At last

Well there you have it: it's temporary, but at last the disdressed banner is updated for the season. Although I have to tell you that I went waltzing out of the apartment without a jacket at 7:30 this morning and seriously regretted my choice of attire for the day. Yesterday Tsia and I had a lunchtime picnic wearing light jackets; today we needed our coats and scarves. It must be spring!


Ok, I've heard you: I am working on patterns for the two bags and will let you know when they are available. I'm hoping to create them as downloadable pdf files, but stay tuned and I'll let you know. Creating the patterns themselves takes very little time; it's the writing of the instructions that seems to command hours.



And since every post needs a photo or two, today's pictures are springtime window displays from Purl, Rugby (I love all those colored candies--they remind me of Jane), and a store on West Broadway. I can't believe I didn't bother to notice which store it was, I was just so mesmerized by those adorable textile pastries.


Have a great weekend!

Smocking old and new

Have you seen this ad? (Click on the photos for enlargements.) I can't say I've ever paid much attention to the Bottega Veneta line (or, these days, to anyone's line--who has time?), but the spring/summer 2007 collection is simply stunning! I've always wanted to try smocking, but this dress takes smocking to a completely new realm. Who would have thought it could look so fresh and contemporary? Check out pages 8 and 40 of the on-line catalog, which I think are also smocked garments, as well as the amazing pleated jacket on pages 68 and 69. Shirring was also used as a detail in the collection.

You can see the full dress from the ad on pages 78 and 79. It's really quite sporty, made in what appears to be a cotton shirting fabric, but I think it would make an amazing wedding dress, too, if you were going a less traditional route.


Speaking of smocking, many people have been asking me about it lately. So I've been investigating a bit, and here's what I've found:

Membership with the Smocking Arts Guild of America will connect you with many active chapters and even with a web-based group. The SAGA website offers some basic smocking instructions, and you can also enroll in correspondence courses. Note especially the WeeCare program, through which smockers and sewers can learn to sew and smock while also donating their work to hospitals.

Sew Beautiful magazine, edited by Martha Pullen, focuses primarily on heirloom sewing, which includes beautiful traditional smocking. Many issues feature patterns and detailed instructions for children's garments. The magazine is also a good way to find resources for fabric, trim, and patterns.

And finally, Jeannie Baumeister at The Old Fashioned Baby publishes detailed patterns for children's heirloom clothing. You can also find her patterns as well as fabric and notions for making them at this site.

And now we're off to enjoy the sunshine for the afternoon. Those skiiers will have to wait another day, even though they're making me crazy!

That sister of mine

It's 76 degrees outside, and this ski banner of mine has got to go! I'm working on it, but the next one will almost certainly be temporary. I really want something that's permanent but need to find a little more time and inspiration for it. Any suggestions?

So we had a terrific time shopping the garment district on Saturday. Our most popular stop was clearly my beloved Tinsel Trading, where we managed to spend almost our entire afternoon scouting for amazing little trinkets and vintage trims, but the fabric stores were also very well-received. We had lots of fun getting to know each other while we enjoyed our delicious brunch. And what beautiful weather! Let's do it again soon, everyone.


My sister described this toy to me about a month ago. She was trying to buy it for Tsia's birthday and wasn't having any luck finding it at any of the fantastic toy shops in her neighborhood. And then--surprise!--Tsia and I came across it at our local resale shop. I couldn't believe my luck, I love it so much! And at four dollars? What crazy sort of pricing scheme is that, when I'm usually shocked at he ridiculous prices being charged for three-year-old Old Navy styles?


But was my sister really planning to buy this for Tsia, or was it secretly for me? I don't know, but I like it even better than Fashion Plates, if you remember that toy. I'm thinking that in a few years we can start creating our own clothes for the bears, tracing the clothing outlines onto mat board or foam core and cutting them out ourselves. They won't have the durability of the original wood pieces, but it will be loads of fun to invent clothes they can wear.

