The Wool Food Mama

summer dresses

It has arrived, summer that is. When it unexpectedly hit 90 degrees, I found myself short of summer wear for Miss Augusta Bleu.  Of course.

So when the sky decided to rip open 2 days ago, I headed for the sewing room.  Dust bunnies could wait, girlfriend needed some new clothes. 

Let me tell you, that dress form was an absolute dream to have handy too.

My first try is already too dirty to showcase, Gusty had to wear it right off the machine ya know.  But here is dress #2....

The fabric is a Japanese double gauze that's been curing in my stash for a year.  Or maybe 2 years. lol.  Either way, it was a sewing dream.  Sturdier than I thought and not a wonky, every which way, sort of fabric like a single gauze is.

I made an embroidered house to round it all out. 

One more, complete with sun in my eyes squint....

Owl (or cat) Sewing Instructions

Some time ago, I made an owl for Gusty.  Since then, at Gusty's request, I made a cat friend to go along with C. C. Ally.  Here are the instructions if you'd like a scrappy cat or owl too.  C. C. in this picture is sporting a headband made by Gusty so her ear tufts are hard to see. 

1.  Cut a strip of wool (or woven fabric) 8.5 inches wide by roughly 12 inches long.  You'll need 12 inches for the 3-section cat, less for the owl. 

2.  Fold in half lengthwise and sew, making a tube.

3.  Center the seam down what will be the back of the critter.

4.  Use the round edge of a jar or can as a template for the ears, mark with a pen.

5. Sew along your pencil line and trim away excess.

6. Turn right side out and stuff the head until it is about 3.5 inches from the top (ears) seam.

7. Cinch down the neck. You can do this one of two ways;
-Hand-sew a running stitch and cinch tightly, use a locking stitch (or several) to set the neck.
-take a strand of floss and tie it tightly.  You may need an extra set of hands to help set a knot.

8. Before you stuff the body, decorate the face.  Use a doll head needle and start your stitching through the neck. Sew in the nose or beak, I used a satin stitch.  Cut wool felt circles, add buttons first (to the wool felt), then secure to the face.  I used a running stitch for the eyes. 

9. Stuff the body.  Decide now if you'll be making an owl or cat.  You'll do a finishing stitch now for the owl or add another segment for the cat.  This is why the tube is roughly 12 inches long,  I left a lot of room for variations.  You'll trim off quite a bit of excess for the owl. 

10.  To close the bottom, set a running stitch where you'll cinch the bottom closed, Before tying it off, cut away excess fabric leaving  1 inch from your running stitch.

11.  Tuck in raw edges and pull thread tightly, closing the tube.  Set a locking stitch or two or three.

Add a tail or wings. Or not?

For the tail, cut a strip, no particular size, just eye ball it (remember, scrappy cat or owl)  fold in half and secure it's shape with a running stitch. Attach to the cat. 

For wings, cut a circle, fold in half, sew around the edge with a running stitch, attach with your preferred stitch at the neck.

meow.

hoot.

Child-size duct tape dress form instructions part IV

38.  Using your tissue pattern pieces, cut out front, back, arms and neck pieces.  Remember your note to add a seam allowance an inch and a half to the bottom of the front and back pieces.  This is to make a drawstring closure around the bottom.

39.  Mark darts on the back of pattern.

40. Fold on center line, sew on curved line.

41.  Check fit.

42. Trim away excess fabric in pleats and darts.

43.  Sew up just half way the back or leave a side seam partially open so you can fit the cover over the form later

44. Attach front to back at shoulders.  Right side together.

45. Check fit. Sew up side seams.

46.  Fit arm and neck holes.  Use your pins or it won't fit.  

47.  Fit on to the form.  This is where it was a good idea to leave a back or side seam open. close open seams with a ladder stitch.

48. Use running stitch and set in a drawstring.  You could do a casing if you wanted but I'm working against time and growth here with a child size form. lol.

49. Done!!

Baby ducks' first swim.

This was last week, but I'm behind a bit.  It's still worth posting because it's SO stinking cute.

