Misty Mountains

I'm not sure where to start with this. I've been feeling like my creativity is kind of nil. I can sew, and I'm fast and efficient (and crooked) but I'm not particularly canny about creating my own patterns or anything like that. Except for sometimes which I tend not to count(not sure why). 

I was on this very fun site in wonder and awe at all the creativity and sheer originality that the woman pours into her clothing and textiles. I was thinking, "why can't I do that?" which is actually kind of silly because I CAN do it, and what's more, I do. 

To prove it to myself, I have here an image I tried to do a pdf link with, but absolutely failed, so instead I made it a jpg, which should be clickable and printable, but if not, sigh. I tried. I'm sharing my creativity to prove it happened. 

At any rate, this is a decal I created when I was trying to think of something to put on a onesie that would be wintery without being snowy. If that makes sense. I was thinking ravens, bicycles, but then the Hobbit, which comes out in winter, therefore is wintery, has the poem/song that fixated me for so long that I transposed it and made my children play it on the piano. If only I could figure out the upload pdf thing then I could share that too, as though someone else in the net is interested in my simplified piano version. Anyway. This is in the same vein. I originally designed this in adult size, and I sized down for the newborn suit, of course, but I have no idea what size it is here. It's embarrassing how little I know. 

This is the completed onesie on the newborn. It didn't fit terribly well then, but now it's perfect at 3 months. I always make things larger than newborn to start. This baby has been the sweetest, smallest baby I've ever had. He actually fit into newborn clothing for a few days. 

Beneath the extremely fantastic decal I embroidered, "far over the misty mountains cold" which is whimsical and wintery as far as I'm concerned.

Also wearing a goblin hat. Not mine though. Pattern is from Ottobre 4/2007.


I feel like I've gone about this creating thing all backwards. When I was young, I exhaled creativity, but I lacked skill. Now I'm all skill and no art, at least that's how I feel. Maybe as I go forward I can be a little bit of both. Happy thought.

Any inspiration you'd like to share but can't?

Happy Valentine's Day!

My mother keeps my doll well-clothed. This may be why it is difficult for me to grow up. 

Happy February 14th!

Today is a day of love. Who doesn't need a little bit of love and tenderness in the middle of ice slush and icicle drips? It is a great day to give yourself a foot massage. With oils. Mmmm. Better yet, trade one with someone you love! (my kids trade shoulder rubs for surfing ebay looking for elusive lego sets)

I'm going to go see if I can find something pink to wear. What makes Valentine's feel rosy and glowy to you?

Hope your day is fabulous!

Snow Pants and Sunshine

These pants work and play

I finished 4 pairs of snowpants today. I didn't sew them all in one day. A month ago I bought 2 yards of fleece, generic stuff from JOAnn's to make leggings to wear under normal jeans, (without elastic to hold them up, so they're not supposed to wear them alone, but they do anyway. I will have to do something about that) and then a few weeks ago I saw water-repellant nylon/wool fabric for $2.40 a yard at Fabric Mart (an online fabric store with delicious fabric and wonderful deals). This price compelled me in spite of my ridiculous fear of sewing outerwear, so I cut them out, sewed them up, and finished them while it's still winter. This is worth cheering about.

I sewed the coats too, not the red one, not when I saw it on Amazon for $17. I told my daughter that it wouldn't last long because it's a cheap coat, but since she'd rolled down a hill of mud the week before I was going to make her a very nice wool coat, a cheap washable coat is what she got. A button fell off the very first day it came in the mail, but it's warm, cheerful, and I didn't have to sew it. (More cheering)

On the left, Atomizer wears a fantastic coat that I'm particularly sentimental about. His grandparents brought it back from Alaska for me, a coat that while warm wasn't ever my style. Fortunately, he loved the moose and I made a coat for him out of it, interlined with thinsulate with a hood added instead of a collar, because he wanted one. The pattern comes from OttobreDesigns, Winter 2006 #20.

In the middle, my 2-yr-old wears a coat out of fabric that is dryclean only. She got it muddy before I could sew the cuffs on. It got washed, I put on the cuffs, she rolled around in the mud some more... It's also an Ottobre pattern, Winter 2013, #16.

The snow pants came in a fabulous size range from their most recent pattern catalog, 86cm-128 cm. Basically ages 18 months-8 years. This is perfect for me so that I can trace out one pattern with multiple lines saving time and pattern paper. That is OttobreDesign Spring, #18. I reinforced the knees and rear, double topstitching in white. I embroidered something on one knee for each kid, a lizard for 10 yr boy, a snake for 6 yr boy, a butterfly for 2 yr girl, and a house for 8 yr girl. She came last because she couldn't decide what she wanted. Finally I told her I was going to do her initials. She said, "No. I'd rather have nothing. Yes, do nothing and add a little house." So she got nothing and a house.

I'm so glad I got these finished. Now I can go back to SWAP.

Do you have any tips for staying warm this winter?