Lotta Jansdotter: Simple Sewing

Ok, you've convinced me. I'm going to finish the sweater, block it, and see what happens. Thanks for the tips!


I can't believe how long it's taken me to tell you about this book. It arrived weeks ago, and I just haven't sat still long enough to give it a good looking over until yesterday. Me, a notebook and pencil, a cup of peppermint tea, and one new sewing book. Oh, and a quiet table near the window at a local coffee joint. Thank goodness that shopping tour is all planned and I can rest my feet for a day or two.


I'm not feeling terribly eloquent or energetic today (long week), so I think I'll resort to my trusty bullet points again.

What I love:

*Great book design. Clean and simple with little Lotta sketches and handwritten project names and page numbers. Very classy.

*Clever, simple projects that are great for beginning sewers. For example, the placemat with a little pocket for your chopsticks, and the picnic placemat with cutlery pockets and attached ties to keep it all wrapped up in a sweet little bundle.

*Excellent photos and styling; I really like how they express Lotta's "look."

*The simplicity of the projects leaves lots of room for unique embellishment and creative expression on the part of the sewer.

These words always makes me happy.

*Patterns for the more involved projects are included in the book. All other projects involve simple shapes for which measurements are given.

*Four adorable applique designs are provided for very Lotta-like embellishment.

*All projects are "rated" according to three levels of difficulty.

*Even the more advanced projects are very manageable and quite clever.

*The book appears, from the front and spine, to be a classic hard cover but actually includes a spiral binding so it will stay open to the page you need.


What I wasn't so keen on:

*Instructions are a bit vague at times. A few sketches are given for each project, but directions for some of the more advanced projects may prove to be somewhat tricky for a beginner to follow.

*If you have a moderate knowledge of sewing you may find that many of the projects are self explanatory and don't need instructions. In which case this book becomes more of an inspirational guide, since many of the projects really are quite clever. (So I guess that's not really a negative, but more of an observation.)


In any case, it's a lovely book, and I understand that Lotta has also produced a fabric line with Kokka. I haven't seen it being sold anywhere, but her website leads me to believe that it may be available soon? I hope so.

Coming in out of the cold

I'm not really a squealer. Rarely does a squeak or and shriek exit my lips. I'm not even much of a gasper unless, of course, I discover a taxi bearing down on me suddenly. Or maybe if Tsia is en route to overturning a plateful of, say, syrup all over the carpet. (Not that these things ever happen, mind you.)

And really, that's one of the joys of having a toddler: every little thing gives cause for shouts of glee. Discovering yesterday's toys awaiting you in the living room first thing in the morning is reason enough for joyful exclamation. Snow. Dogs, no matter how many you've already seen that day, are always a perfect excuse. And ice cream? Forget it. Simple exclamations aren't nearly sufficient; you need a Happy Dance as well.

But last night I became a squealer. Just as I had given up hope of package deliveries for the day, the doorbell rang. My new sewing machine had arrived! How quickly can we get dinner made, the kitchen cleaned up, and Tsia to bed? Not fast enough.


Once our jobs were completed, Todd sat down in the living room to read the manual for his own toy, err, business tool as I opened the carton and began my rolling discourse of exclamations: "Whoa: it cuts your thread for you at the end of a seam! In fact, it back stitches the ends of the seams for you as well! Oh my gosh: the food pedal has a retractable power cord! Did you see what this button does? This is amazing!"

Needless to say, I had no idea what I've been missing in the sewing machine universe. And so far I've only tried the straight stitch!

(Oh, and this doll quilt was not made with the new machine. In fact, it was hand sewn and hand quilted. It's the first quilt for Tsia's wall. Great fabric, huh? As I was searching for a link to the fabric--I couldn't find it, sorry--I discovered these fabrics as well. Oh my.)

My so-called sweater

There is a very simple reason why you're not seeing a glamorous photo (it's all relative, really) of me wearing this fabulous sweater right now. But I don't want to tell you what that reason is. Because I can't quite believe it. And the reason is not because I haven't quite finished it.

