The Seek Speak

Sewn Arts... Wednesday?

2012-02-08T19:21:00.001-05:00

Sorry folks, I'm slow. It's been that kind of month, but it's not for naught. I'm working on a post for Sew Grateful that will show on Saturday... riiiiiiight around the time of the gift exchange party when I actually give it to the person it's for. (I've been wanting to post progress pics this whole time, but it's a secret gift exchange and some folks from that group follow me here. Could it be their gift? Who knows? Not them!)

But, in line with this gift exchange and my slowness, I am posting on one of my favorite animals: the three-toed sloth. A few years ago, I received a sloth purse at one of these gift exchanges. I'd post pics, but that would mean I'd have to actually have my act together by now.

I LOVE sloths! The internet has certainly spread the sloth love, but here are some great sewn versions I've found out in blogland:

Source: Tricky Hickson

Source: Oops, I Craft My Pants

Source: nonesuchgarden on Etsy

Hope you enjoyed them as much as I do! Back to sewing, now. Like I said, I've got a post I have to get done by Saturday.

Sewn Arts Sunday: Well, Not Exactly

2012-01-29T02:00:00.000-05:00

I thought I'd share a couple of recent finds that (except for one) aren't really sewn. But I love the looks and I love the work involved.

Enjoy!

Source: Etsy

This little dragon by SewLolita didn't make last week's post, but is too cute for me to not mention somewhere. How cute is he? She? It? The best part is that you can buy a pattern to make one of your own. :D

Source: Flickr

Here's some amazing felty goodness by Vital Temptation. Her work--whether it's felted, knit, crocheted, or leather--is so beautiful, I'd feel like I was from nyadic world wearing them. Magical stuff!

Source: Flickr

You should definitely check out her blog and Etsy shop!

Source: Du Fuchs

Another super fun and magical world by Toshiko Horiuchi MacAdam, who makes crocheted playgrounds! Apparently, she orders her yarn by the ton for these amazing creations. I would find every excuse to go to the playground if I had one of these beauties close by my house. I hope that doesn't make me creepy.

Source: Playscapes

Relearning the Past

2012-01-25T02:00:00.000-05:00

When my paternal grandmother passed away in 2007, it fell to me to go through her clothes. At under 5 feet tall, my grandmother was far too small for any of her other grandchildren to have any use for her closet contents. Let me just say, I felt very privileged.

I do not know how to describe my grandmother's style to you, but I'm going to try. Think leopard print couches, bleach blond beehive, red velvet flocked wallpaper, deep red shag carpet, half-shirts, teeeeeny tiny shorts, terry-cloth strapless pantsuits, little tank tops with nautical themes, burgundy velvet evening dresses, high high heels, fake fur coats, cigarettes, Manhattens, and coffee. Get the picture? An awesome mix of EllaMae from Beverly Hillbillies, Dolly Parton, and French bordello. I LOVE it!

This isn't too far off. Just add a beauty mark above her lip.

I've stated before just how much I love the memory aspect of inheritance and vintage. That what you inherit or find in the thrift store has a story and a person (or a few people) who have lived part of their lives in these clothes, or using these patterns.

My grandmother did not have a lot of contact with us growing up. After about the fourth kid, we never seemed to see her. She was a mystery recluse, who never managed to make it to big family events even though her husband always seemed to. I'd like to think I *almost* got her out to my wedding.

However, I have over the years learned more and more about her. Though she barely saw us, she often talked to my father daily at work. And having to do a project on my family history, I was able to learn more about her childhood. She was very hesitant to share much, but my understanding is that she and her family went through a great deal of hardship in rural Virginia. Her father left the family when she was very young, leaving her mother to care for a large brood of children on her own. Her brother died very young, tragically. She married young, divorced young, and often struggled to make ends meet and find happiness. Things improved when she remarried an amazing man, who was able to support them well. But she still struggled, finding unhappiness still followed her.

When I inherited my grandmother's clothes, I was super smitten by her amazing style sense. It was always apparent that her appearance meant a great deal to her. My father often said that aging was very difficult for her, as she had put so much value in her appearance.

This pair of pants was one of the pieces that I took home. They fit me really well, and I always loved the wide-leg style even if I am short. I was tickled to learn that they were from Frederick's of Hollywood, as it perpetuated that glamorous yet slightly trashy mystique that I imposed upon my grandmother.

I never wore them, because the seams were coming out, and I needed to resew them.

Chameleon branding

In resewing them this past week, after a year of pursuing sewing more seriously, I quickly realized something very important. These pants were handmade. They were not from Frederick's of Hollywood. I had earlier realized that some of the velvet dresses I inherited were handmade, but my greedy little eyes never actually looked at these pants seriously. I just saw nice pants, saw a tag, and thought "gotta keep them".

hand-stitched seams, after the first one came out

Instead, what I now see is the story of my grandmother: a woman aspiring to convey glamour on limited means. Hand sewing clothes, reinforcing seams multiple times over the years, and putting brand-name tags in her work so others see her as she wants to be seen. Not as she truly was: a resourceful woman who grew up without a lot. A woman who constantly strived to feel like she fit in and was desirable, by heavily relying upon how she looked.

No, she wanted others to see her as the epitome of glamour, of financial stability. A good life. Not the hard one she came from. Maybe that was another reason why we barely saw her in later years: it was just too hard to feel confident when you felt tired and unattractive. When you couldn't be sure that you could hide that you were just you.

I wish she realized just how amazing she really was.

Resolved to Sew 2012

2012-01-23T02:00:00.000-05:00

So, I realize that January is almost finished, and that these 2012 resolution posts have been sufficiently done throughout blogland. Buuuuut, Very Berry Handmade is hosting a Resolved to Sew giveaway, and, well, I'm generally not one to pass up on an opportunity to make a random win.

Especially when I could perchance win TEN fat quarters from Backstitch,

or say, some fat quarters of super cute Little Apples fabric from Quilt Me Happy.

And those are only two of the 11 possible prizes one could win!

So, I've been convinced to talk about what I am resolved to do in the name of sewing for the year.

Having read all of the reviews that other folks did of their productive years of sewing, I refrained mainly because my work portfolio was so measly. I did two dresses. Two quilts. Some bags and ornaments. And I guess I sewed other things for gifts, but they just don't seem all that impressive compared to the 20+ pieces I often read about.

And it didn't feel like I did very much sewing. It felt like a lot of talking about sewing, with little follow through. I was busy doing lots of other things that just seemed to take away from my sewing mojo. Or perhaps I just lost steam when I bit off more than I could chew. (Japan Quake Quilt, anyone?)

This year, I would like to sew more consistently and have more to show for my efforts. I've committed to The Sew Weekly, with the hope of making at least a monthly contribution. (As a side note, this week's project left me stuck when I realized I don't have enough of the fabric I was going to use. Bah!) I also would like to try to submit a refashion post to Refashion Co-op at least once a month too, as I do feel an editor should be a recognized part of the co-op community.

More importantly, I am committed to using up my stash as much as possible. I have lots of fabric, and in order for me to justify my hobby, I really should use my supplies. I am very aware of how easily a house can become overwhelmed by a neglected, but loved, hobby. And how important pacing can actually be.

So that's it folks: at least one new project a month, one refashion a month, and the use of my stash as often as possible.

And make sure to check out Very Berry Handmade's giveaway! (The wins are more quilting focused, but fat quarters are also good for handbags and other little goodies. I know mine have come in handy.) The deadline is for Thursday the 26th, so you've got a few more days. :D

Sewn Arts Sunday: Year of the Dragon

2012-01-22T12:19:00.000-05:00

Source: Eastern Gems

Happy Chinese New Year! I thought I'd share some sewn arts that are dragon related, in honor of the Year of the Dragon.

Source: Pat Ashton-Smith

Above are two traditional pieces. It's apparent to me that the Chinese certainly had skilled embroidery art down. The rest of the work shared is more contemporary, but in a similar aesthetic. Enjoy!

Source: Margaret Cooter

Source: Etsy

Source: Ruth O'Leary

Last Gift Update: Sleevies with Zippies

2012-01-19T02:00:00.000-05:00

As promised, here's my final installment on the sewn clothing for holiday gifts. I have one more project I'll post later, but that isn't due until mid February, so we have time.

I had bought these leggings ages ago, but they didn't fit well because they're made for long-thin-legged women/girls and I'm more short-legged. But I didn't want to have them go to waste, since I was fond of the zippers at the bottom.

I ended up taking the legs and making them into sleeves for a shrug. I used ribbons as facing, but should have sewed them down, as they keep turning out. I also used ribbon for the ties. The shrug was also too short, especially for the intended receiver, who actually has a bust compared to me, Mademoiselle SBA.

So, I took this tank top and used it for the lower portion, and to add a little bit of an accent for the expansion up at the top center back.

The end result worked out pretty well, though I apologize for the poor pictures of the finished piece. I had not gotten the chance to take pics until I was far away from my decent camera and decent lighting. You'll have to bear with the iPhone pics at night indoors. And I'll love you for that.

You can see how the ribbon facing just wants to pop out.

I thought it worked quite well for my cousin's steampunk costume, too, though it should be noted that the grommets are part of her vest, not the wrap.

A little off center with the seam; didn't realize how hard turns are on a serger.

Steampunk Bustle... for a French Maid?

2012-01-15T22:20:00.000-05:00

Went to a dance this weekend, that had a steampunk costume theme.

Made this skirt for my costume, based on the tutorial here.

The fun part is that I made it out of a bed sheet and some curtains, and got to use the corner of the fitted sheet for the bustle portion. I was pretty chuffed about that.

I also was pretty happy with the zipper job I did. The waist didn't get over my hips too well, so I had to cut into the skirt without accounting for the seam allowance needs. So I finished the edges with bias tape and then added the zipper. The fact that my seams are actually at the edge consistently is more impressive than you may think for me.

The waistband is another matter. I didn't realize just how frustrating it must have been to make those big complicated skirts... the layers made it almost impossible to pass the waistband through the sewing machine! I think it was five gathered layers at the same time. Yikes! (So, you can just ignore that wonky seam on the waist in the pic.)

All in all, it was a fun experiment, though I have to admit I felt more like a fancy French maid than very steampunk. I was even asked at the party if I were a steampunk French maid, so I guess I wasn't the only one. I did manage to win some costume recognition with my lovely companions, so I couldn't have done all that bad.

Sewn Arts Sunday: Going Traditional

2012-01-15T02:00:00.000-05:00

Source: Misadventures with Andi

Source: Cultural China

In researching sewn arts, I stumbled upon Suzhou embroidery. My understanding is that there is a province in China known for it's amazing embroidery. Since the Chinese New Year is approaching, I thought I'd share some of the works.

I love the traditional, historical pieces, because I'm partial to "ethnic" prints.

Source: Cultural China

However, I am also sharing more modern pieces, as they show the range which these skilled artisans can go with their work.

Source: Suzhou Embroidery Flickrstream

Source: Margin Up

Source: Beijing Olympics website

Guest Post at House of Pinheiro

2012-01-13T02:00:00.000-05:00

One of the aspects of blogdom that I'm very intrigued by and still trying to figure out is the massively social and interactive nature among bloggers with common interests. Big community projects, sew-alongs, challenges, quilting bees, recipe sharing, giveaways, podcasts, overarching conversations on subjects we consider relevant, interblog collaborations: it's impressive to see how extensive social connections can be.

I feel like Rachelle at House of Pinheiro is a blogger who actively participates within this vast network with a purpose that I just can't seem to muster. It always feels like she's a key part in community conversations and looking to provide encouragement to fellow sewers, crafters, and cooks. I can always appreciate someone who loves such past-times as food and craft and creative endeavors. I can't seem to focus very well in terms of my interests at all, if you were to review the content of this blog.

But! Point is that I got a chance to collaborate with Rachelle this month, as she is having guest bloggers provide posts for the month of January. Feel free to check out my (not candida diet) recipe for A-Z bread over at House of Pinheiro today, and explore her amazingly ambitious and productive blog.

Thanks, Rachelle!

The Year's Still New Dress

2012-01-09T10:15:00.000-05:00

So, I had intended on making this dress for New Year's Eve. Not so much because I was planning on going to a fancy cocktail party, as I actually was going to be outside in the cold country for NYE. It was more because I got this for a pattern swap through The Sew Weekly Circle, and they had encouraged us to have our pieces done around the holidays.

The original pattern and starting curtain for fabric. I have other plans for the beads.

Unfortunately, it didn't happen. I blame the fabric. It's green on one side and black on the other. You can't let that go to waste!

