New Toy

Oh, brother. She has a new camera.

Much to Isabella's chagrin, I have a new camera. I haven't really figured out how to use it correctly, but I found out I can take better close ups now!

I wanted to share this little apple back when I first got it, but I couldn't get a good picture. I paid a quarter for this at the thrift shop. If it's not cute enough for you on the outside...

...look at the green and white polka dots on the inside!

And here's another bit of my eastern European doodads collection: a sweet, crackley faced doll from Poland.

I couldn't do THAT with my old camera!

Grand Opening Contest

Okay, opening an etsy shop isn't as easy as it looks. The Darling Petunia shop is open, but right now, it's kind of the equivalent of a bare room with a folding table and a shoebox for the money. An avatar? A banner? Shipping to Sweden? Policies? I'm on overload.

I needed pictures for this new venture, but every time I planned on having Gerry take pictures of the aprons, it would either be too dark, too rainy, too late, or too cold. We finally got a few taken inside, but they weren't that good. I also felt like a complete dingbat "modeling" the aprons and a complete tyrant telling Gerry, "Get more of the skirt in the picture. No no no! Not just a picture of the bow! Why did you let me stand there that way? Why didn't you tell me I looked like a house?" (I'm sorry, Gerry.)

So we're at the gym yesterday and I'm struck by this thunderbolt of inspiration: There's a dressform at my mom's house! Sort of. There's a dressform all right, but it's ancient. Check this out:

The tee shirt was a must, to cover Mrs. X's bosoms which are, to put it mildly, well worn. Now, I don't know how old this thing is, but when I first laid eyes on it, it looked like it was wearing a bustle. Seriously. A wasp-waist and a well-padded rear. I managed to make some adjustments, so it more closely approxiamates a modern-day body, but the bosom is still a little wonky, and it looks like it has a mild case of scoliosis.

However, I think it will be just fine for aprons. (Especially if all my customers have curved spines and wonky boobs.) Only I think it needs a name. So let's have a contest, shall we? Submit your idea for a name, and if I pick your name, you will win this apron!

Now I have to confess, this is an apron I rejected for my shop. As it turned out, the black fabric is kind of flimsy, so I refuse to sell it. For a freebie, it's okay, but don't think this is typical of the quality of my work!

Insert Profanity Here

These past few days have not been the best. Get yourself a mug of chocolate. This might take a while.

Our roof is leaking.
It's snowing in October.

Someone stole a sign from our yard.

The heat at work is on the blink.

I forgot to scoop my cat's litterbox for a couple of days.

Every rechargable battery in the house is dead at once.

So I'm cold, I'm a bad mommy, and I had to steal batteries from the tv remote to put in my camera. Not that I can even take any decent pictures lately, because I need sunlight. grumble grumble grumble

Doesn't sound so bad, does it? Oh, but I didn't mention my biggest frustration of all? My latest sewing project. This is the pattern I was trying out for the first time. A skirt without a zipper--yay! I thought the yoke with the buttons looked cool and couldn't wait to try it.

Well. It was one thing after another. First I cut two of the yoke pieces backwards. Then I had trouble matching up the seam between the yoke and the skirt. Then I finally got it to work and...guess what I did? Anyone know? Hint: I made it out of corduroy.

Ayup, I forgot about the nap. When I recut those two yoke pieces, I forgot about the stinkin' nap. My heart just fell into my knees when I realized what I'd done.

Even with the setbacks, I thought I was doing really well up until then. I liked my facing fabric, the curved seams were lovely, and the topstitching was nifty. --sigh--

Warning: Don't Be Scared

Do you remember your first Halloween costume? I was a little ghost! Not that I remember this, but I have photographic evidence. (Keep in mind, photography was in its infancy, so the pictures aren't that great.)

This is my big brother, David, helping me on with my BOO suit. Could I have been any more pale? Or excited? I wonder what he was saying to me.

Here I am with both brothers. The hood on that bat costume is sort of FREAKY!

Here's the loot! Check out the red tights under my nightgown. And there, to the right of the picture, that's my blankie!

I got curious and looked up the pattern on Google. I searched the words HALLOWEEN COSTUME SKELETON BAT, and it came right up! I'm glad mom skipped the white hood on my ghost outfit.

Progress Report

Four aprons done. ??? to go!

Use It Up

Thank you for the nice comments about my tee shirt skirt! I have no idea why so many of you were skeptical about the idea, though. Was it the colors? The sections? The printing on the tees? The potential to look like a circus tent? Ha! Just kidding! I was a little wary myself.

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To answer some questions:

Janey--No, the tees were not all thick ones. In fact, they weren't the same weights at all. The red one was really thin, and the black one was really thick. It worked anyway. I swear this thing is foolproof.

Linda C--Nope, it isn't lined. I wore it with a slip, so no clings. That was one of my fears, though, that it would show every bump and bulge. I think as long as you cut it right--with enough flare away from the body--it's fine.

