Cari Homemaker

Sewing and Knitting Vintage-Style

  • Victorian Bathing Beauty

    I’m super-excited about this project, as you can probably tell from my smiles in these pictures. Pete was trying to get photos and got annoyed that I was spinning around, too giddy to hold still and pose for him. Also, I was throwing snowballs toward (but not at) Ace.   Last weekend we had the…

  • Plentiful Polka-dots, Piping Prosperity, and a Plus-Size Pattern Pyramid Giveaway

    This post is over-due like the library books the kids had at home when we got snowed-in over the past weekend. I won a plus-size pattern pyramid from Susan at Moonthirty long enough ago that I’m a bit embarrassed to say exactly how long. You know how it is when you really, really want a…

  • Cat Woman (and Kitten)

    First things first. I got so caught up in January Jungliciousness that I omitted mentioning in my last post that I had a recent guest-post about stash busting over on Tumbleweeds in the Wind. Go ahead, check it out. I’ll wait. Speaking of stash busting, I had to add to my stash last year when…

  • Jungle January 2014: Hopefully not Giant Purple People Eaters

    Hi there. I hope you’ve been enjoying Aunty Laura’s recent posts about her refashion take on the iconic Rear Window Dress. I’m going to interrupt the flow a little and take things in an entirely different direction, to be specific, into the jungle. I couldn’t possibly skip Jungle January after the fun I had sewing…

  • The Rear Window Dress: Petticoat and Skirt

    (You can read all posts about the Rear Window Dress by Aunty Laura.) Pulling It Apart Usually deconstruction is a release for me. I am either chopping off panels from garments willy-nilly as I let out some energy or am cultivating the fine art of patience as I meticulously separate a single seam—in either case…

  • The Rear Window Dress: Planning and Design

    (You can read all posts about the Rear Window Dress.) First things first. I needed to take stock of what I had and what I needed. I thought it might be best to take the dress apart first, to make sure that I could use the pieces and put them back together again without too…

  • The Rear Window Dress

    Here is another tardy post. Seeing so many pledges to stash-bust this year has prompted me to stop procrastinating, though being home sick with a cold hasn’t seemed to help my productivity this week. But today I’m feeling  a little better, and I’m just restless enough to drag myself to my computer to share some…

  • Stash-busting Sewalong 2014: The Sequel

    I’ve managed to avoid doing a 2013 wrap-up. While I enjoyed reading everyone else’s top 5 lists, a la Gillian, I haven’t wanted to be that introspective. I can’t entirely avoid the introspection right now though, since I’m setting a new project goal for 2014. Why corresponding to the new year when I don’t do…

  • Down the Rabbit Hole

    Here it is. The last stash busting project of the year, number 25 of 25. And what would a blog post be without pictures or conversation? I’ll begin at the beginning and when I come to the end, I’ll stop. Curiouser and curiouser, this dress is a perfect example of when OCD meets ADHD. I…