Clean.

Sewing.

My sewing machine got a little dusty this winter. After I moved my sewing room to the basement last fall  I couldn't bare the underground temps for long. I gave up on sewing for the better part of the season. Knitting filled the void and I hardly missed my other hobby.

But now it's hot. That wool yarn is feeling heavy on my lap. And that cold basement is downright lovely.

We had a wedding to attend this weekend. I made four large napkins as a gift. The couple has more modern taste, so I tried my darnedest to make patchwork look mod. (Is that possible? I don't know. I hope I pulled it off.)

These were a little hard to give away. I fell in love with them somewhere along the way. Maybe the colors. Maybe the new fabric. (New fabric! I never buy new fabric.) Maybe the near-modness of them.

I made two coordinating pairs, one with a patchwork strip on a simple grey, and one with large blocks of black, grey, and orange.

At the last minute I added a gift tag, in an attempt at humor. It reads, "I made these. So you're stuck with them."

Unless of course they want to give them back. Because I'd be okay with that too.

Speaking of weddings (and therefore proposals), have you seen this yet?

Oh, my.

I've watched it three times and cried every time. Best proposal ever. This could turn an earthworm into into a hopeless romantic. I mean really. The world is a better place for this being on YouTube. That's my two cents anyway.

Love,
Rachel 

Mama made.

It has been ages since I've shared a finished knitting project with you. There has been plenty of casting off, but for some reason I just don't get around to photographing those projects very often.

This spring I cast off my Lupine's shawl.

I've had it in my Ravelry favorites for ages. But I didn't cast it on until a friend (who found it in my favorites) knit one. Hers was stunning so I decided to go for it.

As it turns out I am not a fan of knitting lace on size two needles. (Who knew?)

It was quiet torture for me, by no fault of the lovely (and truly simple) design. But every few rows I'd count my stitches and be off by several on one side. And always the same side! I'm not a perfectionist (thank goodness or I'd have given up on this project just a few days in) so I'd throw a few stitches in here and there to bring it back up the the right number.

But then a few rows later I was off again.

I gave up on the lace one repeat short of what the pattern dictated and called it good enough. I think it looks great as is, albeit shorter (and less perfect) than it was intended. I won't be knitting another one. I just can't do tiny lace.

Oh, and the color! Remember my desire to bust through my yarn stash? This was the project I cast on after this post. An unobtrusive grey sock yarn, varagated with light blue, white, and dark grey.

We dyed it with two packs of kool aid (cherry and raspberry I believe). I had no idea what color it would turn out which was risky/fun. (I know what you're thinking. "She's so crazy!" Okay. Maybe not. Yeah, that's about as wild as I get over here.)

As it turns out, we got a muted cranberry-raspberry color. I like it enough, but didn't go gaga for it.

Lupine, however, did. As soon as it came out of the dye pot she fell in love with it, so I gave it to her. I did make her promise to share it with me, but 9 out of 10 days she wears it, not me.

The pattern is here and my project is over here.

As for the rest of her outfit (in case you were wondering), it's homemade too.

I sewed these last year when I was on an Etsy kick, selling kids clothes and Waldorf dolls. This was my prototype in fabric that I kind of hated. I was just using it so as to not waste any fabric that I liked.

But somehow that dusty blue and rose has grown on me so much since then then. And now I love it. Truly love it. (The floral print came from my mom's 1980's stash, from something ruffly she made for my sister.)

Unfortunately (for those who are wondering) no there isn't a pattern. There is a slim chance that I could be convinced (someday) to work one up for you but I don't want to promise that quite yet.

The top was inspired by this one and the skirt was inspired by her obsession with twirling when she was four. It is two full circles, connected at the waist and trimmed with vintage thrift-store cotton lace.

Because of the generous sizing she's going into her second year of it fitting beautifully. Two years for one mama made makes me very happy.

What else makes me very happy? That she loves it so much that she squealed when we took it out of the summer clothes box in the basement last week. That's the best reward of mama-made.

