whispering pine

sew :: weave

2008-03-25T13:20:01Z

pattern: amy butler's barcelona skirt
difficulty (1-5): 2
pattern size: small - medium
fabric: 1.2 yd of wool and cotton
notions: invisible zipper

a while ago i asked brooke if she would be interested in swapping some of her amazing weave works for some handmade items from me, she agreed to my proposal. naturally i was delighted, for i have been following her journey as a weaver. while not able to indulge into this craft myself, owning a piece of a fellow crafter's weaving art seems like a much better end of the bargain.

that being said, sew something for another person was challenging, fitting in particular. i like brooke's almost monochromatic photos and details in her work very much, and i wanted to make something that would fit in. so a piece of textured charcoal i have in my stash was chosen to be made into a skirt. i also wanted to incorporate my take on her style, so i added the bright cotton print as lining. it adds the moment of unexpected joy. which really is my belief in style and fashion in general - moments of unexpectedness, hiding out of sight, only reveals to those who also appreciate such wonders. she did like this little pouch with a pink patch i made before, so i don't think she mind the splashed yellow underneath the charcoal.

and the weather was getting warmer as the swap was progressing. spring is really the time for cotton and washed denim. i was really inspired by the textural work of brooke's weaving. so i thought of waves... waves of fabrics folded, creating interesting shades. lines were created to stabilize the creases, sometimes they would be out of alignment, but that's the point of waves, a little bit unpredicted. handles were hand stitched.

pattern: wave bag (my own)
difficulty (1-5): 2
pattern size: medium
fabric: 1yd of denim
notions: cotton for lining, a pair of handles

more pictures can be found here and here. the beautifully woven tree top shawl from brooke arrived at my doorstep this week. it is as light and airy as the photograph and has now become the most amazing shawl in my closet. thank you so much, brooke!

paper thin tunic

2008-03-13T16:10:45Z

pattern: paper tunic (inspired by butterick B4684)
difficulty (1-5): 2
pattern size: small
fabric: 2 yd of cream egyptian cotton
notions: linen/cotton biased tape, bits of fusible interfacing

this piece of cotton was with extreme fine weave. when i saw it in the fabric store, it really did not stand out from the rest of the pile. but the touch, the softness only cotton can give, was obvious. like liberty's cotton. i also love the cream color. white is lovely, but too stark. if i want this tunic to be part of my summer, i can do without the starkness.

i was really hoping to have this tunic done by last summer so i could wear it on our cruise vacation. that never happened. but it worked out in the end, as now i had a lot more time to sew carefully, french seamed all parts. and enjoy the loveliness of cotton.

what i love about sewing - oh there so many things i love about this craft - is really how much you are willing to step outside the norm. i'm absolutely sure that this fabric was really meant to be used as bed sheets. but i love it as my tunic. i was at mood fabric couple days ago (more on that later), looking for corduroy, which was with the upholstery. the lovely cords i found were probably meant for seat cushions... but they will become my winter skirts. i love that the fabric has no limitation in my sewing world.

not very good with self portrait. to show how lovely this tunic is for a breezy summer day.

winter crafting

2008-03-05T22:14:35Z

with the house progressively being set up, i am having more crafting time during the day. in fact, i have been sewing these past few days! so wonderful, the first thing i do in the morning this week has been cutting fabrics, ironing, threading... while listening to music.

today i was making the dress/bloomer set for my niece. it's red and white mostly. with sock monkeys all over the place. my sister suggested that i made a little quilt to go with it, too. i'm still thinking about that one.

and this orange cardigan is for husband. i tend to work on this when we are watching tv. progress is slow and winter is slowly moving away. oh well. i heard connecticut has long winters, though.

what i really want to knit is a pair of socks, but i really don't like casting on for socks. it's so cumbersome in my hands. i'm still meditating on what yarn/pattern i'm going to work with.

we went ski/snowboarding in vermont this past weekend. i finally learned how to ski properly, after three lessons, i went down a few green slopes. the snow was so powdery in vermont, every skiier was in love with the condition. i'm still too new to this sport to truly appreciate that.

