Songs that Didn't Used to Exist

Sweet upgrade!

noreply@blogger.com (Grodyspice) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 01:49:00 +0000

Knock off Pinkberry, totally awesome in Williamsburg

noreply@blogger.com (Grodyspice) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 20:50:00 +0000

Patchwork Tablecloth and Napkins

noreply@blogger.com (Grodyspice) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:52:00 +0000

IMG_0366, originally uploaded by LauraXJune.

So, after about a month of work (most of which time was spent waiting for insanely huge shipments of rick rack), my patchwork tablecloth and napkins are completed. I'm very happy with the results, and the project has left me with a lot of attractive little remnants. What looked like a project that would be completed in an afternoon or two took a lot longer -- there is a lot of squaring up to do in this project (I think I can now safely consider myself an expert in that area), a decent amount of ironing between steps, and A LOT of pinning, sewing rickrack, then top-stitching, repeat. Repeat. I found these steps to be the most time-consuming but also the most fun and yes! relaxing! I'm going to make a set of these eventually for Josh and I in red, orange and pink -- the colors we tend to use in our kitchen / dining room. Though the original pattern calls for this to be done in blues, I also really think this would be beautiful in all whites.

Why do I sew?

noreply@blogger.com (Grodyspice) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:05:00 +0000

wtf not?, originally uploaded by LauraXJune.

It's a question I've thought a lot about lately.

I learned to sew before I could read or write. My mother taught me my ABCs by having me crosstitch, then embroider them -- onto aida remnants. My grandmother was an interior decorator, and an accomplished seamstress. She made all of my mother's clothes when she was a child and teenager -- and the photos and examples I've seen of that work are truly impressive. She could make slipcovers for couches, curtains -- anything -- and often, she didn't work from a pattern.

My mother did not inherit her love of the machine. She was, however, incredibly adept at handsewing. By the time she'd gotten around to teaching me, she'd needlepointed, embroidered, and cross-stitched many a giant sampler for my grandparents and close relatives. Examples of her work are now something I covet and hope to collect.

So I learned to hand-sew first -- and I took to it fervently. While I have no real ire for trend-sewers (and love to teach beginners), sewing has always been a largely solitary thing for me. My mother would offer input, and then, my friend Emily learned as well. Throughout elementary, middle, and high school, we two were the ONLY people our age that I knew, who sewed. Through college -- it was the same story. I've taught many a friend how to sew, only to be reminded over and over that it's just not for everyone.

In 8th grade I took my first "sewing class," introducing me to the machine. It was not an easy introduction, and in many ways, we still have an awkward relationship, and I'd often just prefer to handsew things!

Over the years, as I've become more skilled, sewing has ceased to have almost any practical function. Now, I sew because I sew, in much the same way I read books. I consume fabric and needles and patterns. I alter them to my liking or I don't. I follow some of the instructions, disregard others.

I am often reckless in my sewing. In my grandmother's garden you see above -- I simply didn't measure the seam allowances. (I'm insane, I know!) Born to be mild, indeed.

So yeah, I sew probably because it's in my blood now. When I was about 20 I learned to knit and crochet. The first thing I ever crocheted to completion was a blanket for my new dog, Sal (whimper). After that, I took up quilting in graduate school, around the age of 25. It's come the slowest to me, partly because of the fucking machine, partly because I'm impatient and quilting doesn't reward you with visible progress as quickly as decorative sewing often does. Part of me thinks sewing might be a way to leave a trail behind me, but since I am pretty careless about where I leave that trail (most of my previous sewing projects are scattered about my mother's now defunct home, I would assume), that's probably not quite it either.

This summer, I'll go back to my mother's place, and collect all of our sewing projects, and then I'll photograph them. There will be the embarrassing ones from the 1980's, when sewing Precious Moments and teddy bears while watching Days of our Lives seemed liked the best idea on the planet. There will be the awkward phase, where I started to learn the weird stitches, the brief obsession with candlewicking Christmas tree skirts. There will be memories of things I did, just because I could.

You know, whatever.

