Hello, Friends!

Summer is really whizzing by, isn't it? We took a fun weekend trip to Mackinaw Island with my parents in June and we have another road trip planned for the end of the summer (California to Seattle!!!). Our summer has been full of camping, swimming, kayaking, and biking. This weekend we cleaned out our garage and had a picnic at the lake with some friends. It's been a pretty nice balance of travel versus chilling at home, and, for me at least, embracing the chaos that summertime with three kiddos and a business brings.

Here at MBR labs, we've been working on updating some of our older patterns and developing a new pattern (well...sort of new; we're working on expanding Emerald into a full women's pattern to release later this year in the shop. Currently Emerald is available as a dress in Making Magazine). The goal is to get all of these patterns to fit more sizes and shapes, and I'm excited to get these updates out into the world.

I made myself the Seabright Swimmer by Friday Pattern Company (you can see finished pics here!). Already have plans for a second one out of this fun orange print from Joy&Ink. 

Love these cute Justine Gilbuena enamel pins (sewing machine one is a fave). 

This is even funnier now that I no longer have an infant: Three-month-old's guide to sleep training your parents 

And a thought-provoking cartoon from artist Damian Alexander on raising boys to admire female role models: "Not allowing boys to look up to and aspire to be like women leads them to believe that women are unworthy of admiration." 

Interested in a weekend sewing retreat this fall? I'll be teaching at Camp Luna Wolf September 13-15th. It's going to be a fun garment sewing intensive for beginner to intermediate sewists, and Michigan is gorgeous in September!