In this increasingly dark world, taking care of this kiddo has brought so much love, joy and light into my life and I could not be more grateful. Fitting that their name means light as they shine so very bright.

I haven’t been doing much sewing at all recently but this occasion finally sparked my creative fire and I made them a matching dress and shorts set.

As usual, I bought a basic pattern from Etsy and then altered it quite a bit to create what I actually wanted to make. just a simple tank dress with a flared skirt with matching shorts.

Thanks for everything little one. I can’t wait to see what you do next 💚TT

I have been a nanny for the last 12+ years and had the honor of spending three entire years with my little duckling. She incredibly turned five in November and still absolutely loves yellow, so I decided to make her some yellow floral accessories. I was very inspired by my cousin‘s wedding in October and in keeping with that floral theme I glued yellow flowers to a headband and then sewed a tiny little purse that added some more flowers to as well.



Watching her grow and become the amazing little person she has turned into has been one of the greatest honors of my life. Cannot wait to see what comes next. 💛

My dear cousin Meg married her love Griffin in New Orleans this October in an epic celebration of radical queer love. The festivities began with a mango and avocado tree planting ceremony on a beautiful Saturday afternoon at their home filled with family and friends from near and far.

FOR ME FOR THE TREE PLANTING CEREMONY

I have had this brown batik fabric that reminds me of bark for a while now and when I heard about the ceremony, I knew that I had found its use. I somehow forgot to take any photos the day of but took some in my garden when I got home. I chose to accessorize the dress with the silver jewelry I have from this Turner side of my family we were partially celebrating. It ended up a little more low cut than anticipated, but considering how hot it was, it wasn’t a problem!

FOR ME FOR THE WEDDING

The theme for the wedding itself was a met gala garden party and took place at the beautiful Grow Dat Youth Farm in City Park. I was immediately inspired and could not wait to make my dream party dress. I started with a classic 50s style garden party silhouette, but of course added a twist. I added a petal detail to the skirt and then added a detachable cape inspired by a Robe A La Française. Unfortunately the magnets I attempted to use to attach the cape failed to hold through the two layers of fabric in the straps and I mostly ended up having to just carrying it over my arm. I hope to have opportunities to wear this look in the future and will be changing the magnets out for buttons. I was going for invisible, but discrete will have to do.

My favorite piece was my bag. I sewed a simple canvas purse, but completely covered three sides with artificial flowers. I crafted three floral hair combs to create a headpiece that would surround my updo. For a final touch I made floral accents for my shoes.

FOR MY BROTHER

I started all of this by making my brother a tie. I bought a tie from goodwill, cut it to length and got a bow tie kit to make a neck strap with a hook and then went to town with artificial flowers and a hot glue gun. I’m quite proud of it and would love to have a reason to make more! It was so much fun to make.

FOR MY NIECE

For my darling niece I made a flower crown and belt to match her dress. She let me do her hair and I came up with this updo with upside down French braids and two buns. She had to lay face down on the bed to get it done, but I think it was worth it! She completed the look with Doc Martins and was quite possibly the coolest person at the wedding.

A GIFT FOR THE BRIBE AND BROOM FROM THE HEART

Lastly, I could not come to such a celebration without a gift. I learned of the Korean tradition of wooden wedding ducks as a gift from my sister in law and her time there. This inspired me to create queer wedding dinosaurs for my cousin and her incredible partner. This is a radical queer relationship that inspires me SO much, so I chose a classic rainbow for my cousin Meg and the nonbinary flag for the magnificent Griffin. I hope they bring them smiles ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🩷

I wish these two a lifetime of love and happiness. You inspire me and I am honored to have been able to share these days with you.

