Baby Shower Aftermath

As stated in one of my last posts (however briefly), life has been quite hectic in recent weeks. This seems to be a seasonal thing, as May is just wacky-packed full of family things. Which means a couple of things: I drop off the face of the blogging planet for a bit, and I get sick. :P

However, somewhere in the past two weeks, the baby shower I was talking up and preparing for with the use of Moon Munkie's goodies, finally came to pass. It was a pretty nice shower, I don't mind saying. Big, and full of people who adore my adorable sister-in-law.

Here's a visual review of some of the goodies that my family and I were able to pull together. My sister was in charge of the desserts, and my mom, cousins, and younger sister all helped me get all of my designated decoration projects done. I admittedly chose projects that would have better served a smaller shower (we made 80 favors and 80 pins, though I don't know that we needed to). Silly me. Fortunately, crafty hands run in the family and they all saved me from falling into a crafty wormhole of despair.

Shower cake courtesy of the family's favorite local bakery

Tulle instead of streamers.
I made a point NOT to make these tissue pompoms, but I did hang them with Moon Munkie yarn. 

Mini fruit tarts

The new and improved ivy banner, with little Moon Munkie flower accents

The favor envelopes

The envelope contents: seeds, quote, planting instructions

Family favorite: individual "Krispy Krespy" (Pistachio pudding, cream cheesy sweet stuff, whipped cream, and graham cracker crust. Not in that order.)

Sweetpea blossom pins from satin, tulle, and felt

Hanging flowers

Second hanging plant, used as prizes for the shower games

Individual pretzel salads

The dessert table; my brother, his wife, and they're pre-packaged bundle of joy. ;)

Ooops! Almost forgot to include my present for the wee 'un. Probably because I didn't take a decent picture of it, so tried to brush over it.

I made a quilt for my niece using my friend Eleanor Grosch's fabric that I mentioned ages ago:

I had thought I had gotten some better quality shots when my husband snuck a few in, but he deleted them because they weren't as good as I had thought. And with the rush to get the shower stuff and quilt done, I was just glad I could give it to her. :)

Still Here

Sorry blogland. I'm still here. Just either sleeping a lot or getting projects done or getting ready for the crazy social blitz that is May. (I've got a work party for hubby, a wedding, a confirmation, a scavenger hunt, extra work hours, midwife appt, and possibly a festival to attend all THIS week!) Did I also mention that I don't really have anything to wear for these fancy events?

Just a few quick notes to let you know some of what I'm up to:

I had a project done as of last weekend, but didn't post because the computer wasn't cooperating with me to edit the photos. Here's my one photo off of Flickr that I took with my phone out of frustration.

It was for the Sew Weekly challenge for a piece that reflected a piece of clothing from childhood. My favorite t-shirt as a child was my Bambi t-shirt. It strangely made me feel like Rambo-super tough! Even at that age, I understood the irony there. BUT, the shirt was done toute suite, mainly when I should have been packing for a trip to NYC. In my rush, and over confidence?, it has proven to be a half-baked project. I was inspired, but not as interested in quality work, and I feel it shows in the way it wears. More on that later, when I do a proper post. All I can say is Mindful Sewing is getting a little harder to execute than I had hoped.

I did enter it in Made By Rae's Spring Top Sewalong, though, as it was all I could manage with one pic and a trip to enjoy. This was my second entry, my first being the Birds & Bees top, which just so happened to be kindly featured over at Sew Country Chick's Sew-&-Tell today! Yay!

I also will have those pajama pants (shorts) tomorrow, a day late for the pajama party sewalong.

Because I was either sleeping or walking around in a stupor of baby growing. And then my sewing machine got all wonky. I've got to get that thing looked at... the stitches were all inconsistent lengths and the thread above the needle would get caught in the seam below the needle. Anyone have that happen before? What the heck is that?!?!?!

I've switched over to another machine, so I'm hoping projects will be finished.

In the meantime, I'm cutting, altering, and measuring (hopefully mindfully, and hopefully in the opposite order listed) for a few other projects in mind. I feel like I'm bursting with ideas, totally lacking in time and energy, and having faaaaar too many deadlines approaching! Sister-in-law's baby shower is in two weeks, and I'm still trying to figure out decoration/favors to do. And that doesn't even cover all the birthdays and Mother's Day. I mean, did you see that week I've got ahead of me?!?

