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pippishirley.bsky.social
@pippishirley.bsky.social
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pippishirley.bsky.social
I have decided to stay in my new Fran pj’s the whole long weekend. Prior to 2020, pj days were rare and cherished. The kids and I had no where we had to be - the whole day could be for leisure. I’m recapturing that ease this Labour Day weekend venturing out only onto my sunny balcony with a book.
I sewed up these pj’s in a medium. No alterations. The delightful cotton check is from @_christinae and her destash. 🤍🖤🩶 #sewing #garmentsewing #longweekendstyle #closetcorepatterns [Image: a red haired female presenting person is sitting cross-legged on a brown leather sofa. She is wearing black and white checked pyjamas that are long and oversized. Her comfort level has rarely been higher. End]
August 31, 2025 at 4:14 PM
pippishirley.bsky.social
Next up in my summer sewing: my souvenir fabric from Toronto is now a t-shirt! I bought a metre of this cute striped rib knit from @kingtextiles when Dan & I were in Toronto last month. I had some scraps of black jersey on hand, so now this comfy @truebias #rioringertshirt is done!

#garmentsewing
[Image: a female-presenting person with long hair and bangs is wearing a striped t-shirt with blue, orange, red, white, and black narrow stripes. She is very relaxed. End]
August 9, 2025 at 3:30 PM
pippishirley.bsky.social
So…sweaty…out! I barely made it to the market in our heatwave, but at least I looked awesome. I overbought this linen for Dan’s birthday shirt on purpose, thinking to make him matching shorts. He politely declined, so I sewed this set for myself. Details in alt text. #garmentsewing
#sewing
This #rosieshirt from @bellalovespatterns uses very little fabric for the result, and I had exactly 4 paper buttons from @corefabrics left to polish it with. The shorts are another pair of #saguarosetpants from @fridaypatterncompany which is another fabric-efficient pattern. Now, to get an ice pack… @darrellthomas_textiles #sewing #scrapbuster [Image: a very sweaty red haired person is standing in front of a cluttered storage unit wearing a blue-hued palm tree printed button up short sleeve shirt and elastic waist shorts. End]
July 13, 2025 at 2:54 PM
pippishirley.bsky.social
OF COURSE, I finish a fabulous cabana shirt in time for the heat wave to end and rain and flood warnings to enter my phone notifications. Le sigh. Sewing info in the alt text. 🏝️🏖️🌊 🌺 #garmentsewing #sewing
This shirt was started at the @ottawagarmentguild Sew-In last weekend, and only required buttonholes and buttons (and a wonky pocket placement correction) when I left at 4:30. This gorgeous viscose deadstock from @blackbirdfabrics really fought me, I gotta say. (Re: previously mentioned wonky pocket.) This float, slippery, soft beauty wanted to be an unstructured, blousy piece. I forced it into a 1950’s vintage pattern camp shirt. I’m not sorry. This pattern is from @sewfab.sewretro and this is the size small. I have dubbed her: “Rick’s Barfly”. 🌺🏝️ #sewing #sewingmyclothes #vintagestylenotvintagevalues [Image: a red haired woman is standing in from of a cluttered bookcase with her arms akimbo and a wry expression. She is wearing an orange tropical floral print shirt that is very much at home on a TV show opening scene in a beachfront Maui bar owned by a guy whose friend has a very weird life. End]
June 27, 2025 at 7:49 PM
pippishirley.bsky.social
I finished my latest two-at-a-time toe-up socks in a gorgeous colourway of deep-stash mystery sock yarn. Too hot to wear socks today, but they look like glowing embers in a campfire, so I will bring them to the woods!🏕️
#justknitting
Image: A pair of feet are seen wearing knitted socks that fit up the pale Caucasian calf of the knitter. The socks are a plain knit, but in a glorious orange, yellow, and red blend that resembles glowing embers in a fire. The kind that are perfect for marshmallow roasting.
June 22, 2025 at 10:55 PM
pippishirley.bsky.social
This drives me nuts!! I can’t share this @jollygoodginger.bsky.social reel or comment on it or even ‘like’ it on IG. Is this shadow-banning??! Arghhhh!!!!!!! #fightfascism #nokings
A screenshot of a white male activist with a full beard and black shirt is gathered with other US Military veterans to protest fascism at the US Supreme Court.
