disdressed

year of the dragon

2012-01-27T23:30:00.010-05:00

If you've noticed that I've been absent even more than usual you've probably guessed that my schedule has been a little busy. We've been working on developing a new brand that we'll be launching later this spring, and it's kept me even more occupied than anticipated. I had good blogging intentions, and I've been carrying the camera along with me but somehow never using it. I hauled it all the way to Palm Springs a couple of weeks ago and took only three quick photos. Which makes it even more ironic that when I finally had a chance to photograph something (and time to stand still, no less) I had only the ipod with me. But it was Chinese New Year, and S and her friend were thrilled by the popping firecrackers and the confetti and the many, many dragons. I thought I'd share it with you.

We admired the beautiful women on decorated floats:

I liked the home-made dragons:

and the more elaborate dragons:

the drum carts:

the delegations meeting mid-parade:

and especially the little dragons-in-training:

So happy year of the dragon! I missed wishing you a happy 2012, so let's throw that in as well, shall we? I'm hoping to manage a little blog re-design and a lot more blogging very soon. And of course I'll let you know when our new project is up and ready for its reveal, too.

sweet, again

2011-11-16T00:49:00.002-05:00

S and I have a little tradition when we play our favorite matching game. Whenever one of us turns over the bear on a bicycle card, we both do a little freak-out and holler "Bear on a Bicycle!" And of course whoever finds the match does a mini dance. I've got no idea why we do this. Maybe just because we love the illustration so much.

So when Heather Ross told me that Melissa Sweet, the illustrator of our beloved game, would be attending Heather's Weekend Sewing retreat last weekend, I did a larger version of my mini freak-out. I love Melissa's work, and she would be there in person, sewing with us! (And not only was she sewing with us, she was even making up my Lisette Passport Jacket.)

So that was fun. But what we even more fun was learning that Melissa has just published a new children's book, Balloons Over Broadway, which is a story about the man who made the very first balloons for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.

As it happens, we were having dinner just around the corner from Macy's one night during the workshop, so a few of us dropped in afterwards to see if we could find the poster and the Macy's shopping bags (!) featuring Melissa's illustrations.

It wasn't an entirely fruitful search. No sign of the shopping bags, but we located a poster before returning to the sewing lab for the evening. I'll go back in a week or so to see if I can find the shopping bags.

S was beyond thrilled to get a signed copy of the book, and she spent yesterday afternoon and evening (parent-teacher conferences--half day of school) happily working away on the fantastic activity pages that Melissa and her publisher assembled. They're amazing! S spent loads of time designing her own Thanksgiving Day balloon, assembling a balloon hat (it turns out she moves quite well like a balloon when she's wearing her hat, thank you very much), and finding the best parade route through the maze. She was busy taping together the finger puppets while I assembled the adorable finger puppet storage box (I'll be making another one for myself, I love it so much). The activities are brilliant and would be a wonderful way to keep excited kids busy while they're awaiting Thanksgiving dinner.

By the way, Melissa will be on The Martha Stewart Show later this week demonstrating what Heather says is "the best project" she's seen for kids in a long time. Guess what we'll be doing on Thanksgiving Day before dinner?

Sweet.

(All these images are from Melissa's website. She's got a great blog, too!)

orange

2011-11-07T10:41:00.011-05:00

Last weekend S picked out a new hat on our way to Christie's for the contemporary art auction preview. As soon as we arrived at the galleries we noticed that she coordinated with the Mark Rothko--so well, in fact, that she had to stand to one side so we could see the top of her head!

Then we noticed orange everywhere we looked.

She even coordinated with the noses of the dogs on stilts.

And the creepy tomato-head art. (Can you tell I'm not a fan of Paul McCarthy?)

No orange on this one, but it's one of my favorite pieces by Maurizio Catellan. The tiny elevators actually seem to work, much to the amusement of the two little girls in attendance.

Lowell

2011-10-14T14:22:00.005-04:00

A couple of weeks ago we took advantage of some school vacation days and rented a car for a little trip to Massachusetts to do something I've been wanting to do for a long time: we visited the old textile mill town of Lowell. Have you heard of it?

Lowell was the first planned industrial town in the U.S. Its planners found a perfect location for a mill town (the river drops 13 feet, and a series of old logging canals lent themselves perfectly to powering the mills), traveled to England to learn the secrets of the mills there, and then returned to the U.S. and proceeded to build a mill city of their own.

Lowell is important to the history of our country on many levels: from the perspective of the industrial revolution, our economic development (and a demonstration of economic cycles) as a country, and in relation to the history of the cotton trade. Among others.

Now it's a National Park. And a great one.

The canals and the restored architecture are incredibly scenic.

The Boott Cotton Mill has been restored and turned into an amazing museum.

When you first enter you punch in at the time clock--just like the workers did:

The ground floor houses the looms themselves, and the noise on the floor when just a few of the looms are in operation would be deafening if it weren't for the earplugs provided. I can't even imagine what it would have been like for the workers (who worked without earplugs and lost their hearing, no doubt).

Upstairs you'll find a wonderful exhibit that demonstrates all the parts of a vertical mill (a vertical mill does everything from making the yarns from the raw cotton to finishing the fabric). I loved this exhibit, and the ranger on duty was a wealth of information and enthusiasm (which was great because I was nearly bouncing up and down, I was so excited about this. Fellow textile geeks unite!). S loved working a table loom (my apologies to the museum--we completely filled the warp and you'll need to prepare another loom for the rest of the people who come to visit), and I flipped out over the giant carding machine and all the other fantastic equipment and exhibits.

vertical mill model:

giant carding machine:

examples of the textiles produced at the mill over the years:

Right next door to the mill you can also explore one of the boarding houses to experience life as a mill girl. S was rather intrigued by this part since her beloved American Girl doll, Samantha, had a friend who worked in a textile mill.

When the mills first opened, the owners were trying to create a Utopian work environment, and they hired local farm girls to work in the mills. The girls were very well cared for and were given many opportunities for self-improvement, but the mills were so successful that competition surged. This, of course, put pressure on the mills to drop prices and pay and to increase the number of hours that the girls were required to work. Eventually the girls went on strike because the working conditions were very bad. Immigrants were later hired to replace the mill girls, and the working conditions soon resembled the conditions in England that the planners had hoped to avoid when they opened the mills. See? It's fascinating stuff--or it will be if you visit, at least.

We took a trolley tour of the canals, which included tons of fascinating information about the history of the town, the development of the canals, and lots of beautiful views:

I really want to go back again, I loved this town and the museum so much. I'd also like the visit the Slater Mill Museum someday, too.

We took a little side trip to Boston on Saturday and visited some friends... (does anyone in this photo look familiar?)

as well as some feathered friends. Do you recognize this scene?

here's a hint:

Yup. Make Way For Ducklings, complete with ducklings.

S wanted a self-portrait of herself with the mama. This pose garnered a lot of chuckles from other visitors:

It's a funny photo from the perspective of the iPod, too.

she makes it easy

2011-10-11T10:48:00.007-04:00

I've said before that I'm not really interested in making Halloween costumes, and so far S has really let me off easy in terms of her costume requirements. I'm pleased to report that she's still making it simple and sketched the following costume design the other day:

No elaborate suits or fantastical structures to be constructed, hooray! Just a simple black knit Hopscotch Dress, black tail, and black cat ears on a headband. I can do that.

The most challenging part will be finding the right black lace for the hem that she's clearly communicated is a crucial element of the costume. I love that she's thinking about the little details like that, and about what color her nose should be: black or pink?

That detail still needs to be decided.

9/11/01

2011-09-11T16:23:00.006-04:00

I remember returning to my desk for a moment and being told that a plane had struck one of the World Trade Center towers.

I remember how this news immediately reminded me how, shortly after Todd and I moved to New York, a bomb had exploded under the World Trade Center and my colleague's husband was trapped inside the building. A part of me assumed this was a similar experience that would be over soon. We would recover from it and carry on in the usual way.

I remember a panicked call from my sister, who wasn't sure where my office was but wanted to be sure I was ok.

I remember that someone at the office had a radio, and we were able to get updates from public radio. The announcer sounded almost as shocked and shaken as we felt but carried on with updates and coverage as best he could.

I remember that Todd was out of town on business, and we had trouble reaching each other because phone lines were busy.

I remember seeing from our office windows the smoke downtown and being told we should go home, as we were located just a block from the Empire State Building. We didn't know the extent of the attacks, and rumors were wide-spread.

I remember that, as I waited for the elevator so we could leave the building, someone told me one of the buildings had fallen.

I remember walking home with a friend. The streets were filled with people walking, but everyone was strangely silent.

I remember arriving at Union Square and standing on the street in a crowd, looking downtown together. Where once two buildings had stood, now we saw only one. The street was silent.

I remember arriving home and going up to the roof of our building to look downtown. The World Trade Center buildings were gone. The only thing left was smoke.

I remember that I was taking care of a neighbor's cats while she was on vacation. Since we didn't have a TV, I went to her apartment and watched the images. And comforted the cats. But really, the cats were comforting me.

I remember sleeping, or not sleeping, alone that night and for several nights following. Todd and I were schedule to meet on the west coast for a backpacking vacation and neither of us could get anywhere at that point. I really wanted to be with him.

I remember walking down along the East River early the next morning and stopping in front of a lone fire truck parked along the side of the road, covered in ash and dust. The image still haunts me.

I remember the smell. A friend called and told me to close the windows of our apartment, but I left them open. I needed that stench to know the events were real.

I remember how my dear friend, who lost her office in the attacks, had trouble sleeping for years, suffered depression and anxiety, and was so fortunate to be running late that morning.

I remember passing the emergency room and the posted missing person signs on my way to church the next Sunday. The pain in those signs was overwhelming. The world was changed, and we had no idea what our lives would be like going forward.

___________________________________________________

Until now, I've never written about my experiences ten years ago. As a society, we lost so much on that day, but my own experiences are tiny in comparison with what people with closer ties to downtown experienced. I met an elderly man on a city bus one day, years later, who quietly described his escape from one of the buildings. His life was changed in so many ways as a result of that day. My experiences never seemed worth writing down because I was not directly affected. I was here in Manhattan, but my life was largely separate from the events downtown.

Just two years prior to the attacks, I had worked very near the World Trade Center and spent quite a bit of time there, taking classes and having meetings in or near the buildings. I worked for a brief period in 7 World Trade, I shopped in the neighborhood and met friends there after work sometimes. But then I left the industry and returned to school for fashion design, and by the time of the attacks my ties with the financial industry and the downtown area were minimal.

My story from that day is not dramatic. But like everyone else who watched and was horrified, I'll never forget it. I don't know if we've made sense of it. I don't know if we ever will. Our lives have changed in unexpected ways and have not changed in other more anticipated ways. But I think it's important that we commemorate this day and keep remembering and vowing to make a difference in the world.

grumpy

2011-09-02T12:04:00.000-04:00

We really try, at our house, to make a point of not working on weekends. When your work is a family business it's easy to let personal and business blend together to where the business side completely takes over. I struggle with it a lot and still find myself mentioning phone conversations over dinner or suddenly remembering some great idea late in the evening. You know. It's hard to shut it off sometimes. So on weekends we try to take business completely out of the picture and focus on family and personal.

But with all the rain we had recently, we were having trouble finding a sunny workday to photograph the fall patterns, and we finally resorted to working on a sunny Saturday afternoon to get the job done. None of us wanted to be at the studio that day, so I had to laugh when S handed me this note as we were setting up:

Todd wasn't the only one feeling grumpy. My least favorite job is pressing the samples and styling them for the photographs. The mannequin shots are much simpler than the flat shots because it's such a challenge to eliminate all the folds and get the clothes styles lying flat nicely . It all takes much longer than I want it to (I've got plenty of other things I'd rather be doing), and although I've learned a few styling tricks I still get frustrated after a while of fiddling with that one fold that refuses to go away, or the underarm that doesn't lay flat. (Shooting women's clothing flat is the worst--all those curves!)

photo by S

But S wan't grumpy at all. She managed to keep herself busy while we were working, starting out by styling a mannequin with her all-time favorite dress (the Jump Rope, complete with accessories from her dress-up box) and then moved on to positioning and re-positioning her dolls and toys, shooting photos all the while.

photo by S

After that she sat down with the iPad, and I wasn't paying much attention beyond a general awareness that she was making faces for the camera. When I picked it up later I was surprised to fine over 100 photos saved. Here are some of my favorite creative (and disturbing) self-portraits taken by the kiddo.

photos by S

Next time maybe I'll ask her to be the stylist when we shoot. She clearly has more patience for fiddling than I. But she'll need to learn to iron.

By the way, if anyone need to borrow a two-headed 6-year old, or a cyclops 6-year-old with a very pointy head, I think we may have one around here somewhere. She's quite charming!

spotted

2011-08-26T11:10:00.001-04:00

There's a wonderful story in the Juillet/Aout (err, July/August) issue of Marie Claire Idees that features some of Denyse Schmidt's fabrics. Here are a few photos:

Don't they look great? I especially like the bottle carrier.

textile jewelry

2011-08-23T20:46:00.008-04:00

Last winter S and I were messing around with various fibers and made ourselves some jewelry. I finally remembered to photograph it so I can show you.

