2008 June Archive at make something

Archive for June, 2008

13 DRESSES : DRESS 2

Published

Karyn

on June 30, 2008

in stitchery and textiles

. 4 Comments

Dress 2 pattern, originally uploaded by the workroom.

Dress 2 – ‘V’ Style
Fabric – Yellow Maze fabric from the Alhambra Collection by Art Gallery Quilts

This book was the first Japanese dress book that I ever bought. I don’t remember what the translated title was at the time, but I did a google translation and came up with, “A nice one-piece straight stitch, much more! From 26 different styles”. The ISBN is 4-309-28055-2. There are 26 dresses in this book, each identified by a letter in the alphabet.

Many of the other Japanese dress books seem to come with a sheet with all the patterns, but this one doesn’t have that. The instructions in the back of the book show measurements (in cm) for every dimension of pattern pieces, so this adds another layer of work. The other thing is that it only shows measurements for one size. Perhaps the book discusses how to adjust the sizing, I’ll never know. Luckily, I fit into the one size they illustrate.

The dress is super simple, so it wasn’t difficult to figure out the construction. Plus, the schematics are detailed and well illustrated. The pattern calls for putting in a lining on the skirt, which I didn’t do. It also suggests putting the top together, then putting the skirt together and then attaching them to each other. I changed that and put the front pieces together, then the back pieces together and then attached the two halves to each other. The key detail of the dress is the fact that the button holes are offset from where the buttons are placed, creating a ripple. The little vintage buttons were a gift from my friend Jen and they perfectly match the blue grey dot in the fabric print.

It’s day two of my three day long weekend. I’m planning on trying out a new ice cream recipe using some fresh Ontario strawberries I bought yesterday!

INTRODUCING : TINCTORY

Published

Karyn

on June 29, 2008

in etsy, i heart, introducing, stitchery and textiles

. 5 Comments

One of my very favourite daily reads is Creature Comforts. Ez has great style and she has a special knack for pulling many elements things together into a perfectly pretty package on a daily basis. I’m always sure to fill my eye candy quota with a visit to her blog. A few weeks ago she posted about an artist that I haven’t been able to get out of my head, Tinctory.

I’ve spent lots of time already just looking through Tinctory’s flickr page, not only are her pieces absolutely intriguing and unique, but her photographs are incredible. I had to know more and so a new feature is born on this blog, “Introducing”, a chance for me (and you) to learn more about someone especially inspiring.

The woman behind Tinctory is Eva, who lives in the UK. All her jewellery is made entirely by hand and goes through an intensive process that includes the embroidery technique, smocking. What I hadn’t realized about smocking was that it is functional, as well as decorative. It was developed in the Middle Ages and is used to gather fabric so that it can stretch. Long before there was fantastic elastic, there was smocking. When I look at Eva’s pieces I really feel she has captured a historical essence in her interpretation of this age-old technique.

What is the meaning of tinctory?

EVA: Tinctor means ‘dyer’ in Latin. I don’t know if it’s a legitimate word but tinctory could mean ‘a place where things are dyed’. I picked it as a name for my Etsy shop when I thought it would sell mostly fabrics dyed with plants. The direction has changed since then but I’ve kept the name.

What is your creative background and what do you do for a living?

EVA: My interest in textiles started with a silk painting kit I got as a birthday present years ago. That lead me to dyeing, batik and shibori, knitting and most recently smocking. Most of what I know about textiles comes from books and experimenting. Craft is my only job right now and a lot of the time I feel there aren’t enough hours in the day. Hats off to people who have a day job, manage to make things, run a shop while maybe looking after a family as well.

What inspired you to start making these amazing smocked pieces of jewelry?

EVA: I was looking for a textile technique which would create permanent texture on natural fibres and require minimal space and equipment. Smocking was the perfect answer because a piece of fabric, needle and thread are all that’s needed. When I learnt the basics I played around with shapes and stitches until I was pleased with the result.

