Happy Friday!

I don't know about you, but I can't wait to bust out of here for the weekend. I'm hoping for that perfect mix of beach time and sewing...what? A girl can hope, can't she?

In the spirit of yesterday's post, I thought I'd end the week with a round-up of some sewing websites/blogs/forums that I've found handy as I've learned to sew. There's nothing as educational as actual hands-on experience, of course, but a good how-to book or website goes a long way.

• label-free provides sewing resources, hints, tricks and tips for people who want to make their own clothes. Check out the interfacing and sewing-machine needle guides, the links to free patterns, and the book recommendations, all listed in the right sidebar.
• Sew Mama Sew is more than just an online store; check out their impressively active blog and forum for project ideas, how-tos, and handy Q+As.
• The Purl Bee has a great list of patchwork and sewing tutorials (see left-hand sidebar) and a glossary, plus tons of project ideas.
• BurdaStyle is part sewing how-to, part social-networking, part buy-and-sell. Open-source patterns mean you don't have to pay to use them and you can update/alter them as  you please.
• And on a slightly different note, not too long ago Alicia at Posy Gets Cozy asked her readers "Do you sew?" She got almost 1,250 responses, and some of the stories are just great. Reading them is almost as good as sitting down at the sewing machine (except you won't get all those little threads all over your lap!).

Do you have a favourite sewing blog or website? It'd be great if you'd share it in the comments. And don't forget, you've got until 5 p.m. today to enter this week's contest.

See you on Monday, hopefully with another new shirt to share!

Good morning, friends.

I know it's Thursday, but I'm still thinking about what I did last weekend. No, there was no wedding to go to, no long drive to the cottage – just a regular weekend at home – but my Sunday at the sewing machine was momentous in its own way.

For the first time in more than five years, I made a garment. This is a big deal; there's a reason that the last time I attempted anything other than a quilt or a tote bag was five years ago. (Let's just say the pyjamas made out of repurposed flannel sheets and the three-sizes-too-small twirly skirt were not my finest sewing moments.)

But: I made a shirt. It took me the better part of 6 hours, but I ended up with an actual shirt. And not a "homemade" shirt with one arm longer than the other and lots of loose threads hanging everywhere, but a shirt that fit. I liked it so much that I wore it to work on Monday.

(Trust me: I looked better without a giant camera in front of my face. Also, know that I went home that night and dusted that mirror!!)

The shirt is the "Summer Blouse" from the Heather Ross book Weekend Sewing. It's a beautiful book, and for the most part the directions are clear and the diagrams easy to follow. I'd never made a neck placket before, or sewn a set-in sleeve, and I managed both without much trouble just by following the directions.

That said, there were a few tricks I had up my sleeve that probably made things a little easier. First off, I remembered reading a review of this pattern by Erin of House on Hill Road, and I kept that webpage open while I sewed. (Having her comments there was a bit like the reassurance you get from using your mom's old cookbook, the one with the helpful hints scribbled in the margins.) A hint in the comments on Erin's post made me go looking for an errata page for the book, where I learned that some of the pattern markings were missing from the pattern sheets (which was a relief, because I was starting to think I needed glasses!). I also tripped over to the Weekend Sewing Flickr group, which has, in addition to more than 700 project photos, a very informative discussion group. (All of which left me wondering: How on earth did people make things before the Internet?)

But there's a bigger question here. Now that I've seen how much work went into making this one piece of clothing, how can I justify walking into a big-box store and walking out, $10 later, with a brand-new shirt? It's tempting, sure – who has the time or ability to make all their own clothes these days? – but is it fair? If you look at that $10 shirt, then take into account retail markup, wholesale markup, shipping costs and material costs...how much is the person (or people) who actually made the shirt getting paid? It's certainly nowhere near minimum wage. Fair-trade, a word that entered my awareness when I started drinking coffee, seems to be gaining mainstream acceptance these days; it's something we think about when we're at the coffee shop, or buying bananas, or thinking about which hand lotion to buy. But aside from a few well-publicized campaigns, it seems like people aren't as concerned about fair-trade clothing. Is it time that we stopped thinking about the next great bargain?