S went on a mad finger-knitting binge and swore she would make a scarf for everyone (19!) in her class as well as a lengthy list of additional friends who needed them (according to her--and I'm sure all our corporate-world friends would, indeed, have been very appreciative). Fortunately, she got distracted around necklace number eleven before I ran out of yarn, but I got to pick out the yarn for my own and specified that I wanted a necklace instead of a scarf. So my commission resulted in this fabulous piece made with an Amy Butler yarn. I combined her little masterpiece (yes, I really do wear it) with a scrap of Nani Iro double gauze sewn into a tube, stuffed with a little cotton, and tied with embroidery floss every so often to define the "beads" in the necklace. Someone showed how to do this in a blog a while ago and I can't remember who--can anyone refer us?

I also bought some of this crazy knit collage yarn at Purl and strung it with felted beads to make this necklace. S has a similar one with handmade felt beads (it takes about 15 minutes to make each bead, and I only had time to make enough beads for one necklace before I ended up buying the rest. Someday when I have more time...). As we strung the beads (you'll need a tapestry needle, strong fingers, and a lot of patience), I looped the yarn around my neck and arranged the beads and yarn lengths to my liking. Then I tied all the loops together at the back to hold them in place. It's easy to wear since I just slip it over my head (made sure it's long enough!) and it's lightweight.

Here it is on Pedal at the studio. It's a bit long on her, but I've had enough with modelling for a while.

We've got ideas for a few more textile necklaces when we have time. The felt beads are fun to play with, but S is very busy with play dates before school starts again, and she doesn't have time for crafting at present.

little escape

2011-08-22T20:40:00.002-04:00

Last Thursday some friends who just returned from performing in the catskills were asking us whether we had ever considered buying a little house where we could escape from the city on weekends. Todd and I answered that we have considered it, but our weekends are usually so busy that we really wouldn't take advantage of a weekend retreat very much.

Then on Friday we took the train up to Garrison to visit some other friends who are renting an adorable bungalow on the property of a large house in the area. We had such an amazing time spent lounging by the pool, visiting other friends at the lake, hanging out, cooking delicious dinners, and generally enjoying the weather and the country so near the city.

Several times during the weekend I turned to Todd and said, "maybe we should consider doing this after all!" But on the train back home we agreed that it just isn't practical for us. We both have obligations on Sundays, and we wouldn't take advantage of the escape often enough for it to make sense. But still, it was awfully relaxing and really pretty. I'm thinking that if I write another book it would be fun to do the photo shoot up there. Clearly I'd have to think of a way to include the chicken house...

wish you were here

2011-08-04T22:19:00.000-04:00

We've spent the week with my family on vacation someplace on the outer banks of North Carolina, where the houses are big enough to hold our entire crew. So far we've been dodging trucks (everyone drives on the beach out here!), admiring the wild horses, building sand castles and sand snowmen, baking (more sandcastles--the beach-themed cake was for my sister's birthday), goofing off in the pool, and I've had so much fun riding the boogie board I've pretty much decided to quit work and move someplace where I can learn to surf. But maybe I'll change my mind again when we get back home.

We're the only ones walking back and forth to the the beach instead of driving, so if you see us, wave!

break

2011-07-27T22:47:00.001-04:00

Someday not too long from now she's going to grow up and move away, and I'm going to wish for many, many more of these days together.

renovated

2011-07-26T08:44:00.000-04:00

We've just finished some renovations to the studio, and I had a chance to show it off yesterday at Pink Chalk. Kathy is featuring all sorts of great sewing spaces on her blog this month, so if you're looking for ideas or want to share off your space you should definitely take a look.

Now that we've been in this space for almost three years, I feel like it's finally come together. We've just been so busy that I hadn't taken the time to do any work on the studio itself. But I'm really happy with it now. We've put linen-covered homosote doors over all the shelving, and the doors are perfect bulletin boards. I love being able to put up everything I'm working on because I can step back and really look and get a good perspective on the scale and colors and ideas as they work together. It's been very helpful to see how new fabric collections play off older groups, to compare and develop color palettes, and to just spread out and play. I actually think those doors are changing the way I work. The leftover pieces became smaller bulletin boards behind the sewing machine counter.

For a while there I had a cute little whitewashed branch suspended from the ceiling, and it was a great place to hang finished garments. That came down when we built the doors, but I'm still hoping to find a place for it. And I didn't get a good photo of the old library card catalog at the entryway. It's great for storing all sorts of odds and ends and just looks fun.

S and I are out in Michigan right now and returning home tomorrow, just in time to pack for a family vacation. I've had a couple of days with my Grandma, and today I think we're headed to the beach. I can't wait!

July 20

2011-07-21T22:59:00.008-04:00

Twenty years ago yesterday I married this guy.

That was a really good idea. (Although when he wakes up tomorrow morning and sees that I wrote this he's going to kill me.)

Twenty years of marriage means that it's also been twenty years since we moved to New York. Just a couple months out of college, we drove a giant U-Haul truck out here with our belongings tied up in a little corner of the truck because it was the smallest vehicle the rental company would give us. We carried boxes and boxes (of books, mostly) up to our tiny third-floor apartment on a very hot, sticky day. A lot like today, come to think of it. We slept on the floor of our un-air-conditioned apartment until our sofa bed arrived a few weeks later. (The sofa bed wasn't much of an improvement from the floor, trust me. Somehow we slept on that awful thing for almost five years until we moved to a larger apartment, and then we went out and bought the most comfortable bed we could find.)

I started my first job a day or two after we moved in. Todd started graduate school shortly after that. We barely got by; but we were thrilled to be married, living in New York, and pursuing our dreams.

Since then we've both made several career changes. And we had a kid. And I've never really talked about it here, but two and a half years ago Todd quit his job and joined me in my business. So it's no longer my business, but our business. Now he runs things (far more smoothly and efficiently than I ever did, believe me) and I do what I do best (which doesn't include nearly as many things as he does), and that allows us both to spend more time together and with the kiddo.

I can tell you that being married and rearing a child and running a business together are far more challenging than either of us expected. Our studio and our apartment are both very small spaces, and sometimes the only way to make things work is to each be in a different place for at least part of the time. We can each be in charge independently that way, at least until dinnertime.

But when I stop to think about it all, I wouldn't want to have done it any other way. We still have fun together. We have similar interests and can appreciate each other's interests even when they aren't shared. We have very different senses of humor, but he can still make me laugh. And I'm ecstatic when I can make him laugh every once in a while.

We were very young when we got married. Many, many things have changed in our lives in that time span. But I'd do it again, given the chance.

I hope we get another twenty (or more?) years together.

And he does look like Heather's illustration of him, doesn't he?

summer

2011-07-12T20:18:00.001-04:00

Summer, at long last. New York schools continue through June, so S's summer break started with the Independence Day weekend and we've been busy cramming a lot of activities into our schedule ever since. We've made silly treats like cupcake cones (S liked these) and strawberry shortcake popsicles (I liked these and didn't feel a bit guilty eating them), had loads of playdates, run some errands , and made packing lists for all the trips we're taking.

We've also trying to slow down to enjoy picnics, the hydrangeas (especially since I only glimpsed the field of roses outside our building as a blur, I was trotting past them so quickly every day), and to play some games.

Ah, summer! Why do you go so quickly?

long live McQueen

2011-06-24T14:26:00.000-04:00

S and I paid a visit to the Alexander McQueen exhibit at the Met when it opened earlier this spring and managed to get there before the long lines. That's not to say the exhibit wasn't mobbed; we could barely get close enough to the clothing to really see much of it, and it's tricky to visit a show like this with a 6-year-old who can't see over everyone and who would rather be eating lunch at the park. In any case, I'll happily brave the crowds to see the show several more times this summer. It's by far and away the most spectacular fashion exhibit I've ever seen. I think the word Sublime is the best description of McQueen's designs, and of the show itself.

If you aren't coming to New York this summer, you can get still get a taste of the show via this video tour. You won't see the details of the clothing and will miss some of my favorite pieces, but it will give you the general sense of the show, at least.

I first fell in love with McQueen's work when I was finishing up my degree at FIT. McQueen and I were the same age (he died on my birthday, incidentally, not long before his own birthday), but he was already producing his spectacular clothing and shows when I was just changing careers and starting to study traditional tailoring techniques. It was that spray-painted dress (if you haven't seen this video before, you must watch it!) in the spring/summer 1999 show which captured my full attention. After than I followed his career with fascination. I think he was one of the fashion geniuses of our century, really, and it's hard to imagine any designer not being influenced by his work and by this show. It's truly amazing on both counts.

We visited the gift shop on our way out of the museum and purchased the catalog from the show. So while S was running up and down a hill in Central Park I cracked open the book and was blown away a second time.

The photos in the catalog are, at first glance, simple compositions of McQueen's designs on mannequins. Except that you very quickly notice that these aren't ordinary mannequins. The poses aren't standard mannequin poses, and the hands are feet are eerily life-like.

Have you ever seen a mannequin stand like this?

That's because the mannequins are actually live models. The models wore white paint and bands around their shoulders and wrists where the joints on actual mannequins are located. Heads were replaced or removed in editing. The result is perfect--you're not distracted by a real person, but the pages are vibrant and exciting.

Classic McQueen.

improvisational patchwork

2011-06-20T09:07:00.000-04:00

I had such a great time at Denyse Schmidt's Improvisational Patchwork workshop last Saturday, I meant to take photos of her gorgeous studio. Instead, we got so busy making our blocks and discussing them and what we learned from the process that I forgot to use my camera. So I returned home mostly with photos of the quilt blocks we made.

If you get a chance to take the class, it's a great experience and very worthwhile. I'm still contemplating ways that I can incorporate some of what I learned into my own work.

Thanks for inviting me, Denyse!

loved

2011-06-01T10:26:00.006-04:00

I'm still here. It's been an exceptionally busy spring, between the launch of Lisette, the release of my book, Quilt Market, and all the usual work that needs to be done. I've been holed up for the past couple of weeks, formatting the fall Oliver + S pattern collection. And there have been some personal items scattered into the mix, like my horrendous allergies. Wow, what a brutal spring this one has been! I've been a sneezing, coughing, teary-eyed mess. All in all, I'm looking forward to taking a few breaks this summer.

Not all the events of this spring have been happy ones. I need to just say before I get to the point of my post that I'm gradually realizing (I guess I'm a slow learner) life is full of challenges. I'm learning to embrace unexpected issues and to expect them as part of "normal" life. I think I feel less side-tracked when I understand that there will always be some difficulty or unexpected issue that crops up. It's not effective for me to expect everything to settle down after an issue has been resolved, because there will inevitably be another one somewhere down the road. So if I expect challenges and embrace them as part of normal life, I'm less surprised when they arrive. I don't think that's a fatalistic perspective--just a small dose of reality to help keep everything balanced and in perspective and maybe to help me remember to celebrate little victories, too.

The reason I mention this is because last fall my sister was diagnosed with breast cancer. This came as a tremendous shock to everyone in our family, since my mom had just finished treatment for breast cancer not six months earlier. But today is my sister's final round of chemo, and she should be feeling better in a week or so. She's handled all the extra attention gracefully, and I'm very proud of her for the ways that she's been both weak and strong through this entire process.

My sister and her family are surrounded by a loving community who have helped to take very excellent care of them during the past six months, and one of her dear friends organized a quilting bee to show her support. We each sewed a quilt block, and a couple of weeks ago a group of us got together to do a little quilting and to celebrate and support my sister. I think I counted ten women who assembled, and as we quilted we got to know each other, since we come from several different parts of my sister's life. These are strong women who each have experienced their own challenges and victories and have each contributed to my sister's treatment in different ways. It was an honor to meet them and to see how they each play a part in my sister's life. (I'm really restraining myself from using the quilt as a metaphor, here...)

Everyone signed a patch for the back of the quilt. I had the honor of signing for my sisters, my mother, and my grandmother, all of whom contributed blocks but live too far away to attend the party.

Here she is with it, almost finished. (I think she and the quilt both look fantastic, by the way.)

And with her friend, Genna, who organized the bee and has put many hours into it.

Genna did an amazing job with the back, too. Don't you just feel the love when you see this?

And I need to close this post with a little reminder: have you checked or been checked recently?

Please don't forget.

compounded interests

2011-04-28T11:27:00.000-04:00

I've been doing a little travelling recently, and there's been a lot of planning and preparation for these trips. First were some classes I taught at Farmhouse Fabrics in South Carolina, and now I'm out in Colorado to tape a segment for a PBS sewing program (details to come). Samples needed to be made, lessons prepared, and clothing that isn't black or grey needed to be found. (My New York wardrobe is appropriately neutral in color--I fit right in here, but neutral colors and TV aren't so great together.)

In between those two trips total chaos ensued. S had spring break (and her first research paper to write--in Kindergarten--complete with trips to the library, index cards, and a lot of whining and cajoling on the part of various parties involved); we constructed, packed up, and shipped a brand new booth for Quilt Market; fall 2011 fabric collections for Oliver + S and for Lisette arrived and needed to be kitted up and sent off for sample making; and the fall patterns went off to the grader. Not to mention all the usual stuff that goes on day-to-day.

