
2023 started off on zoom! I went home to Florida for Christmas to visit my family, and it was the reset I needed. Spending time with my parents, siblings, bestie cousin, nieces & nephew and all of my huge extended family really filled my heart to the brim. It also brought home the realization that my parents are aging and I want to start going home more often. It had been three years, thanks to covid, since I’d been home. I love that when I hit Florida I feel like I immediately return to my southern roots. It’s like putting on an old comfortable sweater. I find myself saying “yes ma’am and no sir” again. I honestly love that I’m from a small town, and that even though I haven’t lived there in years, when I come home I always can run into family, friends and even old classmates that make me feel like I’ve never left.
I immediately made it back to Los Angeles a few days before the New Year to a workload that initially was giving me the deepest of blues. I’ve been working as an accountant my entire adult working career, so this isn’t new, but this was the first year, where I seriously found myself wondering if some changes are needed career-wise. It’s caused me to think about how much me time I’m willing to sacrifice during this time of the year and how to strike a healthy balance. Right as I felt myself on the verge of getting physically sick, I started sewing. I told myself I didn’t need to make anything fancy, I just needed to be able to put my hands to something creative. Like always, sewing is one of my happy places. So here at the tail end of February I sewed an outfit purely for the pleasure of it all and I can’t tell you how good that felt all the way around and my body’s stress level went back down to zero. My work to life balance was finally back as well.
PROJECT DETAILS:
High-Waisted Trousers: Viki Sews Daphna Trousers. This is an amazing indie sewing pattern company that I discovered a few years back on Etsy, who have since grown tremendously and moved to their own website. I love that all the patterns have a fresh off the runway fashion approach. For us sewists that are in love with runway fashion, this is one of the few indie sewing pattern companies that has an eye for what is modern and fresh. This was my first time sewing a Viki Sews pattern, and I must say I am beyond impressed. These pants must be one of the best drafted pants patterns that I have seen ever, short of me self-drafting pants to my own measurements. The thoughtful details on the fly that makes sewing a fly front trouser flawlessly easy, *chef’s kiss*. Their measurements were true to sizing measurement chart and they have detailed sewing instructions. This pattern was so good I added rayon hem tape and hand sewed my hems. I haven’t hand sewn pants hems in years! That’s how good this pattern is! Needless to say, I will definitely be sewing more Viki Sews Patterns in the near future.

Statement Turtleneck: This is an experimental mash up I did of combining Itch-To-Stitch Hepburn Turtleneck and the sleeves from Schultz Apparel’s The Petunia Blouse. It was a marriage made in heaven, and combined all of the elements that I love about both patterns together. The Hepburn Turtleneck has a more fitted profile, and was designed to hug your curves, instead of the typical boxy look that most turtleneck sewing patterns often give you. The Petunia Blouse has the statement sleeves it factor that I absolutely love.


FABRIC – For the Daphna Trousers I used fabric in my stash from Melanated Fabrics. It’s this luscious chocolate 100% Tencel (Lyocell) Twill that I’ve had for a while. As is my habit, any time I can get medium weight 100% tencel twill I’m jumping on it. It is hands down one of my favorite fabrics to sew with, and its smooth buttery goodness makes for the most comfortable wear against your body. The turtleneck I used this Merlot colored fabric that I bought ages ago in the loft section of the now defunct Michael Levine’s in Los Angeles downtown fashion district. The store is still there, but has new owners who have now changed the name, and the loft portion of the store is closed. This used to be the dream haven for fabric shoppers because you could purchase fabric by the pound there. Sigh, the good old days!
STYLE – My usual style of gold hoop earrings, plus a pair of Make My Lemonade Tonia Cognac Boots, which has to be one of my favorite pair of boots ever.

