I recently finished reading Barchester Towers, the first novel I have read by the nineteenth-century English writer Anthony Trollope. And I had a strange reaction to it. I was intrigued enough, amused enough, to keep reading to the end. And yet at the same time I felt bored by it. Or perhaps more specifically, it Read More…
When a Mystery Story Kills its Own Suspense (A Few Good Men and Knives Out)
This weekend I was in a courtroom drama mood, and placed a lot of holds at the library, of which the first to come in was A Few Good Men. So that’s what I watched! This is a movie in which I find myself always engrossed, despite being unsure how good a film it is. Read More…
A New Direction for This Blog
Hello, friends! I’m here because I want to take this blog in a new direction. Let me tell you about it. I have taken a blogging break during the last few years because I have been putting my writing efforts into a novel. That has required a steep learning curve. As part of that, I Read More…
A Recycled Sweater Blanket
In going through my wardrobe recently, I culled some decade-old sweaters that had holes beyond repair. I had already darned some holes and new ones were appearing. So it was time for them to go. The sad part was that they were cashmere, which is a beautiful fabric that I hate to waste. So I Read More…
Knitting Projects, Old and Older
I don’t knit as avidly as I used to, largely because I don’t spend so much time travelling and it’s a warmer climate here. But actually, despite it being Texas, it really does get bone-chillingly cold sometimes, and our homes are poorly insulated. The only thing really missing from the North Yorkshire experience is the wind and Read More…
Sewing Jeans Again
This year hasn’t been such a big sewing year for me, largely because I have enough clothes. But last autumn I did set out to make another pair of jeans, since my first pair was so successful and became my favourites. This time I ventured into non-indigo territory. I actually bought undyed fabric and dyed it myself Read More…
Update
Hello friends! I’ve taken a year’s hiatus from blogging, for a few reasons. However, lately, I’ve had a few ideas rumbling in my head that I wanted to write about on this platform, so I’ve decided to reappear. My blogging break began last summer when I decided to start writing fiction again. I loved it Read More…
Me-Made-May | A Few Final Projects
Me-Made-May is over, but here’s a rundown of a few final pieces I sewed or altered. First up is a tee which has seen better days and undergone recent alterations. I made it last year, and I now realise (having re-measured myself recently) that somewhere over the winter I lost a couple of inches in Read More…
Me-Made-May | His & Hers
Today you see a skirt I made last year from a thrifted chambray dress. That was a great refashioning decision – I have worn the skirt incessantly since I made it. I’m also wearing the striped tee that I talked about a couple of posts ago. I let out the neckline elastic and now it sits much Read More…
Me-Made-May | Making Jeans!
Remember how I said I wanted to learn to make jeans? I did it! I am wearing them as I type, and I can tell you I am very happy with how they feel and fit. But it took me a long, long time to finish them! I started with a well-known pattern (among the sewing community): the Ginger Read More…