the bender continues

 Cool paper airplane silk-screen that Brian did for our memorial day party and paper airplane contests.  winners actually got t-shirts but same design.  We have this bag for Owen's art supplies.

 Owl jammies for Grace too... I want a picture of them together, but it is like trying to catch the wind.

From the same book as Owen's bug hoodie, Polka Drops.  The darned ruffle that attracted me to this pattern was 

 such a pain in the patootie.  First I had one going one way and the opposing ruffle in reverse.  They really are more pleats, more regular than a ruffle... theoretically, they didn't quite line up, but I am okay with that.  Then I sewed them on poorly, had to re-do, then I had a hard time with the placket, had to re-do that once or maybe twice... I managed to cut the opening a hair too big, and all of that ripping out and resewing inadvertently made the bottom opening there too big to cover, so I had to do some mending already before it was even worn... too bad, but it isn't too obvious, hopefully. And a button hole flub, that had to be redone.

 Grr... pleats.  To top it off, Grace loves it and wants to wear it constantly AND it needs ironing, like really badly, I don't really love ironing.

but I love the shirt, and I love her, and I don't learn 'cause she picked out a coral fabric to do another.  I finally got a figgy sunki pattern that I am aching to try, but with finals week coming up, and then vacation, then summer school, I am not sure I have enough to pull through with projects planned. Let's hope.

dink

I've been a bit on a sewing jag... and I have a few more projects I want to tackle, but may be running out of steam. 

 Sewing for the kids is so much fun though.  There is so much cute fabric out there, and I am running through a few good japanese sewing books that are a little tough, but so much fun.

 Do you love the buttons?  Shrinky dinks!  Seriously!   I traced a dollar coin, punched two holes in it, Brian drew teh boat, in a micron pen, I colored them in with colored pencils and into the oven and VOILA!

 perfectly sized buttons.   The paper boats is a dress version of the ice-cream shirt (both lisette fabric).  G. loves wearing both of them, I think they are nice and roomy, pretty comfortable.  
Plenty of room to run and spin.

For Owen, I tacked a version from the polka drops kids sewing book.

Okay, maybe, just maybe the fabric is a bit much, but it may be the best fabric design ever... awesome bugs in little jars (with holes in the lid of course).  It is perfect for my collector.

  I made him the 130cm version (the largest) and it just fits him.

This shirt, was one of the tougher things I have tackled.... a hood, yolk, buttons galore, cuffs, fancy...I am a more brave sewer these days.  we did some bug buttons for this guy too.

Just traced the critters from the shirt... shrink them down and ooooo little bug buttons!


Just so we can see 'em better!

 

Ice cream!

I have been really pleased with this sewing book...

I"ve tried two patterns so far (the peasant dress several times now) and, once you get past the fact that the book is in Japanese, pretty easy!  That first step though... its a doozie.

 I got this cute ice-cream pop print by um... Lisette I think, anyhow, picked it up at JoAnns and tackled this top.  It is trickier than what I typically tackle, but after a few successes in a row, I was feeling bold.

 There is a little gather where the body attaches to the yolk and at the sleeves, which actually made the "easing" easier.  It was maybe a four-night dress (I can typically do this type of work maybe from 9-11, If I"m up for staying up late), one to trace and add seam allowances to the pattern, one to cut the fabric and zig-zag the edges of the fabric, and one longer one to sew it together (well, tack one more on 'cause as I was adding the sleeves, I sewed them in and reinforced the seam before realizing they were inside-out and spent a substantial amount of time ripping them out and had to wait for my head to clear and to get some sleep so finished everything the next day... so four days if you factor in errors... why don't I learn, I should always factor that in.)

 Its breezy, cool (good for these hot days).  Has button holes (personal first successful button holes in a row.

 Here's another take on the Peasant dress, this is a really easy pattern... (now I say that... you should have heard me the first time I tried it!).  I got some cute little kids on scooter fabric from a shopping trip with Michelle to Fabric Depot.

