Josef Albers: The Onesie

First, let's talk about how attractive this infant is. His name is Kiernan, and I adore him and his natty comb-over pretty deeply.  I made this onesie for him while he was busy doing backflips in his mama's belly in Miami.  I had a feeling he would approve of getting some Color Theory up in his shizzy.

I dyed the onesie and, I suppose it's obvious, I then appliqued the square scraps on. I may have to explore this homage to Albers concept in a series.

But, really, this baby. So handsome!

All Kids Should Have a Birthday Shirt.

Don't you think?

I made this one for Phinny's upcoming very first birthday.  I won't go all on and on yet about how I can't believe she's a year old and all that, but I'll admit I'm going all on and on about it in my head.

And at my sewing machine.

It reminds me once when I was a wee person and on my birthday was wearing a new outfit my grandma gave me for the first time.  I walked into the room and proudly announced that I was celebrating this birthday in my Birthday Suit.  There was a lot of laughing, and I didn't know why!  But then I laughed too, because, hey why not?

Skirt portion of Phinny's birthday suit forthcoming.

Every Day Banner

I've been working on the family birthday banner and am a good way through it, as you can see here:

Would it be cheesy to say the most important part is done?  That I could quit now and have this be our every day banner?  That it's a banner to celebrate every day since Josephine Anaheed was born?  I could even stretch it out and use it retroactively starting the day I met my wife.

Well it's true, so shut it.

Next up is a special birthday shirt of course.  I am more or less using the 90-minute shirt plan that was so popular from the blog MADE, which is a veritable bacchanalia of inspiration when it comes to sewing for your kids.

Here's an example, made by Dana, from her above mentioned blogue:

You can check out the tutorial for this 90-minute shirt on her blog too, because she's that kind of patient, generous person, and not a selfish, secretive troll like me.

The Crabby Jacket is Born!

My design collaborator and good friend, Steve H. and I were discussing ways to make our babies less crabby about getting their jackets on and Steve suggested a stylish poncho.  I am all for a world replete with babies ponchos, yes of course I am. So we got to work and did some sketches and whatnot.  

After coming to terms with the sad fact that that boy babies are less likely to wear ponchos, I modified the design some.  Then I had to actually construct it, which was a comedy of many many errors.  I am surprised that I haven't found the seat of my own pants mistakenly sewn into this jacket.  All the pinning and seam ripping, and re-pinning, and gentle, innocent cursing of the Holy Trinity.

So, it just drops over the baby's head and then zips down the underside of the arms.  No wrangling of the flailing baby wings, and no zipper up in the face.  It's a little big on the bunny, but all the better for crabby-free application.

Thanks Steve for the ideas and for helping me try and figure out the pattern, a feat which almost caused me permanent brain damage.

 

 

In Over Our Heads

No, I haven't been lazing in front of the TV. In fact, I have walked away from TWO! episodes of Gossip Girl to go and sew. The universe has experienced a radical, sickening inversion, I know. I've been working with an incredible diligence on a couple of projects, one of which turned out beautifully (but is a secret until the gift is given), another of which is trying to relieve me of my sanity and one that is going just fine.

I've been trying to construct a pop-over jacket that I co-designed with my friend Steve Hettrich, and the initial design is great, but the construction is basically more than me or my machine can handle. I have taken this little mother apart like thirteen times and put it back together in some way that didn't work. Oh, it's ON, Little Jacket! I will not be intimidated.


On of the main problems is that my machine (a new Singer "Confidence", yesthat'sreallythename) won't bore through several layers of thick knit such as these. Even with a heavy duty ball-point needle. What am I supposed to do?!

I don't want to reveal in total the design until I'm done. And I will be done. Oh I will be done.

Moving on.

A certain little baby is turning One in a couple of weeks, on April 2, to be exact. I am making her a nice party at home. And I have started on a personalized family birthday banner, starting with hers, to be hung in the house for everyone's birthday from here to eternity. It's going to be a series of loose pendant flags on a string. So fun to make. No technical issues here.




And just for fun, blog post Bonus! The girl...well I just love her.

Tunic- Take Two

In order to better accommodate my voluptuous little girl, Phinny, I had to re-pattern the tunic I made. Arm-flapping room needed to be added, and neck room. If she's anything like me, she won't want a collar anywhere near her neck. Which, an oxymoron, yes.

It has the right proportions now, though it is a little big for the bunny.


Anyway, I have SeamStress! I can't figure out why this is happening, but after I wash things after sewing, the hems on both the bottom edge of the tunic and on the bottom edge of the lining keep flipping up and acting like an asshole. Does anyone know how to prevent this from happening? I'm worried you'll say something about like, fabric bias. Or grain. Either way, sounds complicated. But this happens on a lot of my stuff with this combination of heavy knit backed with a t-shirt fabric. Demons.

Quilt Madness

Because I am person of my word, I have here a small selection of quilts I admire.

Of course any pre-novice of modern quilting would be remiss not to have something by Denyse Schmidt on their list, so here's my pick, from her "Lebanon" Series:





And Leah Evans makes these truly clever, beautiful topographical map quilts that I really really wish I had thought of first.

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Oh, and Kim at Dioramarama made this. I found it on Quilter's Buzz. Because I was looking at Quilter's Buzz.

I am fond of these brave color combinations. If someone said, "Hey, what do you think if I put some acid green in a quilt with some jet black in it?" To that person I would say, "Do not show me this quilt. It is an ugly quilt." And I would be wrong.




And last but definitely not least, this gorgeous one from Katie Did.