Make Do and Mend

WWII campaign poster from a UK educational site.

I've been researching how to repair the thigh-worn bare spots in my husband's corduroy pants. I'm determined that we not replace them without at least trying to patch them--I want to prove my very limited sewing skills and justify the presence of the sewing machine taking up space in our house. I also feel a sort of familial obligation: my grandmothers came of age in different times from ours: one was a survivor of the Depression and the other was a civilian worker on the British homefront during WWII. As they grew up, and then, as the mother of four children each, they would have put patches on over and over again. According to my mom, her mother's generation would also reinforce the high-wear areas of new clothes. A greater generation than ours, to be sure.

Some instructions for mending pants can be found here and here.

Here's a humorous "Make Do and Mend' instructional video from the 1940s British Ministry of Supply (warning: contains a pantsless man in a bowler hat).

And other images from the homefront:

UK National Archives

clever charlotte

clever charlotte is the brainchild of two gals who grew tired of searching for sewing patterns that were just right for their young daughters and instead created them! The result of their efforts is the site clever charlotte , part shop for the wonderful, modern patterns and part blog (with helpful sewing tutorials).
I am quite smitten with the chickadee blouse and skirt, but all of it is really terrific.....

 All images: Clever Charlotte

Thursday, "Children at Play" and Etsy

 pitpatwaddlepat

The "Children at Play" fabric line, designed by the artist at SarahJaneStudios, has been available for awhile now, so there are quite a few Etsy items that feature various prints from the collection. I am a big fan of the art, so the fabric is a favorite as well. Here are just a dozen of the items I found- all of them as darling as the fabric itself!

 lolaslovies

 JemiBoutique

 QuiltStory

 EmilyAnnsKloset

 printsnpatterns

 LittleBirdsBoutique

 modernmadebaby

 liltulip

 DollBabyBowtique

 NamelyPillows

OddEDesigns

Sidenote: This past spring Sarah Jane Studios premiered her latest fabric collection- "Out to Sea". I definitely like it just as much...maybe more!

Images: sarahjanestudios

the perils of wanting to be a crafty mom

When I was pregnant with Sweet Pea, I spend a lot of time thinking about what kind of mother I wanted to be. Of course I knew I wanted to be a loving and kind mother who taught him to love animals and camping and all that jazz, but I also knew that  - despite my lack of natural abilities - I wanted to be a crafty mother.

With this desire in mind I undertook my first crafty project - Christmas stockings for my family unit of three. And, as you see in the image above, I did indeed finish one stocking. But the process of making it was BRUTAL. After getting advice from sewing master Mae, I still completely forgot how to use my very basic sewing machine and so had way too many moments of frustration. For example, I yelled at my husband for trying to help me thread the bobbin, I burst into tears when I ran out of thread, and really, really wanted to throw the whole damn machine across the room for getting jammed with knots. I also thought I could wing the pattern and so first made a majorly jacked up club foot stocking before I used this Martha pattern. I am not kidding when I say that I seriously wasted hours of time - and ignored my son - in order to make this one stocking for him.

In the end, you may ask, what lesson did I learn? Well, I know now that I don't have the patience or the skills to be a sewing mom. But I also learned that I don't have to be good at it to actually do it - as long as I enjoy it (which I actually did - a tiny little bit) and no one gets hurt (my husband's feelings not included).

fit for even the littlest queen

Felt Crowns courtesy of Stell and Livi on Etsy

Neat Pins

The etsy shop PinksandNeedles specializes in these handcrafted pins and pincushions. They are art in miniature.

I like the idea of a personalized set for your favorite quilter/crafter. What an incredibly lovely gift made just for them.

Images courtesy of pinksandneedles

potential quilts

So SarahJane recently announced on her blog that her textile line, Children at Play, a collection done with Michael Miller Fabrics, is debuting at the International Quilt Market. I have been a fan of her illustrations for some time and I really like the look of the fabric collection.

I will take three quilts made from these sweet and cheery designs for my sweet and cheery little ones, please.
I wish her lots of success in her new venture!

All images courtesy of Sarah Jane Studios

newdressaday

Before

After

I am totally impressed with the site newdressaday.com. It is the handiwork of Marisa, who (after being sparked by the film Julie & Julia) decided to tackle her own year-long creative endeavor. She blogs:

The only shopping that I’ll be able to do is that of pieces that have been used and worn already. So long to mall trips and hello to sifting through piles of vintage pieces at flea markets and at neighborhood garage sales. Each day for the entire year, I’m going to introduce a new piece into my existing wardrobe that I’ve found from these places. On top of this, I’m giving myself a budget of $1 a day.

At a time when folks are growing more aware of recycling and re-purposing, her blog is not only creative and humorous, it is inspiring.

As a non- sewer, I was constantly fascinated by how she could hem and stitch her way into a whole new look. I was particularly charmed by the non-glossy, funny presentation of her creative process and the slew of "before and after" photos.

There are only 25 days left in Marisa's self appointed challenge- you should check out her blog before her year is up!

Images courtesy of newdressaday.com

Toys for the Taking

Here's a little something cheerful to send you on your way to the weekend: The Toy Society.

Have you heard about them?

The Toy Society was started by a small group of Australian crafters who began leaving handmade toys in public places to be adopted and loved by whomever found them. But the concept caught on, crafters from all over the world joined the project, and the Society just recorded toy drop #959.

Here's what you might find if you come across a Toy Society toy:


If you do find a toy, it is then your duty to visit the Toy Society blog and record your find. To me, the finders' responses are the best part. It brings me such satisfaction to read about a find and to know that a quirky, hand-stitched toy appeared in someone's life and made it happier.

Some of my favorite Toy Society drops:







For many more images of Toy Society drops, visit their Flickr group.

Thursday, a button lover, and Etsy

I have a thing for buttons. As a little girl, it delighted me to run my fingers through my mom's button box, letting them slide through my fingers, cold and slippery.

As a crafty sort of adult, I have my own collection of buttons, made up of hand-me-downs from my mother, huge lots of buttons from estate sales, and a treasured few paid-too-much for vintage buttons of particular beauty. If I make something for you, and I use one of these particularly beautiful buttons to emblish it, you can be sure I love you very much.

Of course Etsy is a treasure trove of buttons, one I love to run my virtual fingers through.

Like this simple collection of pretty vintage buttons from LillianOlive:


Vintage button as necklace by WhimsyHouse:


"Violet Hoopla," a button, felted cashmere, and embroidery collage by bomchelle:


Antique crochet and vintage buttons on a mustard linen pillow by vintagedesignstudio:


Hip and lovely vintage button brooches by runamok:


Sweet needlecase with vintage buttons by JennMaruskaDesign (dear family, bookmark this for mother's day, please):
Gorgeous wintery mini-wreath embellished with buttons, by ravennagirls:


Vintage button bobbypins (that I wish my daughter would allow in her hair) from annatillettdesigns:


Button and paper embellishments by chocolatecupcake:


My personal favorite in this grouping, "Buttons," a 5x5 print from LolasRoom:

And a necklace celebrating the button (which I got for Christmas, but in silver, and which I very much treasure) from luxedeluxe:


Enjoy cultivating your own button love!