Why I was hoping we would have a snowy Halloween

When I found out I was having a boy I went hunting for suggestions about where all the patterns for boys’ clothes were hiding.  The consensus seemed to be:  Ottobre Magazine.  And then my parents were awesome enough to get me a subscription for Christmas.  And I’ve actually made a number of things from my magazines, I’ve just been bad about recording them (which I need to rectify).

But here’s one fresh off the machine—the Pingu snowsuit.  I wanted to make it as soon as I saw someone’s completed version on the Ottobre English Yahoo group.  And since I was planning to make my child look ridiculous all winter, I should probably make double use out of it for Halloween too, right?

The recommended fabrics are velour for the outer, knit jersey for the lining, and a layer of batting as interlining.  Since Peter is old enough to be actually exploring the snow on his own this year (rather than just looking at it from his stroller), I decided that a waterproof outer layer was in order.  I cut out just one layer of polar fleece to use for the interlining, but decided that was inadequate.  So now it’s a real thick, real heavy sucker.  All the better to force waddling, I suppose.  This is the largest size, size 80.  I lengthened the torso by one inch and shortened the sleeves and legs by one inch each.  They still have plenty of growing room (the rib cuffs are completely turned backwards in the picture above).  Kid has a long torso like his mother.

I thought I had carefully lined up the lining fabric before cutting it out.  Obviously I wasn’t successful.

It might turn out that this is a little bit too cumbersome for my just-barely walking son.  But I do recommend the pattern for those with less mobile children!

Birthday-buddy in the Hood

When I hear that someone’s expecting and their due date is anywhere between Christmas and the middle of January, I always tell them that January 8th is a great day for a birthday.  Two weeks after Christmas, one week after New Year’s, and for a solid streak of four or five years when I was in elementary school, it was either on a weekend or it was a snow day. 

So imagine my delight when a friend and neighbor actually complied!  Her daughter (who recently agreed to be our son’s Valentine) turned one in January, so I just had to send something along.  Add to that the fact that I’ve loved the Baby in the Hood jacket from Anna Maria Horner’s Handmade Beginnings, and there you go.

The corduroy is from the JoAnn’s remnant bin (a really nice, cute, old fashioned JA).  The stripe and button bands are leftover fabric from a jacket Mom made for me.  I modified the sleeve lining to be in two pieces—the bottom matches the rest of the lining so the sleeves can be turned up, and the top is slippery nylon so the coat can actually go on over something.  Does anyone else remember in elementary school the cool iridescent windbreakers?  All the cool kids were wearing them with their Umbros.  Anyway, this fabric was intended for that, way back in the day.

Buttons were also from JoAnn’s.  And I kind of love them.  I have a set that are black and green that I tried on the jacket first, and I’m going to have to come up with a good place for them.  Grown-up clothes that only need four buttons—suggestions anyone?

And look what she picked out for me!  Didn’t she do an excellent job instructing her parents what to look for while they were in Mexico?

So pretty!  What about you?  Do you have a birthday buddy?  Do you tell your pregnant friends to hold out for your big day?

Whoops! Eleven Ounces of Cinnamon

Last summer my mom, my grandmother and I all went to the Knoxville Quilt Show. While we were wandering around, I saw this flamingo fabric. It was perfect for something for my mom. I had just finished and brought home my Emmeline apron. Mom wanted one too. So I managed to convince her that she should buy the kit with the flamingo fabric and I would make into an apron for her as a gift. But really, it was a gift for me too. Every time I pulled out these fabrics to work on this apron they just made me happy.

Enjoy Mom! And you can use that cinnamon to make something for me any time you want ;-).

Sew-in Santa

I did manage to get my Thanksgiving projects done, but I also set other people to work. I started Santa at a sewing retreat this spring. We worked on three projects, and I didn't finish any of them. Santa here was just waiting for the yo-yo's that make up his beard, but I still hadn't gotten around to them, despite holding my mom's yo-yo makers hostage for all this time. While I was home for Thanksgiving, I convinced her to do my work for me, so what you see is a collaborative effort. Santa went home with my sister to decorate the house she's living in this year.

