A Little Imagination and a Pile of Junk

still searching

 

A new stack of brightly colored napkins is a beautiful thing. I've been collecting colorful dishes from thrift stores and, surprisingly, dollar stores for a few months now and have quite a wonderful collection started. I've been wanting new dishes for a while but have been completely unwilling to put out the money to buy them. Too many other things I'd rather spend several hundred dollars on.

  

 

Unfortunately, since the napkins my sewing adventures have come to a screeching halt. I can't decided on anything to sew! I've been scouring the internet and my rather large collection of sewing books but nothing sounds right. I don't want anything too time consuming. No quilts or difficult clothing. Not in the mood for kid stuff, although maybe later. I'd like something I can enjoy now. An easy summer dress, a tote bag or purse but nothing with fussy interfacing. And nothing that requires too much fabric. I want to use what I have and a trip to the fabric store doesn't sound like fun at this point. There are plenty of pretty but useless (to me) tutorials out there which is usually what I go for but I'm not wanting to spend my time on something to sit on a shelf. Plus, I don't have the brain power for following a lengthy online tutorial. Just give me a easy pattern to cut and pin. Oh, and it has to be a downloadable pattern. No patience to wait for the USPS either. And, although there are still hundreds of possibilities out there that fit my rather rigid criteria, I'm already bored with looking.

 

 

 

 

 

Man, what a complainer I've turned into. Hopefully, I'll be pulling out of this funk soon. Maybe I should just get back to what I know best. Or maybe another nap would do the trick.

new journals and more for the holidays

 

As I've mentioned, I've been working feverishly on some new journals to add to my Etsy shop in time for the holidays. Well, I'm cutting it a little close but they are now available along with new painted fabric garlands and a new patchwork messenger bag if you're still looking for a unique gift for someone special (And, don't forget, who could be more special than you yourself?).

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm in love with these new patchwork bags and had to keep one for myself! But that just means there's only one in the shop for now. I will be making more but if you are interested in another messenger bag or would like to request a specific color scheme, just shoot me an email. Custom orders are always welcome!

You can see more pics and details here in the shop!

stories from the front porch 1

My porch has been invaded. Seems I'm not the only one loath to be indoors these days.

 

 

It's a wonder I accomplish anything at all. Oh, yeah. Maybe that's why I don't seem to finish much. Except for a new pair of scrappy flip flops from one of Alisa Burke's fabulous tutorials and the last things that will probably see my sewing machine dusted off until September. I sewed mine together a little differently (because of sheer laziness) but the effect is the same.

 

 

There are a few new doodles in my notebook. Nothing is even attempted which can't be done from my patio chair.

 

 

 

Thank goodness for the laptop or you might never hear from me again. 

xo, Debra, from the land of beautiful summers 

keeping up

I never planned on staying away so long, but there's something funny about this Mountain Time...it seems so much shorter than the Texas Central Time I'm used to. The days fly by and I haven't been able to find a way to fit in all my daily chores let alone the things I want to do for fun. Add to the kooky time zone that we have no dishwasher so I hand wash at least 2 sinks worth of dishes daily (and I'm getting pretty fast, I have to admit) plus our very old house replenishes an inch worth of dust bi-weekly and I'm tired and behind on almost everything.

 

I did manage to make it to Target and pick up a Liberty scarf before they were all snatched up. But when I wear it, my husband says it looks like I have a table cloth wrapped around my neck. He may be right. But it's probably the only Liberty of London thing I'll ever own so I'm keeping it.

   

I also finished up an old apron I started a year ago to wear when I paint. But I'm not sure I should have bothered since I just saw a $40 pair of jeans at a local department store with fake paint splotches all over them. Who knew all this time I could have been letting the paint fly freely and still be in style?

Mostly, I'm dreaming of finding time to paint. Hopefully, tomorrow. Or this weekend. Maybe on my birthday.

