Archive for the 'stitchery' Category

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SIMPLICITY 2226 : GREY POLKA DOT

Published on June 2, 2011 in clothing and stitchery. 24 Comments Tags: cynthia rowley, habitat, jay mccarroll, simplicity 2226, skirt.

I’ve been in the mood for full skirts recently, so I took a trip to Fabricland to scout out some patterns that they had there. I didn’t even look at anything else, I just went straight for the patterns. It is so crazy in there! I picked out a few Simplicity patterns to make for the summer. This skirt and a couple Simplicity patterns (this one & this one) by Cynthia Rowley.

As soon as this grey polka dot fabric came in for the Habitat line, I made sure I got some. A few of the prints sold out within a couple days and this was one of them. I have grown to really appreciate a good polka dot thanks to Celine.

This pattern is one of their Learn to Sew patterns and I found it very easy to work with. I love this style of pocket and I definitely want to include this in future projects. There were belt loops and a tie with this skirt, but I omitted them from my version. I made a size 8 and I find it a bit loose. It still fits, but sits lower on my hips than I’d like it to. I’m going to make the skirt again but will definitely do a size 6 next time.

This skirt is so comfy to wear. One of the reasons I love dresses so much is that the dress is a complete outfit. With a skirt, you need a top to go with it. Colette just posted a free tank top pattern that I’m going to make this weekend.

HAPPY HOMEMADE VOL.3 : TOP A2

Published on May 29, 2011 in japanese dress/craft and stitchery. 10 Comments Tags: Happy Homemade Vol. 3, Japanese dress book.

I don’t know what it is about this top, but I just love it. It’s so easy to wear, almost like a woven t-shirt of sorts. I made another version a few months ago from light blue gingham. I’m trying hard not to over use these tops in my rotation and I kind of want to make another one.

This version is made from a fabric I’ve had in my stash for over a year that has a vintage feeling and I especially love the little purple and blue accents. I changed up the sleeves this time and made them gathered with a bias trim. My goal was to make lots of tops and shorts this summer, but I haven’t been very motivated to sew shorts with the rainy weather we’ve been having. I am hoping the sun is going to make a strong appearance this week!

365 : 116

Published on April 28, 2011 in 365, home, patchwork, stitchery and textiles. 4 Comments Tags: 365, Denyse Schmidt.

April 27, 2011 : vintage kimono patchwork table runner

I recently brought out one of my most favourite things I’ve ever made. It’s a table runner that I made in a class taught by Denyse Schmidt at Make in NYC. This was years and years ago, before the workroom was even a twinkle in my eye. Denyse supplied all the materials, so I ended up making something I never would have chosen for myself but I’m still (to this day) so in love with it. You can’t really see, but it is backed with a solid mustard fabric. Brilliant. I never would have created this on my own! It is such a gift to learn from others around you.

I think I also love that it reminds me to try something different.

SCHOOLHOUSE TUNIC

Published on April 23, 2011 in stitchery, textiles and the workroom. 9 Comments Tags: cotton voile, Denyse Schmidt, Fancy Tiger, greenfield hill, schoolhouse tunic, sew liberated, The Makerie.

Before I left for The Makerie, I spent almost an entire week sewing up a storm of new things to bring and wear on our trip. The Schoolhouse Tunic by Sew Liberated was one of the patterns I’ve been meaning to test out for a little while now and I thought it would be great for traveling.

I chose to make it using one of the cotton voiles from Greenfield Hill by Denyse Schmidt. It’s really graphic and a much bolder print that you would normally see me wear, but I really love it. The great thing about voile is that it is a wonderful fabric to use in clothing because it has such a soft, flowing drape. It’s also very nice to sew with.

The pattern was very easy to sew, has some great details and lots of room for variation. They suggest two different lengths (tunic or shirt) and I chose the longer tunic length for my first version. I was in a hurry and didn’t add side seam pockets, but I’ll definitely do that next time. I got to see three other interpretations of the Schoolhouse Tunic at The Makerie, as every day, one of the Fancy Tiger girls was wearing her own version. (You can see Emily’s soft plaid version on the far left) It gave me so many ideas on different fabrics and ways to style the pattern.

