Art Projects

I have been making art pieces more often than clothes and thought I should add pictures of what I'm doing as it is more current.

This is encaustic wax titled Fugue 1

Little Red Riding Hood Chapter 1 - fiber

The invention of Wings, eco dyed fabric

Take Me Home - mixed media

Chimayo - mixed media

Little Red Riding Hood Chapter 2, fiber and liquid asphalt

Sunny to Partly Cloudy - fiber

Untitled - fiber

Dreaming of Spring - wax

untitled, acrylic

Lights on Broadway - acrylic

Mapping the world - acrylic

Untitled - mixed media

Walking in Snow - mixed media

Untitled - mixed media

Crop circles mica neclack

Playing with Balls - fiber

Knights and Ninjas

I came across this wonderful pattern for the Knight Hoodie at charmingdoodle.com and knew it would be a hit.  Instant knights and ninjas!

I modified the pattern for the little guy so it fit like a traditional hoodie.  He wouldn't take it off all day.

Sewing for Kids

There's something very appealing about sewing for kids:  it's fast, things are small, and fit isn't so important as when I sew for myself.  I never really enjoyed sewing for my own kids - I'm not sure why. Too little time, too many expectations and/or too much pressure?  But for the grandkids it's different. Here's a dress I made for Cora, called "The Sally Dress" at veryshannon.com.  I'm already thinnking of summer shifts and tops based on this pattern.  I think all kids clothes should have big pockets, don't you?  Who knows what they'll find there?

And here's the back

I also made a christening dress for Catalina.  This one was totally improvised.  The linen was from a blouse I had made, and the lace from my old wedding dress.  I wasn't sure of fit, so added elastic to the neck and wrists which can be adjusted.  Linen and lace, always pretty together.

Here she is before her baptism on her Mom's instagram.  And, yes, she is always that engaging!

Kid's clothes

There are several advantages to making clothes for kids.  They're fast, small, and don't have to fit as perfectly as when I sew for myself.  It's a place where you can be creative with little investment of time or money.  I made this "Sally Dress" for Cora

Named patterns

I learned about Named patterns on the RTW Fasters Facebook site and loved the look.  Some I thought were too young, perhaps only in the fabric choices, but the shapes were good so I took a chance and downloaded the tee and chino patterns.  Both fit well with an increase in crotch depth in the pant.  Here is the result.

I used a heavy denim for the pants so wanted something light for the pocket and waistband lining.  This is a piece of flour sack leftover from my quilting days.  It just barely peeks out at the pocket.  I love it.

A Sewing Plan

My daughter Katie has a very good eye when it comes to fit and fashion.  For Christmas, she promised me an uninterrupted period of time to go through my fabric and pattern stash.  Her combinations are intriguing, ones I would not necessarily have put together but do seem to be right for me.  Her take on fashion is current and she is very alert to body type, lifestyle, etc.  So, two hours later, here are my next sewing projects!

There are a few knit projects as well.  She isn't as crazy about knits as I am.  Is that a matter of age?  I wonder.  When choosing fabric and pattern, I always consider will the garment be comfortable, will it need to be dry cleaned?  That doesn't enter into her choices which I think is a younger persons attitude, maybe not a bad one to have.

Possibilites

As the last days of the year pass by, you're not seeing me heading out for that last pair of jeans (just in case I need them), or workout clothes or a dress for New Years Eve.  Who cares that there are terrific sales going on.  I'm thinking about all the possibilities I already have in the house.  And here are just a few.

There are more, I confess, knits that I haven't hung and several pieces that I've been looking at recently.  I read that the aging of your fabric is a good thing.  By the time you make it up, you've forgotten how much you paid and it's no longer such a precious thing that you have qualms about cutting it up! There are many pieces I don't even remember buying, some I can't imagine why I did, and a few I wish I hadn't.

I've started redoing a couple of things I've made and not worn for whatever reason.  Here's a Nancy Erickson jacket I didn't wear.  I wish I had quilted it to flatten it out a la Chanel. It was too much an outdoor only jacket and too much for wearing around this community.  So I decided to try to casual it down.  I added trim and shortened the collar just by tacking it down at the front corner.  Success!  I've been wearing it.