When it was introduced in 2007, the Amazon Kindle didn’t look like a revolutionary device. It was a white rectangle with a blank cover, and when you turned it on, it didn’t chime or show you a pretty picture. It was as utilitarian as Soviet housing but without the charm. It’s said that Steve Jobs […]
As garments go, nightwear has some specific problems. Good quality nightwear, for most of the family, is expensive. It is also, unlike almost every other kind of garment, very difficult to find in good condition in the second-hand market. I try very hard to never buy new clothing. The second-hand market is so huge, so […]
(This is the second and final part of “Making the Swing Coat” Part 1 can be read here.) This brought up the problem with the pattern. It is unlined. I dislike unlined jackets as they don’t hang as well, wear as well, or go on and off as well. So how do we line a […]
Now, onto the “swing coat.” This is a coat for the spring and fall; warm but not very warm, particularly as it has an open front due to the hooks and eyes. When I make this pattern again — and I will! — I’ll use a zipper to close it. I love my ivory coat […]
(This is the fourth and final part of Teresa’s posts about the ivory coat. Here’s part one, part two, and part three.) So back to the lining. Once I sewed in the lining at the sleeve heads and the neckline, I was able to determine exactly how much I had to trim off the bottom […]
This is the third post in the “A Tale of Two Coats” story. Here’s part one and part two. I laid out all my pattern pieces, front, front, back and back, on the fabric; I lined them precisely, using the grainlines and the waist and lengthen/shorten lines to match them to the design of the […]
In last week’s post, I learned while laying out the pattern for my beautiful ivory coat on my salvaged cloth shower curtain that I was shy about four inches in the width of the fabric. Piecing the fabric together would be time-consuming and I wouldn’t be able to match the pattern. What to do? Since […]
We’ll be talking for the next several weeks about sewing coats. Much of the “Suburban Stockade” project is focused on making do with what you have, with not going into debt, and with finding ways to protect yourself against unexpected downturns, whether it be losing your job, the bursting of the housing bubble, or worldwide […]
(Newsletters are posted 30 days after they are sent to subscribers. If you want to take advantage of any special offers be sure to sign up.) Greetings Planet Peschelteers! Hello from Bill Peschel! It took 30 months after losing my newspaper job and commence writing full-time, but I finally got around to launching the newsletter. […]
Mr Holmes – video review – The Guardian Ageing Holmes saga is sadly clueless – Express Film: The many faces of Sherlock Holmes – The Independent Agatha Christie Auction Record – Fine Books Magazine Stephen Mangan cast as Sherlock Holmes author in ITV drama Houdini & Doyle – Express Lionel Wigram teases’ new Sherlock Holmes […]