domicile

Spring Sewing Itch

I've got a strong itch to get sewing. While right now I have exactly no time to actually scratch that itch, I've got a number of plans up my sleeves, and decided this weekend to take stock of my fabric stash and available patterns/project wish list and plot something out as a project for when we return from some sunshine. Then I made my big mistake: I went online to seek out a pattern for a basic bias cut slip (something I've been looking for, for ages) which I want to use to make some simple night dresses with some lovely Heather Bailey fabric I've got collecting dust. While I found a lead on a book that may hold the secrets to such a pattern and requested it from my local library, I also found this new Amy Butler tunic pattern. And, after telling myself very sternly that another pattern was the last thing I needed, when I've already got piles of unsewn projects in the basement I went ahead and ordered it. Then, because I could get free shipping if I ordered two, I also ordered this one. And now I find myself watching some ebay auctions on more fabric. This now leaves me with at least 3 projects - tunic, slip and skirt - to complete and a book tour to plan all in the next few weeks. I sure hope I come back from the beach good and rested.

Oh, and speaking of sewing, Alicia has an awesome Binding 101 tutorial on her site, if like me you are binding challenged.

Is that a credit card in your freezer?

My mom has a dear longtime friend who, over the years, has been known to go into a bit of credit card debt here and there. Often paying off her Visa with her Mastercard, she would let these things run away from her for a while and then take drastic measures to pull it all back under control. Tried and true strategies like freezing your credit card in a glass of water, or having other people "babysit" it for a while until the bills are paid off. These days that kind of strategy doesn't work so well. I rarely pull out my credit card when making impulse purchases, as I make most of those online and I know the numbers off by heart. Danger Bay.

My latest transgression: fabric on Ebay. Who knew!? I had hear rumours of course, but last Sunday night I went on a hunt for a particular colourway of an older Amy Butler print that I wanted to make some of the holiday gifts on my list. I started with the usual online retailers -- ReproDepot and Purl Soho -- but when they didn't turn up what I was looking for I thought "what the heck, why not try Ebay". OMFG. Seriously. The fabric! The options! The colourways I thought were gone! And. Right now the Canadian dollar is kind of trouncing the US buck and that meant a potential wealth of savings. The more I bought, the more I could potentially save! So compelling. I held back to only 4 yards (with combined shipping of $3 no less), but I'll admit I'm starting to get a bit itchy for more. Then, I go and read at Hilary's blog this week that she's been buying Japanese fabrics from Etsy and now I think I may need to see if the bank will change my credit card number so I can bury it in the garden until next spring and safely refrain from getting in over my head.

Reversible Apron Completed

  sunday dinner 
  Originally uploaded by emira

This isn't exactly a detailed view of the completed apron, but rather an apron in use kind of shot. I finished it this morning before noon (thanks to the "fall back" of the clocks giving me an extra hour this morning). Then, after a trip to the grocery store and some time cleaning up in the garden, I put it on to make dinner, prep some food for the rest of the week and generally get down to the rest of the weekend's household chores. As far as aprons go, this one is a winner. I like the fact that the top is pretty full coverage (handy when cooking stainy things like tomato sauce and some beets I steamed tonight) and it's long enough to wipe my hands on as I switch from cutting something to stirring something else.

I think I'll try making some matching pot holders, though I may be brave and try the slightly more complicated Amy Butler version that comes with her Cafe Apron pattern as they seem a bit sturdier than the ones in the Lotta book.

The Apron Progresses

  stitchin' 
  Originally uploaded by emira

On Sunday night, I had the chance to cut out and start on the reversible apron from Lotta's book. I picked up the fabric at Fabricana on the weekend, so I was all ready to go. It's a pretty simple pattern to cut out and it leaves plenty of room for personal embellishment. Before you can sew the two apron sides together you need to  decide how you're going to customize/decorate it. I started with my solid side, put on a pocket using the reverse side's fabric and then decided to add some embroidery. I've been itchin' to embroider since having the joy of being on a panel with Jenny Hart last Spring. (As a side note I ordered some patterns from Sublime Stitching a few weeks ago in hopes that I might be able to use a bit of embroidery on xmas gifts this year). I bought myself an embroidery hoop this week and where I can carve out time in my 10-12 hour work days I've been plugging away at it. It's not turning out too badly. I'm hoping to have a bit more time this weekend and if not, then next week. Currently, my goal is to finish the apron (which is truly a very simple pattern, I'm just waaay too busy lately) for my birthday. That's two weeks.

