Baby Hats

At 26 weeks I am getting in the making mood... so far we have a growing collection of very small hats.


The two crocheted ones were actually made during the Christmas holidays. The brimmed one was following a pattern of sorts (this one from ravelry) though I think I used the wrong yarn size/hook size combo because my results look very different from the adorable pictures. And I think I made it shorter because it just seemed to want to go on and on... It may be that I am just a bad pattern-follower. Actually, we can just consider that a fact.

The other crocheted one was from this pattern, most likely with some adjustments as well. And I added the little flower.


These two were made from two old knit shirts of mine. The stripes was an Eddie Bauer long sleeve t - so soft! I actually made three of these from that shirt, two using the bottom hem and one from the sleeves. Pattern is here from SouleMama.

The ruffle cap was from this tutorial on Tao of Craft. I just eyeballed the cut, and for the ruffle I just cut a strip straight across the t-shirt - so it was a big loop - and ruffled that. Then I matched the side seams to the side seams on the hat and sewed it on using a small zigzag stitch so the bottom of the hat would still be stretchy. I have the pieces for another one, a tiny bit bigger, that will have lots of ruffles. Too cute.

Love

Another little print I did a few days ago, using handmade recycled paper and a small hand carved heart stamp. This evening I machine-stitched "Love" in black thread.

I like how these little pieces on the handmade paper look when they are framed in a sort of shadow-box - they are naturally warped so neat shadows appear, and the rough texture looks so nice set against a crisp background and a simple frame.

This one is also listed for sale.

AEDM #4

Yesterday evening my art project was working on some embroidery projects. I built a fire in the fireplace, stretched out on the couch and stitched away... until my eyes started drooping shut and a short nap happened. It was rather blissful, but not too much progress was made on the embroidery. And no photos were taken. So it goes, better luck today!

About a Gown

I fully intended to make my own wedding dress. I chose some incredible hemp/silk fabric and couldn't wait to see and feel the yards of shimmery material and turn them into something magical. I've made loads of clothes, including fairly elaborate costumes, so how would this be any different?


There was some delay. I had the muslin, but more important matters kept me busy all the time. My sister bought her bridesmaid dress. We joked about how I had better get going, wouldn't want a naked bride! My sewing kit traveled with me across the country to Arizona, where I reasoned I would have all the time necessary to devote to wedding dress sewing.


I got as far as a heavily boned muslin bodice. I kept sewing seams backwards, and trying to figure out how to make elegant lacing loops nearly drove me to tears. My mom and I made a duct tape dummy, which in my confusion I considered absolutely necessary to the getting started process, but which ended up being more of an additional procrastination (albeit a very funny one, and also a good objective way to self-analyze - no denying the potbelly when its right there as a duct-tape bubble). The last straw was accidentally buying quilting thread, which the sewing machine I was using refused to work with, making a single straight seam something to celebrate. I packed my supplies away and decided to attack again when I returned home.


During our trip back we made a stop with C's family. My future mother in law suggested checking out a very cool bridal store. "Oh, no," I said, "I'm making my dress."

Then I started to think. I called my mom and she reminded me how little I had been enjoying this process. "Maybe just go look?" she suggested.

We went and I very nearly walked out with the first dress I tried. In the end we chose a different one, but I went home with a dress. Now I keep telling everyone how inexpensive it was in order to justify changing my mind; I am turning into the definition of tacky. I feel like I've let myself down, like I gave up my creative ideas as I have done in many other areas around this wedding as costs and general practicality* have set in.

But in actuality, I love my dress. It is absolutely gorgeous, it makes me feel gorgeous and I feel good knowing where it came from. I was not enjoying the sewing process at all and trying on fabulous dresses while people tell you how pretty you look is a terrific way to spend an afternoon. Also, did I mention I got a great deal?!


* in all honesty, sewing my dress was also sort of a cost based decision, as there is no way I thought I could ever afford a dress of the quality fabrics I love. Seriously, if you are anywhere near VA check out Church St Bridal!

Falling into Fall

It's Autumn! I love Autumn! Except that up here in the North where we live, Autumn always brings with it the ominous knowledge that Winter is just around the corner.


So, since it is Autumn and I made that lovely list of "Summer Projects," I figure I should report on how that went. To put it simply, not so swell.

