Modern indie sewing patterns.

Sewaholic – The two Renfrews I made (so far) were so easy and so much better fitting with less adjusting than anything I’ve made from commercial patterns since really developing more of a figure than the stick straight skinny girl who sewed for herself in high school and college. I want to make LOTS more of her stuff!

Grainline Studio – I have the fabric picked out for a few woven Ts and I’m really intrigued by Archer especially after she posted so many photos and videos in a sewalong on her blog.

Hot Patterns – I should make the pattern I already bought from them before buying more but there are so many I’m intrigued by.

Victory Patterns – A bit retro and somewhat goofy but I do look forward to making this. When I get back to having time to sew. The month of July, I guess.

Sew Liberated – Kinda obsessed with the Esme top these days. And I want an Ashland dress as well.

Make It Perfect – I’m obsessed with the waterfall blouse and the poppy tunic. And I’m pretty sure I bought that versatile wrap skirt pattern at a fabric store in Chicago a long time ago.

Megan Nielsen – Where you find the ubiquitous Darling Ranges dress. None of her patterns seem quite me yet but I like to keep an eye on them.

Colette – As with Megan Nielsen, I’ve yet to see a Colette pattern that really rang my bell, but I did buy the Laurel shift one as I’m somehow still convinced that a hippy curvy person like me will somehow find a shift she likes. Not sure why I still believe that.

Made by Rae – Mostly kid patterns but when she does do adult stuff I really like it. I mean I like the look of the pattern, so far the one I’ve made I don’t wear much.

Jamie Christina – I want that raglan lo-hi hoodie with a little less differential between lo and hi.

April Rhodes – I bought this pattern recently but I don’t think she’s developed anything else yet.

Things I Love Right Now

I love the new NPR blog Code Switch*, so timely considering I just started talking to my third graders about this concept when, for example, I correct their grammar or we edit their writing to change “u” to “you” and “cus” to “because”. I particularly love these two (one, two) introductory entries on the blog.

I love this standardized test about standardized tests created by an eighth grader. I even shared it with my principal!

I love (or plan to love in the future) the Digital Public Library of America which I read about here and here.

I love this book I started reading today *coughcough* after buying it on the way to the library *coughcough*. Time travel! Secret societies! Romance! What’s not to love.

I love this timeline for Shane Carruth’s movie Primer and this article about his new movie Upstream Color–a movie which makes Tree of Life look like a linear plot-driven mundane piece of filmmaking.

I love my bahn mi place even if they are starting to be so busy that I have to wait a lot longer for my sandwich. Now that my pizza joint (I MISS YOU CHILI MAC’S!) is gone, when I die my body will be 75% water and 25% bahn mi.

*I was shocked to find out several of my colleagues were unfamiliar with the term. I think it’s imperative for teachers to talk to students about code-switching, especially in reference to the language of power in this country!

Private car jokes, a.k.a. things Mr Erickson and I now find hilariously funny and no one else can understand why we’re laughing.

  • The time he thought I said fireflies needed “human error” [once enclosed in a jar w/ holes in its lid]. (I said “humid air”.) “WHY WOULD THEY NEED HUMAN ERROR?!?” has become a standard response to many, many things.
  • The time he told me Friday was a two paper day and I said “Why would you buy two papers?” thinking he meant two copies of the same paper.
  • Graupel. The hot new thing in precipitation. “Gee, the graupel is really comin’ down out there.” “We could be in for some graupel accumulation!”

When you ride to and fro every day with the same person, you start to be like an old married couple, in-jokes, irritations and all.

Things I Love Right Now

I love this post about young women’s power of linguistic change. (Thanks, Peter!)

I love this print on Anna Maria Horner’s new linen fabric.

I love this Lumineers cover from Nashville, it brought tears to my eyes. #sap

I love this book I am reading. Only four stories in and they’ve all been fantastic. (Also that is a great article with the authors.) (And here is the web site where they generated those stories [and more].)

I love this $190 scarf that comes in 1,557 tartans. I WOULD LIKE THEM ALL PLEASE.

I love SOME of these white ink tattoos. (Especially #1 on the arm altho I hear inner arm hurts like a mother and #2 on the back shoulders.)

(Yes this is totes an imitation of Bliss‘ “I heart” posts. Kudos. And also inspired by Maggie’s WONDERFUL “I Made This For You” posts that I look forward to every week.)

À la Nick Hornby, books in/books out for March.

