belle epoque

Since my sewing room was taken over by a tiny person, I’ve been doing a lot of knitting. The more I knit, the better I get at it, and the more inspired I am to try interesting and different things. I have yet to complete a large-scale project like a sweater, but a book I recently received, Comfort Knitting and Crochet: Afghans has me thinking about even leaping over the sweater milestone to attempt something ultra-large-scale like an afghan. When it arrived, my mother and I spent much of naptime going through it together, oohing and aahing.

The designs are amazing–many of them I would put more in the category of tapestry or wall-hanging than blanket. I surely wouldn’t let my littles pick at or spit up on the Winchester Winter or Still Life designs if I made them! But there are simple ones as well, and a lovely crochet called Irish Floral shown at table runner scale that I’m eyeing with dangerous intent.

I also think the idea of a book designed purely with one brand/style yarn is an interesting one. I’ve never knit with Berroco’s Comfort, but it is pretty amazing how many colors are on offer, and what different effects can be achieved with this one yarn. There are even some free patterns over at the publisher’s website– for the Greenway Afghan and the Autumn Haze design as well. If you’d like a look at the book, jump in with a comment! I’ll pick a name at random in a week’s time and a copy will wing its way to you.

I’ve actually finished a project or two lately, so I’ll be back again soon with some crafty goodness to show you!

This one has been popping up all over the crafty interwebs, and I was so excited to get my hot little hands on it!

Hand-Stitched Felt by Kata Golda.

These projects are all so charming and simple. I think they would be terrific not only as gifts for children (and grown-ups who appreciate the sweet), but also as first sewing projects for a child who is ready to hold a needle and thread. They are all the more darling for any mistakes or imperfections, and utterly satisfying and frustration-free to stitch together. I made three of the sweet finger puppets that are featured on the book jacket

They took almost no time to make–just a few snips and a few stitches, then instant gratification! I’ll also be making a little “bed” for them so I can roll them up together and pop them in HMB’s stocking for Christmas…

As promised, another look at a great craft book you might either like for a gift, or use to make gifts for people on your holiday list! Knowing that I’ve been on a bit of a knitting bender, my lovely friend Natalie passed along Amigurumi Knits by Hansi Singh

I’ve been impressed and intimidated by amigurumi crochet– it is all adorable but I’m sure it would drive me totally insane to try to do it (see my previous post regarding an inability to figure out where a round begins or exactly where to stick my hook in the last one). The knits in this book, on the other hand, were instantly appealing. I love working with double pointed needles, and the photographs that illustrate the various techniques for increases, bind-offs, cast-ons etc used in these projects are FANTASTIC. The author also did a great job knowing which steps of the projects to illustrate with a photograph, which in my opinion can really make or break a craft book– often things that make sense if someone shows them to you make no sense at all written in words. This book does a great job of showing you what you need to see when words alone aren’t enough.

How do I know this? I made her adorable knitted tomato and found it utterly addictive

I did not have the right type of yarn for the stem and leaves, so I ended up with a slightly wacky variety of heirloom tomato, but I just love it. You can’t really tell in 2-D how truly tomato-shaped it is, and how fun it is to squeeze. I plan to make a whole vegetable basket for HMB for Christmas with the other totally cute veggie patterns– an eggplant, peapod, carrot, cucumber and head of garlic! And perhaps a child-sized crocheted market bag to carry them in if I have the time.

Not knowing much about amigurumi, I’m not sure if its origins are in children’s toys or purely adult love of kawaii, but the author’s bio suggests that she started her knit amigurumi as toys for her son. Every project in this book would make a terrific child’s toy. I know the title Cool Knitted Toys probably wouldn’t appeal as much to childless crafters as Amigurumi does, though! But I have the sense that some of the projects in this book would please one of the hardest child demographics– the precocious and clever tween boy. Vis:

A jackelope, giant squid or loch ness monster? Definitely cool enough to display openly in your room, and perhaps secretly cuddle when no one is looking…

Craft books are often at the top of my Christmas wish list. I’ve been spoiled enough to have several lovely ones put into my hot little hands lately, so I figured I’d do a series of posts about them, in case you need a little something to add to your holiday list! I always like to actually complete a project from a book before posting about it, since that is the best way to gauge how really good the book is, but if I tried to do that I think I’d never get all the posts up before the holidays, so some will be with-project and some will be without.

