handmade kate

blocks, and i'm a bit behind

I really had the best of intentions to catch up on all of my twelve square blocks.  Saying that I'm a bit behind is an understatement. 

So I started from the top with the first fabric bundle from Chris, and I began to work my way down the stack.

And then on to Katie's block. 

And now tomorrow I'm have to go out of town for a few days, quite unexpectedly.  Tracy and Sarah, this weekend.  I promise.

I feel like I'm holding up a bit of future-magic.  Have you see these two twelve square quilts?  Beautiful, and so amazing how each came together so perfectly. 

i made a skirt

Nothing new there. 

I've been in desperate need of a new fall wardrobe.  Those extra thirty or so pounds that I packed on a few years ago don't seem to be going anywhere, so I surrendered.  Crappity, crap, crap, crap, I had to make a size Large.

I'm not convinced that an A-line skirt is necessarily flattering to all figures.  So I threw all caution to the wind and went for a pear shaped girl's absolute no-no.  Pleats. 

Jenny Gordy's Tulip Skirt from the Winter 2008 issue of Stitch Magazine.  

Such a sweet pattern, super-easy, and really I think it's equally as flattering as any A-line. 

I have so much fabric that I need to use, much of it purchased with garment sewing in mind.  Sewing clothes is so frustrating though, isn't it?  So much work can go into one piece only to find that after all of that work, it just doesn't fit quite right.  In spite of that, I've been gathering a few patterns that may work as wardrobe basics, hoping to make a few simple things for Fall.  And this time I'm taking the time to make my muslins. These two ladies have fueled much of my inspiration. (And Amy, you have one of the best playlists ever)

Any pattern recommendations out there?  

a pillow for retiring?

Back again with another gift.

This is the one that I mentioned would be hard to give up.  I was planning on giving this as a retirement gift, but now I'm a little hesitant.  Do you think it looks too feminine for a man?  He is such a lover of art--not that I think this qualifies as art, only that I think he might enjoy something out of the ordinary.   But I always feel so shy about giving my handmade things away.   Be honest, because you know it wouldn't hurt my feelings a bit to *have to* keep it for myself!

this is all i have.

Apparently all that I can be counted on for these days is a little gift sewing...

...but at least it gave me the perfect excuse to try out the sweet Buttercup Bag by Rae.  It's a belated birthday gift for a friend who likes rather simple things (as I do), so I hope the polka-dots will be OK.  I'm not too worried about the Heather Ross print since all of her prints are so charming and dear, but sometimes I find dots a bit worrisome.  This is such a great pattern though--I adore the shape and proportions of it.  I have plans to try making a larger version for myself now.  I really don't think I could fit all of my purse-crap into the original size!

My sewing seems to have fallen to the wayside lately--we've been back and forth to the lake nearly every weekend and in between I've been busy nursing our little garden.  Does anyone know what can be done about a rather persistent and pesky herd of chipmunks? They continue to tunnel into the garden and pull my precious tomato plants down their holes to devour the stalks.  Really, it’s like something out of a Bugs Bunny cartoon.  In hindsight, I probably should have lined the raised beds with wire mesh, but it’s too late for that now.  Help!

Well I've got a slew of 40th year photos to upload tonight, so I'm headed off to do that now.  And I have yet another present to finish up.  I have a feeling I'm going to have a hard time giving this one up!

a birthday party invite arrived last week

and I think I was more excited about it than the invitee. 

Because I had the perfect excuse to make one of these.

I wish you could have seen Margaret's face when I asked her to pick out a fabric that she thought her friend would like.  "What are you going to make her?" with a (ever-so-slight) roll of the eyes (she is nearly twelve, mind you),  "Can we still get her the Old Navy gift card I want to get her?"  Oh yes, and even better!  

It was reported back that the birthday girl thought it was pretty cool too!  Leslie, you're a genius! 

weekend pajamas

or weekday pjs, as the case may be.  God, my feet look like shit. 

I have a feeling the next few posts are going to be a little Weekend Sewing-heavy.  I've absolutely adored sewing from this book and I seem to be cranking out a new pattern from it every couple of days.  Visions of the perfect weekend wardrobe (handmade, of course), I'm sure, are fueling it as well.   I'm feeling a bit like Rebeccca Bloomwood in the Shopaholic books: 

"I have to have this scarf.  I have to have it.  It makes my eyes look bigger, it makes my haircut look more expensive, it makes me like like a different person.  I'll be able to wear it with everything.  People will refer to me as the Girl in the Denny and George Scarf" 

Yes, The Girl in the Weekend Sewing Yard-Sale Wrap Skirt (Pajamas for Everyone, All-Weekend Sundress, Trapeze top, etc.)   And my handmade, life-changing wardrobe will come with me on glorious vacations, packed up in the Amy Butler Weekender Travel Bag that I've been dreaming of making for the last two years. 

