Trip to Kyoto

Well, it's a long story. My husband and I were planning a trip to Rome for our 10th Anniversary, but the volcano in Iceland had a little something to say about that! So, without any kind of plan, we decided to head to Japan on a whim. Being a flight attendant has its advantages!

I speak some Japanese and lived there for awhile 20 odd years ago, so Japan is a pretty easy country for me to navigate. We decided on Kyoto because it is lovely this time of year, and there are a lot of historical sites to visit. As my husband aptly put it, "in Rome there are churches and ruins, in Kyoto, temples and gardens." He is quite right. We had a great trip, and it was wonderful for me to be able to practice my language skills. But the reason for this post is actually to show you my new Japanese pattern book!



I don't know why, but I've been hesitant to venture into the Japanese pattern books that are all over etsy. For one, they are a tad expensive, and even though I can read some Japanese, they still look a bit intimidating. Nevertheless, we found a bookstore on the main shopping street of Kyoto, Sanjo-dori. After asking one of the salespeople where to find the handmade sewing books, I found this little gem.



There are a number of adorable looking patterns, and to give you a sampling, here are a few of the patterns I am looking forward to trying. I think my favorite is this one with the ruffled top. I actually made a sundress that has this idea of the ruffling in the front, but I love it with the sleeves. I am thinking to use one of my new Amy Butler bolts with a coordinating solid top and ribbon.




I am grooving on these shorts too. Most kids love pockets, and these look like they would fit just about anything a little girl may want to put in them. Plus, they look ultra comfy! I have some french terry in all sorts of colors, and while it looks like they used a woven linen, I think I'll try them in knit. We'll see.



My big concern is with the sizing. I'm not intimidated with the centimeters, just worry that my all too American child (read: topping the growth charts) will be too large for the dimensions of the pattern. But...nothing to do but try. I can always adjust if necessary.

I'm hoping to have at least one of these dresses for my upcoming show at SOWA. Opening weekend is May 15th and 16th, and I'll be there with some old favorites and hopefully some new styles as well! And I'll let you know how my first foray into sewing Japan-style goes.

Back from a very short trip with very long flights, and glad to be home in New Hampshire,
Melissa

While the Cat is Away...

Well, you know the rest. Yesterday I was down in Concord NH, visiting my favorite quilt shop while my husband is out West, skiing and visiting friends. Peggy Anne's has a wonderful selection of the fabrics I love, and she was running an end of the bolt sale! You just had to purchase at least 5 yards, and it was 40% off! A total steal. So anyway, I got me some LOVE! Oh, it wasn't part of the sale of course, but I couldn't help myself.



Are you jealous? You should be...





HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL! Thanks for reading, commenting, and inspiring my creativity!

~Melissa
At home in New Hampshire

Halloween '09

My child, my child.

She is truly something.

Why you ask?? Last year, a scary bat. This year a blue coyote.

Coyote? A blue coyote?? Honestly, I don't know where she gets this stuff from.





I was a pretty normal trick or treater. I got hand me down costumes for the most part. One I distinctly remember was an ice skater where I actually wore my skates and guards. Walking around in ice skates was challenging after awhile. I was a squaw, a princess, a witch.

My daughter?? A blue coyote.

Actually, I love her originality. No one else is gonna be a blue coyote for sure. There will be 50 Cinderella's walking around but only one blue coyote.



For all other kids out there that want to be a blue coyote, I used McCall's 5956. It's pretty generous as you can tell. Blue fleece from JoAnn's, Kaffe Fassett Sludge paperweight for the ears.

Maybe next year we can use it again, and just change out the hood. She's already talking about being a blue hippopotamus. Hmmm.

From New Hampshire,
~Melissa

Quilt Market '09, Houston, Part 1

I hesitated to say anything because there was a bit of uncertainty about me actually making it down to Quilt Market in Houston this past weekend, but indeed I went. Wow. My head is still spinning. Honestly, even though I was dead tired I didn’t really sleep all that well with all the ideas flashing through my mind. So, for all of you here is the low down on what I saw. I’m going to break this up into two posts, because there is way too much information for just one!

First off, I just have to say that this was my first Market, so I didn’t really know what to expect at all. I knew a lot of the designers would be there, which was my main reason for going. Most fabric people are tactile, and I am no exception. I know in my head that it’s quilting cotton, but somehow just feeling the fabric gives you another level of inspiration that is irreplaceable.



That being said I have to start off with Anna Maria Horner. My hero. Not only is she a delight, but she is so utterly talented. And busy! She happened to have baby Roman there when I stopped in, and what a little cutie. Her new line is printed on cotton voile (rhymes with toile), and to be honest before feeling it in person, I was a little worried. How would it be to work with thinner fabric? Would it be a challenge to sew? Body? Drape? I’m here to tell you that this stuff is gorgeous. Gorgeous. And soft, too. The prints are darling, and she is incorporating the most fabulous shade of sophisticated lilac. Did I mention soft?



