Saturday, October 2, 2010

Shift!

Had to make a screeching halt on the cloche - need trim!
Started this frock from 1930 out of wine-colored striped rayon crepe from Elegant Fabrics in Manhattan. Altered the pattern a bit & jumping into the fray - could be disastrous, since I'm too impatient to do a muslin! Tally-ho!

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Next Up...

This is the beginning of cloche pattern #1603 from the Vintage Pattern Lending Library!
The view inside-out. The fabric is from Flirt in park Slope. A remnant for $5!!

A Few Things for Fall

Made a while back this Spring. Used the first pattern I ever used & extended it into a dress. It didn't go so well at first, but with a lot of futzing & help from D, it turned out alright! It's so easy to wear, so comfy, and SO 80's!

Piped neckline & sleeves along with Fabulous new necklaces! The beaded one from the Brooklyn Flea the morn this photo was taken & the heart locket from our good friends, Bob & Judi.
This pattern is my new standby, Burda #7866. This is the 3rd &, I think, the best of the bunch!! (just finished a few days ago.) I added gathers in the back at waist, longer sleeves &.....
a keyhole shoulder-detail! So much you can do with one pattern!

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Summer Top



Some pics of a little summer top. Fabric from Superbuzzy, pattern from the Pochee Spring 2010 edition (Somewhere there's a pic of the pattern page from this puppy! Like spaghetti finding the correct pieces. A lovely challenge!)

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Whistful Longing on a Workday

Yes, I should be working, but I must take a moment to wax on about Japanese fabrics & why they're so addicting.....
First, the quality that I've encountered is pretty consistently amazing, the "hand" of the fabrics is wonderful, and I just can't get over the fabulous designs (for the most part)! Okay, so there are some 'not so fab' designs out there, but they're just not my cup-o-tea, I'd say.
What else?.......Okay, when I look at some of the stuff & I want to eat it or make something, anything, immediately, that's a positive indicator, no? I'm having a problem accepting any other fabric source - is it a form of snobbery? Or just amor??

Monday, May 24, 2010

Woodland Creatures!

Finally, here's another project.....a little stuffed snail (well, not yet stuffed) for F & J's new little baby boy - he's so sweet!
Hopefully, he'll like the the little bits of this there are to pull & chew on. By the look of his feelers, this guy is in full exploration mode, right?
Been starting on many things, but not finishing, due to work & life, but will get on the stick, as it were! Happy Spring!
(listening to Joanna Newsome while stitching this guy - kind of makes sense, right?)

Monday, February 8, 2010

Slight Coverage

Well, here's a project that's not quite finished, but will be soon (she says!)...all I've left to do is trim the second pull shade & we're done! These are in the dining room/office/craft room. After 4-1/2 years, I finally put up window treatments other than $4 pull shades! I think the look kind of goes with the cottage-y feel of our apartment.
The body of the curtain is poly lace I got ages ago from somewhere - given to me, I think. The trim on the bottom used to be attached to a petticoat I wore in college. Love that trim & it's had a few lives so far. The off-white bits are flocking, for cryin' out loud!


The trim now on the pull-shade to spruce it up (too cheap to buy new ones - these still work!). Note the area where I slipped when stitching - kept it there for wabi-sabi's sake. Still remembering "it doesn't have to be perfect, it doesn't have to be perfect...."
The pull from some shop in Soho - bone or something like that.
The summer handbag I'm beginning - still needs a lining. The fabric is white cotton with metallic silver images!! what could be better?!

Monday, January 18, 2010

It's been so long....


It's a New Year & now that there's finally free time, I can do a bit of posting. These pic's are of "taggie" toys I made as part of my sweet baby twin nephews' Christmas package (from the Simple Sewing book - fabric from Superbuzzy & Fiber Notion)
&


some tricked out hot pads I just completed. (click on the picture for a larger view.) The fabric is a Japanese import from Superbuzzy that I just love, but had no use for yet, & the hot pads are from Mom's give-away pile a few years back. I made the fabric into bias binding & stitched it on through the pad from front to back to secure - easy since it was so soft. The hang tag was applied to the bias & hot pad first so it's rough edges could be totally hidden. Viola! hang-able & cute.