JCasa *handmade

field day!

it's here : make it!

i love love love the look of vintage cheerleader uniforms and field hockey kilts – in fact, i think i loved wearing my field hockey skirt to junior high on game day even more than actually playing - all those pleats take me back to a simpler time. Field Day is a great little pleated skirt with an updated take on this design, featuring inverted box pleats in contrasting fabric and constructed with French seams for a clean tailored finish. **now don't go getting all "French Seams? I can't do that!" on me - this pattern will have Frenchy becoming your new best friend. the pleats drape and twirl – and everybody loves to twirl – while the top band of the skirt gathers with an elasticized waistband to fit your girly for years and years.

Field Day is available for purchase in my shop as a PDF which is sent to you via email, so you could be making something she'll wear tomorrow (like i did, the night before pre-K)! and it is totally do-able, even for beginners, with 5 pages of easy to follow step-by-step instructions, full color images to demonstrate pattern specifics, and complete sewing instructions for sizes 2-12!

if you have ever followed one of my patterns/tutorials, you know that they are non-traditional in their format, a sort of hybrid combining what i love about both knitting and sewing patterns. there aren’t pattern pieces, per se - just directions for cutting and sewing straight lines, simplifying the process as much as possible.

and if you think this design looks familiar... you're right!

like many people, i sew and i knit.  and add to the mix that i design and write patterns... it's been a natural evolution.  i dream up something - an accessory or garment or whatever - and then i think about whether to knit it or sew it.  and when i can figure out a way to do both that really truly works and isn't just whimsical, well then i am over the moon!  Field Day is the sewn version of old skool - so for those of you who like old skool but don't knit, here you go.  and for those of you who both knit + sew... well it looks like girly has a new wardrobe coming.

i hope you + yours enjoy field day as much as we do.  xoxo

version 2.0

...because your Summer Crush will need washing.
and because everyone loves a two-fer.
and because i like you.  so there.

you guessed it, i've put together a little freebie supplement to my Summer Crush knitting pattern.  it was a matter of one-thing-leads-to-another, add in some yummy cotton and a few sunny days and there you have it.  this is a tank top variation on the original halter pattern which is available in the shop.  you will use that main pattern for the majority of the knitting, and then make changes accordingly.  the supplement is a free PDF download here (less than 1MB) - another thanks from me for all of your support and enthusiasm over the years!  xoxo

DIY :: Summer Crush

say hello to :: Summer Crush [a halter for girly]

i have a serious crush on pleats.  remember this?  i still can't get it off my mind.  knit them, sew them, turn them this way and that, i am smitten.  that's how Summer Crush came to be.  i absolutely love the idea of a piece that enters a girly's wardrobe as a dress/tunic and grows with her, evolving into a top.  it features a sideways-knit pleat, a seed stitch motif travelling up the front, adjustable straps and even an option for custom fitting the back to your little one.

ready to cast on? the pattern is available here.

this cute little number comes together quickly with just one seam and a bit of simple sewing - your girly will be running about collecting lightening bugs by week’s end. and you’ll most likely be casting on once again as you + girly are smitten with your Summer Crush. the pattern is available in my shop and i hope you enjoy it as much as i have enjoyed the creative process.  ENJOY!

hobo to go

one of the plusses of doing a big cleanout is finding hidden gems ::

a long lost "super great hobo", one of many i made a few years back and apparently neglected to list in the shop.  you see, what now serves as a playroom was once my sewing space (back in ye ole napping days).  apparently, i used the closet as storage for finished goods for the shop.  who knew.  also unearthed were my old sewing machine, a changing table (since donated), lots of freezer paper and binder clips, and a few forgotten toys that are now getting a lot of attention.  it was like happening upon a time capsule and fun for everyone.  and yes, the bag is available in the shop - at the vintage 2007 price, as well.  xoxo

♥

the shop is now stocked ::

there are also five fabric stimulus packages that get you a box full of goodness!  thank you to everyone who visited the shop to have a look and - more importantly - to all of my readers for your support, encouragement and inspiration each and every day.

and now i think it's time to make some dolls for my dolls.  xoxo

♥ shop news!

tomorrow ::

♥ limited edition mama chic wrist cuffs featuring those very special mama buttons custom made by the lovely paloma's nest
♥ a few vintage finds
♥ and - as promised - a small number of fabric destash stimulus packages that are going to knock your socks off

until then... happy wednesday! xoxo

good things

:: really cleaning out the entire refrigerator for the first time (ahem).  mama pulled the whole thing out from the wall and spent over an hour removing the shelves and drawers for a much needed schmutz intervention.  yep, it was gross.  and now it sparkles.

:: an afternoon trip with my littles into the city to visit lucy otter and friends for the first time since fall.

:: stopping by the market on the way home for 5 simple ingredients to whip up a favorite nigella-inspired quick-cook.