Little update: sewing makes me incredibly happy. My mind shuts down. I don't have anything but the best feelings in the world about it -- I love talking to people about it endlessly, I love hanging out in fabric and craft stores, and I've found that people that sew are some of the best in the world. That shouldn't be forgotten, I guess.

The photo above is of my long-running battle with remnants, which I hate and feel guilty about. The rest of the set is here.

Apple Seedlings

noreply@blogger.com (Grodyspice) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:59:00 +0000

IMG_0247, originally uploaded by LauraXJune.

Growing little apple trees from seeds of the fruit isn't very hard. I just took about five seeds, washed them off, and then wrapped them in a damp paper towel, and put that in a juice glass. I stored the juice glass on top of the refrigerator (for warmth) and checked it for sprouts every few days, re-wetting as it dried up. It took about a week and a half for them to sprout. I have three sprouts in one huge pot from the five sproutlings I planted. Super cute and growing fast!

After 9 hours, I'm still not done.

noreply@blogger.com (Grodyspice) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 04:07:00 +0000

IMG_0216, originally uploaded by LauraXJune.

I was really looking forward to making this bag all week. Cutting all the pieces was pretty simple, but this was the first time I've ever worked with heavy weight interfacing, and it's kind of a bitch! It really makes working with the fabric tough, but definitely gives the fabric some attractive heft. There were a few things about the instructions I found to be perplexing, and the straps, once folded the requisite amount of times, ended up with THREE layers deep of the interfacing, so I had to undo, and cut the width of it down -- I didn't want my straps to be so thick. My sewing machine started acting up at the end of the night -- not surprising considering the weight of all that fabric, and a change of needle didn't seem to help. I didn't have it in me to start messing with the bobbin tension at that point (adjusting that while tired, I've found, can be disastrous), so I stopped for the day with just a bit of top-stitching left to do. The bag is a little more complex than it looks, it has a full, super nice, fitted lining with two deep pockets in it and overall I'm really happy with how it turned out -- I'm especially proud of my pleats, though I suspect the heavy interfacing has more to do with them than me. One lesson learned today -- all that ironing in between each step is well worth it. The bag looks really crisp and neat because I really took my time. There is a slightly smaller version of this bag as well -- I'm going to make one as a gift soon.

Postcards to Pittsburgh

noreply@blogger.com (Grodyspice) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:06:00 +0000

American Illustrators
Maxfield Parrish (1870-1966) used alternating layers of paint and varnish to create the shimmering fantasy lands in his popular illustrations for books, advertisements, magazines, and calendars. The color of his skies is still known as "Parrish blue." In 1925 an estimated one in four homes owned a Parrish print.

Interlute (The Lute Players), mural for the Eastman Theatre, Eastman School of Music, Rochester, New York, 1922

Postcards to York: Day Twenty-two

noreply@blogger.com (Grodyspice) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:52:00 +0000

Custom printed wedding postcard, 2007
Printed by Nick.

Videos I love: "For Love," Lush

noreply@blogger.com (Grodyspice) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 02:42:00 +0000

Lush - New Music - More Music Videos

Oh, yes. 1991 was a great year for me. The year I found Lush, the first time I ever had a drink or a cigarette or weed. I was in 9th grade and this was the greatest thing I'd ever heard.

Three napkins done

noreply@blogger.com (Grodyspice) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 02:33:00 +0000

3rd Napkin, originally uploaded by LauraXJune.

Sure, they look a little insane, but up close, they are very beautiful, I have to say. I've got a rhythm now, so I figure I can finish up all eight by tomorrow. Most patterns call for you to make six napkins, but I always need more than that at home, so I'm making eight -- one of each fabric, except for the plain red, which I'll make two of. Really happy with the results so far. Oh, and if I ever see rickrack again, I'll cry.

Just to remind us of how awesome Joan Jett is

noreply@blogger.com (Grodyspice) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:00:00 +0000

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts |MTV Music

Napkin number one: DONE!

noreply@blogger.com (Grodyspice) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:20:00 +0000

IMG_0107, originally uploaded by LauraXJune.