vermont was completely covered in snow, i don't think i have ever seen this much snow in my whole life. we were also completely fascinated by the icicles. winter takes on a completely different meaning in new england.

hello from connecticut

2008-02-22T17:29:57Z

it snowed today, for the first time since we arrived last week. it's strange waking up to a totally different scene. it's also very cold. but i think we knew that before coming here.

i also shoveled snow for the first time in my life. i did not expect the snow to be so heavy, especially after pushing the shovel for a few feet. what a workout! cats are obviously not a fan of snow just yet. only one cat was brave enough to check out the snow up close, the other two were hiding.

but we love it here so far. i feel like a stranger in the city, looking around with a fresh pair of eyes. it's all very exciting. we can't wait to go snowboard/skiing.

my craft room is slowly being set up, it's a mess at the moment. i did manage to put a floor mirror in my craft room, this would ultimately make fitting and looking at myself a lot easier. and i don't care for the purple carpet, either. but i can live with it for a while, i guess.

just before we moved here, i bought some yarn for the first time since early 2007. i want to make a shawl/scarf, more precisely, a clapotis. in this beautiful yellow malabrigo! this color has been showcased here and here, i think it will look great with blue (you should all know about my color fascination by now, no?)

anyway, i'm also looking forward to some sewing. now that i am between jobs, which seems like a great opportunity to make a big project or some sort. another quilt, that winter coat i've been talking about and possibly some clothes for my cute nieces.

and more regular blog posting, for sure.

what makes blue beautiful?

2008-02-04T14:45:32Z

i have been thinking a lot about colors lately, and a lot about why i would find certain colors attractive, and why i am drawn to certain hues almost invariably given the opportunity. i have no aversion to any color families, i love them all, but most of the time, i end up with a stash full of blues, grays, creams and reds. it's really interesting, when you think about it.

however it gives me no aesthetic satisfaction or any sense of style, when i wear just blues, grays or reds. and i have such admiration for those high fashion girls who can always throw multitudes of colors together and accentuates the focal attention to that touch of bright blue, that spark of yellow... that unexpected violet.

so i started to think about complementing colors. what makes blue beautiful? is it yellow? or white? how about red? and how can i make gray not boring? do you think about those things when you pick up your favorite color to wear in the morning? or is it just me overly obsessing?

lately i'm very into bright colors, those suffocating, scream in your face type of bright colors. i'm drawn to yellow very much. and the boldness of yellow and purple and black and whites is just so amazing. and full of confidence, too. i'm also drawn to some greens. i'm never a huge fan of greens, but i ended up getting some of the most amazing handmade green bags from drikab. it's like spring, so effortlessly refreshing. drika is an amazing artist, the way she pairs up colors is ever so intriguing. and these whimsical bags are so beautifully made.

and i found myself picking up these stack of blue/green cottons from kaffe fassett's collection. i'm not sure what the gingham is going to be, but they look so vintage. i'm thinking a pair of lounge pants with the green stripes, and a pin tuck shirt with the blue shot cotton. and one day, i'll make something yellowy to go with the blue.

i also made an attempt to wear color tights, with my newly acquired bally flats. teal is beautiful by itself. but i think it looks even more teal with black. it draws you in. makes you love teal even more.

thick cable sweater

2008-01-24T16:37:30Z

pattern: cable sweater from rebecca 28
difficulty (1-5): 2
size: smallest
yarn: rowan's chunky print in temper
knitting specs: us 10 & 10.5 cir.

this january has been really cold in atlanta. it snowed. twice. i need to get used to the cold again. as we are moving to new haven in a few weeks! the cats got out during the snow, i don't think they liked it very much.

i finished a thick, woolly cable sweater and wore it last weekend to connecticut while house shopping.

i love how it fits on me. it's probably not the kind of style a lot of people digs but i am so tired of short, cropped, tight fitting sweaters (or tops in general), so i made this one extra long, torso wise. the sleeves are also long and snuggly, i'm happy with the outcome.