It's On: Christmas 2009

Christmas Fairy/Angel, originally uploaded by aspiringameliorant.

After being sick and having other obligations that put me out of crafty commission for a while, I cleaned off my desk last weekend and started making lists. Because, you know, Christmas is less than two months away. And Advent, less than one. Actually, I feel like I'm in a pretty good place, but it definitely helped my panic to get things written down and all encoded (stars mean they have a Christmas due date, dots mean they're sociable projects, etc.). I'm not quite ready to forego sleep, but it's definitely on.

And here's another idea for those upholstery samples. I had actually pulled the velvet out to see if it coordinated with some fabric I had for a pillow cover, but A. spied it when I was asking for his opinion on sashing for the fairy/angel panel. The black cornerstones are my way of disguising the too-short pieces, but I think it works. I just love that it looks all glowy and candlelight-y.

An apron and a resolution

Emmeline apron
Originally uploaded by aspiringameliorant

Last week I left the heat and humidity of Tennessee for...the heat and humidity of Boston! After a cooler-than-usual summer, the temperature and humidity spiked right before I arrived. But I survived, because being in Boston meant I was back with A.!


A. had a summer internship in Boston, and what with me having my own job, I couldn't really go with him. So we spent two months in different apartments with only one weekend to provide a little bit of face-time to balance all those phone conversations.


Between the heat of summer and the fact that making an involved dinner for one just isn't that fun, there wasn't a ton of cooking going on in our house. So both of us ended up eating out a fair amount (where "a fair amount" is more than once a week). We agreed, on the way home, that we both needed a period of eating-out detox.


Good thing I went ahead and purchased the pattern for the Emmeline apron from Sew Liberated when there was a 2-for-1 sale earlier this summer. I'm thinking it will be super when I make some "glad you're home" cookies.

Idea the Third

upholstery sample placemats
Originally uploaded by aspiringameliorant

I don't know whether I'm terribly old fashioned or a super-green hippie or what, but I love me a nicely set table with pretty cloth napkins and placemats or a tablecloth.

While upholstery samples might get a little bulky for a tablecloth (my mom's quick and easy tablecloth is just two yards of 54" wide fabric with a rolled hem), they make super placemats. I had some scraps in my pile that were about 12 inches by 24 inches. I used a placemat my sister brought me from Guatemala (that's it, on the left in the photo) as a guide, but about 12 inches by 17-18 inches looks great. Then I used the leftovers to make some pillow covers (info coming later).

Idea the Second

Tote bag for Africa
Originally uploaded by aspiringameliorant

I went on a sewing retreat with my mom's sewing guild at the beginning of the summer. One of the highlights of the event is a "shop hop" of sorts--exploring all the local fabric stores with other people who also like fabric. While we were out we discovered that everyone has a default project.

Mom's friend sees a cute piece of fabric? She pictures a shirt. My mom? She sees tote bags. Me? I see skirts, but I've definitely been influenced by my mom's view.

And when you have a stack of upholstery fabric, tote bags are a natural choice. My friend was heading for Africa right after I visited in June, so I appropriated one of the samples, found some ribbon from a gift (look at me recycling!), and an appropriate piece for embellishment (I'm not sure if you can see, but the woman is petting a giraffe).

The tote bag was a good idea. Waiting to start until after I finished another project at 2 a.m. the night before I headed off to see her might not have been.

Idea the First

Checkbook covers
Originally uploaded by aspiringameliorant

During college, I developed the two-pocket pat. My ID went in my back pocket, my keys went in my front pocket. That was all I needed.

Then I graduated and got married, and I needed something more grown up than the wrapping paper wallet I made to keep my driver's license and whatever cash I had on hand. I got a grown-up wallet like I remember my mother carrying--one big enough for a checkbook.

But then we opened another checking account, and suddenly I needed a checkbook cover. Especially since it was confusing my husband when I used the vinyl cover from another bank.

So...the checkbook cover. I used the tutorial from CrazyMomQuilts. This requires a sample 7"x13." These were just large enough! There are a couple of larger pieces of this fabric, so maybe I'll end up with a bag and matching checkbook!

What's a girl to do?

What's a girl to do when her husband tells her that his college roommates want to get together? Offer to host, of course.