First of all, I have to tell you that I really enjoyed knitting it. The pattern is the Hourglass Sweater from Joelle's book, and it's knit in the round. Once you've knitted the torso and the sleeves you join them together to finish the yoke, and it's a pleasure to watch the sweater literally come together on your needles. Plus, I can't think of a more relaxing project to knit: you just go around and around and around until it's time for an increase or decrease, which couldn't be easier to do.


And I love the yarn. It's a 100% alpaca that I purchased quite a few years ago, started another sweater that fell by the wayside, and began this sweater last winter instead. If I were to start all over buying yarn I would probably choose something with a little more color, but as far as fibers go, I really like the alpaca.

Yes, it took me a year (or so) to finish this sweater. But no mind. It was fun!


I didn't even mind sewing down the live stitches at the neckline, which was easier than I led myself to believe. Don't you just love it when you psych yourself out about a task and then discover, when you finally sit down to accomplish it, that it was waaaaaay easier than you imagined?

Well, it's a good thing I enjoyed making this sweater so much, because I'll be making it again. No, I don't mean that I'm going to rush out and buy more yarn to start another sweater just like this one. I mean I'll be making this sweater again. Because the sweater I just finished is too tight! I can hardly believe it, and I can't bring myself to rip it apart just yet. But I will, and I'll make it again in the next size up, and this time it will fit. And I'll enjoy knitting it.

I'll enjoy every single stitch.

Really.

[grits teeth with unhealthy determination]

That Timtex Thing

I don't tell you often enough how much I love to read your comments. It's so much fun to log in periodically and see what you have to say, and it's one of the reasons I enjoy blogging so much. I'm sorry it's so difficult to reply via email, but I will try to reply directly in the comments themselves. So if you ask a question, be sure to check back later for an answer (or attempted answer). And thank you for writing!

As promised, here is my little Timtex trick. I can't really call this a tutorial because it's not very involved and doesn't require many steps, but it's worked really well for me. I hope it does the same for you.

For anyone who wonders what Timtex is, it's a VERY thick interfacing that's often used for bags and containers. It helps them keep their shape. The trouble is, it's thickness causes extraordinary bulk in the seams, which can cause oddly shaped results. The solution? Here goes:

I'm demonstrating the Timtex I used for the bottom of my Bucket Tote design (by the way, there's still room in the class for this bag, which starts on Tuesday night. Anyone? Bueller?). This is my process:

1. Cut a piece of heavy interfacing (non-fusible) the same size as the fabric/pattern piece you're using.

2. Cut a piece of Timtex the same size as the fabric and the heavy interfacing. You now have three different materials, all cut to the same size.


3. Add 1/8" to the width of your seam allowances and trim that amount from all sides of your Timtex. For example, my seam allowances for the bag were 1/2", so I trimmed 5/8" all the way around the oval Timtex piece. By cutting 1/8" more than your seam allowances, you're making the Timtex slightly smaller than the finished panel once it's been sewn. By the way, I like to use a clear plastic ruler with grid lines (see #4 with photo) to mark the distance I'll be trimming before actually cutting it. The 1/8" grid lines make it really easy to measure precisely.


4. Place the Timtex on the heavy interfacing and center it so that equal amounts of interfacing are showing on all the edges. Pin the Timtex into position, and then stitch the edges of the Timtex onto the interfacing. I've used an edgestitch (straight stitch 1/8" from the Timtex edge) and an overlapping zigzag stitch both with the same good results. For this example I used orange thread so you can see the zigzap stitching.

5. Now you can treat your Timtex/interfacing piece as a single piece of interfacing. You're removed all the bulk of the Timtex from your seams and saved yourself much frustration/swearing/throwing of small objects/stomping of feet/etc.. You may still want to trim the seam allowances for the heavy interfacing once you've sewn the seams, but that's nothing compared with trimming the Timtex and trying to get those seams to lie flat!