Alright, alright, mainly it didn't happen because I was me: I waited until the last minute (New Year's Eve, to be exact) and made the project more complicated than usual (reversible). Not much more complicated in this case. All the problem spots would remain problem spots (read: zipper, slippery loosely woven fabric), but making a dress reversible changes some of the planning for details.

Instead of regular seams, I had to go with flat felled seams for the skirt. Instead of facing, I just did the same cut of the bodice and sewed those two together.

Matching darts was a pain on such slippery fabric, and the darts themselves are way off from the apex of my bust, but, I still think it works overall.

Because the dress was reversible, but the skirt was only one layer, I decided to do an exposed zipper. Using gifted vintage curtains for the fabric, I used the existing hems for the skirt hem and the dress tie. Since that left a bright green hem on the black side of the dress, I decided to go for an exposed bright green zipper to tie it together.

I also added a black ribbon to the dress tie, to cover the hem and any flyaway threads where I cut, and to continue that theme of color blocking.

The fit was quite good! It's a little snug because I had to redo the zipper from my NYE attempt in which I already cut the fabric down and then sewed the zipper to like three layers of the dress. I ended up having to pull in some extra fabric on the side when handpicking it the second time around.

Besides the wandering darts, my main issues with the dress are the zipper (I'm getting better, but still wouldn't consider myself good) and the fact that the zipper isn't technically reversible. Fortunately, I can take my arm out and then unzip it when I'm wearing it green-side out. Most reversible zippers that are already made are for jackets, so are too big and boring for a cocktail dress.

Yay! First project of the year down, now too many to go! (I think I have three or four in mind already, some deadline driven, so you're actually likely to see them completed!)

Happy New Year!

Sewn Arts Sunday: Rethinking the Ordinary

2012-01-08T08:34:00.000-05:00

When I stumbled across Karen Reimer's work, I was really smitten. An embroidered crossword puzzle? Pillowcases with prime numbers that get bigger on the pillowcase as the number gets bigger? A little embroidered restaurant order? How cool! I love anyone who can appeal to my nerdy and crafty sides all at once. (I'm particularly fond of her pages from the Bible and academic works. Of course.)

Source: Things That Fall

Source: Sea of Tea

Source: Layers of Meaning

Source: SAIC

Each of the photos link to some nice summaries about Karen's work. You can also read an article about her work for her alma mater's alumni magazine here.

Christmas Recap: Clothing Projects

2012-01-04T02:00:00.000-05:00

I know, I know. It's the new year and I should stop talking about Christmas. But I'm not done yet!

I have a few more clothing gifts (and food gifts) that I can catch you up on later, but I thought I'd give you a review of some of the clothing I made for other folks for Christmas. This is my first time actively coming up with refashions too, so you may have seen some of these lovelies over at ReFashion Co-op. I am pretty proud of how the skirts turned out, though the capes are just further proof that I should not be trusted to self-draft. ;)

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Lace Frankenstein Skirt

Posted at ReFashion Co-op here.

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Self-Drafted (read: hastily and poorly constructed) Dress-up Capes.

Fortunately, for dress up, bling has more weight than exact hemming or seam construction.

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Felt Appliqued Hammer Tee

For my darlin' little cousin, who has a love of hammers. I may still write on the back, "I hava hamma for dat." Also, I have newfound respect for those who can sew around small applique details.

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And my favorite:

Sweater Skirt and Matching Legwarmers.

Deets at Refashion Co-Op here.

Like I said earlier, there is at least one more clothing project I need to tweak before I can post it. Sometimes I forget that my family may wear very similar sizes as I do, but that they are constructed differently. So some fitting adjustments to do and then I'll share the last one!

Sewn Arts Sunday: Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T02:00:00.000-05:00

I had a hard time deciding what would be good to post about for a Sewn Arts Sunday, when it lands on the New Year. How do you illustrate the new year? So, I figured that I'd post things that I felt moved by from my Google search results. Some may be a day late, but why not?

The one thing I always seem to associate with New Year's Eve, is bling. And how cool would it be to wear this gem-embroidered necklace on your night of fun?

Source: MaryJanes and Galoshes, via Craft-Craft.net

The best part is that MaryJanes and Galoshes has provided us with a lovely tutorial on how to make one of these for ourselves! NYE may be over, but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy some sewn bling for the year to come.

The Purl Bee has Molly's Sketchbook's post on New Year's Eve Coasters and Silver and Gold Coasters, which look simple to make, but really add some nice flash.

And speaking of silver and gold, check out this Indian wedding skirt! It's not new year related, but it is beautiful hand sewing and follows that new year's theme.

Source: Celeste33

Here's a few more silver and gold goodies from Etsy:

Source: ReluctantDamsel

Source: IKAHN

Source: RetroKittenVintage

And in a completely different fashion direction:

Source: viralthreads

Happy New Year, you wonderful reader, you! I hope to continue to enjoy your company over the next year as well. Onwards to more sewing, eating, and making!

Christmas Recap: Food Part II, Cakes

2011-12-30T02:00:00.000-05:00

Holiday Food Post, No 2: Cakes

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My grandmother once told me that she used to get bibingka, a Filipino treat, following Mass on Christmas. I thought I would rock the nostalgia this year by making her some bibingka for our family gathering. I was able to get a recipe to try from Jun's blog. For those unfamiliar, bibingka is a sweet rice cake, with some salted eggs and/or cheese on top, which makes for a great balance of salt and sweet, in my opinion. Though, I suppose you should be warned that it helps to have a palate accustomed to Asian flavors before you chomp on salted duck eggs.

I kinda overdid the purchase of sweet/glutinous rice flour though. I'm likely going to be making mochi for the rest of the year. If only I could eat most of the recipes I have found. I will probably try to make a me-safer version of bibingka, too, since I am pretty fond of it.

My grandmother also once told me that I am no longer allowed to come to family functions without cassava cake. So I made some. But I didn't photograph it. It tends to look like this, though (me-safer on the left, traditional on the right):

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And last, but certainly not least, I made a cinnamon bun/pecan roll cake, as posted during Gluten Free Easily's Home for the Holidays blogging extravaganza, by Cook It Allergy Free. I skipped the icing, as that required plain powdered sugar, and switched out the raisins for pecans instead.

Halfway mark!

Buddy actually liked this cake, which says something about how good it is. It probably helps that I used coconut palm sugar instead of my usual sweeteners. So, this tasty cake is not quite me-safe, but it certainly is me-safer, and probably perfectly acceptable for me in moderation once I'm further along in my recovery. That hasn't stopped me from eating it, though.

I liked the look of the cake upside down

Hey. At least it's not shortbread.

Happy crumble

Christmas Recap: Food Part I, Ginger

2011-12-29T02:00:00.000-05:00

Next up, food goodies I made for the holiday season. Unlike Thanksgiving, this seemed to be the season to make sweets. Some me-safe, some sorta-me-safe, and some absolutely dangerous. Dangerously delicious.

I was going to put all the food I made in one post, but it was a bit overwhelming. Instead, I've split it by themes: Ginger and Cake.

Holiday Food Post, No 1: Ginger

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Ginger Schnapps, a month in making. From the hugest piece of ginger I ever owned, and some vodka. Is it bad that I forgot the brand vodka?

Anyhow, it's gotten some rave reviews from those who've tried it, and has quite the flavor. I didn't even bother adding simple syrup. The ginger gives it a nice sweet without needing the added sugar.

I can't handle this Ging!

Ginger schnapps, in single serving sized jars

Next time, I am going to attempt to make some ginger gin schnapps. Throw that in with some sparkling water and lemon, or some tonic, and get the party started!

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My first batch of Buddy's family recipe for shortbread. Quite tasty! But soooo bad for me. I did sneak in a few bites off the edges, because it's so irresistible. Gave them out with honey or jam as small presents to all the family's families.

Delicious Shortbread

They don't have ginger in them, but they're not cakes, so we'll just describe them as ginger colored.

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Molasses crinkles, based off my cousin's provided recipe. I really like these too, but made them for folks who can eat them at my work cookie exchange. They're like soft gingersnaps. So the snap is just from the ginger, and not from the cookie's crunch.

Molassas Crinkles

Since I can't have the molasses crinkles, I thought I'd try Elana's Ginger Snaps recipe. Instead of honey, I substituted yacon syrup and glycerin. The yacon adds some nice molasses flavor to it, but I think I may have overdone it. Next time, just a T of yacon and a T of glycerin, instead of 2 T of yacon and .5 T glycerin. Worth trying as a recipe, though, as these cookies didn't last to the cookie exchange.

Right before the oven

Finished product

Christmas Recap: Craft Projects

2011-12-27T02:00:00.000-05:00

I'll try to keep the words to a minimum, but thought I'd review some of what I've been working on for holiday presents and projects. There'll be multiple posts coming in the next week or so, since the holidays are really as crazy as they are.

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Goldfish pleated clutch, based on A Lemon Squeezy Home's tutorial. I altered the direction of the pleats on this one, and would move them up higher if I were to do that next time. I'm particularly happy with the layering of the fabrics: fish under bubbles!

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Little bug ornaments, based on Very Purple Person's cockroach plush tutorial. They're definitely not as well put together as hers, but the scale certainly changed some of my finesse on the leg placement. They made me laugh as I made them, so I'm not going to complain, though.

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Earthworm ornaments, self drafted. I had to use coat hanger wire to get them to be sufficiently bendy. Threw on a fleece scarf, and we're off! (Though, I may in future iterations put bead eyes or french knot eyes on them. The first recipient kept on asking where its eyes were.)

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Diaper clutch, self drafted. Not very well done, but got to repurpose a gauzy blouse and some inherited cotton fabric for the liner. (I surprisingly got that fun peekaboo effect on the liner fabric under the gauze on this project too. Whee!) Also got to use a vintage zipper on it too. Hopefully it will be useful, even if it's a little wonky.

And that summarizes my craft projects for holiday gifts. Stay tuned for a summary of more projects this week!

Sewn Arts Sunday: Christmas!

2011-12-25T02:00:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas Blogland!

Source: Bel's Nook

You should definitely check out Belinda Schneider's post on Christmas Folk Art. I loved the range of artisanship she shares in the post. I totally just want to take her post and say it was mine, but she obviously has done the work with a great personal interest and with love. I'm particularly fond of the felt ornaments.

I would also be displaying wondrous photos of nativity mice on here by The House of Mouse, but I did not find them in time to get appropriate permissions. Instead, I will direct you to an adorable shepherd and sheep here, and a sweet little holy family here.

Many well wishes to you and yours during this holiday season. I hope you have many wonderful memories made with family and friends.

The Spoils of a Giveaway

2011-12-22T02:00:00.001-05:00

Just wanted to beam over my recent win at a giveaway.

Eleanor Grosch, of Just Eleanor and Push Me Pull You Designs, recently had a giveaway of some of her prints, fabric, and snowboarding helmets. What can I say? The woman is not only talented, but ambitious and sought after.

I lucked out and got some of her fabric.

Isn't it fun?

The lion print is quilting cotton, and the ball print is flannel like.

I know that I already talk about my younger niece and nephew a bit much, but I am due to have another one arriving next June. Perhaps I can use this giveaway fabric stash to make the new one a quilt too?

And speaking of those little ones, I would just like to say how gratifying it is to make a present and know that it's loved: EXTREMELY.

Here's a crappy phone-camera shot of those two with my quilts. (The boppy pillow was put there for my niece by her brother as he set it up for them to lie down together.) My nephew is apparently quite taken with his, and did a celebratory dance for me the other day thanking me for it. *Sigh* Do I need to say that I'm wrapped around that cutie's finger?

Who Needs Halloween?

2011-12-20T02:00:00.000-05:00

Earlier in November, my Buddy and I went on our vacation. We always try to get it in around when the weather starts getting colder, since Buddy has such a poor tolerance of the cold. This year, we flew over to California, visited some friends in SanFran and LA, and then took a rental car out into the Coachella Valley to visit some desert.

Since my Halloween plans were botched by some unexpected car issues over the weekend, I thought that I'd take advantage of the trip to get some sweet pictures of my Halloween costume in the desert. In my opinion, the desert makes everything look good. I mean, it's so HOT.

Skull Rock

The "Star". NOW GET OFF MY SET!

I had hoped to take pictures by Skull Rock in Joshua Tree National Park, but by the time Buddy and I got back from our little hike so that the sun was in a better position, half of the visitors in the park had all decided that they too had to be by Skull Rock. In my way.

So, I took my time doing up my make-up by our car, hoping all forty of them would notice how I must be on important photography business and get out of my way. BUT they didn't. Too preoccupied by their own lives. Hrmph.

In the end, we drove a little bit down to the Big Rocks campground, which I think worked out for the best. Lots more places to climb and lounge and hide. And pose, of course.