I spent a total of 21 days in Antigua, Guatemala this summer over 2 different trips doing a Spanish language immersion program through Maximo Nivel. It has been YEARS since I’ve had an occasion to dress up for and decided that 10 days (technically 15 days but over two trips) of classes was a perfect opportunity to get my creativity going again. Because I knew it was going to be hot and humid and didn’t want to have to deal with laundry, I made myself 10 different dresses to wear! Each dress has pockets (of course!) and is loose fitting so no need for any zippers. Some are very loosely based on dress patterns from Etsy and the rest are 100% my design.

All of these fabrics are Batiks. Most of them are from JoAnn Fabrics and the rest are from Stonemountain and Daughter Fabrics in Berkeley, CA. I also found/had 4 pairs of coordinating silver hoop earrings to wear with the dresses, all of which can be found on Etsy (details below.)

If you have any interest in a dress of your own, these would all be quite simple to recreate and I would only need a few measurements to make you your dream dress! Please feel free to e-mail me at katyturner@gmail.com for more information.

OK! Here are the dresses:

DRESS #1 – This dress has inseam pockets, a princess seamed bodice and a dirndl skirt.

These earrings are from TigerFlowerJewelry on Etsy and can be found HERE.

This fabric is from JoAnn, and you can find it HERE.

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DRESS #2 – This dress is more of a patchwork style with a square neck, a high/low hem and patch pockets.

These earrings are from TigerFlowerJewelry on Etsy and can be found HERE.

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DRESS #3 – I didn’t have quite enough fabric for this one so found a complimentary solid cotton which I added a the neckline and the give details to the pockets. This has an empire waist with inseam pockets.

These earrings are from SashaBellJewelry on Etsy and can be found HERE.

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DRESS #4 – This dress is actually made from the leftover fabric I had from this project! I based this one off a dress I’ve had from Target for years. I didn’t have quite enough to finish so got more coordinating cotton and added the pannel at the hem. The skirt has 4 tires and patch pockets.

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DRESS #5 – This dress is the same design as the last one (#4) but this skirt only has 3 tiers.

These earrings are from TigerFlowerJewelry on Etsy and can be found HERE.

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DRESS #6 – This dress is similar to #3 but without the coordinating fabric and this skirt is made with panels and patch pockets.

These earrings are from TigerFlowerJewelry on Etsy and can be found HERE.

This fabric is from JoAnn and can be found HERE.

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DRESS #7 – This dress is in a trapeze style that I added fabric in the back to to add more flare to the skirt portion. It also has patch pockets.

This fabric is from JoAnn and can be found HERE.

These errings are from TigerFlowerJewelry on Etsy and can be found HERE.

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DRESS #8 – This dress has extended shoulders that give the illusion of a capped sleeve. I added fabric to the side seams to make it extra loose and flowy. It has patch pockets as well.

This fabric is from JoAnn and can be found HERE (thought its currently a last chance item so might be gone!

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DRESS #9 – The fabric from this dress was supposed to be for something to wear to my friends wedding, but that was during 2020 and the world obviously has other plans! I am not the same size I was back then and knew I would need a coordinating cotton to create an entire dress. I was thrilled to find the perfect green! Though this one feel the most like a mu-mu to me, I absolutely love it. I added inverted box pleats to the center front and back to add fullness to the skirt. This is one with inseam pockets.

These earrings are from TigerFlowerJewelry on Etsy and can be found HERE.

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DRESS #10 – This is a maxi version of dresses #4 and #5 with four tiers, a slightly different neckline and patch pockets.

These earrings are from SashaBellJewelry on Etsy and can be found HERE.

This fabric is from JoAnn and can be found HERE.

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The shoes I wore were either little slip on sneakers from Target or these incredibly comfortable sandals by Papillio for Birkenstock. Amazingly comfortable for but not the easiest to walk in on cobblestone streets! Sunglasses are from Amazon.

I love making things with my hands. I learned to sew and embroider when I was a child and though a bit resentful at the time, I am now eternally grateful for the dexterity I have. I have been wanting to find something I could do with my hands while listening to music or audiobooks or even while watching TV. I came across these incredibly adorable felt dinosaurs in my instagram feed and it turned out they were hand sewn using patterns available on Etsy from a shop called TypingWithTea.