It was a little too much for one week. All the construction and packing made it difficult to move around in the studio. S spent a good deal of the week hanging out with us, "helping" and keeping herself very busy making things, and she loved every minute of it. (You can see her "art installation, named Sara, below.) We ran errands, traced patterns, stepped over boxes and around paint cans, shuffled piles and piles of fabric, and had a few good laughs in the process. On Friday I negotiated my way around the studio with the camera, just to document a bit of the mess.

flower market

2011-04-09T20:48:00.003-04:00

Flower Market, a collection of photos by Laurie Frankel, the photographer for my book.

I like Laurie's eye. She didn't focus on the obvious beauty of the market but, instead, on the detritus and gritty aspect of it.

red and white

2011-03-31T11:23:00.005-04:00

I had the great pleasure of walking the Red and White quilts exhibit with Denyse Schmidt the other day. Denyse knows a tremendous amount about quilts (of course), so it was great fun to just listen and look.

I love the way the quilts were displayed. The show really took advantage of the space inside the Armory, and the cardboard tubes used to hang the quilts were and ingenious solution to hanging such a large quantity of quilts for a short amount of time.

I could say more about the show, but there's already been lots written, so I'll just leave it at that.

Many more photos here. Excuse the blurry ones--the lighting was a bit tricky, and I was busy looking instead of concentrating on the photos.

"good books!" and "books I recmend!"

2011-03-27T23:03:00.001-04:00

Todd found these lists in S's room the other night as he was getting her ready for bed. No idea what was behind them other than, apparently, a desire to share her love of reading?

If you need a translation, here we go:

list 1:
Good Books!
American Girl books!
Chapter books!
Mary Poppins!
Danny and the Dinosaur!
Wacky Wednesday!
Oliver + S Little Things to Sew!
So on and so forth...

(I love "so on and so forth" --so much better than "etc." And how funny that she included my book on her list. I'm flattered more than I can begin to tell you. But let's continue...)

list 2:
Books I recommend for kids! starting to read! in school! (at least I think that's what it says)
Bob Books
One Red Dot!

Clearly my translation is lacking the charm of the original text, since as I was unable to include the all-important arrows. But I did keep the exclamation points, which also play an important role.

* * * * * * *

I've got a book to recommend, too, found over at Purl the other day.

I've got a long-time obsession with French macarons, having even gone so far as to make Todd bring them back from Paris for me. Fortunately we have a decent bakery in our neighborhood that creates a few flavors, so I can still get my fix locally.

I've tried making macarons at home but had trouble getting the texture just right. You know, that crispy exterior with the slightly chewy inside. I'm looking forward to trying the recipes in this book because, in addition to photo instructions, it also includes tips and hints for troubleshooting. It includes instructions for making the different flavors, as well as suggestions for matching the flavored fillings to the flavors and colors of the meringues.

But the real attraction with this book is the gorgeous photography. Doesn't this just make you hungry looking at it?

And if that's not enough, there's a section on packaging them that includes all sorts of cute and clever ideas.

But the thing that really impresses me about the book is that the author thought of everything. The last section includes recipes for using the leftover egg yolks.

I'm torn between making the rich and creamy pudding and the caramel ice cream.

* * * * * * *

One more book-related item:

I'll be doing a special event at the New York Public Library next Saturday, and I'd love it if you would come! Details here. Bring the kids!

little bits

2011-03-16T08:14:00.000-04:00

I found some empty egg cartons on the curb outside our neighborhood bakery a while ago and snagged them for Tsia. She's always rescuing things from our recycling at home, saying "I can make something from this," so I knew she'd like them.

Turns out, they also make a great organizer for for all the little things that accumulate on the cutting table at the studio: tailor's chalk, erasers, buttons, paper clips, etc.

just looking

2011-03-14T23:40:00.006-04:00

Images that are inspiring me right now:

Irving Penn's Nurse, London, 1951: We've been reading the Mary Poppins books, and this photo reminds me of her starched, crackling aprons. This woman looks so feminine and elegant in her uniform.

Cecil Beaton's portrait of Gloria Guinness, circa 1970: Looks so refined, and her voluminous caftan emphasized her long neck.

Anything drawn or painted by Maira Kalman. Her show at The Jewish Museum is amazing.

catching up

2011-03-06T23:01:00.000-05:00

S and I found these books at a shop the other day. We liked them so much we bought two: one for each of us. They're basically just sketchbooks, but with specific drawing suggestions on each page for things like a tennis racket, the leaning Tower of Pisa, the wild blue yonder, a technical diagram, footprints, and my favorite--luminescent plankton. We work on a page or two a night, just a fun activity to do together.

S draws a mean string quartet, doesn't she? Some of her quartet members dance instead of playing an instrument.

Since I've been such a bad blogger lately, here is a quick list of random bits to bring things up-to-date:

we launched a new brand a week or so ago. Lisette is a collection of sewing patterns and coordinating fabrics for women's clothing. You can learn more about it on the website.

Remember when I mentioned the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire a while back? Well, you can watch a documentary about it at the PBS now.

S and I have discussed it at length and decided that, were we to be given a third arm, we would like it to be located on the top of our heads to hold an umbrella when it rains. We're still negotiating additional legs and eyes.

my book is out!

When I'm working on fabric designs I often spend hours staring at a computer screen, and sometimes I'll "watch" old movies and t.v. while I'm working--meaning I'm mostly listening while my eyes are otherwise occupied. Lately I've been watching thirtysomething and enjoying it almost as much as I did when it first came out. Do you remember it?

I'm sure there's more, but I'll think of it later.

six

2011-02-26T22:23:00.002-05:00

S turned six the other day, and her birthday fell during a week of school vacation. So the celebration stretched across week, with extra time spent together and a few outings and events scattered across the days.

I can't stop thinking about how quickly she's growing up, which I know is what every parent feels. The pediatrician said she's grown three inches since last year, and her school uniforms are already starting to look short. She's acting so grown up, too. Todd and I have been commenting about how much fun it is to hang out with her. We have great conversations, and she can both take and give a lot of teasing. Five was a really good year, and I think six will be a lot of fun for all of us.

I wanted to track her changing preferences as she matures, so I made up this little "All about me" page that I plan to give her every year on her birthday. She can complete it herself, and we'll save them all so we can look back to see how long her favorite color remains pink and whether she still wants to be a teacher when she's in sixth grade.
You can download a copy of the page if you'd like to use it for your own kids.

hexagon obsession

2011-01-25T21:36:00.006-05:00

If you've been reading this little blog for a while, you might recall my mild obsession with hexagon piecing. It started as a dabbling, but the dabbling had such great appeal, I keep returning to it when I get a chance.

hexagon tile floor at the Museum at Eldridge Street

When I teach sewing, I'm always surprised at the number of students who recoil at the idea of hand basting or hand finishing. To me, hand sewing is half the joy of sewing! I rarely get much time to do any sewing for pleasure anymore, so I relish vacations and the chance to make something entirely by hand. I like that that these little hexagon projects are portable and easy to pick up when I have a few minutes. Although, in truth, I have trouble putting them down once I begin.

We took some vacation time between Christmas and New Years, so I finally finished this little doll quilt. I hadn't really intended to finish all the edges like that, but it was a fun challenge once I got going.

I still had vacation time on my hands, so I started this one:

I thought it might be fun to make a quilt using a scrap from every Oliver + S fabric I design for Moda, adding to the quilt with each collection. This is the first two collections (our second collection ships in April, so it isn't in stores yet). I like how they work together.

I'm pleased that I can keep working on this same quilt for a while. We've got enough doll quilts around here to keep a princess with a pea sleeping peacefully, so it's time for a larger project. One that I can work on periodically, whenever I have time.

(This is the technique I use, if you're interested in trying hexagon piecing for yourself.)

weekend news

2011-01-23T22:43:00.009-05:00

Every Friday S is given a small homework assignment for Kindergarten: weekend news. She's supposed to draw a picture and write a paragraph about something she does over the weekend and then read and present her news to the class on Monday. And every Sunday afternoon or evening we talk about all the things we did and try to help her decide which topic to write about.

I'm frequently surprised at what she chooses.

This evening she was tired and really didn't want to do her homework, so in an effort to excite her about the project I offered to do one myself. She gladly took me up on the idea and quickly generated worksheets for Todd and me to complete. So here is a summary of our weekend. She could have chosen any of the following activities:

1.
2. We had dinner (escargot for S: her favorite food) at a French restaurant in our neighborhood to celebrate the sale of the French rights to Little Things to Sew. It will be available en francais next fall. (Hurray!)

3.
(The big news here was the fact that S ate all her dinner. Todd is a great cook, too, but that's not news if you live at our house.)

4. We spent a little time admiring the Lod mosaic at the Metropolitan museum.

But with all those choices, here is what S chose to feature, instead:

"I had a tea party with my toys on Sunday. I had fun. And ice cream. It was fun for my toys too."

For the record, there is no ice cream at our house right now. So sweets weren't even part of the decision here.

living history

2011-01-05T22:30:00.006-05:00

Happy 2011! I hope you enjoyed the holidays. We took some much-needed time off last week while S was on school break, and it was wonderful to hang out, see some friends, and relax for a while. That giant snowstorm threw off our plans a bit, but I like a good snow day or two every once in a while.

Do you remember reading All-of-A-Kind Family as a kid? I loved those books, maybe in part because they were about another family of five girls. (Although, in truth, I think I read them before my two youngest sisters were born, so that theory may not hold). Anyway, we've been reading them to S, who really enjoys them too. The stories and history are so much more meaningful to me now because the books are set in our neighborhood and capture some of the history of the area. They tell the story of a Jewish family living on the lower east side of Manhattan in the early 1900's. Many Jewish traditions are explained, and you get a real sense of what life was like in our city 100 years ago. I was fascinated to discover that the stories are based on the author's childhood.

Since it fit so nicely with the All-of-A-Kind books, we took a little tour of the Tenement Museum during our vacation. We had a little time between buying our tickets and the start of the tour, so we also squeezed in a quick visit to the Museum at Eldridge Street, which is located nearby. The museum was originally a synagogue that was built in 1887, so it fits into the same time period as the books and might resemble the synagogue in the story. The building fell into terrible disrepair but recently completely a 20-year restoration that left it looking extraordinary. Every surface is covered with pattern and decoration in a very elegant manner that was carefully researched from the original decor. I was particularly amazed by the grooves that had been worn into the floors from thousands of worshippers rocking back and forth over the years and which were left intact during the restoration. Since the original stained glass window at the front was destroyed, the replacement was designed by artist Kiki Smith. Can you see what a beautiful space it is? I'd like to return for a tour when we have a little more time.

Touring the Tenement Museum is an eye-opening experience. The apartments are so tiny! It's difficult to imagine a family of seven people living together in such a tiny space. And yet the tour guide told extraordinary tales of the real families who lived and raised their many children in these minute spaces. All without indoor plumbing or electricity, and often running a garment-making business in the same small space. (The neighborhood was at the heart of the garment center at the time.)

photo by Steve Cadman

photo from the Tenement Museum

We picked up a children's book, If You Lived 100 Years Ago, at the gift shop, and S has been intrigued by all the approachable facts and clever illustrations inside. I've learned a lot from it, too. For my own reading, I've reserved a book about the Triangle Shirtwaist fire from the library.

We stopped at the Essex Street Market to get a little more lower east side history (and a little dinner) on our way home.

P.S. If you're interested in learning more about All-of-A-Kind Family, here is an online reader's companion with a lot of additional information about the author, the books, and the history.

seaworthy

2010-12-16T20:12:00.003-05:00

One of the many advantages of being an author for a top-notch publisher like Stewart, Tabori and Chang is that I sometimes get copies of other books they publish. (This is especially nice since many of my favorite craft books are STC Melanie Falick books--if you're going to get free books you might as well get the ones you like, right?.) So when Wee Wonderfuls arrived in the mail the other day, Tsia and I immediately dove in. She picked four or five (!) projects she wanted me to make for her and, after a lot of discussion, finally narrowed her selection to two dolls.

I'd never sewn a Wee Wonderfuls pattern before, and it was a pleasure to make the mermaiden. It takes a little patience, but the doll is assembled in a unique and clever way that I suspect eliminates potentially fussy bits. The hair and fin are each assembled separately from the doll's body, and then you sort of tuck them all together and discretely stitch the pieces to join the doll. I had loads of fun with it.

Hillary introduced the project by asking "Who says mermaids have to glitter and sparkle?" I wholeheartedly agree, but a certain 5-year-old is still very keen on pink and fairydust. So I used some leftover sequins and pearls from a few years ago when I repaired a vintage beaded sweater. It took a couple of evenings, a little practice, and several French films on Netflix (it's tricky to sew sequins and read subtitles, so my French skills got a good workout) to cover the front and back fin entirely. But it was a fun diversion, and I think the resulting doll will be a great stocking stuffer for the kiddo.

S keeps asking when I'm going to finish her mermaid doll. I hope she forgets about it before Christmas so she can be surprised.

Here she is, swimming away, sequins and all...

