Studio Top

 Sewing has been hit or miss lately. There have been more unfocused and tired days than there have been inspired and limitless days. For a while I have been trying to plan every single stitch I make to stream line my process, but have realized that that is just not how I function the best.

I made this color block top after seeing the fabric laid out next to each other. I think the challenge of making a stylish color block top is less the choice of colors and more to do with the proportion of the blocks. I wanted to keep this one sweet and simple for phia so I kept the middle band slim and higher up the bodice.  

 

I used stiffer fabrics- a pale pink poplin, black kona cotton, and a 50/50 teal bed sheet which were pieced together, and the front and back of the top are joined just below the black stripe at the armpit.

The front has gentle pleats at the neck and the back has a line of three buttons.

And since I personally love seeing pictures of handmade clothes flipped inside out, here is how the piece is lined. The back has a rounded little placket to accommodate the button closure and hits just at the seam of the middle stripe. 

ps: Happiest birthday wishes, Ma! Love you!

Color Theory Top

The thought process on making this top: chevrons are in, simple is better, and we need more airy tops for this summer-ish spring.

 

And since Phia is a five year old girl, she is all about rainbows.

Works of Art

At the beginning of the school year I signed up to give Phia's kindergarten class a little presentation on Andy Warhol with one of the other mothers. If the focus is on pop art, you have subject matter that is definitely fun and appealing for little art enthusiasts. Celebrities, canned food, and a mouse in bright colors- how could you go wrong with that?
After the presentation the kids had the chance to make some personalized pop art. I did a little tinkering with their class photo, and came out with some high contrast black and white portraits for them to color in to their liking. As predicted, they loved coloring in their own faces- almost all of them had a little lipstick, glasses, and mustaches. My favorite: lightning bolt scar
This is Phia's mulligan- I asked her to color this one in at home for framing purposes. While there are some other really neat tutorials ( 1,2) on how to make Warhol-esque portraits, I took the easy way out- I cropped the face, erased the background, increased the brightness and contrast, played with the curves, and then changed the picture to black and white.

Think Pink

Phia's obsession with the color pink is unwavering. Any time she spies pink fabric in my sewing room, she requests that it promptly be made into a dress. I think it was only made worse after I showed her this little gem from "Funny Face".
Little girl was so excited when I finished this simple little a-line dress. Like surprisingly excited. I feel like I should be sewing up more just to see her so delighted. Since it was pretty easy to put together- the pleats at the neckline totally cooperated for me- it would be well worth it. She paired it with a mini-drapey cardigan made from the same abandoned project as this top.

Belated Thankfulness

Feeling very thankful to have spent a wonderful Thanksgiving with the family...
and even more thankful for the relaxing day that followed. Staying at home in pajamas to catch moments like these- no store could offer a better deal.

Good Grief!

So I am a little late with showing off this year's Halloween costumes...

After repeat viewings of "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" the kids agreed upon Charlie and Sally Brown. We made last minute goodie bags adorned with Snoopy and Woodstock and then tried to get Phia's hair as poofy as possible.
My mom pointed out that Phia might be a little more close in character with Frieda- the little girl with naturally curly hair who also has a cat she takes along everywhere, and I suppose I see an uncanny resemblance.

Last Touch

So kcwc is wrapping up and I have to say I feel like I accomplished my sewing goals for the week. I feel satisfied with the pieces I put together, and truly inspired by what everyone else created. Twas a good week, and I will end with this little number, which is the same style as the first project, but with a very different result.

And we even get a grin.

Golden Touch

I was pretty excited about kcwc- so much so that I made a short list of things I thought might be fun to make.
Accessories seemed like quick and easy projects. I made this little vest for Phia with super soft denim complete with fake pockets and vintage buttons.

Having Hobbies

With school starting it has definitely been interesting trying to balance everything I want to complete in one day.

Somethings are more crucial, like dinner, and somethings are less important, like doing dishes. Aside from that, spending a little time to sew and make things special for the kids is hugely gratifying- and I have to admit I am pretty excited about the upcoming kids clothes week challenge.
I made this little blue and white number for Phia's school colors day. Although her expression might suggest she didn't love it, I think she was just eager to get back to her favorite hobby...

