Nesting.

My dears, We are in the home-stretch of pregnancy and I've been preparing in mind, body and house for baby to join us. This month has been such a joy: I have felt great, had lots of energy and had much inspiration for making + doing. Here are a few of my most recent projects.

Party Dress.
I made this using a free pattern from Prudent Baby. The yellow-orange fabric is a batik from Moda and the red is by Kaffe Fassett. I made this dress as a practice dress using stash fabrics, and I'm glad about that since there are a few changes I would like to make to the pattern before making it again. Overall, though, I love the design and can't wait to see a little lady wearing it!


Snuggly blanket.
When we moved in December, I realized just how much yarn I had been hoarding and made a deliberate effort to de-stash by making a baby blanket. These yarns are incredibly soft. I really like combining pink with less traditionally girly colors in this way.


Fleece liner for cotton diapers.
I am so lucky to have received many cloth diapers as gifts and hand-me-downs from friends. Right now (take this with a grain of salt since I haven't actually diapered a baby using them yet), I am smitten with these pocket diapers stuffed with a nice fleece insert. My mama gave me a serger (Brother 1034D--woooot!) for Christmas, so I've been serging away. I used a fuzzibunz insert as a template, then I layered between two and three pieces of fleece before serging the edges. I bought a pattern for the actual diaper as well, but have not yet made any (though I bought the fabric).


Baby beanie.
Recognize those colors? After I finished the blanket, I still had more of these delicious colors left over and decided to make a little topper for baby to wear.

That's the news from my end. Oh, remember my old studio? This is what my new studio looks like...

yikes, right? Although the house we are renting for now is actually bigger than our house in Seattle, we created two new rooms (nursery & Papa's home office) so my studio is kind of scattered right now. I DID pick up a sewing desk for this space at IKEA today, so we'll have a bit more order as soon as we get that put together.
LOVE,
Kelly

Sewing for Babies

I finally unpacked my sewing machine this week and have been sewing up a storm ever since. First, I finished a quilt for my friend who recently had a baby. The satisfaction of finishing a project is unparalleled, in my opinion. Now, to get it in the mail!

Next, I made a pilgrimage to one of my favorite Portland fabric stores, Fabric Depot. This place is so huge, it can be overwhelming, so I recommend bringing a snack. I stocked up on a bunch of yummy woven cotten fabrics and picked up the most perfect organic cotton-bamboo jersey. Although I know I'll be back for more of the jersey, I bought this swath specifically for swaddling my little one.
Then... the sewing began.
I first made the "quick change trousers" from Anna Maria Horner's book Handmade Beginnings. I was nervous about garment sewing after so much quilting, but I found this pattern to be quite managable for my first garment back after a long hiatus. I made this pair of pants in a size 12 months, but plan on making more in smaller sizes now that I know I can do it!


Next, I made a cotton swaddling blanket using this pattern from the Purl Bee. Very easy. I added a few flourishes by hand stitching around the inside of the blanket using embroidery thread.


Next up, a dress using these fabrics. I am in LOVE with this combination and think it would look super cute over pants in brown... or hot pink!

AND I just bought a pattern for cloth diapers and will be taking on that challenge next week as well.
What have YOU been up to this week?
XXOO
k

thoughts on projects: my first quilt.

lovelies,

hope you are having a lovely week. i am back from a quick-trip to portland. when i returned, one of the first things on my to-do list was to complete my quilt.

if you've been following my progress, you might remember that i began by cutting 5 by 5 inch squares from various fabrics in my stash, along with a few scraps from dress shirts in our goodwill pile. after that, i carefully arranged all of these squares out onto the floor in a madcap fashion, piecing them together with my Janome sewing machine. after that, i found a queen-sized vintage sheet at goodwill for the backing and bought a queen-sized cotton batting from my fabric store. after laying the whole quilt sandwich (backing, batting, top) out onto the floor in my living room, i hand quilted the whole thing at 5 inch intervals (essentially, there is a stitch in the center of each square. finally, i bound the front to the back using my sewing machine.

with the technical specifics of the project in mind, here are my reflections on the process:

i absolutely adored using fabrics that had been languishing in my stash-- there were a few fabrics that had been sitting there for years! also, i will always hunt through my goodwill piles for interesting looking squares in the future. so fun.

i NEED a rotary cutter. my hand was aching by the end of cutting out all of the squares AND the squares are a bit lacking in the precision department.

Also, i love the look of hand-quilting. i had prepared myself for this project to turn out pretty wonky-looking, but it actually looks good! i cannot wait to make my next one.

xxoo

Project update: my first quilt

Dears, I have been obsessively piecing the top of my first quilt together. I just love it! Here are a few more specifics about the quilt:
I made it from 5 x 5 inch squares (my mama tells me this makes it a charm quilt) of random fabrics from my stash and from a few pieces of old shirts. I did not work from a patter, so I laid the squares out on top of a bedspread I spread out on the floor (much to Brian's chagrin, I must add). In these moments, I feel so fortunate to have a mom who is in the business (she owns a quilting and yarn shop), because I had a lot of questions about piecing. She gave me excellent instructions on seam allowance, structure and the importance of pressing. The first few rows were a bit scary, but then I caught my groove and found I could quilt for hours while watching "My So-Called Life" on Hulu. YES! As you can see, this top is nearly complete. My next step is picking out what materials I will use on the back (I think a vintage sheet) and in the middle (how thick?). You know I'll report back soon.
peace. & LOVE. always.
k

my first quilt.