And for the record, twirly or not, this skirt is great for wearing while catching barn kittens. I see one now. Run!

Sew a Sunhat.

Hi friends. I want to give my kids my full attention today and not be distracted by time at the computer. With that in mind, I am reposting my sun hat pattern from two summers ago for your enjoyment. Perfect for your little boy or girl, choose their favorite fabric and start stitching! The hat sews up quickly and is fairly easy for even a novice sewer.

If you've made the hat already, I'd love to hear how it turned out!

Have a great day, friends.

Love,
Rachel

~ *~ * ~* ~ * ~

This is a little late in coming. I promised this pattern to you weeks ago! I didn't make the time to stitch up a second one and I didn't want to post it without photos, thus the delay. But summer is wearing on and I have this image in my head of many little boys out in the sun, squinting like mad.

So here it is - a sewing pattern without photos - but a pattern none-the-less. Go forth and sew hats, you brave, bold mamas.

(Note: the hat below seems a bit too tall to me, so the pattern trimmed off about an inch.)

Sage's Sunhat

Materials:

• Pattern - three pieces (below). Print without scaling so that you get the proper size.
• Outer fabric (I used linen)
• Lining fabric (I lined with the same)
• Timtex or other stiff interfacing for brim
• Matching thread

All sewing was done with a 1/2 inch seam allowance. This was sized for my 7 1/2 year old. Adjust as needed to fit a younger or older child.

Boy Sunhat Band (No pattern piece. Rectangle 21.5" x 4") - cut two (one lining, one outer fabric)

Boy Sunhat Top Pattern - cut two (one lining, one outer fabric)

Boy Sunhat Brim Pattern - cut three (two outer fabric, one interfacing.) Note: When you cut out your paper pattern fold and cut so you have the entire 1/2 moon. I only copied down 1/2 of the pattern to make it fit on a single sheet.

Brim

1. Cut interfacing brim down by 1/2 inch on all sides.
2. Sew outer curved edge of brim, right sides together.
3. Turn and press.
4. Insert interfacing and trim if needed to fit smoothly inside.
5. Top stitch outer curve through all layers to hold interfacing in place.

Crown

1. Fold hat band so that the short ends line up (right sides together), creating a flattened cylinder.
2. Sew.
3. Pin cylinder shape carefully to hat top (also right sides together).
4. Sew.
5. Turn right side out and press.
6. Repeat with lining.
7. Pin brim to hat, centered opposite of back seam with top side of brim flat against front of hat (it will look like someone flipped the brim up, 1980's grade school style).
8. Sew into place and flip down. It should be starting to look like a hat now!
9. Press under 1/2" on bottom edge of hat and hat lining.
10. Insert hat lining into outer fabric hat and top stitch together very close to the edge. 

Your hat is done! Dance around a little and then call in your boy (or girl) and share your creation. Feel free to leave comments or send emails with your questions.

xo

Rachel

Patchwork Placemat and Napkin: Simple gifts for kids.

Lupine turns five in just a few days. Which means she wants a party, with three of her closest girl-friends ("Just the friends who like to dress up really, really fancy, like me." It's a very short list.) I took a bold step this year, penning on the three party invitations: "Lupine requests a small friend-made gift or simple craft supplies (glitter, ribbon, etc.)." What will the parents think? I was a little nervous but felt it was a good way to approach her birthday celebration in a way that would meet everyone's desires.

The point of a gift is to bring joy, but a year later if the gift is relegated to the back of the closet, the local thrift-store, or the landfill, why bother? So I found my courage and asked for something specific. And it was well received, by parents from all walks of life. No one raised an eyebrow, at least not openly. And Lupine will get gifts she treasures, that are open-ended, and nourish her creativity. I think it's a win-win.