Child-size duct tape dress form instructions part III

I decided to draft the fabric cover in tissue paper instead of muslin.  It drapes well enough and is easy to tear and mark as needed.  For speed you know, considering the child may very well have gone through a growth spurt shortly after completion.  Anyway...

21. Make arm and neck templates. 

I traced around the form (or you can use your existing templates from the cardboard if you saved them) and add a 1/4 inch seam allowance.  Or whatever allowance you prefer.  Just make sure you're consistent with your seam allowance throughout the project.

Add dots or dashes around the pattern using a 1/4 inch ruler or compass set to 1/4 inch. 

Then connect the dots.

Cut out template and check fit.  Misspell pattern pieces in your haste

23.  Mark your form with shoulders and a center line (front and back) to help with pattern draft.

Now, if you're really following along and this isn't just for my own future reference, this is typically where all of the (lack of?) skills and reasoning and frustration with traditional patterns  brought you.  To build in 3 dimension, not 2 dimension.  This...this is precisely where my accomplished sewing mother closes her eyes and looks away.  Smiles and nods, or maybe shakes her head a bit.

Disclaimer aside, proceed with the fabric cover with  whatever methods you prefer, or continue along, by making marks on your form for the shoulders and (front and back) center.

22.  Fold tissue paper in half or make a center line, pin it to the front of the form.

23.  Pin around the neck. Fold aound the neck to generate a guide/pattern line.

24. Fold over the paper to match the shoulder marks that you made previously.

25. Lose control of camera to husband...
 

 

26. Mark sleeve, bottom and side seam. I'm working just one side of the pattern now. 
 

27. Remove and fold in half on your marked center,  shoulders should nearly or perfectly match. Cut out one half and trace to the other half to make it one complete pattern piece.  You could work on the half or fold but we'll be checking fit, so a full front works better in this instance.

28.  Cut it out and check fit.  If you can go ahead without making this a two-piece pattern front or an under arm set in, proceed.

29.  Moving to the back, set tissue paper on the center like on the front.  The back will be a two-piece pattern so folding won't be necessary....

30.  Trim away excess on the bottom immediately 

31.  Fold shoulder to meet front piece or the mark made on the form.

32.  Pull over the front pattern piece and mark side seam.  Mark sleeve and neck seams as well.  Pin and secure.
 

 

33.  Pinch in to make vertical dart, using pins to hold and mark the sew line.

34.  There is also a horizontal dart needed at the waist, pinch, pin and mark as well.

35. remove and mark all pinned darts with a marking pen if you haven't done so already.   Remove pins and smooth out patterns.

36. Make note to self.

37. Make another note to add and inch and a half to the bottom of both patterns.

Part 4 (the fabric cover)  is all photographed.  Just need a breather.  Back tomorrow.

Child-size duct tape dress form instructions part II

18.  Hug test.  Ok, now give your work a hug.  No really.   Oh don't be shy, no one's looking....and it's your child's model after all.  lol. Does it feel just like your little one?  ok good.  Success in size and shape.  Before we move along, I'll admit, I had a creep feel for a split second until I realized it was exactly her size and this just may work!!! glee.   ok, moving along.

19.  Apply spray adhesive.

20.  Apply batting.  snip, fit, tuck and smooth.  I used up some quilting scraps and filled in with wool batting.  You don't want to add too many pounds to your child, but you do want to be able to use straight pins so choose your batting accordingly.

and another view.

Next up, the cover.  I will probably do this in two layers.  One I'll sew directly on to the form and a second that will be a pretty slip cover.  I'm not positive yet....I'm blogging as I progress on this so it doesn't turn into another wip.  So, plans could change. But that's the intent right now. 

My motivation and intent is changing somewhat.  I started out yesterday looking for an affordable solution to patterns.  I *really* don't sew well from a pattern.  But a dress form is simply the bomb for me.  Drap, cut, sew, swoon.  Anyway, I didn't want to invest a lot of time or effort into this because I know gusty will grow. 