 

   

something new-ish

 

Besides painting, I've been digging into my stash of painted paper towels for inspiration lately. I've been playing with some ideas for journal covers and my thoughts naturally and eventually turn to patchwork and layering. The conversation in my head probably went something like this: quilted fabric patchwork like my bags? No, too soft and mushy. Painted fabric like earlier journals? No, that's not it either. I want to use my own designs (rather than pre-printed fabric), need something sturdy and sewable. Colorful. Intricate. Something I can spray paint on top of. Paper towels? Hmm, not sure how that would work. Why not try it out, you're not doing anything else?

 

I started off without any plan which is the way I usually work and sort of pieced and glued them together thinking I could go back after they dried and stitch over them for strength. Maybe even stitch them to a piece of fabric. I really was just interested in layering the nearly transparent towels at this point.

I pieced together several panels and let them dry overnight, but was surprised the next morning to find them a bit warped and stiffer than I imagined. They seemed even more fragile that they had before the glue was added so I knew I'd have to stitch them to a fabric backing before being able to use them as journal covers. The free form stitching is one of my favorite parts of the patchwork process so I got caught up in it for a while even after I realized stitching alone wasn't going to work. The towel was still able to tear away from the fabric. Then I remembered this really cool book, Stitching Alchemy, that focuses on combining fabric and paper into one medium for mixed media art and dug it out of the thousands of boxes in our basement. It's given me some ideas on how to proceed from here, but I'm still experimenting. Happily.

 

Too many projects is never a bad thing. 

november's list

I didn't plan on being away from the blog so long. We went out of town for Thanksgiving week but I even brought the laptop thinking I'd keep in touch. Unfortunately, I kept getting lulled into another nap by too much Southern home cooking. But we're home now and it's back to the grindstone, or at least the To-Do List.

November and the ever-so-slightly cooler weather brought out the little elf in me and I've been busy-busy planning warm and filling Mexican suppers (pork green chili, homemade refried black beans, tinga de pollo), weaving love and yarn together, making things for friends, preparing for Advent. Oh, and watching the first season of Dexter--so good!

On my swiftly departing November To-Do List:

1. Crochet garlands: in progress. With new yarn come new dreams. Get the best cotton ever and my new favorite yarn here.

 

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2. Finishing Soren's scarf from last year: DONE. Before starting any other knit or crochet projects I had to finish a promised gift from a year ago. Both kids got to pick out yarn for their own hand knit by Momma scarves. Unfortunately, Soren's got interrupted by Spring's too warm and not in the mood for knitting weather.

 

3. Patchwork apron: DONE. One day's desire for playing with patchwork turned into a new apron for my bff. I need to get her to model it for you--super cute and perfect for cool weather baking--hint, hint!

 

   

4. More patchwork projects: in progress. The apron just opened up the door for all kinds of new sewing projects to come.

 

5. Maisey's winter wardrobe: DONE and in progress. My children, especially Maisey, are looking like street urchins lately. Poor Maisey has no Winter clothes that fit so I've been scouring the thrift stores to stock up. I found lots of cute shirts and thought I'd make a few simple skirts to go with them. 2 down and (at least) 3 more to go.

 

I now realize that I have way too many projects going at one time, but that's the fun part! There's no way they'll all fit in this post so be on the lookout for part two tomorrow. That is, unless I'm actually too busy working on my To-Do List to talk about it.
  

that's real nice, but what do you do with them?

Late one night I had the thought, I wonder what would happen if I cut up some of my pretty papers and sewed them back together again, you know, kind of patchwork style? Hmm. Let's see.

 

   

 

   

 

Wow. That's amazing. I wouldn't have thought the patterns would have worked so well together. I wonder what would happen if....

 

Oh, the possibilities!! So, what they would look like if....

 

Ah ha! I think I'll just camp out here a while and see what pops up next. I'm perfectly content to chase this rabbit as far as she will go. And since the journals are finally finished now and I just have to make some time to post them here and list them in the shop, all is well. It's not my favorite part of the process so I may put it off a day or two, but not too much longer. Especially since I feel batch number two coming on soon. 

victory is mine--haaahaaa!

