Neuroscientist + Curious Mind + Passionate Maker
This project began in the summer of 2023, and by January 2024, the first draft of this manual was complete. However, as life often does, unexpected challenges delayed its progress. Over the past year, I’ve steadily refined and improved the draft, and now it feels ready to share with the world. One of my original... Continue Reading →
This was probably the most difficult and mysterious part of the pack construction for me. I didn't get it perfect, so hopefully you can learn a few lessons from me. Regardless if you are doing an internal, external, or frame stays, the purpose is to add rigidity to the pack. But why is rigidity helpful?... Continue Reading →
This is going to be an exceptionally short post for me. I only want to put this on my blog so I don't forget what pattern and size I use for my workout headbands. Every time I make workout clothes (here, here, and here), I inevitably end up with leftover fabric. I feel bad tossing it, so years ago... Continue Reading →
Years ago, I remember seeing someone on Instagram complaining about the fit of the LearnMYOG Do It All Shorts (DIAS), particularly the fit around the butt. Today, I'm breaking down my experience with the pattern to help you address and troubleshoot those exact fit issues. A quick note on pattern sizing: If you find this pattern's sizing as massively limiting as I did, I highly recommend checking out the Sierra Short from Road... Continue Reading →
There’s a lot to consider when making your own backpack shoulder straps, and hopefully, this post will demystify the process. For simplicity, I’m going to focus strictly on strap construction for larger, multi-day packs rather than trying to cover the full gamut of bags like daypacks or running vests. As a quick refresher from my... Continue Reading →
Last year I was watching a sewing guild live event on YouTube, and the Glide No Front and No Side Seam Leggings pattern by Sinclair came up in the discussion. At the time, the moderator was adamant that there was no way a home sewist could make leggings with just a center back seam. However,... Continue Reading →
I know of only two pattern companies out there with designs for a 40L or larger technical pack: Stitchback Gear and Prickly Gorse Gear. For my backpack project, I selected the Stitchback Gear Metamorph Pack. I chose this specific design because it offers both straight and curved waistband options, features a fully removable and interchangeable... Continue Reading →
I can’t remember exactly when I made my first jersey knit shorts using the Peppermint Magazine Spring Shorts pattern, but it was definitely pre-pandemic! I wanted to clear out some extra jersey knit from Pico Textiles in my fabric stash. I decided to try the pattern to see how it worked in a knit fabric,... Continue Reading →
Disclaimer: This post will most likely be updated a number of times over the next few months as I remember items I've left off. This is going to be a pretty boring post, only because I'm going to just run through all my materials and supplies plus give you resources on how to prototype a... Continue Reading →
"The secret of getting started is breaking your complex, overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one." - Author Unknown I knew making a larger backpack was going to involve taking the principles I learned from my first pack (here, here, and here) and the concepts from the lumbar pack... Continue Reading →
In May of 2024, I completed a whole series on how to fit a shirt. I broke the process into manageable steps starting with the shoulders and slowly working down to the hem, section by section. At the time, I tried this new fitting approach using the Elbe Textiles Sage Tee pattern. Click here to... Continue Reading →
In my last blog post, I compared the men’s and women’s Mélange sweater patterns. I am doing the same here, since I found the differences between the two versions of the Storm sweater equally intriguing. I have included figures this time, so hopefully the comparison is even easier to understand, especially for those who do... Continue Reading →
Last year I completed the Melange sweater for Ryan and I just completed the Storm sweater for myself. I never blogged about the Melange sweater, so I'm playing catch up. I made Ryan's sweater using the women's version, but after the fact I purchased the men's version, because I've been curious what makes the patterns... Continue Reading →