This weekend we attended the birthday of another five-year-old friend. As Sage, Lupine and I discussed what to make, buy, or gift from our own collections Lupine said, "But mama, does he really need any toys?" She was right. He didn't. So Sage decided to share a plant start from his favorite houseplant (filling a pot with soil, cutting a branch, dipping it in rooting hormone, and planting the branch) and Lupine and I made him a special placemat and napkin. Because it is special, but useful. It doesn't feel like just more stuff.

Do you need to give kids flashy toys from a big box store? I don't think so. This little guy's eyes lit up when he saw the gnome fabric (Gnomes!) and he used if for his birthday dinner. I suspect it will get plenty of use without becoming one-more-thing to pick up off the playroom floor. It was a quick and affordable gift (simple patchwork from fabric from my stash), and I would love one for each of my kids too. But I think I'll wait. I'll save it for a gift some day down the road. 

Felt Crown Tutorial

Today you can find me over on Whip-Up. I was honored to be asked by Kathreen to write a post for her guest blogger series and I shared a tutorial for crafting a free-spirited wool birthday crown or play crown. Click on over to my post and have a peek.

I love this project. Truly. Love it. That would explain why we have two children and four crowns. 

Love,
Rachel

 

Buttercup Bag.

When I left on my weekend retreat I was not as inspired for sewing as for knitting. As an afterthought I grabbed a couple of fat quarters from my fabric stash and googled "free purse sewing pattern." I came up with this, the Buttercup Bag. Using a fat quarter for the outside and less than 1/4 yard for the inside, it was the perfect bag.

I was suddenly very inspired for sewing. Funny how that works.

The only thing I didn't love about the Buttercup Bag was that it closed with a snap (which I wasn't into, because of my propensity for tossing my bag into the backseat of the car or onto my bed) so I modified my zip bag tutorial by substituting the buttercup bag pieced sides for the zip bag rectangles. The result was adorable - and the bag only took me an hour to complete.

When I went to my local quilt shop before leaving on the trip (for the fabric on the bag below) I spied a lovely wallet pattern and brought that along, too. I completed the wallet with the scraps from the buttercup bag (plus a few other bits from my scrap bag) and my friend made me a matching checkbook cover. Perfect!

And finally, I made a Buttercup for Lulu. She needed a place to keep her ballet shoes during the week and to store a snack during class. (And by the way, she picked out that fabric. Ahem. That's all I'll say about it.) I was going to make her a backpack but when my mama-retreat friend suggested I make this instead I loved the idea. Polka-dot lining and another zipper and this one was done is under an hour, too.

I am loving these little bags!

How to Sew a Fabric Bunting.

I wrote a fabric bunting tutorial this summer (for the Saponifier magazine). I wanted to share it with you because who doesn't want one of these? Cute. Handmade. Simple. I use this one at my farmer's market booth but want one for the kids's rooms as well. I also made a more free-form version of a bunting with Sage when he was 4 that we use each year on his birthday. Ready to sew? On with the how-to.

How to Sew a Fabric Bunting

There are no rules for bunting size, spacing, length, or shape. Use my formula below, or just use it as a jumping off point for your own design.

Materials:
Fabric for triangles, of an assorted or single
Fabric for banner tape, 4” wide x your length as determined above
Fabric marking pen
Sewing Machine
Coordinating thread (if the color of your bunting spreads across a wide spectrum, light gray or tan works well for most colors)
Rotary cutter or shears and cutting mat
Straight pins
Measuring tape

Step 1: A Bit of (Easy!) Math

This step is optional, but helpful if you want to know how long your bunting will be. If you don't care, skip the math. If you care, dig in. It'll take you all of two minutes.

First, determine how long you want your bunting to be. To do so, measure the area you want the bunting to span. Add two 24” tails if you want to be able to secure the bunting to something. (like a curtain rod or table leg) and 10” for drape.

For example:

If your banner will span a 6’ (72”) table, you will need:

72” span + 48” tails + 10” drape = 130” length.

 

Across a 10’ (120”) tent you will need a span of:

120” +48” tails + 10” drape = 178” length.