(By the way, jokes comparing the above photos to certain feminine hygiene products are not allowed. Just so you know.)

Questions? Bueller?

Yum!

Well, the Purl garment district shopping tour is all set. I can hardly wait! I've arranged some special tours of my favorite shops, and one store has offered everyone in the group a 20% discount. Two other stores are opening specially for us, since they're aren't always open on Saturdays. And to top it all off, we're having lunch at the Bryant Park Grill! I think it will be lots of fun.


This is the first time I've organized a shopping tour, and it was really interesting to make all the arrangements. Some of the shops were beyond happy to oblige, and other stores just didn't get it. Here they have a fantastic opportunity to gain some new customers but seemed almost resentful that we wanted include them in our plans, even though they are open on Saturdays anyway. Of course the garment district has never been known for it's fabulous customer service or for a luxurious shopping ambiance but, hey, we're coming to spend money!


I think there are a few spots still open if anyone will be in the area and wants to join us. I'm looking forward to having Chocolate Marbles French Toast (whatever that is, it sounds ridiculously rich, sweet, and indulgant) and champagne for brunch after a hard morning of shopping for luxury fabrics, notions, and trim. What a tough life!

Now I have no excuse

Well, I've finally gone and done it. I purchased a new sewing machine! Winging it's way to me via UPS (I bought over the phone from my Mom's local shop after Mom did all the research and shopping for me--thanks, Mom!) is one Janome 6600, which surprises me since I assumed I would be buying a Bernina. In the end, I chose the Janome mostly because it has a longer arm, which means I can fit more quilt into it. But I think either machine would be fantastic. I mean, doesn't this just look like it's going to be fun?

Here are a few other things we're enjoying:

Bookins. Trade your books and pay just the cost of shipping. Now I won't feel guilty parting with books to save space, since someone else can enjoy them.

Peter Bjorn and John. Jump on the bandwagon! They are clearly a favorite at KCRW as well, particularly their song Young Folks.


Making finger puppets. We're making some friends for the puppets Todd brought back from Barcelona a couple of years ago. Ours are made of Paperclay (just because it was handy--other materials would work equally well, I'm sure) and are being painted with acrylic craft paints. A little Benjamin Moore for the hair, I think, since I still have brown test samples from the dog mural. We're making a family of Mr. Man, Mrs. Lady, little girl, and one pig. I'm sure they'll be joining the Little People who take the school bus to our miniature MoMA several times a day to look at "aht."


Learning to use chopsticks. This kid likes sushi so much, and with her new clothespin-style chopsticks she's got it going on! Don't worry--she doesn't actually eat the yarn; we give her the real stuff when she gets hungry. I think I'll have to make her something with that sushi-print fabric. First project for the new machine?

Hope you had a good weekend!

Whatever it takes

I think this may go down in the books as the Endless Week. No idea why, but it feels like it's been at least a month since last Friday. I keep sitting down with the intention of blogging and just can't put words together coherently. Must try going to bed at a reasonable hour sometime.

I'm so glad you like the bags! I promise to show you my Timtex trick soon, maybe next week. In the meantime, thanks for all your comments and requests, and I'll give the bag patterns some thought.


I realized the other day that it's March, which means that all winter knitting should really be wrapping up if it's to be worn yet. So in a mad rush, my Hourglass Sweater (started last winter, mind you) is finally off the needles and awaiting finishing and blocking. And I wore my newly finished hat yesterday while running errands.

This must be almost the fastest and simplest hat you could possibly knit, since it's just a tube that's sewn together at the top, with a pom-pom added to each corner. Initially I wanted to make a pointy hat a la the Meathead (I bought the pattern and am saving it for next year), but all of a sudden this shape seemed more appropriate.

And, hey! Something must have been right about it, because the cashier at the wine store asked me for identification when I dropped in. I can't remember the last time that happened. I took her request as a compliment: my hat must make me look younger!

