sleeves and wound up with a garment I loved.

For sewing I (again) follow a bunch of sewers on Instagram and love seeing what they are making. I think the most important part of pattern shopping is looking past the color and pattern to the shape of the garment. It doesn't matter what color it is or what the fabric pattern looks like. How's the hem? The drape? The neckline? That's what matters. I often will search Instagram for a pattern hashtag before making it – again to get that "real life" idea of a garment. This also gives me ideas for the type of fabric I should try to use.

Would love to hear how you find patterns and know which ones are worth investing your time and resources in. I'm new to knitting so I can only liken it to food recipes: if I pick a random recipe off a website I know I have a higher risk of it not turning out than say if I use a recipe Smitten Kitchen. What is the knitting/textile equivalent of this?

As mentioned, ravelry.com has a library of knitting patterns. Many are not going to be the best fit for you BUT you can find patterns that have been tested by 1000s of users and that helps or you might find a knitter that you really love and do a few of their patterns. Again, I'll link to my favorites.

What are your go-to sewing patterns?

I have made the wiksten tank a bunch in linen. I make a few adjustments to this, I use bias tape for the neckline and armholes because it's easier than cutting a strip from fabric. I also pull up the neckline a bit (maybe a half inch). The seams on this are french seams so there is no fraying. (I still don't have a serger but I have asked for one for my birthday next month.)

I also have made the basic tank a few times and I often use the top portion of the pattern to make dresses too. The top on the left is a woven cotton and the dress on the right is the same top with a bottom that I made up. It's sewn from linen. Neither of these have finished seams and both have gone through the laundry at least a dozen times with no issues.

What other patterns do you recommend for beginners?

I have made the Lou Box top and the shirt no. 1. I plan to try the Hemlock tee from Grainline studio (it's free when you sign up for their newsletter) later this spring. I knit the harvest cardigan for Ellerie and it was a fun easy pattern. I want to try the Gardenia Dress this fall.

What is a good first sweater knitting pattern?

I wish I could send you to a perfect easy pattern that you'll love to wear but because it took me so long to knit something I actually wanted to wear I can't! I can only say, try a kid sweater first. If you don't want to start with kids, check my ravelry faves for some (what look to me) like basic patterns. Also, if you just want to dive in on something with teeeeeeeny yarn… I knit the lightweight raglan from Purl Soho and am currently working on the striped spring shirt.

ON KIDS CLOTHES

With kids (who I feel like need more clothes & grow out of them more quickly than adults) how do you decide what’s worth making vs buying?

I do not have as much experience with this as I do making things for myself. My girls are picky. I make them skirts and dresses and sometimes they are into them and sometimes they are not. It's sad. But it's also okay. I like to have my own style and I want them to have their own too. I just stick the new pieces in their closet and drawers and usually there comes a day when they pull them out to wear. I definitely tend to make "extras" for their wardrobe more than basics and like to make things like dresses a bit bigger than they need so we can have them for the closet for a bit longer (it helps that with two girls everything has two chances to wear).

What about kids' knits?

Knitting for kiddos is a GREAT place to start because you'll do all the same techniques but it will take less time (and yarn) to complete a piece. This is a perfect way to learn. Even if you don't have kids – give it to a friend, niece, new mom, etc – you'll learn a lot and gain the confidence to try something adult sized.

ON SUPPLIES

I’d love tips for picking yarn. I think I get sticker shock on buy quality yarn and then I regret making items out of itchy hobby yarn and we never use them.

SAME, SAME, SAME. I used to think $19 for a skein of yarn was bonkers. So I'd buy cheap stuff and hate the results. $19 for a skein IS expensive. But if you don't wear the piece you made with the $6 yarn that's also expensive. The key here is are you going to really wear it? My main tip is that I often look for the exact yarns that other people have used for a project because then I know it's going to turn out similar to a photo I have seen. This helps me feel less scared. I also buy during sales when I can and that helps some. But really, I still feel like a novice in this area and I really should not be giving advice. 😉

Where do you buy yarn?

Purl Soho & Madeline Tosh for my last few projects plus there is a local yarn store in Sacramento I love to wander when I am in town. I am currently knitting with a Madeline Tosh DK weight and a Woolfolk Tynd. I often google the yarn I am looking for and then check all the places it's sold online. Sometimes you can get a better price doing that.

Where do you buy fabric?

I get a lot of linen in store at Jo-ann Fabrics with a coupon. I think this is a good place to start because it's not very intimating and you can walk through and touch all the fabrics. This is hugely important. Be sure to check the end of the bolt to see the washing instructions and what exactly is in the fabric too!

