all buttoned up.

Holla! Block Party

(Sliding By-- Kristen)

I participated in one of the very first online quilting bees a few years ago. My friend Jennifer put it together and the 12 of us muddled through a year (and a bit more) of swapped fabric and blocks-- it was fantastic. Luckily, Alissa Haight Carlton and Kristen Lejnieks had the same idea, and along with a group of talented women they have brought us Block Party--The Modern Quilting Bee: The Journey of 12 Women, 1 Blog and 12 Improvisational Projects. This book celebrates quilting, community, and the way that the two come together.

(Connect the Dots-- Lisa Billings)

With this book you get 12 beautiful patterns (and their variations), a step-by-step overview of setting up your own quilting bee (virtual or otherwise), and a peak into some of your favorite quilters lives. The instructions are clear and done with photographs and diagrams and the photography is beautiful.

One of the first things I did at Quilt Market was attend Kristen and Alissa's schoolhouse seminar. The quilts were all there and they were all beautiful. They each talked about their own desire for a like minded sewing community and how difficult it can be to find depending on ones own geography. They also spoke about learning how to piece blocks and quilt them and how the bee challenged and grew their skill set. I love that about quilting with other people, and I really appreciate how they incorporated the same type of skill building patterns in this book.

(Square Deal-- Nettie Petersen: Made from thrifted mens shirts!)

So! You read to go? Stash Books is offering up a copy for you! Leave a comment (US addresses only please) and I'll pull a winner next week. Do you quilt or would you like to learn how? Do you have a sewing community? How did you find it?

Hey hey! Thanks to all over you for your comments. Noelle is the big winner this go 'round! It's inspiring to read about your communities, virtual and otherwise, and I recomend going through the comments if you're looking for ways to find or start your own!

Little Things I've Sewn

I'm sewing girl things again, which is cool because I don't have any and as much as I like to pretend otherwise, it is kind of fun to girlie sew. Anyway. I have a copy of Oliver+S Little Things to Sew by Liesl Gibson and even though there are boy things in there, I asked Gina if I could make a Red Riding Hood cape for Bolt using Anna Maria's velveteen. This is the sort of pattern that this fabric was made for. There are more details on the Bolt blog, including pictures of it on an actual mannequin. This project would be no problem to modify for an adult-type person. Plus it has a little Alice-Queen-of-Hearts thing happening.

There are a couple of stand-out projects that I am putting on my to-do list (rather than my "oh, cute, but not for me" list, which is a nice guilt alleviating list to have on hand):

Hats. My little boys love themselves some hats.

Bento Luch Box for summer eating outside.

Messenger Bag. For me.

***

I sewed up an Oliver+S outfit (details here) for my niece on my night away in Astoria. I used the Sailboat Top, Skirt and Pants pattern in size 5. Generally, these patterns have you mind the details, which can be daunting for some sewers but the results are worth the extra effort. I would like that top in my size. Maybe this one? I'm a little skeptical that I could get the same results, but I'll use any excuse to use up some french terry. And even though my fabric choice was kind of girlie, August is going to get a pair of those pants and shirt in canvas and stripes. Sewing for boys is pretty great, too.

Check & Stripe Floral (and bits)

It has been too long without some Japanese Craft book love around here. So, complements of my girl Blair, here you go:  Check & Stripe Floral (ISBN: 978-4-418-09403-5). The styling is so beautiful it makes me want to go out and hit someone (as all good design should). I have no illusions that I would look good in most (any?) of the adult clothing, but whatever! 

One of my very favourite T shirts came from an earlier Check & Stripe, so I'm of course going to figure out if this one measures up. Hopefully it will work and then I can take a picture of me wearing it in the pasture behind my parent's house. Watch out for the poop and the stickers.

I want an orchard. Seriously. Also, August would totally rock that bag.

This reminds me of berry picking with Stephanie and the kids last summer. Minus all the white clothing. Maybe that's why I'm picking up this book a whole lot right now? It's just got a good time summer feeling. There is more: some cute bags, shapeless dresses, and fabric swatches. You know-- everything good.

