summer skirt #2 and some thoughts

I was able to make this skirt on my birthday. It was rainy, so I sewed instead of going out, which was fine by me. I was smitten with the skirt Mariko made especially the pocket detail-which I looked at closely at her back-tack party. It's so flipping cute! This amazing pocket fabric is from Hillary. I have been trying to work it into something for a bit now and I think it works with the denim perfectly-in that bicentennial way. You can also see it on Hillary's amazing apron here. (I do think these were napkins, right Hillary? Or someone made them into napkins when you found them?)

There are white buttons on the pocket flaps, hard to see because of the white polka-dots. And this is that same pattern as the seersucker skirt. And yes, it does match my new shoes, I am thrilled. Now a lightweight kelly green hoodie t-shirt (sleeveless?) to go on top. Because this is exactly what I want, I won't be able to find it, that is for certain.

I just finished reading Bergdorf Blondes-complete fluff and really enjoyable. It's like reading about the moms in the Nanny Diaries before they got married and had kids. It's yikes and funny and totally insane. But it got me thinking about stuff. And wanting stuff (never a good sign) and the only item that came up in the book that I could afford (by a whole heck of a long-shot) was the mention of personal stationary, which I quickly discovered, I can't afford. I still have the personal note cards I made (gocco) with my initials from our wedding and I need to bust them out for birthday thank-yous. I know I am not alone in my love of stationary, cards, and anything mail related and full of paper-goodness (hence mailorder) and letterpress makes me all weak in the knees. . .so, either I will find a professional print job that I don't feel gross paying for, or I will gocco new ones. Can't decide which. . I have a love/hate relationship with gocco screens and xerox machines. Sometimes they love me and sometimes they both hate me at once, which equals disaster and swearing and a ruined gocco screen, which we all know now is very very bad (did someone save that company yet? or are we all still having to hoard all the supplies?)

This was all made worse when I made the mistake of buying the new Blueprint magazine, which is so bad for me because it also makes me all wanty. I hate magazines with so much stuff to buy, it's not good for me. Oh, but it does make me more crafty, right? Because I am always trying to figure out how to make all this stuff they show. Anyway, they have a beautiful spread on stationary and notecards. . .gads.

And on a completely unrelated note, I just made brownies and actually lined the pan with parchment so I could lift them out in one piece and then cut them into squares (the way these food editors actually tell you to do in the mags, but I never do) and it worked so well I am embarrassed I had rebelled from this advice for so long and just hacked away at them in the pan. If you do this, you can also cut off the "too brown" edges to make the perfect squares. It's so easy this way. I just thought I would let you all know for you parchment paper hold-outs. Try it!

Comments

[Meg]

That skirt is so rocking it. I love coming here to see what you have made.

[Ali]

Oh I love your skirt. Imagining you skipping about with it and your new shoes on.

Have a good weekend.

[janelle]

american apparel definately has sleeveless hoody t-shirts. . and they most likely have kelly green!

[hillary]

wanty. that's it. I got Blueprint in the mail yesterday afternoon and had to start on my friday night wine way earlier than usual. I was in a huge funk and didn't know why until it dawned on me that the Blueprint had made me feel crappy and unsatisfied with my life. I need a house. I need personalized stationary too. I need a fancy job where one would actually wear a cute pleated dress. etc etc. thanks again Martha.

yes, napkins I think. cute skirt!

[Silvia]

Lovely skirt! Do you maybe know some way to print like with gocco, but withou gocco...? I want to make my own businesscards, but I can't afford to take them to the printers ;) So just wondering if you have an idea!

[Miss Dot]

"Wanty" what a great word!! oh yes. I am ADDICTED to baking paper, I even line the frying pan with it when I am cooking fish so I don't have to wash up a fishy pan! maybe there is a support group? :-)

[marielle]

That skirt you made makes me feel all... well, wanty.

[Mariko]

Dude, your pockets are WAY better than mine! It looks great.

[Clarice]

Love the pockets too !! Clarice

[marybeth]

Amy,
I had a denim skirt like this in 1974 - the perfect pocket material accent!
It is good that you can be aware of the impact of certain magazines causing the consumer trance like state of I HAVE TO HAVE THAT NOW!
Of course you and the endless other fabulous creative women take back your power singing- I will create my own!
Be sure to come by my blog for my birthday give-away tomorrow!

[eireann]

My boyfriend does letterpress--he hasn't got a site yet, but will soon--and takes custom orders. It's not ridiculously expensive, either. If you're interested, I might could hook you up with a bit of a discount, too. Let me know.

[Mary-Heather]

Wow, I just spent a lovely morning on my couch reading Blueprint and get up to read this. Any sort of pretty paper card makes me drool. So does your skirt, though- seeing this second skirt made from that pattern means I have to go buy it today! Yup, wanty.

