Recap...

Maybe I'm not meant to be a blogger? Why can't I just take a picture and write a few words? I've missed so much. Even so, I am happy to see some improvement in my craft, and so a progression as I've practiced a few styles I've picked up from the amazing library I've collected this year. So, though there is a lot missing, I am going to throw up a ton of pictures, so that in a year I can look back with some idea of how I got to where I am.

Applique. Aranzi Arono and Cath Kidston inspired. Seems weird to combine the two? Welcome to my wacky world of craft.






And then there's felt. Thanks to Purl Soho for moving, and offering free shipping for the week, I ended up with a bundle of felt I had no plans for. But now it's gone. Made into New Orleans themed Tabasco toppers, and coffee sleeves. For the NOLA collection, there's the Fleur, Blue Dog, Mr. Red Bean and Mrs. Rice, Tulane (WOO!!), Plum Street Sno-balls, and New Orleans iconic "go cup". As for the coffee sleeves, my Dad alwaaaays orders grande Verona, no room. Now his coffee sleeve can order for him. OOps and almost forgot about my little voodoo guy. Don't worry, he's not evil and neither am I. But he will make a freaky-cool new pincushion for me.



Hee hee, I love staged photos.


And on to the randoms. A pieced together tote bag for Margot.



Beanbags! I went through a phase of making lots of beanbags. These triangle ones are groovy, and take little pieces of fabric. I love this Japanese print!
A pillow for Nashy
This one is funky... it's a belt Nash and I made for his teacher for her birthday! The design is from Kid Made Modern by Todd Oldham and it's ducktape and fabric woven together. It's pretty cool actually!


And some bean-butt bunnies.


I've been working on a big project, but not ready to reveal yet :)

Hard To Make

Some things are just hard to make. But maybe it's harder to let things with sentimental value pass through your life, and then be gone. So yesterday, as I was going through Nash's clothes, I set some things aside to someday make a quilt. I do this every time I go through my kids things. We have gotten so many wonderful gifts and have spent so much ourselves on these clothes. And we have pictures and memories and attachments. So instead of putting them aside, I got out my rotary cutter and ruler and board and closed my eyes and took a deep breath and made the first cut.

To put this into perspective, for the most part, a yard of nice quilting fabric can be had for around $10. I rarely pay more than that. Heavy-weight decorator fabric is around $20-40 per yard. The first shirt of Nash's I cut into was a Tea shirt that cost $35 and I got from it two 9x6 inch pieces of fabric. Ouch. Of course there are also onesies from Old Navy, with no less sentimental attachment because we have pictures of him in it, maybe a month old, on the changing table in his pack'n'play, looking up at the mobile with wonder in his eyes. There's a piece of a button-down shirt he calls his "work shirt, like Daddy's work shirt." The shirt he wore to his first birthday party, which I bought in St. Armands Circle in Florida, when Nash and I took a trip to visit a friend. His "big brother" t-shirt. Shirts that were presents from Grandparents. A white t that is SO dirty from his early eating adventures.


So one day and it's done. I made the seams out, just because I thought I'd like the way it looked, and I do. I backed it with t-shirts my Dad had given me to use for my projects. It is so soft and so filled with wonderful memories. My husband loves it too, he also remembers it all. The only question is, is this my quilt, or Nash's?

Cruise Wear & Home Goods

Mid-Winter blues have me thinking about upcoming months and how I miss making little dresses and little bloomers for the little girl.

Pantalooooons


Frontside...


And the backside.


Heather Ross fabric + rick rack = pure joy.

For my budding artist

A portfolio. I bought a piece of story board and cut it in half, so now it measures 10x15. Perfect! It incorperates my new craze, colored duct tape, and a long time, inexplicable obsession, paint swatches. When he gets a little bigger he'll make his own. But for now I am so happy to have a special place for Nash's paintings and stampings and drawings. Though this project wasn't in the book, I have to say a lot of elements come from (again) Kid Made Modern. It's so inspiring. I feel like it would make a special gift, too.

Boons

Thanks to Kid Made Modern, link to the right, I have all sorts of new projects I want to work on. I've taken a little break from obsessively sewing, and this book came at the perfect time for me. In trying to keep a "handmade home" it's been fun to make some new toys. Nash's interest in these spoons has not waned. I picked up the spoons for about 50 cents each at Michaels. I painted them, then did some detail work with black ink pen, then covered them in a triple thick sealant. They look glossy and pretty, but I'm not sure I don't like them better a little dull and rustic. I haven't coated two of them yet and I'm going to leave them and see how they wear. I made a Humpty Dumpty, a flower, a funny critter, and old man, and some funny faces. I'm thinking of doing groups of characters, like Little Red Riding Hood, Grandma, Woolf, etc. Kid Made Modern is the book I've been waiting for. Buy, buy, buy.

Baby Girl's First Birthday

Elasti-girl

We've been watching a lot of The Incredibles, so I've dubbed her Elastigirl in her new shirt. She really might be too, she always seems to reach things beyond her capabilities. (This Moda print reminds me of Pez, which, obviously, I love.) I originally bought this pattern off of Etsy in June, but it wasn't a good purchase. I just couldn't make sense of it! It wasn't until I bought Making Children's Clothes by Emma Hardy that I saw how simple this style is to make. Hardy's pattern is for a nightgown, so I adjusted it, and I've got a few variations in mind for follow-ups.

Little Booties

You may think the matching pants and shoes are a bit overwhelming, but I'm liking it. Anyway, the shoes never stay on too long. Maybe they taste better than they look. The fabric is decorator weight Amy Butler, from Quilting Adventuresin Richmond, VA, which is an amazing store because they actually appreciate that there are things you can do with fabric other than make a quilt. There is a serious shortage of cool fabric stores in St. Louis, and I might be just a little bitter. The pants are straight from Lotta Jansdotter's pattern in Simple Sewing for Baby. The booties are from Making Children's Clothes, and took 4 times as long to make the shoes as it did the pants- funny how that happens. And the shoes only stay on for about 4 seconds! (Sorry guys, for some reason I can't get my links to appear, but the books are both listed in the right column with links.)

Recycled T Scarf

I've mentioned how I love re-using old t-shirts. They're so soft, and free, and plentiful. Well, they used to be plentiful (sorry, Babe.) A month or two ago I was goofing around and cut a stencil, which I painted onto an old maternity t-shirt of mine. I picked it up a few weeks ago, and one thing led to another and before I knew it I was on a Natalie-Chanin-style roll. I layered three t-shirts, cut the shapes, pieced them together and hand stitched around the cuts. I also love the back of the scarf where it just looks like all hand stitching. This scarf is so soft and warm- ahhh... the touch... the feel of cotton....

Wrapped Up

I've spent the last year envying women wrapped up in gorgeous quilts. Here, finally, I am wrapped in a quilt of my own creation.

Grandma's Journal

Maybe sewing really is in my blood? My Mom gave me my Grandmother's sewing journal/workbook from the 1930's-40's, Paris. I just scanned in a few pages. Nothing photoshopped. The pages are really that yellowed. Her writing was really that beautiful. And the designs are gorgeous. All in French. 112 pages of blouses, chamises, coats, vests, ruffles, bows, collars, and on and on. Lessons all enumerated. I am kicking myself for not paying attention in French class in 8th grade. It's now a dream of mine to get to a point when I can design and sew like my Grandmother. But who taught her? I'm self taught. I've done fine by "winging it" but maybe it's time to think about a few lessons. I wish I could learn from her journal. You can click on the pictures to blow them up and look at the detail.