new projects

It's been so long since I've written but for good reasons, my 4 kids and the need for new clothes for Gab.
Since I've written last I made 3 boys' neckties, inspired by the new school year for which 2 boys wear ties on chapel day. I've made several girls jumpers and pants with ruffles on the bottom, most of which mix and match. Also a jacket and most recently (well I'll finish hand stitching the hem today) a jumper and matching (or maybe coordinating) bottoms. I'll post pictures of each of these soon and give some details, things I've learned through the process.

I've also been making icepack covers that I'm selling at my chiropractor's office and also to friends who've placed orders for Christmas gifts. Right now I'm not selling the ice packs but the covers I'm calling "comfort covers" and really they're so simple anyone could make them, it's a pillow case concept made from flannel. I am serging them for durability. Most I've made from flannel but the ones I've made from my fabric stash which is mostly quilting fabric I've doubled the fabric using muslin for extra protection. If I had energy which I may find, then I'd consider approaching other people to see if they'd be interested in selling them.

The day after thanksgiving I ventured out to the big fabric store with cheap fabric, which I wouldn't typically use but found flannel for these bags for super cheap so....I will be making PJ bottoms for everyone at my house this Christmas, well that's the plan.

So I'm not blogging since I'm sewing instead. My serger is my favorite gift to self (a couple years ago) which I've not used but now I can't imagine putting it away.

today I happened to notice this http://www.annkelle.com/ornaments-a-giveaway/ and now I'm inspired to make Christmas ornaments with the boys, I'll have them do the hand stitching but I'll cut them out. I'll use white flannel or something in the center for stability but will go through my fabric scraps to get inspired. Oliver has his own bag of scraps, which I supply, he'll be really excited. He loves to create which makes me so happy!

I hope you're having fun preparing for the  holidays. Pictures will follow.

1st birthday...another reason for a new dress

A few weeks ago my good friend came to visit since moving out of state and I was totally inspired to make a bag for her since she had recently given birth to Baby Josie her 8th child and also celebrated an important birthday. Jen is really the inspiration behind my fabric choice, you see I picked it out to make a bag for her.

I've started the bag and intended to make another bag at the same time, maybe one to sell but then after looking at the fabric sit on my table and get shuffled around it was lying next to a crisp white fabric that i had made Gabby's bloomers out of and this overwhelming thought came over me that i needed to make Gabby a dress.

Since it's getting closer to feeling like fall I decided to make a blouse and jumper. I had part of a pattern for a top but the collar was huge and the sleeves were not part of the pattern so I added my own and they seem to work. The collar I cut down after realizing the "pattern" (which I used only for the pieces but should consider reading in the future) made a collar which touched her shoulders, a bit too big for my little girl.

The jumper presented it's own challenges, in the end I realized, thanks to skyping with Mom, that the bib in the front was too small. The waist band needs to be tacked down in places still to have more of a scrunched affect. Upon dressing Gabriella I realized that the ties on the jumper are not practical, even though i thought earlier that they would give more options for size, in the end unless your baby is sleeping I don't see how they're going to work realistically, getting everything evenly adjusted with the crisscross in the back. The other issue with the ties is that they get in the way of the collar so a top with no collar would work best.

After cutting out the top and putting it together and on I realized that I had cut it too short, ideally I wanted a little peplum on the bottom so i added more fabric and now she can wear the top with a skirt and it works well.

I've decided to embrace her Afro and will start making hair wraps hoping she'll let me keep them on her head.

This has been another big learning experience and soon I'll be back to Jen's bag once I make a quick trip to the fabric store for a little more of the yellow fabric, good thing it's close and a current fabric.

the First dress

Last season I discovered Launch my Line on Bravo and was so excited to watch each week as designers worked with talented sewers to develop their own line. While the idea of this is fun to think about I'm not there and don't know when I'll get to that point. What I did love was the concept of making clothing using a dress form. I got this idea in my head that since Gabriella is small and wiggly I definitely needed a dress form, especially since I like to make things with out a pattern and saw a dress form as the missing link between sewing and success for a perfectionist. My search for a toddler dress form ended on eBay. I debated and waited, thought about it, prayed about it a little and then bid anxiously waiting for the mail to arrive. The boys actually took it out of the box and dressed it with some of Gabby's clothes, totally not matching but they got the concept and it was cute that they tried to surprise me with a dressed mannequin

so the dress I'm posting a picture of is the first one I made for Gabby just about a month ago. I learned a lot making it and would of course do things differently. for example, the sash I made with no visible edges and it was doubled in thickness, my friend Katie who pointed out French seams as a help in the pink lining (since it shows below but my seams are turned towards the outside which you can see if you pull the white layer up) also pointed out that the sash could be finished off with simply the edges turned under. the fabric is heavy and doing this allowed my bow to really come to life and not be weighted down in the knot.

My dress form is a bit larger than Gabriella is now so I do try to factor that in when I sew for her using it.
The other thing that I really wanted was a layer underneath (i.e. bloomers). I made the dress length end just above her knees to aid in her crawling so her cotton white bloomers are a perfect compliment, in my opinion.

Auntie Carol said the white eyelet fabric is very Indian, to me the sash keeps this looking quite Kimono-esque I came up with the idea for this when I saw the fabric. I was actually at Jo Ann's looking for something, maybe trim, I don't love the fabric there and will not buy it for quilting but for this dress it turned out. I'm afraid that other than driving to Berkeley or San Francisco my fabric store options out here are nice quilt shops which specialize in quilter weight cottons or Jo Ann fabrics. If anyone could suggest other stores in the Bay Area or San Joaquin Valley I'd be so happy for your suggestions.

peasant girl Gab

this is an outfit I made for my baby, I HATE diapers exposed so I've been meaning to make her bloomers and actually went out and bought a pattern to make these, the rest came from my mind and a combination of other things i've seen that I thought were cute. The white and blue floral print i've had for years and loved, the dark blue is a thin dark chambray. The floral print lines the bodice and peaks out the top at the ties. A friend told me about French seams so i've incorporated that in this little design, so now raw edges. I bought a new blade for my rotary cutter at the same time I bought the pattern and it made cutting out everything a breeze, not sure what i did before I discovered my green mat and rotary cutter. seriously, cutting perfect lines and keeping seams trimmed perfectly makes all the difference to this perfectionist!

My first post!

So for years my girlfriends have bugged me to start a blog and then one day a young talented artist helping me design a business logo said "you really should have a blog" and here I am!

I'm looking foward to writing about the projects i'm working on, just not right now, kids just woke up from a nap so it's time to sign off for now, but i promise more will follow.