Lettergirl

Pink + grey.

Took a few minutes on Monday evening to paint the sleeves for this wrap top.  I'd cut out the grey layer last spring, but couldn't settle on a second color until I realized I had just enough pink leftover from another (stalled) project.  I cut out the pink layer on my birthday last week, one of several things I crossed off my list that day.  I've gotten a good jump on the stitching while watching movies in the evenings this week.  On the one hand, school has started; on the other, our kids like to watch movies with us (and with a 12-year old in the house, I worry those days are numbered).  Here's a sketch of the project idea, though I'll play with the wrap part once I'm nearer to finishing (buttons? ties? stitched closed?):

 

Idea Journal: skirts.

From my mother-daughter idea pages:

 

Applique; I made the skirt, then chose a completely different embellishment.  Hope to try this idea on another project.  Love natural elements.

 

I'm especially interested in clothes that feature words (shocking, I know).  The top idea is similar to one I saw in a book, with an alphabet along the hem, cut randomly from old t-shirts.  The bottom is based on an Alabama Chanin skirt, only gina-ized.

Idea Journal: table runners.

I have been gathering ideas for table runners for awhile now:

 

 

 

August Rodin's statement, "I invent nothing; I rediscover" is central to my creativity.  The Amish inspired design at top is based on one I saw in a book; the bottom one is based on a quilt I've been wanting to make; the log cabin design is certainly nothing new.

I would love to create a special runner that is used just for birthdays.  Hmmm...my birthday is right around the corner....

Idea Journal: red quilts.

Walking home from the bank yesterday I saw a man in the most amazing red pants (a la The Sartorialist).  Rich red with a weave that made them look almost plaid.  One of those moments when I love city life.

And since I was walking, I had time to ponder, and I started thinking about my old ideas for an all red (or mostly red) quilt.  I first saw an all-red Courthouse Steps quilt in a Kaffe Fassett book, but there wasn't quite enough contrast for me.  Then I saw one I liked in American Patchwork & Quilting, but the contrast fabric was white and I didn't care for that either.  I think a proper scrap quilt needs a critical mass of scraps and to that end I've been accumulating enough reds to warrant a second box on the shelf.

 

But what to do about the contrast?

 

 

 

 

Idea Journal: cuffs.

Thanks, Melissa, for your timer idea.  Earlier in the day, I cleared off my dust-laden dresser (stacks of books, a mother's day card, my daughter's molar that the tooth fairy forgot to take, a hat my son sewed for his webkinz, orphan socks) and put everything on my bed.  Then I didn't get back to it till bedtime (after a particularly swell potluck night)...so my eagerness to hit the hay was a little like setting a timer.

 

Love the idea of cuffs:  so many creative possibilities + easy to finish quickly.

 

Idea Journal.

Back from vacation, and not feeling as motivated as I usually am.  Year after year, I find myself wishing I would use my talents more to feather our nest.  I finally came to the not-so-welcome realization that the first step is not making stuff, it's purging stuff.  And I can't seem to summon the drive to tackle that, even when I break it into baby steps.  I remember my friend Beth used to have an ongoing schedule of decluttering one room per month, every month, month after month.  What's your plan?  Nothing motivates me like a great idea!

To that end, I am going to share peeks into my Idea Journal over the next few posts.  My Idea Journal is where I record all my creative ideas until I have time to actually create them. 

 

Many Idea Journal entries never see the light of day, but this one I accomplished by bringing it to soccer a few days this summer:

 

The letters are freehand painted on the front (nature) and the back (nurture).  A second, smaller, layer of green was placed behind the letters before I outlined them with buttonhole thread.

 

I trimmed the green closely around the stitching, then assembled the shirt by handsewing with two rows of stitching.  (Raglan sleeves are perfect for this technique.)  I then clipped out the inside of the letters on the top layer, revealing the green beneath ("reverse applique").