I didn't make any clothes for this outfit. The headdress was simple black lace, cut to size. The leather necklace was bought at a festival this past year. The flower you've already seen from my flapper outfit. And my hair was just a mess, because I didn't pack my hairpins for the day. The dress was lent to me by my neighbor downstairs when she learned that it fit me. She loves the dress but it's not her size; she's been holding onto it for the right moment for it to shine. I hope I do not disappoint.

I did make the "peineta de hueso" out of cardboard and a shell comb I had already but barely wore. It broke in transit to LA, and the ties keeping the cardboard on actually helped it stay together, so it worked, but I'm not sure how long it will last at this point. Talk about refashioning! Cardboard is a great medium for the most random of things!

The face paint speaks for itself I think. In the sight of a good camera, I perhaps didn't do as good of a job with consistency on tone, but I still think it works.

I love face paint. It's almost as good as dress up clothes. Just cheaper. And so much better than makeup. One would think that one would be as good at one as at the other, but really, they just channel different things altogether. Costume vs. fashion statement, I suppose.

Anyhow, I hope you like the pics! Despite my undercurrent of anxiety and grumpiness that someone would spoil the whole thing at any moment (what with the whole having to share Skull Rock), I had lots of fun.

Sewn Arts Sunday: Embroidery Narrative

2011-12-18T02:00:00.000-05:00

So, one of the things I really like seeing in sewn arts is how a story gets told. In any art, really. But I guess I often think of sewn arts as either super abstract or super homecrafted sampler style. You know, a pithy saying in cross-stitch, or embroidered flowers on a pillow, or monogrammed clothing.

This post is more on that narrative that I love seeing in sewn arts. Scenes played out, something communicated about a setting or state of mind, where the medium and the subject merge in some delightful manner that creates a sense of story, plot, or conflict and resolution. I hope you enjoy them!

Gillian Bates

Aya Kakeda via Pichaus

Veronica Fuentes, of Whimsiology

~~Veronica~~ Jillian Tamaki even merges the two concepts here a little more literally (literarily?) with her amazing embroidery art for book covers:

Source: Whimsiology. Check out Jillian's Emma cover too!

Giveaway Winners and More!

2011-12-17T02:00:00.000-05:00

Hello, Readers!

I know you're probably wondering who won the patterns in the Giveaway Day giveaway I hosted, and let me just say how cool it was to have the show of interest and the chance to get to know other bloggers out there. Even if you did not win, please know that I am very honored to have heard from you and that you chose to read my post. I wish I could have had enough of them to go around!

(Also, just so folks aren't confused by the numbers, I made a spreadsheet enumerating which folks wanted which patterns, in the order that comments were posted. This would account for the different number ranges and the inexact matchup with comments as listed in the post.)

For the patterns sizes 1/2 and 1 and the pink corduroy fabric, the winner is:

For the patterns size 2 and the flower print cotton, the winner is:

And, last, but not least, the winner of the patterns size 6 and the white and tie dye fabrics is:

YAAAAAAAAY!!!

The winners have been contacted by email. Should I not hear back from them within the week, I will draw another winner for that prize.

But WAIT! There's more!

In a similar vein of online community promotion, I just wanted to let those of you who are crafty crafters know about the Universal Craft Blog Directory. A site that compiles crafting blogs all in one place to browse and explore: what a great idea! (Except, I think I may get overwhelmed very quickly with all of the options.)

So, for those of us still trying to find our blog-legs out there, this may be a great opportunity to be seen and to find others of like minded preferences. The more folks who join, the more they can sort us according to interest, and the more we can find people we want to follow and who want to follow us!

Needless to say, I'm joining. Perhaps you will too?

Yay, again!

Also, I am now joining We Sew Retro, though I'm still working on getting to my vintage patterns. I hope to be posting there soon! I'll let you know when I do.

Dr Sketchy's: Rebecca Nagle

2011-12-15T08:50:00.000-05:00

This Monday I attended another Dr. Sketchy's session. The performer this go-round was Rebecca Nagle, a contortionist and performance artist. Above was the initial face-paint presentation and outfit, I think, but her costumes were really quite the range.

I tended to struggle with the short sketch sessions (2 minute, 5 minute, 10 minute), but I did manage to get a couple that I was almost okay with. I really do need to practice my pacing.

I wish I had other pictures of Rebecca's other outfits, involving fake mouths, mustaches, prop rifles, orange jumpsuits... Though I have to admit that this particular picture is quite fancy-cool:

The last two 20 minute sessions were a little better in terms of the work I produced, I think. But I ended up using a very light pencil (the theory is that its a 2H, instead of a 2B, so it only shows up faintly). I took a technical pen and inked over those sketches, so I have to acknowledge that these are not the original product.

Yes, she is wearing a mustache.

It's not that I changed much on the strokes involved, though I did revert to stippling for the side-pencil sketching. The stocking effect would have been lost otherwise, I think.

This final one is my favorite, and it was part of the contest to guess what Russell, The Windup Space owner, would want for his birthday. I have assumed that, like all self-respecting Filipinos (in my mind), he wants some good Filipino food. Because that's what I want all the time. Filipino food ROCKS!

(And happy belated birthday, O Sagittarius Russell.)

Giveaway Day December 2011

2011-12-12T09:00:00.000-05:00

Hey all!

It's time for another giveaway (or two or three or thirty), as Sew, Mama, Sew! is hosting another of their great Giveaway Days. I went crazy last time they hosted one, looking at countless blogs to decide whose giveaways to pursue and whose blogs I'd like to follow. I still follow a few blogs from that experience, though it was such a blur I can't say I remember more than a couple follows' origins.

This time, I am fortunate enough to have things to giveaway and to participate on the other side of the coin on this event. (I'll still enter other giveaways, mind you.)

There are a few things I'd like to offer as giveaways, which means we'll have a few winners instead of one over here. Because there are so many clumped into this one post, I apologize ahead of time for the length of it. Bear with me, please, as I think the items up for giveaway are worth the look.

I received these patterns in a clothing/craft swap from my cousin, but I do not often make things for children, and thought I'd share the bounty. I have NOT gone through each of the patterns to determine their contents. Each set of patterns is sorted by age/size and come with some fabric that may be appropriate to use for the pattern. I apologize for not having more gender neutral fabrics, but I seem to have a limited supply of them.

This first set of patterns are for size 1/2 and 1 and are accompanied by about a yard of pink corduroy. I could totally see a little girl running around in a pink corduroy robe on Christmas morning!

The second set of patterns is for size 2 and will come with about two yards of flowery cotton. The cotton should be just enough to make a pajama set or a dress, but you may need to supplement with some contrasting fabric.

The third set of patterns is for size 6. Since these patterns are for bigger kids, I sadly do not have any fabric that would be an appropriate match in terms of type or amount. I do have some fancy white brocade-like fabric (synthetic, I think) in two 1-yard cuts and a little under a yard's worth of gold/green tie dye cotton that I'm adding into the mix. They won't do for these patterns, but may be fun for making doll clothes or on other smaller projects.

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on which of the three sets you would like to win and your favorite childhood outfit. It will help to leave your e-mail, which you can leave in the name (at) mail (dot) com format to decrease risk for spammers. Or any other strange code that you'd like really as long as I will know how to reach you should you win.

You are welcome to follow me for additional entries and let me know in the comments. It can be this blog, my tumblr account, or my twitter account if those are of interest to you. I don't rightly care, as long as it's something that you find to be worth your time.

I'll do a random draw for each pattern set once the giveaway closes on December 16 at 5 p.m. PST, and will then post the winners soon thereafter, no later than Sunday, December 18.

In the meantime, feel free to browse the rest of my site. There's a wide range of subjects I touch on, so I hope you find something of interest. And, check out my novice sewer resource page, if you're just starting. Let me know if it's missing any resources you'd like to see on there. You can reach me at sneakfuzz (at) hotmail (dot) com.

Happy Sewing!

Sewn Arts Sunday: Colorful Embroidery Arts

2011-12-11T02:00:00.000-05:00

Further research into the multiple uses of thread. I thought Oonabaloona would appreciate these colors. I'm a huge fan of the embroidered typography. I want socks like that.

And check out the video at the end!

Megan Whitmarsh via Rojo

Megan Whitmarsh

Takashi Iwasaki via ouno

MaricorMaricar via Pichaus

Architecture in Helsinki - 'Like it or Not' from MaricorMaricar on Vimeo.

Sharing Secrets with the World (But Not Family)

2011-12-07T02:00:00.000-05:00

I am working on Christmas presents, and will be posting them in various places in the interwebs, for those of you who do NOT get presents from me.

If you are family or a friend who's gotten presents from me in the past, you must kindly refrain from visiting this website I'm sharing. Promise?

Crafty Christmas Club is a collaborative blog organized by Tilly for all these online crafters who want to share their tips, tutorials, and ideas with other likeminded present makers. So, if you're such a one, and I don't get presents for you, you should check it out! I've already made one post on there. I hope to make many more very soon.

Pleated Clutch: Giveaway Follow-up

2011-12-06T02:00:00.000-05:00

I had noted earlier that non-sewers were welcome to enter my giveaway, and that I'd make them something as their prize. There didn't seem to be any non-sewing entrants, and I didn't get around to making the prize until after the giveaway closed, but I thought I'd better make it. It was worth doing to determine whether it's something manageable, and if I want to make any as presents.

If you remember, I said I was going to make a clutch based off of this tutorial:

Source: A Lemon Squeezy Home

Here's my version. (Apologies for some subpar pics, but my go-to lighting arrangement is on the fritz.):

All in all, I think it's pretty cute. And it looks like one would expect, based on the example. I cannot say that it's the best of jobs, but it is a finished job.

I did not get to use any materials directly from any online swaps, but I do feel the work was done very much in the spirit of Sew Grateful. The bubble fabric was obtained at a clothing/craft swap I held locally. The lining and accent fabric was from my Crepe Sew-Along dress leftovers. The embellishment was something I almost shared in the Sew Weekly notions swap. But I didn't, because sometimes selfish is forgivable. The tutorial was online.

Front

Complaints: The lining material was wont to distort, so I ended up with a lining that was a little bigger than I wanted it to be. The thread wasn't matching, so I think that spoils some of the look. I did topstitch a little too close to the zipper in some areas, but it still opens and gets easier with use. Nothing drastically horrible.

Good things: The zipper was actually much easier to put in than I expected. (Could it be that I'm getting better at this sewing business?) The instructions on the tutorial were clear and easy to follow. I got some stash-busting done. AND I get to give it to Kat. So what if she sews?!? I made it for this giveaway, darn it, so it is being given away!

Inside Pocket

As for other projects, I am getting some done. Most are for presents, so you won't see them here until after the holidays. But I may post them in other places, for those who don't get presents from me. I'll let you know if I do, so you can join in on the hush-hush process of prize making.

Sewn Arts Sunday: Textile/Sewing Arts

2011-12-04T02:00:00.000-05:00

Thought I'd share some more fabric/embroidery arts that I've come across of late. And no, it was not all from Colossal. I am actually doing my own research now. I'm going to try to make posts every week, if I can. Thought I'd be all official and make it a Sewn Arts Sunday post. What do you think?

But, 'nuff said. Let's look.

David Kornrumpf

Nava Lubelski

Matthew Cox via Inspix

Maurizio Anzeri

Giveaway Winner!

2011-12-02T15:46:00.001-05:00

And the winner of my camo-dress pattern and stretchy soft fabric is...

KAT! of Modern Vintage Cupcakes and Sew Weekly fame, who wrote:

I am so excited that Kat won my goodies, as I know she's someone who can appreciate the joy of creativity in fashion. Gotta love that purple hair, and check out her recently posted awesome outfit! Stars + skulls & crossbones = me doing a Snoopy dance. Yay, Kat!!

Kat is also someone who shows a knack for perpetuating the support among the online sewing community. For those of you not a part of Sew Weekly's Circle, Kat has singlehandedly organized two forum-wide sewing swaps of notions and patterns. So many of us have really enjoyed these exchanges and making more and more sew-friends across the world.

Kat just had a giveaway, about which I was going to wax poetic but I (we?) have sadly missed the closing date (today, which is yesterday in New Zealand). Sorry, seamsters.

However, another Sew Weekly member, Rachel of House of Pinheiro is having her own giveaway that is open until the 10th of December. She has three different items (pattern magazines, a machine knit pattern book, and a vintage jacket/dress pattern) that you could win. You should enter as the stakes are good and she's worth following!

Good luck and thank you so much for participating!

Come back here on December 12th if you're in the mood for another giveaway, as I'll be participating in Giveaway Day with Sew, Mama, Sew! I know it will involve some vintage kidswear patterns, but I may have a few more things in there as well.

