Whistling Sparrow featured in Pod Cast!

Thanks to the Emerson Fashion Society for featuring me along with some very talented artists in thier pod cast about the Independent Designers Market!

http://www.emersonfashionsociety.com/?p=1630

Come check out the Independent Designers Market this Sunday!

41 Berkeley St. Boston - Ben Franklin Institute of Technology - 11 - 5pm

Whistling Sparrow will be there this Sunday Dec. 5th and next Sunday Dec. 12th.

http://www.idmboston.com/

DIY Holiday Gift Craft Night at Dame

Come join me at Dame in Jamaica Plain for some DIY gift making! We will be making tea towel aprons and machine-stitched recipe cards. This event is totally FREE! Just bring your own materials and your apron-loving spirit! Dec. 16th at Dame.

Dame is amazing store/studio in JP! Dame has an incredible selection of vintage and handmade fashion (including some of my designs). Dame hosts a sewing group called the Seamsters on Thursdays (always free!).

Hope to see you on the 16th for some DIY!

Officially Addicted to Sewing

Elizabeth's Floral Totes
Jenn's Lovely Hand-sewn Embellishments

Sheeba's Awesomely Bold Red Zipper

Two Great Skirts by Sheeba

The World's First Upcycled Gap Cat Tshirt by Jenn

Modelling the Cat Tshirt on her Sewing Machine

Elizabeth's Sun Dress Pattern

The Beginning of the Bodice

The almost completed dress! So Pretty!

Sheeba's Collared and Pleated Asymetric Dress Pattern

Perfect Pleating by Sheeba!

Just the wooden buttons to add! Gorgeous already!

About to add the arm hole facings.

Jenn's Charming French Toile Skirt being embellished with trim.

A zipper well done by Jenn!

Sheeba's work over the course.

Elizabeth's pieces.

It's official. The incredible women of the last sewing intensive are now addicted to sewing. Wahoo! The beautiful projects that came out of these last six weeks are a testament to their skill as seamstresses and designers. Here is a look at all the amazing work they did...and I am positive it is only the beginning!

Independent Designers Market

This Sunday (November 21st) I will be at the Independent Designers Market on Berkeley St. in Boston. Come support your local artists! This market features Fashion, Jewelry, Accessories, Photography and Fine art. I am very excited! Come do your holiday shopping! Keep it local!

For more information check out the website: http://www.idmboston.com/

Location:

41 Berkeley St.

The Ben Franklin Institute of Technology

Boston, MA

Zombie Costume Contest at SOWA

The annual zombie costume contest was this past Sunday at SOWA. Vendors competed against one another for some great SOWA prizes. Hazel and I came in third with our zombie mermaid costumes - which means next year Whistling Sparrow gets next season's opening weekend free!

Hazel and I had a wonderful time making our costumes and applying multitudes of latex and fake blood. Hazel even brought a spooky Greenpeace tape of whale sounds (that we played from her early 90's pastel cassette player hidden under the table). The many costumed dogs that walked by seemed very confused.

What a wonderful way to spend my favorite holiday!

Rediscovering Grandma's Sewing Books

When my grandmother moved out of her house in Gloucester, MA I inherited some wonderful vintage things - plates, lamps, wine goblets, and dressers. But I think the most wonderful of them all has to be the Time Life Series of Sewing Books from the 1970s. I have had these books for a while, but recently have rediscovered thier beauty and usefulness. My current favorite is Exotic Styling - it has some amazing patterns and even a pattern to hand embroider a beautiful peacock. Its such a nice feeling to rediscover old books! Vintage sewing books are often wonderful and inspiring resources, so keep your eyes peeled at thrift stores and yard sales!

Stitching Away

Our sewing intensive continues at Abeille. We are finishing up projects left and right. This week Jenn brought her finished apron in; it was utterly charming! Jenn also worked on her French Toile skirt. Sheba and Elizabeth have thier skirts almost in completion - just waist bands to add. Our next two classes are free choice projects and I can't wait to see what these creative women come up with!

Elizabeth models her gorgeous chocolate brown skirt with zipper and darts from the Sew Everything Workshop book by Diana Rupp. Diana also runs a craft studio and handmade boutique in NYC called Make .
Jenn in her beautiful embellished apron with incredible handmade flowers!




A close-up of the lovely handmade flowers.

Elizabeth's fantastic zipper work.

Sheba's beautiful a-line skirt - just the waistband left to add.

More fantastic zipper work by Sheba.

Marking the hem line.

Stitching on the zipper.

Folding under the hem.

The Start of Skirts!

The skirt making has commenced and the results are looking great!

Elizabeth's beautifully executed dart on deep brown wool.
Sheba's fantastic darts on shimmery beige.

Jenn pins on the pattern for her skirt.

Sheba cuts out the front of her skirt.

Elizabeth cuts the notches on her skirt.

Zombies Take Over SOWA

Our Thriller Costumes, 2006. We danced up and down the streets of Burlington, VT and started a riot in the streets! Best night of college ever!

Halloween - my favorite holiday of the year! For someone who loves to sew and loves to play dress-up nothing could be better. This Sunday SOWA will be holding a Zombie costume contest! Its the last craft show of the season, so come down and support local art (130 artists will be there...and of course farmers and antiques as always!). There is a vendor costume contest and a customer contest. Judging is a 2PM, registration is all morning. First prize for customers is $250! Costumes must be HANDMADE and must not be cute/slutty/pretty or all of the above. There is also a pumpkin carving contest! It should be a great Halloween day!

10 - 4 pm , Harrison Ave. Boston's South End 10/31/10

Aprons in Autumn

Sewing 2 is always one of my favorite classes of the series. Vintage inspired aprons are so much fun! These pieces came out so beautiful!

Sheba's Charming Bumblebee and Polka-dot Apron
Jenn's gorgeous pleating!

Elizabeth's Adorable Floral Apron with Cotton Lace Ruffle

Sheba, sporting her new handmade apron!

Elizabeth, also sporting her newly finished apron!

Jenn's apron in the process - just pleating and a waist band to add on.

Elizabeth's eco-friendly refashioned paisley tote. She deconstructed a canvas tote and added the paisley fabric into the design. So pretty!

Pinning on the pocket.

Laying out the apron after attaching the handmade pleated ruffle.

Stitching the cotton lace ruffle at the top.