Cari Homemaker

Sewing and Knitting Vintage-Style

  • Lady Skater Dress: and Yet More Gingham

    I have several projects that have been cut out and waiting for me for varying amounts of time that I am trying to focus on getting done (and out of my way). In the meantime, I did have one more bit of gingham distraction that I finished up first.   This is the Kitschy Coo…

  • Vintage Simplicity 3295: Blue Gingham Cuteness

    I suspect that the real reason I wasn’t as excited by Guinevere’s Pink Cherry Dress as I probably should have been was this dress right here which I had cut out at the same time. If you think it looks a little old-fashioned, that’s probably because I used vintage Simplicity 3295 which has the copyright…

  • Lady Skater Dress: Pink Polka Dot Version

    Here’s my first version of a pattern that seems to be taking over the internet lately. I’ve already made my second and have plans for at least two more.     This is the Lady Skater Dress from Kitschy Coo. I added about 10 inches to the bottom of the skirt. Not quite a maxi…

  • Butterick 5032: Mid-Century Furry Capelet

    Have you seen the new collaborative sewing group, The Monthly Stitch? The plan is to collect a group of people to sew one thing a month based on the same theme. This month, the first month, the theme is capes. I know I have about a million things in my sewing queue that I need…

  • Romeo Sews! A U of O Apron

    Now for something really exciting. It feels like long ago since I was making aprons for the kids. I had originally planned to make one for Romeo, but he didn’t want to match Ace. When he started complaining about being the only kid who didn’t have an apron, I told him to make his own. And…

  • Quick Knit Project: Taylor Shrug

    This is a quick knitting post for a quick-knit project*. The Taylor Shrug, specifically. Once I got the concept of what the thing I was making was supposed to look like, it was a very easy knit. The directions are minimal, which is not necessarily a bad thing, since much of the directions that are…

  • Hummingbird Meets Pavlova: More Like Frosted Animal Cookies Than Cake

              This is a Cake patterns mash-up ensemble. It’s the Hummingbird top with a Pavlova skirt. A really long Pavlova skirt. I added about ten inches to the length and cut the pieces on the fold so that it only has front/back seams instead of the usual four. This is one…

  • Vintage Simplicity 8171: Sweet As Cherry Pie

      I was thinking of giving this post the title “What the Vintage Fairy Puked Up”. It doesn’t sound nearly as appetizing as cherry pie, but considering how much of this dress fits the mainstream ideas of what a vintage dress should look like, it would be a pretty good description. It only lacks a…

  • Emmaline Dress: Orange Picnic Version

      A few months ago, I went a little gingham-crazy and added several (ok, maybe 6)  gingham pieces to my fabric stash, including this orange colorway. It’s 100% cotton and fairly thick and stiff, but not so much that it feels like home decor fabric. Guinevere refers to gingham as “picnic fabric” (too many cartoons?)…