Hope to come up for air and say hi again tomorrow!

Sewn Arts Sunday: Science Love

I could do a post on Easter, I suppose.

But my sister's birthday was this past week, so I thought I'd celebrate her a little bit today.

I have two sisters, both of whom are pretty amazing, strong, highly intelligent women. My younger sister just turned 29 this week, and I must say that there is much that I admire about her. She is a science teacher at a high school, and she is good at it. Having tried to teach an SAT class to overly privileged youth one year, I can say that there is an immense gift that is given to a good teacher. I honestly do not know how they do it.

I would hate it. But then, I am sure there are things that I enjoy doing that my sisters would never want to do for the long term.

In honor of my lovely seeester, I immediately thought of sharing these amazing anatomical sculptures by Karine Jollet:

Source: Craftzine

Source: Craftzine

Source: anatomanie

Source: Karine Jollet

The nerd in me rejoices at such stitchery! And the all of me rejoices in having an admirable and mind-blowingly astounding younger sister!

Moon Munkie Make #2: Fabric Sweetpea Blossoms

I know. Promises, promises. I tell you I'm going to post, and then I don't. C'est la vie, je suppose. I must say I'm not surprised. I often find that when I make commitments, I tend to follow through only on those that have a deadline that requires in-person performance/presentation of the results. Like, if a whole bunch of folks all agree that something needs to be done by a certain day, I'll likely rush to get it done. When I set my own deadlines, I am far worse at seeing things to their completion.

That being said, I am quite proud to say that all of these pictures and project works were done well before my verbalized deadline of last Saturday. Or last Monday.

So, there's that.

Now, onward to my little mock-up tutorial on the fabric sweet pea blossoms that I made, and on the little seed packets I added in. When I saw the purple fabric squares that Moon Munkie gave me in my package, they immediately fit in with my germinating notions on what to do for my sister-in-law's baby shower in May.

With "Sweetpea" as the decorating theme that was chosen for the party, little purple flowers seemed just the thing to do for some small decoration accents at the party. I used this tutorial  and this one as my bases, though they work with crepe paper, which I think gives a nice flaring option for the outer petals that I cannot get with quilting cotton.

Starting goodies

The first step I took was to fold the squares in half and trace circles that filled out much of the triangle.

snip, snip!

Lovely little lavender circles

Taking two contrasting circles, I placed them one on top of the other and pinched them in the middle. I had originally imagined trying to place some of the sweet pea seeds I bought for the party favors inside, but the circles here were too small. And I think it'd compromise the gathering, though I'll likely try it later with larger circles just in case.

Gather in the middle with a pinch.

Taking floral/craft wire, I simply wrapped around the middle and then flared the petals out. The inner petals, I tend to tug a little down, so that the top petal can peak out over the top.

Et, voila!

And that's pretty much it. A cute purple little sweet pea blossom to attach to things as you see fit. :)

I am contemplating making the leaves/outer green portion of the flower and then using floral tape and wire to make stems and little curlicues. See here:

Source: all things paper

But I may also use these fabric ones to decorate the "grace" wall hanging. I would have even showed you how it looked on the hanging I posted on earlier, if it hadn't blown away off my porch this past week. Ah well. More ivy is waiting for snipping and forming, I suppose.

I know that someone had stated she used some fusible webbing to strengthen the fabric she used on her version of these, and I do wonder if adding some starch or other stiffener may help with long-term aesthetics. I'm not sure though. I do think the crepe paper adds a small advantage in that department.

With the scraps, I was able to make teeeeeeny tiny little seed packets with twisted wire closures. I am imagining up ways to incorporate them into the party favors. They are so teeny, I worry they are anticlimactic on their own.  I haven't found a satisfactory delivery agent, so if any of you have any suggestions (preferably cheap!), let me know! Currently, I have quotes on seeds and grace that I expect to accompany each party favor.

small wrap

finished results, taken too late in the day and mangled by a flash

http://moonmunkie.wordpress.com/2012/02/15/moon-munkie-mystery-make-giveaway-experiment/

Once Upon This March, or Former St Paddy's Day Plans

A poor quality pic of shirts I wanted to use

Believe it or not, I actually had plans to have a Sew Weekly and Refashion Co-Op post way back around St. Paddy's day. I had intended on taking two big t-shirts from Buddy's work party on last year's St. Paddy's day and whip them up into some sophisticated dress that I could wear to this year's party. But it was a significant fail. The "draping" I did on my person made it look like the dress may just work out beautifully, but instead, as I tried to interpret it into a useable outfit, things just got ugly.