I’m trying to decide on fabric for my second Schoolhouse Tunic. Perhaps some Liberty of London?

Keep an eye out for this as a new class at the workroom this summer. Everyone needs to make one of these tunics!

THE MAKERIE 2011

Published on April 14, 2011 in i heart, inspiration, stitchery, textiles and traveling. 11 Comments Tags: Boulder, Chautauqua Park, Colorado, Fancy Tiger, Jessica Hernandez, Joyfolie, Lizzy House, The Makerie.

Words and even the 100+ photos that I uploaded cannot express this past weekend at The Makerie in Boulder, Colorado. It was beyond wonderful. When I registered to go with Katherine a couple months ago, I thought it would be fun to take some cool classes in another city. I had no idea how emotionally charged, inspiring, relaxing, energizing, exhausting and full of wonder the weekend would be. OMG.

Katherine & I flew into Denver airport on Thursday morning, rented a car for the weekend and drove to check out South Broadway in Denver. Our first stop was Fancy Tiger, a seriously adorable fabric & craft shop. We couldn’t resist buying some fabric and chit chatting with the gals in the shop. Lucky for us, Fancy Tiger was participating in The Makerie and we got to hang out and get to know them over the weekend.

The entire weekend took place at Chautauqua Park in Boulder. It is located right at the base of the mountains! We literally could just roll out of bed and onto the hiking trails from the adorable cottage we stayed in. Boulder is a beautiful place and Chautauqua Park was the perfect setting for the retreat.

We had our choice of two classes for the retreat and it was pretty clear to us which ones we would take – shoe making & block printing! Yes, that’s right – shoes!! We spent Friday learning to make ballet flats that we adorned with handmade flowers and bows with Jessica Hernandez of Joyfolie. Throughout the day we learned about Jessica’s journey to creating and growing her company that started out making shoes for babies. Jessica was so generous with her skills, creativity and ‘trade secrets’ and the shoes that the class made were pretty incredible. I am pretty excited to be able to make myself some pretty party shoes out of any fabric I choose in the future.

On Saturday we took Block Printing with Lizzy House. That would be Lizzy House, the designer of Castle Peeps and the upcoming 1001 Peeps fabric collections. I was especially excited to take this class from someone that I already admired so much. We sat down to have breakfast with Lizzy on the first day and became fast friends over coffee cake, yogurt and granola. You gotta a love a girl who has a thousand great ideas, opinions and knows her astrology.

My strategy for this class was to design something really simple and geometric since my drawing skills are not my strong point. I started by drawing stars all over my blank sheet of paper. I looked over at one point and noticed a recycling bin in the corner so I drew an arrow on my page. Lizzy passed by and casually commented, ‘I like that’. That tiny bit of encouragement burst into inspiration and I started to build a little bundle of arrows. Lizzy showed me how to take my design and create a repeat from it. MAGIC!! I have always been fascinated with pattern and couldn’t believe I was finally trying it out.

After our designs were finalized, we started carving out our linoleum blocks. We took a break for lunch and regrouped to start printing out our designs on fabric. Everyone’s designs were really impressive. Some people brought tea towels and tshirts to print on. Jaime printed her blocks onto printed fabrics and the effect was really great. I chose to do white ink on Kona Charcoal Solid fabric and I love how it turned out. I’m so so proud of my arrow print. My goal is to make a dress or skirt from my printed fabric, so watch out for it!

A real highlight for me was my Makerie partner in crime, Katherine. We spent every second of the four day weekend together in perfect unison. A parking ticket (still gotta pay that!), nearly lost favourite bracelet and flight delay home hardly fazed us. We are solidly firmed up as retreat partners and friends for life.

I really can’t say enough wonderful things about my experience at The Makerie. I think everyone who was there felt just as grateful and inspired by the experience that Ali created for us. Taking time away from our everyday lives, letting go, opening up and making new connections with people face to face was a real gift. The date has already been set for next year’s event and I urge you to mark your calendar.

