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Mamas Pocketbook - Fabric Pocketbooks, Romantic Accessories, Sewing Patterns

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Mamas Pocketbook - Fabric Pocketbooks, Romantic Accessories, Sewing Patterns

So this week I bought a lot of fabrics for my collection. The shops I visited offered so much variety that it inebriated me. It was as if I were in the Disney World of fabrics, or at least my own private Disney World. Hey, you know what they say: splurging in a fabric shop is a lot cheaper than in a jewelry shop, so I guess this makes me feel better about my little extravaganza!

 It wasn’t easy to pick and at the same time figure out how and in which combinations I was going to use them. And don’t get me even started as to ‘what for’ I am going to use them…rs.

So getting home I started to fold all the beautiful fabrics as if I was savoring the sweetest chocolate or smelling bottles of the most delicate perfumes. I took the whole afternoon in this small delight.

When I finally looked at the stack of samples I started to have visions of the “objects of affections” I wanted to create with them.

I saw them in knitting bags, grocery bags, and other, mostly utilitiarian, bags combinations, cel phone, cameras and ipod cases, in little organizing purses for toiletries, reading glasses and such.

  

But, of course, the star of my show is my design for our Cutie, so I envisioned little dresses, coats, blouses in a clean A-line cut and some accessories for and around baby’s room, playing and living.

My only problem is that my skills don’t measure up to my delirious dreams. It is taking me forever to finish the quilt I started in the quilting class, which, by the way, thankfully finishes next Wednesday. I fear that I won’t have the quilt ready by then, but at least I will have learned all the steps to make one. And most important of all, I conquered the sewing machine (hooray, although I have to admit that it was a tight fight between me and her, most of the time the balance tilting to her side).

So, what did I get from this quilting class?


First of all – quilting is definitely not my kind of pie. All those little pieces, all the milimetrical measuring… no sir, thank you.


But, it has definitely given me a very precious tool, because now I feel that I can even launch myself into sewing.


And, actually, I don’t even need a pattern or design.


Somehow, I instinctively know how to set the pieces of a dress for example, and in what order to sew the parts. The measuring part is easy – according to a measuring standard chart – and the rest is left to imagination and creation – the part I really enjoy, and with all modesty, am best at.


So these are this week’s updates.


Ongoing activities are of course:


1. knitting (Cutie’s dress and a commission for designing a “hug” (yes, a “hug”) in knitting and appliqué with the costumer’s specified purposes);


2. designing my own projects and patterns for both knitting and sewing;


3. drawing them, printing, and organizing them into files;


4. reading, from Nietzsche and Nihilism to sewing and appliqué books;


5. sewing… tiresomely through my quilt;


6. browsing the net for fabrics, accessories or some specific fabric. By the way, should anyone know where to buy fleece in São Paulo, please, please, let me know. I have been spending valuable working time in searching for it. I sure promise you a “big” reward!

GREEN CARDIE

Since everybody liked the Little Lamb
I created for the

Pink Blanket, I decided to make a theme of it.

The green cardie was already finished, but it received

a new touch. A Little Lamb aplique, embroidered

with pink silk DMC thread. It definitely added more charm
and a girly like look it.

The Little Lamb came out very cute.

And ... the quilt is coming along very slowly....

All those little pieces sure take up a lot of

energy and require quite some attention to detail,

which, I have to confess, don't come very

easy to me.

So I finally got all the material I needed to start creating my 2010 Winter Colletction.

Of course the major colour is pink, but a little blue, green and yellow won't hurt and will bring some spice and variety.

I made some Inspiration Boards and here they are:

Blue Cloud inspiration

Spring Meadow Inspiration

Pink Princess Inspiration

Soft Lavender

This is a cute little set of hoodie and shawl. I could not resist and bought it for our Baby Girl. And of course I want to personalize it, so I am knitting some little extra to go along with it. Haven´t decided what yet, but the most logical choice is a cardie, since it is a winter item. I thought of an off-white cardie with knitted or apliqued little hearts in it so it will belong to the set.