Second, determine the number of pennants or triangles you need. To find this number, subtract your 48” tails, then divide by 10 (the span of each pennant) and multiply by two (the triangles are two sided).

For example, the 6’ bunting will require:

130” - 48” = 82”/10 x 2 = 16.4. Round up to the nearest even number. For the 6’ bunting we’ll make 18 triangles for 9 pennants.

 

Across the 10’ span you will need:

174” - 48” = 126/10 x 2 = 25.2. Rounds up to 26 triangles for 13 pennants.

Step 2. Cut Your Triangles

Cutting the triangles is fastest with a cutting mat and rotary cutter, but is still easy to do with sharp scissors. To make your triangles:

Cut your fabric into strips the height of the triangles (10").

Fold your fabric strip in half matching short edges carefully.

Measure in four inches from the raw edge and mark this point on the top edge of the fabric with a fabric pen.

Connect this point to the corner on the lower edge of the fabric. Cut off this scrap triangle and discard.

In the name of fabric economy you will cut your triangles by alternating point up and point down placement. Measure in 8” on the long side of your fabric and cut. Now measure in 8” on the opposite side and cut. Continue until you have the proper number of triangles, as determined above.

 

Step 3. Sew the Pennants

To make a sturdy, two-sided bunting we will sew together pairs of triangles, then turn them right-side out. (You can also make your pennants one-sided and skip the steps below. Cut triangles with a pinking shears to discourage fraying but know that this type won’t weather quite as gracefully as sewn pennants. Still cute, but a bit less sturdy.)

With a ½” seam allowance, sew each pair of triangles with right sides together leaving open on the top (short) side.

Cut off the point of triangle and turn right-side out. Use a small crochet hook or larger knitting needle to push out the point.

Press each triangle.  

Repeat with remaining triangles and set aside.

 

Step 4. Create Your Fabric Tape

You may choose to skip this step and proceed with grosgrain ribbon or store-bought bias tape. The choice is yours. I have done many variations on the bunting and my favorites used homemade fabric tape (or homemade bias tape). This is also by far the most affordable option. In essence you are cutting a long fabric strip, then folding and pressing the cut edges inside. You might recognize my fabric from the duvet I made for Lupine a couple of years back out of vintage bedsheets. Or you might not. Regardless, it is time to make some bias tape.

To make your tape:

Cut your fabric into 4” wide strips until you have more than the required length determined above. 

With right sides together, sew each strip to the next and press open the seams. You will have one very long strip of fabric. 

Finish the ends by pressing under ¼”, then pressing under ¼” again. Hem.

Fold in half lengthwise, wrong sides facing, and press.

 

Open the fabric and bring each raw cut edge in to meet at the center (press line) and press again. Here it will begin to resemble purchased bias tape.

Fold one last time along your original lengthwise center fold, and press again.

 

Step 5. Sew Your Bunting
For the free-spirits among us, just wing it. (That is my usual process.) If you prefer to end up with a bit more predictability and precision in your bunting, follow these simple steps.

 

Begin by finding the center of your fabric tape. Open your fabric tape (without unfolding the raw edges) and insert the raw edge of a triangle. If you made an odd number of triangles center your first triangle at this mark and pin into place. If you had an even number of triangles pin ½” to one side of the center mark.

Working in both directions from this center point, space triangles 1” apart and pin until you reach the approximate edge of your 24” tail (give or take). If you have a triangle or two left over don’t despair. Perhaps they will make themselves useful in a future project.

Begin sewing at one end of your banner. With a ⅓” seam allowance, sew your banner. Topstitch along the upper edge of the banner as well and your sweet bunting is complete! 

You may choose to applique letters onto your bunting (like your child's name or an inspiring word like "play" or "happiness"). If you applique, do so on one side of a triangle allowing adequate space around your work before you sew the backs to the triangles.

Have fun, friends.

Love,
Rachel

An Upcycled Skirt. And New Serger Love.

