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Cathleen O'Neal

@sewnbysneak

4.4K

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1293

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Sewing and styling a handmade wardrobe
All around fiber arts enthusiast
5’3”, 33B, 26W, 36H
(.)(.) tried to kill me, now I’m part plastic

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Possibly the most “extra” garment I have ever made; the infinity ruffle skirt pattern by @roberts.wood

This pattern has six tiers and a modular design, so you repeat the pattern pieces to achieve your size. I did a version with seven repeats, and increased the seam allowance for the top tier to bring the waist in, removing about 3.5 inches overall. I also top stitched the elastic waistband to give it more stability.

This skirt is made from scraps of an old sheet, with seersucker for the ruffles. Attaching the convex and concave sections is a bit tricky, but starts to flow once you get the hang of it. I attached the top tier pieces in two passes because I found the curves too extreme otherwise. I made this over many short sewing sessions, and it’s a nice project when you want something repetitive. I still have some scraps left, so a ruffly top to complete the set is coming soon! by @sewnbysneak

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3 months ago

Lots of new folks have followed me lately, so here’s a little introduction:

Howdy and welcome to my little crafty corner of the internet! I’m Cathleen, a garment sewist, quilter, crocheter, and all around fiber arts enthusiast. Swipe through to learn a little bit more about me. I’m so glad you’re here! by @sewnbysneak

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4 months ago

#memademaybutmakeitweird day 8: Your outfit is made with scraps, emotionally and literally. Prompt from @sewaliche

I had to wear my scrappy denim Ines dress, pattern from @just_patterns . I made it last year shortly after learning my job was eliminated due to funding cuts so it was sewed with scraps of emotional resilience as well as literal scraps from various denim projects. I’ve got a new year long gig now so all is well on the employment front for 2026.

Also, bless my delulu little heart for thinking that making this dress would bust a full grocery tote’s worth of denim scraps and remnants 😅 The quilt project was very fun and isn’t over yet! Must acquire more scraps… by @sewnbysneak

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5 months ago

Merlin the magical frog here make your wishes come true! Or at the very least, bring a smile to your face. 🐸 🪄 ✨

This little guy is made from scraps using the pattern from @woollypetals and is one the blocks from the #spookysampler26. I believe you can still get all the blocks for free until the end of the month if you sign up for the newsletter. by @sewnbysneak

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an hour ago

It’s time to put out your emotional support skeleton stuffies! Mr. Bones and Soph wish you a happy Halloween season.

Mr. Bones is sewn from a panel and backed with solid black fabric. He is stuffed with polyfil and has a wooden dowel through his spine and head to keep him upright. He glows in the dark and is Soph’s BFF during October. by @sewnbysneak

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2 days ago

Here’s my finished cow print Jessie scarf, pattern from @svartsvanur for Finished Object Friday!

This is my first intarsia knitting project and I think it turned out pretty well! I used two strands of fingering weight alpaca yarn held together for this. I still need to make the bandana loop piece (attempts were made, the magic loop technique is tricky lol), but I’m really excited to incorporate this piece into my cowboy drag wardrobe once the weather cools!

#jessiescarf #finishedobject #finishedobjectfriday by @sewnbysneak

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3 days ago

Definitely recommend making your own travel gear because how else are you going to get a giant tote bag covered in cats with tons of pockets? This is the #explorertote pattern by @noodlehead531 sewn in cat printed canvas from @rubystarsociety and some coordinating quilting cotton. by @sewnbysneak

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10 days ago

Want to add some fun to stitching details to your handmade clothes but don’t really have drawing skills? Here’s the process I use! by @sewnbysneak

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18 days ago

🚧 WIP Wednesday 9.3.2026 🚧

It’s a tale of two shirts! I’m currently making two Cornelius shirts (pattern from Closet Core) and jazzing them up with some custom embroidery. by @sewnbysneak

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19 days ago

These closet core Frank jeans are a real ‘party in the back’ situation. I wanted to do some fun designs on the back pockets so I went with a desert theme. This pocket features one of my favorite birds: the roadrunner. #closetcorefrank #frankjeans @closetcorepatterns

To complement the roadrunner, I stitched a Joshua Tree on the other pocket.

I made a size 6, graded to 8 at the hips, but had to let out the seam allowance at the hips for comfort. I also removed 1/2 inch from the rise and 1/2 inch from the length and hemmed them with an extra inch than called for in the pattern (I’m 5’3”).

I do not have great drawing abilities, so I found some line drawings I liked online and traced them off for the pocket design.

Meep meep! by @sewnbysneak

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20 days ago

🚧 WIP Wednesday, 9.23.2026 🚧

I currently have three active knitting projects so it’s safe to say I’ve caught the knitting bug! I am currently working on the Jessie scarf, the step-by-step sweater, and the holiday slip over. I also cut out the Frank jeans so I will be working on sewing those up.

What are you working on? by @sewnbysneak

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a month ago

Bed sheet transformation! I used about half of a queen size cotton sheet to make this tiered skirt. It’s a simple project just involving rectangles, but I made just about every mistake possible (including pricking myself with a pin and bleeding on it 🫣) so making it was not fun, but I’m happy with the finished result. It’s self drafted, but I referenced the Esther skirt from Highcountry Women and the Zamora skirt from Madswick Patterns while making it. by @sewnbysneak

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a month ago