excuses, excuses

Ah, so much for all my good, be dependable, blogging aspirations. I'm having a terrible time staying on track with the blogging and the pattern making. I am very much hoping to have a pattern out for the bush hat for children's sizes (adults will have to wait a bit) by the end of the week. I've been playing and testing in the evenings after the kidlets go to bed. Or that is the intention at least, until Birdie Boy decided to catch a bit of a tummy bug. I won't gross you out with the details.

But still, just can't keep a good pattern down. Here is my favorite test hat (and my favorite model).While I've got you here, reading my sad excuses for blog neglect, I should also mention that the infrequency of the posting will continue for awhile. In about 2 or 3 weeks my little family and I will be moving our worldly possessions - after selling or donating 90% of the bulk - into a hovel on wheels and beginning an extended scouting mission in the next province over to see if we can hear a place calling to us. I expect our motorcoach living to be four weeks minimum. It shall be an experiment in finding joy. And patience. And laundrymats.

I shall also be taking some fabric, needles, and thread, along with the laptop and my notebook of ideas. The inspirations never care that I'm busy doing other things and I'm sure I can find an internet connection here and there and have a chance to say 'hi!' to y'all. Smootch and I have been plotting something too and we're hoping to get a chance to give it ago without the distractions of normal life.

But that's not for weeks! Which is practically forever away. In the meanwhile, a major dejunking of the home, craft supplies, fabric, and tester garments I've made must happen. Wish me luck (or at least endurance :D).

bush hat

This design comes by way of a request for a sunhat tutorial, similar in style to the red gingham hat Smootch frequently wears. Smootch's hat is a rtw, but it is my favorite style of hat, one that I have always called a bush hat.



With a snap or button on each side of the hat, the brim can be worn up or down, depending on need and fashion sense. Worn down it provides excellent sun coverage (for your phantom of the opera type fellow).



And worn up it's stylishly cowboy.

This hat can be made to fit anyone, all you need is their head measurement (or noodle number, if measuring a four year old with a penchant for word games). I've made hats for my kids, but ones for myself and The Man are also in the works.

The tutorial below contains the steps I took to create the pattern for the hat, and below those are the assembly instructions. Before you look over the pattern creation, keep in mind that this curved hat does not need exact or precise curves in order to look fabulous. An approximation of the curves, and an understanding that you may need to tweak your pattern from the first try, will save your mental health. Basically, I'm saying, don't use the good fabric on the first go. But it will work. Trust me ;)

I have me one of those long rulers that can be curved and flexed any which way. I really don't know what they are called, if you do, please share. This flexy, bendy ruler is the tool of choice for creating this hat pattern, so if you have one, here we go!

Creating the pattern

Begin with some graph paper, your flexy ruler, a pencil, scissors for paper, and a head measurement. This hat has three pattern pieces: the crown, the side, and the brim.

The first piece to make is the crown, which is an oval shape.

Smootch's noodle number is 19 1/2", which I rounded up to 20" to not have to hurt my head with extra fractions and to accomodate all her crazy curls.

Take your noodle number (example number is 20") and divide by 4 (20"/4 =5). Curl your flexy ruler into a tightish circle to make a nice smootch curve.

Uncurl the ruler a bit to make an oval. Find the length you need (the head measure divided by 4) somewhere in your curve. Follow the curve with your pencil to the lengh needed.

Draw lines at 90 degree angles from the ends of your curved length to intersect and create a little pie piece. This is 1/4 of your crown.

(I know there are whizzy math ways to figure this out, but I don't know what they are. What we are working with is the 'looks good to me' method, which I've found to be every bit as effective as a technical geometric formula. But feel free to share the math way if you know, I always enjoy learning something new.)

Add a seam allowance to your pie piece.

Use your intersecting lines as a guide to folding your paper in half one time, and then another. With the paper folded, cut along the seam allowance.

Unfold you paper and there is your crown piece. Mark it with relevant info.

Next piece to do is the side. This piece could be just a straight rectangle, but to make it easier to sew and sit naturally a slight curve is helpful.