I had an old and dysfunctional serger that was given to me a couple of years ago by a neighbor who was moving away. It had been given to her and she didn't know if it worked. I was ecstatic. The possibility to sew on jersey (tee-shirt) fabric without wonky seams was just what I had been wanting. That (free!) machine was the answer to my prayers.

Or so I thought.

I've sewn with it only a few times in the past three years because the machine had a tendency to eat my projects and was a great source of frustration. (Understatement.) The few projects that did make it out alive tended to have stitches pulling out after just a few washings. Baah.

Fast-forward to late last month. While I was on my solo adventure I was attempting to sew a skirt on said cannibalistic machine. Inspired to break out the serger and sew some clothes while the kids were away, I thought that maybe without the distraction of my peeps I could determine what was wrong with it. And I had just thrifted a bag full of cotton jersey tees that I desperately wanted to turn into some new duds.

I got as far as half of a seam and it was over. Done. Kaput. The seam was skipping and my fabric sucked into the feed dogs somehow. I took a deep breath, extracted my skirt from the feed dogs, and went to bed. (It is likely that I made a gin and tonic sometime between the Incident and bed but I'm not certain.) The next morning I put the serger outside with a "Free - take at your own risk" sign and sat down at my computer - Craigslist. Huskylock Serger. Let's see what we get.

And I found one.

A Huskylock 936, over a decade old, but ridiculously modern by my standards. (My sewing machine, inherited from my grandma, is from the early '60's.) A beautiful, marvelous, high quality serger for a ridiculous bargain. I jumped and he agreed to ship it to me, sight-unseen from Minnesota. It arrived this weekend. We had guests, so I left it in the box, knowing I'd need some quiet space to figure out where to begin. It has been a long wait.

Last night I finally had time to figure out my new machine. Sewing with a new serger makes me feel like a sewing newbie for the first time since grade school. I got out the manual, learned how to thread it (no small feat), and pulled out the skirt I tried to make on the old machine. (I first sent Pete and the kids to the park to reduce the likelihood of me freaking out in front of my family while learning how to do it all).

After cutting away the damaged bits on the skirt, I started sewing. And it worked. It worked! I figured out the basics and within an hour of opening the box I had a new favorite skirt in my wardrobe. I feel a new obsession coming on. I can't wait to get sewing again today.

If you are new to sewing, serged seams are the kind inside every t-shirt in your closet and down the legs of your blue jeans. They prevent unraveling and allow fabric to stretch. They make for faster, neater sewing. You can also wear serged seams on the inside or the outside, depending on what you're going for. (See above and below.)

So. Very. Happy!

Back home (and sewing already).

We're home! The Midwest Renewable Energy Fair was amazing, as always. I love this show. Really, truly. Old friends, new friends, great conversations, and inspiring ideas. And the critical mass of homeschoolers is astounding.

Sage was in his element, running free (with a walkie-talkie on his hip in case he (read: we) needed something) with new friends and old, playing, learning, exploring. Lupine was happy to explore and play as well, hand in hand with Pete or me. She packed her bumble bee tutu (yes, to wear to the Energy Fair) and someone there gave her a bee antenna headband to complete the ensemble. She was, well, very Lupine. Ask anyone who was at the fair. They likely saw her. She was pretty hard to miss.

Thanks to all of you who visited (or sent Wisconsin-based friends and family our way in your place!). It is lovely for me to put faces to both readers here and long time LuSa Organics customers.

We got home just in time for our team member Nina's last day (above left). Nina has worked for us since 2009 and now she's headed for Asheville, NC. (Also pictured are: Chris O., production; Karen R., shipping; Lupine, my girl; and Raina, Karen's daughter. Pete and I are at Right with our son Sage who needless to say was not so into the photo shoot.)

Nina came to us when she was 19. I got an email and then a phone call from a very together sounding young woman who wanted to apprentice at an organic soap company. At 19 I wish I had thought to do what she was doing. I was impressed already. So we met and I adored her and Nina came to work for us for "two months" of soap-making training.

