A Comfortable Jumpsuit Exists.

Featuring my true vintage 1940’s star brooches for my 40’s styling.

I was dedicated to showing this off styled differently, I even pushed in earrings so I could wear “bamboo earrings, at least two pair.” Hopefully someone appreciates that reference. Normally, I wouldn’t be excited to make a jumpsuit. Honestly, they are not my favorite to wear. Insert all the memes for having to get nude just to pee when wearing one. But I loved the collaboration of Gertie and Jasmin from Vintage Vandalizm I had to give it a spin. Plus it’s actually really versatile.

Which style do you like best? 40’s, 70’s, 90’s.

70s vibes. I’m wearing my Thea Dansko clogs.

Pattern: Gertie’s Patreon Exclusive Artist Collective - Jasmin Jumpsuit.

Fabric: Black crushed velvet. Lined.

Adjustments: Added pockets. Shortened the bodice. Skipped the elastic at the ankle. Added elastic around waistline for gathering.

“Bamboo earrings, at least two pair.” Plus my older Timberland boots that fit like a glove for a 90’s styling.

This jumpsuit is so comfortable. It doesn’t ride up your bum. It stays put thanks to the elastic around the bust and on the back. I plan on getting myself some sparkly Lurex fabric for the next one.

xo-Thea

Vintage Sewing - Gertie's Scout Dress

I failed to post last week. I did post about my make last week on IG. I was elbows deep in tax junk that my mind was elsewhere. I’ll post about that make later this week.

However, for Easter of course I made a dress. I wore it for the majority of the day to cook in. We had discussed as a family prior to Easter what we planned on wearing and I knew what I planned to wear wouldn’t be nice to cook in, So I whipped up a nice housedress for the day.

Pattern: Gertie’s (Charm Patterns) Scout dress.

Fabric: Vintage Japanese black spring floral print. With tulips of course, I am married to Dutch man.

Adjustments: French seams throughout. Front zipper closure. The original pattern calls for buttons. I’m an odd bird because if I can swap out buttons for a zipper - I’ll do it. Zipper front house dresses are my absolute favorites. I also currently don’t have a machine set up for button holes. I know attachments are easy to swap in and out but I like to have machines dedicated for tasks. I’m extra I know.

I skipped the tab closure on the sleeves too. I knew I’d be moving around and lifting things a lot, so I kept the sleeves open but added some colorful binding.

Bonus pictures of me in my vintage 80‘s dress (with my daughters Nieves & Jina and my son Trevor‘s girlfriend Sophia) that I wore for our family pictures.

Gang gang.

Our normal family pose.

I hope you had a good weekend!

xo-Thea

Wearing what I make.

More about this dress and pattern is available here.

I knew it was inevitable that I would be asked do I actually wear what I make. Or why do I make so much? I post weekly sewing project summaries on my Instagram and personal Facebook pages. I do it in a similar format as I do here, but here I offer more details. Yesterday, I was asked why do I sew so much? The devilish side of me always takes the offensive and wants to childishly say “ Why not.” or “Because I can.”. Which are both true sentiments honestly. But I do have a method to my madness.

I want to sharpen my sewing skills and become more proficient in sewing techniques. I love sewing and it has always been a dream of mine to be a costumer. I love quality fabric and notions that were designed to last. Since I had to dust off my machine to make masks during 2020, I naturally picked up sewing again. My mom and eldest sister are talented seamstresses. I was the recipient of many home sewn dresses. It was a natural path for me to walk down.

I picked up this vintage Singer 338 sewing machine at a thrift store for $7.00

I understand sewing machines. I thankfully grew up with a father who taught me how to fix small motors. I have acquired and fixed a couple of machines since the pandemic. I appreciate their durability and design that was made to endure time too. When you love and know how to use your tools, it’s a special kind of power.

Me on April 5th, 2022 wearing my home sewn flannel mushroom dress.

I’m shorter, I have wide hips, full bust and short legs. Ready to wear clothes don’t always fit right. I’ve altered dresses that I’ve paid $200 for. Why not just make them myself and sell the readymade items? I have purged many pieces of readymade clothing. Lots of dresses and tops with what I call “the sad button”. You know the one that closes but struggled to close at the bust. I wanted to eliminate that from my life and fill my closet with clothes that fit me well, which in turn makes me feel good. Who doesn’t need that after the past couple of years we’ve had.