Anyway, back to the pattern. (love it!)  My first attempt--very stupidly--was made up in another precious Heather Ross fabric and turned out to be a little too small.   It will go to my Margaret if she will have them. But the weekend shirt I had made and the Trapeze dress (actually a shirt version now in production) are a perfect fit in medium.  So based on that, I totally ignored the pear-shaped body I was cursed blessed with and went with the medium in the lounge pants pattern as well.  Not a good fit.  Obscene, really.  Size large this time and it was perfect (did I really just type that I'm a perfect size large?!).  They are a bit trimmer in the hips and waist area than what I'm used to compared to my old pjs, but I really, really like the fit.  And after seeing these, I now have plans to make Gary a pair.  Not sure he would go for that print, but I like it.    

hello again, and happy monday

Wouldn't you know it?  I pop back in again, and I have yet another skirt to show upon my return.  It's the wrap skirt from Heather Ross' Weekend Sewing, made up in Anna Maria Horner's Good Folks.  I love this fabric collection so much, and in spite of being a bit uncertain about the finished skirt at first, I really do like the pattern.  I was worried the waist would be waaay too high and the ties too short, but the bias cut came through. Of course, I had to give it a good yank to get it tied, but coupled with the high waist, it seems to have a bit of a corset effect--a very good thing for me these days. 

We've enjoyed spring break and several weekends at the lake, regularly scheduled trips to the farmers' market, and eating dinner outside that was cooked on the grill (and sprinkled with a bit of pollen!).  Oh, how I love the routines my family falls into during the spring and summer--even if it does equate to even more sporatic blog posts!  And April was my month to send out fabrics to the ladies of Twelve Square--I requested a nine-patch pattern, hoping it it proves to be a simple and easy block so everyone can get back to this glorious weather.   Yay spring!

last weekend's sewing, and a bit about this weekend

I did finish up my summer blouse last weekend, but there was a bit of a wait for the photo shoot.  I really didn't fancy traipsing out in the snow on Monday.  Best to head out when it's 70 degrees, like it was today.  (love you and your extremes, NC!)

 

No barn or glorious wildflowers in this photo though.  Just our rickety old shed that needs to be torn down repainted, at the least.  But those glimpses of green in the brown leaves?  Those will be bunches and bunches of naturalized daffodils in a week or two if these temps keep up.  And there will be many more of these blouses this spring too.  I made a few tweaks after receiving a little advice on the pattern, and I couldn't be happier about how it all turned out.

I'm up early tomorrow to attend an 8:30 am workshop on starting small businesses.  I still have high hopes for my dream.

Wishing you all a happy, hopeful, and inspiring weekend!  -K
 

the weekend sewing that didn't happen

Well, I almost made it.  Posting four days in a row for yellow week--that has got to be a record for me!  I got to day five and it ended up being one of those days that I all I wanted to do was go home and drink myself silly or go to the gym and take it all out on the Precor/treadmill/Stairmaster/rower for an hour or two.  I chose the latter (and I guess that's a good thing), but I never did get Friday's late-night photo up.  Anyway, thanks for hosting, Erin!   It was so fun, and all that yellow is a wonderful way to make it through these last few weeks of winter.

I had big plans for the weekend too.  I had wanted to make this shirt from this new book that arrived in my mailbox last week.  I have so many sweet, delicate cotton prints that I've been wanting to use, and this pattern looked just perfect for them.

But I got a little sidetracked.  I saw this Valentine's day pattern for fabric cuffs over at JCasa Handmade, and thought I'd make just a few to stow away in my gift cabinet.  Does anyone else see a pattern or tutorial and think, "oh, I should make up a few, just in case...they would make great gifts for friends, inlaws, teachers, etc?"  My gift stash is quite huge.  (And yes, that cuff on the right is missing its button.  Can't find a good one for it yet.)

Back to the shirt--I managed to trace the pattern tonight.  Hopefully, I'll have a finished one to model this week.  We'll see.  Fingers crossed that I have no more crap work days this week.  I'm going to be as thin as a rail if this keeps up.  Ha!

twelve square - playing catch-up

Since I sort-of took the month of January off, save a bit of knitting, I've had some catching-up to do with my twelve square blocks.  They were sewn up in time, but because going to the post office would involve me actually putting down my knitting, removing myself from the sofa, and leaving the house, I was a little late in sending them off.  Sorry excuse, I know, but those dreary winter days can be so immobilizing, can't they? 

So off in the post today, 

Leslie's block for January:

Leslie sent along the sweet pinks, greens, orange and white fabrics for a quilt for her daughter, Libby--all picked out by Miss Libby herself!  It was such a perfect assortment that I only added the teal and pink dotted fabric, and the orange floral in the corners.  I also added a couple of strips of white muslin to finish it up because, well, I screwed up when cutting Leslie's white fabric.  I think I must have gotten too excited when I realized that all of the little squares numbered twelve!  (how cool is that?) I do hope you both like it, Libby and Leslie!

And two weeks ago, Kristena's block for December was sent and received:

Kristena's photo of it is a much better one--my photo was taken during one of the dark, rainy weeks of January when the sun would just not oblige.  But it was such a fun project!  I loved being up to my elbows in scraps, pulling out every bit of fabric that felt vintage-y and warm for her scrappy log cabin square--including some gingham ribbon and lace that I found in the mix as well.  I'm so glad you liked it Kristena--your sweet words made my day!

Here's to warmer and sunnier days with timely blocks in the future--so far February has started off to be quite promising.