First determine how much depth is desired. Both my hats are 3 1/4" wide, and I'm pretty sure this will work for all toddler and preschooler sizes. But you decide.

Mark your desired depth on the side of a piece of paper. I've marked mine with a 'fold' before all else to remind me which end is which.

Put a slight bend in your flexy ruler, position one end on a mark, with the curve of the ruler directed away from other mark, and measure out your head measurement divided by 2 (example 20"/2 = 10").

Measure out your desired width several times from your curved line to indicate where to lay down the flexy ruler again, using the same curve. Mark out the other side of the piece, adding a 1/4" at the end.

Join the ends of the curves with a straight line.

(As you can see in the above photo, I ended up having to add a bit of paper to the end to accomodate the piece - and in case you are wondering, all pros do this :D)

So here's your side piece, to which you will add a seam allowance:

For the brim piece, the measurement of the longer curve of the side piece will be our base number, which should be your head measurement divide by 2 plus a 1/4" (example: 20"/2 + 1/4" =10 1/4").

To determine the brims's width, I just knocked 1/2" off the brim depth, leaving me with 2 3/4" width. Mark this width in the same way as done with the side piece, on the edge of a paper, indicating that that edge is to be placed on a fold. I should also mention that this piece is actually going to take up two pieces of paper, so now's a good time to tape them together.

Once again, curl up your ruler into a circle, this time as large as you can make it:

Pull the circle out until you get a ram's horn shape. Find your base measurement (head measurement divided by 2 plus 1/4") and trace the curve from one mark away from the other mark.

Measure out your width from several points along the curve, and then draw a corresponding curve, rounding it out to a sweet little rainbow shape.

Add seam allowances and jot down the revelant info.

Cutting out the pieces

crown: cut 1 shell fabric, cut 1 fusible interfacing, cut 1 lining fabric
side (cut on fold): cut 1 shell fabric, cut 1 fusible interfacing, cut 1 lining fabric
brim (cut on fold): cut 2 shell fabric, cut 1 fusible interfacing

Assembling the hat

First thing is to iron in your fusible interfacing. Follow the manufacturer's instructions and fuse the crown interfacing to the wrong side of the shell crown fabric. Fuse the side interfacing to the wrong side of the shell side fabric. And fuse the brim interfacing to the wrong side of one of the one of the brim in shell fabric.

With wrong sides together, stitch together the width-wise ends of the shell side piece to make a loop. Pin side piece, wrong sides together, all around the crown, aligning the seam with the top (or bottom) of the oval. Stitch slowly around the crown, adjusting the fabric to tuck along the curve smoothly.



Make notches in the seam allowance around the crown to allow it to curve smoothy. Press seam allowance towards the crown. Turn top right sides out. Top stitch around the top of the crown.



Repeat the above instructions for the lining pieces, nixing the bit of top stitch. Put lining aside.

For each brim piece, stitch together the width-wise ends, right sides together. Place the two brim pieces right sides together and stitch along the outside curve (stitch with the piece that does not have the fusible interfacing on it against the feed dogs, otherwise you'll end up with one piece longer than the other).

Turn the brim piece right sides out and press the stitched curve. Top stitch along seamed edge if desired. Machine baste the inside curve.

Loop and pin the side of the brim with the interfacing against the right side of the hat. Make sure the brim seam meets the side seam (this is the back of the hat). Stitch brim to hat. Notch the seam allowance and press it towards the side. Top stitch around the side of the hat, close to the seam.

Turn the hat wrong side out.



With right side out, position the lining over the hat, matching the seams. Use a slip stitch or ladder stitch to hand sew the lining to the hat.

(Oh, I just slipped in some hand sewing - I think at once time I promised never to do that. It's definitely worth hand stitching this part, it looks pretty sloppy if you try to stitch in that liner with the side top stitch. It only takes me about 10 minutes, though, and I'm extremely slow at it, not to mention have bandaids on my fingers from various kitchen injuries [including the deep cut from trying to open up the first aid box].)

Turn hat right side out again and apply snaps or buttons to side of hat (mine are located at exactly mid-point, but you can play with it a bit if you like.)