Now though, I may just slow down and deck out the slip cover in some favorite fabric.  This piece may be a fun thing to pull out 10 years from now as decor for her bedroom ya know.  Look at how tiny you once were....

Ok, more soon. 

Vegetable

veg-e-ta-ble

-noun

1.	any plant whose fruit, seeds, roots, tubers, bulbs, stems, leaves, or flower parts are used as food, as the tomato, bean, beet, potato, onion, asparagus, spinach, or cauliflower

I've never been a big vegetable fan.  Just haven't.  I don't know why.

Truthfully, I couldn't stand tomatoes, onions, peppers, squash...the idea of any of those in the raw or cooked kind of squicked me out.  Don't think I've missed the hypocrisy of making wool produce for 5 or 6 years. 

Anyway...

When I decided to go all out on a garden this year, I figured I should first, find out why I wanted to grow such a big garden and next,  determine what I'd do with so much produce if I wasn't going to use it.

Well, after careful consideration...I started clicking through favorite meals when we dine out; 
Guac and chips at chipotle. 
Bruschetta from anywhere.
noodles tossed with tomatoes at Olive Garden. 

Hrmmm.  Maybe I do like vegetables. 

Ok then, why don't I like MY vegetables?  I figured this out too!! lmbo.

I wasn't a careful cook.  Eh, get a meal on the table, micro some veggies or put some baby carrots on a plate. Dinner time!!! lets eat!!

So this week, I decided to become a careful cook with Gordon Ramsay as my guide.  Taking what I'd watched on Brian's favorite show, The f word (f is for food), I went about my way through the kitchen with the same simplicity that he uses in his home kitchen, right down to using single words too.  tomato. dice.oil.season. eat. 

This is some of what we dined on this week....

Guac and chips
 
avocado
tomato; seeds removed
red onion
pepper
blitz (that means blend)
lime; squeeze

Roasted Vegetables

mushrooms; chop
zucchini; chop
turnip; chop
summer squash; chop
sweet potato; chop
potato; chop
carrots; chop
shallot; chop
oil
toss
salt
pepper
roast

I know Gordon is rough and foul around the edges.  But his F word show is different.  It's a portrayal of his complete life, which is surprisingly simple and uncomplicated; raising his own meats in the back yard, taking the mystery out of good food and letting the food be itself, a restaurant where the customer's decide if they like the meal. 

He made me a vegetable believer...I may have to move him to miracle worker status. ha. 

Child-size duct tape dress form instructions part I

I really want to make one for myself, but thought I'd start on a smaller scale by making a form of Gusty...

**side story here, if you want to make one of those priceless visa commercials for yourself, do this;

buy a roll of duct tape *5.00*
ask your husband if he'd be willing to wrap you up in it.  *free*
expression on his face. *priceless*

Ok..here it is on the cheap.  REAL cheap.  The child is only going to be this size for another half of a year, maybe a hair more, after all.

Supplies
duct tape
card board (pizza boxes)
big rock, sort of flat
old t-shirt
clean plastic bag
spray adhesive
thin batting
old plastic bags for stuffing
packing peanuts (not required, if you have enough old bags, that's ok)

Prep
1. tie up long hair or it will get stuck in the duct tape.
2. put on a tv show for bribery
3. precut several strips to get you started

Instructions

1. Have child wear old tshirt.  you're eventually going to cut the form off of them and may nick the shirt.
2. cut head and arm holes into clean plastic bag and slip over child.
3. start taping.  (through my own trial and error, I found that a long strip around the waist and over the shoulders would have been a better place to begin.) 
4.  After you have waist and shoulders in place, use shorter strips  6-8 inches long, start from the top and spin the child as you add tape.

Annoyance will set in just before you're completed....but we managed a happyish smile no less.

Working around the stomach and butt was difficult.  She has no concept of suck it in but when I did work around the bottom of her belly, she automatically drew in her stomach.  This is just the price of working with a five year old.