Thanks so much, Eva! I’ll be ordering one of your necklaces as soon as I can decide on just which one I love the most.

THE BLOCK

Published

Karyn

on June 27, 2008

in patchwork, stitchery and textiles

. 3 Comments

Trimmed Quilt Block, originally uploaded by the workroom.

My quilt top is now completely pieced together. I can hardly believe it. Since this is my first quilt, I’ve put a lot of pressure on myself to make it absolutely perfect. This personal pressure definitely accounts for the fact that it took me 5+ years to collect all the ‘right’ fabrics for it.

You’ve already met Lorelei (the centre piece blue floral), now you can meet all the other fabrics. The fabrics that started it all and set the tone for the colour palette are the first three from right to left. These fabrics were designed by my dear friend Angela for a bedding line that didn’t end up going into production. I snatched up all the sheet samples after the market show was over. The fabrics are yarn dyed, meaning that the yarns were dyed beforehand and then woven together. That stripe is not printed, it’s woven. Even the two solids have multiple coloured threads woven in which really adds another dimension. Besides being designed by a close friend, this fabric doesn’t exist anywhere else, except for in this quilt. How cool is that?

The dark brown fabric was a purchase from the legendary Purl Soho. It’s hard to see, but there is a very subtle cross stitch print with the alphabet going through it.

The last fabric is from the My Folklore collection by Lecien. I found this fabric in the very first order I received for the shop. It was last summer when the boxes of fabric arrived at my house. (I hadn’t even secured a space yet) I couldn’t resist opening up the packages and checking out the fabrics I had chosen. It was even better than Christmas. When I saw that brown floral on blue, I ran to my room and got out my bag of collected quilt fabrics. Yes! This was the final fabric I had been waiting for.

Stay tuned for a look at all the blocks together.

p.s. I had key lime pie for breakfast today. I thought somebody should know that.

FOUND : BENCH

Published

Karyn

on June 26, 2008

in found, the workroom and vintage

. 8 Comments

Bench for the garden, originally uploaded by the workroom.

Have you ever done something crazy for love? I have. Too many times to count. Most often it involved something I had found at the side of the road. I guess I am what some people refer to as a ‘dumpster diver’ or my new favourite, ‘urban forager’. I love to find stuff at the side of the road and bring it home. My house and now the shop are filled with these found treasures. How can people throw this amazing stuff away? But, thank goodness they do!

What is even better than finding some random thing, is finding exactly the thing you had been hoping for. I have had this experience many times. Some people call this manifestation or the power of ‘The Secret’. One of my former roommates was an astrologist and she used to say that I have a very close connection to my spiritual guide. Thus, the things I asked the universe for were more often delivered than the average Jill. All I know is that it has happened over and over again.

The universe delivered to me again yesterday. I had been thinking very hard about a bench for the back garden at the workroom. I knew exactly the style I was hoping for, just a simple homemade-looking bench. At the corner of Brock & Chesley, I found my bench. Not only is it the exact construction I was hoping for, but it is painted in my favourite colour, grey.

Over the years, I have made a few rules with myself about finding stuff and what I’m allowed to bring home with me. As a general rule, I need to be able to carry the item by myself or be able to throw it into the trunk of a cab. This bench is six feet long, so cab was out of the question. I took a deep breath and picked up the bench. It wasn’t THAT heavy. Mind you, I did also have a dog (Maisy) on a leash and two tote bags. It’s quite a hike from Chesley Avenue down to Queen Street, along Brock. It’s 1.5 km according to Google Maps. I definitely felt like a crazy lady and today I feel sore all over. But really, there was no way I could leave that bench behind. We were meant to be together.

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MINIATURE MUSHROOMS

Published

Karyn

on June 26, 2008

in DIY, gardening and i heart

. 5 Comments

Miniature Mushrooms, originally uploaded by the workroom.

Last summer I was obsessed with the idea of creating planters out of tree stumps. All I had to do was find a bunch of logs.