 I may just be emboldened enough to try a new book... in a language I cannot even begin to read.  Really though, the pictures are exceptional, there are key numbers to follow, it is do-able, even for a scardy-cat sewer like myself... very satisfying too!

I master (become proficient) at the zipper

 I made a bunch of these, I'll show off the last few as soon as I finish them.  Zipper pouches, made of mulsin or cotton duck, just what-ever plain fabric I had in my stash..  I was feeling a little like a color-block + zipper combo was in order so made this great art bag for Pearl's birthday.  Just painted the bottom with fabric paint and her name with a freezer paper stencil.

 one more pebo marker bowl!  Grace's new preferred Cheerio bowl.

with a wee heart.

Spring sewing miscelany: PJs, Blanket....

 Finally, a great hooded sweater that Grandma knit is the right size, and so cuddly on G.

 Cute Hula rice-crispy bears by Auntie Geralyne and friends... note the lei made of candies... G. ate that first.

 Just a sassy mulch picture.  Ordering this stuff was unexpectedly stressful... what exactly to order, how much... how much if they don't do half yards... what to do what to do what to do... For future reference, we ended up coming from Macfarlanes, but heard good things about Calackamas Landscape too... we got 3 yards of hemlock mulch and 1 generous yard of bark-chips.

 New jammies for Owen.  I used the cute owl fabric again.. I have enough for one more project, these owls are so great!

And a baby blanket for Katie and Adam's baby... yellow flannel back, red kona cotton on the front, a really cute martini olive type pattern for the binding, I really love the binding... A few fiddly bits (prairie corners) added for the baby to play-with.  I know it's maybe not the most stimulating blanket, but I really like the modern look to it... plus the colors are versatile, since we don't know if baby will be a boy or a girl.

mornin'

 We got a bunch of pebeo porcelaine pens before Christmas, we've made a few cute mugs and its a fun way to spruce up some plain bowls!
Lost:  Alas, another favorite mug down.

 I have great love for every roommate I have had!  You guys are awesome, but living with folks was sometimes... just busy, so my favorite escape was to get up early before work and go to Harry's in La Jolla.  I'd share breakfast with others who ate at 7am, at the counter, mostly oatmeal and coffee.  Anyhow I loved some of those mornings, even got to see Harry a few times.  I've used this mug ever since!

 Bye favored mug!

Waiting... for a new baby Davidson!  Made this new baby blanket, after a bit of a baby blanket hiatus around here.

  It's a whole cloth blanket, but I fell in love with the owls and plaid binding.  I machine quilted along the branch lines with dark grey thread on the back so it kinda looks like branches.  It turned out pretty well, overall not my best sewing, but in the end it made me happy!

Added a few prairie points on the back with scraps for the little'un to fiddle with.  

Hopefully it will serve for many happy hours of snuggline and reading together.

about me

Travel/food:  
Once when traveling in Paris, for Christmas dinner, I (or should I implicate my cousin as well and say we) ordered the only thing on the menu that I couldn't translate simply because it was "....Flambe".

it was liver

lots of liver

it was not on fire

Style:
My shopping swings widely between consignment/thrift stores and Nordstroms.  Nothing beats Nordstroms for being fitted and helped with picking out a new bra or for customer service, which is huge for someone who gets a little nervous shopping.  Nothing beats the thrift stores for finding super awesome jeans that actually fit almost every-time I look in for under $30  I don't know how it happens, but it does (my luck that by declaring it my luck will run out).

Health:
I have allergies like crazy, though the impact in Portland is substantially less severe than California.  After the long, grey, wet, winter breaks into joyous, beautiful, sunny, breezy, blooming spring... I huddle inside slightly woozy with the drugs and with the air conditioner and air filter on so I can breathe. This is even more discouraging with kids that you want desperately to (and indeed do) shoo outside, but know they will come back in covered with pollen.  Stoopid allergies.