“My One Yard Thing” 2022 Collection

By |2022-07-27T09:23:42-04:00July 27th, 2022|1980s Fashion, Sewing Tips and Tricks, Tracy Designs Dresses, Uncategorized|

Since the term One Yard Wonders has long been taken I’m calling my series of one yard garments My One Yard Thing! You might know that it is very, very difficult to make adult clothing out of one yard of fabric. You have to get extra creative and really love a challenge, but, it can […]

Year of Awareness, 2021 Designers Review

By |2021-12-27T06:26:53-05:00December 27th, 2021|Tracy Designs Dresses, Uncategorized|

Let’s face it, the year of less was a total joke. I adopted the mantra from a book where the author tried not shopping for one year. Her addiction to shopping changed into other addictions until she realized the secret to happiness for her was crafting, having extra time, friends, and family.

By January […]

Save the Socks, Easy Sock Darning

By |2021-02-22T06:48:00-05:00February 22nd, 2021|Sewing Tips and Tricks, Uncategorized|

This year is the year of less here at the House of McElfresh. Just a touch of minimalism can save money, help make us more mindful, and free up some time. I disclose that this isn’t our first attempt at trying this! It is always a work in progress. Each time we’ve tried “less,” we […]

Collaboration with Artist and Poet Tiffany Diaz

By |2020-10-05T06:52:04-04:00October 5th, 2020|1950s Style Fashion, Tracy Designs Dresses|

I have been following Tiffany Diaz and enjoying her art work and poetry for years now with great respect. After many times commenting that her paintings would look great as a fabric I asked her if she was interested in collaborating. I was delighted when she said yes and to pick any painting and […]

Never Underestimate the Power of Landfill Burglary

By |2020-02-17T06:38:49-05:00February 17th, 2020|Today's Fashion, Tracy Designs Dresses|

I’m honestly not sure what to call my latest line of dresses. Nothing feels quite right. They are made from materials people gave me or were being thrown out. I came up with the name landfill dresses because I believe most of the fabric would have ended up in a landfill. Picking out fabric is […]

Love What You Have

By |2020-02-03T06:39:42-05:00February 3rd, 2020|1800s Style Fashion, 1940s Style Fashion, 1970s Style Fashion|

As my awareness for the waste that is involved in fast fashion grows I have to ask myself, “Do I have too much waste?” Sure, I have made all of my clothing, but do I value it? Do I love it? Do I wear everything I have made? And if not, why?

I decided to do […]

Project of the Year

By |2019-07-22T07:58:11-04:00July 22nd, 2019|1920s Style Fashion, Sewing Tips and Tricks|

Have you ever gone down the rabbit hole of looking for the perfect sized piece of furniture or wished you could just do it yourself? This has been me looking for a work sewing desk for the last three years. I wanted, at the least, 72″ long, 20″ wide and 30″ tall. These are pretty […]

Rescuing Family Heirlooms

By |2019-05-20T09:59:19-04:00May 20th, 2019|1960s Style Fashion, Table Cloth Dresses, Tracy Designs Dresses|

Once upon a time newly married couples would receive linens as gifts. Most were cherished and handled so properly that they look as if they were never even used. Today, children and grandchildren are never quite sure what to do with the family heirlooms they inherit and they will often times try to find them […]

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