The first one I want to tell you about is one I have been dying to get my hands on. A lovely friend passed along a copy of Linda’s beautiful book Crochet Adorned, and I jumped right in.

Crochet is another one of those things that I learned at my mother’s knee when I was small and home sick from school. Despite years of practice, I can never really remember all the different stitches or where exactly to join a round with a slip stitch. So I was very grateful that Linda’s book does not assume prior knowledge, but gently and thoroughly explains all you’ll need to know to do the projects — with excellent illustrations besides. The instructions and stitch charts for each project are very easy to read, and in addition to the beautiful projects, she includes an amazing compendium of patterns at the back of the book. I’m particularly intrigued by the daffodil pattern, and if I had the right weight and colors of crochet cotton I would make a teeny weeny one to put on a hair clip for HMB (which would be immediately pulled out and tossed, but it is the thought that counts, yes?).

Anyway, since I did want to do a project before posting, but also wanted to post right away, I chose a small but lovely one– the Dainty Earrings. I did not use the crochet cotton called for by the pattern, as I was in a rush and grabbed what I had, but was so happy with the outcome nonetheless! And so quick–the crocheted part was completed in the 30 minutes between my waking up and HMB calling me to come get her this morning.

They are like glittery snowflakes, and I adore them. I did spray them with stiffener once I was done, as I think the larger thread makes them floppier than they would have been if I’d used the specified thread.

I am itching to try some of the more advanced projects, and as I’ve *already* begun to think about my post-baby wardrobe (SO tired of wearing either maternity/nursing clothes, which I’ve calculated I’ll be in/have been in for at least 3 years before I’m done), I think I might just go ahead and get started on the Floral Motif Yoke Top, which I’ve wanted to make since Linda posted her original version at least a year or two before the book ever came out!

Anyway, if you haven’t already added it to your wish list, I wholeheartedly recommend this one. Even if you don’t think you are a crochet sort of person, this is just the book to really inspire you to give it a go!

Hello! Thanks for all of your nice comments about the Two-Year Blouse. I wanted to get started on another blouse pattern I had, but found that I had cut out a larger size (I bought the pattern after HMB was born and thought I’d be able to stitch it up before losing the baby weight, hah!), and discarded several pieces of my current, smaller size, so cutting it down will require more energy than I’m ready to expend. Bah! Anyway, instead I made the Yard Sale Wrap Skirt from Weekend Sewing

I highly recommend reading Erin’s excellent post about making this skirt. I ended up cutting the two front panels on the fold, then cutting two extra regular size panels to make a full circle that overlapped completely in the back. I extended the waist ties and put a buttonhole in the waistband for one of the ties to pull through rather than allowing a bunchy mess in the back from wrapping and tieing. And I did a three-thread serged hem, as hemming a circle skirt is enough to drive me insane.

Thankfully this is a gift for someone else. As much as I LOVE circle skirts, they just don’t do anything for my figure (thanks to Heather’s post, I’m willing to accept it!). A circle skirt on a dress is a different story, but especially with a wrap like this, I’d have to tuck in the shirt I wore and it would just look wrong. The friend it is for is tiny, ladylike and petite, could easily get away with wrapping this skirt over a slim wee tank with strappy straps, then trip-trapping out for a summer picnic. I sure hope that’s what she does in it!

I am so pleased to host the illustrious Heather Ross for today’s post! Below you’ll find her thoughts on the Power of Hemlines, and other pressing style questions. Enjoy!