Next on our toy-making list? Margot the topsy-turvy doll. Although personally I'm itching to make Melvin or Marian.

getting ready

2010-12-05T22:59:00.002-05:00

Winter has come to New York, at long last. We shivered our way through the West Village today and admired the architecture along one of our frequent routes. Isn't this street quaint?

I went shopping on Friday afternoon, and the streets and shops all looked so cozy as the sun was setting. This is my favorite time of the year, when the days are short and the light showing from windows is so inviting. I can't think of a more wonderful place to celebrate Christmas than this city.

I found some new favorite shops, if you're interested. There is so much inspiration to be found in this city.

thanks

2010-11-25T18:15:00.006-05:00

a short list of nine things for which I am extremely thankful:

1. a loving and supportive family. I am grateful to celebrate a loving husband, a charming daughter, four wonderful sisters, a sister-in-law, two loving parents and parents-in-law, four brothers-in-law, two nieces, a nephew, and one amazing grandmother. Wow.

2. the health of my family, especially for my mom and dad, both of whom overcame some significant obstacles in the past year.

3. a close-knit neighborhood and community. We love New York and our friends here.

4. a wonderful school, teacher, and friends for our kiddo

5. the pleasure (and challenge) of owning and running a business. I'm glad to work with my husband, I'm grateful for the fulfillment and flexibility our business gives us, and I'm glad for the learning and growing opportunities we continue to experience. Our business affords us the opportunity to work with a variety of people and businesses, and all of these relationships are very valuable to us.

7. all of you readers, many of whom have become customers and friends. I'm grateful for your support, friendship and the inspiration we can share with each other. Isn't the on-line community amazing?

8. the ability to live modestly but well. We don't need a lot, but we have everything we need.

9. the chance to sit and reflect on all the things for which we are thankful. We (I) need to do this more often.

There are many, many more things I could list here. But instead, I wish you a happy thanksgiving, whether you celebrate the holiday or not. What are you thankful for?

in miniature

2010-11-21T20:38:00.015-05:00

When Todd is doing preparation for a tour for the Whitney Museum he soaks up all sorts of details and lets the information marinate for a while. Occasionally a few juicy bits spill out, which inevitably makes me curious to see the show and to hear what he'll say about it. In the end, the most incredible tours usually emerge from the oven that is his brain.

This time, however, Todd couldn't wait to share the show. He knew Tsia and I would love it, and I think you will, too. (Unfortunately, the Whitney doesn't allow photography in the galleries, so I'll just have to tell you about it and show you some photos from the website. But you need to know up front that photos don't do this work justice.

Charles LeDray makes tiny things. I'm not going to attempt a proper art review because other people are much better at it and more erudite than I will ever be. But I can tell you that, from the perspective of someone who sews and who knows garment construction and pattern making really well, his work is incredible.

LeDray makes miniature clothing. Perfectly. And apparently he doesn't really talk about it. Todd recounted the curator walk-through he attended last week, and apparently when the curator asked the artist about his work the only real answer she got was "What do you think?" For example, the curator asked whether a tiny drawer in a tiny cobbler bench opens. The artist's reply: "What do you think?" Curator: "Are the laundry bags [I'll explain shortly] filled with clothing or just stuffing?" LeDray: "What do you think?"

This has, of course, become a running joke at our house. Here is a typical morning conversation:

Me: Tsia, did you brush your teeth?
Tsia: Hmmm, what do you think?
Todd: Tsia, where are your shoes?
Tsia: Hmmm, what do you think?

You get the picture.

So I really can't tell you much about the artist's process. Nor, I imagine, can many people. But I'm guessing that LeDray procures clothing and then takes it apart, paying particular attention to the construction of the garment. Then he probably makes a pattern from the disassembled garment, reduces the scale considerably (he says each item is "exactly the size it needs to be," and the pieces are each a different size but all seem to be smaller than 50% of the original garment), recuts the pattern, and assembles the garment exactly as the original was constructed. No kidding. I closely examined a miniature trench coat hanging from a miniature coat rack and could see that the edges of the inside facings were finished with Hong Kong binding, and the free-hanging lining was hemmed to exactly the right length.

Each piece also appears to be worn. I've got no idea how he does this. It's possible to "age" clothing artificially, like putting "whiskers" on bluejeans--you know, the white lines that result from wearing a pair of jeans for a long time? The aging on LeDray's miniature clothing is much more subtle and gives the appearance that a body actually occupied the garment and gave it a shape that contours the body.

Some of the miniature garments even have miniature garments attached to them. My favorite is a small wooden hanger with pants, shirt, jacket and tie. From each garment holes have been cut. If you look closely, you can see the hole in the front of the shirt that is a perfect extra-miniature shirt sleeve. An even smaller pants, shirt, jacket and tie, have been constructed from the missing pieces, and this extra-miniature clothing hangs from the first miniature. Both are impeccably detailed.

But the most mind-boggling part of the show is the last gallery, where he has constructed miniature scenes. Little clothing racks filled with shirts or jackets, tables stacked with old T-shirts or neckties on display, laundry bags and baskets overflowing (with perfectly made laundry, or did he give himself a break and stuff the bags with bunches of fabric? Please, Mr. LeDray, tell me it's just fabric or I'll faint from sheer exhaustion for you!). Each item was made by LeDray: the racks themselves, the stacks of clothing, the aged linoleum tiles, even the dropped ceilings with fluorescent lighting and the dust that lightly covers each item. Once you've seen the attention given to just one of these garments in the preceding galleries, the effect of all this together is simply overwhelming.

LeDray does all the work himself, and he is prolific. Not only does he meticulously construct all those tiny garments. He also makes hundreds of tiny ceramics and constructs miniature furniture out of human bones. I'll admit, the ceramics and the use of human bones left me a bit cold, but the garments more than made up for it. And the detail on the non-textile work is just as meticulous as the textile work, so the overall effect of the show is sublime. I don't use that word lightly.

Really. If you get a chance to see it, please do. I'm guessing you'll be stunned.

P.S. I was noting to Todd, as I was finishing this post, that most of LeDray's work features men's wear:

Todd: The men's clothing conceals smaller dresses and women's clothing.
Me: Is there a message in that?
Todd: What do you think?

And so it goes.

welcome home

2010-11-07T22:34:00.006-05:00

Really, what could be better than to return home from a trip and receive two gifts upon your arrival? Not only did I get a nice I MISS YOU drawing when we returned home from Quilt Market last week, but I also received a very special handmade book:

(Which, if you don't read 5-year-old, is entitled The Pooping Animals. Complete with drawings of cats and goldfish doing, you guessed it, just what the title says.)

So we're all authors around here. (Sorry, no pooping in my upcoming book.)

rolling

2010-10-23T08:53:00.002-04:00

Because her new school is quite a distance from our apartment and not very convenient for the commute to our studio, I spent a ridiculous amount of time this fall mulling over our commuting options and concluded that biking would be our best choice.

Much as Tsia might like to ride in a creative solution like this

or this

we don't exactly have storage space for these clever modes. A similar front-basket Dutch style is manufactured here in the States. We also tried and considered the Burley and Chariot trailers, but they weren't practical for our purposes.

A more typical solution (for our purposes) is a back-of-the-bike carrier like this one:

Unfortunately, Tsia is too big (tall, that is) for these seats, which are intended for smaller children. And I was a little nervous about whether I could control a bike with her on it--she's weighs more than a quarter of my own weight, after all:

Then I read and enjoyed this post about the Dutch and their bikes. I love biking in the Netherlands, but I must admit I never noticed all this about their bikes. I'm especially impressed at all the things they carry (another adult? two kids?) and do (talk on cell phones?) on their bikes. So we agreed that, as long as we're careful, I can handle riding her on a back seat.

A knowledgeable biking parent called these seats to our attention. The seats are appropriate for children aged five to ten. They aren't widely available in the U.S. but proved to be the perfect solution for our needs.

Then came the bike part of the equation. I was dreaming of a bike this this one. But they're a bit pricey. And VERY heavy. Especially for getting over the Williamsburg Bridge every day, which is how we get to Brooklyn every day after dropping S at school. I needed a lighter bike with plenty of gears, since the seat adds quite a bit of weight to the bike and the bridge has a decent incline over which to haul all that weight.

New York has also been working to make the city more bike-friendly, with the addition of special bike lanes and accomodations that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. I think we've still got a long way to go before biking will be as widely accepted and easy to maneuver as it is in the Netherlands, but we're making good progress in the right direction.

I still need to take a photo to show you just what we ended up getting. But our new commute has been working out really well, and we're all enjoying it.

checking in

2010-10-18T22:28:00.004-04:00

If you're wondering what's become of me, so am I. I walked into a meeting at S's new school (kindergarten, already) last week and was shocked to hear the Principal mention that it was the sixth week of school. Already? It felt like the third week to me. We're still adjusting to the schedule, our new commute, and a lot of projects and deadlines that keep popping up.

Just to get caught up and back into the swing of things, here's a list of random items:

Visiting: We took our bikes out to Governor's Island on the ferry a week or two ago and had a great time riding around. It's so odd to explore an island full of vacant buildings, so close to the city. Eerily beautiful, especially when it's threatening a storm.

Watching: I've been on a little kick, watching documentary and feature films about fashion designers: Valentino, Coco Before Chanel, and Yves Saint Laurent. Loved The September Issue. Have you seen it? Have I missed any? I'm anxiously awaiting Bill Cunningham New York, too.

Reading: I think I'll move on to something different than fashion once I've finished reading Coco Chanel. But in truth I'm just awaiting the final book in the Lytton family trilogy by Penny Vincenzi to arrive from the library. Good stuff.

Listening: Have you heard the most recent Radiolab yet? And here I thought we were being so environmental, living in New York. Turns out that's only part of the story.

Looking: The Abstract Expressionist New York show at MoMA is well worth a trip if you get a chance. The show draws from the museum's permanent collection, and it's both educational and fascinating.

Ok, back soon. I promise.

(Oh, and we're doing a giveaway at the Oliver + S blog to celebrate the release of our fabrics, fyi...)

inspiration: other designers

2010-10-05T10:27:00.001-04:00

I always love to see other people's sources for creative inspiration. It's interesting how each of us finds inspiration from different places and things.

New York magazine asked 100 fashion designers to share their inspiration for their spring 2010 collections. You'll find a huge variety of sources, from abstract concepts and ideas to very concrete objects and things. I love the beetle above, and this little dress detail.

I talked about my inspiration for City Weekend, our first fabric collection, over on the Oliver + S blog today. The fabrics are now shipping and will be available for purchase soon.

click

2010-10-01T23:27:00.007-04:00

We dropped off some materials at the studio last weekend, and when we arrived the afternoon light was ideal for a photo shoot. So shoot we did. Just some odds and ends that needed to be photographed, but Tsia watched the process closely as she kept herself busy on the sidelines.

Once we were finished, she asked if she could try taking a few photos, herself. She started with some still lifes, then moved on to some portraits and self-portraits. It was loads of fun to watch, since she knew exactly what she wanted. All these photos are un-cropped. We stayed out of the way for this one:

But the best shots came at the very end, just before we packed up to go home. She wanted to do a series she said would be called "Best Buddies." She set up these three shots and took only one frame of each:

I think they're perfect. They're being printed and sent off to grandparents as we speak.

guess where: #2

2010-08-31T00:19:00.007-04:00

I promise I won't make a regular habit of this, but I was so amused that exactly three of you (ok, four now) lovely readers guessed at my previous "guess where" post that I thought we would do another one.

This photo hint will probably help for a few more of you:

P.S. Here is another hint (and an invitation, for those of you nearby who don't need any hints).

P.P.S. That previous photo was taken at my alma mater, Calvin College, outside the art department. Which was my old stomping ground and is, sadly, still located in a windowless basement. I mean, why should light matter when you're making art?

guess where we are?

2010-08-27T20:58:00.000-04:00

This will only help about three of you, but here is a photo hint for those in the know:

taste test: ice cream for women

2010-08-27T15:33:00.008-04:00

We had a lot of requests for the Ice Cream Dress in adults sizes after we released it last spring. I get it. It's a really cute pattern. And I think it could work in adult sizes, but I'm still on the fence about it.

Maybe I need to shorten it to a blouse length instead of a tunic. Maybe it's just a little too full yet. Maybe it's just a little too smock-y for women--especially women with curves (which I, admittedly, do not have, but I still don't like how it looks on me). I know it might help if I wasn't wearing it with a full skirt in these photos, too. It just doesn't seem like the most flattering cut for most women.

So I think it really does work better for children.

(I enlarged the pattern while we were in Vermont. I didn't enlarge it the way it should be done, or the way I would do it if I were going to professionally develop the pattern for women. I just sort of eyeballed the grading and we made muslins before cutting our real fabric. Again, it's ok. But I'm not sold on the idea. More on Vermont sewing here and here.)

visual taste buds

2010-08-22T11:21:00.030-04:00

Most people go to the New Amsterdam Market for great local and artisanal foods: raw cheese, wild mushrooms, designer ice cream, and unbelievable chocolate. I love all those wonderful items, but Todd and I are in agreement that we're not quite on board the food train. We have a CSA membership and we both love good food, but we're not quite down with the obsession.

