Category Archives: Editorials

The Best of #OOTD

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On the heels of the recent Me Made May marathon (applause to all of the participating sewists with brilliant handmade wardrobes I developed crushes on), I was inspired to assemble my own round up of ensembles that feature garments I’ve made (as documented on Instagram with an ‘outfit of the day’ hashtag). Mostly to prove to myself that there really are seven days worth of gratifying outfits in my closet after its February diet.

These seven outfits weren’t worn consecutively, but they could be. They include my favorite makes (read: the ones with tolerable flaws) paired with my most appreciated RTW pieces. I really need them to play nice together while the minority population grows.

mondayMonday. Linen floral dress with skinny floral belt.

ootd collage

Tuesday. Liberty dress with belted, gray linen blazer (popped collar, optional).
Wednesday. Green linen, leaf-print skirt with RTW top and bolero (DIY smile required).
Thursday. Pale day dress in signature silhouette with RTW bolero.
Friday. Kimono tee (unblogged) with RTW knit pencil skirt and DIY necklace.
Saturday. Yellow plaid cotton dress with blue plaid RTW shirt (worn under or over & tied)
Sunday. Patch pocket linen dress with RTW cardigan and Monday’s floral belt.

And there it is. A full week of pre-planned wearables to rescue me from indecision, pack in a suitcase, or simply bore my Instagram followers with as repeat #OOTDs….at least until I sew up another week’s worth.

Making Time to Make

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Clock

I think about sewing as much as men allegedly think about sex. All the damn time. But, these days, both activities need to be scheduled into the tiny cracks of my life. And, when the cracks fill up with the unexpected, it’s my sewing time that takes one for the team. What happens when you discover the thing you love to do the most is getting the least of your time?

If you’re like me, you troubleshoot.

To find the “sweet spots” in my schedule where I could be sewing more, I considered how I spend a typical weekday. My 9 to 5 job eats up most of my day, but I don’t have to worry about dropping off my daughter to daycare in the morning because my magnificent husband is a work-at-home dad who lets her sleep in until after I’ve already left for the office. But, when I get home, it’s non-stop Mommying from dinner to her bedtime, and Dad goes off duty. When the yawning adults are alone, there’s barely enough energy to enjoy a 25-minute Netflix episode of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (that Titus character causes epic belly laughter). And by the time the credits are rolling, one of us is doing the pink-slippered zombie shuffle to bed while the other uses his remaining consciousness to squeeze in another load of laundry.

Lately, I’ve been in denial about the fact that the sewing sweet spot of my day is early morning. Probably because I don’t want to get my lazy ass out of bed. But, if I don’t, real life kicks in after 9AM and by the time Kimmy is over, the day is gone and mama didn’t get to sew. And, when that happens for too many days in a row, little bits of my humanity start to flake of like dandruff and I’m just not myself.

So, it’s time for a habit makeover at Team Najah. Starting with my morning ritual. I’m bringing back daily yoga. Before motherhood, I was a pretty dedicated yogi with a daily home practice, but now I’m dissing my mat (and my poor tight muscles) worse than my sewing machine. The energy I get from yoga is just what I need for more sewing. Which is why it makes sense I start the day off with both! A round of 6AM sun salutes and a bit of pattern cutting or maybe it will be a short vinyasa with standing poses followed by some hand sewing for meditation.  I’ll call it “sewga”.

Blogs are great for making a public pledge to get your act together. Consider this mine and I’ll be back in touch with progress updates.

How do you make time for making?

Unselfish Sewing on the Horizon

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Josephine's 2nd Birthday

Happy Mother’s Day!

I’m back to blogging after a lovely vacation visiting family on the west coast followed by a short vacation from the vacation when I returned home. My daughter, Josephine turned two and we celebrated thoroughly with family, friends, plenty of cake, barbecue, and California sunshine. Good times. The kind that make you want to start sewing for tiny people.

Like most parents, I put a BC (before children) marker on the mental timeline of my life. In 2011 BC I got deadly serious about garment sewing. In 2012 BC I joined The Sew Weekly and nearly knocked myself out sewing like a junkie for 25 weeks. Later that year, I got knocked UP instead. Fast forward to 2015 and I am still deadly serious about wardrobe sewing, but now, I’m starting to get the itch to sew for my daughter, too.

I’ve always been a selfish seamstress. There’s still so much to do to properly clothe this grown woman body, that I haven’t put much energy into making clothes for a growing baby. Except for the cute little denim dress I made for Josephine’s 1st birthday (which still fits as a tunic), her wardrobe is all gifted and hand-me-downs. But as she grows up taller (while staying narrow), I realize it may be time for some custom-fitted garments that apply the same size grading I use on mine.

For the past two years, I’ve watched her personality emerge. Sewing for her expressive little toddler body will be fun. She runs EVERYWHERE, has never seen a Disney movie so thankfully knows nothing of princesses, enjoys counting, identifying shapes and colors, riding her stroller/tricycle, coloring, exploring and sorting things, and stacking tall towers of blocks. I think any of the Oliver and S patterns would suit her perfectly – at least that’s what I’m telling myself after stalking their cuteness for so long.

The key to managing my new motherly sewing urges is careful planning around my own projects. My recent coast to coast flight reminded me: If you are travelling with a child or someone who requires assistance, secure your mask on first, and then assist the other person. Adapted for this context: If you are sewing for a child or someone who requires assistance, secure your invisible zipper first, then sew for the other person.

Do you sew for children? What are you favorite patterns or companies?