What's a girl to do when they take the girl up on her offer and she finds herself contemplating feeding 6 just-out-of-college age males? Get out her folding table and her biggest tablecloth, of course.

What's a girl to do when the only tablecloth she has that fits is a pretty dark red one that she got on Christmas clearance. She can envision such a tablecloth as a good Christmas or Valentine's Day, or Fourth of July staple, but it doesn't say "It's spring! Happy May!" to her. Go shopping for some fabric to make a table runner, of course.


And what's a girl to do when she's finishing the edge of the table runner and wants a little something extra? Sew a swoopy squiggle, of course.


And what's a girl to do when grocery shopping for this great adventure? Buy a bunch of flowers ostensibly for her guests, but also partly because she likes having flowers, of course!


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We're having a great time, and we're so glad that all of the guys were able to make it down to Nashville for a get-together. And I'm glad that they let me tag along (even if I did find myself confronted with more toilet seats up than I've had in a while).

Bedroom Makeover

They say that if you don't like the weather in Nashville, wait five minutes. As a matter of fact, I think I've heard that same adage said about pretty much everywhere I've ever lived. Oh well. Suffice it to say, spring in particular is a time of great variability and unpredictability. Which is why pulling out our "let's try to not spend the inheritance of our firstborn on air-conditioning" quilt in March might not have been the best plan. But I do believe the worst is behind us. And in celebration, a picture of our spring/summer setup.

To compare--here's what it's like in the winter*:


*I really wanted to do one of those nice rollover effects, where you put your mouse over the picture and it displays a new picture. But trying to figure that out took me down a whole wormhole of JavaScript and/or CSS, and at this point I know too much of these things to just follow instructions blindly, and too little to really implement it well. Maybe later.

Adorable Presents for Adorable Little Girls

Being the oldest cousin and part of a relatively small family means that in my family, the wee little ones are scarce. As a matter of fact, for a while, I thought my youngest relative would be only three years younger than myself. Which doesn't leave a whole lot of room for all the awesome toy patterns I've found on the internet in the past couple of years.

But then I got married, and lo and behold, there were kids! Young kids! Kids who will henceforth have my handicrafts thrust upon them! Alas, there is only one girl. So even if I feel like a pretty progressive, cool gift-giver, you can bet she'll probably get some presents that I just don't feel right about giving to the boys. Enter Hilary Lang, of Wee Wonderfuls. Her site is full of the most adorable toys and embroidery. I waited with bated breath for the release of her Kit, Chloe, and Louise pattern. Three dolls+clothes+shoes+adorable pictures=awesome.

I felt a special place in my heart for Chloe. She has curly hair, likes computer science AND English, knitting, baking, and the Nancy Drew books. She's pretty much my hero. Faced with the realities of a toddler though, I sort of thought her hair might not live very long. So I made a Louise



I embroidered her eyes rather than going out and getting some wool felt. She's pretty pale, so all the fuzz from her hair shows up on her skin, as you can see in the picture, but I still think she's pretty adorable. I also had the best of intentions about making a whole wardrobe, a doll quilt, all kinds of stuff to go with her. But I didn't. She doesn't even have any shoes. But as my sister could tell you, "We're from Tennessee. We don't wear shoes." At least she's not naked. She stole Chloe's dress though (the nerve!).

Puzzle Balls

In the past month, I've made two of these little toys (and now I kind of want one for myself, so we'll see if a third is on the horizon). I saw a picture in Last Minute Patchwork and Quilted Gifts while browsing in the bookstore. (As a total aside, it's really nice working in a building with a Border's downstairs). Then I saw pictures of some other versions on Craftster and Etsy.

First I made and stuffed a bunch of pieces. I called them "wedgies," which I think might have weirded my husband's family out when I asked them to help me.


Sewed up the stuffing holes, and used some embroidery floss to make three rings of wedgies. Assemble, et voila...

Unfortunately, I am not on top of things enough to have a picture of one ball all the way through, so you'll have to take the color-changing as a bit of magic. The red fabric is a batik also used for some matching burp cloths, and the orange paisley is a fat quarter I purchased at the quilt show with my family.