Oh, but maybe she asked me because I look a bit silly? After all, I would question the sanity of anyone I saw standing on the sidewalk, trying to take a decent photo of her head. I certainly got some interesting looks, believe me. I'd be particularly wary of her if she was taking those photos while wearing an orange hat with pom-pom ears. And were any of those resulting photos presentable? I'll let you decide.

The other bag

Here is the elusive bag from last week. I snapped some really quick photos of it on Saturday morning at Purl, before the light was very good (note that fabulous wall covered with embroidery hoops - very pretty!). But you can get the general idea of this tote, which converts to a backpack by pulling on the straps.


This bag will be another class at Purl, offered on Tuesday nights in May. It includes a zippered interior pocket and several interior pockets for cell phone, pens, etc. And that cute buttoned pocket on the front. It's not difficult to make, but there are lots of parts to cut out (interfacing, etc.).


Hope you had a good weekend! We didn't make it out to Brooklyn as hoped, but we will go very soon. And I hope to take photos!

Friday notes

There are some weeks when Friday just can't seem to arrive quickly enough for me. Those weeks occur primarily when Todd is on the road, Tsia is teething, and/or nothing seems to be going right (i.e., my way. How presumptious of me to assume they should go my way!). The past few weeks, however, have passed with amazing ease and speed. Maybe it's because Todd has been in town for three solid weeks. Maybe it's because we're still all healthy and it's already March (aside from an enormous re-injury to my knee which I just refuse to mention or think about)! Or maybe it's just because we're all so busy. In any case, I can't believe it's Friday already.

Plans for the weekend include a visit to MoMA for Tsia and her dad (they eat waffles and visit a museum every Saturday while I teach), the start of another Beginners sewing class for me, and hopefully the completion of several projects in the works. I'm also hoping to see the Brooklyn Museum's Devorah Sperber exhibit and enjoy some balmy spring weather at the park.


Tsia and I picked up this little sparrow and it's nest while at Tinsel Trading the other day. We thought she looked a bit lonely, so I've made her some little eggs out of Paperclay, and now she seems happy and hopeful for spring. I love Paperclay because it's lightweight (I've used it to make ceramic-looking Christmas ornaments before, and they weigh almost nothing), you can tint it with color as well as paint on it when it's dried (I used gouache), and--best of all--those little eggs bounce instead of breaking. Lucky mama bird; she doesn't need to worry about her babies getting hurt; lucky me, because I keep dropping the eggs.


Before I go, here are a few follow-ups from the week:

The wooden matching game is called Touche et Trouve, and it's manufactured by Vilac. I bought it at Kid O here in New York, and they may be able to help if you contact them.

Thanks for your lovely comments about the bag! Regarding the interfacing I use, I like heavy-weight sewn-in interfacing or canvas for bags that need structure without too much stiffness. And I use a Timtex for the base, but I have a secret way of sewing it to eliminate all the bulk from the seams. I'll think about doing a tutorial or a pattern for this bag if there's a lot of interest.

Let's see. What else? Oh yes, here is a close-up of the veggie silk ribbon embroidery in Martha, for those of you who don't have access to her magazine. I haven't decided whether I'll be embroidering vegetables or something else, but I think I'll be doing it on linen, no matter what I make.

And that's about it for now. Have a great weekend!

Just add that to the To Do list

Did you see this article in the latest issue of Martha Stewart magazine? It's nearly killing me. I've been wanting to try silk ribbon embroidery for the longest time now, probably since the December 1997 issue of Threads magazine featured Andra Gabrielle's intricately embroidered silk intimates, which she manufactures for Barneys. Actually, "manufactures" is the wrong word. Each garment must surely take hours of individual work, so I should really say "creates" instead.

I nabbed a few yards of silk ribbon at Tinsel Trading the other day--it was difficult to select just a few, since they carry a fantastic variety of colors and widths--and hope to find a little time to try it for myself sometime soon. I mean, did you see those vegetables? You'd better look again. They're amazing: