Archive for the ‘sewing’ Category
Tuesday, June 1st, 2010
Three months old already. La petite puce just hit 5 kilos (11 pounds). She’s packing on the grams, and at a much slower rate, adding some minutes of sleep to nightly cycles.
Her little pixie hat below, quite similar to the flower hats worn by some of T’s playmobil fairies.
She also models some poofy pants, poofy enough for her diapered butt, but flattering nonetheless:
And so time marches forward. Making the most of our last two months here and not thinking too much about the rest.
Happy June to you all.
Posted in Uncategorized, knitting, sewing | 2 Comments »
Monday, January 4th, 2010
Made, or rather, remembered to photograph in 2009.
I promised myself not to go there until 2010 arrived.
We returned home Saturday night from the southwest and spent Sunday taking apart the Christmas tree, unpacking and remembering how to live in a very “cozy” place along with Pere Noel’s space-sucking additions. And then it was time. I made C take down box after unpacked box from atop the closet–clothes I might not wear again in our time in France, clothes T will never wear again–and then I found what I was looking for, the suitcase stuffed with T’s baby debris taken from the storage unit this summer. I dumped everything out and refilled the suitcase with the latest pile of outgrown preschool-wear.
T and I sorted through the pile, talked about how small she used to be, tried the little socks on her stuffed animal friends, and then the sadness hit. There’s no telling what this next little girl’s preferences will be, but unless/until she insists that orange will not work for her as it did her big sister, she requires nothing. Hence the sadness. What to knit? What to sew? It’s all there already: piles of blankets, slings, little sweaters and full body knitted suits, home printed onesies, bibs, a load of little hats. I’ve decided that there’s no way I’m going down the sew-your-own diaper road. So, what is left?
I might add that the big January sales start on Wednesday. I foresee a few purchases, but what to make? What to make? Perhaps shirts like these?
Posted in knitting, sewing | 1 Comment »
Friday, November 27th, 2009
Hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving. It’s not a holiday here so we had a small celebration just the three of us, along with one turkey-hungry cat. Unfortunately her strict kidney-protecting diet makes it impossible to feed her human food, but it didn’t stop her from trolling the table and waiting patiently beneath the messy eater’s chair, just in case. I’m looking forward to gathering with friends on Sunday for a proper feast.
As winter sets in, the holidays approach and with some extra time I’ve gained by cutting French class, I’ve been plowing through some projects. T and I set to work on these felt balls. It started as a yarn stash elimination process, but of course, we needed new supplies as well. Not sure what we’ll do with them. Since we don’t have any holiday decorations here with us, I’m thinking about sewing them into a garland of some sort:
Also finished a cardigan to keep cow warm. He wasn’t.
And the first of T’s handmade presents:
I got the umbrella fabric in San Francisco this summer, and now that T has expressed an interest in button-down shirts, I was happy to find a use for it. Check out the pattern, an etsy find:
I suspect she’s too finicky these days for the overalls, but they are nice, hm?
Off to the library. Just a regular old non-cash-distributing Friday here.
Posted in knitting, sewing | 4 Comments »
Monday, June 8th, 2009
We visited the school on Saturday and while I have some hesitations–the process (not the curriculum) makes me feel like I’m about to send T off to kindergarten–mostly it was great. The principal was as welcoming as before and kept her remarks brief in appreciation of her audience of two and three year olds. Fortunately, since she’s used to speaking to the small set, I was able to understand everything she said. She set me at ease as she said that the point of the whole endeavor is to make them love school, to start things off right so it’s essentially nothing but a good time. That works for me. Oh, and there’s a pet escargot in the class.
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I don’t know if there’s a word for this. Let me describe. A few weeks ago, step into my thimble shared this bit from craftzine, about making a laundry bag from an old pillowcase. She remembered the pattern from childhood. I remembered it from Albany, CA goodwill. I snagged it and several other sheets back in the early ’00s. It eventually became part of my first and not entirely successful quilt which has come here to Paris, you know, for that touch of home:
(It’s the brownish square with the orange and pink flowers…)
Then Friday night, C returned from Stockholm bearing presents–a super-cute dress for me, a little cup and lunch box for T, and a tie for himself. I couldn’t believe it when I saw the tie, and then I turned it over, recognized the name from my blogroll and remembered why it’s always so hard to find local souvenirs. It’s this tie, from Brooklyn to Stockholm to Paris, with the same hot 70s pattern. The world is small and we Americans, temporarily adrift in Paris, seem to need reserves of visual comfort from our childhoods to steady us. C’s packs a little easier, but my iteration is much better for jumping.
Posted in child, finds, sewing | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, April 14th, 2009
In just under three weeks, T will be three. She seems to prefer the qualitative “bigger” to the integer, but either way the day approaches. Ever since she caught me checking out little bikes on the Internet back around Christmas, she’s been jonesing for her own. To direct the want, there is a chart and when she fills it with stickers, one per deed, she will get the bike. I’m pretty sure, she’ll fill it by early May. Sometimes it feels pretty manipulative on my part, but it’s nice to have a little motivational tool at my disposal–even on the days when she tells me that I can take my stickers and…
The bike will be red and yellow as requested, and after this afternoon’s burst of energy, it will also sport a handlebar bag, a petit panier so we can send her out to pick up the croissants. Behold:
the concept.
the execution.