I know not everyone can do this and I really appreciate the encouragement from friends and strangers about my journey. I especially love it when someone tells me that I inspired them to dust off their sewing machines. Why wear the sad button shirt that makes you feel self conscious? We only have this one life, why not have all happy buttons? You know what I mean. :)

xo-Thea

Vintage Sewing: Butterick B6285 Patterns By Gertie

Spring = separates. I like mixing and matching pieces to be flexible for the ever unpredictable weather here. I pulled a tried and true skirt pattern from my pattern library for this. This color palette is out of my norm but I am trying to expand a bit. I actually only owned one pink item until this.

Pattern: Butterick B6285 (Skirt) Patterns by Gertie - 2015. Mariner Top (Gertie Patreon) These patterns are not vintage but are in a reproduction style.

Fabric: Vintage Navy floral rayon (skirt & kanzashi/brooches). Two sided pink cotton grid print (top) Both thrifted for $3 each.

Adjustments: I like this skirt with a flat front so I only pleat the back. I do this to aid my (ABD -Asian Butt Deficiency) 😂. I always hope bustles will make a comeback. The top is loose on purpose. I didn’t prewash that fabric. I’m a baddie like that - I’ll make adjustments after a wash if needed.

Brooches: I made with scrap fabric and vintage buttons.

Brooches made from scrap fabric.

Using the scrap fabric from my skirt is the perfect example of why I got into kanzashi making. Finding uses for everything. I made these in under 30 minutes.

While I am still working “my day job”, I have made it a priority to decompress most days by sewing something. Things are still heavy in the world, Etsy is jacking up their fees and tree pollen and I battle it our Mortal Kombat style daily. So it’s been nice to escape a bit into fabrics.

xo-Thea

Vintage Sewing: Secret Pants (1930s/1940's Culottes)

Did I make another skirt again?

Nope, they’re secret pants! (Thanks to Rachel Masky coining that phrase.)

As a child of the 80’s I’ve long been a fan of culottes. They just hit different than a palazzo or the like. Palazzos look like I’m wearing blocky curtains and further shrink my already short legs. While I could have adjusted the length on these to have a higher hem, my initial fitting looked decent so I left the length. I’m actually not a fan of crop or capri pants. Or pants in general really due to fit issues. But I do like these and I will definitely be making more.

Vogue Pattern 7339

Adjustments: The pattern piece for the placket was missing. I had to recreate that.

Pattern: Vogue Patterns 7339 (Late 30’s early 40’s) No date is provided oddly.

Fabric: Black lightweight corduroy. I had a limited amount so I do have the grain going two different ways. But I made it work.

Top: A knit mock neck. I also made that last week. It’s a Charm Patterns by Gertie Patreon exclusive Barbie Top. I highly recommend this pattern for learning to sew knits. I get many compliments on the several Barbie tops I’ve made.

I love a good power “Captain Morgan” stance.

My sewing journey continues to enlighten me on garments that best fit my frame. It really is a shame as a society the idea of having clothes made for you on a regular basis fell out of the norm. Not only to have clothes that were made for your frame, but to have a quality long lived item. Fast fashion is the devil.

Now, I really am going to make some more skirts for spring.

xo-Thea

Vintage Sewing: A very bright 1946 reproduction dress.

I’m often squinting because I take off my glasses for pictures like this.

I said something last week about making colorful things. Prepare your eyeballs for this color flash. Lemon lime/absinthe/chartreuse, neon yellow/Pantone 396, whatever you’d like to call it. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be hit by a car crossing the street when I’m wearing this.

This is a rare occasion of me loving the idea of the pattern and then not loving the fit/style. But this is a joy of making your own. I’m still learning what feels best on me. I like to just try things out too. 1940s styles are my favorite, so I had to give this one a spin. I’m sure I could fine tune this a bit more to get the fit I’m comfortable in but I think its perfectly fine to make something and not love it.

I made four hair flowers with some fabric scraps from this project.

I do however, love the color combo. From the beginning of making this dress, I set aside this fabric along with black piping for contrast. The angled cuts of this dress basically begged for them. Along with black accessories and red lipstick, I had envisioned a look. I know the color isn’t era appropriate but, I do what I want.