Online I buy fabric from Purl Soho because their selection is small but well-curated. I am DYING to go to The Fabric Store in LA and they have an online shop too. But really, if I opened up the comments on this post and asked for recs there would be 700 ideas of where to buy fabrics and I think that's LESS helpful. Too much choice is not ideal when you're just getting started.

Overall, I like to see what other makers are using and then google those exact brands or types of fabric to see what pops up.

Do you have a lot of knitting supplies?

Sort of! I buy needles as I need them for different projects and store them in an ikea drawer.

I am overwhelmed and don't know where to begin with supplies.

Yes. Here's the important thing to keep in mind: 99% of all patterns you are not going to like. 99% of the fabrics and yarns you are not going to like. This is great news. There are millions of patterns and fabrics and yarns but you only have to care or be interested in just a few of them. The rest are just noise and things you will sift through to get to the stuff that just right for you. So the point is, feeling overwhelmed is normal but if you know that going in and just veto and veto until you find what works you'll be okay.

If you are comfortable with your sewing skills and ready to make a top go to your closet. Pick out your favorite, most reached for top. What's the cut like? What's it made out of? (check the tag.) Is it solid colored? Patterned? These are clues for where you should start on your first piece.

ON EVERYTHING ELSE

How much of your closet is handmade?

I have currently have seven tank tops (out of eight total), two everyday dresses (out of 11), one skirt (out of 3) and three tops (out of many) that are handmade by me. I reach for them often and am probably wearing something I made about 3 times a week. (Right now as I type this I have a black linen wiksten tank on.) I recently counted every item of clothing/accessory I have (including earrings, bras, swimsuits, work out tops, shoes, sunglasses, everything) and I own 228 items total. This to me feels like a very large number. I don't need to buy anything and probably would not ever need to buy anything ever again.

So how to you decide what to make next?

It's really more about "this looks really fun to make and I can see that being something I reach for" than "oh yes, I really can't go on without another striped sweater."

Does your wrist get sore when knitting?

Yes totally. I take a lot of breaks and stretch and try not to push it. I also knit Continental instead of throwing the yarn which helps me.

How do you use circular knitting needles?

I have a video tutorial for that! 10 minutes, watch it here.

How do you track patterns?

I have a list of projects I want to do in my planner. Then I also save things to my ravelry faves and save things on Instagram (using that collections feature) so I don't lose ideas. But I really try to not have many projects going at once and just follow through one at a time.

How do you strike a balance between colorful yarn/fabric you love to buy and create with, and neutrals that will be wearable?

I don't knit or sew garments with a lot of color for myself and instead use the color on items for the girls or on quilts/home projects. 🙂

Do you swatch for your knitting projects?

I used to not. I tended to knit loose and so I just sized down on needles and got lucky. But then I started knitting a bit tighter and that threw off my last project (I will need to pull it out and start again) so now I swatch and it's worth it.

How do you get sizing right?

I tend to buy small or xs clothing of the rack and so my general assumption with patterns is that I will be a small or extra small. BUT, you can (and should!) measure your body and compare that to the measurements listed on the pattern. You'll notice I don't make anything that's tight fitting and so exact size hasn't been that big of a deal yet. If I were to make a swimsuit or a pair of jeans I would have to pay a bit more attention to getting the fit perfect.

Something to try if you are unsure of size and don't want to waste your nice fabric is you can go through the pattern with muslin or something inexpensive (maybe old sheets or something you were going to donate). This is a chance to perfect the pattern and work out kinks. It takes more time, yes, but I think we have established after 4800 words that the point here is not "saving time."

You mention adaptions on your knitting patterns, how do you make simple changes to your patterns?

This comes a bit from experience and I am still learning a lot. Things like shortening or lengthening are easy because they just mean less or more rows but other than that I can't do too much yet. Here is a post that talks about creating your own top down sweater pattern though. This exercise would be a great way to learn a ton.

Tell me more about that book you are keeping to track your projects.

I shared on Instagram this album I am documenting the clothing I make in 2018. It's an old Kolo album I have had for years and its just a fun way to save my fabric and yarn scraps. I love the idea that I if I keep going with this hobby I could have a 20 year record of handmade pieces in there. It's 100% just for fun and was inspired by the journal Ace & Jig keeps of their fabrics.

Who inspires you with sewing and knitting?

So so many folks. It's hard to "tag" people here but if you click on this photo you'll see some of my favorite people & brands to follow. There are also fun hashtags to search like #memadeeveryday or #imademyclothes

NOW WHAT?

