I haven’t been to Disneyland in decades, but they still do them!  (And it only takes about a minute!)

Last month I finished a large Swap-Bot swap.  This one was called “A Line Full of Love”

Send your partner something that resembles a clothing line that has a pair of pants or Capri’s, a pair of shorts, a pair of socks, a shirt, a skirt, a dress (think spring and simple).  Attach with clothes pegs package and send to your partner.

The line is baker’s twine and the the clothespins are some mini colored ones from Michael’s.

Left to Right

• Oliver+S popover dress (free pattern)  I used 1/4 pre-made binding.
• Liberty Jane T-Shirt Variations. Up-cycled from a tee.  I think I did 3/4 sleeves and a scoop neck
• Liberty Jane Harajuku Station skirt
• Cuffed short modified by me from Heritage Doll Fashions Cropped Cargo Pants pattern
• pajama pants from (my first!) self drafted pattern.  Up-cycled from unworn pajama shorts

The little socks when in my first zipper pouch!  It’s from Skip to My Lou’s Pleated Pouch Tutorial

BONUS pictures!

Charles keeping an eye on the knitting…

Zumbathon for ALS (90 minutes! This was half of the gym!)

Found on my camera were these dresses in the window of a (closed at the time) children’s shop (I think it’s The Original Children’s Shop in Madison Park, Seattle)  I think we were up there last Memorial Day weekend.

Now for the pretty!

]]> http://akimbo.co/2012/04/some_pretty/feed/ 0 http://akimbo.co/2012/03/tutorial_cuffed_short/ http://akimbo.co/2012/03/tutorial_cuffed_short/#comments Mon, 12 Mar 2012 01:12:52 +0000 akimbo http://akimbo.co/?p=708 I had fun figuring out these cuffs this weekend and thought others might be interested.  The first pair I made I tried flat construction and I did not like out the cuff came out.   These applied after the leg inseam is sewn look decent!

Pattern: Heritage Doll Fashions Cropped Cargo Pants for AG Dolls from Liberty Jane Patterns.  I used this a few weeks ago on the Volcanologist outfit.

I trimmed 2 1/2 inches off the bottom of the pants front and back.  With the contrast, I cut out the pocket front and back.  The cuff pieces were block fused then cut into rectangles  8 1/2″ by 2 1/2″.

Sew shorts, leaving off hemming step.  (On this pattern I left off the side and back pockets and the ties.  The waistband was cut on the bias.)  (Ignore the unfinished waistband and disappearing purple marker

Fold cuffs in half with short ends meeting, wrong sides together.  Stitch.  Bust open.

Fold lengthwise, wrong sides together and press.  (I love my Seam Stick for doll clothes!)

Match up seam of cuff to inner leg and sew to wrong side of leg.  Here it is sewn and serged… (this is about as small of a circumference as my serger will do!)

Press seam up on to the right side.  (It’s underneath in this image)

Stitch seam down from wrong side.  This helps it lay flat.

Fold to right side and press, making sure only the contrast shows at the bottom from the outside.

Wear!

It would probably be worth trying a shaped cuff instead of a just a simple rectangle.  There’s a little bubbling of the leg (on the right in the below pic).  I suspect making that edge of the contrast where the fold is just a smidge longer will help it lay flat outside of the leg.

]]> http://akimbo.co/2012/03/tutorial_cuffed_short/feed/ 1 http://akimbo.co/2012/02/volcanology-101/ http://akimbo.co/2012/02/volcanology-101/#comments Mon, 20 Feb 2012 12:32:40 +0000 akimbo http://akimbo.co/?p=665 I finished my first full doll outfit this weekend.  Sadly it was raining and I didn’t get pictures outside.  My younger niece will be 9 and has an awesome obsession with volcanoes!  Without going all out and making a silver bunny suit for collecting fresh lava samples or making a seismograph, we have a volcano adventurer…