Adjustments: Shorten shoulders, added contrasting piping, omitted side ruching, added bust darts, added one side pocket and omitted button opening.

Pattern: Butterick B5281 Retro ‘46 (vintage reissue)

Fabric: Thrifted from Goodwill

Hair flowers: An Original By Thea Starr

Purse: 1940s Corde handbag.

Earrings: Vintage moon glow screw-backs. (My fave)

I’ve actually already sewn up two more things that I will share. Sewing has been a great distraction to things that are out of my control at the moment. I have so much to learn and each week I try to build and exercise my skills. Also, I’ve “met” quite a few people along this journey, which has been the best surprise.

xo-Thea

Vintage Sewing: 1940's Style Rayon Dress

100% Rayon Dress made using Butterick Pattern B5951

Last week’s make was an attempt to make me like spring with some colorful fabric. I’m a horrible sneezefest right now. I pulled this modern pattern that has 1940’s vibes from the stash in hopes to achieve that.

I’m also working on my tailoring skills. Tailoring is such a learning process. My initial goal with sewing wasn’t just an excuse to accumulate all the fabric, but ultimately have a wardrobe that fits me well.

This dress is fully lined. Ruching details on the bodice and sleeves. Sadly a little wrinkly. I should’ve taken photos before working.

Adjustments: Shorten shoulders and added pockets.

Pattern: Butterick B5952

Fabric: Art Gallery Fabrics Maureen Cracknell Summer Dress Dreams/ 100% Rayon

Hair flowers: by yours truly.

Yellow Kanzashi made from vintage kimono lining.

Every sewing project, I try to learn something new or better a known skill. It’s truly an adventure.

Also, with the terrible things going on globally, particularly in the Ukraine which is home to a few makers/creators I follow, it’s nice to keep my hands busy and my eyes not glued to the news.

xo-Thea

Vintage Sewing: Casual Blouse Butterick 6270 (1950)

i used vintage buttons for this. This was also the first time I’ve sewn a spilt cuff. Much easier than I thought it would be.

Last week’s make was something more for my everyday wardrobe. I need lightweight shirts for spring and this fit the bill.

The details are a bit lost in the print but in person you can see them well. Next time I make this pattern I’ll use a less busy print or just a solid.

If you look closely, you can see the stitching detail.

Adjustments; I had to size down and shorten the bodice and sleeves. I plan to tailor it a bit more but I wanted to test a sweater vest with it first. This pattern was a bit too big for me and I do have a bit of trouble sizing down a pattern rather than my normal of sizing up a vintage pattern.

Pattern: Butterick 6270 (1952)

I’ve had the lucky of finding higher sized vintage patterns. This one I did need to size down for me, but I keep the original pattern in tact in case I lend this one out.

Fabric: Thrifted. Looks like a Liberty if London print. Feels like viscose. I love the micro floral print. I tend to lean into those because the bees and hummingbirds aren’t more inclined to chase me in the garden. Things you learn over the years.

Buttons: Vintage (pictured)

Vintage Hollywood brand buttons from my vintage button stash.

Hair flower: Yours truly.

Gray hair for everyday sparkle.

I hvaen’t dyed my hair since February 2020.

It was a bit dark in my office this morning so the full length photos are a bit dark. But I just paired this with some wide leg jeans. Which I hated and changed into a skirt a couple hours after this was taken.

I already have my next project on the cutting table. We’ve been keeping busy during this uneasy time. Its hard to detach from the news.

Keep your hopes up friends, xo-Thea

Vintage Sewing -Edwardian-esque Walking Skirt

Well here it is, my first toe-dip into historical fashion. As I’ve been learning what fashion eras I like and don’t like, I’ve been keeping a short list of projects that I would like to create. An Edwardian walking skirt was near the top of that list.

With my deep rabbit hole dive into learning about wool, much like I learned about silk when I first considered making kanzashi I thought this would be a perfect project for some wool I had in my stash.

Pattern: Advance 6177 (1952)

Fabric: Black wool exterior/ cotton twill lining. (Winter weight)

Top: Merino Wool sweater

Shoes: Marc Shoes (German brand)

Book: Dickens 1918 .

It isn’t historically accurate, probably only appeals to a niche group and totally gives off that creepy old lady vibe. Its perfect for me. I had planned on using the pattern from “The Keystone Book - 1895” but being fixated on current global events that was a bit overwhelming to focus on. I adapted an Advance pattern to give the look (and had enough fabric for) that I wanted to achieve.