Don't panic.

Decide if this is actually something you want to do or if this is just something that you enjoy reading about/learning. There is a huge difference. I follow a rad photographer on Instagram and I watch every one of her super involved stories about crafting still-lives. I have no interest in being a still-life photographer but I appreciate her process and am inspired by her love for her craft. We only have so much time each day and making clothing is something I want to do with my time but there are a million things I don't want to do with my time. That's OKAY.

If this is something you want to explore more, evaluate what you know already and then decide what you're next step will be. Maybe you can take a lesson from a friend? Maybe you just need to pull the trigger and buy a pattern. Maybe you need to go get 1.5 yards of linen and give yourself two hours this weekend to try that tank top pattern you bought last year. Maybe you have never knit before but are going to go get some yarn and needles to try my cowl tutorial. DO NOT PLAN TO OVERHAUL YOUR CLOSET WITH HANDMADE NEXT MONTH. Instead, pick one thing to start with and give yourself a lot of grace as you embark on something new to you.
2017 IN SECONDS.

December 31, 2017

CRIPE 2017 1SE from elise blaha cripe on Vimeo.

Another year in seconds using the 1 Second Everyday app (with music I downloaded from pond5 and edited together in iMovie)

I shared my 2016 video here last year and I am happy to have completed another full year using this documentation method. I was even more chill this time around and while I recorded often (out of habit) I usually only updated the app every few weeks. If I didn't have a video for each day I just pulled something from around the same time and called it good enough. It was (much) less thought about this time around but it is equally as special.

As with so much of what we share online, this video is a highlight reel. These are the everyday moments where I was happy enough and engaged enough to press record. I didn't capture any fights or illness or tears or worry or fears or frustration. Not because those moments don't matter (they matter deeply) but because so often when we are sick or sad or hurting our energy goes into that, not into "documenting."

Just like last year, when I watch this I feel overwhelming gratitude. For the girls, for Paul, and for the everyday moments that make up our lives.

Again, here is a post with a few of my tips. If you need technical help with the app, reach out to the ISE team, they are great!
100 plants on fabric.

July 20, 2017
108 days ago, I joined in on the public creative challenge #the100dayproject. The annual project is hosted by artist Elle Luna and takes place over 100 days. This year we started on April 4th and ended on July 12th. The idea is to pick something creative, work on it every day for 100 days and share your progress on a social media platform with a unique hashtag.

Last year was my first attempt at the project. I wasn't feeling particularly creative and I didn't want to make anything physical and so I decided to share 100 Pep Talks. That exercise changed the way I think about creativity and among other things, helped me realize that I really am in control of my time. You can see all the pep talks through the hashtag #100daysofelisepeptalks OR you can just buy the book. After the challenge, I took all the talks and some of the photos and self-published a perfect bound, full-color book. It's one of my favorite projects I have worked on to date.

This year I wanted something completely different. I wanted to get my hands dirty and make something that wasn't just words. I thought about a lot of different things before deciding to go with sewing. Then I felt like I needed more direction so I decided I would piece fabric together into plants. Then that didn't seem flexible enough so I decided my only two requirements would be plants and fabric.

Could I get "plants on fabric" 100 times in 100 consecutive days?

Turns out yes. For 100 days I sewed and stamped and dyed and hammered. I embroidered, appliqued, painted, bleached and wove. I experimented with sun dye, fabric spray paint, wax and freezer paper. I carved stamps out of clay, potatoes, wood, cork and rubber. I pressed ferns, daisies and leaves.

I stitched at a craft fair. I puff painted in San Francisco and London. I embroidered while sitting around a pool with my girlfriends and while on an airplane to see Hamilton. I was inspired by ferns in the Scottish highands, leaves at the post office and succulents in my backyard.

The project turned into a personal journal. I stamped seven tulips for my seventh wedding anniversary. I got the girls to finger paint a tree on Mother's Day. I machine stitched a growing plant with deep roots on Piper's first day of daycare. I created a dandelion with 4 wishes on Ellerie's fourth birthday. I lived, breathed and created plants on fabric for 100 days.

I have been thinking a lot this week on what makes this project "work" and why it's been the right project for me these past two years. None of these are fool-proof ideas, but they are something to consider if you want to embark on something like this.

Spend some time nailing down your idea. Let it simmer for awhile. A month, a week, whatever. Really think about it. You don't need 100 ideas going in (of course) but it's great to have SOME ideas that jump right to your mind. You want to be excited to get going. If you're not excited day 1, you really will not be excited day 27.