Birthday Thoughts

Phia woke up to birthday balloons floating around the house. Her reaction was classic- so filled with amazement and excitement. I had a kind of epiphany in which I realized that I remember five very well- I can recall the details of my fifth birthday like the cake we ate, the games we played, and the confetti that fell out of the cards. It reminded me that I might have to step it up a bit, so Phia will have those same special feelings when she thinks back to her early birthdays. I wonder what little things she will remember- the outfit she picked out, the endless rain storm, the Ikea lunch she requested, or all of the sweet messages, cards and gifts she received from friends and family.

Five.

It's really hard to imagine that five years have passed since I first held my little Phia. It's surreal, it's incredible. She is so sweet, so curly, and so funny, and there are so many ways she has enriched my life and filled it with such pure happiness. Happy birthday, sweet girl!

Magnolia Dress

This little number was inspired after first glance of this mini boden dress, which seemed so perfect for Phia to wear to relative celebrations.
To be honest I loved it in yellow, but made it in purple after successfully dyeing some lavender fabric with red wine rit. It was a last minute project on Saturday afternoon before Easter, so I couldn't really be too picky. Phia likened the color to "those flower trees all over the place", which it is named for.
This is a post-Easter celebration shot, with the dress in need of a press and covered in bubble solution and ice cream. Although I tried to encourage Phia to keep her new dress clean, I think it made me cringe a little less knowing the supplies cost me about $7 to make it.
The construction is pretty simple with an a-line cut and lots of pleats around the neck. The inside is fully lined, and there is a zipper on the back, and it was made from a light weight twill from fabric.com.

Released

Doesn't it feel amazing to escape captivity? We have been enjoying my favorite time of year with hikes, parks, hanami, wet rain boots, and even some street fair festivities.
Oh, spring- you are so thoroughly inspiring, and almost as awesome as funnel cake.

Knock It Off

While I was taking pictures of all of the little boy apparel I made earlier this month, Phia approached me with a very sincere question:

"Why didn't you make me any cute stuff?"I had to remind her that most of my sewing time is dedicated to her wardrobe expansion; case in point, the little one piece jcrew knock off she was wearing during the previously mentioned conversation.

Party Time

As a school age child, I always loved a good Valentine's day party. It brightened that late winter void, and really, who doesn't enjoy love and candies?

Phia was invited to her first class party, so I let her paint her own cards for her Valentines.
We took a doily-stencil approach, and once they were cut, signed, and taped onto fruit bars, I thought they looked pretty cheery.

Good Start

January was a kind month. Besides spending it either unpacking, snowed in, or fighting an illness, it really has been a nice start to a new year.
For the remaining eleven months, I hope to really dig in and accomplish a few goals on my short list, including:

Finishing outstanding works in progress.

Learning to speak a new language.

Enjoying more moments like the one above.

Let's Hibernate

Because winter feels endless with all of this snow, which makes exploring our new town a little challenging.

Because miso soup is so warming for lunch.
Because hand quilting leads to both pretty finishes and a warm lap during the process.
So, what do you say?

Gift Making

Last year I had the pleasure of making the majority of the gifts that we gave to loved ones. Since we are moving, or more so since most of my sewing room is packed up in boxes, handmade gifts are pretty minimal this year.

Thankfully little miss is picking up the slack for me. She made this for her very special pre-k teacher, who happens to have a "cutie little white puppy". She was having trouble making the dog she envisioned, so I made a little stencil and let her go to town with some blue and white paints. After it dried I traced a little face on that she colored with black paint, and we ended up with a modern piece of preschool art.

Back in Business

The illness has passed, and things have mostly returned to normal.

Little miss had big smiles after her first day back to school, and Ori is ecstatic to have his voice back. I have been working my way through a pile of drawn out projects, scrambling to get them squared away before the real fun begins with holiday sewing.

The (Late) Halloween Post

This year Halloween was pretty low key. We had a last minute scramble to get costumes decided upon and made- I started Phia's at 11 AM on Sunday after finding some super cheap casa satin at Joann's.Ori took to dressing like his dad in miniature chef whites and checks. We made a few adjustments so that he could fit the part of Linguini from Ratatouille- thus the rat popping out of the toque and the red Converse.

While I had initially tried persuade Phia from the princess costume, I found myself void of any other clever costume ideas.
Upon seeing the mint green, glittery dress, she gleefully thanked me for her "fairy" dress. So, I guess we both win.