:: finally sorting through the "share" and "sell" piles from my workspace-cleanout a few months ago.  (more on how you can get your hands on some of it in a few days.)

:: discovering an awesome fabric shop ready and willing to help me stock up on supplies for making spring wardrobes.  there was room on the shelves, after all.

:: finding one of the littles snuggled under the "hello, Fall" quilt i opted not to sell, reaffirming why that was the right move.

:: and then there is nibbling on breakfast of toasted flax seed bread with just the slightest smear of peanut butter after having already worked out and feeling really good about all that.  one foot in front of the other, mama.

what is your latest good thing?  xoxo

it's beginning to look a lot like

holiday shop is OPEN!

i am so excited to offer a little something for everyone this year - him, her, the kids, and especially all my merry makers out there - and with TWO great enticements bound to make a lot of people smile.  but more on that below...

curious?  well, read on... there are lavender filled linen ornaments with handbuilt kiln-fired stoneware leaves ::

vintage patchwork wrist cuffs for mamas & their cool kids ::

a special handknit toggle scarf for him or her (or you) ::

of course, there is a new sewing tutorial ::

come now, it was only a matter of time... quilted wristwarmers!  functional, wearable whimsy just the thought of which make you smile, and with a little bit of hidden elastic to keep cold air away and provide the quilty look you love - quite literally at your fingertips.

and finally, there's a knitting pattern for a fabulous cowl ::

it’s a simple concept :: a loose handknit tube that you pull over your head to keep your neck warm when it’s drafty or snowy, or possibly to hide the hint of a double chin. this cowl is appropriately named because I could wear it each and everyday - and i do.

times are tough out there for a lot of us.  so i tried hard to be mindful of that when putting together this year's small holiday shop, creating just a few special handcrafted pieces that people would really love.  a warm thank you from me to you for the support, kindness and inspiration that swells around me so.  i extend my thanks to you and also on our behalf in two ways ::

• enjoy FREE SHIPPING to the USA + CANADA Dec. 1-3, 2008

• for EVERY PATTERN + TUTORIAL SOLD in my shop from Dec. 1-25, 2008, i will donate $1 to the March of Dimes*.  (25 days is a long time and i am excited to see what we can do!)

xoxo

now go have a look!

p.s.  *you can read more about the March of Dimes here.

why? :: because.

why?  as in why on earth am i stopping mid-clipboard of our pre-thanksgiving to-do list to craft?  well, my friends, the answer is simple :: because.

because it calms me.  because it allows me to take a much needed step back to inhale + exhale and get into a more soothing rhythm than the hustle + bustle situtation i have going on these days.  sorry i haven't checked in in so long - all is well in our world save a few runny noses, deep deep coughing spells and more than a mountain of wonderful stuff to accomplish before thursday....

if i think about all that must be done because there will be 15 people here in 48 hours (yikes!), then the joy will be lost.  so i take a step back.  breathe.  think about how blessed we are to have people we love here in our home to celebrate all that we are thankful for.  and smile, knowing that since it's my first turkey, expectations are low - it's bound to be a hit as long as everything is cooked and i remember to take the giblet bag out.  am i right?

there, that's better.  now where's my clipboard...

my warmest wishes to you and yours for a happy thanksgiving!  xoxo

:: - :: - :: - :: - ::

♥ holiday shop :: monday, 01-dec.
...a few small goodies to make you + your people smile!

DIY :: the best bib

new pattern here!  remember i said i was baby-ed out?  well, i am not.

let me set the record straight that it's not me.  (seriously, not me.  we're all good.)  you see, just as i thought i had finished up my baby to-do list, i remembered wanting to send off a little gift to the new baby girl of a very sweet Etsy/bloggy friend.  i immediately pulled out my trusty old favorite and best bib pattern from a few years back and stitched her up a pretty pair of goodies.  and then i made some more for the shop.

 

and while i was making them, i came to the conclusion this is The Best Bib.  really.  so i took some photos along the way, sketched the pattern, a bit of publisher magic and a pattern is born - and it's here!

it's the perfect night-before-the-baby-shower (or birth) gift. it's very easy to sew and includes photos, step-by-step instructions as well as a full-sized pattern piece so you can create your own functional heirlooms that are easy to care for, handcrafted pieces of art that only get prettier with each washing.  enjoy andthank you as always for your support, interest and most of all, your inspiration!  xoxo

***

and yes, we have a WINNER to my giveaway!  and how poetic - she's having twins!! guess i'll make two :) 

oh i love it...it would be perfect for my babes to share (having twins due in april). we don't know what we are having yet so i'm up for any color! off to post about it on my blog right now!

Posted by: StitchingSurgeon| 29 October 2008 at 11:55 PM

StitchingSurgeon, please look for an email from me in a little bit - and many thanks to EVERYONE who entered!  i loved hearing all your baby news!  xoxo