Place hat on people and just try to get a picture.

******************************************************

Now, one question: is anyone interested in the pattern pieces I've made up for Birdie Boy and Smootch? I was thinking that I could do up a small pdf and have them on the etsy if there are some interested peoples. This is, of course, a little silly to think of doing this after I've gone and written up all the instructions, but I like to first tell people how to make it themselves before I go and try to sell something. I am a bad capitalist. Anyhoo, let me know. And questions and comments are always welcome :)

Tutorial? Ummm. (Here's me distracting you with a freebie)

Hey, I bet you came by today looking for a tutorial! Well, I do have one on the go, and it does actually have something to do with sewing. In fact, it's pretty kick ass, if I do say so myself, but it needs a few more days of design tweaking. So, if you'll bare with me, how's about you say, 'It's okay, Vegbee, to be a couple of days late with the tute, and all we'll ask in return is to giveaway a pattern or two.'

Which sounds good to me.



I haven't done any giveaways on my new ePatterns yet (which are old patterns, but I'm figuring the whole thing out before I get going on some new stuff), so if you would like to leave a comment on this post I will do a random number draw twice on thursday nite my time (July 9) and send two winners their ePattern of choice. Which will be either the Tiered Patchwork Twirler or Revolutions Frock - check them out and choose your favorite now, just in case ;)

Good luck, and talk to you thursday :)

***********************************************************************

Hello! I've closed the comments (metaphorically) and have drawn two random numbers, thanks to random.org. The winners are Hilary and Serena.

Hilary, I will send you a Revolutions Frock ePattern as soon as you share your email with me. Contact me at vegbee@littleprintdesigns.com please!

Serena, I've just emailed you a link to your Revolutions Frock ePattern.

Thank you all for playing along and all the really sweet things you said. I feel honored to have so many people reading this little blog. You keep me going somedays. Truly. Hats off to you!

Speaking of hats, I should have the new tutorial up on friday or saturday (or sunday :O). Until then, cheers!

paper plate bomb, I mean, kite

We ran across this paper plate kite project while Smootch and I were reading an issue of Ladybug magazine. The story's premise was that the great big store bought kite wouldn't fly, hugely disappointing the wee girl, but this humble paper plate was a fantabulous flyer that saved the day. Handmade beats store-bought. My kind of story. And great little project too: the paper plate is thick enough for water colours and we love anything to do with ribbons.



The downside was having to go buy some kite string, and then finding the only thing in the whole store was these monsterous plastic doohickeys with no way of stopping your string from unwinding without strong arming the winding mechanism. Not good for preschoolers. Still, we bought. Silly us.

And then we waited, and waited, and waited until a windy day finally came (accompanied by a tornado, but that's another story), took the kite out to the top of the green space hill and -

Pphhutttt. Nothing. No fly, no soar. No this-simple-homemade-kite-kicks-plastic-store-kite's-be-streamered-butt. Just... nothing.

But we had lots of fun with the water colours :D

I'm on the prowl for proper instructions for homemade kites. Anyone have a success with one?

a fool for tulle

First, some housekeeping items.

a) Little Print Designs (me) is proud to present ePattern versions of the Tiered Patchwork Twirler and the Revolutions Frock. Visit my etsy for more info :)

b) Attention grandparents and aunties: I have backtracked a bit and decided to keep my mama posts and pics over on my other blog. Keep reading here for the sewing and crafty stuff I like to blather about. And tutorials, of course.

And now, on with the tulle!

I'm not normally given over to the ultra-girly, though I have been known to dabble in the frilly and princess. But I saw this skirt the other day and thought, 'my girl needs this skirt' (or maybe it was Smootch hanging over my shoulder saying, "Mama, I neeeeeed that skirt!" Whatever :D)

So, I wrestled my machine into doing one more project before it heads off for a tune up and Smootch test drove her new skirt yesterday:



My skirt isn't as twirly as Made's, but it was much simpler to construct. I put together a simple a-line skirt. The tulle was cut into 2" strips and sewed at the midpoint lengthwise onto the skirt in rows all the way around. Instead of pre-gathering the tulle, I gathered as I sewed by stretching the tulle width-wise. Slow, but I still found it faster than two seperate steps.