Hope to hear from you then!

Holiday Eats

2011-12-01T22:52:00.000-05:00

Did you have a good Thanksgiving?

As some of you know, I have a number of food restrictions I try to observe for health reasons. So that makes holidays a tad complicated. I shouldn't have the mashed potatoes, the gravy made with flour, stuffing with gluten in it, much stuffing at all, even if gluten free, the green bean casserole, the cheesy broccoli, the cranberry sauce that looks like the can even when you take it out of the can, the cheese, the delicious looking rolls, the pies... the pies.

I didn't do too well on some things, but I think I did okay overall. I did sneak two small small pieces of pie on different days, a bite of mashed potatoes (which, at only one, is really quite amazing), ate the dairy and had some gravy. But not too much of anything overall.

I think my body suffered more from the stress I seem to impose upon myself during these holiday marathons than from the food I ate. But she behaved herself well enough overall, and recovered pretty darn quickly, I think. Maybe I'm simply making justifications because I want to think I'm doing better.

However, I thought I would share the recipes that I did actually make that were actually safe for me, if anyone wants to try them.

Cranberries are my best friends these days. They help balance my pH, reportedly, helping create a more alkaline environment that is less friendly to overly plentiful little nasties in my body. So, cranberry sauce is always a winner in my book. It's super simple: take fresh or frozen cranberries with a little water and cook 'em down. You want to cook them until the berries split. You can add stevia or your sweetener of choice to the amount of sweetness you prefer. I also add some orange flavoring to it, as I think oranges and cranberries to well together. If you have oranges lying around, I'm sure you could add some zest to the pot. After you let it cool for a bit, it thickens on its own. I like to put it straight in a jar, so that it seals itself as it cools.

Buddy is far more picky with his food preferences than I am. And by that, I mean that he generally will eat all the foods that I cannot eat and would prefer not to eat most of the food I can eat. My grandmother likes to describe that as manool (I know I just spelled that wrong). So, I use the holidays to actually make foods he won't eat but that I want to try.

To my uncle's, I brought the Sauteed Kale with Tahini Sauce, as posted by Simply Recipes:

I'd post my batch, but it got eaten. Source: Simply Recipes

The kale is always a good choice, in my book, and the tahini is something I can eat that carries a strong flavor and can really make things nice and creamy. The addition of garlic, onion and lemon are also beneficial for my little internal microbial wars. And beneficial for my palate as far as I'm concerned. I also think that it says something when a family member who hates kale noted he really liked it and kept eating it after realizing what it was.

For my dessert option, I brought some pumpkin muffins based off of Elena's Pantry recipe for paleo pumpkin bread. I had to whip one out to save my grandmother from herself, as she doesn't tolerate gluten well and my sister brought bowls of beautiful potato rolls to the feast. This recipe makes a nice moist muffin that counterbalances some of the salty flavor I usually pick up from almond flour based goodies. I switched out the honey for some veggie glycerine and yacon syrup, and yes, I know that butter is neither paleo nor candida diet appropriate. But it looks damn good with a pumpkin muffin.

For my mom's gathering, I brought Roasted Carrots and Parsnips by foodfarmhealth:

Buddy and I got there late, when everyone else had already eaten. I thought it was quite tasty, though I had wished I had stuck with the amount of shallots Shanon recommended. I put the whole shallot in, and was definitely overwhelmed by it. No one else really ate much of it, since they had already eaten by the time I brought it, but my immediate family isn't known for their love of such dishes. Not enough cheese, I think.

I didn't make this for the holiday meals, but just tried this Pumpkin Latte from Whole Approach's forum. Tasty! (Though perhaps too sweet for me with the two T of yacon syrup. Which means it's probably sweet enough for everyone else's preferences.)

Last Chance on the Giveaway!

2011-11-30T02:00:00.000-05:00

Alright, readers, the chance to enter my 200th post giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST this Thursday (tomorrow!)

As I stated recently, I have opened the giveaway to non-sewers as well, and plan to giveaway my own version of this clutch purse:

In the spirit of Sew Grateful, I will be using some fabric I received from a giveaway/exchange in there, along with some piping (and possibly zipper) courtesy of a notions exchange. And using this lovely online tutorial. I will try to have the photo up by Thursday so you can decide whether you like my workmanship, OR if in my horrible botching of it, what I'll give away instead. Expect a very bright blue color theme, I think.

If you haven't entered and want to, just leave a comment over here.

If you have left only one comment stating you are following me, you are welcome to leave another random comment to get one more chance to get this. I am going to only go by the number of comments left, in case you only want that one chance. I don't want to presume your eagerness. ;)

Thanks, as always.

CephaLovepod

2011-11-29T02:00:00.000-05:00

I know that cephalopods are a big thing in recent years. I know many an arts business with squid for their logo/mascot/inspiration. (Check here and here, in particular.) So, I don't want to add to the almost-old hype any more than I have to. But there are just some pieces that I love.

I stuck only to ones that were sewn. There are just toooooooooooooooo many tentacles out there to count, otherwise.

Source: LanaBosak via BoingBoing.net

Source: Oopisnein (via Mr X Stitch)

Personal gift (not to me sadly) by Kim-lan of Sockmonkey Drawer

Sew Grateful

2011-11-26T07:28:00.001-05:00

Debi from My Happy Sewing Place has organized a Sew Grateful challenge in which bloggers make projects from items that they've received in giveaways, swaps, or other shall-we-say pro-social avenues available in blogland (tutorials, presents, sew-alongs, etc.) Her premise was to really celebrate just how supportive the blogging sewing community is for everyone.

When she posted her invitation, I knew just what projects I wanted to do. At the end of summer, M is for Make hosted a giveaway for a fat 16th of Storyboek fabric from Birch Fabrics. I can't do much with fat 16ths other than quilt, and had commented in the giveaway that my niece's birth was the highlight of my summer. It only seemed appropriate to make a quilt for her from the material. Forgive the lack of a "full frontal" picture of the quilt. I couldn't quite get a good lighting or set-up to get a picture that did it justice.

Because the Storyboek collection has so many "boy friendly" fabrics, I thought I would make a second quilt for my nephew (my niece's elder bro) so that they could have matching quilts.

again, bad pic, but at least you get a sense of the layout

I knew I'd use the softest-pillow-cases-I've-ever-found as the supplementary fabric, but ended up realizing that I just didn't have enough between the Storyboek and pillow cases to make both quilts. I ended up using other fabric I had won in a previous raffle from Monkey Magic when there was the Japan Quake fund raising. I even got to use my leftover fabrics from my Swing Dress Sew-Along dress that Casey hosted. And I used the information from the Quilt Making 101 series and a great tutorial from Olive and Ollie for the binding. These quilts are just the epitome of the online sewing community.

The back of my niece's quilt

I think they worked out well enough for a n00b quilter. I can't seem to manage to get my lines straight or my fabric from getting wonky, but I'm hoping these quilts last at least a few years before they fall apart. Either way, it was gratifying to figure out the general process. I am still a bigger fan of clothes sewing, but don't feel put off by the idea of quilting as much. My great-grandmother was an amazing quilter and I know I cherished my own quilt that she made. I only hope they will like theirs a quarter as much as I loved mine.

Detail, fabric from Monkey Magic

Detail, Storyboek fabric from M is for Make

And just a reminder as we celebrate giveaways, my giveaway for four yards of stretchy fabric and my first very own purchased by me sewing pattern is still underway. I've changed the layout of my blog for now to make it easier to follow me, should you like. Just make sure you leave comments if you want a chance at winning! I will ship anywhere, and don't be fooled by the envelope. The pattern is pretty spotless.

For those non-sewers out there, if you still want to comment, I can simply make you something in lieu of the pattern and fabric. I don't want to leave you out! I will try to think of a good item to make and will post it ASAP. If I don't, then maybe you'll get a nice surprise!

All in all, I am so glad Debi has hosted her challenge. I not only got to finish projects I've been meaning to do for months, it all was in the name of just how grateful I am. Grateful for my family, grateful for what I have been given, grateful for the chance to share with others, grateful for all the online resources that are helping me maintain my hobby, and grateful for you dear readers. Thank you.

Thanks for the Read: 200th Post Giveaway!

2011-11-22T11:08:00.001-05:00

Update: This giveaway is closed.

In the past week, Debi from My Happy Sewing Place has been celebrating her blogiversary with amazing giveaways. It has been quite a while since I was given this blog as a birthday gift. (From Niff, who is both an amazing artist and an amazing aerialist.) To celebrate the number of years (6!!) this blog has been floating around, especially since a few of those years the blog was neglected and quiet, does not seem appropriate for some reason. However, when I noticed that I was fast approaching my 200th post and that Thanksgiving was so soon, I knew it was a prime opportunity for a giveaway.

In trying to figure out what would be a good giveaway, I realized just how little I understand on what appeals to others. When doing swaps, I keep my fingers crossed that the recipient will actually like what I am sending. I can guess, but I am never confident that I actually know what others would like. I feel like that sums up my fashion sense in general. I'm never quite sure if what I'm wearing would be considered appropriate by others.

It would then seem appropriate to host a giveaway that is simply reflective of who I am and my own fashion sense.

Enter this pattern:

I bought this pattern my sophomore or junior year in high school at a yard sale across the street from my home. It's two sizes too big, but I remember it being super cheap and a great option for making a dress for homecoming. And when I say homecoming dress, I mean that I had a vision here folks. I wanted a camouflage dress. Yes, this was in the early Nineties, but please understand that in my cornfield high school, this just had not been done yet. I thought I was genius, and I sent myself into giggles of glee whenever I thought of what a brilliant plan this was.

It seems that my pictures of the dress are at my parents' home, so you'll have to imagine the long nightgown done in this type of print:

Source: Lura's Fabric Shop

I really wanted to wear it with these boots, but I couldn't find any my size that I could actually afford:

Source: Huntingboots.com

I ended up getting some brown "combat" boots from Payless instead. I was so proud.

I even made a tie out of the same material for my "date" (I didn't really have a date. I just took my cousin that everyone thought was super cute to show that I knew cool people too).

I thought I still had that dress cozied up in my bin of memories. My cousin Libby and I wore the thing to threadbareness, with numerous resewing of the seams to keep it going. Rather than get rid of it completely, I thought I stowed it away with my super huge corduroy pants that held 2 liter bottles in its pockets and my flaming platform boots. (Ah, the Nineties.) But, alas, I cannot find it. Or my platform boots. :( If I do pinpoint its location, pictures will ensue.

I may even make myself a new one...

So, for my giveaway, to celebrate my verbosity and inability not to talk about things that get me excited, I am giving away this pattern along with some stretchy material that I feel would make for a super comfy, slinky nightie. I'll likely include a couple of other goodies in there too.

The pattern is uncut and all there. So, you can make any of these versions should your heart so desire.

The pattern is for a size Large (16-18), and here's the size chart if you need it:

Source: Amazon

Obviously, if a novice seamstress of 15 could figure out how to make it two sizes smaller relatively effectively, I'm sure you could adjust the size as needed quite easily.

The fabric is about four yards' worth, so you could make any of the projects shown on the envelope. It's quite thin, and after I got it, I couldn't figure out how to line it and still take advantage of its stretch. But it's perfect for this kind of project, as far as I'm concerned. Or any negligee, bra, or slip type of project.

All you need to do to enter the giveaway is to leave a comment.

It could be about what your first major project was or your favorite moment of fashion genius or what you'd like to see more of on this blog. I'm not too concerned with whether you follow me or not (I want you to do that because you want to), but if you want multiple entries, you're welcome to follow me and let me know you did so. If you already follow me, then thank you! Leave a comment saying so, so you get recognized for being kind enough to read my rambles. :)

If you really really want more entries (bless your soul), then you can also follow my Tumblr account and/or Twitter feed. They both essentially offer the same updates, but what the heck, if you want it the entries, you should get the entries. I may even start tweeting stuff relevant to my blog posts!

You can live anywhere and still qualify; I am not stingy on postage. I'll do the random number deal on December 1.

In the end, all I'm saying is thank you. And that I hope you are enjoying these posts.

UPDATE: For those non-sewers out there, if you still want to comment, I can simply make you something in lieu of the pattern and fabric. I don't want to leave you out! I will try to think of a good item to make and will post it ASAP. If I don't, then maybe you'll get a nice surprise!

Unconventional Sewing, 2

2011-11-09T02:00:00.000-05:00

Another review of recent discoveries I've made, mainly through Colossal, of people who sew as art.

I love this stuff.

First up, Lithuanian artist Severija Incirauskaite who does cross-stitch works on metal objects. Not only is the scale at which she does these works impressive, but my mind aches at the idea of drilling all of those holes in such exactitude. Don't Panic interviewed her here.