First, the accomplishments:

• Flags were made and enjoyed
• Headboard was made (picture to come after some, ahem, cleaning action). Although it is not quite as plush or ornate as the one from Pottery Barn, I quite like it.
• One quilt top finished. Currently laid out nicely under all the other half-completed projects on my office couch/guestbed. Quilting is more of a fall/winter activity anyway.

And the un-accomplishments:

• Dress sewing. Not done. But I am pretty sure this little lady is going to keep liking dresses, and I have found a few more to add to the to-make list, so...
• Quilts goes on this list too, as I daftly planned to make multiples.
• Wedding save-the-dates (or STDs as they are known in the wedding-blog-world - gross!). Turns out our set it and run approach to choosing a date was not so effective. I think we have it nailed down now, fingers crossed that the location is still available!

I will be back soon to show you what we did instead of madly quilting during the month of August.

Flags, check!

I am slowly checking things off my summer to-do list, starting with the flags. They were made for and used at my friend's gorgeous wedding in Toronto, and then got a second life at the Southern Vermont Arts Festival! I think they add a nice festive touch to the front gate tent.



I have a quilt in the works, its a little one but will be a nice curling up on the hammock size I think.

And, big news, we have our wedding date and location! That means I can start on the save the dates for real, which means the whole thing is actually real, which is freaking me out a bit but is mainly just exciting! Pretty sure there will be new to-do lists posted soon involving wedding projects...

Procrastination Project

This was one of those projects that people do - or I do, do you? - when there is something else quite pressing that should be done but is somewhat distasteful. In this case, vacuuming and mopping and doing some general cleaning up were the items on my to-do list that had been successfully avoided until about 10pm on the evening before I was leaving for an arts festival and C's mother was arriving. So of course I decided that this was the perfect time to make leaves using the serger and some wire, one of those ideas that come in bushels when there are other more important things to take care of.


The serger/leaf idea worked quite well. I think it could be done on a regular machine using a zig zag stitch. The beauty of the serger is the blade that trims as you sew, making a perfect edge. Here's the scoop: cut out a leaf shape, stitch all the way around, insert wire all the way around using stitches as a channel. I made some flowers by cutting strips of fabric, sewing a loose running stitch up one side which were tightly gathered and then the edge twisted into a spiral. I ended up pinning the entire wreath together rather than sewing it, so it can be taken apart simply when the time comes (next deadline, perhaps...). The wreath itself is a foam mold from the craft store, wrapped in a Guatemalan print fabric. I pinned some buttons into the flower centers to cover the spiraling and for a little extra sparkle.

Treasure Chest

I had the most exciting antique-ing find of my life last weekend when I came upon this wonderful treasure chest at the Five Corners Antique mall in Essex.



I have no words to describe my excitement. Look at all that thread! Those colors! And the bias tape collection in the bottom? Simply perfect.



Now that I've taken pictures (I wanted you to see it in all its original glory!) I get to organize it all, sort through and decide where everything goes. Oh my, this might just be too much for me!

Its been a Big Week

Wow, ok, where to start? As claimed in my last post, I did indeed get a slew of miniature paintings painted - fun! Also some other projects with which I am quite pleased. But those didn't happen so much on the weekend as on the days I had to stay home from work due to an unhappy run-in with an ill tempered zebra mussel resulting in a late night trip to the emergency room.


Not so much fun.

The new paintings are going in the shop, and I will share pictures of them here over the next few days, but first I want to show you the other things I made.


Ever since I made the abstract cover for my quilt book, I have been wanting to create some fabric flags or banners. I had patchwork ideas like the quilt book cover in mind, but I also wanted to incorporate some text, simple words or phrases. Turns out the awesome wooden type I found works quite as stamps! I brushed them with india ink and stamped words onto the fabric. They are watersafe and I really like how the letters are a little wonky.


The words I could create were somewhat limited by the fact that I neglected to get a letter "R". Oops!

I stamped the letters onto colorful cotton and stitched them onto a natural linen backing. There is a channel at the top for hanging.


I would like to try a few more of these, but I also know how my brain works and instead of mass production, it is quite likely I will move on to something else new... !

