mØmmacat's blog

I started sewing a quilted skirt about 2 years ago using an idea I got from an online acquaintance. I did not buy enough fabric and was unable to get more to complete it at that time. It was too small to fit around me so I stashed it in my bin to deal with another day. My intentions being to cut it down and make a little K sized dress out of it.

Fast forward 2 years and minus 51 pounds. The in-progress skirt not only could now fit around my body, I had to cut out 4 inches before I sewed it together and put the zipper in. With out further ado here is my success in many ways quilted skirt:

I have finished a work in progress AND it fits in with this year’s rainbow theme. I am looking forward to wearing this skirt to school. Some of my little students will enjoy it and be pleased that it was sewn by me. These little creative spirits are so inspiring to me and I love their enthusiasm.

Further updates on the Rainbow2012 front. I am about 80% complete with the knitting part of Lil K’s Rainbow bag. I have also found my next rainbow sewing project, and will begin working on it as soon as I finish the backpack.

I inherited my mom’s 1963 Singer sewing machine. It runs perfectly. Better then any newer sewing machine I’ve used.

I was given a box of old patterns. I’ve been having a blast using these vintage patterns to make new things.

The dress was a step out of my comfort zone. I do not normally wear prints. As flashy and sparkly as I like to be, I just really prefer solids to wear. When I picked out this pattern to sew, I knew the fabric needed to be something not solid. I am pleased with how it turned out. It’s not perfect, but it’ll be a nice dress to wear to school. I think my students will enjoy the bright colors and cute birdies.

I was going for a cute and vintage-y look, but also modern.

The skirt is a combination of a skirt I saw on Pinterest, and wanting to use the cute mushroom-y fabric for something. I found the mushroom fabric a while ago and have wanted to make something with it for a while, but I have that fear of prints in my clothing so I couldn’t think of what to do with it. I saw a skirt on Pinterest that had patch pockets using a different fabric from the skirt and I thought it was cool. I found this pattern, but it didn’t have patch-like pockets so I found a different way to incorporate the mushroom fabric. I really like the fit of this skirt.

I’m pretty sure I had a skirt like this when I was about 4 (but it didn’t have a mushroom on it). And I’m pretty sure it was sewn for me by my mom, on this very machine. What an interesting circle life rides in.

I would not normally have attempted a pattern like this. I never knew in-seam pockets and zipper could be so easy. Maybe its just that I’ve had a lot of sewing practice and feeling more confident. Maybe it is my mom’s machine and her good mojo flowing through it. Whatever it was, it was working for me. I really had fun using vintage patterns on my vintage machine this week to sew. I’m looking forward to digging through the box and finding the next pattern to try out.

I even had time to whip up a skirt for Little K with the left over birdy fabric.

She and I will match on Monday when we go to school!

And now that I’ve gotten some sewing projects completed, it’s back to knitting. The yarn for Little K’s epic rainbow backpack arrived today. I made a swatch and will be all ready to do the test felting tomorrow! I knitted the swatch tonight at my social knitting night at the local feminist book store.

Little K has declared 2012 the year of the rainbow. I guess she’s forming her own version of the Chinese zodiac or something. I like her idea and I’m going to roll with this theme. I’ve already gathered a few project ideas and found some products I love.

Let me keep your attention with this:

This was taken last week and is how she went to school that day.

On New Years Day, I made rainbow frosted cupcakes using a frosting tint idea I found on Pinterest:

I have settled on my first official rainbow knitting project and am anxiously waiting on the yard to arrive. I am going to make a felted backpack (for either Little K or myself). I will use this as my inspiration. I ordered some non superwash yarn so I can felt it. More on that later.

I haven’t had much time to search for rainbow “stuff”. My friend Miss Mermaid has these adorable skirts in her shop (click the pictures to go to there):

and these Key fobs:

My husband sent me this recipe:

I will attempt a vegan version of it.

And finally here is a rainbow themed treasury I found on Etsy. I may have to make my own at some point…but there were so many cute products in this one!

Please leave me some “rainbow” stuffs and ideas in the comments.

As I said previously, I had to take a break from the blogging after my mom passed away. All I could think of to write about were sad stories, and really couldn’t find the words anyway. So, I am continuing to ease back into blogging by posting about the thing that makes me happy, knitting.

This year I have so many things I want to accomplish knitting-wise. After the banner year 2011 showed, I have a lot to live up to. Did I really knit 6 sweaters last year!?!?

My first goal for the record will be a cliche “12 in ’12″ one. I will make 12 pairs of socks in 2012. I reserve the right to make some of them baby or dolly sized. Hey, it’s my blog.

Both the hubbs and I want cardigan sweaters so that will happen as well (no, they will not be matching). My big kid only ever gets socks, so I should really do something else for her as well. The littles are growing so fast its silly to make sweaters for them. I have 2 different toy patterns I’ve been wanting to make for them here and here. They are content with toys and knucks <--seriously these kids are obsessed with knucks right now.

I am also in the midst of sewing Medieval Faire costumes for all 5 of us and knitting mitts and hats (because you never know if its going to be cold or hot as hades at a Ren Fest in February in North FL). I will do a picture post when everything has be completed. I have been taking a few I progress pictures, but not as many as I should have.

The boy’s knucks are actually gauntlets modeled after Link’s Gauntlets from Ocarina of Time and will go with his medieval faire costume, but he has also been wearing them to school. The girl’s are just some fun rainbow-esque “gauntlets” with yarn from my good friend Caitlin at STCW, the colorway is Lacerta, but we call it fruit stripe, the yarn base is Continuum. Little K has declared 2012 the year of rainbows and I’m planning on going with that. Rainbows are fun.