in good company

Why do we feel such a strong desire to be surounded by beautiful things? Experiencing beauty, even in the smallest way, elevates us. We find things beautiful because they are in accord with our inner world, a visual representation of our beliefs and dreams, our hopes and our experiences.

I just purchased these little pincushions, made with great care by Liane of Enhabiten. They sit beside my machine as I work and I feel I am in good company. I respect her vision so it's inspiring to have a piece of her creativity in my workspace.

I look down beside me as I sew and see this patchwork of vintage prints. I think about the day, long ago, when these fabrics were still uncut and some enterprising women fashioned her vision of beauty into a garment, loved then faded, and finally preserved as a quilt. Used and worn within an inch of it's life, this quilt took on the unique loved-ness of things shaped by time.

I've been spending a lot of time at the machine these days, both for work, and for my own investigations into what I find beautiful. My next project has been growing in the back of my mind for some time now, I'm ready to jump in and let it cary me away. I'll tell you more about it soon ;)

If you can't go naked..

When I was sixteen years old I sacrificed one of my mothers indian gauze dresses to make this swimsuit. I used instructions from an old 70's sewing book, titled "If You Can't Go Naked Here Are Some Clothes You Can Sew on Fast." The suit is a bit worse for wear and has many sloppy mendings but it's still one of my favorites.

After breaking camp at Myakka River we headed to Siesta Key for a dip in the gulf.

Homemaking

There are few things in life that make me happier than creating a cozy nest, so these past two months have been a true luxury.

Mama and I wove this egg basket together on her birthday this past January.

Amy and I designed this two part stencel.

I drew and cut the shapes. Amy picked and mixed the tonal colors.

We tag-teamed the paint job.

All the Merrick women had a hand in designing these curtains for the living room. I was lucky to have the time to work out the pattern and sew up the final product.

Mom was so happy with her curtains that I put together a variation on the same theme for the dining room.

Hand Hemmed

I'm getting my things packed and ready. After a nice long break I'm heading off to work again. I expect I will be away for four months. I'm in the thick of weeding through my clothes and I have built up a whole big pile of mending and alterations. I've been wearing this vintage Lee skirt around with its frayed edge flying in the breeze. I decide it's time to do justice to its cuteness and finish it properly.

Frequently, when I do alterations for myself I do it down and dirty... "It's just for me, it dosent need to be perfect. Who else is going to know that I cut corners? It will be faster this way," I tell my self. Then I spend twice as long fussing with corrections that would not have been necessary if I had just taken the time to go through the right steps. Inspired by the craftsmanship of my vintage clothes I vow to give myself the pleasure of finishing my own things right.

To hem a skirt yourself, try it on and mark the length you desire with a safety pin.

Measure up from the original hem and transfer this measurement all the way around the inside of your skirt, with pins or a light pencil mark. Add one and a quarter inch to this length for hem allowance, which will be folded inside and stitched into place.

Cut a piece of twill tape slightly longer than the circumference of the hem. The twill tape or hem tape reduces the bulk of the hem along it to lie more smoothly. Lay the twill tape over the cut edge of your skirt on the outside (or right side of the skirt) so that it overlaps the edge by one-quarter inch. Stitch the tape in place by machine close to the top edge of the tape. Press the hem allowance under one and a half inches, towards the inside (or wrong side of the skirt.)

Thread a needle and knot your thread. Start your stitch at a side seam, hiding the knot behind your twill tape. Move your needle to the right to take your first stitch (reverse these directions if you are left handed.) Your stitches should be between one quarter and one half inches in length. Although your stitch is moving from left to right your needle will prick from right to left. This serves to strengthen your stitches and "knot" each one in place.

To make a tiny even stitch, follow the edge of your twill tape and prick through just a few threads of your skirt fabric at the exact line where it meets the twill tape then prick through the twill tape at the same point. This keeps your thread in line with the edge of your tape making it less noticeable and less likely to snag as you wear it. Be sure you only catch a few threads on the back of the skirt fabric and do not bring your needle all the way through to the front. This makes your hem invisible from the right side of the skirt. It is as if your skirt magically ends with out a machine stitch line.

This technique takes longer than machine stitching the edge under, but it looks so much nicer and I always find hand-stitching to be peaceful.

Nijinsky's Ghost

ca velvet jacket, cropped and fringed, covered in pearls, just what any madman would want! one of my new costumes to grace the Edison stage (wish I had clear pictures.)

This one is sexy in a quirky vintage way...

Like a Romanian Gypsy, showing off her legs on the tightrope,

shocking for 1905!

Sew Darling

Look at this little super model baby! I couldn't resist sewing her this little dress.
I patterned it from one I baught for my self, from her mothers store, and scavenged fabric from an ill-fitting vintage garment of my own. The results, too cute for words...
Perfect outfit for Amelia's morning at the farmers market!

Thanks to Sandy for the pictures and thanks to Amelia for being such a good little model.