truly claire

2024 Creative Goals

Ever since the pandemic hit, goal setting has been a bit unwieldy, but I’ve think I’ve finally hit a stride in system that works for me. I will share more about how I’m going about accomplishing these and other goals in a later post. Knowing how volatile the last year was for me, I’m writing…

January 12, 2024
How To Make a Hanging Plant Chandelier

This project has been in the making for literal years. I hunkered down finally finish it and I couldn’t be more pleased. Originally, I planned to use live plants and though I still have the option to, artificial is the way for me. Once I had all materials assembled, this project took about an hour…

January 9, 2024
Furniture Refresh: Reupholstering Andover by Davis Allen for Stendig Dining Chair

About 15 ish years ago I was browsing through the Out of the Closet in West Hollywood as a broke college student. Thrifting for a cause and because I needed clothes and if I was lucky something new to me for my apartment. I came across this gem of a chair for $15. I loved…

January 6, 2024
Reflections on 2023

When I think of how 2023 started and how it ended the word that comes to me louder than all others is “relieved”. This year found me in flux in so many different ways and, despite how the changes first appeared, all ended up being for the absolute very best. This was the year that…

December 29, 2023
Sewing Pattern Review: Vogue V9311

An honest review of Vogue Patterns V9311 Maxi Slip On Dress

December 22, 2023
Stitching The Stash: Dark Hawaiian Floral Print

Part of my Stitching the Stash Fabric Stash Challenge: Round I, this dress was made using Vogue V9311 and a beautiful Hawaiian print rayon challis from Hawaii Fabric Mart.

December 22, 2023
Stitching The Stash: Red Ankara Print

Part of my Stitching the Stash Fabric Stash Challenge: Round I , these are the garments I made from the beautiful red, black, and white geopmetric Ankara wax print fabric I picked up from Zesty Couture about a year ago. A skirt adapted from McCalls M8051, View B and a self drafted top.

December 17, 2023
Little Notes: Permission to Fail

This post is more for me than it is for anyone else, but I know I’m not the only one who could use the reminder that, if not life or death, failure is fine and progress is rarely linear. Sometimes, often times, I have to remind myself that not everything I do needs to be…

December 9, 2023
Sketchbook: Color Practice

My sketchbooks are devoid of color usually because I run out of steam or I don’t want to “ruin” a sketch I like, but I found in this practice I was really enjoying the process. It didn’t have to be perfect and I was looking forward to making mistakes. Or in the words of the…

November 25, 2023
I Wanted Black Walls and Now I Have Them

Using a starch medium, fabric is adhered to the walls and can be removed by saturating the fabric with water and peeling the fabric off. The fabric can then be laundered and reused. Typically, people use this technique to take advantage of the wide variety of prints available in fabrics, its relatively low cost as…

November 18, 2023