They are producing solid colors as well to coordinate with all the prints, and also a bit of texture with dobby. The absolute must have on my list is the dobby stripe in lilac. It’s amazing, and I am imagining all sorts of ways to use it.



Talk about soft, the flannel collection is to die for. I’m glad the P. is as old as she is, but while looking at this fabric, I yearned for her to be a baby again. It would be absolutely perfect for a baby blanket, and pajamas, etc. Come to think of it, I’ll be ordering a little bit for P.J.’s for her. I think some lounge pants out of this would be fabulous too. Hmmm, maybe I might need more than I thought!



So, here is what totally blew me away. When I introduced myself to Anna Maria, she described my daughter to a tee! I love to post my creations on her flickr groups for each fabric collection, and as it turns out she remembered me! What a thrill. Honestly, I felt a bit dorky, being star struck and all, but who cares, right? I’m allowed to be a bit dorky at quilt market. And her assistant Ally is just a gem and was so helpful. I am so envious that she gets to work in that studio all day.



My next stop was to Kokka fabrics from Japan. Etsuko Furuya’s new fabrics for the echino line are just utterly fabulous. I was going to wait to order, but just couldn’t. And guess what? There is purple in my future!! I have had so many of my customers request lilacs and purples, and there just has not been that much out there. So I am completely thrilled that the designers have finally delved into this wonderful color palette.





And I even got to meet and chat with Ms. Furuya herself. Decked out in a fabulous bright purple tunic, she was very, very sweet. I tried out my rusty Japanese, and felt even more dorky than when meeting with Anna Maria. I should have postponed my meeting with her because as the day went on, I was able to chat more and more in Japanese with the Lecien and Kokka reps, and would have been a lot less intimidated if I had had some practice first. At any rate she was incredibly gracious, and I can’t wait to get my hot little hands on those bolts.

So, I'm going to tantalize you and hang on to Amy Butler and all the rest in part 2, but I promise not to keep you all waiting for too long.

From Minneapolis/St. Paul, where it is snowing. For real.
~Melissa

The Traditionalist (and a tutorial!)

So, last week I was walking in the woods, and was thinking about flannel and tartan. And here is the result!



I love the traditional look of this jumper. It has a simple design that I enhanced with a little piping and some well placed buttons. I chose black watch plaid on the cream flannel so that it would pop. This dress has growth pleats to which I added tartan ribbon. Growth pleats are just horizontal pleats that are usually about an 1" to 1 1/2" inches in width. It will be in my etsy shop soon.

Anyway, I liked it so much that I decided to make it in red as well, using some European brushed twill that I've had for awhile. Not only that, but I thought it would be nice to share my technique of piping insertion in the yoke, so here goes.

A disclaimer: I am not a sewing expert, so if anyone can offer some more advice, it is much appreciated. These are simply my techniques for working with piping.

So, the first thing you want to do is to choose a simple jumper pattern with a separate yoke. I chose to make the design 'Louise' from Children's Corner. This jumper features buttons down the back, a full skirt, and growth pleats.

Decide which size you will be using. For the red dress I used a size 2. Roughly cut out your pattern piece for the front yoke and then cut a piece of the yoke fabric that is slightly wider than double the yoke width. You want to leave enough extra fabric to compensate for the seam allowances when you stitch down the piping.



The next step is to prepare your piping. I use the Darr ruler and cut off the excess piping allowance. My seams are 1/4", so if yours are wider, you would want to plan accordingly.



Put wondertape on one side. This allows you to place the piping exactly where you want it, without the hassle of using pins. It will wash away when you wash the garment.



Try to place the piping to the slight left or right of center. This doesn't matter all that much because you will select the center front line after the piping is inserted. Stitch straight down the piping directly over the thread used to make the piping itself.





When you have completed that, you simply fold the fabric over the seam allowance of the piping, right sides together. Make sure there is no gap between the piping seam allowance and the fabric itself. In order to keep the grain correct, you have to make sure it's pretty tight. Then stitch just barely to the left of your original stitch line, "squeezing" the piping, and making sure that none of the other threads are showing.





Open the fabric piece up again and press lightly.



Now for the second line of piping. You want the seam allowances to face the other direction. So if your piping seam allowance lay to the right previously, this time you want it to lay to the left, and vice versa. I want my piping to be about two inches apart, so I carefully measure all the way down as I put it into place. Stitch as before.



It will look like this as you stitch the second side.



Press again, making sure the seam allowances lay out from the center.





Now you want to fold your fabric piece so that the two lines of piping match up, so I put right sides together. You want to make sure that the two lines are directly over each other. If it's easier to pin them together, then do so. The fold of the fabric becomes the center front, and then lay your pattern piece as indicated on the fold line.