(These hangings will be in the shop shortly as well)

Quilting

This is a quilt I recently completed for my sister. It was her, ahem, Christmas present, although she very patiently waited for it until May. I embarrass myself. I am quite please with it in the end, however!


It is in no way perfect, partly due to my own level of skill and partly to my antique sewing machine's reluctance to sew through several layers of cloth and batting. The dear old thing is a work horse, but this was asking a bit much. It is, of course, somewhat difficult to quilt on a regular machine anyway, since the arm is so short. I managed by rolling the extra bulk up on that side, and my quilt was small enough to manage. For the next, larger project I have in the works, I think finding a local professional quilter is in order.

Another little lady in the Shop!

She's about 3.5 inches tall, spunky and pretty and ready to venture forth! Visit her at amandamay.etsy.com!

New Dolls and Old

My little shop is back in business. It was never actually closed, but it was sadly neglected for a while there while other things took precedence. Things will do that.

Some are new and some have been around a while. This gentleman was introduced quite some time ago, but he was waiting for his wife to return from her hair procedure before he ventured into real public life. As it turns out, the hair problem was somewhat more complicated than expected and I am afraid our friend got a bit fed up. He actually hardly knew the woman, it was more a marriage of convenience, so don't feel bad for them. Someday perhaps she will get some hair and then she too will wander out into the world. As it is, the dear man is waiting a smidgen impatiently for someone to offer him some new adventure...

My dear dancing lady has also been listed. She has been a regular around the studio for a while now, just gadding about. But I am afraid she has become a tad bored with me. I don't blame her, I'm hardly here these days what with work and the dog and the nice Spring weather, and she's getting restless. So off she goes!



And then there are some simple Waldorfian-ish finger puppets. These little princesses were a means of mental relief for me from the lengthy process of the needle felted dolls. Where those are time consuming and detail oriented, these are relatively basic and wip up in a very satisfactory instant-gratification sort of way. And they have such sweet character in their simplicity. These sweethearts just plain make me happy!

Dress-up

I had the evening to myself...


So I played dress-up!

[looking over these pictures, my time would perhaps have been better spent making use of the iron!]


The first piece of real person clothing I ever sewed was a Renaissance-style dress, made for the part of Audrey, the "country wench," in Shakespeare's As You Like It. After that, I fell in love with costumes, and found several ways to reuse my lace-up overdress pattern in different forms.


The chemise I wore this evening was made for my foray into 1600's style for a part in Moliere's The School for Husbands. That costume was a bit more complex, with a bum roll and steel-enforced corset.


I don't plan to wear this outfit to work tomorrow, but it was a nice way to spend an evening!

Rainy evening

It was a rainy evening, and cold too. I ventured outdoors in the spirit of picture taking, trying to photograph the rain.



Let me tell you, people, that is a very difficult thing to do! I settled for capturing my sweet little mind leaves and their happy gleam.



A wee pepper, and a pretty pepper flower signalling more to come...



Then I returned indoors and busied myself with sewing pants. I was actually rather successful - possibly even managing to fix the disaster of the other night. When I figure out how to take successful pictures of my own legs, I will share more!

French Fashion

I brought this plaque home from my visit to Toronto - "Paris Fashions from 1500-1900." A gift from someone several years ago, it is one of my favorite little pieces even though in reality it is just a magazine page someone attached to a plank of wood.


I love costumes, especially dresses. A few years ago I went through a phase of making Renaissance costumes (whatever do I do with them now?) and for a production of Moliere's "The School for Husbands" I took a stab at 16th century dress making - including the corset and bum roll! One of my (many) dream jobs is a theatre or film costume designer.


The costumes on this piece remind me of Alexander Dumas - the Count of Monte Cristo, or the Three Musketeers (I am speaking of the books, not the films. Read them if you have not. So good).


Lately, I have been trying to make normal, everyday clothing instead of Renaissance gowns. Not nearly as much fun, and, to be honest, much more frustrating. I just don't think I am quite ready to make puffed sleeve chemises and lace up overdresses my daily attire. Its really too bad.

My bag

I left for Toronto on Friday afternoon, after finishing up summer camp, biking around town in the interests of my fish, and generally trying to do everything last minute that I should have spread out over the past week. With half an hour to spare before leaving the house, I decided I absolutely must have a new bag.