So when we joined some friends at the market today, I spent more of my time dodging the downpour and watching what people were wearing than trying the foods. It's a bit dark under the FDR where the market it held, but I managed a few candid photos. New Yorkers have such style!

Once everyone had their fill, we dropped in at Pasanella and Son, across the street, to check out the wine selection. Once again, I wasn't looking at or tasting the wine so much as examining the surroundings. One of the owners is a former editor at Martha Stewart, and it shows.

We brought home a few bottles of fantastic wine. I like them not just because they tasted amazing at the shop, but also because the labels on the bottles are really beautiful.

Are you getting a trend here?

sewing kit

2010-08-03T19:30:00.001-04:00

This Friday I'm leaving town to guest teach at two consecutive weekend sewing workshops in Vermont with Heather Ross. We had so much fun last year, and this year we've got lots of great plans for the groups who will be joining us.

Since this is the first of several upcoming sewing-related engagements for me, I finally took a little time to put together a proper sewing kit. My tools usually live in an old candy tin at the studio, but it doesn't travel very well. So Tsia and I picked up this cardboard suitcase at Paper Presentation a couple of weeks ago. (If you're looking to purchase one on-line, Paper Source carries a nice selection, too.) I cut a piece of mat board to fit inside the cover, wrapped it with one of the fabrics from City Weekend (shipping in September--soon!) and added some colored elastic to hold little tools inside the cover.

I also made a lining for it so the tools wouldn't bang around inside the case--which is exactly what drives me crazy about the candy tin (besides the fact that the tin doesn't latch shut, so that doesn't really help, either). I cut pieces of wool felt to fit the interior shape, stitched them together with a tiny zigzag stitch, and glued the top edge to the inside of the box.

I've got a few sewing projects of my own to take along, but mostly I'm looking forward to helping other people with their sewing. And it will be nice to just hanging out by the pond or the lake when we're not sewing.

We're going to take some vacation time between the scheduled sewing adventures. Heather's husband, Todd, and Tsia will be driving up to join us for some swimming, resting, and a little camping. Some sketchbooks and a copy of Penny Vincenzi's No Angel are coming along, too. And Tsia can't stop talking about how we're going to visit our friends Ben and Jerry. Should be fun!

Tsia is so excited, she drew this announcement for Todd yesterday. She's sounding out the words to spell them, and we're receiving very thorough packing lists on a regular basis. Amazingly, they're quite legible, too. In case you can't tell, this one says "5 more days until we go to Vermont. Me and you and TC."

This morning she spelled waffle ROFL. That one was a bit more difficult to decipher.

inspiration: Elegance

2010-08-01T23:25:00.001-04:00

Of all the books on the shelves at the studio (pattern-making, sewing reference, grading techniques, etc.), this is the book I refer to most frequently. It's surprising, actually, since I don't think it's directly inspired anything I've designed. But I still come back to it regularly and will probably continue to refer to it over time.

The Seeberger brothers were among the world's very first fashion photographers, working from the early 1900's into the 1970's. They primarily photographed wealthy aristocrats at their places of leisure: the racecourse, beaches, and resorts. The photographs in this book were taken between 1909 and 1939, which was a spectacularly elegant era for fashion. Or at least I think so.

The personalities in the photos are almost as interesting as the fashions, and the photographs are exquisite. I finally dragged myself away from staring at the photos the other day and started reading the text, which is equally fascinating. But I love fashion history, so that's probably no great surprise.

Some of these fashions would look just as elegant today, I think.

inspiration: Bill Cunningham

2010-07-19T23:42:00.000-04:00

Part of our weekly Saturday morning ritual includes logging onto the New York Times website to watch Bill Cunningham's weekly On The Street video post.

Mr. Cunningham is a New York institution, a fashion journalist who documents fashion trends and photographs society events for the Times. He's also a genuinely nice guy. Todd and Tsia seem to run into him on a regular basis and always have pleasant conversations with him. He rides around the city on his bicycle, photographing anyone who catches his eye. He's got the best job ever, I think.

He also has a great eye for details and the way people put together their outfits.

Mr. Cunningham documents trends as he sees them. It's fun to see fashion through his eyes, and I'm often inspired by the people who show up on his weekly posts.

blueberries for S

2010-07-18T21:04:00.001-04:00

I found a bunch of tiny metal buckets at a gardening store last year and knew exactly what to do with them. I brought them, with a few pints of blueberries and the book Blueberries for Sal, to Tsia's school for snack time.

If you're not familiar with the story, little Sal and her mother go up Blueberry Hill to pick blueberries to can for the winter. Sal's mother picks blueberries and puts them into her large bucket, and Sal likes the sound the blueberries make when she drops them into her own little bucket: kuplink, kuplank, kuplunk. But Sal really prefers to eat the berries.

While I read the story out loud to S and her classmates, they dropped blueberries into their buckets just like Sal. They liked the kuplink, kuplank, kuplunk sound the berries made but, just like Sal, they preferred to eat them.

After a while of picking, Sal gets tired and sits down to eat all the berries she can reach from her spot.

Meanwhile in the story, Little Bear and his mother are coming up the other side of
Blueberry Hill, eating all the berries they can store up for winter. Little Bear gets tired and sits down to eat blueberries while his mother continues along.

But when Sal and Little Bear hurry to catch up with their mothers, things get all mixed up. Little Sal finds Little Bear's mum, and Little Bear finds little Sal's mum. Everyone is surprised, and both mums go hurrying off to find their own offspring. I love the expression on the Little Bear's mom's face in this illustration.

In the end, everyone is reunited, get all the berries they need, and return home down their respective sides of the mountain for a happy ending. Here are Sal and her mother, canning blueberries for the winter.

And at the end of our story, everyone had eaten all their blueberries and had a good time in the process.

inspiration: sartorialist

2010-07-09T20:07:00.001-04:00

My schedule for the rest of the summer is going to be somewhat more relaxed, thank goodness! The fall Oliver + S patterns are headed to the printer on Monday, and then I'll have a little time to start preparing some other projects without looming deadlines. I'll be putting together some design ideas, sketching, assembling tear sheets, building some much-needed bulletin boards for the studio, sewing school uniforms for S, and maybe even relaxing a bit. Nice!

So while I'm sorting through masses of inspirational materials that have accumulated in the studio, in my sketchbooks, and on my laptop I thought it might be fun to share some of the things that have been inspiring me. I'll make a little series of posts out of it.

First up, the Sartorialist. I've been following Scott Schuman almost since the start of his blog, and I find endless inspiration in his work. Scott photographs style wherever he finds it, and he has a wonderful eye for detail and silhouette. I look at his blog frequently for inspiration in my own wardrobe as well as for design ideas.

This is a recent Sartorialist photo I keep coming back to. I love the layering of the long jacket over the dress, especially with the sleeves pushed up and with those gorgeous heels. The whole ensemble looks simultaneously effortless and chic. And while I'm not usually attracted to red in my own wardrobe, it's inspired me to re-think the color again as an accent. (I also love her hair, which is something I've been thinking about more as I struggle to grow out my super-short cut for something a little different. But I lost all the curl in my hair after Tsia was born and probably couldn't carry this off, unfortunately.)

This is an older Sartorialist photo that inspires me for its mood. I love the look these two dancers have assembled, but even more than that I love how focused and happy they appear. Her scarf and necklaces combined with sneakers are such a unique and playful but sophisticated look, and his dark hat, braces, bow-tie and shoes are a wonderful counterpoint to their summer whites. They look so glamorous.

I think this is what people mean when they refer to a woman as a gamine or an ingenue. She's so cute, and her close-fitting cropped jacket is a perfect contrast to her pleated high-waisted pants. What a great silhouette!

While sometimes I love everything about a look in these photos, other times I'm inspired by the way something is worn or by the colors or textures. One element might appeal or stand out to me. Like that red dress in the first photo, Scott's photos might cause me to think about a color differently or to combine two elements I wouldn't have thought to combine.

Scott himself gave a great presentation about his work that I encourage you to watch over at Art Babble if you're interested in the process of designing. I think he does an excellent job of explaining how his photographs are used by a many designers as inspiration. What he says certainly applies to me.

we especially need the ice part right now

2010-07-08T20:05:00.007-04:00

Every summer Tsia picks out a new pair of Salt Water Sandals. In years past we've gone for yellow, but this year it's all about pink. Oh, is it ever about pink. In fact, her new pink sandals sparked a trend at school, and at least three classmates bought the exact same shoes before the end of school. (The flood of pink sandals caused some confusion, too, and on at least one occasion sandals were accidentally swapped and little girls went home wearing the wrong size.)

Anyway, Tsia also recently outgrew nearly all her clothes, and I had promised a dress from Heather Ross's unicorn fabric so the newly empty wardrobe happened to coincide with her beloved pink sandals and Heather's orange unicorn fabric. I knew I wanted to make an Ice Cream Dress from the fabric but was struggling with my color options: If I coordinated a solid color trim to the unicorn print I would need to use brown or yellow, and they both felt too 1970's with the orange. The dress also wouldn't have matched the sandals very well. And if it wasn't pink it might not get worn, unicorns or not. So we left the fabric's color palette entirely and chose a solid pink cotton that matches the sandals precisely. I love how it looks.

I finished the dress over the weekend, and it's overdue for a washing after having been worn many days in a row. Which seems to mean that the dress is a success.

All these hot colors felt right with our recent record-breaking hot weather, too, but thankfully it's starting to cool off a bit.

By the way, there's an Ice Cream Social being held over at Badskirt and one flew over later this month, if you're inclined to join in. I can hardly wait to see what everyone makes!

a steady diet of beach and world cup

2010-06-21T14:02:00.007-04:00

We live on an island, just two blocks from the East River. It's easy to forget how close we are to the water when we're so busy. And it's not exactly the beach, let's face it. Which is why, I suppose, everyone in Manhattan seems to escape the city for the beach in the summer.

After living here for almost twenty years, we finally followed suit and joined some friends in Montauk for the weekend. It was our first visit to the eastern part of Long Island. I can't say I've ever been very interested in the Hamptons (it's such a loaded name, I think) and all the hype surrounding them, but now I understand why so many people are willing to brave the traffic and long travel time. With such beautiful beaches, adorable towns, and amazing food, it's worth the extra effort. We climbed the lighthouse, searched for sea shells, built sand castles, and ate lobster. And watched lots of World Cup.

And we left hungry for more. We'll be back, I'm sure.

could this be the one?

2010-06-17T22:17:00.002-04:00

I took a short business trip last week and happened to turn on the TV in my hotel room as I was getting ready for dinner one night. As you may know, we don't have a TV at home. But we watch a few programs on Hulu and generally feel like we know what's going on in the outside world. So how did I now know about Cash Cab?

After living in New York for almost 20 years, you'd think I would know about things like this. I mean, there's a slim possibility that the very next taxi you climb into might start flashing colored lights and put you on the hot seat to answer trivia questions for cash! If you're a New Yorker, you want to know this, right? It's a funny show, particularly watching people's expressions when they first discover they're in THAT taxi.

What else do I not know about this city? I wonder if there's a cash L train?

video introduction to City Weekend by Moda

2010-05-30T20:55:00.009-04:00

Here is a short video of me introducing our sewing patterns and talking about the City Weekend fabric collection. This was shot by one of Moda's great sales reps.

still here

2010-05-28T20:03:00.001-04:00

It seems that I'm having trouble juggling two blogs and a bunch of deadlines lately. It's been a little quiet at disdressed, but not for lack of activity elsewhere.

Let's see, here is a partial summary:

We launched City Weekend, our first fabric collection, at Quilt Market last weekend. It was fun, and we heard lots of excitement about it from everyone who stopped by the booth. I've been recapping some of the Quilt Market experience over at the Oliver + s blog, if you're interested. Each time we exhibit I learn all sorts of new things, and this time was no exception thanks to the folks at Moda as well as many of our terrific customers.

Tsia has been bringing home little sprouted bean plants from school almost every day, it seems, and we've managed to accumulate a miniature garden on our air conditioner. It’s probably illegal to keep plants on a ledge like this, but when they started sprouting tendrils it suddenly occurred to me that they're climbing bean stalks and I'd rather not have them climbing our living room walls. Which begs the question: do bees fly six stories above the ground? Because we've got beans growing, and I'm assuming the little bean-y flowers were somehow fertilized. Wouldn't it be crazy if we could eat beans grown in empty tomato cans on our air conditioner? It gives the term potager an entirely new meaning for me.

My laptop, also known as half my identity these days, died a sudden gruesome death twice this month. On both occasions the cause was overheating, which melted the solder that holds the graphics card in place. Apparently I’m just burning things up over here. Fortunately, this problem can be solved by clever guys in the computer store just down the street. I hope the second fix will last.

My Mom joined us at Quilt Market and brought home-made chocolate chip cookies, which Todd then declared he hasn’t eaten in years. Guess who will be baking this weekend? Did I simply forget about cookies? Apparently, yes.

This weekend we’ll be relaxing with friends, de-cluttering our tiny apartment (I need to do this several times a year or I start to feel like the walls are closing in on us), and doing a little sewing for Tsia. She has suddenly outgrown most of her clothing. I also have a stack of craft books to read: Anna Maria Horner, Sandi Henderson, Kaffe Fassett...