I think there will be a button to close the front strap, but I haven’t quite decided.
and the back, velcro to be added yet.
I might add a strap inside so that she can carry the bag on her shoulder too.
And now the obvious question–more for the shop?
Posted in child, gear, sewing | 1 Comment »
Friday, March 6th, 2009
If you head over to the shop, you’ll notice a couple of vintage items for sale. These are things I’ve picked up around town in my travels to flea markets and other little sales. I’m sure that I imagined life in Paris to be full of such finds, but in reality, this town is incredibly picked over and the treasures you do find are often marked up up up. I think some trips to the countryside markets will be key this spring.
A few months back, I picked up some old linen pillowcases at an antique fair in the neighborhood. One of them now forms the back of this little quilt, to be posted in the shop soon:
There are bits and pieces of old projects and gifts of fabric in there that make me happy every time I look at it. Will be hard to sell, this one.
In other news, when T and I left school today, I was complimented on her red coat and asked if this–sewing–was my metier. Normally I respond to the metier question with librarian, but today I came clean with a oui.
Posted in finds, sewing | No Comments »
Friday, February 27th, 2009
There’s a reason why many people in this town spend a large amount of February en vacances–Paris does many things well, but not February. The same applies to me. I’m happy to see this month end and fortunately, this last week is much better than the previous. Here’s why:
A friend who owns a beautiful teahouse where I go to a weekly knitting group agreed to display my wares. I brought some of the clothes, bags and ‘puters by today. Just a few hours later, a little bag sold.
I now have a list of people to contact for potential jobs, housing, and general life-in-Paris tips. Nothing like complete desparation to force me out of my introversion.
I agreed to edit a little magazine for my mother’s group back in the fall. I procrastinated as long as I could, but now that I’m finally working on it, it’s coming together really nicely. I’ve worried that all the required pieces would make it too bland, but some great expats.in.Paris/moms/writers have joined up and my vision of a local, mini-Brain, Child might just come to pass.
There’s a kid at school who is every parent’s idea of trouble and it’s not my kid.
My kid sings endless rounds of French songs as she falls asleep. For those of you linked into the family blog, you can hear her latest, “C’est mon hérisson” which I initially heard as “Simon Hérisson” aka Simon Porcupine. When I learned the real words, I was a little saddened as I preferred the latter. The plates of the earth shifted every so slightly as they did when I realized that that Men at Work song spoke of something called Vegemite.
My favorite LA blogger is back online and seems to have directed several people to my etsy shop. I know this because I now run stats on my shop. The stats are not impressive, but they’re not zero. In the fall, I had the goal of earning enough through the shop to buy one of our plane tickets home. Um, no, so I am adjusting my expectations–T needs a new pair of shoes.
and
We’re going to the Salon d’Agriculture tomorrow.
Bon weekend, my friends.
Posted in child, family, france, mercantile, sewing | No Comments »
Thursday, February 26th, 2009
The problem: After the first stitch, the machine seizes. Thread jams below the feed dog and the fabric gets stuck, sometimes the needle too and the balance wheel won’t turn. I’ve taken everything apart–no hidden threads, lint’s all gone, everything’s oiled. I changed the needle, changed the thread and bobbin. Still sticks. Sometimes it’s okay in a forward motion, but when I try to reverse back, it sticks then. I tried the troubleshooting suggestions in the manual and I’ve consulted the Internet. Could something be wrong with the belt? Also, this isn’t the Supermatic–it’s the more modern machine borrowed from my aunt. Ideas?
Back to the larger narrative soon…
Posted in sewing | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, February 17th, 2009
There’s been a lot of sewing this week. Thanks to a wonderful gift certificate from E., I was able to buy a bunch of fabric I’d been coveting at reprodepot. I got a few things for the shop, a bit for T., and for once, something all for me.
I’ve been coveting this Amy Butler tunic for a while:
a reminder that spring will be here eventually. I’m pretty pleased with it, though I can’t decide if I want to make the belt or not.
Also, a few skirts for T. She took to the one above right away, a pattern of apples and ladybugs with white polka dot trim along the hem. The others aren’t such a hit. I winged the first skirt, a light blue corduroy, but for the one above and the third, used this pattern. A pattern, even a simple one, does make a difference.
All the rest are flickr’d.
Posted in Uncategorized, sewing | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, February 11th, 2009
With the neverending winter comes a neverending stream from our poor noses. It’s one thing when you’re two, but it’s really not okay in your thirties. I tend to use the edge of my scarf when I’m sans mouchoir, but generally I can find a square of fabric somewhere deep in my sac. Not so for C. He’s been suffering of late from these winter afflictions, and if you can’t fight it, might as well hide it with a stylish handkerchief. His set of 3 are made from pieces of the quarters A. brought me back in the fall and from my stash. If you look closely, you can catch some monogramming.
Posted in sewing | 1 Comment »