Set yourself up for success. Gather your tools and supplies. Clear a space on your desk or kitchen table. Make room in your schedule. Pick a project that can work for your lifestyle. Are you often traveling? Probably painting a mural isn't going to work for you. Do you have absolutely no more than ten minutes a day to devote to this project? Pick something you can complete in ten minute chunks. Be honest here with your time and space. Work within your constraints. Constraints do not have to equal weaknesses! They can help you make magic.

Tell everyone you know you're working on this project and ask them to respect it. Both years I had to set aside time on vacation, on work trips and on weekends and on weekdays to fit in my work for this project. I had to stay up late or wake up early. I had to step away from family visits. I had to bring the project out in front of friends. "This is important to me. This is what I am working on." That's what you have to say to yourself and those around you for 100 days. Life goes on…let it go on AROUND your project. Bring your project into the mix with you (and the people you know).

Pick a timeline that you can complete. 100 days is a really long time. It's not always going to be realistic for every person in every life season. That's okay! Don't do 100 then. Do something for 50 days. Or 30 days. Or ten days. But pick a challenge. Set a time frame. And don't stop. Do the thing. Do the thing over and over again. There is something so powerful about setting a goal, committing to yourself and then delivering for yourself.

And at the end of the project I stitched my days together to create a quilt! The entire project was centered around these 6.5×6.5 inch squares and of course they had to be a quilt. I kept a tight color scheme (green, tan, white, blue, yellow) on purpose so the pieces would all "match" at the end. On the quilt, the squares go in order of the days they were created. I hated 5 of the original squares and replaced them with something similarly inspired about halfway through the project. I backed my quilt with a large piece of tan cotton and a strip of some of my mistakes and experiments that didn't make the final cut each day.

This project was so fun to work on. I loved the challenge. I loved experimenting. I love that somehow it all comes together. I LOVE that I can look at it and remember where I was and what I was thinking (and in some cases what podcast I was listening to) when I worked on each square. This is an endlessly powerful challenge. 100 days is a long time. 100 ideas are a lot of ideas. But after you complete something like this, after you immerse yourself so deeply in something like this, anything feels possible creatively. I highly recommend. I'm already letting ideas for next year simmer in my head…

EXTRA STUFF: I talked about this project on a few podcasts. You can listen to Allie Lehman and I chat at the start and at the end. I was also a guest on 100 Creatives (episode 50) about halfway through the project. You can see all the squares here.

PRODUCT LINKS: I discovered some really cool fabric tools and techniques through this project. Below are some links to stuff I used often.
- my sewing machine
- rotary cutter set
- sun dye
- fabric crayons
- wax crayons
- jacquard fabric paint
- carving rubber
- rubber stamp carving tool
- printable fabric paper
- iron-on fabric transfer paper
- gel printing plate
- fabric spray paint
- dye-na-flow fabric paint (this was like watercolor for fabric)
travelogue: Scotlond, London & Paris.

July 5, 2017

Last summer I read the Harry Potter play (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) and loved it. You can't compare it to the series because it's a play, not a novel but it was great. Right after I finished, I googled and found out tickets for the play in London were about to go on sale. Paul and I woke up at 3am, got in a virtual queue and somehow scored tickets for late June 2017.

Last week we finally got to see the play! We booked flights into London, flew to Edinburgh, drove up and through the highlands to the Isle of Skye, spent one night in Glencoe, took a train back to London, stayed in Shoreditch for a few days and then took a train to Paris for the final few days. It was a our first big trip since our honeymoon and our longest time away from the girls.

We had a really great time. I wanted to write up a quick post to share some of the highlights and to share two of the apps I loved most on the trip.

Scotland was so beautiful it didn't seem real. It was a trek to get to…planes, trains, automobiles, ferries and hikes but wow. It was spectacular. I have never seen such lush ground cover. I could go on and on about it but mostly I just was in awe.

My favorite part of our adventure was visiting the Fairy Glen (that's Paul and I on top of that rock formation) but everything was amazing. I would go back in a heartbeat. We were with our friends for the first two legs of the trip and we rented a car while in the highlands. Unless you were on a tour bus, that would be necessary.

We stayed in Portree one night (shown above) and Glencoe the second night.

