This week has been… challenging infuriating isolating and it has also been reassuring at times to find hope and strength among friends and in the sewing community. I needed some self care time this weekend and turned to a number of creative projects. I started work on the Sierra halter bra pattern, by Madalynne. I bought … More Weekend
Chris Perkins isn’t the only one who gets to wear a gorgeous gold dragon! The scarf below was a Christmas gift from my mother-in-law. It is a hand-painted silk scarf that she commissioned from a local PNW artist, Sage Hen Designs. The dragon’s wingspan stretches across the scarf and wraps around me when I wear … More A gold dragon for myself
How do you break out of the winter blahs or Seasonal Affective Disorder?
… More Winter Blahs
When someone asks if you could transform Chris Perkins into a Gold Dragon, you say “Yes!” Embracing the Asian (mainly Chinese) inspiration for the Gold Dragons’ appearance and behavior, I drew on my personal Chinese heritage and designed a costume reminiscent of traditional Han Dynasty-era robes (the hanfu). The long full sleeves are shaped to resemble … More Gold Dragon for PAX West 2016
A cardigan for weekends and workdays. … More Oslo [Cardigan] For the Weekend
I started work on this Leliana costume in the summer of 2014, shortly before Dragon Age Inquisition was released. At the time she was the most complex costume that I tackled. Through this costume and the Dragon Age fan community I have met a number of wonderful people. After two years of great convention experiences, I … More Leliana, Spymaster of the Inquisition (Dragon Age Cosplay Gallery)
Thank you bodacious readers for continuing with me on this journey. We have finished another year. I don’t know about you, but half of my brain pictures the year as a big rectangle and tonight at midnight we take the long journey from the lower right corner to the upper left. The other half of my … More Top 5 Goals for 2017
This is going to be the longest of the 2016 #SewingTop5 posts. When I reflect, it is like holding two mirrors up to each other — the thoughts bounce back and forth to infinity. 1. A Year Without [new] Cosplay To break the cycle of stress and and creative constipation, I resolved to not make … More Top 5 Sewing Reflections of 2016
My love of creating is back. 2016 marked an intentional shift in how I approached my sewing and knitting queue, namely prioritizing everyday apparel over my costumes. I felt exuberance, joy, and peace of mind with fabric and thread in hand. I finished four knitted projects this year and I sewed eight garments. Here are my Top … More Top 5 Hits of 2016
Here are a couple snippets of my life outside sewing in 2016 1. We got a puppy!! This is Finn. You can expect to see lots of this cutie on Instagram. 2. I took a new job. Three years at the museum taught me so much. It was time for me to make a … More Top 5 Non-Sewing Highlights
The Fabric Alchemist 