That wasn't too bad! I sewed the rickrack onto napkin number one last night and I couldn't be happier with how it turned out! Glad I decided to use contrasting thread for the topstitching. Nasty thread that needs trimmed, though.

Up Next: This Bag

noreply@blogger.com (Grodyspice) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 22:53:00 +0000

I'm still in the midst of finishing off the tablecloth and napkins for my cousin Sarah's wedding gift (on July 18th). I have only to sew the rick rack on -- a task I've only handled once in the past, and this will entail attaching roughly 23 yards of it to the tiny raw edges of the napkins and tablecloth. I'm really excited to see how they turn out, and this is the part of the project, nearing the end, where I always get anxious to finish and start wanting to rush through. Unfortunately for me, this is possibly the most important phase of production, and I need to take it slow.

This is also the point in my sewing where I always decide on my next project. I have a few things on the horizon, so it's just a matter of prioritizing, choosing what's next, and then picking my fabrics. I am a compulsive pattern shopper. Many sewers I know are super into constantly buying new fabrics. Not so with your old friend over here. There is something about fabric which irks me to no end to have a bunch of on hand -- so I usually only buy exactly what I need, rarely any extra for the future. In fact, I am so particular about quantities that if I need only 3/4 of a yard of a fabric, and for whatever reason I'm at a store that only sells by the full yard (pretty rare), I usually pass on purchasing it. I'm just not into wasting fabric -- and while I do have a small tub of remnants tucked away which I occasionally unbox for little projects, I try to keep it to a minimum.

This brings me to a really annoying experience I've just had. Though I have patterns for two bags (one for a gift, one for myself), new throw pillows (to replace the covers I made last year in an hour and have never been fully satisfied) and our own set of napkins and tablecloth in the same style as the ones I'm making for Sarah, I'd decided to make the Amy Butler bag you see above next, merely because it's for me, and it's been forever since I made something for myself. I made this decision in the middle of the workday, and while I work at home and have a really flexible schedule, I couldn't run out to get fabrics today. Which was annoying -- I already had the bug. So I did something I've never done before. I shopped for fabric online. This is not something I'd recommend, unfortunately. I ultimately went with three fabrics I'd already seen in person, and that I knew would work well together -- so there's no real problem there. However, I was really tempted to try out a different fabric (a newer one that I hadn't previously seen), but was remiss to do so because I couldn't see or touch it. Incidentally, many online shops only sell by the yard -- again, something I refuse to do. On top of that, most online fabric shops don't stock all of the supplies I need in one place -- also terrifically annoying. For instance, for the bag, I needed a gilt magnetic snap and heavy weight, sew in interfacing -- two things I don't keep on hand. I ended up purchasing the thread, snap and interfacing at one shop, and the fabric at another.

In general, I shop at Purl in SoHo because they stock the best quality materials, and because I'm comfortable there. They also have a really nice online shop, that DOES stock a huge array of notions, which is also awesome. In this one instance, however, they didn't have the fabrics I'd decided to work with. Like I said, I totally prefer to buy in person. Which brings me to my main point: I'm going to open a store of my own, in my own neighborhood, which is seriously lacking in sewing shops. I swear, I was meant for this.

Postcards to York: Day Twenty-One

noreply@blogger.com (Grodyspice) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:18:00 +0000

The Thermals
Now We Can See
photo by alicia j. rose
7" in stores march 10, 2009
lp / cd in stores april 7, 2009
www.killrockstars.com
www.thethermals.com

No one should have this much rick rack

noreply@blogger.com (Grodyspice) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:57:00 +0000

So dangerous. Dangerously boring.

Book Review: All the Pretty Horses

noreply@blogger.com (Grodyspice) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 02:52:00 +0000

Dunno. Super beautifully written. Also really manly. Maybe not my thing.

Postcards to York: Day Twenty

noreply@blogger.com (Grodyspice) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 02:49:00 +0000

Panorama and gondola.