I decided this would be my next craft and the perfect projects to work on during my downtime in Guatemala (I spent 3 weeks in Antigua this summer doing a Spanish language intensive program). Turns out I was right. I sewed 4 dinosaurs in the hammock on the rooftop terrace at my home-stay! I am obsessed. I find the process relaxing and fun and am having the time of my life creating these little creatures!

So far I’ve been making these as gifts for all the amazing kiddos in my life, but I think I’m ready to branch out and see if there might be some interest from people in purchasing any of these cute creations? I have some pre-made that are available ASAP (keep scrolling!) I am always open to requests/custom designs and colors, just know that those will take longer to get to you. I’m hoping that in time I can maybe even start to make my own patterns to create some new creatures! I will also be working on scaling the patterns up so I can make different sized creatures.

Currently I can make a t-rex/raptor, a brontosaurus or a stegosaurus. The brontosaurus; $25 or $30 for custom. Then the t-rex/raptor; $30 or $35 for custom. Last is the stegasurus; $35 or $40 for custom.

All stuffies are made with wool felt, regular sewing thread, stuffed with Poly-fil and have safety eyes (they have a back to them so they can’t come loose.

These first dinos are NOT AVAILABLE (keep scrolling for dinos for sale and custom order informaiton) These belong to kiddos close to my heart, but I would love to make you your very own!

WOULD YOU LIKE A LITTLE DINO?

These ARE for sale!

CUSTOM ORDERS: I can make any of these animals in any color combination you’d like, timing may depend on supplies I have in stock.

Currently I can make a t-rex/raptor, a brontosaurus or a stegosaurus. The brontosaurus; $25 or $30 for custom. Then the t-rex/raptor; $30 or $35 for custom. Last is the stegasurus; $35 or $40 for custom.

Please email me at katyturner@gmail.com for orders and questions!

I have to date made close to 400 masks or various kinds to mostly donate to the front lines and those most in need during this unprecedented global pandemic. I started with the Olson Mask, but ended up finding it time consuming and that it ended up getting pulled into my mouth when I started breathing. Then I found the Aplat mask pattern which is based on origami to give it a 3D shape that is much more comfortable, easy to talk in, and best, makes a true seal all around the mouth a nose when combined with a nose wire. The best part is that it is much easier to make and wastes less fabric.

I lived in New Zealand for a year during university and have been watching with a glowing heart at how they have handled this pandemic as a country. No one is out of the woods however and my friend Maree was looking to start making reusable cloth masks. I had been thinking about sharing all I’ve learned, and this was the perfect reason to put a little tutorial together.

This is my first time ever making a how-to video, so I appologize for the quality. We are also in the midst of a massive heat wave so things are a mess because its too hot to do anything properly. Hope you enjoy my technical malfuncions!

First, here are the three sizes of patterns I use. Large is for adults and anyone over 10, Medium is for children 6-10 and Small is for children 2-5. Seam allowance is not icluded in the pattern, but only needs to be added to the two longer sides. If you want to make multiple masks of the same size from the same fabric, you can sew a long tube, turn it right side out and cut them to size.

FINAL NOTES AND TIPS:

– If you are making these to donate/sell/give away, make sure to run them through the dryer for an hour on high heat to decontaminate and then place them in sealed bags while wearing a mask and either gloves or freshly washed hands.

– If you don’t have access to elastic cut up an old T-shirt into thin strips and tie behind the head.

– If you don’t have access to the aluminum nose strips I used in the video, good alternatives are pipe cleaners, metal grocery ties, gardening wire etc. just make sure to use either wire pliers or tweezers to curl the ends so that they don’t poke you in the face. 

– If you want to add a filter, you can add a third layer in the pocket before sewing, or simply place a paper towel/coffee filter/shop mat/hepa filter between your mouth and the mask.

– WASH YOUR MASKS FREQUENTLY! They get dirty every time you wear them.

