a little inspiration

I have a confession.  I started buying clothes again.  It started last month.  I feel like 10 months is pretty good...  Especially since I didn't make nearly the amount of things I expected.  I blame this on school and the small one.  But mostly, it was because I was lazy.  I need to find a new word for lazy.  One that isn't negative.  Because I like that I don't take life at a full out run.  Anyhoo-  Here is a simple summer nightgown I made this week.  I saw this last week and felt like I could just make it.  So simple right?  I happened to stumble across this tutorial and though the sexiness is way off I went with it.  I, of course, messed with the basic idea. I lined it because my fabric is sheer.  I made the straps wider and made them cross over in the back.  I made the upper piece and the lining from bed sheets so it is super, super soft.  It is also pretty long, below the knee....

Did I really not write about this one?  Sometimes I really, really wonder about my brain. Anyway, here is another skirt made from fabric that came to the States from Haiti with us when I was little.  This is an interesting batik.  You may recognize it from other projects. The waistband is elastic in the back, shirred in the front.  It has pockets.  I drafted and made it one day when I couldn't get it out of my head.  I think it is pretty perfect for the sailor trend this summer.  It is shorter than I usually go but the shop is having that effect on me...

The current obsession in our house is the dolphin show at the National Aquarium .  We try to go at least once a week.  We bought a membership in September and I am sure it has paid for itself about six times by now.  Last time I went with the Bug I stopped the announcer lady in the hall and told her how much we (he) enjoy(s) the show.  I told her how we are in a 24/7 dolphin show at our house.   "Dawdaw Show!!" he happily announces and begins to clap.  Clapping is expected of the audience as well.  In fact, if you are not clapping he will take your hands and show you how.  As the announcer, he needs to be standing on a platform.  The edge of the bed, a box of diapers, a low wall or your chest will do the trick nicely.  He puts his arm up, indicating that the dolphins will now jump.  He waves his hand, indicating that the dolphins will now wave.  Clap, wave, jump, go fast, hit the ball- these are all important parts of the sh...

I can tell Spring is imminent when projects are just spilling out of my brain into reality without being able to stop them.  Yesterday I started thinking of a skirt I wanted to make and by the time I was in bed it was done.  No hesitation, no pattern, no fear of mistakes.  Not that there weren't any mistakes, just that I didn't let them stop me. But, I don't have any pictures of that yet so let's look at the cardigan I finished a couple of weeks ago.  This was a very fast, satifying project that I had added to my que in ravelry in September 2009.  It took me all this time to work up the nerve to make it and it really only took two weeks of working to finish it (and I basically took a week off in the middle.)  So easy.  I am thinking of using the pattern and altering it into a dress.  Sounds cute right? And then there are E's new pants.   I got the pattern from Dana .  It was the first thing she put up for Celebrate the Bo...

In the last few months I have been crocheting like mad.  It is so easy to drag along everywhere and do a few stitches at a time and that is about the speed I am going these days.  First of these projects finished was Senor's Sweater.  It was super easy and I loved making it.  The yarn is called Mirasol Tupa Aquamarine 817 Yarn and it was a delight to work with.  I know there will be more projects coming with this kind of yarn because I bought about a gazillion skeins of it way back when .  Here is the ravelry link . The next thing I finished was this little hat for a dear friend who is due to have a little girl next month.  Since I knew she loved the sweater that this yarn came from.  I was sure I posted a finished picture but can't find it right now...  Anyway, this is a party hat for a little girl's first day! And last, but not least, here is a picture from the start of my very first sweater made for me (ravelry link).  It...

So many things bouncing around my head... The last gifts are made.  Everything handmade but two this year.  Not that I made so many...  I also didn't buy anything to make those gifts.  Nothing but what was already here.  That feels nice too. I broke down and got a winter coat with my holiday gift from the shop .  Today we went for a walk for the first time in weeks.  Literally.  It has been low 30's during the days since the beginning of December.  I had to have a coat.  Had too.  I'm not sure if it counts against the GSC since I didn't technically buy it...  I got this one  only in purple.  It is super awesome.  Thin, warm, close fitting but not at all binding.  What could be better? Everything keeps breaking around here.  The mini chopper gave up yesterday.  E's diaper covers are going...  You know about the French press, had a I mentioned the mixing bowls? Well, them too. ...

I think about clothing and designing clothing pretty much all the time.  Some garment is swimming around in my head every minute.  I occasionally focus on something else enough to make dinner or accomplish my class work.  I almost never feel like I have the time or attention span to translate these ideas into actual items.  Yesterday I decided to stop making excuses and draft a pattern for a shirt.  A knit, no less.  And so I got out Design-It-Yourself Clothes: Patternmaking Simplified  and opened to the shirt page.  Okay, first I put on Sesame Street: 40 Years of Sunny Days  for the Bug.  Then I pulled out the book.  I followed the instructions until it got to the sleeve part.  I wanted dolmen sleeves for two reasons.  One, I like the look.  Two, I am lazy and it means less cutting and less sewing.  Both of the latter reasons are a huge bonus for working with a knit fabric too.  I mean, the less cutting and...

GSC Project 1 , originally uploaded by Mr & Mrs Speeed . This is the Simplicity 2599 blouse I made. This picture is not of the completed shirt, I added a ruffle around the neck also. Yesterday I had it on all day and never got a picture of it. Such is life. A certain someone was on the go and that was that. This picture doesn't make the blouse look very flattering. I am not sure that it is quite that boxy looking in action but it certainly is comfortable. If I threw a belt on with it that would be cute. The next one I make I think I am going to add the elastic waist. But it is a woven shirt so it shouldn't fit like a t-shirt. The modifications I made: I lowered the neckline about an inch (this means I had to change the facing as well.) I cut the back on the fold instead of making it two pieces (ditto about the facing.) Maybe not a mod, but worth mentioning is I used french seams on the sides and shoulders. No messy inside finishes. I am trying to focus on th...

  The other day I had this crazy idea: What if I didn't buy any clothing for myself for one year?  What if anything I wanted I had to make?  I immediately wanted to try and do this.  No second thoughts at all.  And so here we go.  This is my rule and you are going to hold me to it: 1) No buying any clothing item for myself for one year, July 4th, 2010 to July 4th 2011. With two exceptions:       a) Bras.  I can buy bras since I am in the middle of weaning and things are changing rather dramatically.       b) One emergency clothing item buy in case of lost luggage, unexpected freezing temperatures or something like that.  Hopefully not to be used at all. That's it. I'm going to call this the Getting Skills Challenge.  I want to be able to make all basic items of clothing for myself.  I want to use my button hole foot and my zipper foot without fear.  I want to make patterns t...