On Aprons. Again.

  gardening apron 
  Originally uploaded by emira

I promised plenty of apron talk this month, and I have to warn you we're a month out from month's end and I'm still in the thinking/planning stage and not the actually doing stage.

So here's the thing. I have a chance to be near my favourite fabric store this week and the two books containing apron patterns that I ordered have yet to arrive. I'm pretty sure I want to make the Lotta apron (as seen here, but I need to know how much fabric to buy. Does anyone have Simply Sewing? Can you send me the fabric requirements? I'd so appreciate it.

More on aprons

At this point it seems highly likely that I'll be spending the month of October obsessing over aprons. There are worse habits.

Several of you have contacted me recommending I check out the apron pattern in the newish MaryJane's Stitching Room book. And others have cast a vote for the Lotta Jansdotter book, which I was already not so secretly lusting after. Then I found this photo of an apron made from the Lotta pattern and since the colours are basically exactly the same as our kitchen I considered it a sign. I've ordered both from Amazon (such a splurge!) and am secretly hoping they arrive in time for this weekend so I can start a new project. I have that itchy sewing feeling, and not nearly enough time to indulge it.

As it so happens, I also ordered a whack of patterns from Sublime Stitching (finally) last week. So perhaps my new apron will be an overly ambitious combination of fabric and fancy pants embroidery. We'll see. If all goes well, then many folks may be getting aprons this holiday.

A New Apron

For high school I went to a small private school. I'll admit I was a died-in-the-wool geek, and for the most part I adored it. As much as a teenager can adore school, that is. I took latin class, reveled in Calculus and was pretty diligent about keeping my knee socks up. One of the side effects of wearing a uniform to school (for me anyway) was that I began to mentally associate that uniform with a certain state of mind. As such, I used to pretty much always keep my uniform on, when I got home from school, to finish my homework. It was as though it was literally my "working" uniform. When I was done my schoolwork, I'd take it off, shift my brain to other things and move on. (Told you, I was a geek). Anyway, I'm not sure if it was those impressionable years, or an innate sense of practicality, but as an adult, as soon as I get home from work I go into the kitchen, put on an apron and start an evening of cooking, or some sort of home project. I have a different apron for gardening. I use my kitchen apron when I'm cleaning the house as well, and fear that though it is certainly not my most alluring look most weeknights I have my apron on until I go to bed. And while all this makes me sound painfully like a 50s housewife, know that I'm not doing all this alone, Martin, however, chooses not to wear an apron.

So, it's time for a new one. I have this fabulous printed apron that I got at a second hand store that is quite basic, with a lovely navy/grass green print that has stood me well for a few  years, but it's getting quite ratty and I figure if I'm going to spend as much time in an apron as I do, I should have one a bit nicer looking. Don't you agree? So, I'm thinking a fair bit about my next apron. I've been a huge fan of BellaPamella's aprons since I first saw them on the web (that's what's pictured here). I love the retro feel, the practical nature (I don't like half apron as they're not protective enough, and they must have pockets). I've had a look around the italian delis in the neighrbourhood to see what they have in the way of italian nonna aprons, but they're all made of polyester and that doesn't fit with my "lovely apron I'll wear everyday" vision. And ultimately, as a sewer, with a pile of unused fabric in the basement, I just can't bring myself to buy an apron. However lovely. It's like I can hear my grandma in my head saying, "oh just get on with it and go whip something up, it's an apron for goodness sake." And she's right.

Last night I pulled out my Mary Jane's Farm magazine, the apron issue, and had a thumb through. All the free patterns in it are for half aprons though, and that won't quite do for my purposes. I'm tempted to order both the Helen's Apron pattern and the Farm Girl Apron pattern, but then I thought: I've got the internet at my fingers. And, hopefully, still a pile of talented creative folks out there reading this occasionally. So, any of you have an awesome apron pattern you'd like to recommend? My requirements are pretty simple: must be a full apron (not just  half) and must have at least one pocket. Please save me before I get totally lost in the tie one on archives.

(And for the record, I'm already thinking I should just embrace my inner house wife and get one of these for fancy times, and still make an everyday apron to sooth my inner grandma).