A few weeks after my inspired idea, I looked across the street from my house to see piles and piles of logs. Seriously. I crossed the street and asked my neighbour, who had a chain saw in one hand, if I could take a few of them for my garden. He gave me the “Why-on-earth-would-you-want-these-stumps?!” look, but told me to take as many as I liked. Undeterred by the look, I hauled about six of the logs, in various sizes and heights, over to my back yard. Finally, I would have a whole gang of cute log planters!

My idea was to drill large holes in the top of the log and then chisel out a deep ‘bowl’ for the planter. I had done research on this, but what I didn’t factor into my plan was having FRESHLY cut wood. I had even bought a special drill bit that would bore out a 1″ hole. I got to drilling a series of holes into the top of one log. That didn’t go as easily as I had planned. Then I learned that freshly cut wood is wet and does not want to be chiseled… at all. My log planter dreams were dashed!

Unknowingly, I had actually created a planter of another kind. The other morning, I took a close look at my sad log with multiple holes drilled into the top and noticed that there were all kinds of miniature mushrooms growing out of the holes and along the sides. These cute mushrooms are only about 1.5″ tall. I was totally fascinated. This wet log has been sitting in the shade and getting rained on the last few weeks and was now having a mushroom party. The holes I had drilled are the perfect place for mushrooms to thrive.

Mushroom logs are actually a very popular type of gardening, especially in Japan. You can grow Shiitake, Oyster and Button mushrooms on logs both indoors and outdoors. Mushroom log kits are available for purchase online or you can drill your own logs (like me!) and buy special plugs that are filled with the spawn to fit into the holes and wait for the fruiting to begin. Apparently these logs will last for years. I think I’m going to have to start growing mushrooms.

There is a great article on mushroom gardening here. You can also order a mushroom kit from this Canadian shop.

p.s. I did create one log planter last summer using an older tree stump. The chiseling was easier with the dried wood, but still very labour intensive and blister-causing.

If anyone has any freshly cut logs, I’m in the market!

13 DRESSES : DRESS 1

Published

Karyn

on June 25, 2008

in stitchery and textiles

. 5 Comments

getting ready to test Lotus Tunic pattern, originally uploaded by the workroom.

In the spring, I made a little personal challenge with myself to make ten dresses by the end of the summer. There are a couple reasons for this challenge – 1. I love dresses and 2. I was finding that I was doing very little personal sewing, being so caught up in running the shop.

Looking in my closet this morning, I realized that I had made six dresses so far! With still two more months until Labour Day, I decided I should up the ante and go for thirteen. (this is my favourite number & the day of my birthday) I’ll be posting each dress, starting with the ones I’ve already finished. Wish me lucky thirteen!

Dress #1 – Amy Butler Lotus Tunic
Fabric – Kaffe Fassett Winding Floral in Pastel

This is the first Amy Butler pattern that I’ve attempted to make. I found her directions to be quite clear and easy to follow. Amy suggests using a contrasting fabric for the upper bodice pieces and bias trim. I decided to stick with just one fabric. This William Morris-inspired print is so stunning that I wanted it to get all the attention. The pattern also calls for belt loops in the side of the tunic and a belt. I tend to avoid belts and I really like the look of the girl on the cover of the pattern. (They have styled it with the belt tied in the back, which is another option)

The only other adjustment that I made was to make the back darts bigger, to cinch the waist in more. I have a very curved back, so I make this adjustment a lot. Other than that, the fit of the dress is amazing.

I wasn’t planning on doing the lining. You can use the facing pieces from the tunic top instead. This is what Dory did with her dress. At the last minute I changed my mind and decided to do a solid Lilac cotton lining. I’m really happy that I did. The dress feels very finished & proper with the lining. The sleeve detailing is my absolute favourite part.

Already I’ve been spotted wearing it on multiple occasions by certain people. Yes, it’s THAT dress, the one you wear because it requires no thinking in the morning and you know you’ll look good.

