celebrityhood! but not at all, really! still, i take what i can get!

The hits keep coming; today I was featured at “Sew, Mama, Sew!” for the little Ready Set Robot shirt I made Nels late last summer* – an item that ended up at the Salvation Army eventually because he grew right out of it in about five minutes! Oh and don’t ask or hint for me to mail you my home-sewn clothes after my kids grow out of them. I would forget to mail a replacement liver to my own brother. I am horrible about sending things in the post (reason #243 not to suggest to me I start an Etsy shop of sewn creations).

I’m back in the groove for kid-sewing but my children are growing out of the “cute” pattern styles I’ve spent the last few years mucking about with – or maybe I’m growing out of working with those patterns (keep in mind I’ve had the same dogeared copies my girl Abi bought me years ago; I can’t seem to bring myself to spring for another subscription). Besides this lovely Ottobre line I mention here (because it is rad), it seems most kids’ patterns you find today are shapeless, boring pull-on sacks with little detail or imagination.  Interestingly this is also true for plus size women, i.e. women over about a size 14 RTW (interestingly “plus size” is actually only the upper half of the American population. Fashion industry, you suck!).

The relative dearth of great kid and fat lady patterns?  I make huge fart-noises with my mouth over this because hello, if anyone has the right to look fabulous, then small child persons and large adult persons do (I am about sick to death of the more fashionable online sewing communities being a huge dose of slim/white/twentysomething ladies posing like mannequins and looking like them too! I mean they look great but lets’ have some actual variety? No? Okay then!)!

So today, thinking about kids’ clothes with persona and interesting design lines I went searching for some vintage patterns.  I found a great Etsy shop with some kid offerings and called Phoenix over to make some choices – she chose four out of about ten. And I liked her picks. Which is kind of necessary because I will seriously veto sewing something I just don’t want to sew.  I’ve learned this the hard way as I still remember the last small soul-suck of a resentful-sewing episode (fuck you, felt pillow with velcro-appliques)! Weird how even at this stage I find myself getting sucked into sewing projects I don’t want to do.

Anyway, Phoenix chose a 50s tiered skirt dress, a 60s spring coat and a-line dress, a 60s chemise-style dress, and a 50s box jacket suit (total cost including shipping just under $30). I have some pretty devilish ideas about fabric choices too!

Today was balmy and wonderful out.  My mother accompanied us to the airport diner. She had I had giant taco wraps. They were good but I couldn’t finish mine. Nels got a shake as big as he is. I seriously love going out to eat with the kids (and my mom). I am fortunate we get this kind of family time often – several times a week.

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Phoenix ran off to a slumber party in the evening and Ralph and I made chicken kebabs, grilled artichokes, buttermilk biscuits (an amazing recipe that included, besides the buttermilk, lots of butter, cheese, and cayenne), corn on the cob, and hot tea with lots of sugar. A small family feast. On our tiny-ass coffee table which is our only table.

Happy Friday!

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ChokeSteamy!

* Psst, extra awesomeness? My project won a slot in a give-away contest with 393 entries; I didn’t even enter the photo; I was head-hunted. I have no idea how I was found actually. Thanks to Shelly from Patterns By Figgys for recommending me!

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