Did you know that Tatreez, aka. Palestinian Cross Stitch, is recognized by UNESCO as an “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity”? Photos from @anniebeeknits Back in May I attended a fabulous 3-hour workshop by Nadia and Jafra of Learn Palestine. They taught so much more than just stitching, with hands-on activities about geography, regional designs, history and cultural context. It was also super fun, with delicious snacks made from family recipes and plenty of joy and laughter. It was such an inspiring workshop that my sister and I are helping organize it again! View this post on Instagr ..read more

This week I presented at the Kitchener Waterloo Garment Sewists Guild, and it took me on a trip down memory lane. It also took me HOURS to make the slideshow (honestly 10+) so I’m turning it into a series of blog posts here. Starting with section 1: Introducing Myself and “A lot has changed since 2011!“ Hi, I’m Gillian (I was going to say, “But you know that”, but really, my blog title doesn’t include my name so maybe you don’t!) My pronouns are They/Them, and my identity as Autistic and ADHD (aka. AuDHD) is completely interlinked with my gender and sexuality as a trans/non-binary/agender/p ..read more

I love colour. Hair dye, nail polish, makeup, you name it – it gives me glimmers of joy when I see great colours together. That’s probably why I love overdying my clothes. Its the lure of the chance to get just the right colour, or to make something fit my colour palette better. I thought I’d bring you a round up of all the things I’ve dyed over the years – including some that didn’t work out so well! Note: I use Rit dye because it is affordable and available, but one day I’d love to expand into other options! Emerald is my favourite colour of Rit Dye! It is a blue-toned green that fits my wa ..read more

For the last few years I’ve been experimenting with “mens” clothes – and ended up with a boring wardrobe of basics! I’ve been thrifting and buying basics from places like Old Navy. It let me try out new silhouettes and styles cheaply, which is great… but there is only so much colour and pattern I can add in through graphic tees and plaid shirts. I’m ready to bring back the FUN that my wardrobe had when it was handmade! I have a few strategies in mind: Bedazzle denim Dye boring basics Alter for better proportions Bring back some of my femme me-mades Sew what I can’t find elsewhere 1. Bedazzle ..read more

As always, the blog design is a hint! My blog designs have always reflected the colours I’m wearing, and this refresh is no different. However, it is kinda accidental! I pulled colours from this image by artist BunnyDee that I adore. I subscribe to her on Patreon so I get monthly stickers and postcards in her designs. The colour story in this one particular image enchants me. I think it’s the combination of warm and cool tones, and the lively energy of the acid yellow with the calming turquoise and soft pinks. Lo and behold, it also turns out to be pretty post on for a lot of my current wardr ..read more

As I scrolled through TikTok last night, another take on colour palettes crossed my path – so of course I dropped everything and spent an hour figuring out my colours! This method comes from David Zyla, who is a stylist for TV and celebrities. His book, Color Your Style, surely explains it all, but the part that intrigued me is that he has you build a palette based on the colours of your own skin, eyes, lips and hair. Here’s the outline from his website: Right away, I’m wondering how this would work for someone who has deep skin. Yes, “palm-coloured” is a euphemism the Black creators use for ..read more

Would you talk about sewing in a job interview? I’ve done a couple of interviews recently, and I always bring up my role in Sewcialists. It is one of my examples of leadership, communication, and equity work. That got me thinking: Are there other transferable skills that we gain from sewing? As I was prepping for an interview, I revisited the 21st Century Global Competencies that my province suggests will “help ensure that all students develop the knowledge, skills and characteristics to become personally successful, economically productive and actively engaged citizens.” (I’m side-eying the ..read more

Have you noticed that share necklines seem popular this year? Or maybe that is just me, seeing what I want to see. Regardless, I made these two variations of the Workhorse Patterns Ione top over the last few months and I’m finally sharing them! I’m all about the green this year, and this large print is lots of fun. I got it from Blackbird for a bargain, but when it arrived I decided that the lurid pink was to bright even for me. A quick dip in some grey dye and this is the finished result. The Ione Top is special to me because it is designed by my dear friend and fellow Sewcialist, Becky. I ..read more

It snowed this week, so of course, I made a linen tank top! (My mood in these pictures is “Brrr!”) This is the Helen’s Closet Reynolds Top. The pattern released last summer, I think? I always like this style but didn’t end up sewing it before fall set in. I picked up this lightweight linen last summer too. I chose to sew a size 22 in the B cup range. That was NOT the right size to pick! The bust was too big, which reminded me that the Ashton also gave me the same fit problems. I need a petite adjustment above the bust with Helen’s Closet sleeveless patterns, and I should grade down in the ..read more

Remember when I said I was going to redo #OneWeekOnePattern, which I blogged about a decade ago? Well… I did something else instead! You see, I put a poll up on Instagram to see if I should do a week of Ashton tanks or Jackson pullovers. It was a complete tie, so I decided to come up with a third option: Wearing message tees/tops for a week! Logo tees are new to my wardrobe in the last year, and I wear them a lot. In my job as an Itinerant ESL teacher, I walk through the halls at a lot of schools but rarely get to teach whole classes. Dressing like a billboard means I can connect with kids th ..read more