A Handmade Wardrobe

 

I'll admit that my sewing machine has suffered years of neglect. As we started to outgrow our little farm house, the space to do extra projects just disappeared. Our new house has enough space for me to finally get back to sewing. I used to sew a lot of things for my children but this time I felt motivated to make clothing for myself. I've always been inspired by Meg and her handmade wardrobe so I started with some of her patterns.

I made myself an Estuary skirt, Foraging vest and Strata top. I also made a Schoolhouse tunic and a Metamorphic dress. My size has changed since I last made myself clothing so I'm really glad I never cut my old patterns. I'm also so pleased to see more people offering plus sizes in their patterns. Fabric is just as expensive as ever so I've been working on upcycling bedding and scoring second-hand fabric. 

I also whipped up some of the most comfortable Luna pants ever. I took a chance and used double gauze and I made the ankles extra loose. Oh they are like pjs but better. I want to make all my pants out of double gauze. Another of my most worn handmade items is my Carrie sweater. Before we went camping a few weeks ago I decided I needed an oversized sweater to snuggle up in. The pattern is only 6 simple pieces and it's a breeze to sew. I think I'm going to make a short sleeve Carrie with a lighter knit for the summer.

My favourite part (aside from wearing these creations) is adding little details to my clothing. I used a piece of Liberty fabric that my mom gave me on the inside placket of my School house tunic. On the inside of my Luna pants I marked the back with a piece of my favourite cotton ribbon that is now out of print. And last month a got a package of these wonderful tags by Kylie and the Machine that are so lovely for marking your clothing with; these affirmation tags bring me such joy.

Love Bits

 

If you've read my blog for the past several years you will know that I love Love day. Valentine's Day for us is a celebration of love. It's not romantic; it's love in all forms. I've been preparing for our Love Day for weeks. I found socks with hearts, heart shaped marshmallows and valentine embroidered patches to tuck in my children's mailboxes. I found the perfect treat for my husband and the cutest card for my best friend. I found some really cute Riley Blake valentine fabric with adorable puns on it (our family loves puns) that I whipped up into a skirt for my girl. I was ready to go. 

The other thing about me and holidays is that I have uncanny luck for illness and injury coinciding with holidays. I broke my foot on Mothers Day, I got pneumonia on Christmas, I also got severe Norovirus on Mothers Day. Well this Valentine's Day I took a trip to the hospital for suspected pneumonia. I was right. I have been stuck in bed for days with pneumonia and a vestibular migraine. I hate missing out on holidays with my kids but I know they felt special and loved, even if I wasn't at their sides.  

Tutorial :: DIY Butterfly House

When we decided to raise some Painted Ladies in our home, I knew we need a good house from them. I was really set on ordering online but when that didn't work out, I figured I needed to make one of my own. It didn't turn out pretty but it is certainly functional and only cost me $10. Hopefully this tutorial can give you a starting point for your own butterfly house.

 Supplies:
:: two hoops (I used 19in dreamcatcher hoops)
:: ballet tulle (I needed a 38x34in piece)
:: a sewing machine
:: thread
:: sharp scissors
:: rope, cord or ribbon
:: straight pins
:: one diaper pin

Start by laying your tulle out, measure and cut to your desired dimensions. Fold in half and pin along the opposite side (leaving the bottom and top open). I used a tight zig zag to hold the tulle tight. You will have a tulle tube.

 Gather one end with about an inch of tulle at top. Make sure you've gathered it evenly. Here you can tie tightly with twine, tie a knot or stitch the end closed. I went back and forth with a straight stitch several times to close the end.

This part was tricky for me so be patient and butterflies won't mind the odd mistake. Put one of the hoops in your tulle tube. Push it evenly into the bottom with the knot in the center. Pin in place. You can machine stitch or hand stitch the tulle to the hoop.

 At this point, I skipped the second hoop and focused on the top edge. I folded over a 1in hem. Stitch this hem leaving an opening at opposite sides for the cord to pull through. Once I had completed that, I put the second hoop in. I pinned the top with a diaper pin and then got the second hoop in place (I put mine about 13in above the first hoop). Follow the previous step to secure the second hoop (I liked to hold it up as I was getting the second hoop in place to make sure it wasn't crooked).