Thanks to all of you who offered suggestions on how to make shirring work for me. I pretty much tried everything you suggested and--it worked!

Unfortunately, I can't attribute my success to any one thing, but I'm just thankful that it worked and I made two new dresses for friends to show it. Here's my lovely friend Shannon modeling her new sundress. She loved it so much that she's coming over tomorrow for a marathon session of dress making--God and kids willing.

I cannot recommend this pattern enough. If you're on the fence--make it. It almost makes me want to keep living in the tropics so I can wear them everyday. Almost but not quite. It'll look just as cute with a cardigan.

another dress and a song

 

Dress #2 all finished! Have I mentioned how much I loooovve this pattern? It is so flattering on. I probably lean more toward a pear shape but I really think it could look fabulous on any body type. Shapely enough to flatter womanly curves, but still loose enough to hide any, ahem, problem areas (like my Dr. Pepper tummy pooch) and--most importantly--feel amazing on. I did make sure that I picked the softest cotton fabrics, too, which is important. I'd love to make one in a drooly cotton double gauze, particularly a purple one with unicorns (eeekkk!!) but I just haven't been able to convince myself to spend $18 a yard on--admittedly exquisite--fabric for myself. I think I'll just dig through my stash a little longer and experiment with some vintage thrift store finds first--then splurge.

I have discovered that I have to deliberately shop for fabric for clothes with nothing else in mind. The patterns and colors I tend to naturally gravitate toward are usually not patterns and colors that I want to wear on my body. I fell in love with the blue Moda print for my first sundress only after the fact. I realized later that I would not have even considered buying it had I not been looking for dress fabric.

I got to wear dress #1 out to a outdoor concert with the kids recently. Not a kid's concert, a real grown up concert, but we all had a great time. A dear friend was asked to head up a local band and open up for Jeremy Camp and we couldn't miss that for the world. (If you are the curious kind, you can see him here.) The whole concert was fabulous and so worth the four pounds of water I sweat (sweated?) in my new dress. I even made a video! It's not good, but it's my first bootleg concert video (do they even call it that anymore??) so I think it's cool. If you can make it past the first 30 seconds, it gets better. I was definitely not alone in recording that night. The audience was a literal sea of tiny glowing screens from all of the cell phones and digital cameras being held in the air. Who needs lighters anymore?

it's a fluke, but its a dress

I made the dress! Actually, I'm finishing up my second one; I only have to add the straps. I can see many more of these dresses in my future. This will probably be pretty much all you'll see me in this Summer. It couldn't be more perfect. It might even make me hate these horrendous South Texas Summers just a little bit less. It's that good.

 

I did have a bit of a problem with the shirring/smocking, though. The instructions were easy enough. I even got some additional help from the video and this great tutorial, but for some reason, the elastic thread just didn't want to shrink up for me.

This was the best I could get after Heather Ross' recommended steaming plus a good soaking in hot water and a high heat dry. I'm pretty sure I did everything right. I didn't wind my bobbin too tight, used a longer stitch length, tension seemed fine, I even tried two different kinds of elastic thread, but all I ended up with was a little texture at the top and not much real stretch at all. Here is the underside. Any clues where I went wrong?

Shockingly, it worked out fine for this pattern because I also had a little trouble with my local print shop and they only managed to print the pattern somewhere around the size it should actually print at. Yeah. It was a total fluke that the whole dress wasn't a complete disaster--which is what usually happens to me. But happily, this time, it ended up fitting me perfectly with the little bit of stretch I managed to get from my elastic thread. My problem now is that I'd like to make a few more dresses for friends--they are that easy!--one who is considerably smaller than I am so I really need to make this shirring/smocking thing work somehow. Plus, just learning this simple sewing technique has opened up a whole new world to me for clothes making. So many ideas--if only I could get it to work--Agh! I did happen upon a commenter who mentioned having tried the dress on her new Brother sewing machine--which is what I have--and it completely failed. Then she tried it again on her old Singer and it worked beautifully. This does not bode well for me. Any ideas on making this work??