Source: Don't Panic

The second artist is Rebecca Chew, who did her art for Esquire (Malaysia). The addition of color and the more basic shapes of the embroidery are really quite fun. I find the pictures far more interesting now.

Source: Rebecca Chew

And finally, some more string art from Debbie Smyth:

Frazzled Flapper in Philly

2011-11-07T19:21:00.001-05:00

Halloween parade while waiting for a tow.

I know that Halloween is well over by now, but I did promise you a review of my dressing up and related adventures.

I had a wedding to attend in Philly the weekend before Halloween, and if you remember, I had been very excited to get dressed up for the reception. If you couldn't deduce this from my recent posts about fascinators and flappers, I decided to go with a 20's inspired outfit.

I found this dress at an Antiques Mall in Baltimore, and though it's obviously not drop waist, it's slinkiness and bugle beads really reminded me of the 20s. It's crochet, so it makes for a slightly sloppy presentation, what with my slip slipping out everywhere. But I think it looks slick just the same.

I got pretty into it, looking up tutorials on 20s makeup and hairstyles. I ended up referring to this post for makeup. Not being a makeup kinda girl, I had to stock up on red lip liner and something to make my eyes all smokey. I hate mascara, so I went with buying myself some fake lashes. Did you know how much of a pain they are to put on when you're as clueless as I am?!?!? I had to get Buddy to put those things on my lids for them to actually stay. The jury is now out as to which I dislike more: fake lashes or mascara.

I used this video for the hairstyling, because I've been growing out my bob for a while (I had started to miss braids).

It was relatively easy, though time consuming. My day was work, getting made up, and then driving. Oh yeah, and the wedding reception. Did I mention I got to do the driving on the day that the East Coast got that freaky October snow? Granted, it wasn't as bad as it could have been, but the winds were a bit stressful.

Here's my hair-play results:

The fascinator I had bought from Design by Night was a nice mix of big and bold with the slinkiness of the feathers. And I was less likely to damage it with my fumbly self. Those peacock feathers do not look nearly so good as the day I bought the piece. Poor things.

I'm including this second shot of the fascinator, to give you another view. I took it the day after, so you get to see my lovely bedhead too.

I wish I could explain how crazed I felt for the rest of the weekend and manage to do it justice. It was a mix of great fun hanging out with great folks I barely see, while being physically exhausted and not feeling so hot, not packing properly, and then dealing with my car breaking down on Monday morning as I tried to drive home. I had to take a bus back to Baltimore and wait for word on the car. I was fortunate in that the car was easily fixed and didn't cost too much. I was able to head back up on Wednesday, hang out with more quality folks, and come back in my much happier little car a much happier little Seeks.

So I didn't get to dress up for Halloween proper. But I'm sure I'll post on the outfit I had in mind in the near future. Dress up is so worth sharing.

In the meantime, you can see (if you look closely) a very specially numbered SEPTA train below, that I saw as I learned to use the SEPTA system to pick up my car. I suppose it was a good thing I wasn't on that train. My luck was crazy enough as it was, I wouldn't have wanted to involve occult numerology.

Dr Sketchy's: Nona Narcisse

2011-10-31T02:00:00.000-05:00

Favorite. Dr Sketchy's. Yet.

Source: Kaylin Idora

Even if I couldn't find my charcoal and pencils and sketchbook before getting there, and had to use an old handmade scrappy sketchbook and the pens in my purse.

Even if I didn't win any prizes because the artists at the event were amazing.

And because I didn't do a good job with incorporating "voodoo" as a theme anyway. (I was disappointed to find I'd already done Nona's hair and couldn't make her Marie Laveau. Instead, it looks like she's trying to feel her up. Oh boy.)

Source: Kaylin Idora

Even if I arrived late and missed the first hour or so of drawing.

Source: Facebook

It was good company. A great performance. And a lot of fun.

So, thank you Nona Narcisse. Thank you Dr. Sketchy's. And thank you The Windup Space.

And Happy Halloween, Reader.

Sew Weekly Circle's Round the World Pattern Swap

2011-10-29T02:00:00.000-05:00

Kat at the Sew Weekly Circle did it again! She helped organize a pattern swap for members of the Circle recently, and of course I had to partake!

Sandy Vojta, of Harlem Homestead, whose Halloween costume you must go see, got my name. It was not even a week since we were to send our patterns that mine arrived in the mail! And let me say "WOW!"

The collar is mind-boggling, and the pattern is super cool! Sandy has challenged me to lower the neckline, but I'm almost imagining the collar going on that scooped back. What do you think?

I've never sewn on something so fancy, but Sandy assures me it's quite easy. Here's hoping I do it justice and don't botch it in the process. That would be shameful.

Cool part is that I have the perfect fabric for the dress and collar, I think, with that green curtain you see in the picture. My friendly neighbor gave me the curtains to use in a sewing project, so I will be happy to give it a good second life.

I must admit that I did not take pictures of the patterns that I sent to my drawn partner (the lovely Charlotte Powell-Brooks). The last time I did a swap, I took tons of pictures, but then my package took forever to arrive in Australia and I just never did a post on what I sent. To summarize, I sent her three vintage patterns roughly her size. I think I sent one each of the 90s, 80s, and 70s. But I may be wrong. I will post a picture if/when she posts one of what I sent.

(Post update: Here's what she got from me)

Source: Sew Weekly Circle

I also sent her some vintage 40's fabric with cherries and rectangles on it. And some little moose/reindeer card or picture holders (they're hiding in the back of her picture). Quite cute.

And as an only slightly related statement, I must say I'm eyeing up some fancy silk over at Charlotte's Etsy shop. It would go well this pattern, too, I think.

Christmas has come a tad early in the House of Seeks.

Jacob's Pillow

2011-10-25T22:28:00.000-05:00

I have to say, Shabby Apple really knows how to get me to agree to almost anything that they say. They say, "jump!" I'll likely jump. A lot.

So, when they say, "Choose your favorite Shabby Apple dress and drool over it on the internetz' public space so you can get a $10 gift certificate for our shop", well then. I'm sold. I mean, bought. Or something.

The great thing about Shabby Apple is not just that the dresses are really stylin' but that they continue to expand on their collections and selections and colors and themes and wonders. In trying to choose my top pick, I realized just how many of their collections I missed out on. I think I could spend almost as much time perusing Shabby Apple as I manage to spend perusing Sock Dreams. (That's way too much, for those unfamiliar.) So, it's hard to really choose a favorite dress and feel settled on it. My initial knee jerk favorite is this lovely:

Nine to Five

But then I ran across this dress:

Jacob's Pillow

So, I'm a huge fan of the polka dot and the pencil skirt, but I have to admit that it was really the name that got me. Not realizing that it's a reference to a huge dance festival in the Berkshires, I was intrigued by the name. Because I just got myself a Jacob's pillow of my own.

Almost a year ago, my younger brother Jacob passed away unexpectedly. A friend of the family offered to take shirts of his and make us all pillows with them (that's a lot of pillows, folks). It was just this past month that she was able to bring them by my parents' home for each of us to choose our favorite.

Here's mine:

(And as a side note: what a great refashion idea in general!!)

Funnily enough, when I chose it, I didn't think it would match my home decor, having forgotten that I apparently only have grey pillows. In truth, I had chosen this pillow almost strictly on the grounds of the awesome pockets. It seemed so cozy to me. Begging to be hugged, just like my brother--everyone wanted to hug him. Trust me, he was good at the hugging.

I would have such a lovely nap here, if only I had a cozy shirt-pillow.

In reading the description of the dress (and let's get another shot of this sweet thing), I felt like the inspiration for this dress was very much in the spirit of my brother too. The designer had gone off for a weekend of relaxation in the Berkshires, and after a classical concert came across the following:

It was a group of young musicians gathered around a camp fire--three of them with their violins out sawing away at an Irish reel, the rest making novice attempts at contra dancing, much to their own amusement. I watched from a short distance, their joy and abandon intoxicating, before someone in the line noticed me. A girl of about 20 came skipping out of the line over in my direction, and, without a word, grabbed my hand, pulling me into the dance.Abandoning all the city girl in me, I joined them, sashaying and curtsying and do-si-do-ing until I couldn't stop laughing and had to take a rest...

My brother loved the fiddle, and he and I often liked to try playing together. Neither of us were very good, but we learned quickly and fell in love with the idea of learning to play. It was supposed to have been him who would have played the processional (Pachelbel's Canon) at my other brother's wedding in May. Instead, my cousins and I performed in his place.

After his funeral, we all gathered at my aunt and uncle's and had a similar gathering as the designer describes: bonfire, fiddle music, banjo, dancing, singing, whooping, and laughing. Because that was Jacob.

All in all, it seems to add up. In time for the Day of the Dead, when I get to honor those who have gone before me, I have an opportunity to connect with my brother in the most unexpected of places. So, as morbid as it may be, how could this dress not be my favorite??

(p.s. I don't really think it's morbid.)

It's Close to Halloween: Spooky Sockmonkeys

2011-10-24T11:31:00.000-05:00

Arrrr!

For those of you unfamiliar with one of my favorite signs of Halloween's approach, let me introduce you to Sockmonkey Drawer's Spooky Monkey collection. These are hand-sewn, highly detailed, quality sock-ghouls that come out every year. Each one is unique and amazing!

Back-chopped!

I'd spend more time talking about how much I love them, but they sell really fast. The pirate and lumberjack are already gone. So I'm posting this now. Go look, fall in love, and buy one of these amazing pieces of art!

My Favorite: Leon the Chameleon

I love his maggots!

I'll show off mine later. ;)

Again, I was not asked by Kimlan (the artist) to post. I just love her work. And these monkeys.

Born in the Wrong Era of Fashion

2011-10-23T02:00:00.000-05:00

Source: Glamour Daze

If you were to give me a few more inches in height, I'd have done quite well in the 20's, I think.

Not sure I could pull off all the petting, drinking, and partying, but I could certainly pull off the look.

Which is a bit of a bummer, since I'd love to fill out those awesome 40's and 50's fashions as well. Can't win them all, I suppose.

Fascinator Fascination

2011-10-20T19:48:00.000-05:00

I have been contemplating my Halloween costume only as though it were a whiff of candy corn on an autumn breeze on a blustery day. Briefly, half-mindedly, and without much hope of coming to a productive conclusion.

But I have been contemplating getting dressed up for some friends' wedding reception Halloween weekend like I think about food: frequently, ardently, and excitedly. Almost obsessed. Because food is damn good. And so is dressing up for a worthwhile occasion.

There are plans in the works, but in the process I got to return to something I have found myself intrigued by over the past couple years: fascinators. Not the boxy odd ones at the royal wedding, but the feathery, whimsical, romantic ones that remind me of the Roaring Twenties, exotic Frazetta princesses (though I don't think any of them would wear even that much), and First Peoples.

Here are some of my favorites from my trawling of Etsy:

Source: ursusarctosana *Cruelty free!*

Source: No Plucked Duck *Cruelty free!*

Source: Action Jackson

Fun, right? And such a range of options!

I have to say, though, that my favorite is actually a local artisan in Baltimore: Design by Night.

Gabriella

Peacock Blue Flower Brooch/Hair Clip

Autumn Colors Fascinator

Feather and Flower Headband

Ummmm, I could totally just post her whole site on here and still feel like I should show you more. But I realize that some of that is just my own obsession. Her work is neat, detailed, and tastefully constructed. The felt backings are heart shaped, the feathers hand curled. I'm pretty sure she makes her flowers by hand too, but I didn't ask. She evens knows to get headbands that don't hurt. I always get headaches with headbands, but hers are quite comfortable!

I was able to meet up with Kolleen, the artist of Design by Night, tonight and peruse her wares. First, I'd like to let you ladies know that the Etsy shop doesn't even begin to cover the work she does. Second, it's all good. And third, I've gotten my fascinator for my reception outfit. I won't ruin the surprise, as part of the fun of dress up is the reveal. But I expect pictures to be forthcoming. :)

In the meantime, you should check out Kolleen's blog with her upcoming shows, tutorials, and products! Ugh. I am so going to be spending way too much money.

And no, Kolleen doesn't know I'm writing this. I'm just giddy. Thanks, Kolleen! (I'll probably be calling you soon for another fascinator when I get paid again. Obsessed, I'm telling you!)

Shoe Swoon: Irregular Choice

2011-10-10T02:00:00.000-05:00

Like any decent Baltimorean, I made a random stop at Ma Petite Shoe the other day and tried on this sweet little shoe:

Source: Irregular Choice

It got me thinking about how in love I am with Irregular Choice shoes. They have a strange mix of vintage and whimsical and loud sentiments. Like Katherine Hepburn met Tim Burton in the court of Louis XIV. And I eat that stuff up. Now if only I grew some money to keep up with my appetites.