So I scratched it. For now. I have to undo some elastic I put in there, and I anticipate a significant increase in cutting as well. Still not sure I've reached a point where I can reliably refashion without a pattern. At least not for dressy parties.

But I did a much simpler refashion that same day, and the clothing item was also green and grey.

You know how Mena has her "Mena test" for clothes, when she determines whether she actually needs to put a zipper in?  I think I have a "Seeks test" for refashions: If a top can fit over my hips and stay put, it is fair game for a skirt. In fact, it is almost automatically going to be made into a skirt.  See the first example here or here.

I picked up this Old Navy shirt at a Goodwill by my parents months ago. Loving the stripes, but not wanting to just wear it the same as usual way, I tucked it away in my far too big stack for refashions and stewed on it. But the refashion itself is quite simple: Cut off sleeves, Sew a skirt-appropriate silhouette, Wear.

It's super comfortable, and makes me excited to wear it too. As a shirt, it felt standard; as a skirt, it feels playful and a little less conventional.

What is nice about this particular shirt's neckline, is that it has a slight dip in the front. Which makes room for my 16-week, soon to be more glamourous (read: bigger) pregnant belly. :) The waistband doesn't pinch or squeeze, and sits right below the usual offended area for such things. I am unsure if the constant use I expect to give this skirt will wear out the "waistband", but I will definitely be testing it out. If it becomes unusable, I have some nice stretchy green knit fabric that would do quite well as a new waistband.

Though I couldn't think of a better lead-in to my happy news than this, (though Kat did a spectacular reveal!), I am very happy to announce a veer in sewing plans this summer. My vintage patterns for wiggle skirts and dresses will have to be put on hold for a little bit, as my body is doing all kinds of crazy things. :) As my plans solidify, I will happily share them with you!

Happy Sewing!

Sewn Arts Sunday: Maligayang Kaarawan, Oa!

This is my grandmother with her mother. I think she's 3? I know she's adorable!

Today is my grandmother's 80th birthday. So not only am I showing off how amazing the dress my great-grandmother is wearing in this picture, I thought I'd also share some links on Filipino textile arts. As with any culture, particularly island cultures that encourage significant cultural variation, there are many many crafts and textile arts to mention.

The one I want to note in particular is the embroidery and use of pina fiber to make clothing. Linked with the historical experience of Spanish imperialism, pinya shirts and dresses represent Filipino identity for many. I would recommend looking at this post by Traveler on Foot for some beautiful examples and a great description of the work involved in this amazing craft. You can also look through this pdf on traditional outfits if you like. Much of my family have chosen to use barongs for the men in our weddings; beautiful artisanship and so much less stuffy than the Western tuxedo!

For my part, here are some pictures of my grandmother and grandfather (apologies for the small scans; I got them from my grandmother's Facebook page, so I can't really get better resolution):

Below, my grandparents were demonstrating tinikling (a dance involving hopping around two clapping pieces of bamboo). You can see (barely) some traditional Filipino outfits for these dances. I really do love the plaids you find for patadyongs.

This one below is of their wedding day; my grandmother was donated this dress by a model from a recent Filipino fashion show in DC to use for the ceremony. My grandparents eloped, so my grandmother did not have the luxury of getting her own dress.

The photo is small, but you may be able to see the wings of the sleeves, often seen in traditional Filipino wedding dresses. Another example is my mom's dress:

I wouldn't describe either of these dresses as strictly traditional, but they exhibit some aesthetics very much in line with Filipino tradition.

So, today I wish my Oa (Lola) a happy birthday! Maayong pagsaulog sa adlaw nga natawhan! (I don't speak Ilonggo Visayan, so I had to pull this from online, and it's Cebuano Visayan... *sigh*)

Relearning the Past

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

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

The Spoils of a Giveaway

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?

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.