****

I've got my knickers all in a knot over the pre-order option for Suzuko Koseki's Natural Patchwork: 26 Projects Inspired by Fabric Flowers and Home out in April. And if that weren't enough, there is another one following called Playful Patchwork.

Here is a quick how-to featuring some awesome (I'm sorry) low light photos on that Hope Valley Quilt pattern I'm working on. I've also started up a quilt-along/tutorial for a simple improv baby quilt over at Bolt Neighborhood. It's similar to the quilt I made tiny Sam forever ago (but much easier!). 

It Did Not Snow

I'm still holding on to the boots and the snow pants as they are the sort of things I think fall in the acceptable Justincase category.

I finished up Bread Alone last night and only realized there was a sequel (The Baker's Apprentice) while I was going through my stack today.  For those of you who've read it, is the second better or not as much?  I liked the first one all right.  My favourite bits were the parts about the bakery, Seattle in general, and the year 1988 and all the talk of cross trainers, synthetic fabric, and french braided hair.  I was not particularly fond of the love scenes or the very end for that matter.  While I decide what to do about book number two, I'm starting Eating Animals, which will be a nice break from all the lovey-dovey, talkie-talkie of the last two (the other being Colwin's Happy All the Time, which I liked a lot more).  I also tried and abandoned (120 pages in) The Air We Breathe.  The writing was wonderful, but the subject matter was difficult for me at this moment in time-- people turning on each other in such manipulating ways, etc.-- that I found myself moping around in an unhelpful way thinking about it.  Another time, maybe. 

I am making time to read because August has completely lost his nap.  He, unlike the other two, will not entertain himself with books or toys if someone is moving around doing something (or nothing) in another part of the house.  The only way of reconciling this is to sit with him on the couch, me reading and him messing around next to me.  If I am not accomplishing anything of substance, he is happy.  We do what we have to do.  (If there was ever a child made for preschool, it is this one.)

Good Night.

Laurie Colwin's Happy All the Time was the first book to come up on the hold list at the library.  I finished that one last night.  It was just right.  The Air We Breathe (Andrea Barrett) and The Baker's Apprentice (Judith Ryan Hendricks) are next in the pile and I have 18 more holds coming in at the library.  THANK YOU for all your recommendations and thoughts.  I have read through all the comments multiple times and added everything that I have not already read or thought to read to the list.  I managed to finish three-- four actually-- but two of them were young adult novels and one was a gift that had been give to me nearly a year ago.  2011 is going to be the Year of the Book around here. 

We've had as much quiet as we can muster with the small people around.  I realize that they will not stand for quiet holidays or subdued special occasions for much longer, which made this one all the better, because they hardly know another way.  Paul bought me a year of NYT crosswords in book form so that we "can do them together and stave off dementia".  Of course, I am appalled at how bad I have become at these over the years and worry that it will take me a long time to make it past a Tuesday.  When Sam was little we had some friends come and live with us for a few months.  They had the Times delivered and 1. I got spoiled on good news and 2. I could sometimes make it to a Thursday!  I am much dumber and more forgetful these days.

So, that is what I'll be doing tonight: puzzles and books and bringing Manny back to his bed 12 or 13 times.  There will also be laundry.  Good Night, Good Night, 2010.

Paddington

I went off the novelty fabric deep end at the Depot the other night and bought these three Paddington Bear prints.  The boys are going to FREAK.  I'm thinking about placemats.  I know, a tiny bear from Darkest Peru is not exactly this week's super hero, but we are all big fans regardless. 

We have a few Paddington bits around the house and I try to pick up the novels used when I'm up visiting my parents.  I love the original illustrations by Peggy Fortnum and I'm always on the look out for books with pictures taken from the stills of the animated show from the 70s.  While I don't think we ever owned them (maybe my cousins did?), I did a little dance at the thrift store the first time I ran across one.  At any rate, they are hard to find. 

