The Fabric of Time

Front view of cote   I just finished a medieval cote for my goddaughter. Some aspects of the project did not go well, but it was fun to make and a great learning experience. I learned many years ago that it's important to always see the positive side of any of my craft projects because the failures always help me to do better next time. Some people stop pursuing a hobby because they become too discouraged. However, by trying and failing, and then accepting that failure, one advances one's skills and learns how to do better next time.  Back view Not only am I fairly new to medieval sewing, but also this is also my first venture into children's clothing. It's so hard to adjust to the tiny size! It matches all the measurements with room to spare, but since I'm sewing with wool and linen instead of stretch-knit cotton, I may not have factored in enough ease. I won't know until I give the clothes to my goddaughter in a couple weeks. I re-made the sle

The other day, I was checking my blog overview to see where my views were originating. I discovered that a photo from my blog had made it onto Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/9992430397232346/ . This link leads to my post about inserting gussets on a chemise: http://fabricoftime.blogspot.com/2013/11/inserting-gussets-on-chemise.html . At first I felt like someone was appropriating my work, but then I realized that it is actually very flattering and positive that someone thinks my blog is useful and interesting enough to share or bookmark. I never intended it to be a means of reaching out to other tailors/seamstresses; my blog was meant more as a portfolio and a personal reference. However, I am really excited about what it has become and happy that I have readers who appreciate it. Thank you very much! Also, thanks to The Dreamstress for adding a link on the HSF page! I get most of my web traffic from there. In other news, my latest project

A few weeks ago, I noticed my dad walking around in his very ratty slippers. "I think it's time for you to throw those out, Dad," I said. "What are you waiting for, Christmas?" "Yes," he replied, "Maybe you could make me some!" He even wrapped the toe of a slipper in packaging tape to accentuate the fact that it was falling apart. It was amusing. I scoffed at the idea, but then started looking for inspiration. I couldn't find any good free patterns, so I decided to try to develop my own crochet pattern for slippers. I am not very skilled at crocheting, but I understand it and don't find it too challenging. I started by crocheting a sole, which I ripped apart and re-started so many times that my mother thought I should throw in the towel. That only made me more determined to succeed. Mom dubbed them the $500 slippers because of how much time I spent working on them. I didn't enjoy the project very much, but I wanted to see if I