Monday, December 6, 2010

christmas pjs for the boys


IMG_0003, originally uploaded by flanmela.

well, at least one of them. the other boy wasn't around when i had the camera ready.

i do love these pjs -- they're oliver+s bedtime pjs, sized 3T in flannel. i have made the pants umpteen times before, but the top i had never made. extraordinarily simple to make, while being very, very cute and easy to wear! the only thing i would (and did) change on the pattern was the making of the ties (they basically had them as bias tape, double folded and stitched down; i would do a pull-through tie) and the attachment of the ties (they do it after the garment is complete; i would attach them in the seams).

otherwise, a fabulously adorable boy in his super scrumptious (or, as he would say: "de-LISH-shush") pjs.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

tiered skirts are perfect for ...

back to school. this one's in liberty babycord.



and this one is in echino. cute, comfy and easy.

tiered skirt in echino

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Cute little Japanese open-backed tunic

okay, so this is old (from this summer) but if i don't post about it, i'll forget i ever did it. it was a gift for the middle bug's best buddy. i hope i see her in it someday!

Monday, November 22, 2010

thanksgiving napkins


thanksgiving napkins, originally uploaded by flanmela.

i have discovered, since i began sewing, a very surprising fact: i love ironing. and this project is *the* project for ironing lovers!

i saw this post on purlbee awhile ago and promptly went out to my local fabric shop a bought 2 yds of linen and some fall-themed half yard pieces. it's taken me a while to actually do the sewing, but once i started, it only took 2 hrs to make the 10 napkins. here they are:

thanksgiving napkins


there is a lot of pressing, but i've discovered that i enjoy the pre-sewing process as much, if not more, than the sewing itself. and the results are really lovely. thanks, purlbee!

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

blanket for grandbaby!


Blanket for James, originally uploaded by flanmela.

not my grandbaby... but since i don't know the parents, only the grandparents (hi mike and tammy!), i'm calling him a grandbaby. it's a very simple blanket, maybe even a playmat because it has a pretty thick batting (polar fleece).

here's the front (very cute print...)

BLanket for James

i'm sending it out today, with well wishes to the new family of three!

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

christmas nightgown


christmas nightgown, originally uploaded by flanmela.

i finished (well, nearly) the middle bug's christmas nightgown and she loves it. it may be a touch small around the chest, but i'll just adjust the placement of the buttons.

i'm making two more of these (shorter versions) for middle bug and her friend -- who we're spending the weekend with.

boys pjs to come!

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Christmas pjs in progress


Christmas pjs in progress, originally uploaded by flanmela.

i've started the kids' christmas pjs. i'm hoping to have them done by thanksgiving, so as to enjoy them for the entire month of december.

but, that being said, i'm using a vintage pattern for the middle bug's nightgown and -- while it's long enough for a 7 year old (she's 4 and the pattern's for a 4yo), the neck circumference barely fits around my wrist. kids from the 50s must have been very tall with very small necks. or they just were all chokey in their pjs.

so, i might be tacking the collar down, as i've done in this picture. or maybe i'll just leave the top button undone.

either way, i think i'm going to finish this tomorrow and will love it. the boys get pants in co-ordinating plaid flannel. god, how i love willing (if ambivalent) participants!

Monday, November 8, 2010

best madeliene bump yet


Best madeliene bump yet, originally uploaded by flanmela.

i've been sort of obsessed with making madelienes lately -- i've made all sorts: traditional, chestnut flour, almond flour. i've made them using a traditional genoise base, heavy butter batter w/ no leavening agent, and a cheater version with baking powder added.

these are my chocolate madelienes and, of all of the ones i've made, they have the best "bump". the recipe comes from my favorite resource -- king arthur's flour company. there's no leavening agent -- just hyper-whipped eggs, beaten with the sugar until they're light yellow and ribbony.

they are delicious. just ask my kids.

Saturday, November 6, 2010

loving the little house dress!


loving the little house dress!, originally uploaded by flanmela.

i was just looking through my pictures and saw this one. i love it.

flippy skirt


IMG_9899, originally uploaded by flanmela.

it's taken her a while, but the middle monster (aka, miss fashion thing) finally is into wearing this skirt. the biggest problem with it, to her mind, is that it has "ties! NOT TIES!" my strategy is to keep the ties out of sight when putting it on her.

anyway, the skirt is made from echino double gauze and from a pattern in one of my favorite japanese sewing book -- nani iro. i think it's adorable.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

this morning's work


liberty twill skirt, originally uploaded by flanmela.

so, i was bored this morning and haven't been in a sewing mood lately. i have, on the other hand, been in a cutting mood. i think that i have 10 or 12 projects cut and ready to be sewn.

this was one of them. it's from this book.

i really love it -- it's a true wrap skirt, with pockets and pleats in the front and it's intended to have pleats in the back -- but as those looked too boxy, i switched it to elastic.

so, that's what i did this morning.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

prairie girls in montana!


Prairie Girls, originally uploaded by flanmela.

we had such a lovely trip to montana with our family and friends -- the fitzpatricks, the flannigans and the morrison/bergers! the girls enjoyed wearing their matching prairie dresses (though madison had to berate me to finish hers while we were there!).

they were adorable!

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

finding reasons to get *really* excited about our montana trip

reason #1 -- we'll be seeing my brother and his family, including two adorable cousins that my kids haven't really met yet!

reason #2 -- lots of swimming time at the hotel and knitting time in the car!

and reason #3 -- perfect opportunity to make LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE DRESSES! i've just finished this one -- the dress is with pintucks, a peter pan collar and is made in a nice, muted Liberty lawn fabric. I've made the pinafore with some nice natural muslin. The pattern is an 80's McCall's pattern, and the only thing i don't like about it is that it's one size only -- size 5.

but i'm guessing she won't want to wear little house on the prairie dresses when she's 13.

i'm making another one for our 5yo cousin.

and maybe another for my bug...

Thursday, July 15, 2010

big boy shirt


big boy shirt, originally uploaded by flanmela.

finished this a while ago -- around father's day. it's a shirt that was cut from my husband's well-worn favorite business shirt. in fact, it was the shirt he wore to our rehearsal dinner 8 years ago, so -- very sentimental!

the pattern is from a japanese sewing book and i love it! the neck is a bit too big -- when i was cutting the front, i maintained the buttons and buttonholes but didn't properly adjust the sizing. oh well. it's still pretty fab!

happy 100th birthday, elizabeth!


charity child's BSJ, originally uploaded by flanmela.

just finished a cardigan for charity. it's one of elizabeth zimmerman's classic patterns -- the baby surprise jacket. i made a child's size (6 to 8 yo) with my noro and morehouse scraps and have to admit, i like how it turned out. very EZ, if i do say so myself.

a lovely woman on ravelry has organized a charitable giving of many, many BSJs to children in need in elizabeth zimmerman's home state of wisconsin. all in EZ's name. i'm very excited to be a part of it!

Saturday, January 23, 2010

evie, elise and (soon to be) camille's pjs





evie, elise and (soon to be) camille's pjs, originally uploaded by flanmela.

the girls' birthdays are all coming up and genevieve picked out the fabric for elise's and her own pjs. we're going to a sleep-over event for one of the girls' birthdays, so it will be cute to see them all together!

meanwhile, genevieve is sporting hers prior to her 4th b-day, but i guess that's the perks of being the daughter of the maker...

Monday, January 11, 2010

my circular needle case





IMG_7558, originally uploaded by flanmela.


yeah, they're still a mess, but better than before. and why, in God's name, do i have so many size 10 needles?