Stay safe ❤

Another one of my boyfriends good friends got married and we got to go to another amazing wedding. This meant I needed to make myself a new dress of course! I found this beautiful print I like to think of as bubbles on an oil slick. There are so many different colors and layers that I could stare at it all day.

I got a lot of this fabric wanting to try something new with the skirt. Instead of wearing a petticoat, I pleated almost 5 yards of fabric in big layered box-pleats and went with a high/low hemline. I mimicked this with a high neckline in the front and wore a strapless bra so that I could make the back a big open scoop. The amount of fabric in the skirt made it full and wonderful to twirl in even without a petticoat.

The wedding was at a beautiful mansion on a private vineyard just south of San Jose, CA. It had been raining all morning, but the skies parted for a beautiful late afternoon ceremony overlooking a dramatic green landscape. There is a huge rusty sculpture of the word LOVE to the right of the ceremony space that was ideal for photos (though I could’ve done without the direct sunlight in my face!)

I forgot to take a twirling video at the wedding so I set up my tripod a few days later and created this little ditty so you can really see how the skirt moves.

I paired my dress with brown T-strap heels, a brown Pashmina and some new earrings I made with some brown glass beads. I also found some amazing press on nails at Target that gave me the fingers of my dreams. I tried to curl my hair but it was a total failure so I just threw it into a low bun and was done with it. I don’t wear make-up often anymore and was really digging this look.

Thanks love!

Looking forward to wearing this one again.

This has been one hell of a year and it felt great to have something to celebrate and have an excuse to kick my creative juices into gear again.

My boyfriend Luc used to live in London, and one of his good friends from that time in his life, got married to Leang last weekend. If you’ve looked at my designs on this site, then you can guess that if I’m invited to a wedding, the chances are quite high that I will wear a petticoat. There is no better place and they are one of my favorite things to wear (especially if I’m dancing). I already own two, but this wedding called for a third.

I found the fabric for this dress long before I knew of the wedding and was beyond thrilled to find it still in stock at Stonemountain and Daughter in Berkeley when the time came to actually make something to wear to the wedding. I love Batik fabrics and when I originally  found this pink marbled fabric I knew I wanted to make something fabulous out of it. Pink is not really my color, but this fabric just called to me. I knew I would go with my classic silhouette of a flared skirt with a fitted top but I decided to go a little longer than I have in the past.

It is classic Katy to leave the actual sewing of my designs to the last minute, and this was no exception. I had one of the worst weeks of my life right before the wedding and ended up sewing the actual pieces of my dress together after work the night before we flew to LA. It somehow always works out and I was packed and ready to go at 1am.

Finding the right shoes was not easy and I couldn’t wear them zipped all the way up, but I’m really happy with what I found. I also decided to make my own earrings. I found these perfect rose quartz drop beads and went with my favorite design. To cap off the look I did my spiral braid and had a light pink Pashmina to keep me warm during cocktail hour outside.

This wedding was the most amazing, extravagant and fun night I’ve ever experienced. In the end there were around 680 guests! It was an honor to be there and I wish Leang and Warren a lifetime of happiness!

And thank you Luc for taking all these photos and for a once in a lifetime weekend!

My wonderful boyfriend and I were invited to a wedding reception for family friends of his at their absolutely stunning house in the Berkeley hills last weekend. They had been engaged for 12 years and finally went to the courthouse to make it official at the end of last year. This was a celebration with their family and friends and I was honored to be included. 

Of course, I took this as an opportunity to make myself a new skirt. We were definitely the most dressed up people there, but that’s not a bad thing! It was a really beautiful celebration of an amazing union in one of the coolest and most unique houses I’ve ever seen. 

I ended up making a pleated circle skirt (extra full) with a wide waist band and inseam side pockets made from a cotton ginkgo leaf batik fabric. 

I didn’t end up getting any photos of the skirt the day of the party, so here are my quick attempts at work while the baby was napping!