Anyway, the reason I brought up the skirt again is because I'm working on another project using the scraps. They probably should have gone straight into the trash, but I hung onto them for some reason. Yep, that's them in the picture up there.

I thought maybe I could make some kind of flower with them. Melynda made a neat one when she refashioned a tee. But then where would I put it? Hmm...keep thinking...keep thinking....

Some of the cut edges were curling up a little, which reminded me of the way many refashioners cut strips from tee shirts and then pull on them to make a kind of cord. That seemed like a good place to start, so I cut a bunch of strips, yanked on them, and made myself a pile of cord.

At this point, they reminded me of those loops I made hot pads out of when I was a kid. Not needing another hot pad, however, I decided to make coasters. Needing some sort of stability, I sewed strips onto twill tape. I have to say, I loved how they looked as a fringe, and if I could have thought of something to do with tee shirt fringe, I'd have been all over it!

After weaving a few rows, I realized it was going to be a nightmare trying to sew down the other end if I left it until last, so I gave the other end the twill tape treatment as well. Then it was just a matter of filling in the weaving. Towards the end, I used a pair of forceps to pull the cords through the little spaces.

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Then, once it was filled in, I sewed around the whole thing with a zig zag stitch and trimmed the edges.

It's sort of like a little baby rag rug. I really just wanted to see what I could do with those scraps, but this could be a neat method for making placemats, pillows, hot pads, even a little clutch bag. Maybe someone will be inspired to make something more glamorous!

Edited to add a link to the potholder looms, a better picture of how it looks before you start weaving, and proof that I actually made the second one!

Peevish

What are some of your sewing peeves? My biggest, as anyone who has read one of my tutorials already knows, is running out of bobbin thread. And it always seems to happen when I'm running a gathering stitch or topstitching. Or when I'm sewing something really fussy that had tons of pins holding it together. You know how that is...you've just "sewn" around a really difficult curve...and then you realize your bobbin ran out after the first inch.

What makes YOU want to poke your eye out with a seamripper?

Wish Me Luck

My husband follows my comments here at the ol' blog, and he is always saying things like, "Here's another person who says you should sell these things...why don't you?" I put him off with some glib comment, "Oh, I don't have time with all the housework I have to do." Ha! A can of Pledge lasts for five years around this house!

I'm not sure what it is that's kept me from making things for sale. Part of it, I guess, is that I worry my stuff isn't up to snuff. Then I worry that it'll take all the fun out of it. From a practical side, I wonder...would people really be willing to pay $20 for an apron?

Then, in a moment of weakness, I decided to give it a try. What's the worst that can happen? Everyone I know gets an apron for Christmas?

So here's my little stack of fabric, waiting to be turned into aprons and clothespin bags. Now I'm starting to feel daunted. What have I done?

Pumpkins and Witches and Bats! Oh My!

I promised I'd show you some of my mom's doll clothes, and now that it's well and truly October, here they are! This is a display we did at the library featuring her Halloween outfits and my vintage Halloween collection. Click the photo to explore the showcase!

3 Tees = 1 Skirt

About a month ago, Becca of Swamp Yankees from Outer Space made a skirt out of t-shirts that really caught my eye. On my next visit to the thrift shop, I picked up a couple of 49 cent tees to supplement a few I already had in my refashion basket.

To start, I just followed Becca's directions! I measured out a pattern to make a six section skirt and cut two pieces from each of three tees.

Next I tried some different combinations, to see how it looked best. I ended up switching the pieces around a few times. Once I found an order I liked, I just sewed all six sections together.

The waistband is where I deviated a little from Becca's directions. I'm not a big fan of drawstrings, except for on pajamas and that kind of thing, because I don't like having that lump under my shirt. Instead, I just sewed the waistband on without making a channel or anything.

At this point, I tried on the skirt, and it didn't seem like it really needed any sort of drawstring or elastic. I did, however, want to add some more body to the waistband, so I added a facing, which I then folded over to the inside and tacked at the seams.

And that's it! Because you line up the skirt sections with the t-shirt hems, there is no hemming necessary! So, what do you think--Can I get away with wearing this to work at the library?

I can't get over how smoothly this went. My seam ripper was at the ready, but I didn't use it once! I think next time I'd like to make one with a theme...like use all Penn State shirts or all bar mitzvah shirts. Got any good ideas?

Seven At One Blow

Okeydokey, time for a book update!

New Moon by Stephenie Meyers: I am DONE with this series! I went on to the second book, thinking maybe it would get better, and I hated it. Absolutely slogged through the second half of it.
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Sweet Love by Sarah Strohmeyer: This one was hard to get into. I don't think the backstory was clear enough or something. Not that it really matters--it's just a bit of fluff, summer read, kind of book. How delicious does that cupcake look, though?


The Meaning of Sunglasses by Hadley Freeman--I thought it would be fun to read witty, insightful commentary on fashion. Too bad it wasn't witty or insightful. Blah. Maybe I'm just not hip enough.