I love the cotton twill lining I chose. It truly makes it feel like I am wearing a blanket. Giant pockets are at the sides and are supported at the waist. I did have to size down at the waist which was a first for me using a vintage pattern. Typically I’m slash and spreading it up to a bigger size. I actually didn’t extend the length too much. I have short legs and the panels were quite long on me to begin with.

I know most folks interact with me on social media, but in case you’ve landed here instead - I wanted to offer an alternative to those seeking out sewing/knitting/craft patterns right now.

There are many Ukrainian artists/sellers who offer downloadable PDF files on Etsy who are fleeing/sheltering in place/fighting right now and it’s a way to support those individuals during this scary time.

You can simply search “sewing patterns PDF” (or knitting/crochet etc) on Etsy - select “from Ukraine” in the dropdown menu for location.

Be safe friends, Thea

Vintage Sewing - Wool Jacket Butterick 8578 (1939) McCalls 864 (1941)

I’ve made it a weekly habit to reveal my latest vintage sewing projects on Mondays through my social media accounts.

This week’s reveal was a little half assed. Last week sewing got put to the side to spend time with two close friends over different days as well as our favorite neighbors too. It was so good to see some favorites up close and catch up in person. I worked on last week’s project when I could.

1939 Butterick 8578 / 1941 McCall’s 864 similar jacket patterns.

I selected an easier pattern. Not only because I need some lighter weight jackets for the warmer season ahead. But I also need projects where I can practice lining things. I’m getting better every time and on paper and in instructionals, it seems like an easy logical thing to do. I just have moments of broken brain sometimes. Thankfully there were no problems with this lining.

The two patterns pictured above are almost identical. The McCall’s 864 pattern is the newer one coming from 1941 and it also offered an embroidery option too. In the envelope there is a design transfer and embroidery instructions. I will definitely check that out later. Hopefully I can find a spring color of wool, like yellow or green to do the embroidery on.

McCall 864 (1941)

For this jacket I used the Butterick 8578 pattern. From 1939 and had been well loved as it appears to have been a classroom copy at one point in time. There are very faint writing in pencil on all of the pieces. Only one piece of this pattern was missing. The pocket bag, which is very easy to draft up a replacement.

Butterick 8578 (1939)

“Eleanor Folline (?)

Per 2 - Clothing III

Room 10”

I choose a very fine merino wool in a medium gray color from my stash. I paired it with a black acetate for the lining. Both fabrics are vintage. I haven’t actually completely finished this but it is wearable as is. I need to add the pockets, button closures (I was actually leaning towards not doing that) and finishing the detachable hood.

The almost completed but wearable as is jacket.

I loved how it came together. The front facing and front panel is an all in one piece. The lining easily went it and was easily attached. I even did the era correct thing and added the shoulder pads to give it the iconic late 30s/40s look. It’s easy to toss on and wear. I didn’t do any adjustments to the pattern aside from adjusting the size down just a bit to fit my frame better. But I’m pleased with this and I will definitely make more in this style.

More sewing projects to come!

xo-Thea

Galentine's Day

I fudged up on sending out Christmas cards this year. I knew I wasn't going to be able to get them out in time in December, so I planned to do something for Galentine’s Day.

Be Mine - 6 by 6 Arts / Thea Starr Galentine’s Gift 2022

I had to have had your address as I wanted them/snail mail to be a real surprise. I know my design choice isn’t suited for everyone but I know at least my friends will think of me when they see it.

I have never been a Valentine’s Day person. Nor am I a pink/pastels person which seems to be the standard for Valentine’s Day. So, when one of my favorite vintage reproduction companies released something along my preferred taste of “Valentine’s Day” wear, I snatched it up. I snatched it up because I thought it would go perfectly with my brooch that I designed as the Galentine Gift.

Thea Starr in Pin Up Couture’s Clara Bishop Sleeve Wiggle Dress. (Not sponsored)

I wasn’t wrong.

I wore this dress out and about and while I cooked dinner yesterday. I’m a “I’m gonna wear the dress no matter what” kind of gal. I wanted to make a small to-do about Galentine’s this year because I know a few of my friends are having life “moments” that are on the harder side right now. And I’ve never been afraid to tell my friends that I love them. Although it might come in the form of weird little handmade trinkets like this but it’s love!