So here's some eye/foot candy. Which is so much better than foot-mouth disease.

Source: Amazon

Source: Irregular Choice

And for those who are particularly fond of costuming or are in a Halloween mood:

Source: Irregular Choice

String Art Trending?

2011-10-08T02:00:00.000-05:00

I feel as though in the past week or two, I've seen more string art coming up than I have seen since elementary school. I even saw a tired old string art eagle at the antique mall on Sunday, which I should have taken a picture of, but had not thought of it until now.

Either way, I love it! I cannot say I fully understand the resurgence or the fact that everyone seems now to be noticing. It's like an old slang term all of a sudden became popular again. Or should I say, "hip" again? (On further review, I wonder if it's just that *I'm* starting to notice it more, or that it's starting to show up more in the home than just art galleries.)

Source: Re-Nest.com; This one even comes with a DIY tutorial

Source: WiseCraft; String art of fine art

By Dominique Falla; Source: Colossal; Typography meets string art

By Martin Pyper; Source: Colossal; The process leaves me cross-eyed.

Here's a short video, even!

DC Launch Party, GenXY Vintage

2011-10-06T02:00:00.001-05:00

This past Saturday evening, I attended a launch party for GenXY Vintage, a DC vintage boutique and coffee shop. I had heard of the event through the Capital Area Fashion and Beauty Bloggers Group (DCFABB), and thought it would be a fun event to attend. And free. Free events always seem more appealing to me, for some reason. ;)

No matter how much I like these, I'd never be able to walk in them.

Now, my style sensibilities these days have been veering towards the early 20th century: the late 20s and early 30s, the 50s, and the 60s. So I was a little surprised (though certainly not disappointed!) at the type of vintage clothing that was being showcased at the event: more 60s, 80s, 90s. I think this can be one of those platforms in which we could debate what qualifies as vintage, but I have never felt the need to do so and won't partake now. I liked the clothes, no matter when they were from! In truth, the style was palpable among the guests; I felt a little dowdy comparatively speaking. But then, I suppose I'm not all that surprised: I have often found that I'm a little out of sync with much of fashion.

Amazing beadwork top!

If anything, I think it was a great reminder of just how much I enjoy the loud bright colors and daring combinations that vintage can offer. Who needs to be dowdy when they wear vintage? My wardrobe wheels are turning much more now... oh the options!

The owner of GenXY Vintage: Ashley Tyrus

It was also a pleasure to meet Ashley, the owner of GenXY Vintage: her enthusiasm and her energy were great! It was clear that she is very proud of her venture and determined to make it into a fun place to seek out in the DC area. And really, who can't appreciate a chance to shop vintage while getting to drink a nice cup of coffee? Or tea, I suppose. I'm not picky. If you can't make it to her DC shop, you can also shop her wares here! (No coffee or tea though.)

I love the range of models, and those tights, and that knit dress.

I'm such a shoe freak.

Color!!!!!

I love the bold and the class here.

I think I have a crush on that pink dress. Maybe I'll make a swing dress from a similar fabric?

Hoppin'!

My compulsive detail photo of future embellishment aspirations.

If you want to see more photos from the event, I'll post them up on Flickr. I have to say that the show gave me a great opportunity to play around with my camera; wallflowers should always carry around a camera. ;)

Unconventional Sewing

2011-10-04T02:00:00.000-05:00

Thanks to the Colossal blog, I have been made painfully aware of just how roughshod my sewing skills are.

Cayce Zavaglia does portraits by crewelwork and acrylic painting. And just because paint is involved in there somewhere (I think it's just the background), don't think that the sewing involved in each of her 14 portraits isn't amazingly detailed and minute. Because it is.

Garrett, detail

The reverse of the above portrait

Even greater detail

Judith G. Klausner also provides humbling examples of just how delicate one can be with needlework. She has a series of pieces involving embroidery on toast and cross-stitch on Chex cereal.

It still weirds me out to think of the egg as only a series of flat stitches.

The best part is that this is really NOT bread mold. I was totally fooled.

The most important meal from which to find sewing media, apparently.

Thanks ladies for making me hang my head in needle-wielding shame.

Dr Sketchy's: Valeria Voxx

2011-10-02T02:00:00.000-05:00

I went to the Baltimore Dr. Sketchy's event this past Monday at The WindUp Space, where Valeria Voxx was posing. For those unfamiliar, you have figure drawing sessions with burlesque dancers as the models.

It's quite fun, though my drawing skills definitely need to be brushed up. They have little contests as well, where you can win prizes donated by various vendors. Mainly Atomic Books, which is a store that I swoon over every time I get to visit.

For these contests, the audience actually gets to choose their favorite. They are simple, no-pressure contests in which you get to incorporate something random into the figure drawing itself.

For better or for worse, here are my contributions and their required theme:

"Tentacles"

"Muppets"

Not amazing in terms of artistic finesse, but it was still fun to do. The cool part is that I actually won the audience vote on both contests!

Here are my lovely Atomic Book prizes:

A Gil Elvgren pin-up girl calendar

Detail, Source: Free Style

Rift, by James Jean, an artist you should definitely check out!

Swoon!

Quake Quilt progress, front bottom

2011-09-30T02:00:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I think procrastinating on projects is simply my mind's way of saying it needs more time to problem solve. More time to sleep on the matter, so that I can do this project without melting down in despair mid-stitch.

I know I've admitted my anxieties previously, and I hope you know that you have done well with the encouragements. But, I have to say that some of the reasons for the anxieties was that the way I had planned on doing this quilt was that I couldn't figure out how to effectively do the wave pattern I wanted without falling on my face. The primary issues being the layering, the curved edges, the sheer numbers (80+), the small size, and my short patience coupled with a heavy sewing foot. These things were going to take a while, I'm not known to do things carefully. I'm a cavalier of craft.

Just waiting for a satin stitch.

Ultimately, I chose the following approach: sew strings of half circles together, sew them down on a muslin backdrop in rows that overlap, and then raw edge applique row by row, one on top of the other only without stabilizing paper and using a satin stitch instead of a blind hem. I thought about tucking in the edges and doing a proper applique or an English paper piecing method, but the volume of work involved seemed nonsensical. And paper hungry, I think.

I'm currently in the applique process, and without the paper or other stabilizer and trying to use the satin stitch slowly, I can certainly see the fruits of my cavalier labor: some bunching around the edges of each half circle and inconsistent stitching, mainly. But I would like to think that by the end of the 80+ curved edges, I may find myself a little more competent. (By the way, I've found this link quite helpful.)

Another matter that arose was that the dark wave portion of the quilt was not the same size as the lighter sky portion. I needed more on the bottom but didn't want have the fabric or time to do more circles. So I did a "wonky triangle" block with scraps. It was great, in that it used all of the "too small to be used for anything else" scraps from the other parts of the quilt. It may not be the most precisely measured piece, but I do like my some improv. Besides, there's enough errors with the quilt overall that I no longer worry about its imperfections. Here's the result, which I found I was happy with, both in size and appearance.

The only thing was that it seemed to mess with the curvy, watery feel I was aiming for in the wave section. So, I made a wave:

the water insert

Sewn along a wavy line, then cut away.

second half sewn on 1.5" below the first seam

Et, voila! (Not the best picture, but I had the camera well over my head. Sorry!)

While I'm finishing the applique portion with the semi-circles, I'm trying to formulate my plan for the catfish. I think I will try it with some applique meets reverse applique. It's the only way I can figure I can do the whiskers properly. Any suggestions?

DC Vintage Fashion Week Goodwill Auction

2011-09-28T02:00:00.000-05:00

Last Friday, DC Goodwill held a "Traveling Trunk Show" and vintage auction at Gossip on 23rd in Arlington, VA. This event was to tie up Vintage Fashion Week in DC, and was an excuse for me to start sending out feelers in the DC fashion community. I love people, but I'm not the most social of persons, so I didn't exactly come away with a bunch of new friends. It's a start though. Maybe next time, I'll actually talk to someone.

So, I went to the auction, and they had some seriously cute dresses up for bid. DC's fashion bloggers Spicy Candy DC did the photo shoots, so I thought I'd show off their good work and better pictures of the pieces. I would say that I liked almost all of them, but here are some of my immediate favorites:

Polka dots!

Simple cut, with a fun print

I really love the details on this 1930's dress. I was so sad that it didn't fit me well.

I love the fabric for this 1940s dress. The cut is really cute too, but wouldn't have fit me well.

This one ended up being my favorite.

An excellent example of a 1930s party dress.

Lace insets on the flutter sleeves.

This dress's design is a little hard to see because of the color and fabric, but it reminded me of this pattern, only with flutter sleeves:

Courtesy Vintage Pattern Lending Library

This was my other favorite: A 1940's dress

"waterfall cascade detail"

The main dilemma that I found myself having at this event was that the dresses just didn't fit me. Most of the clothes didn't. I know that vintage fitting is not the same as it is now, what with the different shaping undergarments worn in different decades. But in order for me to spend the money on a quality vintage piece, as they often run in the $40s-50s in forums like etsy (or at auctions meant to raise money), I want the fit to be as close to right as possible.

I can accept that I may have to settle for Jr sizes or a snug waist, but in order for me to do most of the auction pieces any justice, I really needed some curves. And maybe some heighth-these were some loooong skirts for a short girl. I eventually found myself looking at the busts' cut on the dresses before I would decide if I could try it on or bid. Though some details are lovely, say like the cut of the flowery 1930s dress, if you can't fill in the top, it really just looks frumpy. Trust me on this.

One of the things I love about thrifting is the find of a dress just your size or a piece of clothing you can rip up and make into something that is just your size. The quality of the pieces on auction and their age really made me hesitant to bid, because I just can't see myself altering them. Do you alter vintage clothing older than the 70s or 80s?

I've never seen this ribbon trip before, and I'm not quite sure I understand it, but I'm interested in figuring it out.

There were other vintage clothes for sale as well, though again, the fit on some were just not quite right. So, I just took pictures of the details that I liked about them. Daydreaming of executing them in future sewing projects.

An Anne Sui romper. I liked the print and cut.

I'm not sure of it's age, but I love this top's collar

So, at the end of the evening, I ended up buying a super cute brown cloche hat that looks very much like this:

Source: Hat Show

It fits, and I can wear it more often than an evening dress. The only part that bums me out is that the hat wasn't Goodwill fare, but rather from the boutique. I've been wearing it a bunch since Friday though.

So, tell me. When do you alter vintage and by how much before it feels like butchery?

Completely Random Observation

2011-09-26T17:10:00.000-05:00

Just as an aside, I was thrifting a bit over the weekend, and came across this pattern.

Doesn't the girl in the green remind you of Mena?

I mean, seriously!

My Leona Caldwell

2011-09-21T19:17:00.000-05:00

Here are vintage pieces that I own that were done by the Arizona designer Leona Caldwell.

I found this dress in a small thrift shop in Prescott, Arizona years ago. I think it was $15, and it fit almost perfectly, which is a rarity for someone as small chested and wide ribbed as I. I have loved on this dress for years, and only recently had to "put it down" (i.e., in a box) because its age is starting to tell.

Roadrunners

How amazing are her prints? The simplicity and style, as well as the placement are just so gratifying to me. I also really love this color combo.

Above are the injuries I have inflicted upon this beauty. The seams around the armscye just are too delicate to risk wearing anymore. I've fantasized about mending the rips, but the cotton is so thin, I dare not risk such heavy duty stitching on it.

The other part that has stopped me from even attempting mending is the sweet construction of the dress itself. Super simple: no lining, minimal stitches for the seam finishing, but a facing that was sewn together as one piece and connects to both the armscyes and neckline. There was no way I was going to try to take that facing off and then try to put it back on. I would mangle it!

I have not been able to locate any Leona Caldwell dresses of similar cut as my first dress. And finding anything the right size has been even more difficult. But, I just don't want to own one piece of hers! I was able to find this very differently styled, I assume later made, yellow dress by Leona on eBay recently. It is a little too big, but it becomes less of an issue with a nice belt or tie around the waist. The roadrunners on this one are a little more detailed too, so I like to think of how these two dresses show a trajectory in style and artistic development for Leona. What do you think?

(And how about those sweet socks?)

Vintage Designer: Leona Caldwell

2011-09-18T15:24:00.000-05:00

detail, etsy

I have some vintage pieces that I have been wanting to post about for a time, but didn't want to do so without providing an introduction to the artist who made them. These pieces come from perhaps my favorite vintage fashion artist, Leona Caldwell. She seems to have been a local artist in Scottsdale AZ, and I haven't read anything that indicates her work had wide circulation or recognition. I found one of her pieces on a visit to Arizona about 6 years ago, and have found pieces posted on a sporadic basis on the internet.

