Saturday, May 31, 2008

Meeting of the Matriarchs

Apologies for the blogging hiatus. Computer and camera connector cord thing were on a truck being transported from Iowa to LA until Wednesday. I have much to tell you.

First, let's go back in time to a few days before graduation. My lovely mother and grandmother came out a few days before the rest of the familia for some matriarchal bonding. We had a good time, and then we all packed up my entire kitchen. Moms and grandmas are the best!


Here we are. As you can tell, we like blankets (it runs in the family.) These midwestern springs are chilly weather for California girls.


AM coffee and pastry run at the most excellent of spots with another matriarch. Birds of a feather.

As you read this, I will be cruising in Alaska. How am I also posting, you ask? It is magic. Stay tuned!

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore.



We made it! And so did our furniture. We are all in a state of partial assembly and organization. More details to follow.

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Doctor, Doctor



We are so done!

Monday, May 12, 2008

Oops.

Remember Koolhaas? So lovely and soft and warm. I lost him a few weeks ago, and I was sad. Yesterday, I found him...in the dryer. I had felted him, and now he is very small. Take a look(with large coffee mug for scale):


Hello. I am small.

Oh well. I suppose this smaller hat will take up less space than the adult-sized version would have in our move out west. And now I have a baby-sized bucket hat.

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Odds and Ends

I am trying to wrap up loose ends around here. We are leaving in one week! I am in denial about my imminent departure. I am so going to miss this town. I dyed up the last of my Grandma's wool - take a gander:



Here's another treat for you:

Hello. I am a block-head frog.

I needle-felted this little guy. I tried to make a frog, but I had never really thought about how frogs' heads are constructed, and a blockhead frog resulted. I have since put considerable thought into the shape and dimensions of frog heads, and should I ever attempt a needle-felted frog finger puppet in the future, I hope the final outcome will be better. Just so you know, with needle felting, you basically gently stab roving (in this case it was green) repeatedly with a sharp, barbed needle. It felts and you can shape it into whatever you like. For the head, I carved a squishy foam block with some scissors into a shape that I thought resembled a frog's head, and then you stab the roving onto the foam. Clear as mud?

Friday, May 9, 2008

Lotus Cami

Check me out!


Back button detail:


Intimate button detail:


Details:
Pattern - Lotus Cami by Amy Butler
Fabric - Anna Griffin for Windham Fabrics in Dorothy
Notions: Muslin for button panel interfacing, and 7 1" pearl buttons purchased in Muscatine, IA (pearl button capital of the world).
Comments: I experienced the full range of human emotion while making this shirt. I laughed, I cried, I contemplated setting it on fire. Quite the roller coaster ride - and now that I am done, though I am happy with the finished product, I will most likely never make this shirt again. The construction is difficult, and I made several mistakes (i.e. cutting through both the exterior and facing of the sleeve when I had almost finished putting the shirt together) that really made this much more tedious than it needed to be. The buttonholes were way cool to make, and so easy with a buttonhole foot and so professional looking! Per usual, Amy Butler makes some fantastic patterns. I did make some modifications - I added 2" to the length of the body, and I also added a box pleat to each of the sleeves. And I substituted muslin fabric for the medium-weight sew-in interfacing the pattern suggested to stabilize the button panels - it worked out really well!

Friday, May 2, 2008

Nappy Diaper Bag and Changing Mat

A dear friend from grad school is having a baby! I happened to have a diaper bag/changing mat pattern that I was itching to try out, and I also happen to be a 4th year med student (wait, I am done with rotations, does that mean I can call myself a physician?!) with oodles of time to craft on my hands. Yay for those moments when needs and desires actually are met by resources!

Here she is - the Nappy Diaper Bag:

Look at all these pockets!

Cell phone pocket, isn't she cute?


And the very lovely Diaper Changing Mat
With cover:

Without cover:

Fully exposed:


Details:
Pattern: Amy Butler (yes, I am an addict) Nappy Diaper Bag and Baby Changing Mat
Fabric: Embroidered linen blend from my stash (in years past, it has been my habit to aspire to make curtains. I would give buy an insufficient amount for said curtains, give up and throw the aforementioned fabric into stash.) And a very cute green and white polkadot print from here. And white terry cloth for changing mat.
Notions: Cotton batting for changing mat; button-hole foot for changing mat bag drawstring; lightweight iron-on interfacing; duckcloth (provides stability for main exterior panels of diaper bag).
Comments:
Diaper bag first. This is my first solo bag, and I really put some blood, sweat and tears into it - literally (I poked myself with pins about 10 million times. Note to self, break habit of sticking yourself with sharps prior to upcoming ER and medicine rotations as an intern.) I am really happy with the finished product, but boy, with all the fabric and pockets and linings and interfacing, is this bag sturdy. I think my friend could throw her baby in here without worry. For the same reason, it's also a little heavy. Next time, I should remember to use a lighter weight fabric. I also might lose the phone pocket - Mer, you'll have to tell me how handy this little guy actually is. I also might try to make the straps a little longer for an over the shoulder bag, and maybe it needs some sort of snap closure because right now, the bag is totally open without any sort of closure. Again Mer, please give me all sorts of feedback. I really like all the inside pockets though I might lose one of the bottle pockets the next time around. All in all, I love it! Very excited to gift to my friend and to make more!
Baby changing mat: This pattern is awesome. No changes. I just want to remind myself next time when doing the stitching across the batting to stitch the ends on either side first - otherwise the excess fabric gets all bunched up at one of the sides. This probably makes no sense, but hopefully, I will remember what I am talking about.
 
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