[andrea]

hello,
i just discovered your blog a week ago--it's delightful! i'm very inspired by all of your sewing projects. would you mind sharing what type of sewing machine you use? i'm in the market for a new one and don't know too many crafty sewers like you! thank you!
andrea

[caitlyn]

Beautiful skirt! It looks perfect for summer.
Thanks for the tip about lining the brownie pan with parchment paper!

[AJ]

Great skirt!

[eva]

Crane's (www.crane.com) often has a great clearance selection of 100% cotton paper/notecards. With a simple alphabet stamp, they personalise well and are super pretty without any embellishment too.

[sally]

Love the skirt! If I ever buy a letterpress I'll make you some stationery. Until then, have you checked out www.letterpressed.com? The owner is a nice guy.

[madmommy]

This is not good, now I have to go find a copy of Blueprint. I spent yesterday poring over Ready Made and Domino and was feeling wanty too. I think I'm becoming a style magazine addict... ;-)

[sheryl]

"Wanty" - you have coined a perfect word. I'm trying to do less shopping, browsing, and catalog viewing because I can't afford to feel wanty these days. I have to redirect the energy - it feels so much better to be making.

And I'm so with you on the parchment paper. In our house, we always used to scoff when the recipes called for parchment thinking it was an unnecessary accoutrement. Then we finally tried it and felt oh so foolish. It really is a genius product.

[melissa f.]

so i say we start convincing sally to get that letterpress-- i think she just needs a lot of encouragement. and nice friends who will use it. and maybe a place to store it. we should get on that.

[Coleen]

I have the same problem right now. I go Blueprint and Domino magazines, and I felt like I just HAD to have this and that from some of the pages. If anything, those magazines are great for ideas for projects. I love to check out your blog every couple of days and I love mailorder. Can't wait for the next issue and to see more of your fun projects!

[Amber]

Super skirt! The pocket detail really makes the skirt! Awesome! Do you ever sew anything that doesn't come out perfectly?
Your smock for the tie-one-on this month made me envious of your skill and creativity! By the way, I tried to email you pics of my smock, but my email addy was refused...any way to fix that??
Anywho, fantastic skirt! Happy Birthday!!

[victoria]

Where on earth does one get a Gocco machine? I can't find one for sale! About stationery: have you tried Digital Art Supplies? They have beautiful papers for inkjet printers and if you've got a fairly decent printer you could do your own. I know its not letterpress but you could still have great results.

http://www.digitalartsupplies.com/

[Leisl]

Those pockets are ace - you've done a fabulous job!

[Becky]

Great skirt. Isn't it the best, making your own!

[momo]

beautiful skirt!! ^^

[hannah]

stop.it.

you're killing me with your skirty goodness. i had forgotten about last summer when you did the same thing... thanks a bunch. now im all wanty...

[amy k.]

hmm-did you try think ink or dick blick? I got mine long ago, but I know at some point you could buy them here. . .

[amy k.]

I use a viking husqvarna that I got when I was 18. . .and i still love it! they don't make it anymore, obviously, but I think all the machine they make are good (the ones made in europe, not the lower end models they have that are made in china)

[amy k.]

oh-cally! I have a little thank you note and small goodie bag headed your way!! it did arrive on time and you are too sweet!! I loved getting it!
big hugs-

[Gina]

So adorable, love the pocket treatment with the red fabric and buttons.

[Melanie]

Hi Amy, happy belated birthday. I was just wondering if, among all the baking and sewing goodness, if you've been working on your little quilts lately? I like visiting your King Pod website to look at your beautiful little creations, but I can't really tell from your blog if you're still working on them, or if you've moved onto new things. Thanks, have a great day!

[amy k.]

well-I have been doing quilts-quite a bit lately in the last 6 months, but they have been for other projects, ones for publication, so I can't show them-which is really bums me out!! obviously I can show them later, but just not now. . .but I do have a quilt I am working on right now-thanks so much for wondering. . .i most definately haven't moved on! i love them!!

[Robin]

Amy, in Portland there is the most amazing place called the IPRC. It is above Reading Frenzy over by Powells. Anyway, they have letterpresses and other printing implements there that you can use FOR FREE. In order to use them, you do have to take this mini-class on the how-to, but that is also FREE. My boyfriend did this and made his own letterpress broadsides of his poems. It is a great community over there, too -- everyone is really helpful and nice. The website is www.iprc.org. You will be whipping up cards worthy of Oblation in no time! I'm sure of it!

[scribblesnbits]

Cute cute skirt! Yes, I am the same way after reading some of these magazines or seeing things online. But I like that it makes me aspire to save up for what I want or figure out a way to make it myself.

[laura]

I have another brownie tip. I know it sounds ridiculous (at least I thought so until I tried it) but cut them with a plastic knife. It's amazing how it gets rid of all that chocolatey gunk when cutting from one row to the next.

[Madeline]

Very pretty skirt. Don't give up on the stationary until you call local printers. If you supply artwork, you can try and get a few quotes. You never know!