I hardly know anyone who doesn’t look forward to “sweater weather” after a hot, humid summer, and cozy weekend wear is just the thing to get me excited about a new season. This fall, my sewing plans took their inspiration from hygge. Hygge is the Danish and Norwegian word for―you guessed it―cozy, but it’s more than that.

Who doesn’t love the timeless style of the traditional Breton-inspired shirt? Introduced initially as the uniform for navy seamen in northern France in 1858, the style has been copied and transformed throughout the years.

I think I’m something of an anomaly among sewing enthusiasts. I don’t believe in hoarding fabric. I have no fabric stash. I can’t stand the idea of all that beautiful fabric just sitting around waiting for me to turn it into something wearable.

Is it spring yet? Every year, we welcome autumn, with its promise of cozy sweaters and fireplaces, but by the time March rolls around, all we can do is dream of warmer weather.

Fashion trends come and go, but style is forever, at least according to Yves St. Laurent, who, in 1975, said, “Fashions fade, style is eternal.” But if you are a follower of fashion, you’ll know that the great Coco Chanel expressed the same opinion years earlier when she famously said, “Fashion changes―style remains.” There are some “trends” that never leave us, which is what puts them in the style category. One of those is stripes.

I’m usually a standard-bearer for slow sewing. I love those long projects like little French Jackets with hand-inserted linings and all that hem-line chain. I also love the process of making tailored shirts that I can work on over a period of weeks.

What comes immediately to your mind when someone says “little black dress”? Do you think classic style? Maybe Audrey Hepburn? Or maybe you think fun and funky?