 Pin the diaper pin to the end of your cord and feed it through the hem at the top and knot. Pull evenly through both openings. Now you are ready to hang it!

 Mine ended up a little bit crooked but I don't mind a bit.  I didn't add any tubing along the sides because I wanted it to be collapsible so we could store it for use year after year.

More Making

Less than two weeks until Christmas and for the first time I don't feel rushed. I'm just working away at a steady pace, making things with love for the ones that mean the most to me. I'm making time to enjoy the season and I'm finding time every day to work on a special gift.

I finished F's Milo vest, made a pair of Quick Change Trousers to go with them (with the cutest Heather Ross Itsy Bitsy Spider fabric and lined with super soft flannel) and started a baby gingerbread boy knit to go with the Gingerbread Baby I got to in F's stocking.

For A I made a little wallet to go in her stocking (and a few for some craft swaps) and quickly made her a dress from some lovely Birch Organic fabric. I'm stumped on the buttons though. For some reason buttons are the hardest thing for me to make decisions about, the wrong buttons can just ruin a project for me. I will look at this again tomorrow with fresh eyes and keep on making.

What are you making?

Making

The month before Christmas is almost frantic. No matter what promises I make to myself, I'm always busy. Since we decided many years ago to forgo the consumerist culture of Christmas, I've spent more and more time making handmade treasures for my loved ones.

A's Christmas sweater is blocking. I used the Sunday Sweater pattern but it looks like I didn't quite understand the eyelet pattern. It's ok, I'm happy with it regardless. I chose three little bird buttons since that Bob Marley song is a favorite in our house. While that blocks, I'm cast on a Milo vest for F out of some lovely homestead alpaca yarn.

Also for F, I've made a little flannel hen for play. I think I might knit one egg and then I was planning to use some Anna Maria Horner flannel scraps to make a trio of chicks. He loves our chickens so much but they are certainly not cuddly.

The time of year for mailing cards has come as well. While I sit writing address after address on plain white envelopes, my darling A sits next to me with stripes of colored paper making festive chains. It's our first holiday decoration and it's so jolly I want to sing "Deck the Halls". Yes, we are busy making all kinds of things over here.

Handmade Holidays

One of my favorite parts of the holiday season is planning and making special gifts for my loved ones. It gives me so much joy to create something special that will be used and treasured. Of course I inevitably find myself overwhelmed and rushed but seeing the recipients face makes it completely worth it. Here are a few of my favorite handmade gifts for my family.

I've been longing to make a Maggie Rabbit for A for a while. I bought the kit months ago but finally committed to complete it for Christmas. It was certainly a test of my hand-sewing skills but the final product is so cute. A wool rabbit with a little Liberty peasant dress and wool knit caplet. Though the first thing A did when she got around to playing with her was strip her down. I might need to make another outfit for her to change into.

Speaking of another outfit, I decided it was time to add another item to A's waldorf doll's wardrobe. I had some lovely Anna Maria Horner fabric set aside to make A another Lazy Days skirt so I took the left over fabric and made a matching skirt for "Big Girl". I made them both a second matching outfit but it needs some tweaking before I post it here.

I knew I wanted to make F his own mama-made quilt but I was going back and forth on a design. Finally I found this beautiful organic fabric from Charley Harper for Birch Fabrics. Since A's horses quilt is still so popular, I chose a similar design. It's backed with a super soft vintage sheet so the whole quilt is just perfect for a cuddle. F might be too young to love it now so I will give it love until he's ready to claim it.

I wanted to make something special for my husband this year. I taught myself to cable knit this month and a found a soft Rowan yarn that seemed like something he would wear. I did my best to knit it up in secret and finally finished 2 days before Christmas. To my disappointment it was much to small. I didn't use a pattern for this hat so I guess I calculated the size wrong. I told him I will whip up another hat as soon as he tells me what yarn he'd like. In the meantime A or I could get some use from the mistake hat.

