Pitter Patter

Easy to make felt baby shoes for Leo Timothy, born on March 25th. At the rate he's growing he'll grow in and out of them in no time.

Newborn Kimono

To Have and to Hold

Programs

Ring it On

Take a Seat

Photos by Justin & Mary

Take 2

This cheerful purse was a Christmas gift for my mom, and an improvement over the last one I made. The layer of interfacing makes a world of a difference, and allows it to stand up on its own. For the lining I used Lotta Jansdotter's Echo fabric in Brass Florine. Instead of elastic cord for the closure I sewed a loop out of canvas and pressed it flat to fit snugly. The carved wooden button is from my mom's own collection-- she was happy to see it put to good use!

Kitchen Aids

For Jess' birthday I wanted to give her something with both form and function. I went back to Simple Sewing by Lotta Jansdotter for inspiration (who, by the way, I am collaborating with at Fishs Eddy!). After some deliberation, I decided to make her an apron and potholder using Kokka Canvas Ticking as my main fabric. Jess is the ultimate hostess and decorator so when she's not using them, I can imagine them hanging nicely in her kitchen.

Lotta noted that this is one apron you won't want to take off after your work in the kitchen is done. She wasn't kidding! I had a hard time parting with it after the photo shoot, but I'm happy when I think of Jess on a Sunday afternoon, going about her domesticities in style.

* Thanks to Silka for taking these great shots!

New & Improved

I paired my special finds from Liberty of London with fabric from Purl Soho, and sewed a nifty shoulder bag that holds just the right amount of things I need-- the things I actually need.

When I was living in Park Slope I bought a very similar bag from Nest, which is sadly no longer there. Jess has the same one. We both were smitten with the illustration on the fabric by Japanese artist Shinzi Katoh. Unfortunately, I hardly ever use mine due to the fact that the handles are white (not very practical for an artist) and there is only one small pocket inside.

So on my version I sewed mutliple pockets into the lining: one for my iPhone, one for my mini planner, one for my keys and the two for a pen & pencil. I added natural colored handles to camouflage day-to-day dirt and to pull out the warm tones in the floral printed lining. Happily, I found a use for the fabric-covered button I picked up in London, though I think a zipper would have been more practical. All in all it has been my favorite new accessory this fall.

Keep Calm and Carry All

Ronak and I got engaged in March and spent the whole month enjoying the afterglow and resisting every urge to start planning. Since then we've been taking everything in stride and have made a lot of progress on the wedding plans.

I'm realizing that being organized is a good way to stay calm throughout the whole process. One of my favorite things to do at this stage is gather inspiration and sketch project ideas. I made a carryall to stash wedding related material and I think it will come in handy when I visit the florist, caterer, dress shop etc... The tote is made of a natural-colored linen and lined with a cheerful geometric voile by Anna Maria Horner.  The webbed cotton handles are super sturdy and an excellent time-saving substitute for handmade ones. For a bit of color on the neutral exterior, I top-stitched the edges with bright yellow thread and sewed on a tomato-red vintage button.

Sewn Salutation

I really enjoy yoga, but sometimes I get lazy and need a jump start to get myself to class.  I too often find excuses why not to go like  1) I'm hungry  2) there's something good on TV or  3) I don't have a tote for my yoga mat and get the skeevies when I think of borrowing one from the studio.

One night last week (instead of going to yoga) I stayed home and sewed a tote for my mat out of red-striped Yuwa fabric and natural cotton cord. Now one of my best excuses has become my favorite reason to go.

Aloha, Spring!

Picture Perfect

Ronak and I spend a lot of time together, but we also spend a good deal of time apart due to his travel for business. As I type, he is on en route to Switzerland, followed by Singapore, Hong Kong, San Francisco and back to New York. He is literally going 'round the world!

Thanks to modern technology we communicate frequently via email, text, phone, skype and the occasional postcard. For this particularly long trip I wanted Ronak to have a physical reminder of home-- a little memento to warm up the cold and unfamiliar hotel rooms.

I made him this portable, bi-fold frame out of heavyweight cardboard, Japanese rice paper, and cotton for the spine. To protect it from wear & tear I sewed a small linen pouch, finished it off with a button, snap and two photos from our recent travels together.

Market Run

This time of year any temperature reaching above 50 degrees drives New Yorkers outside, some optimistically wearing flip-flops & shorts.  More vendors noticeably pop up at the the farmer's market selling their bounties, products, and plants-- fooling some into thinking that Spring is officially here...

So on this 60 degree Saturday, I took my newly-finished grocery tote for a test run to the farmer's market. The bag is made of a loose-weave linen and lined with lightweight cotton. I reinforced the handles, and to add a little embellishment (and practice my embroidery skills), I chain-stitched a simple floral motif onto the front side. It passed the test, toting home my lettuce, carrots and potatoes with ease.

Merry Christmas

Fabric Animals 101

I came across the pattern for these adorable fabric animals while hunting for Christmas gift ideas for Ellis and Théo. The last time I made a stuffed animal was in my 5th grade HomeEc class.  So while I felt slightly intimidated to venture away from the comfortable world of 2-D sewing projects, I thought if I could make one back then, then it was certainly worth a try now. After a little trial and error, and a mutant lamb or two, I think they came out pretty cute.

Bibbalicious

I made a set of bibs for my nephew Théo after seeing this cute tutorial on the Purl Bee. I went through a bib-making-phase last year, and this pattern just inspired me to make a few more. I love the look of the terry cloth backing and also the extra layer of absorbency it adds. Théo's not eating solids quite yet, but in the meantime these bibs will work wonders for absorbing baby drool.

Outsourced

My friend Adriana has a resourceful and eco-friendly approach to decorating her home and it's no different in preparing for her new baby's arrival. She has a real knack for gathering old & neglected materials and re-purposing them to feel fresh and modern.

Since Adriana had packed up her sewing machine to make room for Baby Tucker, she selected fabrics for this diaper clutch and handed them off to me to sew. The outer fabric is recycled 'wrapping paper' from one of her shower gifts, and the cheerful clown lining is a vintage print. She chose an unpredictable turquoise button as the perfect finishing touch.

Make a Wish

Julie is drawn to things that are small, pink, polka-dotted... and Made in America.

Here you go, Julie. Happy Birthday!

Sweet Dreams

Ron travels way more than the average person. This year alone he's gone to India four times, with detours to Japan, Switzerland and Austria. While jet-setting is in his blood, recovering from jet lag is a drag. For his last trip I made him an eye pillow out of Liberty of London's Grey Susanna print. I filled it with lavender for it's relaxing aromatherapy powers and added flax seed for weight. So simple!

After using a plastic bag to tote his eye pillow around, I had the idea to make a carrying case for it. Not only does it protect the surface from dust and dirt but also helps preserve the dreamy lavender scent.