the pattern was from rebecca. i sometimes forget how wonderful their patterns are. it's so easy and clear to follow. i have made several projects from rebecca and loved all of them! can't really say the same for other designers!

the yarn was rowan's discontinued chunky print in charcoal. this bag of wool had been sitting in my stash for almost a year, i was going to make roxie. but i'm so glad i ditched that idea. a cabled sweater is so much more practical than a frilly cardigan. i'm not sure how the yarn holds in wash yet, i hope it's not going to be too bad.

i did make a couple minor modifications, one being the sleeves. i read at several places that the sleeves were turned out too wide, so i reduced the increases to one less than indicated and adjusted the rows between each increase to 10 (i don't remember what was in the original pattern). it turned out just fine. the yarn did stretch with blocking and wearing. another change is the turtle neck. i decided not to do that because i don't think it fits with the tunic style body.

knitting sweaters are fun. i love knitting sweaters and cardigans a lot more than socks or accessories! immediately upon completion of my cable sweater, i cast on for the ribbed cardigan by joelle hoverson. husband has been waiting for a bright color cardigan from me since last christmas, can't procrastinate any longer. pictures to come!

we found a lovely place in new haven. the house is great but what we love is the field behind the house. it is suburban living to its fullest. plenty of nature reserve. i look forward to running again!

wintery obsession (or inspiration)

2008-01-04T16:55:42Z

i have been obsessing about a few material goods as of late. it was the side effect of christmas shopping, compounded by the move to a much colder area. i have been obsessing about a winter coat, a stack full of sweaters in colors of rainbow, a nice pair of leather shoes. some warm merino wool tights in charcoal, brown and ruby reds.

i'm thinking of crafting.

i can definitely knit a stack full of sweaters, using my stashed yarns. and i have been knitting! the current project is a thick cable sweater from past rebecca magazine. i may be able to sew myself a coat, in fact, i'm going to give that a go. i bought a simplicity pattern (4403) last summer for one dollar, and several online reviews gave pretty positive feedbacks. i'm feeling encouraged, and inspired, especially after seeing this coat based on the same pattern by this talented crafter!

but let's talk about shoes for a moment. i received a pair of frye campus for christmas from husband this year (well, i convinced him that i need one for connecticut's winter). i have become obsessed with well made shoes. hence the quest to find a nice pair of black leather pump. i am usually not a brand seeker, but i do appreciate exquisite craftsmanship. after exchanging a few ideas with my sister (who is also a shoe lover), we both love tod's, cole haan, donald j, and ferragamo.

too bad i don't know how to make shoes. i would love to be able to make a pair of rusty looking camper like shoes.

theoretically, i can knit myself a pair of stockings, but these ones look too tempting! aren't they lovely?

so i guess i'm making a coat. it will be a fun challenge for this brand new year. i would also like to knit a pair of mittens, like eunny and kate's designs. they are just perfect for new england winters.

perhaps it's also the time for me to finally make a woolly shawl.

cashmere quilt

2007-12-10T15:56:20Z

pattern: cashmere quilt, my own
difficulty (1-5): 2
pattern size: 60 x 70
fabric: wool, cashmere, liberty prints

hello readers. thank you for all your comments on my sunrise circle jacket. it was really a lovely jacket, i washed the sweater and it held up really well! still warm and fluffy but now it smells like lavender. which is wonderful. and i'm so glad to have at least inspired some of you to knit this project.

i myself was heavily inspired by alison's beautiful quilts. remember this swap we did and this schematic i drew a while ago? well, i have finally piece them together and finished the quilt couple weeks ago. it was probably the most wonderful thing i have ever made and, needless to say, extremely pleased with the outcome.

i am a firm believer in being able to tell a story for the craft you create. the quilt in particular, tells a story of my friendship with alison, my love for luxurious fibers and whimsical colors. i wanted to make a quilt, a simple one that we would enjoy for a very long time. a quilt that looks beautiful now and many years from now. and a quilt that reminds me of this generous craft community and genuine friendships through emails and blogs.