I hope you all had a great day yesterday. xo-Thea

A Vintage House Coat - McCall's Pattern 2696 + Fabric From 1977

The robe pictured above was a labor of love. While it was actually a simple make, I decided that I needed to hand sew the entire lining in. I spent most of my weekend parked on my bum in my office in front of Outlander streaming on Netflix hand-sewing this together.

McCall’s Sewing Pattern 2696 from 1970 - size medium.

I’ve had the shell fabric for some time and was deciding on either using it or selling it. It’s a heavier weight cotton, think a soft denim fabric from 1977 made by Riverdale. (I will upload the selvage notation image up on to my flickr soon.) The background is a brighter navy blue with vibrant floral and bamboo imaging. Honestly it’s quite spectacular for being 45 years old. I had a few yards of it and paid $7.99 for it at the thrift store. i actually thrifted everything I used to make this robe/coat. The lining is a substantial polyester satin in a creamy champagne color. It’s some slick devilish shit, which is what made me decide to hand sew the lining in. Better to be safe than sorry.

The colors are very saturated in person too.

While it was a laborious, I actually don’t mind hand sewing. My stitches aren’t super neat or evenly spaced. But this was something that I made for myself and whatever grandchild of mine inherits this can see that an actual human put this thing together.

Alterations to the the pattern:

I shortened the length by two inches. As you can see that the length still drags on the floor a little. I decided to keep it long to add to the drama of my walking up and down my stairs. I am quite extra in that way.

I also changed the collar. I didn’t like the original closed tightness of the the collar. This is meant to be a lounge item and wanted a relaxed fit all around. Otherwise, I sewed the patterned per the manufacturer instructions. Pockets were included, so thankfully I didn’t need to add them.

I paired this with a vintage nightgown.

It’s not perfect but I am quite pleased with it and have enjoyed wearing it so far.

It has been challenging finding good projects for my vintage fabrics that I actually want to (and am brave enough to) execute. I’m glad I did this one.

Now I’m off to dive into another project.

xo-Thea

Weekend Sewing and Darkness Drive Update

I’ve been doing my best to sew with fabrics that would be a challenge for me. I feel like that is a necessary step to my process of learning in my sewing journey.

This weekend I attempted to sew the top of this dress (pictured below) in a beautiful stretch lace. Everything was going beautifully until I decided to line it. I should have listened to my guys and just left it alone. Alas, things did not work out and now that top is in my “deal with it later” pile.

I used a vintage 70’s/80’s knit fabric instead. I did decide to flip the angle of the design to point up instead of down. Just to look a bit different from my previous dress. I think it gives it a 30’s look.

After one more dress on my table, I am moving onto a vintage pattern for a much needed item. I will share that project too.

Until Death - Gothic Valentine

The laser work is still going strong behind the scenes. Unfortunately, it has been awhile since we’ve released a new product. Today I remedied that for our Darkness Drive line. We made the decision last year that I should keep my spooky things separate from our main line, since it seems to dissuade a few customers. So we have a new shop on Etsy for these items for the public. (Wholesale is a different story for any of my shop owners who happen to read this.)

I’ve never been big on Valentine’s Day but love a spooky/creepy/gothy love token. This began as a doodle of vintage mirror I own. I’m sure at least 4 people who own a Glowforge will copy it poorly and list it for half the price by tomorrow. John and I have grown accustom to that and just keep making our quality pieces on our beloved LeeLoo The Laser anyways.

I hope you all had a nice weekend!

xo-Thea

Learning through fabric.

If you’ve been following my sewing adventures, you’ll catch it when I mention that I’ve never worked with a particular fabric before. I’ll share details of my experiences with them and any tips that I learned through the process.

Well, boy howdy do I have some tips about stretch crushed velvet. In my last post, I shared that I made this dress. Super great pattern, very satisfying if you do the stripe thing on top. LOVE IT. But an alternative neckline is a sweetheart gather neckline. The sample photos/videos showed this option. THIS IS NOT A NORMAL PICK FOR ME, BUT I DID IT.

Me in my crushed velvet Joan Wiggle dress.