It's a big issue and one I'm still working through in my head. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the matter. Are handmade clothes worth the effort? Do we pay a fair price for the clothes we buy?

Good morning folks!

I've been following the blog all buttoned up for a while now – I like the down-to-earth sewing advice that Melissa (a Canadian) provides, and I enjoy the glimpses she shares of everyday family life in Portland, Ore. As if that's not enough, last week Melissa brought back a relic from my childhood: the elastic belt. Behold:

I was so excited to see this – it instantly brought back memories of my own elastic belt, one of my favourite accessories from a time when the most important item on my agenda was my daily 10:30 a.m. appointment with Mr. Dressup. Mine was also blue and red, but it said "jeans jeans jeans" all the way around it. (I know this because my mum and I talked about it at length the other day after she read the same post. We think it got hand-me-downed away – but that's OK. I don't think it'd fit now anyway!)

Fabricland has a big ol' sale on right now, and I'm heading up there at lunch to see what they have in the way of awesome elastic. Melissa provides info about that fancy buckle (it's called a "surcingle buckle") and where to order them online, but you could also check at your local fabric store, haberdasher or – no, really – tack shop. And at less than a dollar per buckle...well, let's just say that's a lot of Christmas presents for not much money!

(Speaking of Christmas gifts, don't forget to enter this week's giveaway.)

Thank you for sharing, Melissa!

Hi friends,

It's another grey and dreary day here in Toronto. All I want to do is go home and sit on the couch with a hot cup of tea and a pile of craft books to while away the time until the hot, sunny weather reappears.

Lucky for me, I have a pile of craft books waiting for me at home. I've had a good run of great finds recently, at writing this blog gives me just the excuse I need to pick them up and bring them home. Here are the books at the top of my reading list these days.

Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitter's Almanac - This is an oldie-but-goodie, a book I'd heard about for years but never actually laid eyes on. Until this weekend, that is, when I found a copy at one of the stops on the TTC Knitalong. It's got a year's worth of projects and a hearty helping of down-to-earth advice for knitters...and more than a little bit of sass. I'd like to have met Elizabeth Zimmerman; this book tells me that much for sure.

Linen, Wool, Cotton by Akiko Mano - A long-time favourite for people with the wits to puzzle out instructions and diagrams in Japanese, this was just recently released in an English translation and I snapped one up as soon as I found it. I haven't tried to make any of the projects yet, but I've spent a good long time studying the photos and the instructions, and you can bet your sweet bippy that I've already got a wishlist on the go. I'll start with the cute fabric lunch bag and the long linen apron, and take it from there. The tea towels and embroidered pillow cases look cute, too.

Last Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson - I picked this up two weeks ago when I was on the hunt for something to knit during the knitalong. I'd looked for this on and off for sometime, but could never find a copy at my local big box book emporium. (Here's the thing: small, independently owned yarn (or fabric) stores are a great resource for crafting books. Box stores might have a wide variety, but you never know what you're going to get. At your local yarn store, chances are they've got the book you're looking for, have read it, and have tried a project from it, so they can tell you if it's worth the money. You won't get service like that elsewhere.) Anyway, this one's worth the money - and I've got an inch of baby sweater to prove it!

Lost Crafts by Una McGovern - This is less of a hands-on book than the first three, but no less interesting. Author McGovern covers 100 handcrafts, including guddling for trout, caning chairs, making thatched roofs, whittling, tatting, and many, many others. The instructions are basic but they get the job done; if you're interested enough to want more information, she points you in the right direction. There's a lot more to crafting than needlework and glitter-and-glue.

What are you reading these days?

Hello, crafters!