the quilt top, was pieced together with charcoal wool/cashmere from alison, various cotton prints from liberty and others, and a heather grey cashmere print from my favorite store locally. the back piece was made by a piece of bedding i bought years ago from habitat when i was in london. i love this color, sort of grey and blue, it complements the quilt top pretty nicely. i added some patchwork inserts to tie the pieces together. the quilt was finished with a thin cotton batting.

mari sent me some lovely linen ribbons from japan some time ago. i love this red weaving and wanted to incorporate this in my quilt. so i made a little tag. as well as a linen label that tributes alison for guiding me through the quilt making process.

this year is coming to an end very quickly, we have learned that life will take us to connecticut next year. hopefully this would be a good move, and it'll be a place where we can grow roots and prosper. we are scouting out a place to stay this week and i'm hopeful that we can find a warm and lovely home. as well as yarn shops and fabric stores.

sunrise circle jacket

2007-11-12T17:42:35Z

pattern: sunrise circle jacket by kate gilbert
difficulty (1-5): 2
size: 35 in
yarn: jo sharp's silkroad aran tweed in wintergrass
knitting specs: us 7 cir.

i thought i'd quickly post my recently finished sunrise circle jacket. i started this project earlier this summer, hoping to have it finished in time for winter. guess the plan worked! i am so happy to finally have another warm sweater to wear. the yarn was super soft and lovely. thank you, di! for swapping this with me. we both made sunrise circle jackets with our swapped yarns. only di finished hers a lot earlier, and i was really inspired to have mine done quickly.

the pattern was wonderful in the end. as i really had my doubts regarding the fit. i enjoyed seaming up the hem. simple whip stitch was all it needed. i had a hard time determining how to close the front. toggles would be an obvious choice. but i'm afraid the jacket may loose its modern feel, which was what i had envisioned it to be. so i picked green/yellowy buttons. with stitched button loops. though it now looks a little like star trek uniforms.

anyway, i love the overlapped front, it really keeps me warm. you can see more here.

thanks for everyone who stopped by and left me a nice, encouraging comment. will be back soon!

250th

2007-10-29T21:34:29Z

i am taking a little break from blogging. several reasons, but mostly because of life. i hate to write half-hearted posts which serves no purpose to my readers, who come here for inspiration and to share ideas.

anyway, the weather is getting cold, my sunrise circle jacket is not too far away from being finished. the quilt has been layout and cut. i may need to get a quilter's presser foot before i start sewing (should i?). i am also going to start this cutest cardigan (which of course was inspired by pam).

another reason of taking a blog break was because of ravelry. that was so much fun. i hope there would be a sewing equivalent version.

hopefully i will be energized when i return. and have many interesting craft to share!

xox

p.s.
this is actually the 250th post. no wonder i feel like i needed a break. i also just discovered that my 3000th commenter was one of my long time loyal readers, whom i also considered a friend. i hope to prepare something for that person during the break. stay tuned!

sending off

2007-10-15T15:45:11Z

after spending the past couple months working on the baby package for my sister, i made two muslin drawstring bags for mama and baby. i think it should wrapped this up nicely.

these elephants have been happy being residents of my craft room. but sadly one of them is going to be living with my sister's new baby. to send the elephant (i'm calling this one molly) off, i made her a bag.

it has nice, plushy pink lining, and linen tape as ties.

oh, finally i have time to knit! i

this is the "almost finished" sunrise circle jacket. i'm really eager to finish the last piece so i can seam it up and wear it this winter. it's going to be interesting to see how it fits. my gauge had been all over the place. and i had a feeling that my sleeves may be too long. not to mention the back and front seam may not line up, my front half of the circle looks like an inch longer than the back side seam.

oh well, it's wool, so let's hope some blocking will do the trick.

a wedding at sea

2007-10-10T15:47:08Z

excerpts from our cruise vacation, click for details!

one of my friends i've known since grade school got married last weekend, we were invited to their cruise wedding! it was a fun-filled event traveling with more 70 friends and families on a cruise.

