Two weeks of rains over the holiday followed by two weeks of warm daytime sun has the garden bursting with fragrant delights. Lemons, jasmine, and Chinese perfume tree are all in bloom. Plus a few cosmos they’ve held over from autumn. #BloomScrolling #flowers

It took 2 years to work out a scalable production model for elfkin that won’t leave me unpicking buttonholes in hell for all eternity. And this Planet Money episode about the garment industry in my home town explains why. www.npr.org/2025/07/11/1...

It’s a little too rinkydink to be a thing I would want to use on the regular, but this gridded cardboard mat that I picked up at Mood yesterday did make keeping this silk on the square much easier. #sewing #fashion #ElfkinCouture

I just finished my re-read of Margaret Atwood’s MaddAddam trilogy and am now casting my version of the movies in my head. Joe Manganiello is definitely playing Zeb, Rita Moreno is Pilar, and Aubrey Plaza is Toby. I could also see Hunter Doohan as either Crake or Adam. #books

And now for double extra fun, I'm finishing up the year end bookkeeping. Just need to reconcile November and December against account statements. See also: so many parts of running a small biz are sooooo unsexy.

Went to Mood this afternoon for Jeff's shirting (a super summery cotton voile) and some stretch denim options for matching jeans. #sewing #fashion #ElfkinCollection

Though the situation looks increasingly dire, the people of Iran are giving me hope this morning. May we all be reminded of the power of protest.

After several sessions of unpicking and draping, I think I've found the root cause of the problem with Lisa's #NeoVictorianBlouse. I need to test but believe that the back left panel is on the wonk. It follows center back for longer than it should and must be twisting that shoulder with it. #sewing

I was gonna post this as a thread but it got unwieldy. Guess I'm writing blog posts again? So if you're wondering what goes on at elfkin between the (increasingly scarce) social media posts, click on through! www.elfk.in/blog/once-mo...

I’m closing out the #sewing day with Nick’s trousers. Pocketing is all cut, and now I’m going to test the wool that I’m using to see how it responds to the fancy iron work that comes next. #ElfkinCouture

Next up in the queue: a fresh muslin of Jeff’s shirt along with some button options for the final version. #sewing #fashion #ElfkinCollection

I’ve been terrible about posting since I started with a new approach to working through orders last week (more on this later). But I’m still here, queer, and #sewing away in the elfkin workroom. First up today: alterations to Matt’s jeans. #ElfkinCollection

If you’re having a rough re-entry into the daily grind this Monday, Pugsley would like you to know that he’s willing to share his sunbeam if you wish to escape. But you’ll need to bring your own shoe to lounge on. #cats

I read through the first half of "The Palmer/Pletsch Complete Guide to Fitting" this afternoon. Holy shitballs! Borderline heretical but clearly genius. If I can get the hang of it, I'd be able to develop customers' slopers at warp speed. And with much less wasted muslin. Color me excited! #sewing

My birthday gift to myself just arrived. I’ve been wanting to try the Palmer/Pletsch tissue fitting method for years as it has the potential to greatly speed up custom pattern development for elfkin’s couture customers. And I finally feel like I have the head space for new techniques. #sewing

I made a mint (via a generous amount of crème de menthe) chocolate chiffon pie for a potluck tonight. #baking

Pugsley is enjoying his late morning sunbeam. #caturday #cats

Just had my first two dental implant crowns installed. Feels weird to have opposing molars again after almost six months of holes and mismatched gaps in my mouth. But I’m super excited to like, chew food again!

I was too clever for my own good thinking that I had correctly accounted for the stretch in the denim I used for Matt’s jeans in the (untested) pattern adaptation used for his jeans. They’ll have to be taken in a bit before he’ll be able to wear them. <womp womp>

A fresh muslin of Jeff’s tailored jeans is done to test changes made to yoke and back pockets. And of course to show options for this sea turtle illustration (which will ultimately be topstitched). P.S. I used the pen plotter on my Cricut. #sewing #ElfkinCollection

I’m testing out some options for adding a bit of sea turtle embellishment to Jeff’s tailored jeans. Will use these on the muslin I’m stitching up today. #sewing #ElfkinCollection

Apropos of my previous post, we went to Disney Hall for a Chanticleer concert last night. Including hubby and myself, I counted exactly seven attendees wearing masks. Staff, on the other hand, were almost all masked up which tells me that they know that venue is a giant cootie catcher.

Among the “how to stay healthy” tips that accompany the breathless reporting over the early crest/unexpected mutation of this winter’s influenza wave, I cannot help but notice that “wear an N95 mask” is never mentioned. We truly are the dumbest fucking species on earth.

Rounding out today’s #sewing workroom fungenda: some pretty significant alterations to the chest/bicep line on Matt’s bodice sloper. #ElfkinCouture

Matt's tailored bell bottom jeans shipped this morning, the wool suiting for Nick's next look is out for steam pressing, and Lisa's blouse has yet to return for adjustments. What's a boy to do in the meantime? Alter the muslin of Jeff's #SummerBrunchShirt, of course! #sewing

Everyone, meet Headless Eleni, the adjustable dressform for gals sized US16-20. I got her to initially help fix the shoulder wonk on Lisa’s #NeoVictorianBlouse. Hopefully Eleni is up to it as Lisa has already placed another order and is heading to Paris next month for fabric. #sewing #ElfkinCouture

Lisa got her #NeoVictorianBlouse in the mail yesterday, and the shoulders are draping oddly. So it’s on its way back for adjustment. Lisa’s very understanding, making it easier for me not to beat myself up over it. At least it’s fixable, and the only thing lost is my pride. #sewing #ElfkinCouture

The waistband on Matt’s bell bottoms, including suspenders buttons, is pressed and basted into place. As are the hems. All that’s left is some topstitching, belt loops, and a front button. #sewing #ElfkinCollection

As I wrap up Matt’s bell bottoms, I want to share a key detail that makes elfkin jeans so comfy. It’s this tailored waistband. Curved to match your shape, split into 4 pieces for easy alteration, lined for less bulk, and stabilized with grosgrain, they are de-fucking-luxe. #sewing #ElfkinCollection

After six weeks of finicky hand #sewing unforgiving fabrics for Lisa’s order, I cannot tell you how happy I am to work on some uncomplicated, machine sew-able denim for Matt’s tailored bell bottoms. #ElfkinCollection

Praise the gods, Lisa’s #NeoVictorianBlouse is done! Try to imagine it on a woman with a Betty Page level hourglass figure. My favorite detail is the selvage edge hem. #sewing #fashion #art #ElfkinCouture

At long last, I’m in the final throes of completing Lisa’s #NeoVictorianBlouse. This double sided silk velvet ribbon makes a decent button loop, no? Now for a battery of hand slip, ladder, and ditch stitches to close the collar. #sewing #ElfkinCouture

After I got #sewing assistant Kane going with his sloper revisions today, I was able to finish more of the zip/center back seam assembly on Lisa’s #NeoVictorianBlouse.

If all you know of “The Peripheral” is the absurdly violent screen adaptation, may I recommend the original novel? This is my third reading. Still so good! #books

What’s involved in a fancy couture invisible zip? Here’s where I am in the process… the zip’s tape has been attached to the allowances with a running stitch. And I’ve just hand overcast the edge of the zip that won’t be later covered in grosgrain to its allowance. #sewing

With the collar basted on and the gathers approximately distributed, I was able to confirm that Lisa’s #NeoVictorianBlouse blouse is not the suck. Now to undo all of this basting and properly finish up the zip/center back assembly. Related: I need a femme dressform! #sewing #ElfkinCouture

I’ve worked on well more than my fair share of fussy silks, but this chiffon for Lisa’s #NeoVictorianBlouse takes the cake. The back zip still looked wonky, so I took it out yesterday and reset with the blouse draped on a mannequin to be sure the hang was right.

I feel no end of cognitive dissonance over the much-hyped inclusive/“I feel so seen” vibe of the stage/screen adaptations of “Wicked.” Y’all, Fiyero is Black and covered in tattoos in the book. 1/2

For some people, the point of argument or debate is to come to a deeper understanding. For others, the point is to win. And I cannot help but observe that those who are in it to win it lead pretty constricted lives. Doubly so those who also like to pick fights with strangers on the internet.

I dunno, buddy, maybe if it didn't encourage young folks to kill themselves, or drink all the potable water, or pollute the Infoverse with fallacies, or add glue to recipes, or be that guy who lies rather than admits a mistake, or, and this is important, buddy, or IF WE WERE GIVEN A FUCKING CHOICE!

The muslins of Jeff’s shirt and jeans are ready for fitting. Yes indeed, I do just draw on details like pockets at this stage as all I need to do is confirm placement and scale. #sewing #ElfkinCouture

To all my fellow cis gays… it’s a good day to reach out to your IRL trans friends to tell them that you love and support them. Don’t have any IRL trans friends? Find a local TDOR event to attend to show your support. The Ts in #lgbtq have fought for us since the start. We LGBs owe them the same.

I had highfalutin ideas about how to insert the elastic, without disturbing the French seam that encloses its side, into the cut-on sleeve cuff of Lisa’s #NeoVictorianBlouse. Nope. Will have to do it the usual way. Tomorrow. If I have to unpick one more stitch on this silk chiffon today, 🤯. #sewing

Does anyone else get “Rockefeller making a big show of buying a bunch of oil stocks to try to calm the market before the big crash of 1929” vibes from Warren Buffett this week?

Today’s unanticipated #sewing side quest is the replacement of the right princess panel on Lisa’s #NeoVictorianBlouse. I realized too late that its squiggles run opposite all of the other panels. Now I get to unpick all ~750 stitches in the 2 attaching French seams. Fun. #ElfkinCouture

Back at the #sewing machines to finish the pockets on Matt’s jeans. Details of note: - I bonded the back pockets of this stretchy denim with silk organza to stabilize them with pleasing results - front pocket bags are oriented so that wearer always sees the nice side

For all my fellow environmentally conscious #sewing nerds… did you know that in the U.S., you can take your clean fabric scraps to Goodwill for recycling? Cuz not every scrap is worth keeping. And it’s comforting to know that those scraps can still have a useful life and not end up as landfill.

With my denim topstitching machine back in service, I also cracked on with Matt’s bell bottom jeans today. Now that my 3 main #sewing machines are in their own tables, I’m able to work two garments at the same time without ever having to change threads, tensions, etc. It’s utterly dreamy.

The bodice and sleeves of Lisa’s #NeoVictorianBlouse approach doneness. The zipper that she brought me with the fabric is way too visible through this whisper thin silk chiffon. Gonna need to find a better match. #sewing #ElfkinCouture

And with the dinner gong about to sound, all of the pattern pieces for Jeff’s jeans and shirt are adapted and cut. Sewing assistant Kane will enjoy #sewing up muslins for these while I pick away at Lisa’s blouse and Matt’s jeans. So multi. Very task.