Woodland Creatures

So here is a little thing I finally finished up with the snap purchase from the Depot. It's made with lovely soft corduroy and lined with windproof grey fleece. The red accent fabric is Echino, of course. I brought it to the show on Friday, and was amazed by the response! It's the first piece I've really embellished the heck out of. I waffled whether it was over the top.


It came home with me that night, but I got a call on Monday from a gal who "couldn't stop thinking about it." It was a teary goodbye, but I know it went to a good home.

Feliz Navidad

Oh, don't ask about my resistance to the beautiful stack of fabric and trim, because it withered against Trillium's timely sew along.* So the tantalizing pics from my last post have since been transformed into my first Feliz. Mimi is loving the ruffles and spin promise of the dress, and I confess it hits my fru-fru bone as well. I will snap some pics of her modeling just as soon as possible! Although I was intimidated by this pattern to begin with, after going through the tutorial (and I skipped ahead a bit, I confess) it just clicked and I could finally understand the bits I thought were confusing. So here it is!

Front

Back

*Since I finished the dress I have also finished several other projects as well, so there super-ego!

Work and WORK

Because let's face it, studio time is work time, right? But there's work, like these things
to get ready for this show, then there's WORK. Like this pile of goodies over here that keeps distracting me. So far I have been very good about ignoring it. But it's pull is growing...

Go Leanne.

What a happy ending for the Portland girl who proved herself the most innovative and consistent designer on this season's Project Runway. Kudos, Leanne. I was pulling for you since day one.

Garden Party Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Hello, Sweet Readers. You can assume that since I haven't posted in a bit that I've taken the summer off. Ha! Well, not exactly. I've been deep in the blog-o-sphere on a mission just for you. Finding really cool new sites, from amazing people who are just slightly more talented than you and I, let's face it, Dear Reader. So you need to follow me in a bit, to a wonderful new site called Grosgrain. Isn't the name cute, even? This amazing woman sews her daughters dresses and then GIVES THEM AWAY. It's true. Why don't you all check it out and see if you can't win some genius? I am...

Garden Party Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Total Convert

So my friend has been trying to convince me for several years now that I need to watch this show called "Project Runway." Perhaps you've heard of it? Well, quite frankly it has always struck me as just another reality TV show with trite actors in contrived situations designed solely for the ads in between its scanty content. (I actually will take the gloves off when it comes to reality tv.)
However, I watched the first episode of the new season today, thanks to her persistence and a cool thing having to do with digital cable and fast forwarding through commercials. Wow. I never thought I'd say it but I am hooked. Throughout the entire rabbit and possum bedtime story I was contriving my own trip through the drugstore culling items for the perfect dress. I hate to say it, but I care about these people. Is it because they are more supportive, more honest, more talented, more real than on other reality shows? Maybe.
What I do know is that I will be back. I'm a total Runway convert. Thanks Jenna.

Work a Day

Aside from a trip to our hidden treasure thrift store this morning to pick up our lovely stereo cabinet, today was an uninterruped workday. For B that meant turning soil and planting beans and tomatoes. For the kiddos, mad bike riding in the driveway and umbrella forts. For me, a long, and productive studio day.

I've been wanting to make reversible sun hats for the summer. But how to present the label and sizing? Well, I've been keeping this in mind, and decided to give it a whirl. Here's the reveal:

I tried the same technique on several different mediums, since the twill tape idea was good for sew-in labels, but not great for the foldies that I wanted. It was a bit bulky when folded. I rifled through the trims drawer and found a few other possibilities. From the top there's the twill tape, then a narrow white satin seam binding (vintage!), the same in pink, and an ivory single fold bias tape.

The twill tape was awesome, but bulky. The seam binding was quite lovely, folded nicely, and it appears the glossy paper residue absorbs better into these (surprise), so they are softer and more professional looking. The corners are sharper, however, but since these won't be against the skin I think it's okay. The single fold bias was very soft as well, but much narrower than the others so I ended up taking quite a bit off the edges of the label. They also feel "unfinished" to me, like the sides need to be topstitched closed.

I did a bunch in twill tape and seam binding, and am now going to sew them in to reversible hats on a trial basis to see if one out performs the other. Good times.

Oh, it was also a very productive day for sewing hats! Some new styles to be unveiled soon... Stay tuned!