The final handmade gift wasn't actually made by me. I envisioned it and told J what I wanted and he created it. He chose some beautiful sapele wood and made it to fit A's ferby pencil crayons and her Stockmar block crayons. It's beautiful and I adore seeing her art table orderly. How glad I am to have a talented woodworking husband.

It's Beginning...

We are bringing the holidays to life all over our home. Books, decorations, crafts, greenery, music; it is all coming out and being carefully put in place. We are starting to tell new stories and celebrate new traditions. This year we are introducing the nativity story and celebrating advent. This Sunday we lit the first candle in our advent wreath and read this story (a favorite already!). We are looking forward to visiting the living nativity in our city this year.

I seem to have forgotten though how busy the holiday season can be for us. I decided to sign up for some craft swaps. While they are fun to do, I'm finding myself very over-stretched. I just finished my last swap though so a bit of a weight has been lifted. I made sweet little cross stitched ornaments. I do enjoy cross stitch and I like the Scandinavian look of the snowflakes. I think I will make a couple more for our own tree.

This will be F's first Christmas on the outside so he needed a stocking. His stocking has been on my mind for a few months now. I had intended to knit him one but typical me, I left it until the last minute and just wasn't sure I could finish it in time. So I found a hand knit wool sweater at the thrift store and decided to give upcycling a go. I must admit I'm not thrilled with it. It seems lumpy. I lined it with quilting cotton and stitched a wool F and a berries and leaves to it but it still doesn't look as I dreamed. It will do for this year at least and I will decide whether I will make him a new one for next year. It doesn't seem to match the quality of A's stocking.

Saint Nicholas day is approaching so we are working on a few crafts and reading some special books in preparation. We also plan to make some gingerbread cookies for our baking day this week (just like in this book). Anyone have a stellar gingerbread recipe? I will share our Saint Nicholas traditions next week.

For Warmer Weather

Even though it might feel like it at times, it won't be cold forever. With that in mind I decided to make a few things for the baby to wear when the sun returns. I guessed that the size 3 months might be the right size for spring but now I'm experiencing some self-doubt. Here on the west coast warm weather sometimes doesn't set in until July! I guess we will just have to wait and see.

I started by making a lightweight kimono top from Heather Ross' book Weekend Sewing. I even decided to use some of my precious soft cotton Heather Ross fabric. The pattern is definitely less than precise so it's not exactly the product I had in mind. However, I made a few changes and I think it will be adorable on a little one (and comfortable!).

Next I started work on Sheepy Pants using my new Mosaic Moon worsted. The colorway is called Woodland in Spring but the bright, happy colors reminded me of summer so I decided to make these into shorties instead of pants. I really appreciate the ample diaper space in this pattern. I simply make the legs half the length called for in the pattern and added a roll-up ribbed hem. This pattern has so many ways of customizing that I think I'm going to have to make a pair of pants too.

Nature Pack

This little nature pack is probably my favorite thing I've made in a long time. I would bet that I had as much fun making it as April has using it. The idea for it came from several places including the Handmade Home and Growing Up Sew Liberated. The results are pretty awesome if I do say so myself.

The bag itself is made from a 100% wool blanket I found at the thrift store. It was a nice choice for a sturdy fabric that could stand up to some of our west coast wet weather. Also it made a great medium on which to needle-felt the little wool squirrel. I lined the bag with just a simple cotton quilting fabric. I didn't use a pattern so there were a couple flaws (like I had hoped for a slightly narrower bag) but honestly you can't even tell.

I filled the bag with a bird identification book, kid-friendly binoculars, a little magnifying glass and a beautifully illustrated nature scavenger hunt. My friend is an incredibly talented artists so I was very blessed  that she helped me by illustrating these cards. They would not have been as beautiful if it was left to me.

We took the whole pack out for a try this weekend and I have to admit Jon and I had just as much fun with the scavenger hunt as April did. She was also completely enamored with the binoculars and identifying every bird we came across. Encouraging curiosity was definitely the goal with the new nature pack so I feel pretty confident in declaring this project a success.