• Glasses and T-shirt from Joanns, Springfield Collection.  Shirt came with some wide legged jeans I’ll have to find a use for.  I found some volcano line art I liked and traced it on the shirt with disappearing marker and did outline stitch on the lines and added beads.
• Soil and ash samples made from dollar store glitter shakers.  The tops are super glued down.  The little scoops are bead scoops from the beading aisle at Joann’s.  I couldn’t find metal ones, I know I’ve seen them before!  They’d probably stand up better to abuse.   We have one vial left that will be filled with Mt. St. Helens ash.
• Cargo pants from this Heritage Doll Fashions pattern: Cropped Cargo Pants for AG Dolls.  I had issues with the pocket flaps and left them off.  I also changed the waist band by cutting it on the bias and attaching it with the elastic inside.  I think I then pressed the seam allowance down and top stitched.  Fabric is 100% cotton twill from Joann’s.  Pockets were a breeze to stitch down using double sided sew through basting tape!
• Backpack is a Sew Urban pattern: The Urban Backpack for AG Dolls.  I added extra interfacing to the flap and made a button hole.  I had issues with easing in the sides of the backpack around the corners.  I ended up cutting them one inch longer, then sewing around the same direction on both sides and cutting off the excess (about 1/4″).  The red lava-like fabric is from my stash.
• Hat and boots from Bea’s Doll Boutique.  Both were a teensy bit small for American Girl doll.  Hat could be a little bigger.  It sits high on the head.  The boots are almost impossible to get on with socks (which are also probably a little thicker than manufactured doll socks)
• Hiking socks made from dollar store kids socks.  Super fast and easy!  Here’s a tutorial.  Pin around doll, draw line, stretch stitch on line, trim, done!

Socks in progress:

So glad it’s done!  Between this and pattern drafting class, I haven’t done much else in my spare time.

It was hard coming up with something a child might like more than what I’d like.   I now have a notebook full of  designs!

This entry placed in the top 85 (out of several thousand, I think).  I think I’ll have to make it some day.

These designs were created on my iPad with the Brushes app and a stylus. (I just got a Bamboo Tablet for my computer but there’s a steep learning curve)

Video was created with Powerpoint 2010 and YouTube’s video editor.

Here’s a “Behind the Scene” video of me drawing.  With the Brushes app on an iPad, it lets you play back your drawing stroke by stroke. I then exported it and used the Brushes Viewer (Mac only) to save a video. Music added through the YouTube video editor in a web browser.

Lots of rearranging and coding going here!

Hope to get it nailed down soon so I can post stuff.

Thing 1: Pinterest.

Pinterest is a visual, virtual pinboard where you can clip and share images with others.  I have found so many amazing ideas from fashion to crafts to sewing to fitness to home decor that I get almost get overwhelmed.

Here’s a link to my Pinterest boards.  Email me if you want to join and need an invte.

Today’s Pinterest find is these 1930s fashion plates from the New York Public Library Digital Gallery.  A lot of them have technical drawings too.

I’m in love with the seaming on this jacket and the curved inseam pocket.

Robe matinale. (1935)

Thing 2: Pattern Drafting

I’ve been trying to take a class for a few years but have been unable to find one on the weekends.  I decided to try it myself.  I already had a few books so I picked up a few more and ordered some drafting tools and a half scale dress form.  I will be documenting my progress and hoping the internet can help!

I did take a Fashion Sketching and Illustration classes a few months ago from Portland Sewing and had a blast. I need to scan in some of my drawings.  I’m currently taking their Beginning Sewing series as a sort of remedial sewing class for me.

More later!

I researched a lot of pattern storage and organization options on the internet and found this solution.  These are basically half size bankers boxes called [IN]PLACE Hanging File Desktop Storage Boxes from Office Max.  I have not seen this size any where else.  I popped down to my local Office Max with a McCall’s pattern (because their envelopes are the largest of the Big 4, excluding the large Vogues) and they had them, and it fit nicely.  I paid about $12 for a pack of 6 boxes and went back the next day for more!

Here’s the insides of one, filled with patterns for knits.  There’s enough room for the slightly taller and wider KwikSew envelopes with the regular patterns and for a few of the larger Vogues on the side.

They fit Burda Magazines on their side…

and Ottobre, Burda Plus, and Burda Easy Fashion.

Sadly, they are not long enough for Jalie patterns.  I have a magazine holder they just barely fit in (tracings kept in plastic behind pattern) with my Threads and other miscellaneous sewing magazines..

But they’re done!  My extra boxes will hold my cutout/used patterns and envelopes in gallon ziploc bags.

These should fit nicely on some 12 inch shelving when ever I get around to it and the boxes aren’t full so I can buy more, right?!

Bonus picture for mom: red hair!