I hope you have a terrific holiday weekend!

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that ebay did a little profile of me last week, so now you can learn all about my shopping habits, if you were really curious.

labelled

2010-04-30T11:00:00.008-04:00

Tsia has been home from school for much of this week with a cold and a fever. Todd stayed home with her for two days while I had some meetings and urgent business to attend to, but on Wednesday it was my turn. We spent some time in the morning learning to braid, and after lunch I set up my sewing machine because she's has been begging to learn. She did really well and then lost interest after approximately five minutes, as expected. (We had a similar experience when she asked me to teach her to knit last weekend--these things will take time, so I'll let her set the agenda. It's not like I'm in a hurry for her to start sewing samples for me or anything.)

In the afternoon I needed make a couple of phone calls and reply to some emails, so I set her up with paper, scissors, and glue and asked her to stay busy for a little while. She did very well, and it wasn't until I finished and looked down at the paper she had taped to the front of my shirt that I realized she had still found a way to voice her displeasure:

Fortunately, the fever is gone and she can return to school. And I can continue to do what I regularly do. Which is being BORING, I guess.

you may have heard

2010-04-22T22:42:00.004-04:00

We made a happy textile-related announcement over at Oliver + S yesterday.

I'm excited to tell you more about it after it debuts at Quilt Market next month.

April flowers

2010-04-15T21:52:00.002-04:00

Headed from one meeting to another early this morning, I had the pleasure of taking a shortcut through Central Park. I saw a pair of cardinals, robins hunting for worms, loads of flowers, and even the boat pond is open--which is great because Tsia and I have our wooden toy sailboats at the ready and have been toting them along every Sunday morning in the hopes that we'll get to launch them. At last, we can!

Sadly, all the real daffodils are finished blooming for the year, but I've been playing around with making them out of construction paper, just to make them last a little bit longer. Also some primroses--or my rendition of a primrose, anyway.

They're quite easy to make, and I got the idea from some simple paper flowers that Tsia's class made in art class. The cutting and gluing of this fancier (and smaller) version are a bit fussy for little hands, so they're more of an adult paper craft, but patient and dexterous kids could certainly make a go of them.

Here is a quick and dirty template of the shapes I used, with dotted lines to indicate folds. I think you can probably figure out how to do it yourself, right? Especially with a few photos to help:

Happy spring!

art day

2010-03-31T13:40:00.001-04:00

We had a marathon museum-going trip last Saturday. I wanted to visit the Neue Gallery for inspiration on a project, and Todd needed to prep his tour for the Whitney Biennial so we decided to make an adventure of the day and throw the Metropolitan Museum into the mix as well. All three museums are near each other on the upper east side, so it is actually logical (but still exhausting) to visit them all in one go. We took some photos in case you wanted to come along.

First up: the Metropolitan. We went primarily to see a couple of new shows there, but Tsia took photos of the permanent galleries. Art from the eyes of a five-year-old is always interesting (and a little blurry):

Then a stop for lunch at my favorite restaurant in the neighborhood, Cafe Sabarsky, which just happens to be located in the Neue Gallery building. If you go, the pickled herring sandwich with apple slices is amazing. Really, I should order other things on the menu sometimes, but I just love this one too much.

We sketched while we waited for our orders to arrive. Can you guess what this is?

Well, the chandelier, of course!

The current exhibit, Otto Dix, wasn't exactly what I was looking for, but here are some posters in the basement that caught my eye:

Then on our way down Madison Avenue Tsia had trouble choosing her favorite giant doughnut from the windows at Gagosian. Pink or sprinkles? I think we decided on the sprinkles:

Once we arrived at the Whitney, Tsia and I left Todd to his business and escaped to the fifth floor, where we found one of our favorite pieces by Lee Bontecou. I don't think we're allowed to take photos inside the museum. I always forget to ask but seem to recall being scolded for trying to photograph Todd while he was giving a tour once. And it's too bad, because this photo is really awful and doesn't begin to do the piece justice. Here is a photo of another Bontecou (at MoMA) so you can at least get a sense of her work and the dimension it has. Her work is often simultaneously creepy and enticing, which we all seem to love in our family. Here are Tsia's sketchbook renditions. (The first one was amazing until she started coloring it, but I was proud of myself for not intervening!):

Then home for a rest. Shall we take you to MoMA next time?

little designers

2010-03-25T21:57:00.010-04:00

This morning it was my turn to talk about my job at Tsia's school, so we talked about clothing.

The kids were very excited to show what they were wearing and to discuss design details. This week at school they're celebrating spirit week with pajama day, backwards and upside-down day, and crazy hair day. Today was cultural heritage day, so one little girl was wearing a Flamenco dress and another was wearing a kimono. We discussed collars, ruffles, stripes, buttons, and pockets. I showed everyone my sketchbook so they could see my first sketch of the Jump Rope Dress, a sample of which Tsia was modelling.

Then we all got busy drawing. I gave everyone basic garment shapes outlined in dotted lines on a sheet of white paper. From there, they all went different directions. The boys designed lots of clothing with spider webs:

Some of the children really enjoyed adding details:

And others added color:

I was amazed at a few of the designs. One little girl who wears a lot of color had some spectacularly vibrant and detailed designs that fit her personality and style perfectly. Two of the children wanted to give me their drawings so I could go home and sew their designs for them. I was sorry to explain that we were just drawing this time, not sewing. And several of the children started cutting out the clothing and making paper dolls for themselves!

If you know anyone who would like to make some designs for him/herself, here is a pdf of the clothing silhouettes we used. Have fun!

first contract

2010-03-21T17:07:00.006-04:00

At Tsia's school this year, the parents have all been taking turns teaching the kids about our careers. Since the East Village is a creative community, the kids have tried their hands at photography, learned about interior design, built a house from sticks (one parent builds treehouses when his band isn't touring), constructed cityscapes (three of the parents are architects), made jewelry, written books (literary agent), and learned to conduct interviews (journalist). Last week, they learned about contracts from the lone lawyer in the group.

I love how this career was presented. The parent introduced the children to the idea of contracts by negotiating with his daughter, who wants a computer. He left himself plenty of wiggle room (as lawyers are wont to do) while convincing his daughter that she shouldn't fight with her little sister. Of course Tsia came home from the experience wanting to negotiate her own contract, and she promptly sat down at the dining room table to fill out the contract template that came home from the lesson--even signing my name for me.

Anyway, last week Tsia and Todd sat down together to complete the census form, and they agreed that they will always complete their census forms together. The even wrote a contract to ensure that they're legally bound to do this. So they produced Tsia's first contract: copy below.

I wish I had my camera handy when they were negotiating and completing this form; it was really precious to see them leaning over the paper together, concentrating on the wording and signing their names. Tsia said she'll never move out (much to Todd's horror!), but I'm all for flying her home someday if she's living in Paris.

Nothing like a tradition and a little civic duty to hold a family together.

Wish me luck. This week it's my turn to talk about designing sewing patterns for children's clothing.

prints, prints, prints

2010-03-12T10:09:00.004-05:00

Dig my 1970's vibe retro rain boots?

We went to the Liberty of London for Target preview sale yesterday after Heather called to say it was well worth the trip. I was hoping for an umbrella and maybe that fabulous raincoat, but very little was left when we arrived. There were plenty of rain boots (I'm sure we'll all be seeing the boots everywhere now!) and those ubiquitous long strapless sundresses that I just don't understand.

We did quite well in the girls' department, however: we purchased two dresses and a swimsuit for Tsia, and I found two girls' dresses for myself that I'll be wearing as tunics under jackets this spring, and with shorts or skirts this summer. (So I guess there is an advantage to being small- busted at times...)

Target and Liberty really did a wonderful job with this collection. Of course the fabric isn't the same quality as the original Tana lawn, and the dress styles are very simple. But the prints are clear and detailed and the collection looks great as a whole. Very fun!

smiles

2010-03-08T10:37:00.008-05:00

When you spend a lot of time with a person, you sometimes fail to notice little details about them after a while. It isn't until we're going someplace and I see people smiling to themselves as they pass us that I remember Tsia isn't wearing just a hat or her sunglasses. She's wearing her funny hat with ears. Or her really cute red and white polka-dotted sunglasses. Which, come to think of it, are very amusing the first time you see them.

But Bear always elicits a response, and I'm inevitably surprised at the smiles he gets.

Because I forget that not every bear wears underpants.

Particularly with a little hole cut out for his tail.

stitching style

2010-02-25T09:23:00.001-05:00

Last spring I had the pleasure of attending one of Natalie Chanin’s sewing workshops in New York. It was such a lot of fun! We each selected a project beforehand, and when we arrived it was waiting for us in a lovely kit (much like the one that Melanie Falick blogged about recently.) At the workshop, Natalie showed us how to use the same techniques her couture team follows when they stitch items for the Alabama Chanin collection. Then we spent the day stitching and chatting, and a chef came to prepare a delicious southern-style lunch for us. If you ever have the opportunity to spend a day with Natalie at one of these workshops, you’ll find that it’s incredibly rejuvenating and relaxing; none of us wanted to go home at the end of the day, and we made some wonderful new friendships in the process. (What is it about women, sewing, and bonding? I had a similar experience last summer at Heather Ross’s Weekend Sewing workshop in Vermont and am looking forward to doing it again this summer. It’s such a great way to make new like-minded friends!)

I never showed you what I made in Natalie’s workshop, but at last it’s time for the big reveal.

from Alabama Stitch Book

Back when Natalie and I first met, I sent her some Oliver + S patterns and one of her seamstresses made a darling Tea Party Sundress using the Alabama Chanin methods. The dress made an appearance in Cookie magazine’s profile of Natalie, and when I saw how wonderfully it turned out I just had to make one for S. I selected two colors from her organic cotton jersey fabrics: silt and light pink. I used the stencil provided in the Alabama Stitch Book (which I reviewed here) to transfer an all-over pattern onto the traced dress pieces, and once Natalie got me started with stitching I just couldn’t put the project down—I stitched all the way to Pittsburgh and back when we went to Quilt Market, and it was finished in time for my sister’s wedding.

Tea Party Sundress a la Alabama Chanin

As Natalie explains in her new book, Alabama Studio Style, cotton jersey relaxes when you wear it. Which means that it’s a good idea to start with a snug fit when you select the size you’ll be making. I made Tsia’s dress in her regular size, and of course the finished dress was too big. (I should have started with a pattern two sizes smaller and lengthened it following the methods I just posted on the Oliver + S blog to fit her height.)

So we’ve waited a while, and the dress is starting to fit. Tsia has worn it all winter with a turtleneck and tights, and I love how the fabric edges are starting to soften just a bit with each washing, giving the reverse appliqué a patina.

Alabama Studio Style

I had so much fun making this dress, now I’m planning to make myself one of the dress patterns from the Alabama Studio Style book . I still need to decide which style, size, fabric colors and stencil pattern to use. Any suggestions? (I really love the Angie’s Fall stencil, which is new to this book.)

Alabama Studio Style

If you’re interested in trying out these techniques but aren’t quite ready to take on a complete dress (and it is a commitment to make a full dress), there are lots of other terrific smaller projects in both books. I love the Small Medallion Placemats and the Medallion Boudoir Pillow in the new book (both of these projects use another new stencil that is included in the book), which look really contemporary and minimalist. There are so many great projects and recipes included, and the book feels very much like Natalie’s warm and relaxed personality, with some of her wonderful southern hospitality thrown into the mix. With both books, you’re only missing the companionship of a group of stitching women like we had at the sewing workshop.

And maybe a chef to cook you some delicious southern food at lunchtime while you relax and stitch and chat.

Alabama Studio Style

Natalie has included instructions for many different embellishment techniques like relief appliqué, backstitch reverse appliqué, and the beaded embellishments that have graced recent Alabama Chanin clothing collections. I’ve had an opportunity to admire these details during Fashion Week every season, and they are so inspirational. Each of these embellishment techniques look very different from the others when completed, and you could use them in many different ways to suit your own purposes, even if you don’t make any of the specific projects in the book. I particularly love the starburst “eyelet” stitch, which you could embroider by itself or bead for two very different looks.

I love how these two books can stand independent of each other but also build on each other. They're both absolutely beautiful, informative, and inspirational.

brought to you via the wonders of antibiotics

2010-02-20T18:29:00.003-05:00

You probably couldn't see me waving to you last week from underneath that mountain of used tissues. It was a full two weeks that I was snowballed, but I've finally almost recovered thanks to very strong antibiotics and an additional week of not doing much. What did people do before the invention of this medicine? (Don't answer that. I think I know.)

Anyway, I've been getting lots of rest, reading through a stack of good books, catching up on old issues of Vogue and Elle, keeping an eye on Fashion Week, and preparing for S's birthday tomorrow (which she's been counting down all month).

These are some paper dolls that Heather Ross's mother found in her Vermont attic. Aren't they great? I love "Teacher" and am simultaneously horrified and amused at poor "Fatty" and "Skinny." Really, those are their names? (But even that is better than being named "Swing," poor child.)

Speaking of Heather, have you seen her new fabrics with Spoonflower? So exciting!

