Marie Grace Designs

Sunday's sewing (on Monday)...

On Saturday we got a healthy dose of that Halloween snow. I think it was the weather's way of saying "Hey lady! Better get knitting! Its almost winter! We need hats and mittens!" Yea. A friendly kick in the pants. 

Sunday's sewing went well enough. I got all the pieces for 2 jackets cut, quilted, and basted. Since these were meant to be jackets for fall I may take an afternnon this week to finish them up so the kids can get some wear out of them before winter really does move in for a lengthy stay. 

Made in America...

Hey guys! I'm on a new project and I need your help.

I'm researching and gathering names of craft products that are 100% American made. It can be anything... yarn, fabric, crafting supplies, tools, or machines.

It must be 100% American from start to finish.

If you know of a crafting product that is 100% Made in America I want to hear about it!

Email me at mariegrace at mariegracedesigns dot com.

Please pass it on!

A Little Planning, a Little Knitting...

So the little swatch hat has become a whole hat and so has helped to plan a sweater.

I've been thinking about Bubba's first wool Aran-ish sweater pretty much since he was born. The hazards of knit design, I suppose. I wanted to wait until he was big enough to be up and around and have use for a really warm wool sweater that I could plan to have some growing room.

Let's get a little side tracked here for just a second so I can mention that little Gansey vest I did a while back. That vest, along with its Girly version companion, were originally published in Knitcircus magazine. I had been working on getting them re-formatted to make them available here as pdf downloads but descided to wait a bit. The original pattern range is only from 6 months to 24 months so I'm extending the range to fit up to a child size 8. As soon as I get a little time I'll work out the numbers for the bigger sizes and then I'll re-release them. 

The reason I mention the little Gansey vest is because I really love the simple combination of cables and seed stitch zig-zags I used for that design. Its enough to be cute without being complicated and perfect for busy little boys who seem to always be moving... just like the little zig-zags. In fact, I like it so much I'm using the same combination, along with one of my very favorite wools, for Bubba's first Aran-ish. I say "ish" because its really a Gansey pattern but implimented in an Aran sort of style. Make sense?

I'm trying something a little different with the construction method so we'll see how it goes.

So how about a model shot for the little hat? I'm sure Bubba will sit and let me take a nice picture. Ha! You see that grin? 

There we go!

Sunday's Sewing (on Monday)...

I didn't get nearly as much done this week as I would have liked. Still, here's what I did get done...

Another smocked Oliver and S Ice Cream dress. I planned to add some embroidery to the smocked area so its not quite done...

A pair of Oliver and S After School pants waiting for their matching shirt, I'll give a full review and action shots once the shirt is done...

And how about a little knitting? I've been picking at an idea for Bubba's first Aran sweater and making swatch hats with some texture patterns...

 

Sunday's Sewing (on Monday)...

FYI... this is gonna get a little ramble-y and there's a bunch of pictures. You've been warned.

Well, I totally managed to finish up a pile of sewing on Sunday just like I planned. Behold! Finished sewing projects...

First let me say that I've been a bit obsessed with making pants for Bubba. He's really close to walking, which makes him look like such a big guy, that I wanted him to have some proper Big Boy pants. The problem is that most store bought pants and sewing patterns for his size don't account for the extra room a cloth diaper butt needs. You can just use a bigger size but then they just look like giant baggy pants. Not exactly what I'm going for. Granted, a few newer patterns out there do pretty well but I wasn't in the mood to try out a bunch of different patterns to figure out which ones would work.

I also wanted the freedome to add pockets or linings if I wanted to and was basically just in the modd to fiddle with things.

So I used a pair of pants he has that fits really nice and drafted my own basic pants pattern to use for now. Here's an action shot of the first successful pair... quilting cotton, lined with flannel...

They turned out really great and were quickly followed by several more:

Quilting cotton lined with flannel...

2 layers of quilting cotton, Painted Robots...

You can see I left plenty of length for the fold up cuffs so he'll get lots of wear out of them. I also decided to add the wedgie shape detail at the back which I love...

And finally a corduroy pair with hemmed cuffs, a wedgie detail, faux fly, and pockets...

I'm pretty thrilled with this little collection all from my own drafted pattern. There's nothing better than being able to pick and choose components of your pants. 