Bought:

  • Vampires in the Lemon Grove, by Karen Russell
  • Tenth of December, by George Saunders
  • Suspect, by Robert Crais (iphone/Kindle)*
  • Etiquette & Espionage, by Gail Carriger (iphone/Kindle)*

Read:

  • The Order of Odd Fish, by James Kennedy (gift from the author)
  • Suspect, by Robert Crais (iphone/Kindle)
  • The Giver, by Lois Lowry (iphone/Kindle)
  • Choice Words, by Peter H. Johnston
  • Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger (iphone/Kindle)
  • Sarah, Plain & Tall, by Patricia McLachlan (borrowed from classroom library)
  • Big Jack, by J.D. Robb (borrowed from laundry room)

*Oops, went over my two-book limit! I blame spring break!

À la Nick Hornby, books in/books out for January.

Bought:

  • The Patrick Melrose Novels, by Edward St Aubyn*
  • Code Name Verity, by Elizabeth Wein
  • Prophet Volume 1: Remission (graphic novel)

Read:

  • Blood Song (Raven’s Shadow #1), by Anthony Ryan (iphone/kindle)
  • SeraphinA, by Rachel Hartman
  • Touch of Frost, by Jennifer Estep

I decided I can only let myself buy two books a month thanks to the current financial straits. Therefore I have/had to wait until February to buy the final Wheel of Time book. That’s OK b/c I have very little time to read right now anyway as I’m not taking much public transit right now which is my #1 reading time. I have almost no free time even when I’m at home right now–teaching is almost a 24 hour job and then only hours I’m not either at school or working on stuff for school are when I need to be sleeping. Yeah it’s super exhausting.

*Technically I already own one of these as a stand-alone…but they just collected the first four to go with the new #5 that just came out and it was on sale at my local store for $20 with 10% off and that’s cheaper than buying a $8-$10 paperback of the three I don’t have…

À la Nick Hornby, books in/books out for November.

Bought:

  • Little Red Riding Hood, by J. Grimm, illu by Trina Schart Hyman
  • Little Red Riding Hood, by Jacob Grimm, illu by Daniel Egneus

Read:

  • Little Red Riding Hood, by Jacob Grimm, illu by Daniel Egneus
  • Little Red Riding Hood, by J. Grimm, illu by Trina Schart Hyman
  • The Marriage Plot, by Jeffrey Eugenides

Slow month for reading. Mostly because I didn’t like the Eugenides very much so when I had reading time I didn’t necessarily use it. Also I wasn’t on public transportation almost all month which is my primary reading time.

À la Nick Hornby, books in/books out for October.

Bought:

  • From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, by E.L. Konisburg
  • The Michigan Mega Monsters (American Chillers #1), by Jonathan Rand
  • The Raven Boys, by Maggie Stiefvater
  • The Stranger’s Child, by Alan Hollinghurst
  • Saga, by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples (graphic novel)
  • The One and Only Ivan, by Katherine Applegate
  • The Marriage Plot, by Jeffrey Eugenides
  • Outpost, by Ann Aguirre
  • Black Beauty, by Anna Sewell

Read:

  • From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, by E.L. Konisburg (classroom library)
  • The Michigan Mega Monsters (American Chillers #1), by Jonathan Rand
  • Emiko Superstar, by Mariko Tamaki
  • American Born Chinese, by Gene Luen Yang (classroom library)
  • The Raven Boys, by Maggie Stiefvater
  • The Stranger’s Child, by Alan Hollinghurst
  • Saga, by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples (graphic novel)
  • Ten Ways to Be Adored When Landing a Lord, by Sarah MacLean (iphone/Kindle)
  • The One and Only Ivan, by Katherine Applegate

À la Nick Hornby, books in/books out for August.

Bought:

  • Kornwolf, by Tristan Egolf
  • Throne of the Crescent Moon, by Saladin Ahmed

Read:

  • Blue Front, by Martha Collins (poetry)
  • The Wise Man’s Fear (Kingkiller #2), by Patrick Rothfuss (library)
  • Broken Harbor, by Tana French
  • You and No Other, by Cathy Maxwell (borrowed from mom)
  • Kornwolf, by Tristan Egolf
  • Dragonflight, by Anne McCaffrey (reread)
  • Dragonquest, by Anne McCaffrey (reread)
  • Dragonsong, by Anne McCaffrey (reread)
  • Dragonsinger, by Anne McCaffrey (reread)
  • The White Dragon, by Anne McCaffrey (reread)
  • Dragondrums, by Anne McCaffrey (reread)
  • Throne of the Crescent Moon, by Saladin Ahmed
  • Hark a Vagrant, by Kate Beaton (gift from Ginger ages ago!)
  • Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns, by Hena Khan
  • Far Arden, by Kevin Cannon (8/27)
  • Walk Two Moons, by Sharon Creech
  • The Book Whisperer, by Donalyn Miller

August was a great month of reading. Getting ready for school but full of free time.