I just realized that ‘making shoes’ and ‘printing fabric’ are both on my ‘Crafty List of Things to Do‘!!! Double Check!

You can see all my photos here or view the slideshow below. I’m still reflecting on this weekend in Boulder and it has sparked some very exciting plans that I’ll be sharing with you very soon.

Here’s what other people are saying about The Makerie weekend!
Katherine, Jessica, Jenny, and Anne

Also! If you wanted to try your hand at Jessica’s baby shoes, there is a pattern you can buy from her website right here.

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

BIB FRONT DRESS IN CORDUROY

Published on March 23, 2011 in stitchery. 18 Comments Tags: Amy Butler, B & J Fabrics, bib front, corduroy, Liverpool.

If this dress looks familiar, it’s because this is version #3 of this style! First made is summery pink/purple gingham, then in navy with gold linen and now with the softest purple/grey corduroy.

Let’s talk about this fabric first. I bought it a few years ago in New York at B & J Fabric. I love to treat myself to a nostalgic trip to B & J whenever I can. I used to have the luxury of wandering the aisles for hours after work every day, dreaming up new things to make. The wale on this corduroy is so fine, the fabric feels a bit like velvet. The colour mixes my two current favourites, grey and purple.

From my past versions, you know all about this pattern. It is based loosely on the Amy Butler Liverpool Shirtdress with some major adjustments.

I actually made this dress just before the holidays, it was my Christmas dress. It feels really cozy to wear, so it’s the perfect winter dress. AND apparently winter isn’t quite done with the snow we’re having today!

STYLISH DRESS BOOK : DRESS S

Published on February 20, 2011 in japanese dress/craft, stitchery and textiles. 27 Comments Tags: Japanese dress book, Liberty of London, Stylish Dress Book.

Stylish Dress Book (available at the workroom)
Dress ‘S’ : Navy Metal Blend Fabric with Liberty of London ‘Mirabelle’ detail

Finally! I’ve been wanting to share this dress with you for a while. When I first made it last year, I did something silly and made the scalloped hem detail with just 2″ of Liberty of London Mirabelle as the lining. This meant when I sat down or really even just walked, you could see past the lining. I finally re-did the hem with about 10″ of lining and I honestly don’t know why I didn’t just line the entire skirt. I’m not redoing it again, but next time I would make that modification. I had been wanting to try a scalloped hem for a while and it’s really not that hard at all. I used Liesl’s tutorial to guide me through. I like how she did the scallop detail on just the back of her skirt.

This pattern is from Stylish Dress Book. What’s unusual about this pattern is that it actually has a zipper in the back! Most Japanese Dress Book dresses just slip over your head. What’s great about having a zipper is that the pattern is actually more fitted than most of the loose tunics I usually make. The main fabric of the dress is a navy metal blend fabric that I got at the Liday Baday Designer Fabric Showroom. This is the second metal blend fabric that I’ve sewn with and it’s interesting to see the different properties that metal brings to fabric. What attracts me is the shimmer, but the fabric also has more memory and hold creases quite tightly, similar to the look of linen. I’d like to try this pattern again in a softer fabric, perhaps even a Liberty of London print.

I added side seam pockets, of course. I used the same Mirabelle print for the pockets that I used on the hem detail.

Without a doubt, Stylish Dress Book has been my favourite book to sew from. Taking a look through the pages, I’m thinking that Tunic G is going to be next!

SEWN MITTENS

Published on February 18, 2011 in stitchery and the workroom. 5 Comments Tags: sewn mittens.

I tried my hand at knitting when I first started to sew. I made a bunch of scarves and even knit a sweater, but I seemed to loose interest in the whole thing after my third scarf. (and that sweater was pretty terrible) Every winter I get ‘knit-envy’ when I see photos of cozy cowls, cute mittens and slouchy hats. I would love to make those things! But, I have a feeling I should stick to all the other craft that I’ve got going on.

