If you’ve followed me for a while you know I almost never do collaborations & marketing posts. I blog because I love sharing about sewing and history and random stuff from my life. I’m here to have fun.  I’ve never monetised the blog, and try to make sure the Scroop-related content is less than 1/4 of my posts.  I want this blog to be a haven from all the ‘buy-buy-buy’ flashing lights and marketing websites on the internet. So I have to REALLY love an item to agree to a collaboration. When Son de Flor approached me about a collaboration I didn’t have to think about it at all.&nb ..read more

It’s that time again!  I’ve been hard at work on a new pattern for Scroop Patterns based on the dress I have NEVER worn without someone commenting on it and asking where I got it. While I think the dress is pretty darn perfect, I need to make sure the instructions are just as perfect, and that the pattern is perfect in every size   So, that means I need testers to give their opinion on those things! If you’d like to apply to help test the dress, keep reading to learn more, and how to apply… The Pattern: This dress pattern features an effortless loose shape and elegant geometric patte ..read more

Last week:  A 1920s tea gown in silk velvet Things people loved about last week’s dress: the relaxed silhouette, the lush velvet, the gold printing, the striking colours, the dramatic sleeves, and the little buttons on the shoulders. Things people hated about last week’s dress: the ‘matronly’ silhouette, the bulky velvet, the not-centred printing, the colour combination, the cumbersome sleeves, and the disproportionate buttons on the shoulders. So…a mixed bag for sure!  With ratings varying from perfect 10s, all the way down to devastating 1s. My favourite comment: “I like it so much ..read more

When my parents heard I was coming home to Hawai’i for a visit this June/July they asked if there was anything I particularly wanted to do while I was here. I had one request. “Can we hatch ducklings?” Yes, the thing I wanted more than anything was ducklings on the farm! Ducklings aren’t guaranteed, and take a bit of organisation.  First, you actually need to need them. Luckily my timing was perfect.  My parents realised their current flocks were getting old, and it was high time they started replacing them. Second, you need some mother ducks to get broody.  My parents keep khak ..read more

When we launched the Scroop + Virgil’s Fine Goods Cassandra Stays someone asked about the different tab shapes of the Augusta Stays (pointed triangular tabs) and the Cassandra Stays (rectangular tabs). I love a good ‘learn about historical fashion by comparing what you see in extant examples’ post (like the one I did on late 18th century sleeve stripes), and thought this was the perfect topic for that. So, I combed museum catalogues for 18th century stays, assembled a bunch (I may have gotten carried away…) and analysed the tab shapes. There are two main tab shapes that you see on 18th centur ..read more

It’s midyear, I’m in Hawai’i having a long overdue visit with my parents, AND 10 adorable khaki campbell ducklings hatched yesterday.  Clearly it’s time to celebrate – with a SALE! So, from now until Tuesday 2 July, 11:59pm, NZ Time, all patterns at scrooppatterns.com are: 20% off!  The discount is applied automatically at checkout: no need to do anything.  Just pop on over to scrooppatterns.com and fill your sewing queue up! Happy shopping, happy sewing! (and if you have a discount voucher from doing the Scroop Patterns Survey – don’t worry, there will be two new patterns to u ..read more

Previously on The Cassandra Stays Sew Along: Choosing Material for the Cassandra Stays Making Linen Buckram Making your Mock-Up  Fitting How to alter the Cassandra Stays pattern to be front-laced only Cutting Out & Basting Testing techniques Sewing the Boning Channels Making the View B Stomacher using historical materials Marking & Sewing Eyelets Assembling the Panels & Boning Your Cassandra stays are assembled, the bones have been inserted, only one pair of scissors has died for the cause… Now it’s time for… The Final Fitting* This is how not to do a fitting: Over a T-shi ..read more

Life has decided to be unrelentingly busy, so it’s taken me a while to get back to Rate the Dress.  But it’s here in the form of a white and gold 1830s evening dress. Last week:  a 1913-14 evening dress in salmon pink, bold black and gold Those of you who are rating at the moment are very opinionated.  There wasn’t much middle ground to the reactions to this dress.  Most of you loooooooooved it.  So many 10s!  But a few couldn’t get on board with the colour, or felt there were just too many elements. The Total: 8.6 out of 10 A whole decimal point up from last week ..read more

7:30 am – Wake up 7:32 am – Pat Leimomi on the face to remind her to wake up and give me cuddle 7:33-7:45 – Sit on Leimomi’s chest and purr like mad, periodically reaching out to pat her face to remind her to give me head scratchies 7:50 – Breakfast! 7:52: after licking off all the sauce and eating 2 pieces of meat, go and sit by the back door and look pitiful and wistful until Leimomi opens it for me 7:53 – Eat three blades of grass, sniff another patch, and then come back inside, having decided I’m not that excited about the outdoors after all. 7:55 – Use the litter boxes instead of the grea ..read more

Previously on The Cassandra Stays Sew Along: Choosing Material for the Cassandra Stays Making Linen Buckram Making your Mock-Up  Fitting How to alter the Cassandra Stays pattern to be front-laced only Cutting Out & Basting Testing techniques Sewing the Boning Channels Making the View B Stomacher using historical materials Marking & Sewing Eyelets In this instalment of the Cassandra Stays Sew Along your Cassandra Stays are finally going to start looking like a pair of stays.  That’s right: we’re sewing the panels together and adding bones! Assembling the Panels This isn’t t ..read more