Next step is to pick the patterns and decide which kind of garment I am going to make. I have a choice of dresses, cardies, and onesies mainly. Still have a bathrobe on my mind and of course your basic handful of throws, pillows, blankies, etc.

Nossa Baby me inspirou a criar uma coleção inteira para bebês.

Penso em trabalhar com várias linhas:

o Blue Cloud

o Spring Meadow

o Morning Sunshine

o Pink Princess

o Winter Whites

o Soft Lavender

Dentro destas linhas vou criar vestidinhos, casaquinhos, cobertores, mantas,cobertores e diversos objetos. Todas as peças vão ser confeccionadas em tricô com tecido. Os tecidos adicionados às peças de tricô poderão ser forros, viras de mantas, golinhas, punhos, ou acessórios, como chapéus, bolsinhas, lacinhos, acabamentos e tudo mais que me inspirar.

Em geral só trabalho com lãs 100% Merino, que são as mais macias, antialérgicas e térmicas (frescas no calor e não demasiadamente quentes no frio) e com algodão 100%, de preferência orgânico. Costumo encomendá-las na Numei (www.numei.com e na http://www.webyarns/.

Os tecidos são sempre 100% algodão. A Pink Chalk  (www.pinkchalkfabrics.com) costuma ter uma ótima seleção dos melhores designers americanos e envia para o Brasil (dica para quem for encomendar – não ultrapasse os USD 50,00 permitidos por lei, pois as taxas de importação cobradas são muito altas).

Com todo esse material vou criar um Design Board com amostras dos fios, tecidos e modelos, para que minhas idéias fluam facilmente. Encomendei canetas de designers (COPIC – http://www.copic.com/ ) que são utilizadas por profissionais pois pintam com facilidade e praticidade os desenhos no papel, pois estou registrando os primeiros esboços em um caderno separado. Meu sonho mesmo é aprender a usar o Photoshop. Acho que vou poder transpor melhor as idéias que tenho para o papel.

De todas as peças que desenvolvo escrevo minuciosamente as instruções e receitas, não só para que eu possa reproduzi-las mais facilmente, mas também porque isso poderá ser usado profissionalmente.

Também estou me organizando (como nunca antes na vida...rs) e separando em pastas os moldes, as amostras de lã tricotadas, os tecidos, tudo com referências completas par que possam ser replicados.

Em princípio estou criando só para a nossa bebezinha e faço só uma peça de cada, mas é possível que isso se transforme numa carreira de designer. Se isso acontecer, continuarei fazendo só a peça piloto e repassando para quem queira comercializar. Todos os designs são exclusivos e criações minhas.

Grande parte desses novos projetos deve-se principalmente ao curso de patchwork que estou fazendo. Na realidade me inscrevi nesse curso somente porque queria aprender a costurar à máquina e finalmente comprar uma – um desejo que esperou mais de 30 anos para ser concretizado.

Pois estou “motorizada”, rs. A minha nova Singer Quilter é um objeto de arte. Está em cima da mesa da sala, sempre pronta para ser usada, e com mil projetos a minha espera.

KNIT POUCHIE

BOLSINHA DE TRICÔ

Finalmente terminei a bolsinha encomendada.

A parte do tricô foi fácil, apesar de ter tricotado várias amostras para conferir fios, numeração de agulhas, tamanho.

A parte complicada foi fazer o molde dos ursinhos, do fundo de feltro e das alcinhas. E muita paciência para colar as partes pequenas dos ursos (usei até pinça !). O final, que foi bordar em volta foi gostoso.

Mas valeu a pena. Gostei do resultado.

NOSSO GRUPO DE PATCHWORK

Calcular tamanhos de quadradinhos,

cortar retinho,

passar pela máquina de costura (ai ai)

passar as costuras...

quem acha que é simples e fácil,

está enganado.

É preciso concentração e neurônios de Pós-graduação...rs

Mas, as meninas estão empenhadas.

algumas mais rápidas...

outras que nunca viram uma máquina de costura

mas no final a gente até se diverte !