I sewed this on my beloved PFAFF sewing machine which thankfully has a stretch stitch. I changed out the needle for knit specific fabrics and I gave my machine a cleaning prior. I will have to clean it again now because this stuff just leave a remarkable amount of “fabric dust”. I took it slow and steady with a firm hand on guiding the fabric. I kept my eyes fixed on my 5/8 seam allowance marker on my machine too.

I only lined the bodice. Which is a big deal for me personally because I typically lazy out of lining stuff. I kept the sleeves unlined but I created a “tunnel/tube” for the elastic to pass through at the top of the arms. It worked out really well. I used 3/8 elastic around the neckline as recommended and it really gave it a defining “edge”.

The top is a size up from the bottom. I feel like this pattern has a more generous fit. Perhaps due to the stretch fabrics used. But I really love how many different looks you can have with it.

Lots of good skill building with this I will definitely make a few more dresses and tops too.

I’ve been loving getting out of my comfort zone with fabrics. Sure, I know a lot about silk and silk blends thanks to my kanzashi making, but I’m enjoying building my knowledge base on one of my life’s true loves - fabric.

xo-Thea

The Joan Wiggle Dress by Charm Patterns

I'm a patron of Gertie (Charm Patterns by Gertie) and this wiggle dress is a recent release in her new series. Normally, I am a full skirt or a-line skirt type of gal, but the sewing technique of the top portion of the dress piqued my interest.

Thea Starr - Joan Wiggle Dress

Fabric hoarding came in handy for this one. In my stash was this 80’s vintage velour stretch knit type of fabric that had a nice strip to it. I also have a couple colors of ponte fabric too, which is what I used for the skirt. My Pfaff sewing machine has a stretch stitch setting and I used that in the construction of this. I also switched out my universal needle for a knit needle. Small things worth mentioning.

I took Gertie’s advice to go overkill on pinning every stripe together to get this effect and it paid off.

Up close. I’m pretty proud of this matching.

There are no buttons or zippers on this dress. (Also, sadly no pockets.) So, it’s an easy on and off pullover dress. I currently have a crushed velvet one cut out on my sewing table with the sweetheart neckline. I have some spare striped fabric that I will be making into the top version too.

The style of dress was inspired by a dress that Joan Holloway wears in Mad Men.

It’s pictured to the right.

I love the orange and black stripe on the original and I will searching to find something like that and recreate it.

I haven’t sorted out my plan for a constant need for a pocket for this outfit. I’m guessing I’ll just need to wear a blazer or a sweater that has pockets.

Overall, it was a nice sewing project to start off the new year.

Aside from sewing, I have some plans to revamp my shops in the works. I’m also working on something a little experimental that I hope will be fruitful. I’ll share of course as things develop.

I hope everyone has a safe and healthy start to the New Year!

xo-thea

2021 - Favorite Makes and Vintage Finds

Per usual once Halloween passes, I dive deep into the holiday season rush. This year was no exception. I mostly avoided socials and just posted little stories on IG.

Two days before Christmas/my birthday I closed up my shops for a bit of a vacation. It feels so good to recoup and let go of some rude customer interactions. I typically don’t take things personal, but with mail delays things got a little spicy at times.

With all of that behind me and 2021 almost behind us, I wanted to share some of my favorite makes and vintage finds of the year.

A lined jacket, vintage embroidery tea towels,(An Original By Thea Starr) kanzashi, floral knit top, Super Mario circle skirt and our (6 by 6 Arts) Roots plant stand.

Bedsheet summer dress, bedsheet 60's style dress, snake earrings, vintage patttern Halloween dress, 80's A-line skirt and a vintage fabric Christmas blouse.

I had many makes this year. Also, many I didn’t finish. I look forward to making even more in 2022.

A ridiculous vintage velvet wall hanging, a rare vintage Olga full lace dressing robe, vintage bias tape and more from my awesome neighbor, 1970's deadstock goddess fabric, vintage ice cream boobies slip dress and my vintage tea cart that I plan to restore.

My first true vintage ceramic tree, the angry cat sweater (I sold it), my 1940's vanity set, super clean vintage Daisy print Pyrex divided dish, my beloved Big Eyed doll and my metal/enamel vintage s

2021 was strange to say the least. I’m looking forward to seeing how strange 2022 will be.

Happy New Year Friends!

xo-Thea

Halloween 2021

Happy November to you. I hope you all had a very nice Halloween. We had a fun Halloween season. (That I started decorating for in August.)