Smootch adores the skirt, despite it's relative untwirlyness. I like it too, though the colour contrast makes my eyes a bit sore. I'm thinking that a mama version might be fun for... well, I can't think of a single appropriate occasion, but who, really has an excuse to wear tulle. It's just something you have to go for.

**************************************************************

For more detailed instructions, visit Pink Picket Fence for her lovely version.

Chive Soup

I'm always looking for ways of using the volunteer foods that grow each year in my yard. Here's a quick and easy soup I developed to use some of the hoards of chives that fill up one any avaliable patch of dirt in my backyard.

Chive Soup (children's version)*

In a medium size saucepan, add 1 tbsp of oil and saute:

1 lrg clove of garlic
2 carrots, chopped
3 potatoes, cubed

Saute for a couple of minutes, then add:

3 cups vegetable stock
1 cup of chives, chopped
1/4 tsp salt

Simmer until vegetables are cooked.
Add 1/4 cup of milk (soy or rice) and a couple of leaves of kale if you've got them. Use a hand held wand blender to blend the soup until more or less smooth (or carefully scoop most of the soup into a blender to do the deed.)

* For a more exciting (read : adult) taste, add a bit of chilli pepper and extra garlic

Enjoy!

wand maker

I'm always fascinated by the wandering and looping path that Smootch's interests take. She usually operates in a sort of creative free association, where one momentary obsession will jump over to a related idea over to focusing on just one aspect and so on. A few weeks ago she found a (too small) wizard's costume at a garage sale. Putting on the costume, Smootch turned into a nasty wizard bearing magic potions that would make people fall in love with goats when they drank them. Of course, every potion was presented in a sweet as agave nectar voice by Smootch in her (too small) wizard regalia, her pointy hat draped with some sort of floral, sweet dress or scarf, disquised as a innocent merchant of refreshing drinks. When the unwitting victim drank, however, the disquise would be whipped off and a truly spine tingling crackle would echo off the walls. With such glee Smootch poisions us with bovidaphilia.

From this dark start, Smootch's interest meandered over to potion making of all sorts. Garden dirt, flower and grass make the outside potions. Oil, flour, sugar, and whatever else she can reach make up the inside potions. Sometimes bits of paper are mixed in with odds from her collage box.

And then. looking through a book about wizards we brought home from the library, Smootch fell in love with the wizard's magic wand. Up until this point wizard gear has been limited to some fairly complex facial expressions, body language and voices - she hunches over, squinches up her face, and speaks with a cackly voice - sort of like a halloween witch with the runs. But now our house if finally wizard free as a more commerical venure has taken hold.

Smootch is now a maker of fine wands for all of your magical needs. Behold!



Wands are amazing fun to make. If you have a wee one interested in become a wand making apprenctice, Smootch has shared her techniques with me:

You get your sticks (we go gathering several times a day now), your pipecleaners, yarn, ribbons, material scraps and anything else you can think of to tie or wrap. Smootch began with twisting pipecleaners together (which is not fun to be accidently hit in the face with, just so's you know) and moved onto using a stick base to wrap, twist and tie onto.

After the wands are made, if they are to be made into gifts or simply for storage, Smootch has devised a packaging for them that doubles as a gift card. A piece of constuctions paper, cut into four pieces, then each piece folded into 2 lengthwise and stapled on the bottom and up one side will give you a small wand sheath, which the recipient's name can be written along with appropriate wizardly writing and symbols. The sheath can also detail wand use instructions or special cautions (like do not use while operating heavy machinery).


I'm waiting to see what direction Smootch's imagination will go off to next, whether it be a somehow related or something completely off the wall. In the meanwhile, as long as this wizard love runs its course, we are staying away from Harry Potter or anything Hogwarts related. Once day she'll have her imagination refertilized with R. K. Rowling's capitivating work, but until then I'd like her to continue create her own wizardly notions uninfluenced.