FANTASTIC ELASTIC

Published

Karyn

on June 24, 2008

in DIY and stitchery

. 14 Comments

Fabric for Shirred Top, originally uploaded by the workroom.

This morning started off with a quick stop off at Kinkos (at Bloor & Spadina) to do some copying. Since it was such a sunny morning, Maisy & I walked down Palmerston to Queen Street and then across to the shop. I couldn’t resist stopping in at Kensington Market Organic Ice Cream even though it was before 11am. Ice cream for breakfast is perfectly acceptable in my world. I got a cone of their cinnamon ice cream, which was super yummy. I think it’s time for me to get out my ice cream maker.

Often times when someone buys the last bit of fabric off the bolt, there is an odd-sized piece left over. People worry they are leaving me with something I won’t be able to sell. What?! Not one bit of fabric goes to waste at the workroom. These odd bits actually go right into my growing collection of fabric. This particular fabric is called Connecting Flowers by Art Gallery Quilts. I’ve been plotting to make something out of this fabric since it arrived, but it keeps selling out. When i was left with .7 metres of this silver grey and yellow treasure last week, I knew just what I was going to do with it.

A while ago, I had read Field Guided’s post on shirring and saw the darling dress she made from some Henry Glass bicycle print fabric. Cute! Then a couple weeks ago Toast ‘n’ Eggs asked me if I could teach her how to do shirring. Now that I’ve done it, I think everyone should! It’s very easy, totally satisfying and the results are impressive.

I thought I would make a wider strap and I like the way they turned out. The straps are 1.5″ wide. I ran the remainder of the fabric through the serger with some silvery embroidery thread to finish the top and bottom edge with a rolled hem. The rolled hem is definitely my favourite finishing technique right now. For the shirring lines, I spaced them 1″ apart and did five of them. All you need to do is hand wind some elastic thread onto your bobbin and use a regular thread up top. I’m addicted. You’ll be seeing more shirring experiments from me for sure. Please try this, it will make you so happy.

A full tutorial for shirring can be found here.

MEET “LORELEI”

Published

Karyn

on June 24, 2008

in i heart, patchwork and textiles

. 9 Comments

‘Lorelei’, originally uploaded by the workroom.

This is Lorelei. She is the centre piece fabric in an epic Queen-sized quilt that has been ‘in the works’ for over five years. It is also my first quilt. Now that I’ve got my own quilt and fabric shop, I think it’s time to push this project back to the front of the line.

I first took notice of quilting years and years ago at ICFF in NYC when I saw Denyse Schmidt’s quilts for the very first time. It was one of those moments when a whole new world opens up before you and swallows you whole. I started collecting fabrics for a quilt that is inspired by a couture quilt that Denyse did for the amazing store Takashimaya made from vintage Kimonos. I collected fabrics for this quilt until last summer when I finally found the last fabric to complete the collection… for the quilt top. I’ll fill you in on the quilt back fabrics later on.

Lorelei is a vintage cotton print that I bought off of ebay. Everything about it is perfect. The name, which also happens to be the name of one of my favourite songs by the Tom Tom Club. -love!- The typewriter font notes on the selvedge, which also read “Never Misbehaves”. -love!- The colours and the off-set printing of that sweet floral. -love!-

I’ll be introducing you to all the other fabrics of this quilt in the next little while. I hope you love fabric as much as I do.

‘Lorelei’, originally uploaded by the workroom.

BERRY SEASON

Published

Karyn

on June 23, 2008

in gardening and i heart

. 0 Comments

One of the first plants I bought for my garden were raspberry plants. I LOVE them. I wish they grew all year round, non-stop. Even though it is the end of June, I wasn’t expecting any berries for a couple more weeks. What a lovely surprise to spot this plump white raspberry this morning! I quickly checked out the strawberry plants and found some wrinkly miniature red berries. I had a mini harvest of four delicious berries for breakfast.