And speaking of Vermont, I'll be joining her at Blueberry Hill for both Weekend Sewing workshops this August. All spots have been filled, but there is a waiting list if you're really determined to go. We had so much fun last summer!

Ok, more later.

functioning, barely

2010-02-08T10:17:00.003-05:00

I got nailed by the flu last week and am still under the weather six days later, so not much of anything has been done around here recently. However, Tsia and I were making a few final Valentines yesterday afternoon and accidentally discovered how much fun it is to watercolor paint on paper doilies.

I'm not sure what we'll do with these, but for now I'm just enjoying looking at them. Especially since that's about all the energy I have these days.

valentines

2010-02-06T12:24:00.000-05:00

We took our Valentine's Day preparation cues from Brooke this year and wrapped matchboxes with decorative papers. The inside of each box is also lined with a little piece of colored paper onto which Tsia wrote a personal message for each recipient. She really enjoyed this project, and it took use most of a Sunday afternoon but was very easy to do.

We hand selected the Jelly Bellies to fit our color palette, as we are wont to do, from Economy Candy.

Brooke just mentioned that her idea has also been featured at Brides.com including a pdf for the patterned paper she used.

what we're doing

2010-01-30T20:43:00.003-05:00

Here's what's happening at our house these days:

Being inspired

all of us: The Bauhaus show at MoMA. Two visits and two books later, we're all still talking and thinking about the show.

Reading

Me: The Pushcart War, by Jean Merrill: Remember this book? I'm enjoying re-reading it and catching the vocal inflections of the characters this time around. I keep thinking about the Essex Street Market in our neighborhood, which was apparently started when the pushcarts were moved to a permanent location to get them out of the way on the streets. It's still a great place to shop.

Tsia: Socks, the last of our lengthy Beverly Clearly list. Now that we've reached the end, can anyone suggest other books for us? We prefer non-scary books that a four-year-old can relate to.

Todd: catching up on old issues of The New Yorker, which is also next on my to-read list.

Listening

Tsia: They Might Be Giants, No! This is a fun CD, in part, because she can play it on our computer and enjoy little games while she listens. I keep singing the little ditties to myself, too.

Todd and me: Radiolab. So interesting and thought-provoking. But we're public-radio geeks, I guess. Musically, Miriam Makeba is currently at the top of my want-to-hear list. Can anyone suggest a favorite album to try?

Watching

Doc Martin on Hulu.com. We want to visit the little fishing town in Cornwall where this British TV series is filmed. Gorgeous. And a very funny show in that wonderful understated British manner. If there were more programs like this, we'd probably get a TV!

Helvetica documentary. I've been meaning to see this for quite a while.

Answering

Lots of questions (sewing-related and other) on formspring. Anything you want to know?

post

2010-01-21T12:38:00.006-05:00

My friend Michelle has been doing a lot of letterpress printing for some of her recent art projects, and she clued me in to these fantastic deckle-edge cards by Fabriano. They're inexpensive and support all sorts of media gracefully. Tsia and I have been using them to make our own Thank You cards with watercolor, pen and ink, and whatever else we have on hand. I love the texture and weight of the paper. It feels very luxurious.

I should point out that the cards are a rather unusual size, and it isn't easy to find matching envelopes. Believe me, I tried. I thought I'd find some fun colors to pair them with, but it wasn't meant to be, despite trying our fantastic local paper and envelope supply shop. So the coordinating envelopes are well worth the additional cost. Just keep that in mind...

handmade #4

2010-01-20T10:56:00.001-05:00

For Tsia: new flannel PJs. Size 5 so they're extra long to account for the way flannel continues to shrink for a few washings and because she just keeps growing. Made with my favorite print from Sandi Henderson's first fabric collection.

An extra pair of PJ pants were made because, well, accidents happen. The ability to make more than one pair of matching PJ pants is certainly another advantage of sewing them yourself, yes?

something in the genes

2010-01-18T20:59:00.001-05:00

No kidding, we measured Tsia the other day and she's grown an inch in the last two months! So this dress hem is just basted (and rather sloppily, at that) because there's an extra three inches in there, just waiting to be let out.

Ok, so let's just preface this post by saying that the love of pink or of sparkles was not genetically handed down through me or Todd. Or not directly, anyway. It didn't manifest itself in Tsia until preschool when she started playing with other girls who love pink, so maybe it's a passing fancy? I can only hope so, but a sparkly princess dress has been frequently and strongly requested, so Mom and I got busy during my visit home during the holidays. I thought I might get away with a more sophisticated selection of fabric, and I had almost successfully placed a lavender and gold sari-printed satin in our shopping cart when Tsia revolted. She wanted the pink with sparkles. And not just one pink fabric with sparkles; both the dress and the sheer accent fabrics needed to match! Yikes.

We used a McCall's pattern that I can't seem to find online, but it was in the pattern book the other day so I know it's still in print. There were about 18 views, which made the sewing seem more complicated than it actually was. I did make some adjustments to the bodice since I could tell from the measurement chart (and the photo on the envelope) that it would be too wide on her. Then I did the cutting, pressing and pinning, and Mom did almost all the sewing so it went really quickly. We returned home a few days later with a nearly finished dress; it just needed to be hemmed.

That, of course, took me another two weeks.

Mom found a matching veil in her stash of dress-up clothing for grandchildren (I love that she has this--we all got dressed up one night and had a blast!). And now what a happy kid we have, prancing around in her princess dress!

But here is the funny part, the part that makes my simultaneously proud and cringe. Turns out there was a vision for the pink dress. It wasn't just about any pink dress. She wanted a pink dress like her doll's! I get it, the designer vision thing. She's got the dress, she's happy, and I feel better for letting her have her way.

Thanks, Mom. That over-skirt construction was really weird, but it totally worked out.

handmade #3

2010-01-15T00:21:00.005-05:00

For Todd: a rice neckwarmer/stress reliever. I saw something like this recently and thought he might like it, so I borrowed one of his shirts one night while he was sleeping, took a few measurements, and sewed a muslin U with channels to hold the rice. You just pop it into the microwave for a couple of minutes and the rice grains gets warm. I think Todd was more amused than impressed with it. We'll see if he ever actually uses it. Note that he is not wearing it in the photograph?

I made the slipcover with a print from Denyse Schmidt's Hope Valley so it looks nice and sort of masculine, I think. I also mixed some essential oils into the rice a few days before filling the neckwarmer so it smells good (like oranges and bay, because I didn't think he's like patchouli and lime so much) when the rice warms up. It stays warm for quite a while, and the weight of the rice combined with the heat is soothing after a long, stressful day.

I should have used this myself today, come to think of it.

handmade #2

2010-01-11T22:36:00.000-05:00

For Tsia: A Traveling Art Show case for her sketchbook and pencils. Todd found this free pattern from Mr. Monkeysuit and wanted me to make it for her (and here I didn't even know he reads craft blogs!), so I slapped it together the night before we met Heather at the Met. Take my advice and slow down a bit when you make it: I managed to sew one of the ribbons to ALL the stitched channels that make the individual pencil compartments. Smooth move that gave me lots of time to reflect on my rushed actions, seam ripper in hand.

I used one of Heather Ross's fabrics from Rabbits and Race Cars, since Tsia loves Heather's prints. (Who doesn't?) In fact, the other night when she was waiting for her bedtime story, Tsia casually told me, "I'll just look at this book of Heather's fabrics while I wait for you, Mommy." The kid has saved the Kokka catalog on her bookcase for about a year now since I brought it home from Quilt Market! What does this mean, I wonder...

handmade #1

2010-01-10T23:17:00.003-05:00

Handmade gifts for Tsia's teacher and grandparents: felt glasses cases from Kata Golda's book, Hand-Stitched Felt. These are fun and fast to make. Unfortunately, the ones we mailed to my parents (the two on the far left) were lost in the mail, darned post office. They have a terrible track record with me, no matter how I insure or track my packages. We'll have to make more cases to replace them.

I used wool felt and a few pieces of overdyed felt from Weeks Dye Works for the cases themselves, and the embellishments are from felted sweaters and wool felt. Stitched with Valdani embroidery thread because I like thicker thread for sewing on felt.

and marshmallows for all

2010-01-09T22:45:00.009-05:00

You might remember our family Christmas tradition of mailing a sort of care package to each family outpost. (Don't worry--I don't really expect you to remember this.) We all wait, if we can remember, to open our respective packages on Christmas day to see what sorts of fun or useful gifts have been included. Sorry I couldn't send one to you too, but I thought you might enjoy seeing this year's contents all the same. Todd wrote it, so I can't take any credit:

And a Merry Marshmallow Christmas to you!

This year’s Christmas package contains items of just one kind—marshmallows in all their glorious variety! Each type of marshmallow has been selected specifically for you by one of us. Here’s what we’ve each chosen.

1. Tsia: Japanese marshmallow treats.

These are one of Tsia’s favorite treats. She says, “You have to come to New York to buy them. [Editor’s note: We get them at our local Japanese grocery store.] Only eat them after dinner because they have a lot of sugar. They are so good. I like apple and strawberry inside.” Tsia picked out some bags of each kind, so your package will have either the apple- or the strawberry-filled kind.

2. Todd: marshmallow snowmen.

You may already be familiar with Todd’s addiction to the wonderful Easter candy known as Peeps. He was extra excited this year to discover that we can make them a central part of our family’s Christmas celebration, too! Todd has some very specific instructions for “ripening” the peeps. “Some people like their Peeps fresh and chewy. I don’t. A Peep doesn’t truly reach its Platonic form of true Peepness until it’s perfectly ripened. Here’s what you need to do to encourage these little gems along. Make a long slit on the top of the package. Allow the package to sit open, but untouched for 7-10 days. Then enjoy!” A ripened peep develops a crunchy, hard crust and a slightly more chewy center.

3. Liesl: homemade vanilla and peppermint marshmallows.

Years ago, Liesl saw an article in Martha Stewart Living about making your own marshmallows. She thought, “Oh, please, Martha. Like anyone has time to actually make marshmallows. Why would you bother?” Then, a few years ago, she decided to give it a try. The result? Heavenly flavored cubes of gelatin and corn syrup filled goodness! These homemade marshmallow are flavored especially for the holiday season. Enjoy them with a cup of hot chocolate for a warm holiday treat on a cold night. But be careful. They are sweet. So sweet, in fact, that they recently beat our ultra-sweet tooth of a kid. She couldn’t finish one and was so ashamed of her defeat that she tried to hide the leftover in the garbage, not being able to admit that she wasn’t up to the challenge of eating a whole one.

We hope that you enjoy our package full of marshmallowy happiness and that you have a merry Christmas!

Love,

Liesl, Todd, and Tsia

favorite memories of our break

2010-01-05T23:48:00.011-05:00

A list of things I want to remember from our Christmas break:

Sketching at the Metropolitan Museum with Tsia and Heather. Tsia and I officially declared it "frilly girly day" but neglected to warn Heather that tutus were involved, so we'll have to re-schedule another sketching event soon so Heather can wear her yellow bumblebee tutu.

Celebrating a low-key Christmas with dear friends. An icy walk along the East River on Christmas afternoon, building a tiny snow bunny (not the blonde skiing kind, mind you), waving Merry Christmas to a friendly tugboat as it passed us. Later, lobster, steak au poivre, and flying bunnies (a long tradition I'll explain sometime) at the apartment of more close friends. There's nothing like Christmas in New York, and I mean it.

Watching Tsia do a "flamingo dance" (costume found in my parents' admirable collection of dress-up clothes) after we attended a performance by Noche Flamenca the other day. Really breathtaking. (Noche Flamenca, that is. Tsia's dancing was more amusing than breathtaking, I'll admit. It involved lots of bottom-wiggling.) If you get a chance to see this group, I highly recommend it. I'm entranced by the way the performers watch each other so intently (much of flamenco is improvisation, so they need to be closely in tune), and I admire the tremendous physicality of the dancing. The singing always vaguely reminds me of one of my favorite musicians, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, which may seem far-fetched, but apparently the roots of Flamenco do have some ties to that part of the world. We'll have another opportunity to watch flamenco at Tsia's school tomorrow.

Travel with my little one, who is really a wonderful kid. I'm lucky to spend time with her and her sweet disposition. We have fun together.

Spending time with my family, particularly my two youngest sisters, one new brother-in-law, and my parents. 2009 was quite a year for our family in many different ways. I'm glad we had a chance to spend some quiet time together to close out the old year and look forward to a new year.

Meeting the editor of an upcoming digital fiber-craft magazine at a terrific yarn store/cafe near my parents' home. Nothing like wielding pointy tools for change, and the yarns look as scrumptuous as the food!

Paying a nostalgic visit to Dad's office, which was always an adventure when I was little and got to play with the drafting supplies.

Admiring the architecture at the University of Wisconsin. Many of the older buildings are so beautiful and grand.

Dropping by to see where our favorite Babcock Hall ice cream is made. Saying hi to the friendly cows (I had no idea a single cow can give 5 gallons of milk in one milking, and here's the proof that I don't make this stuff up.

Returning home to one adorable husband and furry cat.