The Style Power of Hemlines
by Heather Ross

I am one of those women who believe wholeheartedly that the trick to dressing yourself well is knowing what looks good on you in terms of proportion. Were I to make a list of the best dressed women I know, it would include both barefoot bohemians and southern belles, a friend who can wear a wear a floor length dress to breakfast and get away with it, and my grandmother, who wore a dirndl every Christmas and a Mexican wedding dress to her 50th anniversary dinner. Perhaps the only consistency among them all would be the fact that their clothing fits. I’m not just talking about the fact that they are wearing the proper size, mind you, I’m talking about the fact that their clothing works on them proportionally. Their clothes give them confidence because they play up their own best features, and if properly chosen and tailored, look like they were made especially for them. I once owned a skirt that made me feel short. I couldn’t say exactly why until a teacher of mine solved the mystery for me. “You wear that skirt a lot, but it makes you look like a dumpling, which is pretty tough to do to someone who is 5’9” tall”, she said. I felt like someone whose best girl friend had just told her to dump her cute but cruel boyfriend. “You could do better.” she said. “The hemline ends at the fattest part of your calf”, she explained, “and it starts too low on your hips. The combination makes your legs look about 6” long, which makes everything look out of wack”. Later, in my studio, I stood in the mirror pulling the hemline up and down, realizing that she was completely right.

If you look closely at your own closet, you will probably find a few dresses or pairs of pants that, like my skirt (and my ex-cute but cruel-boyfriend) are almost perfect. They fit through the waist and hips, but somehow, once they are on, the just don’t make you feel… quite right. The good news? This is all so fixable!

My students are always a little horrified when I tell them to take their dresses and skirts to the tailor for finishing. Hemming, I explain time and time again, is a job for two. Before heading to the tailor (or a sewing friend) with a big pile of skirts and dresses and pants, do a little research. Stand in front of a full length mirror in your skivvies. Try folding a bed sheet or large piece of fabric at different lengths and wrapping it around your body to see what length works best for you. This, by the way, is basic fashion design “draping”, and is actually similar to how some designers make their patterns.

You will likely find that the best hemline for you is at one of three points: just above the knee, just below the knee, or just above the ankle. These three points all have one thing in common: they are all typically the most narrow point on the leg, which is why they work. Beware the dangerous zone that is your calf muscle. I like to call this length ”Sister Wife”. It is perhaps the most unsexy, unflattering, unfeminine, and undeniably boring hemline that exists, as every designer will tell you. The only style icon who managed to wear this length with some success was the late Caroline Besset Kennedy, who pulled it off with such grace that for exactly one season every major US label tried to force it on the rest of us, which was an epic failure. The lesson here is that unless you are six feet tall and able to accessorize with a man as handsome as John F Kennedy Jr.and have your lower body conveniently blocked from sight by paparazzi…. don’t even try.

Hems on the dresses and skirts in Weekend Sewing are meant to be customized. Take for example the All Weekend Sundress, pictured below in four very different lengths.

Same dress, four very different looks. I hope that once my readers get the hang of making simple clothing, they will start to discover my favorite thing about sewing clothing: That its about developing a sense of personal style and a means to looking and feeling great. A great dress should make you feel good. It should make you feel confident. It should never, ever make you feel like a dumpling.

I think I’ve said before that I’m a huge fan of Heather Ross. So of course when a copy of her new book Weekend Sewing appeared in the mail I dropped everything (well, not the baby, but everything else) and dove straight in. Not only is it beautiful- flipping through it is like taking a vacation to the perfect summer place- but it is full of lovely, breezy projects, delicious recipes and great tips on making sewing easy and fun. There is a lot to say about it, but off the top of my head, three sewing-geek things I love about it:
*How few pattern pieces each project has, especially for garments that fit and drape well.
*Her clever technique of using bias tape instead of facings
*The way her projects showcase the fabrics you choose
From reading other blogs, I gather I was not alone in choosing the Summer Blouse as the first project to make

I’ve had this toile-print cotton voile in the stash FOREVER, saving it for the perfect project and this was it! It came together fast and I’m looking forward to wearing it on one of the rare steamy days in the SF summer. I also have the fab wrap skirt and shirt dress all traced and cut out of pattern paper, ready for the next babysitter day!

So, given how much I love the book and admire Heather, I couldn’t be more thrilled to tell you that she will be visiting here on her Blog Fest! Next Wednesday (March 18), Heather will be chez belleepoque (virtually) sharing pearls of wisdom about Fit and Style. I am a big believer in tweaking patterns to flatter, though I’m usually blundering about in the dark when I do it, so you can bet I’m looking forward to hearing what Heather has to say! You’ll also have a chance to dash away with a copy of this gorgeous book. Don’t worry, I’ll remind you again before Wednesday.

