Tabi socks and fabric grocery bags

I don't know what my fascination with tabi socks is all about, but I do like 'em and have bought another three pair on eBay. Invariably I give one pair away in some sort of sock swap within days of actually getting them in the mail. Now who could resist Sumo wrestlers on their tootsies? I ask you. I love these stretch jersey ones more than the knit ones. I actually had an identical pair to these but lost the right sock. I kept meaning to take the left sock apart and make a new pair out of some lovely jersey scraps, but haven't done it yet, so I bought another pair. I'll keep the original as a pattern.

The third pair celebrate the cherry blossoms blooming right now in Washington State. I'll probably give them away.




At the LA PR Weekend, Deepika showed me a cloth grocery bag with a pocket sewn in one side that someone had just given her. I found a like pattern at Craftster:
TUTORIAL: Singlet Style Shopping Bag (like the plastic shopping bag)


I've started making the prototypes for the dolls we're going to make at my birthday party next weekend. I've made some tiny alterations to Arley Berryhill's Art Deco Tassel doll; the turban was too long and pointy so I rounded it off. Also the little bras for the dolls will be bandeaux and the side drapes need to be an inch longer, too. Pictures to follow.

Easter Sunday

50 years ago I was born on Easter Sunday (as all Christians know, Easter falls on a different date each year, so my birthday also fell on Easter when I was 11, 22, 33, and will again when I am 121). Most years I get to celebrate two birthdays - on Easter Sunday and on my actual birth date. This year I felt compelled to create a fairy doll. She isn't quite finished, still needs a little makeup and work on her hair but here she is.
On my birth date, I'm having a party where everyone makes an art doll. The pattern I've chosen is Arley Berryhill's Art Deco Doll. My friend JoAnn and I will make the bodies but my other friends will get to decorate and clothe them as they please. Happy Easter everyone!

The Equinox!

Spring has sprung in Western Washington! Being an Easter Baby, I love the spring! Although the weather is cloudy and brisk, there are trees blossoming right outside my office in the most delicate pinks.

I am still super exhausted from my trip to LA for the Pattern Review LA Weekend. The fashion district in downtown LA is unlike any thing I've ever seen before - streets and streets of fabric, all types and all for rock bottom prices. It beats New York to Hell in terms of price and quantity. I bought 16.5 yards of fabric, many jerseys at $1.00 a yard and spent a total of $54.00 on fabric. More details here. But my proudest acquisition is my Candy Wrapper hand bag:

What Did You Do Today?

I made 6 fairy faces out of sculpey clay for Faith the Fairy art dolls. I used flatbacked Swarovski crystals for the eyes.

Oh Spare Me, Puleeze

While I was finishing up my manuscript for the Micro-Macrame book, I was desperate to come up with an apt blurb for one of my Goth-inspired bracelets. All I could think of at the time was:

"Crisscrossing and meandering in and out of itself, this final bracelet brings forth the unsettling inner weavings of covert gothic passion. Its moody blackened burgundy coloring evokes the disconsolate, swirling dance of those unfortunates forever trapped in the dark dominion of the lands of Faery..."

Really. Huh. My, that's dark. If I put that in the book, noone would want to make that bracelet - they'd be afraid of getting stuck in the dark dominion of the lands of Faery... enough already! I changed tack completely and came up with something much lighter, which for legal reasons, I cannot divulge...

I made up a version of Park Bench pattern company's Chesapeake Bay jacket out of a long piece of flower-laden drapey rayon I found at Goodwill. Of course, since I didn't measure the pattern pieces and make any alterations, it is a tad bit too small for me. But at least I got to see what it will sort of look like once I do the necessary alterations and make it out of some loose woven wool-like grey with teal slubs fabric I bought in Kiel last October.

Bat Binkies!

Who can resist cute tiny fuzzy orphan flying fox bat babies all wrapped up in their bat blankies?

On Rewrites, Rhiannon and the Sewing Expo

Last week the rewrites on the micro-macrame book were finished - finally! Luckily there wasn't that much to rewrite or reshoot. I have been in a state of exhaustion for the last few days because once I was done with that project I was off to the Sewing Expo at the Puyallup Fairgrounds. I went on Friday and Saturday - my brain cells are still suffering from sensory overload - so many beautiful combinations of colors and fabrics. I fell in love with a new pattern from Park Bench Pattern Company called China Town. The way the front comes together in a fold where you would expect the opening of this asymmetrical tunic to be is delightful and once I took a good look at the Chesapeake Bay pattern, I was smitten. I love the way the back hangs together. Last night I had to cut it out with my new Kai scissors.


While I was gallivanting all over Puyallup

Rhiannon received a package from my friend Karin in Sweden the other day. Rosie opened it carefully and placed it on her sleeping sister.
I am still waiting to take some pictures of Rosie wearing the beautiful hoodie that Tini made for her. When she saw the hoodie, she immediately packed it away with her bestest clothes - she and her baby sister and mom were moving into their own apartment the next day and she didn't want it to get lost. Tini also made the cutest hat for Rhiannon - I must get over to Jennifer's new place and get photos taken. And - ha! a magnificent pair of socks for moi! Whoo hoo! My dogs are happy again (despite the lingering pain of surgery)!