In London we stayed in Shoreditch and it was a great walk-able location with tons of food options and easy underground access. We used Airbnb to book all our stays and aside from the usual complications getting keys and figuring out the tiny quirks of different spaces, that was great. We tried the Detour app while in London and took three tours (Settlers of Shoreditch, Central London: The Great Fire of 1666 and Craft Beer and Arts in Hackney Wick). I had never heard of this app but it works a lot like a podcast for locations and is a guided walking tour. You start at a certain spot and then follow the (spoken) directions around the area. They tell you about the history, graffiti and encourage you to enter different stores and try new things. They are not in a ton of areas yet but I hope they expand their offerings. The concept of it is so cool.

And mid week we saw the Harry Potter play!! It was so good. Better than I was anticipating and so much of it felt like a (great!) magic show. It was long, two full plays separated by a few hours to grab dinner (we went to Duck and Waffle and enjoyed the view) and basically took up our full day. It's coming to Broadway next spring and I'd see it again.

In Paris we stayed in Le Marais. Again, super walk-able, tons of food options and easy metro access. We walked SO MUCH in Paris and it feels like we saw every "big" sight. We did three walking tours here too (Grenelle: the Bread Wars, Republique: Terror in the City Light, Aligre Market: Gastronomy's Cutting Edge). We mostly ate beef tartare, bread and cheese in Paris but also did the tasting menu at Dersou for dinner and it was amazing.

Scotland, London and Paris via one second videos from elise blaha on Vimeo.

If you'd like to see, I used the 1 Second Everyday app to record a video of our trip. I took about 200 short videos and updated the app a few times a day with clips. It turned out so fun and it's very special to me. Video captures something photos cannot and at just over two minutes, not long enough to be boring. It's a travel video that took almost no energy to put together and even more importantly, I might actually watch again. You'll notice lot of walking, beer, scenery and selfies. That's a pretty accurate representation of what we did. 🙂

A couple notes on the clothes… my jacket (which I wore every time I stepped outside except for TWO very great occasions) is j.crew. I bought it used but this looks similar. My boots (which were a last minute packing decision) are super old from madewell but I imagine this fall they will sell something similarish. My flats are hobes boat shoes (obsessed, I can walk miles and miles and miles plus they are tiny and can be packed in my purse.) My scarfs are super old but I think came from Old Navy and H&M. And my dresses in the photos/videos are all Ace&Jig and purchased used on Instagram (I've become a bit of a pre-owned clothing convert). My bag is Lo&Sons and it's my absolute favorite travel item.
LINKS TO HOME STUFF

May 1, 2017

//

JavaScript is currently disabled in this browser. Reactivate it to view this content.
our complete 2016 one second a day video.

January 1, 2017

CRIPE 1SE 2016 from elise blaha on Vimeo.

Late last December I set a goal to document our year though one second a day videos. I planned to use the app 1 Second Everyday. I have shared some of the clips, thoughts and tips about this project (here and here) but since it’s been a FULL YEAR, I wanted to recap.

Above is our year! In 366 seconds. Just over six minutes and it’s everything to me.

I plan to continue in 2017 and beyond and want to share a few thoughts below.

As the project went on, I got way less intense. In the beginning I was like an art director. I thought of video clips I wanted to get and obsessed over exactly the second that went into the film. By the end, I just updated the app with video clips every week or so and called it good.

I cheated. I didn’t have a clip every single day. And so when I didn’t have one, I just stuck in another video from a similar day. (July 31st might actually have been recorded July 29th, for example.) Somedays I would record three things. It was easy to move them around as long as the general time frame worked. I have no regrets about this.

Yes, I know it's a lot of the girls. Right now, it’s often easier to film the girls than it is to film myself or Paul. That’s okay. It’s the season we are in. However, I don’t think you need kids to make this project fun. In fact, I desperately wish I had been documenting this way for the past decade. My 20s, early marriage and pre-kiddo years were wonderful and in some ways, very difficult to remember. I would love to have recorded snippets like this. Just like ten years from now, I will LOVE to have these moments of the girls.

Technical stuff: Yes, it takes up a lot of storage on your phone. But you can delete videos after they have been added. I think I have a 64g iPhone and for me, this app was a priority over everything. I use the google photos app to back up all my photos and don’t store a lot of music so it worked. I bought a new phone around June. Before switching out I saved my video and then combined Jan-June and June-Dec together using iMovie. I added the music in iMovie as well. I tried to export and save the video to my computer every month so if I were to lose my phone I wouldn’t lose the whole thing.

Highly recommend this project. It doesn’t have to be complicated (don’t let it get complicated!) but it WILL be amazing.

Again, here is a post with a few of my tips. If you need technical help with the app, reach out to the ISE team, they are helpful!