i am piecing my first quilt today (and tomorrow and probably the next day, too).

and i am in love with it.
what turned me off from quilting for so long was the cutesy-ness, the matchiness, the order of it all. while i admired the work and even how those quilts look in other people's houses, they weren't me. my sister Kate recently began quilting and made a lovely, buttery quilt for me-- perfect to hang on the wall of our open staircase. it was this quilt that inspired me to finally give quilting a try.


i decided to make the opposite of the cute, the order and created my quilt with bits of random fabrics from my stash, from bk’s goodwill pile, and a favorite shirt i re-purposed. not too matchy, not too coordinated, just right.


i cannot say this quilt would win a blue-ribbon at the state fair, but it’s the kind of blankie i will let my hippie babies play on underneath a big oak tree, i will wrap my sweet someone up in while sitting around a campfire by the sea. and that is the kind of blanket i have always wanted to make.


peace. & LOVE. always.

Pounced! Great Patterns.

I've been on an amazing Pouncing expedition on Etsy and cannot wait to share all of my finds with you.

Great Patterns sells just that: great patterns. Gorgeous, vintage patterns perfect for summer sewing. {I love to bring my sewing machine into whatever room my husband and I are hanging out in at night and sew away while listening to music.} The patterns offered by Great Patterns have ignited the sewing spark, and I think I'll sew a dress this weekend.

{ from left: vintage 1960s Size 14(--includes a bathing suit!), vintage 1970s size 10 caftans, vintage 1960s Mod Pleated tent dress, vintage 1970s mock-wrap dress. }

pounced! LaTouchables.

dear-hearts! i've been pouncing again! {pounce is a feature on etsy that allows you to explore undiscovered shops.} today, i'm happy to feature the gorgeous work of LaTouchables: Handmade Originals by Dawn. making things must be part of Dawn's DNA.
In her own words:
"I come from a long line of women who made everything by hand--their clothes, the blankets and rugs in their homes, the food they ate, including butter, cheese, bread...my mom milked cows, my grandmother rendered lard, my great-grandmother hand-stitched her garments during the great depression, and I studied painting in art school."
Dawn's etsy shop features elegant sewn goods. i am enamored with Dawn's work, especially the Poet's Bag {photographed below}.

visit the LaTouchable shop here.
visit Dawn's blog here.

Pounced! Sarasvatidd

I pounced on the completely unique creations of Sarasvati the other day and simply had to share her work with you.


About her shop, Sarasvati writes "This shop hosts some lovingly made ecologial and healthy reiki attuned dolls. Their Chakras are sweet and clear and full of rainbow magic! i am committed to making these dollies with all natural, ecological, and recycled materials. They are are sturdy and well made with attention to detail and should last a lifetime.these dolls are full of good, loving shakti and are designed to become a child's (or adult's!) best friend."


Check these out:

All-Natural Aspiring for Infinity Bhakti Yogini Elf.

Rosy Rabbit Rag Doll Bolo Hare.

Visit Sarasvati's shop by clicking right here.

Pounced! Mother Hen Apron Co.

Darlings, It's official: I am obsessed with aprons. More specifically, I am completely, head-over-heels mad for the gorgeous creations of Mother Hen Apron Co.

Kelly Joslyn of Mother Hen Apron Co. creates amazing, modern aprons in a variety of lengths and styles, and she has a real way with fabric. The color and pattern combinations of these aprons are spot-on for a color scientist like myself. I also really like the description she gives of her work:

"'The ordinary arts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest.' - Thomas Moore

Mother Hen Apron Co. was created to confirm that this notion is true. I find that most young women are just like me - struggling to define themselves and determine just what their authentic life is supposed to be. And how does that fit into paying bills, cleaning house, and getting at least one home-cooked meal in during the busy week? I don't have the answers. But I know there is something uniquely gratifying to all of them."

Reading that made me KNOW that this woman is a kindred spirit. And honestly, that is what buying handmade is all about-- actually connecting with the souls who pour their lives and love into their creations. I truly thank my lucky stars for Etsy and for the craft-movement in general and how these networks have allowed artisans to connect.

Here are just a few of the juicy aprons Kelly is currently offering in her shop.

clockwise from top left:
spring has sprung; fruit bowl and bananas;
orange polka dots; and elegant pelican.

Visit Mother Hen Apron Co. right here.

Pounced! Dots n' Pockets.

Good grief, the loveliness!! I was pouncing again when I happened upon this brand-new shop: Dots n' Pockets, which features the work of a brand new mom who loves to sew. Laura creates really fabulous bags, aprons (!!), nursing blankets and... wait for it... cute car garbage bags! What a fabulous idea!

Here are the Jenna Bag and the McKenna Bag. So lovely!

I think the car garbage (car-bage?) bags are the greatest thing ever.

Visit the Dots n' Pockets shop by clicking right here.

What I'll be doing later.

No joke, I've decided to make my own underpants using old t-shirts. I'll let you know how it goes. I found the pattern on SuperNaturale after discovering the link on LifeHacker. Check it.

xo