June 13, 2025 at 11:31 PM
pippishirley.bsky.social
This handsome guy!!!! Dan just had his birthday and we celebrated with friends and family back in Ottawa, and now in BC. I love him so much. 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

His birthday shirt sewing info is in the alt text. 😃👍🏻 #sewing #garmentsewing
Dan’s birthday shirt this year is made from a stunning linen we got at @darrellthomas_textiles 💙 It is Dan’s favourite shirt pattern: the @threadtheorydesigns Fairfield Shirt in XL with belly adjustment. The buttons are from @ecoequitable 🩶 [Image: a dashingly handsome silver fox of a man is seated and leaning forward in a rather boring Best Western Hotel lobby. The uninspired decor only serves to highlight the man’s gorgeous face and tousled hair. This lovely man is wearing a long sleeved shirt printed with navy blue palm trees. His sleeves are rolled up in a jaunty manner. His comfortable brown pants and grey slip on shoes add to his relaxed demeanour. He’s not smiling much, but only because if he did, it would dazzle all around him so thoroughly, an accident may occur. He cares too much for others safety to risk this. He’s a hero. End]
June 3, 2025 at 3:04 PM
pippishirley.bsky.social
Fleetwood Sweater from Tanis Fibre Arts complete! Main cream yarn is Blue Sky Fiber’s Extra Aran bought at Fabrications Ottawa and the granny square panel is in Crazy About Yarn’s Amun-Ra. I am ready for another tumultuously climated Ottawa March. 🌦️🌬️☔️#knitting #buylocal #ottawabusiness #ottawa
A very delighted red haired female presenting person is leaning towards the camera to better show off the cute and cuddly sweater she has knit AND crocheted. The sweater is long sleeved and in mostly cream coloured yarn, with some muted 70’s appliance colours featured in the crocheted granny square from panel. So comfy!!
March 15, 2025 at 1:38 PM
pippishirley.bsky.social
Spring! Not quite, of course, due to geography, but the hope is there! Daylight Savings Time, my original and forever nemesis, starts today. Ottawa’s Fake Spring is likely this week, and next week is the Vernal Equinox. So Spring Sewing is ON!!! 🍃🌷 Pattern info in alt text. #garmentsewing #ottawa
This light jacket is Simplicity 5588 (published 1973 - pictured on last slide) short sleeve with self drafted belt. The fabric is a super cute ditsy floral from @ecoequitable that I fell in love with while seeking something completely different. Big thanks to Gail (Gayle? Gale??) the volunteer on duty who helped me with figuring out the required meterage. The other two pieces sewn from this fabric are coming soon!! 🤭 The buttons are also from @ecoequitable #sewing #vintagestylenotvintagevalues #70’sSticomMomHair #garmentsewing Image: a smiling red haired female presenting person is standing in front of a cluttered wall unit with her arms akimbo. She is wearing a light green floral jacket with short sleeves, four pockets, and a fabric belt tied in a bow. She is ready for Spring!
March 9, 2025 at 3:08 PM
pippishirley.bsky.social
One of the yarn chicken danger zones I fear the most are sleeves. They ALWAYS take more yarn than I think. Due to a size-up, I have resorted to dividing my remaining yarn into two balls of approx 137m each. This is a magical number in Sweet Valley High so I am sure to be blessed. #TFAFleetwood
A partially completed sweater in mostly cream coloured alpaca is laying on a yellow waffle cotton-clad lap. A circular knitting needle is in play for a sleeve, with the yarn ball looking woefully small for the task. The knitter (whose lap it is and whose sweater it will be) is hopeful. Perhaps delusionally so. The sweater pattern is from Tanis Fibre Arts and the pattern is called Fleetwood. It is made using yarn from Blue Sky Fibre (cream alpaca/merino) and Crazy About Yarn Amun-Ra mini set for the crocheted front panel.
March 2, 2025 at 5:53 PM
pippishirley.bsky.social
Another blouse for my work wardrobe! Fabric is deadstock from Blackbird Fabrics. It’s a soft and drapey viscose blend. The pattern is called the Naomi Blouse, but its designer is out of business now. 😢 #sewing #handsewnwardrobe #sewingastherapy
A red haired, female presenting person is standing in front of a shelving unit and sewing supplies. One arm is laying at her side and the other is resting on her hip. Her pants are black and her blouse is a black, pink, and burgundy geometric print in a large, abstract scale. She is smiling as the blouse is very comfortable.
February 23, 2025 at 3:49 PM
pippishirley.bsky.social
Hair is clearly all about Jocelyn Schitt, shirt is absolutely all Helen Roper, and makeup is all Cheekbone Beauty with earrings by Warren Steven Scott. ❤️🧡🩷💚 Sewing Project info in Alt Text. #sewing #handmadewardrobe #buysecondhand #vintagestylenotvintagevalues
A red haired, female presenting person is standing at an angle to the camera, smiling broadly and relaxed with one hand in her pocket and the other….just hanging there. Her short sleeve blouse is colourful, with pink, yellow, and green flowers that are very evocative of the 60’s/70’s. The fabric is polyester from Our Social Fabric, a Canadian reseller of discarded fabrics. The pattern is a 1974 Simplicity vintage pattern. Bought from the glorious Almonte Fibre Festival. The buttons are from Eco Equitable, a social justice enterprise that sells donated fabrics and notions (like Our Social Fabric but local to the redhead). The whole project cost less than $10 CDN in materials. Shop thrift!!!!!!!
February 20, 2025 at 11:14 PM
pippishirley.bsky.social
Dreaming of being on a beach. Handmades from patterns by Wardrobe By Me, True Bias, and Friday Pattern Company.
A red haired person is wearing a matching shorts and shirt set in a tropical pink, orange, and navy print.
February 3, 2025 at 3:34 AM