5th Avenue Fashion Show, ca. 1957

Vintage Hollywood

There's not a huge amount of information on her life online, either, so I will post part of her obituary. Out of all the information I found, this seemed to give context rather than just making her only a name of a fashion and art force in the Scottsdale community.

"When her husband died in 1954, she expanded her ceramic studio in Phoenix and soon opened Leona Caldwell Originals in the Kiva Craft Center on Fifth Avenue in Scottsdale, neighbor to fellow artisans Lloyd Kiva, Charles Loloma, Paolo Soleri and many others. She created ceramic jewelry and garments silkscreened with original designs inspired by Hohokam artifacts, animals and plants of the Southwestern desert. She retired in 1978 to enjoy her home, garden, and family. "

etsy

lissafudge

Leona made some amazing screen prints for her pieces. Simple, colorful, and playful all at once. She drew her inspiration from her locale, with cacti, roadrunners, quails, and owls showing up as her main subjects. Here are some of the findings online, mainly from past etsy or eBay listings. I had also seen listings of purses she made on etsy, but they seem to have been removed completely.

My personal Leona Caldwell pieces will be posted later this week, because I want to dote over them.

Do you have any favorite vintage brands/designers that you seek out?

Thrifting Finds: Goodwill, Good Luck

2011-09-16T13:10:00.001-05:00

I had a few run-ins with the Goodwill near my parents this year. I really do find that I am a sucker for a deal, and I do like the chance to reuse things that are worth revisiting.

I won't go into too much detail, but thought I'd show off some of my finds over this summer. A thrifty retrospective, if you will. The best part is that some of these I got at half price, so they were only 30-some cents. I'll have to get back to you about whether they are actually complete patterns, I suppose.

I don't know how helpful this will be, but I am fascinated.

Here are some of the neat diagrams contained therein.

Hopes for shorts and flowy maxi dresses that were sadly not realized. This year.

Totally reminds me of Oona's spy post

I've found myself fascinated by blouses these days.

Catching up

2011-08-26T18:55:00.000-05:00

This post will be short. Just wanted to touch base before we potentially lose power over here.

First: let me introduce my niece, MJ.

Cute, right?

Hurricane Irene is due to hit the Baltimore area sometime tonight or tomorrow, so I expect to be out of internet access relatively soon. Our internet connection pretty much disappears during any thunderstorm these days, so I hope that means I'll actually focus on some sewing instead of reading about it. (Which I have been enjoying a great deal of late, I must admit.) I've also stocked up on some reading material about sewing too, in anticipation of having nothing electronic to distract me. I am pulling out camping gear in case the power goes out. My headlamp is nearby.

Additionally, we just had an earthquake over here on Tuesday, which is crazy! I was driving at the time, so I didn't even notice. I'm sort of bummed out about that. First time experiencing an earthquake and I don't even realize it. But to be fair, better that then to be neck-deep in damage. The earthquake itself didn't seem to cause much damage in Baltimore, which is good. Mild damage has been reported to some DC landmarks, but I haven't heard about Richmond's damage levels. I've lucked out.

And finally, just in case folks are interested, I've opened a Tumblr account. I'm posting pictures on there mainly, and using it as a good way to post on some other obsessions of mine: comics, vintage, art. Please check it out. If I'm not careful, I will soon be on pinterest also and then I'll never get anything done. ;)

Guest Posting at Lexie's Kitchen

2011-08-18T23:19:00.001-05:00

One of the things that I have really enjoyed about my new endeavors in blogland is that I have become acquainted with a great set of supportive communities. There have been a few mentions here and there in the sewing blog spheres on how supportive the online community has been for a number of people. The same goes for the food/healthy eating blogosphere. I have gotten so much out of following a number of health minded folks with a span of dietary concerns and goals. I find myself starring posts on meals I want to try right after I marked a free online skirt pattern that I want to try. And just as the sewing community has sew-alongs, the food community has shown an equal interest in mutual support with "adopt-a-blogger" posts where a blogger chooses another blogger's recipes to make and enjoy (and share with the rest of us who may not be as familiar with their culinary goodies). It should come as no surprise with this amount of collaboration, that my starred list is quickly outrunning my calendar year in which to make things.

This is Lexie!

That being said, I am really excited to announce that I am officially contributing a piece to Lexie's "Making the Switch" series. Lexie from Lexie's Kitchen does a great job of reviewing just what you can make/cook/eat out there that is gluten and casein free (as well as free of other allergens). And she has made this commitment to healthy foods because of her family's health needs. You can read more about her experience here.

Because Lexie understands that it sometimes takes significant life events to bring us to a healthier lifestyle, she has asked others who have "made the switch" in their diets to share their stories.

She describes it this way on her blog:

Making the Switch, spotlights everyday people journeying on to better health and well-being by choosing pure food over processed. For some, it has been gradual. For others it was a complete about-face.

Putting the modified diet focus of this blog aside, Making the Switch is open to all. The point being to bring personal stories to light that encourage young and old to get back into the kitchen to cook real food. As Jamie Oliver puts it, “make only a few small changes and magical things will happen.” Whether it’s weight loss, improvements in a child's behavior or the regaining of health, magical things will happen.

WHAT'S YOUR STORY? Consider being featured onMaking the Switch! Click here and drop me a line telling me a little about yourself. Someone is waiting to be inspired by YOU!

Any college students out there? We'd love to hear from you?

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Thrifting finds: Antique Malls and Leaky Tires

2011-08-15T10:24:00.001-05:00

So, even though I've been postponing sewing for unreasonable reasons, I have not stopped thinking about it. I think I'm just better at getting caught up with the idea of sewing than I am at following through. At least, when I'm needlessly nervous (thanks for the kick in the pants, Magpie Mimi & Amy!).

(I hope to post soon on the sewing. I still have work to do, though.)

Over the summer, I have just started to enjoy the extra hours afforded by part-time work. Like visiting an antique mall and buying various goodies for reasonable prices. I really don't like spending more than five dollars on a pattern unless I know I *have* to make that pattern for some reason. So, getting $2 goodies always feels good and justifiable.

Here's a visual summary of some of the goodies I procured:

I was particularly intrigued by this attachable bib, even though I cannot decide if I'll ever wear such a thing:

A closer view:

I also was able to find a McCall's Step-By-Step Sewing Book, which I thought would be fun as another basic resource. I'm pretty sure I can't have enough of those. I need reinforcement on the basics all the time. But more importantly, check out that wacky, hot print on that dress!

The pictures and content are pretty sweet from what I've looked through, too:

I feel like I need to have matching nail polish for all of my projects now. Or at least a red dress to sew. So feisty!

Apologies for the wobbles on this one; I am still learning proper photography concepts, so had suffered from some shaky hand meets overly long exposure. Either way, I'm excited to read the book. I'm sure I'll get some good info out of it.

I think I got all of these things, plus two or three pieces of fabric for under $11. Not bad! The only portion of the trip that was almost a disaster was that I got a nail in my tire and had to find a tire place open on a Sunday. I was fortunate, in that I found a tire place and then had my family meet me for dinner in the meantime. A productive day all around!

Any good thrifting finds on your end?

While I Continue to Stall

2011-07-29T21:27:00.000-05:00

I don't know what my issue is. No wait, I do. It's been super hot lately, and I don't have AC in my sewing room.

Which means I find various reasons not to be sewing at the moment. Even though I wanted to participate in the Summer Essentials Sew-Along. Even though I would love some sweet shorts. Even though I have big plans.

I think I always have big plans. I just think big.

Did I say "issue"? I meant "issues". I've also been distracted by fun projects of love, small projects for others, and continued craziness with the transfer to part-time. Who'd have thought I'd have felt so crazed by the end of July?

But I am now officially, completely, transferred to my new spot, closer to home. Three days a week. So sewing should now resume right? Even in the heat, because I can't do a summer sew-along if I don't actually sew in the summer, right? Well. I have to admit something else to you my dear readers.

I think I am intimidated by the scope of work that I sought to tackle this summer. I have a quilt that I still am stalling on, because I haven't sewn on the waves. I am cowed by the task I set up for myself: eighty or so little humps to sew over, one after the other, when I haven't even figured out how to get a straight line to stay straight on cotton. And then these shorts! They should be easy, but I made some mistakes in cutting, and am scared to put it all together, because this is really one of the first major projects I've taken on lately without the safety net of a sew-along community.

Ugh.

I am telling you about my issues for a couple reasons. The last time I admitted my misgivings, you ladies were able to give me some encouragement, and I was also able to get over myself. Sometimes just by admitting defeat, you are no longer burdened by the shame. I'm hoping that this confession will have similar benefit.

However, new posts will be coming. I haven't been completely unproductive. More like stash productive.

Here's a teaser:

Samurai Shower, follow up

2011-07-20T22:10:00.000-05:00

I know it's been quiet over here. Like, cricket quiet. And I'm sorry. If it's any comfort, I have thought of you every day, fondly and guiltily, all at once. I cannot decide if I've been productive or not, but I know that I have been busy. At least, my hands have been.

This past Sunday was my sister's baby shower that I had mentioned in the last post. I thought I'd share with you some of what I got together for the party decorations and favors. I won't go into tons of details, but I had a great time brainstorming all the ways I could make a cohesive presentation for a samurai baby shower. Paper lanterns and parasols with cherry blossoms, branches with cherry blossom accents, and a parasol for folks to sign their well-wishes on for the wee little warrior that we're welcoming (yay! alliteration!).

The only things that I feel I need to explain are some details: the favors were fans, origami, and mini paper lanterns that folks could decorate if they wanted to. (I never brought out the paint, but there were colored markers all around.) Each favor had a tag on it that had one of the core principles of bushido, or the samurai code of honor, with my niece's name on the other side.

We sisters are not the best at running showers with the typical shower games of diapers with candy bars or what-do-you-know-about-so-and-so or what-flavor-baby-food-is-this? We just don't really coordinate folks all that well, and I just don't like those games. But we did have prizes. I like an excuse to give things to folks. So we just drew names. And I gave away parasols with the bushido principles painted on them. Even if my Japanese calligraphy skills are comparable to a first grader's. Either way, on the sunny, hot day that we had the party, these proved to be quite useful.

All in all, I think that the project turned out pretty well, though I could think of a number of areas in which I would have liked to have done better. The best part, though, is doing these kinds of things for other folks (unlike sewing for other folks, I've decided, which just feels tedious) and getting to see how much they like it.

Also, as a plug, this last photo is of the cupcakes my sister, Sturdy Mama Knits, made for the party. I'm hoping she'll also post on her blog the completed gifts that she's made for our niece. Super cute!!!

I have been sewing, though nothing to completion, as I keep on hitting snags that just deflate my sails. But I'm still hoping to complete some pieces for the Summer Essentials Sew-Along before the fall comes around. What I have noticed while procrastinating is just how many clothes I actually own, too, so perhaps this is a good time to reassess my needs and my refashioning options. Stay tuned!

Samurai Princess Baby Shower

2011-07-01T20:29:00.004-05:00

See below for image sources.

My sister, as I've mentioned before, is due to have her first daughter (my first niece!) this August. I have already been able to win her adorable shoes. Remember these? I received them in the mail this week, and they are so tiny and beautiful in person!

Image Source: IndieTutes

With August around the corner, it's time for us to gather forces and shower my sister and niece with babies. Er, baby stuffs, I mean. As in, throw a baby shower.

It's not a surprise party, which simplifies things, and we sisters have split tasks to get things done. I got spoiled and was given decorating as my task. Now, mind you, none of us are baby shower fans. They're often too contrived and fluffy for our tastes, I think. And my sister said she doesn't want her daughter too princess-y. So we have erred on the ironic side and have gone with a warrior princess. A samurai princess to be exact, which are actually seen in history texts folks. It's not made up, even if its not substantiated. (See: Empress Jingu)

This is my inspiration board. I'm thinking paper lanterns, fans, origami, sakura (cherry blossoms), and parasols. Admittedly, there's more pink here than I would generally prefer, but cherry blossoms are pink. I can't really change that. They just are, folks. Except when they're painted orange on a fan. Or made out of multi-colored origami paper. I digress.

I just made my big order from Oriental Trading Co., about which my thrifting/reuse/vintage side cringes a bit. I'm excited about the opportunity to love on my sister and niece, though. Updates to come!

In the meantime, does anyone have any suggestions?

