Category: on my work table

All of a sudden I felt a strong spiritual need to make a goat.  I thought that I would just print the pattern sheets and get started but I haven’t made a goat or a lamb in such a long time that I had to follow my directions closely. It was a strange sensation – relying on the steps that I wrote and photographed but couldn’t remember.  I’m relieved to report that I found myself to be an excellent instructor.  In the lamb and goat pattern I recommend quilting cotton ( find the sleepy goat  sewing pattern here)  but I wanted to make a goat from a fabulous grey wool Edwardian skirt I found last year. It’s a homespun feeling wool and a little fragile – very goatish but not so fun to sew.  It took longer and was fussier than cotton but I felt like it was worth the extra effort – and I like how sculptural I could be with the wool.  I love him.

I immediatley started another wool goat using a vintage blue pendelton shirt. It’s a lot sturdier than the grey and should be easier. I love the color and texture. I’ve been making tiny things from this shirt for a year or so – but it kills me a little each time – I don’t ever want to run out.

And ships and boats – there is a fleet in progress.  I’m in a boat making mood (I think it’s March whispering to me from around the next bend).  And I’m preparing for a ship building workshop here in NYC in April.  We’ll be making fabric ships in the workshop and I’m testing and refining and rehearsing the steps. It still amazes me what graceful shapes cereal box cardboard can make – so many possibilities.

I’m making some smaller sailboats for my fleet too  – they will have bird and owl captains (find the pattern to make your boats own here).  I’ll hang them all here and enjoy them for a little bit and then hopefully sell them so I can do it all again.

It might snow tonight – I hope it does ( just a little please – nothing crazy).  I’m well nested – luxuriating in the post holiday stillness.  I’ve taken to my bed with books, magazines, sketchbooks and some therapeutic hand sewing.  Mainly, I’m making plans for the year ahead and resting the last of a wicked virus out of me.

There are a million things I’d like to do – my first projects will be new sewing patterns and kits.     Kits are definitely going to happen this year – there, I’ve said it.

The first pattern will be a mini – a winter coat for the tiny rag doll (and mr. socks too). I’ve been playing with it for a while and lately got close to what I want: it should be scalable – something that could work for lots of dolls, easy, reversible and pretty quick to make. Look for that pattern next week.

Also – speaking of socks – the print version of the mr. socks pattern is nearly finished. And maybe he’ll be a kit too – what do you think?

I released 3 new patterns last year and feel like it should have been more – I’m hoping to at least double that this year. I’d love to do a collection of botanical patterns – maybe an e-book – with all my techniques  for creating shapes and  details like fancy root systems and organic feeling textures.

There will also be a naked rag doll pattern coming soon and a collection of clothes for her – including a kimono – for her more modest moods.

And I’m determined to finish a project started last year that I got good and stuck on – the flamingo kit.  I’ve made it mandatory – one way ore another the flamingo kit is happening before Valentine’s day. I have to let go of something to make it work and spent a lot of time being obstinate with myself about that. I hand dye and paint the paper and that absolutely does not work for the kit – it’s labor intensive, difficult, challenging space- wise and puts the kit way outside the target price range.  Now that I have a little perspective on it  I’m not even  sure my fussiness was justified. There is  another round of gorgeous italian test paper on the way right now – stay tuned.

There are other plans too – for paintings and drawings – and all sorts of ideas that have been percolating for long enough.

What are you planning? What project will you finally dive into this year?

P.S. If you’d like email notification on the release any of the afore mentioned patterns you can sign up here.

I don’t bake anymore- at least not very often – because I can’t control myself around baked goods.  At all.  So I have to limit my exposure.  One of the things I miss about it are the fabulous smells – especially this time of year.  Cloves are a favorite and lately I started simmering cloves in a crock pot – I throw in citrus peels too if I have them.  I tried adding cinnamon – that was a little too much for me.  But the cloves are magnificent – a warm, clean smell –  just enough – and I’m surprised at how much it affects my mood.   It’s such a simple and pretty much free thing that brings me a lot of happiness.

And if some is good – more is better.  I’m experimenting with homemade clove citrus cleaner.  I Googled recipes and it could not be simpler to make – add white vinegar  and citrus peels to a jar along with optional spices – cloves in my case because of the new clove obsession.

Full disclosure – I don’t know if it works yet.  My jar has been sitting for about a week and I’ll test it out in about another.  I’ll let you know how it turns out.  Have you tried this?  I clean with vinegar often but hate the smell – so I thought it was worth a shot.  Plus it looks pretty.

Another simple and happy and pretty inexpensive thing that brings me lots of joy  – my plants.  Potted plants and stuff I pick up in the park and plop in water – sprigs of white pine etc.  Most of the potted plants were given to me or found abandoned on the sidewalk in Brooklyn. The one exception is the Norfolk Pine. I spent 30 bucks on it  3 years ago to serve as a christmas tree.  It will again this year too – I give it a shower about every ten days and coffee every once in a while – it loves it.

In other news – the mr. socks pattern is getting close – maybe next week or right after Thanksgiving.  You can sign up here if you’d like and email when the patterns is available.

There are a couple mr. socks prototypes in the shop right now along with several new green shoed tiny ladies.  Also – this is the last time the tiny dolls will be offered at their current price – there is just too much time in the fully wardrobed little dolls so if I do make more there will be a significant price increase.

P. S.  If you’ve been making your own tiny rag dolls from the pattern stay tuned for a winter coat pattern coming soon.