"cute" skirts...

Last weekend, I went dancing, which I'm trying to get back into after 7ish years off...

I had 2 kids since I was a hardcore dancer, so I definitely don't fit into all my old vintage or repro skirts and dresses... I currently have TWO skirts that are "cute." (not stained from kids, fit well, etc). I can't just switch back and forth between these two, I need more!

right now, though, I'm between sizes, and losing more, so I don't want to go buy... plus there's that whole wardrobe refashion pledge... plus I want to MODIFY everything I see that I like, so why not just make it the way I want it from the beginning...

so I've been looking at Anthropologie and ModCloth, and I really like this skirt, especially the shirred back...I love the shape of this one, and I like the pleats here... this one looks like it would be fun to dance in, and this one is super cool, but I think too hard for now... and I like this one too...

so far, I've found these tutes...

I like this one, it seems pretty easy...

and I like the godets here, and this is an obvious jumping off point...

(I'm being entirely selfish and just posting so I can easily find all of these bits and pieces later, but maybe other people want skirts too?)

more fabric...

I got a phonebook from my dad's house a few weeks ago, and finally started tearing it apart... First I ripped out a big chunk, but it didn't come out neatly, so instead I took out lots of little chunks, 5-15 pages at a time... then I cut them into squares... I'm going to use these squares to make a string quilt! I'm so excited. I LOVE STRING QUILTS!!!!! (don't you?)

a very dear friend is getting married soon, and he's one of the snuggliest people I know. What could be better than a snuggly, soft, extra big throw blanket/quilt? I was originally inspired by Anna Marie Horner's flannels and voiles, but after trekking the kids to 5 (FIVE!) fabric stores yesterday, I gave up and ordered some online. I came home with double gauze, flannel, linen, corduroy, and regular quilting cotton... (I also ordered some dobby dots)

I'm going for mostly greens and blues, but we'll see what happens...

my husband's business partner is also getting married soon, so I'm going to make them a quilt too... I'm thinking stripes... of some sort.... not quite sure yet...

supposedly the yellow of the nano iri double gauze in the middle (the large polka dots) is the bride's favorite color... (if the fabric weren't so expensive, I'd LIVE in double gauze)... she also likes pink, green and brown....

I think I'll do lots of solids for them, since I couldn't find much for them...

not bad though, for shopping with 2 babies? I can't WAIT to start cutting!

my idea of heaven....

Momen
Tel:310.328.0500
Fax:310.328.0501
1323 El Prado Avenue,
Torrance CA 90501

Open Mon-Sat, 10am-6pm

(free sewing classes too!)

I bought several fat quarters (only $2 each!) and several regular quarters, and 1 yd of the owl print, planning on making one side of D's sunhat from that, but then he wanted trains...

Prices were as expected... obviously more than Joanns, but the quality is SO much better, the prices make sense... on par with a really nice fabric store (like the Cotton Shop in Redondo Beach), but with awesome Japanese fabrics...

It's a small space, but they really have it full of wonderful stuff...

I ran into Lori, from the LA Modern Quilt Guild... she and her friend were buying loads of Echino prints to make that quilt on the back wall....

they have notions scattered in and around, with random sales, so it's not necessarily intuitive, where you'll find stuff, but its SOOOOOOO much fun to browse! I'm sure they have a logic to their store organization, but it's all so very beautiful, I was perfectly happy to float from section to section and be surprised.... (the pic above shows some amazingly gorgeous sashiko prints)

at the end of the hallway here (which is lined with the ridiculously cute Japanese ribbon trims and bias and other awesome stuff like that), they have a classroom with oodles of sample bags, and there is a full bookshelf of Japanese craft/sewing books and patterns.... They have tons of felt toys/magnets/decorations/bags for sale as kits, too....

AND the people were super-duper-ooper-smuper (as D would say) nice, AND it's located next to an awesome bakery (Torrance Bakery), AND just past that is a park!

HEAVEN!

Some kiddo Xmas presents

I don't remember if I mentioned it here or not, but a few weeks back the Urban Craft Center celebrated their 1st anniversary with a RIDICULOUS sale. The Weir doll kits were 75% off, which made them all under $10 (some were like $3... I wish I'd gotten more, they would make awesome b-day presents... )

I got the woodsman/maiden kit of fairytale folk, b/c my 3yo son LOVES robin hood... I know waldorf means that its supposed to be neutral, but right now, D wants Robin Hood, and I want Waldorf. Hopefully we'll both be happy with this one...

These are the dolls as they came out. The dude is supposed to have a brown hat with a leaf, but the kit doesn't have enough brown to do a full hat, so I'll have to find my brown felt tomorrow. I added feet-ish bottoms to their legs; I thought the legs in the pattern looked weirdly stumpy. I hate my faces, but overall am pleased with the finished products; hopefully D will love them.

I also got this knitted dwarf kit (which I will be calling a gnome, b/c my son also loves a garden gnome down the street). My daughter just turned 1, and got lots of dolls. My son, of course, now wants to play dolls. I have NO problem with this, except that other people DO have problems with boys carrying around pink baby dolls and caring for them. I'm hoping this gnome gives him something to carry and love without being treated oddly. I love that he loves, and want to nurture that wonderful side of my little boy for as long as I possibly can.

here's the finished product. Isn't it awesome! it fully lived up to my hopes. I switched in a different yarn (scrap) that PERFECTLY matches D's eye color, instead of making blue eyes... this green-y eye color is one of the more unique things about my gorgeous son...

I have one more Weir doll to make, for the Bean this time (I've already made her a little cuddle doll that *goes* with the bigger doll, as yet unmade), and I have 4 kits from De Witte Engel that I'm going to cut out tomorrow. I wish I had more. SOOOOO amazingly beautiful/cute/wonderful.

Clearly I need to make another trip to the Urban Craft Center in January to buy more of these little darlings...