It started off as a serious jealousy toward a dress Dita Von Teese's gorgeous Vivienne Westwood dress she wore a few years back.  That dress was the perfect amount of class and sophistication paired with sensuous and sultry.  Vivienne Westwood is just, amazing.  The End. 





I bought this gorgeous cotton fabric at Michael Levine downtown.  (I love that store for all my fabric buys)  I had no real plans for it at the time, but I knew I wanted to turn it into a skirt, or something of the like.  My favourite part of the whole sewing process is watching it hit the stage where you can envision wearing it.  You can see yourself walking around in your handmade ensemble.  It's very pleasurable, in my opinion, to look in the mirror for the first time after everything has been hemmed, altered, and cut, and sigh a huge sigh of conquer.  Because fuck yea, my friend.  I made that! and I look damn good. <3  (but no really, though) ;)



These are shots of it as I was working on it.  

 


xoxo.bree
Sew lets talk about sewing.  If you are anything like me, you have probably wanted to learn how to sew since forever, but never got around to it. Maybe it seems overwhelming?  Maybe you just don't have a lot of time to take a class?  Whatever it is that has been holding you back, STOP telling yourself that.  Just stop it now.





Let me tell just say one thing...I am completely self taught.  I have never paid someone to teach me how to sew.  Nobody sat down with me to show me how to use a sewing machine.  I had to google search and use a YouTube video to learn how to thread my vintage machine that my parents handed down to me for Christmas a few years ago.  That sewing machine also sat in storage for the first 3 years of my ownership before I even took the cover off since I thought I could never learn to sew because I didn't have time to take any classes.  I am so grateful I kept hearing that damn thing call my name, because I did finally learn (my way, and my own pace), and now I make all of my clothes and my daughter's clothes, because I love it.  Now I own 3 sewing machines.  I am not intimidated anymore.  Its awesome.  I love it, and I want you to love it, too.



So where do you start?  What happens first?  Well, I assume you already have a machine.  Maybe it was given to you by Aunt Blanche.  If not, THAT'S OK! then the first step is researching machines.  My chosen brands that I absolutely LOVE are Janome and Juki.  I learned on a vintage DOMESTIC brand machine made in the late 70s.  The thing that I loved about my experience is that, since it was a vintage machine, there weren't a lot of "extras" to deal with.  It was slow, only offered 8 different stitches, and that was it.  It didn't even sew button holes.  Now, while that sounds like a nightmare for a more advanced sewer, it was incredibly non intimidating and very easy to deal with.  As my skill grew and grew, I eventually graduated into needing a more advanced machine.  (I also needed a serger, but that's a whole different blog post)  Here are some resources that I put together to help you find yourself a good machine:

HERE

HERE

HERE

HERE


I hope these links, and little bit of info helps get your wheels spinning on finding the right sewing machine for you!  Stay tuned for my next post under Sewing 101.

xo.bree
Dear Alabama,

I want you to know that I love you.  That's really the biggest thing that I want you to absorb, because from that stems so many things.  Love is always the answer.  I learned that from someone that was really close to me a long time ago.  I wish that I had learned it when I was a child.  Watching you grow, and learn to do new things, has been my greatest adventure.  Thank you for letting me carry you every day these 19 months, and if I had to, I would carry you forever.  

Love,
Mommy




Sewwww.  Remember that pencil skirt I was whining about?

The one that intimidated me so?  Yea, I went ahead and made it.  :)



You can find the pattern here.


Its actually  alot easier to make than I had anticipated.  Took me about 2 hours.  I did not make a muslin first, because seriously who has time for that?  One of my many weaknesses is that I make things fast, so there is a lot of fine tuning later.

Still- I like it.

xo.Bree


I tried a new shirt patter.  I bought the cute pattern off Etsy.  I think I used too thick of a knit fabric (all I had was double knit), since the flutter sleeves stand straight up, prompting my husband call this shirt "The Star Trek".  I am pretty impressed with myself, though!


I also made the shirt I am wearing.  I didn't use a pattern.  I will have to create a short tutorial for it someday.  It was super easy.

My pants are vintage.  Super awesome find!!

xoxo.bree

With our doula business getting more and more active. Karla (my doula partner) and I have been discussing our goals for the future.  It's so exciting to plan and talk about what we would like to offer as far as services go.  This is the first time in my life where I have a genuine amount of excitement for a business venture.  Maybe I have found my calling?  I don't know.  BUT- I am liking every step of the way!  

I have had so many thoughts concerning childbirth and the beginning journey into motherhood.  I remember feeling so empowered and strong, even though I didn't exactly have the birthing experience that I wanted (to be honest, I really didn't know what I wanted until after it was over), becoming a mother felt so seamless.  I am blessed with an amazing husband that supports me, and I have a long list of strong mentors in my life that have helped me become a woman, and have only encouraged me to build self esteem long before I became pregnant.  I believe that was a huge part of my seemingly seamless transition.  (there were bad days, don't get me wrong...and I still have them)  I hear of so many women that have the opposite experience, and all the feelings where almost unbearable for them.  While I know for certain that everyone will have their own unique story to tell, I have this huge desire to be of service where I can.  I want women to feel empowered, heard, loved, and most of all, supported no matter what kind of birth they end up having.  I think those things are so important during- what I believe is- the most powerful change that will ever happen in our lives as women.  How can we switch it around so we aren't overcome by guilt, sadness, fear, but more joy, happiness and hopefulness during this transition into motherhood?   How can I be of service to help another new mom feel like "she's got this"?  Maybe I have it all wrong, but these are just a few things that I have been thinking about as I gear up to support my clients through their labors and deliveries.  Being a part of this community of doulas has been so eye opening and ground breaking for me already...I am so grateful I am present for it all.

Now I will talk about sewing- 

I recently discovered a pattern that I am dying to try out.  Its for a pencil skirt.  It's actually for the most perfect skirt I have ever seen.  I bought it here, and I printed it out, but I am so intimidated, and I feel a bit overwhelmed by it.  It's fun for me to makeshift my own patterns and put things together in my own sloppy way, considering I have zero formal training in the art of sewing and designing.  I think I need to use a few more easy patterns first before I get down to business on this particular one.  

I found a cute shirt pattern for Bam here.  It seems simple enough to do, and hello!   Super cute with those little flutter sleeves!  

I will keep you posted!

xoxo.bree