The reason that the boys (and Sam in particular) have a certain affinity for Micheal Bond's bear, is that we have listened to A Bear Called Paddington read by Stephen Fry IN ITS ENTIRETY dozens of time.  A fact which I'm always amazed by, considering it's whimsy far outweighs its high-flying adventure. 

Mr. Fry, evidently your voice soothes the beasts within and has me rifling through the "licensed character" section at the fabric store.  Thank you for using your power for good.

I Planned on a Five Minute Cry Break: Wee Giraffe

I left myself too little time and too little patience, which as you all know, is a recipe for cursing and bad sewing-related behaviors.  It turns out that I didn't need the cry break and I kept my mouth in check, because this pattern came together JUST AS IT WAS SUPPOSED TO.  Imagine that.  Actually, it's not hard to imagine at all, because Hillary knows what she's doing and takes into account that most of us do not. 

The first thing I did right was to cut out the pieces accurately.  I traced the pattern onto freezer paper* and lightly pressed it onto the fabric.  I used scissors to cut (my rotary is just too big) it out and I ended up with perfectly perfect little pieces.  This is going to completely change the way I handle small pattern cutting. 

I stuffed the giraffe with cotton stuffing from Bolt (nice and firm and easy to work with) and sewed the alpalca tail and horns on very securely.  It's ready and wrapped alongside a go-to Gyo Fujikawa book.  One of the three hundred birthdays between now and Christmas has been taken off the list! 

Do you have your copy yet?

(*For those of you who have never used it, freezer paper has a paper side and a waxy/plastic side that melts a tiny bit when you heat set it to fabric.  I pulled up my pieces after I cut them and will be able to reuse them-- you can buy Reynolds brand Freezer Paper in most grocery stores.)

Books for my Boys and BookScout

Sometime just before Christmas Sam discovered the non-fiction section of his school library.  Up until then he brought home sweet story books every week.  All of a sudden it was INVENTIONS!  MEDIEVAL VILLAGES!  DINOSAURS!  I asked his librarian about the change and she confirmed what I had guessed-- all the kids make the switch "even the girls!" as soon as soon as they find the section.  She said that some schools she has worked in won't let the younger children out of the picture book stacks and that when they do, many parents ask her to guide their kids back to the fiction.  She explained, "I try to offer them beautiful story books, but they always head back to non-fiction.  When I walk into a library or bookstore and am surrounded by books, that is ME time and I don't want anyone telling me what I need to be looking for.  It's a personal thing.  I want to give that to children.  They'll find their way back to the stories."  We are lucky to have her.

This has complicated bed time reading ever so slightly.  Paul reads two books to all three boys-- or rather, he reads one and Sam reads aloud the other (usually anyway. I'm not always privy to dad time).  It's not terribly sweet going through "Pirates Through the Ages" with the babies so I've been trying to find some *in between* books that they will all like. 

I bought This is the Way to the Moon at Land for Sam's birthday.  I looove these books written by Miroslav Sasek and reprinted by Universe Publishing.  I got ours at Land/Buy Olympia and I'm putting the whole series (I think there are 18) on my list.  The illustrations are hard to get over-- Ward wrote about finding an original copy a few years ago-- his scans are really good.  It's the story of Cape Canaveral and it's first missions to the moon, including missile facts and figures, mission control, and the chocolate cake baked to commemorate it all. 

In the Town All Year 'Round was supposed to be a gift for a faraway friend, but I can't keep their hands off of it.  I don't blame them.  It's written and illustrated by Rotraut Susanne Berner (originally published in Germany) and contains big, beautiful illustrations of the doings of everyone in a small town.  It's lovely and big and feels really nice to hold.  Sam sits on the couch with his little brothers and they go through it together.  You cannot buy that sort of good cheer, people. 

My friend and yours, Andrea, has a new book blog.  She knows a lot about books-- specifically children and young adult lit, and she's my all-round go to person for such matters. Now she can now be yours, too.  Handy. 