Luck was with me (having deserted me the night before in a linen pants incident about which I am not quite ready to think), and the bag creation went smoothly and ended up pretty much just as I wished!


This lovely canvas-type fabric was a sort of impulse buy during my quilt fabric shopping spree, bought with the specific intent of making a new bag. I am ever so proud that I actually followed through.

Naturally, with more time, there are a few extras I would have added - interior pockets, probably an exterior pocket between the straps. It has a sort of secret pocket perfect for my fast approaching Central American travels - a flap from the outside folds over to the inside, the perfect size for passport and money protection.

I really just love the colors. Lately I seem to have been developing an unconscious affinity for dusty pink (the flowers are pink. Upon viewing my picture I see that this is somewhat indiscernible. Oops. In real life they are actually quite prominent). My mother says that it is generally a sort of grandmother color, but then I have always had elderly qualities :)

I think this post takes the prize for the most parentheses. Yay.

An Introduction

I would like to make an introduction.



This gentleman would like to shake your hand.



His name is Edmund and he recently made an appearance in my studio.



He is quite friendly and sociable, and he walks 2 miles every day. That's why he has such lovely shoes!



His wife is currently undergoing some operations (she might not like it that I'm telling, but her dress was not fitting properly and her wig was completely wrong. Those might not seem to require surgery per se, but when one is only 6 inches tall one's problems are necessarily of a different sort). She should be along to meet you soon.

I am not sure if Edmund is a father or not - it seems likely, however, so I wish him and all the other fathers out there a Happy Day! (yes, one day late. I did call my own dad on time though!)

Finishing Touches

These are the final days! Of my college career, I mean. Probably, if I wasn't so horribly tired, this would be a bittersweet time. As it is, I just can't wait until the weekend, when the presentations are over and the final papers submitted, so I can just sleep. Maybe for a few days.

My squares have been quilted...



And bound in black...



The photographs were ironed on, usng "Wonder Under" (sounds like underwear, doesn't it?)...



And a cover was constructed...



(this is the front and back - I think it looks like a banner or flag and I want to make more).



Now the pages are sewn together and its all set up on a podium in the presentation room. I had some random pieced squares left over, and we stuck them in frames and hung them on the wall to complete the exhibit. They actually look really great like that and I think I will do more.

It feels so good to have this project completed. When I look at the finished product, its so small that I feel a bit odd about how much time and energy it took out of me. But looking through the book and seeing each tiny hand stitch and remembering all the thought and research I did to make it more than just fabric, I feel like I have actually accomplished something. Of course, now that the work is done I am free to get really nervous about the presentation.

They look like fun...

... but what are they?



All of these attachments came in the original tin with my sewing machine. Would anyone happen to know what any of them are for?

Tiny stitches, and why is it snowing?

I am progressing in the stitchery department. Several blocks are finished and my quilting stitches are slowly becoming smaller and neater. The first will probably be embarrassing someday when my standards have refined, but at this point I just don't understand how those miniscule, barely visible stitches are accomplished! They certainly give me another reason to appreciate the skill put into a quality quilt.



Lately, in my ponderings of quilts and their importance, I began to realize their importance as holders of memories. Historically, there are the memory quilts made by a group of friends for one who was leaving, and traditional quilts were often pieced with scraps of old clothing. My grandmother points out pieces in her mother's quilts, remembering how a certain dress was made with this or that fabric and sharing the memories of the time associated with that particular piece of clothing.

Another way quilts are memory keepers occurred to me while stitching, and is one of the reasons I decided to hand quilt each square instead of taking the faster and simpler route of machine quilting. Hand stitching takes time, and it takes some measure of concentration, especially if the stitches are to be small and neat and the lines straight. And while this stitching is happening, the stitcher has plenty of time to think and to just be. And I really think that this time sort of stitches memories into the fabric. I sent my grandmother a wonderful book I found about quilts and their makers, called "The Quilters: Women and Domestic Art An Oral History," and reading the stories of these women reminded her of the quilting she had before she was married. It struck me that that particular quilt would have that particular time stitched right into it; how she felt as she prepared to embark on a new life would have been pondered as each stitch was made. I am wondering what I will remember from these stitches in this book I am making. I am hoping they will not be flashbacks of stressed out all-nighters as I feverishy try to finish everything before the presentation deadline.



Happy Easter!