I unfortunately, didn’t have time to release all of the products I wanted to on our Darkness Drive collection. We’re still adjusting to just one of us being a full time maker. I still plan on releasing those items in the coming months.

I documented my Halloween Week wardrobe. Many of the items you might recognize from previous posts, others were just some casual wear for sitting on my buns for the AdobeMAX conference.

I shared our annual laser engraved pumpkin video on YouTube. It’s just a fun thing that we’ve done every years since the inception of our business.

Trick or Treating was still a little weird this year. We saw a lot of neighbors asking questions and saw suggestions of how to do it safely. I came up with a little self service display pictured above. We always do something away from out front door due our beloved rescue dog who isn’t fond of little children. We had more trick or treaters than we did in 2019 and our little display (which looked much cooler in the dark with the battery operated candles glowing) seemed to work out really well.

Now onto fall projects. I have a stack of thrifted wool that will be skirts and jackets soon. I also have to clean up my Christmas ornament designs. We’ve already sold quite a few over the weekend.

xo-Thea

Vlog: Pumpkin Patch Trip and Small Business Setbacks

Over the weekend my eldest daughter rallied us up to make an annual pumpkin patch trip. It was rainy, muddy and loud. (The patch that we went to has an apple cannon.) Despite all of that, we had a great time. Check out the video below to see what it was like. Tune back in the last week of October for our annual pumpkin carving session.

In this vlog, I also talk about a couple set backs. With life adjustments and not being full time makers any more, we’re simply just not creating/releasing products as fast as we used to. To me, it’s a 100% frustrating and I hope to magically find extra hours in the week. I’ve been sleeping less and doing more - but I still can’t get to things I want to. However, we are creating a bigger network of vendors for our established products which is great. We’re just trying to streamline a balance of everything and the creative in me just wants to create more. Ugh.

I am sad to not be able to release the two clothing items i wanted to. That particular issue came down to cost of materials. I intend to use dead-stock fabrics for my limited releases. I also intend on offering inclusive sizing. The math and materials just haven’t worked out in my favor so far. I am hoping for spring and summer 2022 to do that.

Despite my personal frustration about work, I’m really enjoying my favorite season. We’ve had cozy fires, soups and set plans for family time. Fall is my favorite.

I hope all of you are well and I appreciate you all! - Thea

Adding To My Halloween Wardrobe

While I have been mainly busy with 6 by 6 Arts recently, I have managed to sneak in some quality sewing time.

I follow a few reproduction clothing brands and I love all of their Halloween (holidays in general) designs. Unfortunately despite my daily manifestations attempts, I am not a money rich lady and I have to just admire some great pieces.

Side note - Many of these women owned companies like Pinup Girl Clothing for example, are extremely small companies. Many pieces are small batch made in the USA. Fabric and labor is expensive and when I make purchases from there I consider them investment pieces and understand the work, time and money that goes into them. I know I’m actually getting a deal on some pieces just in fabric alone.

My zipper front princess dress made from Alexander Henry Fabrics 2006 Pumpkin Party Print

With all of that said, this year since I’ve taken a deep dive back into sewing I decided to add Halloween themed pieces to my wardrobe. DIY style.

I show off a few pieces that I’ve made in the linked video below.

In the video, I do touch on the expense of fabric. I thrifted all of the fabric shown in the video. The striped full circle skirt dress, I thrifted 7 yards of that fabric for $4.99. Up close pictured are available on my Instagram. I didn’t thrift them in a short amount of time and I sat on some of these fabric pieces for a long while. But it can be done. We all can have lucky days at the thrift. Or an online fabric shop on a discount day.

I hope you’ll check out my video and welcome to October! I love spooky season!

xo-Thea

Vintage Show & Tell: Nila Sewing Compact

I share a really fun recent vintage find in this video. A Nila Sewing Compact. I’ve been dabbling with sewing stuff for most of my life and I have never happened upon anything like this.

I love it so much. Even though I paid “up” for it at the thrift store.

The logo is quite small and I don’t have the best lens for the job.

I love sharing vintage sewing items with you all. I use most of them myself. Some I still need to figure out how to use. I will definitely have more of this style of video in the future.

I had a couple inquiries about if I am still sewing. But of course and I will have a show & tell video all about that next week.

xo-Thea