5.  Cut straight up the back and then remove the form.

6.  Use small strips of tape to tape it back together.

7.  Hang the form so that you can add tape to the bottom to kind of level it off.  If I just stopped, without adding leveling strips, my form would have been tilted forward.  Which would affect drape and skirts later... 

before leveling

After...

8.  Set the form on a piece of cardboard to make a base template.   I used four layers of cardboard so cut 4 total.

9.  Tape and/or glue the four layers together.

9.  Tape a rock or scrap of concrete to the base.  I'm undecided about using a stand so I wanted it weighted so it doesn't fall over on me while I work.

10.  Tape the base inside of the bottom of the form.

11.  While holding a piece of paper against the arm hole, draw a template.  Use this template to make a cardboard insert.  Mine worked for both arms.  Repeat for neck hole.

12.  check the fit and adjust as needed.

13.  Trace two armholes from cardboard and cut out.

14.  Tape into place. Leave neck open for stuffing.

15.  Start stuffing through the neck hole. .  Use plastic bags at the base, to fill in snuggly around that rock.  Then top with peanuts if you have them, of use bags exclusively.

Note, you may get some dents even after you fill it up with peanuts.  Use plastic bags to push those out by shoving plastic down the inside wall. 
 

16.  Cover the neck.  What I did was place a few strips on the back of the insert so I could pull up the cardboard if it fell into the form.

17.  Tape it all up...

Continued tomorrow.....

....trying to catch up.

Just a quick thank you for all of the kind comments and emails about my patchy apples. 

Several days ago my tute was featured on Craftzine blog, immediately followed by a link on One Pretty Thing, then wow, Craft Gossip too. 

I'm so humbled.  I intend to respond to each of you, it's just going slowly.   

Thank you...

Abundance

a-bun-dance
–noun

1.	an extremely plentiful or oversufficient quantity or supply.

2.	overflowing fullness: abundance of the heart.

3.	affluence; wealth: the enjoyment of abundance.

Did I mention that I'll be turning 40 soon?  Yeah, well, until his very moment, I've been kicking and screaming up the crest of the hill so I haven't spoken of it much.   Down right pre-teen style denial about it if I'm being perfectly candid.

So.  (that's what's Minnesotans say all the time.  To segue or to prep the other person in the conversation for a whole lot of verbal diarrhea or, finally, to break the awkward silence.)

So.

This 40 thing.  As a woman, 40 sort of marks the half life mark.  How's that for a buzz killing thought?

30 was amazing.  I was a woman, not a young adult.  I'd earned everything I had and I'd worked really hard for it.  My voice, it had seasoned value. Modesty and humility had arrived.  Life was good.

Yesterday, I sat in the dreaded mall play area.  My oldest daughter seated next to me, while the two of us watched my youngest daughter run and laugh and play and make friends with children that didn't need names; just a will to run and laugh and play along with her.  Oldest and I shared  snorts about youngest's outfit choice in comparison to the lovingly tended younger children in their gymbo lines.  I commented about Gusty's pants (flannel unicorns) being a bribe years ago in a fabric store.  Madison suggested I burn them in between her texts to friends in far away places on spring break.  I nodded...

Not a nod of agreement, rather a sudden awareness that 40 didn't mark the end of my first half of life, rather the beginning of the best half of my life. 

I can't tell you how profound it was to watch my gorgeous girls displaying their independance with a tiny bit of abandon right in front of me.    No saggy diapers, no runny noses, imune systems strong enough to weather public play areas, picking out their own outfits, text messages. 

So.

My mind drifted.  It landed in my abundance...

A happy and healthy husband.
Children rich with friends and projects and laughter.
A home about to burst forth in sustainability.
My own health and happiness.

...and flannel unicorn pants. 

Why have I been fighting this I wondered.   I wouldn't change anything in my 1st life half, why was I reaching back so hard to hold on to it? 

Maybe because it's all a little blurry.  The lines of time do that when there are 4 children around.  Odd, isn't it, that when your vision is starting to fuzz a bit on the fringe, your world's richness becomes so much more clear....abundantly so.

Bring on the 40 I say.