cruise vacation was interesting, but i think having friends really helped with the experience. we went to chichen itza, one of the seven wonders of the world. i think seeing the mayan ruins was the highlight of our trip, aside from the wedding.

we also went snorkeling in cozumel. the turquoise water was amazingly warm and salty (i am not very good at snorkeling). it was really difficult to come back to routine and work, after our vacation. or any vacation for that matter.

i did some sewing last night. and had realized that the weather is really getting cool. i need to finish my sunrise circle jacket soon. and get ready for more handknit socks.

back from maya ruins

2007-10-08T15:40:26Z

it was a long way from home. we sailed across the ocean to find this land of lost civilization. it was eerily beautiful.

baby tote

2007-09-26T16:17:10Z

pattern: baby tote, my own
difficulty (1-5): 3.5
pattern size: n/a
fabric: 1/2 yd of amy butler's lotus in cherry wall flower, cream cotton linen and kaffe fassett's light yellow cotton for lining
notions: 1/2 yd of cotton batting, 2 inch wide leather for handles, bias tape for binding, wood button, 1/2 inch wide leather for closure, buttons

the journey of making this diaper bag was such an adventure. initially i was going to use amy butler's patterns, or some japanese craft book patterns. discussions went back and forth with me and my sister. i finally decided to just make my own version of what i envision a diaper bag would be. of course, we all learned now that leather strap may be detrimental to personal sewing machines. but i do love the end result. it's a baby tote for a chic mum.

i love amy butler's bold prints. but sometimes it could be a little bit overwhelming, like vera bradley. i wanted the baby tote to look chic so i just added the print to the mid section, keeping the rest of the design minimal, and somewhat japanese (the black leather strap, wood button and bias binding solidified the look of eastern flair).

the interior was my favorite part of the bag. it had two large compartments for baby clothes or diapers. and the other side to put paci and momma's cell phones. i had so much fun making them. also, i added a layer of cotton batting in between. so the bag feels soft and plushy.

using leather was a rather impromptu decision. i was browsing at my favorite fabric store, looking for webbing, but their collection of leather was too tempting. in retrospect it probably was not a good decision, for the sake of my sewing machine. but i do love the combination of texture. anyway, this project will be the first and last with leather. and honestly i may not recommend you to try. my machine is working fine now, after a trip to the shop, but i paid too much for the repair it kind of sucks.

now the best thing, i feel, about the bag was that i would even use it. for work! it really does not look like a diaper bag. it's big, it's cute and at one point i even consider keeping it for myself. oh well, i will probably make another one. sans leather.

in the shop

2007-09-12T18:51:52Z

thanks to everyone who provided me the possible cause for my sewing machine problems. when i was searching online for such information, it was surprisingly sparse. i am so glad to see so many of you have had similar experiences and provided me some solutions.

a couple things about leather: i did use leather specific needles, and upholstery thread (100% nylon, very sturdy), and adjusted the top thread tension to -2 (which i think is looser?). and increased the stitch length. when i tested it was sewing just fine. but when something happened, it happened really fast (ie, the timing belt slipped off...). and the breakdown was rather an immediate event.

anyway, i finally succumbed to having the professionals checked out my machine. my husband took it to the repair shop and brought along the evidence (scraps of leather) of before and after stitches. husband said that the guy told him these types of machines (ie, basic household models) are not meant to sew such thick leather, it would require industrial strength sewing machine. i guess i better not tempt faith and sew leather again, after it's repaired and readjusted. what do you think?

which will probably change my plan for this cute diaper bag. maybe linen handles then. maybe that would work as well.

now something fun... remember this piece of gorgeous wool cashmere alison spoiled me with? i am going to pair it with equally decadent piece of light gray cashmere and make my first ever quilt. to make it even more luxurious, i bought some liberty of london cottons. among other cute prints.

i'm hoping the end result would look somewhat like this:

i can't wait to get started! it'll be a lap blanket to curl up in during winter. though i foresee this would be a cat blanket, too. my cats are used to luxury. they would not lay on hardwood floor, or even sit their cat butts on without any cushioning. i'm sure they would love to test how soft cashmere really feels.