Somehow two months quickly became two-plus years and Nina moved from apprentice to intern to part-time production specialist with grace. (If you use LuSa product you have surely used something made by Nina.)

Because she's moving cross-country, I didn't want to burden her with a gift that wouldn't serve a useful purpose. But I wanted to make her something to say thank you for her time, her work, and her friendship. Since like us, Nina uses homeopathic remedies on occasion I thought a little remedy roll-up would keep her blue vials organized on the road.

I sewed two pieces for Nina: a roll-up to secure her remedies (a simple elastic band instead of pockets to help keep the labels visible) and a zip bag to hold any extras and to keep the remedies from jumping out of the roll-up along the way. I even silenced my fabric-miser self and picked three favorites from my stash for the project. I'm glad I did. 

So yes. Easy, sweet, and useful. That's pretty much what I need out of every project. And this one took just a bit of elastic, some fabric, a zipper, and some vintage ribbon. Nina's remedy kit holds 10 Boiron remedies, but you could make yours any size you wish. (I actually had to reference my own tutorial to make the zip pouch. I couldn't remember how to do the zipper and get my choice fabric on the outside. Total geekdom.)

Safe travels, Nina. We love you! Thanks for bringing your spirit to the LuSa family.

A Boy and His Sewing Machine.

Yesterday's flurry of emotional, sincere comments was absolutely lovely. If you haven't read through them yet I encourage you to do so. You are a wonderful, inspiring community. Thanks for your words. 

We're getting ready for a big LuSa Organics show this weekend. I needed some vintage product displays (small suitcase? vintage doll bed?) so the kids and I headed to a nearby thirft store to see what we could find. We don't thrift much anymore so it was novel and fun for us all. No fussing, no asking, just looking and talking and hanging out together as we searched for the perfect something to display our gift sets in.

Sage discovered a sewing machine table there - something he has been wanting for over a year for his own machine. It was $5. We measured the pins that hold the machine and went home to measure. (When Sage turned seven I gave him a vintage machine for his birthday. He loves it but it is too heavy to set up on his own, so he often uses mine instead of his when he has a project to do.) It was a perfect fit. Sage counted out his change and had enough. He begged Pete and I to let him get it. We of course agreed (okay, I of course agreed and Sage and I worked on Pete until he too agreed.) Sage was ecstatic.

We drove the 15 minutes back to the store, and Sage, my normally cautious and reserved-among-strangers boy went in and made the transaction himself. Through the open window I could hear him chatting politely with the thrift store ladies. Heading his voice drifting out across the gravel driveway and realizing that without Pete and I pushing Sage was developing into a confident and capable boy made my heart swell. We've never forced the "please"s and "thank you"s and hand shakes becuase they have not come easy for Sage. These courtesies have been down right painful for him. Right up until yesterday. No, I'm sure he didn't shake any hands and he might not have officially said "thank you" but the interaction was easy and free. It was momentous.

And that cabinet? He washed it. Set up his machine. Rigged up the vintage power cord from his old case. And he's been sewing ever since. This morning he's almost done with a new pair of camouflage shorts. Sure, he's sewing but he's my all-boy-all-the-time kid these days. What better to sew than camo? (Above he is wearing camo shorts, a camo shirt, and yes, even camo underwear. Turns out unders aren't uncomfortable at all if they are camouflage. Who knew?) Sage used the pattern he drew up here and added a deep pocket on one side to "hide lots of stuff." Awesome. That's my boy. And I love that boy so very much.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Today we are loading the LuSa Organics trailer and heading to our favorite event of the year - the Midwest Renewable Energy Fair. Hope to see some of you there. In the meantime I'll be reposting some kitchen tutorials that I know you'll love. Based on the enthusiasm to yesterday's post you're ready to take it up a notch in your kitchens. I hope these tutorials will do just that.

Love to all,
Rachel