Towelhead by Alicia Erian--Wow, I don't know...a lot of people really loved this book, and it's gotten a lot of attention, but, to me, it was like reading a Judy Blume novel for the new millenium.

A Cedar Cove Christmas by Debbie Macomber--Yes, it's a very special Christmas book in a romance series.... I can't help myself.


What Was Lost by Catherine O'Flynn--My favorite of the batch. Well developed characters. Not a happy book, though!




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The Necklace: Thirteen Women and the Experiment That Transformed Their Lives by Cheryl Jarvis--I didn't like it much ,but I did like this quote from it:


"Ownership is overrated. We should elevate sharing. Wealth is individual; sharing is collective. We are not what we own. We are what we do, who we help, and the difference we make in the world. At the beginning, the group was so narrow in its concept of sharing. We think that by sharing we give up something, that we get less. But the more we've shared the necklace, the more profound the experience has become. By sharing, we've gotten so much more. If we share, there's enough on the planet for everyone."

Did You Win?

I thought it was only appropriate to use a mixing bowl for the apron giveaway. After stirring until blended, the apron goes to...

Tess! (Even though she teased me about my striped pants idea.) So, Tess, if you could just email your info to DarlingPetunia@aol.com, I'll have that apron off to you soon!

I'm sorry you couldn't all win. Your comments are all so lovely, I wish I had an apron to send to every one of you.

They Need a Tail Hole

When I got home from work the other day, there was a lumpy, bumpy business sized enveloped waiting for me. Ooooh! Real mail! For me? That doesn't happen so much anymore, so I was pretty excited. And it was from my mommy! What is it? Open it! Open it!

Ha! My mom made a doll-sized pair of pajamas to match the ones I made from the sheet! I don't have an 18-inch doll, so one of my sock monkeys agreed to model them for you.

I'm not sure the others will ever let him live this down. Yeah, like funny hats are so much better!

Vacation Book Sale

I wanted to show you what else I dragged home from California, besides twelve loaves of sourdough bread and two pieces of fabric!

BOOKS! As we were driving down the 101, we noticed a sign saying there was an upcoming book sale at the Earl Warren Showgrounds, so we put it on the schedule. I actually missed my home library's annual booksale due to this trip, so I was extra excited! Would west coast books be different? Maybe.

Well, they weren't so different, but I did find some treasures for my collection, including a couple of old Dick Brunas (Miffy!)...

...a new title for my burgeoning Louis Slobodkin collection (I love him from The Moffats, but he's even better in color)...

...and my favorite, a book called Mother Goose Riddle Rhymes, which has rhymes done rebus-style...

The other book in the picture is going to have its own write up sometime. I just put it there to whet your appetite. --wink--

California Dreamin'

One thing I really wanted to do on our recent trip to California was go fabric shopping. Yes, really. Who needs beaches and sunshine? Just turn me loose on the fabric!

We stopped at Fabric Town USA, in Ventura, on our way from the airport to Santa Barbara. It was all a little overwhelming for me, seeing all those fabulous fabrics I usually only see in pictures. Moda fabrics! Katie Jump Rope! Amy Butler! Oil cloth! Unfortunately, sticker shock hit me within the first ten feet, when I realized the average price per yard was $8.99.

Not wanting to let the dream die so quickly, I sniffed out the clearance table. Mostly solids. But wait...after a little digging I found two Robert Kaufman prints I liked.

Having just made the clothespin bag, I thought the one on the left would lend itself to that sort of thing. The one on the right will eventually become a skirt. I know you're all shocked, but won't that look great with a brown or orange tee shirt?

Apron Evolution

Since this whole change of seasons thing has me in a spin, I figured I'd work on another apron and save the clothes sewing until the weather makes up its mind. I liked the apron I made last month, as an apron, but I didn't like it as an apron for me. What I wanted was something less home ec and more art class. So this is what I came up with:

I used Butterick 4945. At first I almost rejected it based on the yardage requirements: 3 and three quarters! However, half of that is used as lining, so that gives you some flexibility. I had maybe three yards, so I just cut one of the lining pieces out of a solid (had lots of colors to choose from!). When I bought this fabric, I didn't even sew, so it's probably been languishing here in my stash for four or five years. Not that I want to admit this, but I think it was intended to become a pair of pants. Okay, stop laughing, I came to my senses.

Not sure what I was doing in this next picture, but it gives you a good look at how it wraps. I moved that pocket off to the side quite a bit so it wouldn't end up covered by the flap.

Overall, I'm pleased with it. Gerry has been calling it my fingerpainting smock, which I'm going to consider a compliment. I think it looks maaaybe a little Partridge Family, but I can live with that.

So, what should I do with that other apron? Why, I think I'll give it away! If you are interested in winning the Mrs. Cleaver Rosebud Apron, just say so in a comment on this post. I'll choose a winner at random on...let me see...Wednesday, October 8th.