This pattern requires a lining, so I cut them out at the same time.



When you are done, your piece should look like this. Two lines of piping centered on the center of the yoke. Now just use this piece like you would have used a normal piece of fabric. Just be sure to keep the seam allowances flattened the way they were pressed.



I'm quite pleased with the cute, traditional look, and this is the finished project.





Happy sewing!

From New Hampshire,
~Melissa

Etsuko Furuya, will you design exclusively for me??

birds and berries outfit, originally uploaded by littlegirlPearl.

Only half joking there with my title. If I could afford to hire this woman, I would do it. And she doesn't even have to learn English because I speak some Japanese.

I'm in awe, I'm in love, I'm in lust with her designs. This is only the most recent fabric I've acquired of hers. There have been others that I wish I could get my hands on again. Most specifically this one.




It's the first fabric I encountered of hers and I was smitten from the start. There's just something about its funky vibe, retro feel, and color choices that I find irresistible. And judging by how many of these dresses I made, you all felt the same way.

The stripe that went along with that collection was amazing too. My daughter still uses the jumper as a top with a pair of jeans. The colors were so beautiful.

I loved the whole ladybug series, and all the colorways of the bird fabric. Unbelieveable.





Next to come was the vespa overalls which I think are great for boys.






My most recent obsession is this gorgeous double gauze fabric that has the most amazing hand.



I love the softness of the fabric coupled with those gorgeous colors. I've already tried three different patterns with this fabric, but am happiest with the little tunic design from Farbenmix, and the peasant dress with empire styling. Both have just the right amount of gathering, but not too much that you can't see the pattern. Perfection. And it fits the P.'s desire for as much blue clothing as possible. Oh, and she informed me that she likes purple too!

From Nashville,
~Melissa

The day of the twirl skirt...

Actually, more like two days of twirl skirts.

I have a cold. A really bad one. The kind where you think your head might explode from the pressure, you are coughing up a lung, and you can't breathe. Just in time for a rainy 4th of July...





But I had sewing days, and you know how it is. These days aren't often enough, and I wanted to take advantage. I was planning on some pattern work this week, but I just couldn't do it. My brain was like that commercial where the woman's head is sort of floating above her body. I am not actually taking anything other than a little ibuprofen at night, but I still feel disjointed.



I am totally inspired by Heather Bailey's blog, and saw an adorable twirl skirt using her fabrics. I really wanted to try this out because the cutting portion is just a series of rectangles and a little bias. Simple. But totally beautiful. So, I made a LOT of them. And I am getting an idea for displaying at markets in my sinus congested head. The only question is whether to just applique a t-shirt to coordinate or make the top myself. What would you do?



So, my daughter is bewitched...






And what little girl wouldn't be?

Pattern in Progress...

In order to stay productive while I'm on the road, I try to do things that take lots of time, but that don't require scissors!! Alas, TSA isn't real keen on 8" dressmakers. So, my solution is to bring tracing paper, a small ruler, and a few basic patterns that I use to create new ones. Last week I decided to take the tea party dress and change things up.



So, here I am in Orlando, and am mulling over some changes I want to make this week to the pattern I created last week. I've been toying with the idea of crossover straps in the back of a sundress for awhile. I wanted something easy to wear and comfortable. To that end I decided to elasticize the back. I took the front of the tea party bodice, and made it all one piece and then added two straps that button in the back. The back is just a simple rectangle with some extra width to make it easy to pull on and off.



I'm thinking that I added too much "ease" in the back so I'll be making the back width about 2" smaller in this next incarnation. I'm also thinking that the dress is a little schizofrenic in that the front skirt doesn't have any extra fullness, but the back does. So back to the drawing board, except I can't decide whether I want to make a gathered front, or a flat back!! Decisions, decisions. My daughter may have the final say though because she was rather upset that her dress wasn't "twirly"! Ah, the whims of 4 year old girls...



You can see that the bodice has a small curve on the front. This is a perfect place to put a little piping (ah, you know I can't resist). In this case I chose a deep aqua whipstitch piping, and in the next phase I'm going to put this all the way around the back too. I also might add a little bit of rickrack to the bottom of the skirt where it meets the band...or maybe some ribbon...you can never have too many details. Well, you can, but you know what I mean.





In this last picture you can see what I mean by schizo. I love the overall shape of this dress, but I think it needs to either be gathered all the way around, or flat all the way around. Now that I think about it, I'm going to do both. I think that with the heavier home dec fabric that I used here from Anna Maria Horner's drawing room collection, it should probably be flat all the way around. When I make a gathered style, I'll use a lighter weight cotton so that the fullness isn't as heavy.



Either way, I'll be making this a little shorter. I have a tendency to err on the side of longer length because they grow so fast! But sometimes I think it's easier for girls to wear dresses if they don't get in the way of playtime. Because really that's what it's all about anyway...