Hello! Just a little post about a few things I am enjoying this week
1. Parsnips. Oh my gosh! My new favorite vegetable– they are so sweet and piquant! I am a lover of the root vegetable in general (perhaps my Irish heritage?), but for some reason hadn’t really gotten into parsnips before. I now add them to anything I’m roasting, and just made this parsnip soup from Everyday Food. It is delicious and very easy– I used my immersion blender and skipped the cream so that HMB could share it with me for lunch. She likes to eat whatever I’m eating so I try to avoid adding the “forbidden foods” (i.e. cow’s milk, nuts etc) to what I make so she can have some. This doesn’t need the cream, though if you’re feeling fancy you might add a dollop of creme fraiche or sour cream to the top.
2. Miss Pettigrew Lives for A Day: Lee Pace! Ciaran Hinds! Thirties clothes and music in a charming, sweet, British romance! What more could you ask for? I know, if you were me you would ask for a subscription to Persephone Books. Yup. But if you were me you’d also have to do something really good to deserve it. Or, you know, wait for the dollar/pound exchange rate to fall really low and order it for yourself? No, no. Foolishness.

Also, if you have an iPhone, did you know that there is an application that contains the collected works of Jane Austen? Yes! There is! For only $1.99! As I spend a lot of time with my iPhone while rocking and nursing HMB to sleep (oh I know, it is a bad habit and she should fall asleep by herself– please tell her that, because she disagrees with all of the sleep experts and claims she actually can’t do that, no ma’am, and would rather stay awake and be cranky than forgo the pleasure of my pre-sleep company), ANYWAY, I’m reading Persuasion (my favorite) in bits throughout the day, when the New York Times gets just too depressing. If you ever find yourself on a long bus ride, or waiting room or something without a book, surely you’d be glad of Miss Austen’s company on your phone too?

Um, yes, right. Anyone who knows me will tell you that restraint and self-denial are not two of my big strengths. So, I found a gift certificate to Barnes & Noble I hadn’t used, and well

A good start, yes? But then

Total loss of self control! Of course I gobbled it right up. But that isn’t to say I haven’t finished *anything* crafty. I did finish a pair of cute fall pants for Miss S

She seems to really like them! I have two Christmas presents in progress, and of course a few more of my UFOs to polish off, which I will hopefully do before too long so I have something to show you guys!

If it isn’t raining tomorrow, HMB and I will be doing San Francisco drop for The Toy Society early tomorrow morning, so I’ll show and tell about that too!

You know how it is when you’re trying to eat healthy? If you’re like me, you make sure there’s no junk in the house. And then proceed to scrounge together whatever you’ve got to make something delicious and forbidden. Homemade Peanutbutter Cups? Yes, please!

I found out about this recipe over on A Friend to Knit With. They are ridiculous. And so easy. And who doesn’t have some chocolate chips and peanutbutter on hand all the time? I sort of futzed with the recipe to my detriment– I actually like a bigger ratio of peanutbutter to chocolate, but ended up using too much chocolate in the cups to start with and throwing everything off. Anyway, if you’re feeling baaaad, I highly recommend making some for yourself. To mitigate the total self sabotage, I immediately brought these to one of HMB’s classes to share with the other kids (well, moms really, since kids Miss S’s age don’t really do food). Well, after trying one to make sure they were ok.

They’re ok.

Regarding less guilty pleasures: the very cool Linda tipped me off to Goodreads- I am really, really in need of good book recommendations, so it came at just the right time. I do wonder about social booksharing, only in that I actually read quite a bit of embarassing stuff (trashy books, hooray!), and I probably wouldn’t put those on there ’cause I got a rep to protect (very serious and scholarly, dontcha know), but we’ll see. If you’re a member or you join and would like to be my friend, I’d love it- I think you can search by e-mail so look for belleepoquewhimsy (!at!) gmail (!dot!) com