Bun-Bun

  bunny 
  Originally uploaded by emira

I must say I was rather tickled by the gift I put together for Djuna (my beloved goddaughter) this year. As she gets older my gifts are increasingly for her delight and not just the pleasure of her parents (though of course I adore them as well). I decided to continue on my path of making stuffed toys and used Hilary Lang's pattern for a big footed bunny (the pattern is available in her store here as I liked the idea of a doll that she could "dress up" in different clothes. This may very well have everything to do with the fact that I had a stuffed bunny when I was young that my mom made little knickers for and I loved it to the ends of the earth (and through many mom-patch jobs). Already rather enamoured of the idea of a bunny with a dress, I could hardly contain myself once I decided to also make her a matching dress to wear (photos here).

I received an email from her mom, my dear friend Kate, this morning in my inbox telling me that "Bun Bun" (her name for the bunny) was a hit, and that she and "Bun Bun" went out in their matching dresses and were the object of much oohing and ahhing that night. Hearing that causes my toes to tingle and my heart to leap in my chest. It also brings a sadness that I can't be closer to them all more regularly. Time to plan a trip to Montreal I think.

Living in my lovely new PJs

  amy butler kimono project 
  Originally uploaded by emira.

I'm at the tail end of what I sincerely hope is a one-off Spring cold. More than a few people that I know have been struck with this and so I know I'm not alone in my wallowing, but there's something particularly unfair about a flu that hits you when the weather has finally given us all a break here on the "wet" coast and given us a few days of sunshine to enjoy the blossoms and bulbs.

Lucky for me I happened to have just finished off some lovely new lounge/pj-wear recently, including this Amy Butler Kimono pictured here. I made the kimono out of a cotton discovered in the Fabricana quilting cotton section named as a "linen-like" material. That seems to translate into the slightly raw and uneven colouring of a piece of linen without the tendency to crease and crumple each time you look at it. I had actually considered a linen for the pattern but corrected myself with the mere vision of ever needing to iron something intended for curling up on the couch in. The base of the kimono is brown with a kind of robin's egg blue trim that coincidentally matches the Jonathan Adler sheets we received at Christmas to a nearly nauseating tee. Though the nausea could just be my flu talking. Overall, the pattern comes out as another Amy Butler In Stitches quick and relatively easy winner. My only regret (aside from the one cutting error I made) is that it's a bit shorter than I would have liked, coming really to just past my bum in the back, but looking at the photo that's pretty much as it was promised. That said, if I made this again I might make it about 2 inches longer to suit my preference. All told though it was easy enough that it is something I would consider making as gifts.

I also made a new pair of flannel pj bottoms, though I eschewed the Amy Butler Wide-Legged pattern in favour of an old Butterick pattern I dug up and altered slightly. I would share a photo of those and their very adorable red ric-rac trim, as well as a better photo of the kimono for that matter, but sadly my camera died shortly after taking that photo there. It's now on its way to Canon for repair and should hopefully return before too long. I was relying on Martin's camera for photos, but in a particularly bad turn of events this week his was stolen from his work. As such, we're photo-free around these parts right now which particularly sucks given that Martin has just completed our new bedroom suite and we're finally about to start on the kitchen. Perhaps I'll just have to draw stick figures?

Crafty Tomes

I've been slowly building a list of craft-themed book titles that I'm lusting after. I made a little promise to myself that if I actually made good on my intentions to sew a number of items in the Amy Butler book, I would treat myself to a new one but now I'm not sure which I would pick. This weekend I finished off the Amy Butler Kimono (photos and a review to follow later this week) and I'm feeling like I may have reached my own imaginary threshold to allow for another crafty-book purchase. Here are the titles currently on my list, I haven't actually seen any of these in person so haven't been able to thumb through them. If anyone has reviews or opinions please feel free to sway me in one direction or the other.

• Simple Sewing with a French Twist: An Illustrated Guide to Sewing Clothes and Home Accessories with Style. I first saw this one over at Alex's delightful Hygge House blog a few months ago.
• Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing: Patterns and How-To for 24 Fresh and Easy Projects. This one appeals to my Scano-lust in a big way and would help me reconcile my lack of any Lotta loveliness.
• Wendy Mullin's Sew U: The Built by Wendy Guide to Making Your Own Wardrobe seems like it might be good inspiration for wardrobe sewing, which is always fun at a change of seasons. I seem to be most inspired to sew at a season change.
• Tricia Guild's Pattern looks like it very well may lead to some friction between my "femme-tastic" decorating leanings and Martin's preference for a more minimalist approach. But it sure does look like a fun time.
• And Amy Karol's book is available for pre-order already.

I'm sorely tempted to just jump off the deep end and get them all, but my Visa balance and the knowledge that having them all would leave me less time to savour hold me back.