Photo credits from left to right, top to bottom: Paper parasol via E-Bay; origami samurai hats via {eclair}; female samurai (onna-bugeisha) with naginata via Samurai Swords; handpainted sakura fan via alibaba.com; female naginata warrior via Kachimushi Naginata Club; cherry blossom lantern via IKEA hackers; sakura shikishi board via my paper world; calligraphy via Samurai Japan; Samurai Champloo (one of my favorite anime series) via anime diet; origami flowers via carmen-san via Umeorigami; fans via Ka-Cho-Fu-Getsu; and DIY cherry blossom branches via Two Girls Being Crafty via Dollar Store Crafts

Busy and Wistful

2011-06-29T21:14:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the lack of posts. As I transition to part time, things have gotten progressively busier at work. Next week I finally cut down my hours by a day. Yay! In the meantime, I'm just not all together, making posts I don't remember making last night, only to realize it's not relevant. (It's since been deleted, so don't bother looking for it.)

I'm trying to get some sewing in, with limited success. I may just have to spend the week cutting things out, because I can't seem to get fabric to machine.

In the meantime, I'm drooling over this cute little number that's way too expensive for me:

Photo credit: Lucy In Disguise

Thanks for introducing it into my life, Gertie!

Quilt Class 101: Week 3...ish

2011-06-14T19:56:00.001-05:00

I'm about halfway done constructing the top. I didn't exactly follow any exact plan, which I think has compromised some of the design. There's more vertical elements here than I had intended. The plan was for more horizontal movement, but hey. It's done. Next time, I'll make an annotated list of what size pieces I'll need, how many, and of what fabric. There's also more blue in the top than originally planned, but then again, I didn't really plan this out too much. And I didn't have very many options in my determined stash. All in all, I'm not displeased.

The red circle in the middle (made to hearken to the red sun of Japan's flag) isn't sewn on yet, but will be soon. It's pinned in place and was tucked and ironed around a cardboard circle before being pinned (sans cardboard) to the rest of the quilt. There have been some helpful posts at Chasing Cottons on different options for applique. I based the "sun" on this particular tutorial.

Next step is the second half of the front: the waves. I anticipate this to take a little longer, as it has more to do with top-stitching scallops multiple times for a few rows and then a few more rows. The layout looks good so far, and I have some tweaked techniques I plan on referencing for this portion as well.

More updates to come! Thanks for reading!

Summer Essentials Sew-Along, planning

2011-06-11T18:09:00.000-05:00

I am still planning on doing this "sew-along", folks. I'm currently working on the quilt I had planned before, but I obviously want to make some progress on my Summer Essentials before summer is over! (I also have some presents I'm working on too. Sorta. Somewhat. Eventually.) Since I haven't any clothes to show yet, I thought I'd run through my plans with you, so you at least are reassured that I'm thinking about it and making steps towards something.

Ali has been making some lovely posts about coming up with a palette for the clothes she's planning out, as well as going through the patterns she intends to use. I'm not really going to focus on the palette, for better or worse. I really want to work mainly, if not solely, from my stash and to finish projects I've been mulling around for a while now. They may not coordinate with each other in the end, but many of these projects are going to be filling in some wardrobe gaps I've noticed in recent months. Or they're just whims I've had that need to be realized for me to feel satisfied.

Poolside Pretties: I totally want to try out Very Purple Person's sunhat, the pattern that she made for Grosgrain's Free Pattern Month. I already have a sunhat, but I almost like hats as much as I like shoes. Which is a lot. So I would love to have another. Perhaps find a way to make it a little more retro in style too, with some embellishments. It's so cute on its own, I'm not sure I can really improve it though, so we'll see.

Clam Diggers & Co.: I am total need of shorts. Dress shorts, to be exact. My current ones aren't fitting me so well, so I thought that it'd be a great opportunity to make myself a range of shorts. Some to perfect the fit, some to wear to work, some to use up old t-shirts, and some for the heck of it. And of course, that playsuit/romper I talked about ages ago. I still have to do that too.

Here are the current plans:

Short shorts and then dress culottes/shorts for work from this pattern (that I got at Value Village a few weeks ago):

T-shirt refashioned into little tennis shorts, using this pattern that I recently bought from kateandskippy's etsy shop:

Photo credit: Vintage Patterns Wiki

I'm hoping to have maybe three pairs of shorts done, if I can manage. And one romper. I still have the original pattern I was considering, but I recently acquired this one from kalliedesigns on etsy:

Photo credit: Kalliedesigns

No commitments on that, folks. I know I've been talking the big talk lately with little to show. I'd rather get some shorts first, and then see if I can't get in a romper or two.

Sweet & Sassy Skirts: Not sure on this one yet. I've got some vintage polyester in my stash that I'd like to use, because it's a super cute, bright and happy, stripey fabric. The only way I can figure to use something like 70s polyester while keeping it from actually suffocating my precious, heat-producing skin is by making a small, short, super cute skirt. Like this one, perhaps?

Photo Credit: Burdastyle

The Sundress: Not sure on this one either. I think I have a good stash of summery dresses, and I want more separates in my wardrobe these days. I may go for a maxi dress, to use that awesome fabric I received for my birthday, but the let's be realistic. I'm trying to make three pairs of shorts, a romper (or two), and a skirt. Let's leave the dress for another day for now. Unless it's a refashion, in which case I won't feel so bad about it.

Tees, Tunics & Blouses: Okay, so I bought this teeny-tiny remnant of polka-dot crepe a few months ago. I thought about making it into a purse just to practice with crepe before making my Crepe dress, but skipped that. Because it's polka-dot crepe. And it'd make such a cute little top. I'm thinking something along these lines:

Photo credit: Of Dreams and Seams

Only with teeny tiny short sleeves, and perhaps a shorter bodice. What do you think? The cool part is that the shirt you see above was self-drafted by Katja and super simple. So I think I could actually pull it off with minimal time and still get some sweet shorts to go with. (I love the pair she made to go with the shirt. She altered a skirt pattern to make them. Oh the plans she gets rolling around in my head!)

No other commitments on the shirts at this point, though. Like I said, the shorts and skirt and romper are ambitious enough.

Those Summer Nights: Meh. Not a bad idea to consider making something to keep me warm in my frigid work places, but I'm not going to worry about it until I've actually gotten myself together on these other projects.

Wow! In review, I can't tell if I'm being ambitious or ambivalent. I think that five or six pieces would be reasonable to set as a goal for the summer. Perhaps even ambitious. But then, I look at all the things I have to brush off just to settle on those five, and it makes me feel like I should be doing more. Or that I should have a more cohesive approach to this sew-along. Or something. I am going to take that as simply a symptom of my internal overachiever--the one I have been trying to learn to ignore. In the meantime, I've got some sewing to do.

Ginger Mint Lemonade

2011-06-09T10:22:00.002-05:00

One of the things I find I do when I plan parties is I get crazy excited about the menu and make plans to make too many things all at once. With my recent birthday brunch, I ended up having a whole stash of supplies on things that I never made. Take this ginger and these lemons and this here mint. Sparkling ginger lemonade and mint iced tea, or ginger-mint tea, or mint lemonade, or... (that ellipses really does mean I'm still going on and on and on).

A week later, I still hadn't used them. But I had plans for them, because they just seemed as though they should go together. Don't they?

I can't say that this is the final version. Unlike more serious foodie blogs, I really don't care to try out recipes over and over until it's perfected before I tell you about it. I am more of an idea girl. Let's give it a go and see what happens, right?

Besides, I didn't really do the work on the recipe here. I got the main proportions off of this recipe. It had the most ginger to mint ratio compared to the others I read, and I love me some ginger.

Instead of the honey, though, I added a tablespoon of vegetable glycerin. It's got a nice mild sweet to it, that even Buddy likes, and I can add a little more bite with a drop or two of stevia. But I don't need it, really. It's pretty good as is. And Buddy and I like us a tart lemonade. I do miss some of that honey tang though. Like so many sweet things, it feels like there's no substitution for that kind of nuance. Well, not with the sweeteners I use. There is this or this kinda sweetener, made with sugar alcohols, but it's not recommended for my diet. But I may try it out one day. Maybe.

In the meantime, I have me a nice mellow refreshing drink to keep me cool. Lovely.

Presser Feet

2011-06-07T22:18:00.000-05:00

In line with the last post on how Colette Patterns' blog and snippets always seem to address issues relevant to me, I thought I'd finally post on my presser feet.

Good old standard, I know you.

Now, the original intention of the post was to do my research and explain what all of the presser feet that I found with my mom's sewing machine were actually for.

button hole guide?? upside down??

But it's been months, and I still haven't done that. I'm still waiting for Singer to send me their manual for this machine. The slackers. And I just never feel it when I try to google all of my presser feet. I mean, really, it would work better if I knew what all of the presser feet names actually were, so I could make an educated guess and do image searches to compare and contrast. But I still am a bit in the dark about that. And so it remains to be done.

??whawha?? and zipper foot

So, instead, I'm just going to post all of the pretty pictures I took (it'd be such a waste not to at least enjoy them for their aesthetic value). I mean, if any of you want to tell me what species of presser feet I'm actually looking at, *shrug* I'm cool with that. I'm all ears about these feet.

Is one of these a flat felled seam foot?

Colette Saves My Day, Always

2011-06-04T09:11:00.002-05:00

I feel like Colette Patterns' blog reads my mind. Not even my blog, my mind. I have an old post waiting to be written on needing to figure out my presser foot collection, and they send out a little Snippet on that very subject this week. I have all these questions that I just want to post about small details I don't know (Novice Sewer Vents), and they're well ahead of my posts in terms of answering my questions.

However, the best thing Colette Patterns has done for me yet was this post on how we can still access the information on Vintage Sewing Info despite the loss of the website. I knew you could go back and find the cached sites, but wasn't sure about the process.

They've taken the work out of it, by giving us this post. So I can go here. And here. And here. And more places!

And that's why I love them.

A lot.

Thanks Colette. From the bottom of my heart.

Photo credit: Zazzle.com

And as a complete side note. Singer still hasn't sent me my sewing machine's manual. Lame. Singer, you're more at the bottom of my list of likable things right now.http://www.colettepatterns.com/

Quilt Class 101: Weeks 1 & 2

2011-06-02T22:33:00.000-05:00

Okay. I said I was going to do this Quilt 101 Class thingie, right? And I will. But I haven't gotten very far. I don't want you to think I'm not doing *something* at least. I really want to be.

I'm just stuck.

I'm too scared to cut anything out yet, and I think it's because I need some feedback.

Alright, so I have actually gotten as far as the first two lessons: planning and fabrics. I did them in reverse, but will present them in order. If that makes sense.

The first week's lesson had to do with fabric choices. I wanted to use the fabrics that I won from the Japan Quake Appeal raffle from Monkey Magic and the ones I had originally posted for my own raffle. You know, the one no one wanted to enter. Oh c'mon, you know.

I even bought some additional fabrics that donated some of the profits to the quake assistance funds.

Here are the fabrics that I've chosen to include in the quilt.

I had to add some additional fabric (white sheet scraps) because I needed more light colored fabrics for the top half of the quilt. It's not much, but I think it will do.

The second week's lesson was design. I had already sketched my plans out ages ago, during my work-related trainings. I don't care what anyone says. Doodling helps me learn, darnit! Some of the most discerning and sharp minds in academia have been known to doodle and goof off in lectures. I don't think I need to explain my call to take a pen to paper to *not* take notes.

Anyhow, so here are some of my sketches:

As you can see, I have made some various calculations, and I'd be making a quilt that's about 36"x30" by the end of it all. I don't think that's unreasonable, right? Nothing huge, but certainly complicated enough for an ambitious first time go at it.

You may have also noticed that I've chosen curved pieces to sew together. And I think that's part of why I'm still stuck. I'm not quite sure how to bring myself to do that portion without fearing the work involved or the chance that I'll mess it up royally.

me = too ambitious to do something simple = too anxious to mess up by actually trying the complicated plan out

I think I have some idea on how I want to do the applique, but I think I may just go for the simplest and slightly sloppy raw-edge version to increase the likelihood of it actually getting done.

The other obstacle here is that I am starting to second guess the color choices here. I can't really tell if the blue fabrics that would go on the bottom 'waves' portion of the composition actually match. And the top 'sky' section should be somewhat white but part of me feels it's too stark or that I don't have enough fabrics involved in the process.

So, I'm asking the few of you out there who are reading this, especially those with some sewing and quilting sensibilities, Do you think the colors look like they actually would work together? and How would you sew the half-circles to the quilt?

This stymied and overly cautious girl begs you for some bolstering and education as well as thanks you ahead of time for anything you can offer. Otherwise, I'll continue to have a sizeable and long overdue UFO sitting around and a small readership waiting for me to make good on a goal I set in front of their eyes.