Of course, pants need shirts...

A Curved Raglan

 

And another raglan from the same pattern I used a while ago. Now, I was happy with this pattern the first time, mostly. But there's one thing about it that just bothered me more and more every time I thought about making a few more. The neckiline is the same at the front and at the back. Its a perfect circle. Now, this isn't a problem for this kind of shirt but its just one of those little things that I couldn't leave alone. Even when I design knit raglans I always have a lower front neckline drop than the back so it just really bothered me to sew a shirt that wasn't the same way. I fiddled around with the pattern and adjusted the neckline and now I like it much better.

And finally, I hemmed Tater's Honeycomb smocked nightgown... 

This is a super simple square yoke that I drafted. It has a lining, fitted sleeves, and a rectangle for the front and back skirt portions. The lining for the yoke finished everything neatly without a lot of fuss.

So my plan to spend Sunday working away at the "needs finished" pile was a big success. There's still more to do so I guess I'm pretty lucky that there will be another Sunday soon. 

I got noth'in...

Between the fact that the average tempature is dropping a little more each week and the fact that its KCWC I had big plans. Big. But I got noth'in done. Well, almost noth'in.

So I'm adjusting my plan.

I've always got too much going on. Its a personality flaw and I own it. If there's no chaos... I'll create some. Its weird really because I need to be organized in order to function yet I throw more stuff on the pile every chance I get. Along with all the regular schooling, dealing with our little farm, keeping the house livable, and keeping everyone fed there's also my compulsion to knit and sew as many things I can plus keeping my knitting obligations work-wise under controll. Sounds a little insane, right? And you know its not just me.

I really don't believe I'll ever find a real balance to the whole what-I-need-to-do and what-I-want-to-do. I was planning to use KCWC as an excuse to blow off a bunch of other stuff and just crunch down on some sewing but it didn't work. But still, there are things the kids really need (new pajamas, fall jackets, some long pants) and I am still completely committed to making them myself. So here's what I'm going to do... I'm going to set aside Sundays for sewing. For the rest of my life. Forever and always. All 6 other days of the week can be for everything else including work but Sundays I'm setting aside for just sewing. Whatever I can get done that day... whether I have an hour in the afternoon or if I can manage a big chunk of time I'll do as much as I can. 

I figure between seasonal changes, holidays, and kids outgrowing stuff there's plenty to do that I can set aside Sunday forever. This will take the pressure off the rest of the week... my perpetual inner struggle... to knit or to sew, THAT is the question... because I'll know I have some sacred sewing time set aside that nothing else can mess with. 

Sound good?

Okay... just so you don't think I'm a total KCWC washout here's what I did get done...

2 knit shirts and some flannel pants for Bubba. Notice the strategic folding so you can't see the unfinished hems...

A pile of Riley Blake fabric destined to be 2 jackets, one for Bubba and one for Tater...

A Honeycomb smocked nightgown for Tater. To be completely truthful I started this awhile ago but it still needs some finishing...

And finally here's part of my distactions for this week... it was a really good mail week...

So if all goes to plan I'll be back on Monday to show what I got done on Sunday. Hopefully. 

 

Friday...

~ A little knitting, woolies for Bubba. I sorted through the ones her wore last year and was just in awe of how small they were and how not-so-small the ones I'm knitting now are.

~ Still working on Tater's smocked dresses, 2 in progress. She's already looked through her collection of warm leggings to make sure she's prepared for cooler weather dress wearing.

~ Enjoying all the fruits and veggies that are in season right now, making pie and eating fresh pears.

~ Pulled the last of the carrots. Dug up the sweet potaoes. Still watching the cauliflower and the Brussel's sprouts.

~ Watching this little guy figure out all manner of things. Things like Mama can't reach him if he hides under the table.

I really love this time of year. Its not just the cooler weather and the warmer cooking. I think its got something to do with that urge to prepare. To get ready for longer days indoors. Tucking the garden away until spring. Making sure everybody, including the goats and chickens, will have what they need to be comfortable and healthy for whatever winter brings. That hunkering down and digging in that comes with change whether its seasonal or some other aspect of life in general. 

Here's hoping for a productive weekend!