Category: wildbelletember

#wildbelletember Here are two of my absolute favorite sewing tools… 1. Clover awl made in Japan. It has tiny ROUNDED tip which allows me to rip stitches with no risk to damaging the cloth with pulls. Great for making temporary holes for darts and plackets with no sharp point to break threads. 2. My Kai 7170 scissors, just the right size, nice point on end, great for grading seams, snipping threads, and all things cutting. I used two keep 2 pairs on hand while sewing, a large and a small pair but this pair does it all during sewing.

My favorite sewist on Instagram is @fabric_scraps. She is Canadian, so we share similar measurements, and climates. She sews an amazing variety of garments. She really inspires me to push myself. #wildbelletember

#wildbelletember When I retired I felt as if I was casting off from shore. Leaving the security I had known as an engineer for some unknown adventures. Hence my name Jo casting off.
My beautiful daughter needed a prom dress that I spent months making to fit her lovely curves. Afterwards it dawned on me I could do the same for myself. It took some time to get to a point I was happy to wear my makes and today, 10 years later I live in an almost entirely me-made wardrobe. It is an essential part of living my best life.