I was super excited when our new teacher, Mariel, suggested a Sewn Mittens class. Yes!! Finally, I can ‘fake’ some knit mittens by sewing them from upcycled sweaters.

I love this fun project for all the variation you can achieve by using upcycled goods. For my mittens I picked up a purple sweater from Value Village. Debbie offered me some of her leather scraps for the palms. The sweater had ‘elbow pad’ details on the sleeves, so I cut my main piece from that part of the sweater.

I didn’t really consider what would happen when you try to sew leather to sweater. Basically these are two materials that behave very differently! The knit sweater was super stretchy, while the leather was not. This made the sewing a bit more tricky and I did use a walking foot. I would not recommend this combination of materials to a beginner sewer or at least for your first pair. The students who made their mittens completely out of sweaters turned out totally adorable! (hello, cashmere mittens!)

I’ve been wearing my mittens every day. They fit perfectly and are totally cozy and warm. My mom will be happy to learn she doesn’t need to buy me gloves or mittens anymore.

In the back of my mind I’m already gathering ideas for next year’s Christmas gifts. These are currently at the top of the list. I’ve got another pair cut out and ready to sew!

p.s. You can read a cute interview with me on ‘oh my! handmade goodness‘. The piece was written by Debra Norton of Vintage Paper Parade. Thanks for including me in your piece, Debra!

STAR-Y LOG CABIN FABRICS

Published on February 13, 2011 in patchwork and stitchery. 11 Comments Tags: star-y log cabin.

Week one of my Star-y Log Cabin e-course with Amanda was choosing fabric. Best homework ever! There’s nothing like picking fabrics for a quilt. It’s so much fun. When else do you get to choose a few dozen fabrics for one project?

The inspiration for this colour palette came from Denyse Schmidt’s new Greenfield Hills collection. All the darks have really grown on me and the dark navy combined with black is my favourite colourway of the group. I started by going through my stash and found the darkest and blackest navy fabrics that I had. This includes some old favourites from Tula Pink’s Neptune collection. (which I also used in my Double Wedding Ring Quilt)

I wanted to have something super contrasting to my dark navys, so I’ve chosen some variations of off-whites. Somehow this also includes a lot of my Japanese text prints. These are going to be a lot of fun as logs in my log cabin.

The hard part was choosing a centre fabric for my sawtooth stars. I’ve realized recently that I tend to gravitate towards fairly plain, tonal fabrics. I’d love to do more fussy cutting, but I hardly ever pick large scale or novelty prints that show off this technique properly. I need to change this. I’m going to try to add more bold prints to my stash this year. At the bottom of one of my boxes of fabric, I found a piece of City Limits. I made a wrap dress from this fabric a while ago. I think these cute buildings will make the perfect star centres in this quilt.

P.S. Early this week I found out about an incredible creative retreat called ‘The Makerie‘ in Colorado in April. After reading through the program, I just had to register. Yoga in the morning, crafting all day long, outdoor hikes, sleeping in cottages and delicious local organic meals. I’m heading down to Boulder with Katherine for three fun days and I’m so excited! There’s still space in the program for anyone else wanting a little pre-spring getaway. It’s going to be crazy, crafty fun.

HAPPY HOMEMADE VOL.3 : TOP A1/A2

Published on February 10, 2011 in japanese dress/craft and stitchery. 21 Comments Tags: Happy Homemade Vol. 3, Japanese dress book.

Alright, it’s time to get some garment sewing back into the mix here! Whenever I teach a Japanese Dress Books class, I try to work on a new pattern from one of my books at the same time. This is the one that I started during my January session.

I combined the pattern for Dress A1 and A2 together. I wanted to make a tunic top, with the bias neck detail of A2 and the pleated sleeve detail of A1. The fabric I chose is something I’ve been holding onto since last summer. It was one of the French General silky cottons. The yarn dyed wovens that French General does with their collections are very special and super soft. They are perfect for making clothing with.

I love how this top turned out. It makes me feel spring-y and happy. I’ve pulled out fabric for a second version. I am starting to plan my spring wardrobe and it’s going to include lots of cute tops and adorable shorts.