* * * * * * *

I have one resolution for 2010: I want to celebrate spontaneous ordinary events. Calendar holidays have always felt too forced and stressful to me, so this year I will celebrate the everyday, the little events, and the uneventful. And I plan to make them into events of their own. So here's to the new year!

starting the year

2010-01-04T00:12:00.005-05:00

A little over ten years ago, my parents sold our tiny suburban childhood house and moved out to the countryside. We girls, frankly, thought they were a little crazy to be moving so far away from the community. But once all their kids were grown, it was only fair that they live how and where they wanted to live, and Dad has always wanted to live out in the country, closer to the land.

The "new" house (it's still seems new to me, since I've never lived there) is an open contemporary style, with plenty of woods around it for privacy, set in an older development near farms and down the road from some wonderful small towns.

So Tsia and I are visiting my parents and enjoying some time in the country. Over the years that I lived in Wisconsin (from age 6 until I left for college) and since I've returned to visit my parents, I've grown to love the landscape around Madison, especially in the fall and winter. I love the soft, rolling hills of the farms and the barren winter woods. I find the subtle neutral earth palette to be inspiring: the shades of brown and beige in the dried grasses and plants, the grey and soft blue of the sky, the darker brown and grey and black of the trees and old barns, the whites and blues of the snow and the cast shadows, and the way the colors all work together in the landscape. Today the subtle colors felt to me like starting the year with a clean palette, ready for new adventures and new colors to layer on top.

These photos were snapped out the window of the car this morning on our way downtown. Pretty, yes?

And when you're in Wisconsin and find yourself in need of bright colors and lights, you sometimes need to find them indoors! Until today I had never ice skated on an indoor rink; we grew up with a terrific skating pond just down the street from our house. But when the weather is as cold as it's been (mostly in the single digits, which is well below freezing for those of you who measure in celsius) you take your winter sports where you can find them. It took me a few minutes to find my "ice legs," but they're still there! Tsia is working to develop hers, and the rink provides chairs for kids to push around to offer a little assistance. She'll be a steady Wisconsin skater in no time!

snowy day

2009-12-20T21:14:00.000-05:00

Despite the strep throat (me), flu (Todd), and sniffles (Tsia), I love this weather. I had to run to the store for dish soap tonight, and the air is so clear! All the Christmas lights are vibrant, even the stop lights at the intersection look festive. Of course, our new snowfall (11 inches, according to the radio) makes the weather and season feel even more festive and pleasant.

Four must be the perfect age to enjoy snow. She's close enough to the ground to flop or fall down with abandon, which she did every couple of seconds today, just to roll around and enjoy herself. Really, I've never seen anyone have so much fun. We both giggled endlessly!

Tomorrow after school we'll take a pass or two at that sledding hill.

it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

2009-12-17T21:55:00.005-05:00

winter coat

2009-12-07T23:20:00.000-05:00

Remember how a few weeks ago I went fabric shopping for S's new winter coat? Well, the results are now up on the Oliver + S blog.

I tried a little experiment with this coat and lined it with Thinsulate. See the post if you're interested in the details.

handmade, etc.

2009-12-03T23:13:00.001-05:00

Did you see the article in the New York Times last weekend? It turns out that handmade gifts aren't just a little trend among crafters--they're a phenomenon! Of course, you already knew you were on the forefront of this movement, right? Give yourself a little pat on the back, handmade holidays crafters.

Here is a quick list of semi-related items regarding handmade holidays:

1. There are a couple of holiday giveaways happening right now: STC books is doing a handmade holidays giveaway, and it's always fun to read what everyone is making for gifts. Lots of good ideas. Also, BurdaStyle is giving away a whole bunch of good stuff this month. I'm drooling over the colored pencils. Wow.

2. Tsia and I are doing a little handmade holiday crafting of our own. Last week I neglected to show you another book that's related to handmade gifts and to book week. We're doing a project from Kata Golda's Hand-Stitched Felt book, but we can't show you yet because we think some of the recipients might read this. It will have to wait until after Christmas, I'm afraid. We're both enjoying sewing with felt, but Tsia is obsessed with a felted pink sweater she found in my stash, and I'm not sure what she thinks she's going to make from it. I'm a bit fearful.

3. Also related to handmade gifts, I'm finally getting around to listing a few pieces of jewelry from a previous handmade venture. Long before Oliver + S, I had a small business making jewelry that was sold in a boutique bridal shop in our neighborhood. I still have quite a few pieces around and thought maybe I should let some of them go (they're not doing much good stuck in a box at the studio, are they?), so I've listed several pieces on Etsy. But I can't for the life of me remember what the names of these stones are! Can anyone help?

a. I know the grey stones are smoky quartz and freshwater pearls, but are the blue stones aquamarine? Tourmaline?

b. Let's see: peridot, turquoise, smoky quartz, green freshwater pearls, and (again) aquamarine?

c. Grey freshwater pearls, but what are the navy blue stones? No recollection on my part. You'd think I would have a record of this, no?

4. Oh, and one more thing. I'm not even going to try to take photos of this because other people do it so much better than I. So here is a link to images from the windows at Bergdorf's men's shop. The actual figurines and props from The Fanastic Mr. Fox. The detail just kills me. Tiny buttons on the clothing, etc.

photo by Rudy Pospisil

scarf, revisited

2009-12-02T16:16:00.002-05:00

I feel like we're taking a trip through the disdressed archives a bit over the last few days. First the mitten ornaments and now the baby scarf, this time made a little bit wider for a bigger kid.

The original scarf still fits her well, but I continued to increase stitches for a few rows this time so it covers a longer neck. I'm thinking maybe I'll make one for myself next--you could really make this to fit anyone!

By the way, here's a little help if you have trouble remembering or trying to decide which stitch increases and decreases to use. I can never remember, and it's nice to have the visual with a description.

made in New York

2009-12-01T09:06:00.002-05:00

I've been spending some time in the garment district over the past few weeks (an interesting project I'm working on--I'll tell you more about it sometime), and just outside the window of the room where I've been working, in the next building, is a real working cutting room! Since small-scale manufacturing like this is getting more and difficult to find in the U.S., I thought you might like to take a peek (literally) at how it works. To give you a better sense of what you're seeing, the stripe of white you can see in many of these photos is the fluorescent light that is mounted above the tables:

This cutting room has two giant tables--each at least 40 feet long! First the fabric is laid out. A special fabric roller is used to spread fabric across the table evenly:

The fabric prep guys always work in tandem. Here you can see them feeding a layer of fabric across the table:

Here you can get a sense of how long it is. And this is just a small portion of the table!

After a layer of fabric has been spread, the fabric is weighted and cut at the end and a second layer is laid over the first layer, going the opposite direction. Multiple layers are added in this manner, and on the day I took these photos the workers were switching fabric colors every few layers so they could cut smaller quantities of each colorway in an efficient manner.

Once the layers of fabric are weighted and cut, the marker is spread across the fabric

and the marker is stapled to the fabric layers. A marker is the garment pattern itself, each piece positioned as closely to the others as possible to minimize fabric waste. Multiple sizes are cut at the same time, which is why the tables need to be so long!

Then it's time for the cutters to get to work. This, to me, is the most fascinating part of the job. These guys are so good at what they do--and they're incredibly fast! Their blades are completely hand operated but are powered by electricity. The motors sit on a small platform that is manipulated so dexterously it actually looks easy to do, but I promise this isn't nearly as simple as operating the simple rotary cutters many of us use at home when we sew.

I wouldn't want that to be my left hand located that close to the cutter...

When all the cutting is finished, the pattern pieces are stacked and ready for sewing.

If you look at these pieces sitting on the table, you can get a sense of the number of fabric layers that are cut at one time, just from seeing the thickness of the pieces:

Pretty impressive, yes? The garments are assembled elsewhere in the building, but that part of the manufacturing process wasn't really visible from my location.

If I have time one of these days, maybe I'll pay a visit to one of the sample rooms where I once worked. You might enjoy seeing how a sample room operates before they become extinct, too.

we're ready

2009-11-29T23:38:00.004-05:00

These days there's only one item on my To Do list immediately after Thanksgiving: to get the advent calendar up. Beyond that, I'll do anything to avoid Black Friday, and I figure we've got all month to do all our additional decorating and shopping. I'm in no hurry.

So Tsia and I hung up the mittens, and just when I was wondering what to put inside each one, Tsia asked for her leftover Halloween candy. (I was fairly certain she had forgotten it...?) She managed to find something in the stash for each mitten, which even saves me the that part of the task. Oh to be four, when a single leftover Pez candy for each day on the calendar makes you perfectly happy!

The pattern for these mitten ornaments is available for free download over at Oliver + S. Last year I made one mitten every day, so Tsia received a mitten each morning when she woke up, with a small gift inside. But they also make great ornaments, little gifts or decorations on gifts, so have fun with them!

pace

2009-11-25T17:23:00.000-05:00

On my way downtown the other day I caught sight of this sign in the window of a vacant store and it stopped me in my tracks. Then I had a good chuckle.

So I'm going to follow the advice of this wise window and slow down for a few days to enjoy time with family and friends. Hope you can do the same. Happy Thanksgiving!

book week: Amanda Soule's Handmade Home

2009-11-25T08:15:00.000-05:00

I'd like to tell you that Tsia and I made this paper mache bowl together as a family project the way Amanda Soule does with her children, and the way she intended it to be done in her book, Handmade Home. But I have a confession to make: I got a little carried away and completely took over this project.

You see, we started out doing the paper mache part together, but Tsia decided the paste was too messy and she didn't want to get her hands sticky. So we compromised, and I did the pasting while she handed me the strips of newspaper as I needed them. We did lots of chatting during this time together, but the crafting was being done my Mom, not kid and Mom. (I was expecting her to really get involved in this part--any tips for overcoming the goopy factor?)

Well, once I got this involved in making the bowl, a vision emerged and I knew exactly how I wanted "our" finished bowl to look. I thought it would be really pretty if we covered the outside of the bowl with brown craft paper and then painted the inside a bright color. So of course when it came time to paint the inside I wanted a neat edge (that was part of my vision, after all!), which meant that I had to paint the top portion and Tsia was left to paint only the bottom (under my very close supervision).

And then I just had to touch it up a bit. But I didn't get too weird about it, did I? Oh no, not me. I mean, at least we spent time together while I got my obsessive-compulsive groove on, right? Or that's what I'm telling myself, anyway.

The instructions for making the bowl and the recipe for the paper mache paste are both in the book, and I really had no idea how simple it is to make the paste! Tsia and I are still marveling that our bowl is made out of only paper, flour, water and salt. Sounds almost edible, doesn't it? Oh, except for the paint. But that's it!

Anyway, I admire Amanda's dedication to her family and the crafting she does with her kids. They spend lots of time creating and exploring and just being together. I admire Handmade Home for inspiring us all to spend time making things together, being together, and making things that will be useful when we spend time together as a family.

For our next project I'll try to loosen up a bit on the control aspect. Maybe we'll do a little repurposing, the way Amanda encourages you to in the book, and make something that we can do together.

Without getting our hands too messy, that is.

book week: Ramona and friends

2009-11-23T20:32:00.000-05:00

I mentioned that we've been reading the Beverly Cleary books to Tsia. They're the first real "chapter" books (as opposed to picture books) in which she's been interested, and when I say interested I mean captivated. Before this she was frightened by the rat in Charlotte's Web, and my beloved Paddington Bear is still a bit old for her. But Ramona! Well, the girl couldn't be more enthralling, could she? And the books are as good as I remember them. Maybe even better. I can't stand to miss a chapter, so when it’s Todd’s turn to read, he reads to both of us.

This fall we obsessively made our way through every Ramona story, and then we exhausted most of the Henry Huggins books as well. But Ms. Clearly is right when she says that children want to read "books about kids like us;" Tsia is definitely more interested in the stories about girls than boys (although Ribsy is pretty cool, too). Right now we're hoping that Ellen Tebbits will repair her friendship with Austine, and suddenly ballet classes sound appealing, when two weeks ago she responded with a big "NO!" upon being asked if she was interested. (Ellen and her friend Austine take ballet classes together.)

We've been borrowing Ms. Cleary's books from the public library, and I've been surprised to see that the newer copies of the books have "updated" illustrations. I still visualize Ramona as drawn by Louis Darling, the original illustrator of many of the books. From what I can gather, Mr. Darling died quite young, and several other illustrators were hired for later books. But it’s the Darling illustrations that have stayed with me, and I’m sorry that they’re being replaced. I really don’t think the newer illustrations do the books justice. When I think of Ramona, I still see her with her printed dresses, fuzzy cardigans and oxford shoes with floppy bobby socks. I completely agree with this blogger, who says that Mr. Darling’s illustrations are appealing to children and adults, in part, because of their nostalgia. They were also just beautifully composed and compelling in the way they captured the expressions and personalities of their characters. Call me whiney, complain-y and old fashioned, but I really do think the illustrations are an integral part of the books.

Todd’s parents recently sent us his copies of the books which they had saved for him, signed by Ms. Clearly herself. I’ve enjoyed paging through them to reminisce, and I’m putting them away until Tsia is old enough to read and enjoy these copies herself. I’m sure our first reading of the books was just one of many for her. But I hope that future printings of Ms. Cleary’s books will include those original illustrations so that more children can enjoy them as well.