This is the first dress I’ve made for my daughter, even though I’ve bought yards (and yards) of different pretty prints since she was born (2 and a half years ago!) intending to make many dresses and skirts. I was nervous about using a pattern and nervous about trying to fit a garment on a toddlers, but they are straight little noodles, so really it’s not hard at all.  When Martha from Uniform Studio started making a garment a day for the month of may, I thought if she could whip out 30, then I could probably make one.   So now that May is 2/3rds over it’s done. Granted it took me most of the month to find the pattern, but last weekend at the thrift store there it was and for 10 cents!

I had the idea for a little dress with a big pleat in the front and a strip of patchwork going down the middle and it turned out exactly the way I wanted, thanks mostly to the pattern.  The back and the front are the same in the original, I just combined all the little pleats into one big pleat in the front and kept the back the same.

There is a lot going in these parts over the next month, so things might be quiet here.  I’ll try to pop in once and a while, but I don’t think I’ll have much time for making.  In the meantime, I’ve updated some of my links (especially the clothing section) so you can jump over there for your craft blog fix.

have a great weekend!

Simplicity 3835, almost done.  This is my first dress and it went surprisingly well. I don’t know what I was afraid of really.  Everything I had trouble with was only due to me not paying attention (or not reading the directions).  But it’s too big.  I wanted to make sure it wasn’t going to be too small and I guess I did that, but dammit now I have to fix it.  I read somewhere that the arms were cut on the small side in this pattern and with my baby hefting biceps, this bigger size fits my arms just fine.  So do I have to take the arms completely off to take the dress in?  I’m guessing the answer is yes.  Oh well.

A few other garment making questions:

when do you finish the raw edges?  As you go or should you wait on certain ones until your sure it fits (yup, I zigzagged those damn armholes)?  My kenmore sewing machine has an “overlock” stitch–not the real thing I’m sure, but should I use that or a zigzag to finish the edges?

I fell in love with the print at the store ($3 a yard = $10 dress) but it’s a lot of print in one place and I’m not too sure if I can pull it off. Maybe it’ll look better when it actually fits.  I’m on the garment making bandwagon for sure now.  No one told me how easy this is.  So I’m telling you.  The pattern is by built by wendy and the directions are clear as a bell (the zipper was almost too easy).  So stop being intimidated by some tissue paper and sew yourself an outfit.  I already have a long list of things to add to my wardrobe.

This project is from an old issue of Cotton Friend, a japanese magazine that my husband brought back for me from Singapore.  These are incredibly handy and I have many more in the works: for all the crap little things in my studio and all the markers, crayons and glue sticks that are under the couch.  I thought you would like to make some too, so I whipped up a tutorial. Here you go:

Materials:
28 oz. tin can (if you have a different size can, just measure the height and circumference, add seam allowances, and the rest is the same)
linen, or other fabric
lining fabric
embroidery floss
glue (I used rubber cement, but plain white glue should do just fine)

Directions:

Wash your tin can and take off the paper.  Cut two 13″ X 4.75″ rectangles–one from linen and one from the lining fabric–and one 13″ X 1.5″ strip of linen.  Embroider the design of your choice on the fabric or leave it plain if you like. Place the two large rectangles together right sides facing, and sew around using a 1/4 inch seam allowance.  Leave a 2 inch opening in the middle of one of the short sides for turning out.  Clip the corners, turn and press (I like to press it so a little of the lining shows).  Sew the opening closed.  Fold the strip of fabric in half the long way and press.  All the way along one side clip almost up to the fold.  Glue the unclipped side to the inside of the tin can, then glue the outside.  Wrap the finished piece around the can and sew shut (I like my stitches to show, but you could of course use an invisible stitch).

I was planning on having a pdf file with embroidery designs you could download, but I’m not having much luck with that at the moment.  Until I figure it out here are pictures of the designs you can print out and use (you will probably have to resize them a bit). If you want to see these or any of the instructional photos more clearly, click over to my flickr site.

Edited to add: please click here and you can download both sets of designs for your own stylish, embroidered tin can cover.

drop me a line if you make one!

Trash picking is my hobby. Granted, it’s not a very glamorous one and not really all that interesting, but I love it.  And the trash gods (garbage men?) have been good to me lately.  This is the biggest and probably the best thing I’ve ever found on the curb.  It took much help from many friends to actually get it to my house, but I would have lugged it home on my back if that’s what it took.   It has three shelves, but only one at the moment because my kids think it’s their clubhouse.  The drawers actually work and there are two sets of hinges on each door so they can open all the way (270 degrees).  It’s on our porch now and I hope to fill it up with art supplies for rainy days.  But it will be perfect as an extra closet one day.

I know there are other out there like me who sift through trash when no one is looking. Who can blame you–people throw away good shit.  I started a flickr group: trash pickins.  Because you want to brag about what you found, but don’t want to get that look from people when you tell them where you got it.

After a week (a week!) of nursing sick children I thought I would have a couple hours to sew on Saturday morning, but of course then I got it.  crap.  I had grand plans of conquering an actual pattern: simplicity 3835 (any advice welcome–has anyone lined this? can anyone tell me how to line this?).  There were some angry and rushed attempts at garment making in high school with very homemade results, but now I’m ready to learn for real.  These pj pants are from Amy Butler’s book “In Stitches” and were dead easy.  Like sewing drawstring bags for your legs and about that flattering–when she says wide leg, she means wiiiiide leg.  I have been meaning to make them ever since I found this fantastic sheet at a thrift store long ago. I think the idea of making pajamas from sheets came from soulemama.  And when you are wearing them it really is like you never got out of bed!  My sick self stayed in these pants all weekend long. I did manage one little project (from soulemama, the book).

another pair of pants! though much, much smaller and from a shirt.  There are many more of these planned for the summer months.  They are easy and comfy and just right for the playground.  I have grand plans for making my kids’ clothes too.  It doesn’t help seeing this and this and this.  But I don’t have a clue as to how to sew clothes (unless it resembles a drawstring bag) so mostly I’m just dreaming.