It was never my intention to take such a long summer blog break but my mind and hands have been well occupied elsewhere, filled with road trips, bike rides, cooking and even quite a lot of sewing ( I am making clothes all the sudden!).
This year we decided to become a host family for a month and welcome a teenager from Versailles, France. She loves to bake and we have been experimenting with all thing sweet. It's fun to have a partner in the kitchen! She is almost ready to go home by now alas, the end of the week will see us back to normal. I am planning on taking Lauren's online class through Burda Style to occupy the last stretch of this summer vacation and see if my brain still can boot up for something completely new.
Meyer Lemon cupcakes, Apple pie, Hand rolled cones and zoku pops
Remember the big Octopus, my hand carved stamp inspired inspired by Alyssa Thomas' book under the Penguin & Fish label? you can find the full size project in the latest issue of Mollie Makes US edition. I love Alyssa's embroidery style and secretly hope she becomes a machine embroidery designer because Penguin & Fish + BERNINA 780 = unstoppable cuteness!
Alyssa's Octopus embroidery is featured in the 3rd installment of Mollie Makes US edition, so is a really appealing ombre kimono from Leanne Garrity. Another project that caught my eye is a mexicana headband that would be worth shrinking down to the size of a Blythe doll. So lucky that the editors sent me a copy to review!
You can subscribe to Mollie Makes here for a very substantial discount over the cover price or find it around your neck of the woods at Walmart and CVS stores ampongst others.
I ordered this factory Blythe from China over a month ago to account for shipping time, face up and new wardrobe to be completed in time for E's 6th birthday. I thought I had until the 15th but really it must be done by the 3rd! Hence the mad rush this afternoon to complete an entire face-up (carving and painting) in under three hours. It's not my most precise work to date but I really like the mouth and would like to try the shape again.
The things about being six and playing with doll is that unless they come with several dresses, they are not that interesting. Since I am pretty attached to this new girl already I really want her to be a hit. Therefore I am sewing her at least three dresses (two down). I would be terrible Blythe customizer, once completed I could never send them back! I never know what they will look like and it's like meeting a new face every time... To ensure against a bout of selfishness here I fitted her with a pair of fantasy sparkle emerald green eyes from Cool Cat, ewww but perfect for a six year old!
I am sewing my way through the Wiksten pattern offerings. This is a bit of a bucket list/ crossing things off my sewing lists, but I feel happy to finally get through them. I really liked Jenny's blog when she was actively writing it and I hope that she will come back to sewing (in public) and designing when her daughter is a bit older.
The skirt is from the winter 2008 Stitch Magazine, long gone from my house I had to borrow a copy from a friend. The pattern pieces can be downloaded for free but not the text. Both have errors so it's best to read Jenny's errata before starting.
I sewed this version in this very drapey raw silk from a fashionable stitch, and interfaced the waist and plackets with a very lightweight tricot interfacing. This particular product was a complete revelation, easy to fuse, non shrinking, non bubbling, you get the idea.
I also made friends with foot #3A (BERNINA's automatic buttonhole foot). Eight buttonholes later, I am sold!
Because I own a perfectly good edge-stitch foot (#10), I chose to completely ignore the hand stitching steps, of which there are many. No great loss here and the skirt took me long enough to make as it is. Mind you there was a muslin before the silk version. Which is good as I am planning more of those and even maybe a slightly more A-line version. The buttons may be a bit heavy for the skirt and I am considering replacing them with something lighter. Since I am not sewing them by hand I will not cry when I cut them all off... They would look good I think on a khaki version of the same skirt.
Being completely out of sandals made me hunt down these Salt Water sandals I spied on TOAST catalogue and bought at least 3 years ago and never wore. They seemed like a good idea at the time, then not then yes again, fickle lady. The necklace is a quick little thing I made to wear with the top (wiksten tank), the blue beads are dyed agate from Michaels.
Next week I am planning on working on the pieces of the tova top cut out of Pendelton wool many many years ago, an another tulip skirt (a bit more A-line) and work out this version of the skirt. much sewing going on, but still taking in very slowly...
When my mother first came over to visit we gave Red Butte Garden a try, thirteen years ago. I was pretty unimpressed and failed to return until about two weeks ago. Shock and awe, that is how I describe what awaited us. Since this first return visit I have gone back twice, for the Utah Rose Society show and with a family member. I think it is the perfect place to go think or relax by one self and I decided to make a small investment in a single most basic membership to do just that, think and relax by myself amongst the plants.
The Rose garden is a marvel in and of itself but it doens't stop there. I loved the aromatic garden just as well and the orangery, I could go on and on but enough words just take a look:
David Austin Crocus rose
Henry's Clematis
Hens and Chicks planter
Davis Austin Golden Celebration
Apple Service Berry (Amelanchier Grandiflora)
Golden Wings rose
Kale, green tricks and artichoke planter, now replaced by something more tropical, too bad...
I hope you liked this little tour, I will post a few pictures of some great things growing closer to home very soon but time to get back to sewing a blue raw silk Wiksten tulip skirt now!