I hope you all enjoyed the long weekend and got to spend a little time outside, maybe watching some fireworks or working in the garden. I went on a little fabric shopping spree (thank you very much, Canada Revenue Agency) and came home with 6 metres of Kona cotton and 31 fat quarters. Just look at that teetering stack of fabric!

Yes, I finally started the Single Girl quilt by Denyse Schmidt (the title is derived from the design, a play on the traditional Double Wedding Ring pattern). Did you manage to fit any crafting in?

Now, on to the important business of the day. The winner of last week's giveaway, the book Hooked for Life: Adventures of a Crochet Zealot by Mary Beth Temple, is...

...Lorraine, who claims to be "crochet challenged." Congratulations, Lorraine, and here's hoping that this book sets you on the right path!

For Weekly Giveaway #5, I've got a treat for the apron enthusiasts in the crowd. The Perfect Apron (35 fun and flirty designs for you to make), by Rob Merrett, is jam-packed with ideas for aprons. I think there's something in there for just about every occasion, whether you're hosting a cocktail party, having a special guest over for high tea, or having a bake-along with your favourite wee one.

(Or maybe you're looking for something new to make before the next Tie One On deadline? The summer theme is "Pie Makin' Apron," which reminds me of the wonderful movie Waitress. Now there's a way to spend a weekend: watching movies, making aprons and eating pie. I think I'd start with Rhubarb Sour Cream Pie. Yum!)

For your chance to win, leave a comment on this post telling me your favourite craft-inspiring movie by Friday, May 22, at 5 p.m. Do you take a second glance at your drapes every time you watch The Sound of Music? Do you go crazy for the cut-and-paste scenes in Amelie? Do you reach for your sewing basket, not the Kleenex box, when you see that Stepmom is on?  I’ll round up the answers in an upcoming inspiration post, and, as usual, I'll post a winner next Monday.

Have a great week!

Hi there,

I spent the summers between my years at university working at Fort George National Historic Site in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont. I loved getting all togged up in period clothing (reproduction, of course). I wasn't much of a seamstress back then, but I was fascinated by the different pieces of my "uniform," and I loved trying to figure out how each one was pieced together, and thinking about how long it would have taken to make a skirt or a shirt – or a corset! – in the days when everything had to be hand-sewn.

So, imagine my delight when my friend Erika (of the Friends of Fort George) emailed me a notice about an upcoming historical costuming workshop. Scheduled for Saturday, May 30, from 9 a.m. 'til noon, workshop attendees will learn all about the ins and outs of getting dressed back in 1812.

Red coats – the height of fashion! (Thanks to the Friends of Fort George for the image.)

Here's a bit more detail:

"The 'Once More Into The Breeches' costume workshop is a chance to learn about the clothing worn by Niagara townsfolk in the early nineteenth century. The 1812 Bicentennial’s Committee has organized this event...as part of the preparation plans for the celebration of 200 years of peace between Canada and the United States.

Sheridan Alder will describe women’s clothing, how it was made and where it was worn, while Peter Twist will cover men’s clothing.

In the expectation that many residents will wish to take part in the celebrations, information will also be given on pattern sources and available seamstresses and tailors for the craft-minded and the craft-challenged. A fashion show of costumes will help you choose a suitable outfit.

Refreshments will be offered by the Friends of Fort George. Everybody is welcome. Free admission. Please register with Leah Wallace at (905) 468- 3266 and don’t forget to visit the 1812 Bicentennial’s website."

The Fife & Drum Corps: snazzy dressers. (Thanks to the Friends of Fort George for the image.)

It's sure to be a fascinating morning. And while you're learning about clothes, why not send the rest of your family up to check out the goings-on at Fort George ? (Just make sure that you rejoin them in time to check out the gift shop!)

Have a great day!

• Is there a craft-related seminar/workshop/conference coming up in your area that you'd like to see on Make+Do? Please, drop me a line with the details!
• Don't forget about this week's giveaway: Hooked for Life: Adventures of a Crochet Zealot by Mary Beth Temple. Leave a comment on Monday's post for your chance to win.