I would like to make quilts

Team Framily has not been having a particularly easy time this year.  We have a lot to be grateful for.  We have a lot to worry about.  What else is new?!  In between all of that I would like to sew and I would like to make quilts-- big, lovely, lots-of-white quilts.  I have piles and plans.  I have a lot of nerve, too, considering I don't have a whole lot of time or energy at the end of these days. 

Today was the day to start small, and what better way, then with the word HOPE.  Holla'!  It's a free download (a tote pattern actually, but this is going to be a pillow, I think) from the DS site and is a part of the larger Proverbial Quilt pattern.  I freaking love that quilt.  There were phone calls and frantic emails exchanged in my circle upon the discovery of that quilt.  In fact, the entire Hope Valley line is right up my alley even though I am just now getting around to buying some. 

Amy lent me the Material Obsession book as a part of our long term live-at-my-house arrangement we have (don't worry Grammie Karol, if you want it back at your house just say the word).  I wrote about it a little over at Bolt, but I it's so good I don't mind mentioning it twice.  I just found out there is a TWO out there-- here on Amazon, but I think mine is coming from Powell's.  Does anybody have it?  Is it as good as I want it to be?  I hope so.

There's that word again.

The Tunic That Was and a Few Sewing References

  
Last fall a friend of ours (well, she's a friend of my sisters-- details, details) asked me if I would consider trying to reproduce her favourite piece of clothing.  She had looked everywhere for a replacement and contacted the original manufacturers who told her they wouldn't be making it any more.  Feeling a little cocky, I said SURE! what the heck, sight unseen, I'll give it a go.  When it arrived all the way from the Northwest Territories I had a minor little freak out wondering how I was going to pull it off.  First off, I could understand why she loved it-- It is AWESOME.  It's made out of a heavy duty stretchy knit with a sweatshirt fleece feel on the inside, a sweet funnel collar, a fitted bust and shoulder, and an asymmetrical placket.  It was warm.  It was cute.  Love Love Love.  Freak Out Freak Out Freak Out. 

  

I spent a lot of time thinking about it and consulting with some of my people.  Blair suggested I make a ruboff to start and then I found some heavy, stretchy knit at Bolt (98% cotton, 2% spandex).  I procrastinated a good amount.  I scoured the internets trying to find one like it so I could point Joanne in the right direction and send hers back.  Then, on Saturday, I pulled my head out and worked it out. 

I started by following Blair's advice and made a ruboff of the front, back and collar using a pastel and a roll of the boy's paper.  I worked really well.  Then I busted out a copy of Cal Patch's Design-It-Yourself-Clothes that Amy had lent me, and read most of Part 1 (Before you Begin) and all of Part 3 (Customizing, Fitting and Grading).  I already own Patternmaking for Fashion Design (which I got for a class last year)-- it's fantastic but massive and overwhelming.   This book covers pattern making for simple and modern clothes in a very accessible way.  It also doesn't skimp out on doing things properly (which is GREAT). 

  
Feeling buoyed by proper information I took the pastel and paper to proper pattern pieces-- all slash and spread and evened out.  And it worked.  Mostly.  The way I put it together (sleeves sewn to the front and back and then the side seams sewn last) made it so I had to finish the whole thing before I could tell if I had headed in the right direction.  But whatever.  It's pretty close.  

If she likes it, I'll make whatever changes she'd like and make her another one.  And then one for me (I'm thinking I'll add some buttons to the placket and work on the sleeves more for the next round).  I might even get really full of myself and grade that sucker out and make one for Mariko.  Like I said, there's no telling what a little extra sleep will help me accomplish.  Also, keep in mind, you can sew like this without a serger.  I did. 

 

Incidentally, in the back of Do-It-Yourself, Cal Patch mentions three sewing books that I love and frequently recommend:  The best of the best-- Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Sewing (often you can find earlier versions at thrift stores and garage sales), then there's my girl Amy's Bend the Rules Sewing, and of course, both of Wendy Mullen's SewU books (and did you hear there is another coming??!!).  Do you have other favourites?  JUST IN CASE one of your plans for this year including sewing yourself a whole closet full of greatness.