Postcards to York: Day Ninteen

noreply@blogger.com (Grodyspice) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 02:47:00 +0000

Denyse Schmidt Quilts
165 Bennett Street
Bridgeport, CT 06605
www.dsquilts.com

Pretty Insane Looking

noreply@blogger.com (Grodyspice) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 23:20:00 +0000

But still, I really like it., originally uploaded by LauraXJune.

Got the red fabric, exchanged it in for the pinks. Looks better and less crazy, I think. The orientation of the photo is actually off -- the cloth will actually lay in the other direction on the table once it's done, and I've attached the main panel of fabric, which is one of the whiter, nicer florals. I also think that addition will tone down the crazies. But really, who knows. I'm just happy that the panels are all straight and the stitching is very neat. I am improving.

flowers

noreply@blogger.com (Grodyspice) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:40:00 +0000

IMG_0052, originally uploaded by LauraXJune.

Tablecloth and napkins for Sarah, just started

noreply@blogger.com (Grodyspice) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 18:03:00 +0000

Tablecloth and napkins, originally uploaded by LauraXJune.

I have no idea if this patchwork tablecloth and napkins is going to turn out super awesome or really terrible. At this point, it's kinda hard to say -- I really thought the fabrics were all super cool together, but now... well I'm not sure. Sure hope my cousin likes it, though!

6/14 Update: So I am pretty happy with how this is turning out, actually, and the longer I looked at the pieces, the less insane it seemed to me. However, I've recently become acquainted with Sarah's wedding registry, and literally every item on it is bright red. Utter failure. I'm getting red fabric today to sub in the areas where the pink fabric was. Shouldn't be a biggie. And this project should be completed tomorrow.

Blingee Quilt

noreply@blogger.com (Grodyspice) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 23:18:00 +0000

Add Glitter to your Photos

Color Wheel Quilt is done: here's what I learned

noreply@blogger.com (Grodyspice) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 20:21:00 +0000

I've made two quilts previous to this one. The first was a super simple block quilt made for a baby about 5 years ago. The second was a baby quilt made for my friend Maranda just a few months back. Both of these were pretty simple, and had complexity and tedium only to the degree that they both contained hand-sewn appliques (something I get really anxious over). The Color Wheel Quilt (which is from the book Last Minute Quilted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson) was my first large-scale quilt which had many, many cuts, and many quilted lines. In essence, it's quite simple. In execution, there are many ways to fuck this one up. So let me run through my major lessons learned.

1. You really can't be careful enough in cutting your pieces. If you do even a slightly sloppy job of it, you will cause yourself problems and end up with weirdness. I have a bit in my quilt, but it's really minimal and I'm pretty ecstatic over how it turned out. That said, cutting carefully and slowly seems to be the most important step.

2. Back up: wash your fabric! I didn't want to -- there were so many pieces, and I don't have laundry at home! Instead, I hand washed, dried and ironed them in my bathroom sink. I was surprised to see some bleeding of the reds, and if I hadn't pre-washed, it certainly would have ruined the quilt.

3. The quilting part is by far the most tedious, and fulfilling part of the quilting process. As with everything else, you'll find a groove, but because this quilt depends for its final look on straight, straight lines, taking your time, and if necessary, removing offensive stitches to re-do is a must. There are a few visible places on the quilt where I didn't do this, and I wish I had. Again, however, total learning experience, and hey! It really looks fantastic.

4. Bite the bullet: do the double fold binding on every quilt. It looks better. Way better.

That one's done!!! There are more photos of the quilt on my Flickr page.

Better Pics soon.

noreply@blogger.com (Grodyspice) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:37:00 +0000

Better Pics soon., originally uploaded by LauraXJune.

This is the most recent photo of the Color Wheel Quilt -- in almost-done form. As you can see, the double fold binding has been sewn in place on all but the right (blue green) side of the quilt, where it's still flapping around. I'm going to take some really good shots of it once it's been ironed and the D90 is back home.

Doing fine

noreply@blogger.com (Grodyspice) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:12:00 +0000

Doing fine, originally uploaded by LauraXJune.

Our newest babies (lemon seeds!) are growing fast.