The Adventures of Wondermommy

I know it has been a couple of weeks, but I’m finally going to share a project the kids did.  I didn’t want to ruin Father’s Day for all of the special men in our family.

The kids drew original artwork. Then, I scanned them in the computer.  I printed the designs onto iron-on transfers, and we ironed them onto t-shirts.  They had so much fun creating shirts.  I used iron-ons for dark t-shirts, so if you are going to try this…make sure you get those instead of just the regular transfers.

We made shirts for the kids and shirts for Daddy & Joppy & Papa.  Everyone loved their shirts. 

On the artwork before I scanned it, I also wrote the kids’ names and the year.  I thought it would help us keep track.  This could be a fun project to repeat.  I picked the shirts up at Michael’s for about $2.50 a piece.  I think this makes it a really affordable and fun project.

Here are all of the pictures.  One more thought…while I was sitting outside taking these shots, I looked at my feet and realized that I may need to replace my almost 4 year old Birkenstocks.  I really need to purchase some nice sandals for the summer.  That also means getting a pedicure…which I rarely do because mommy has no time for herself :)  Don’t worry, I do own other shoes…these are just what I throw on for mommy related tasks during the day.  They just need to be retired.

I know today was supposed to be our sixth day of our sew-a-long, but I just got the big interview back.  If you love Studio Tantrum, you know who Nancy Langdon is.  I’m not going to say anything other than, thank you Nancy for taking your time to give this interview.  We all love your work and know that it took time out of your busy schedule to do this interview.  Thank you so much. 

So, on with the interview:  (Me, Nancy)

Introduce yourself.

 
How long have you been sewing?

I have not sewn very long with this regularity. I learned watching my
mother, who sewed quite a bit. As a very young child, it took me a
while to learn that you could actually buy the clothes in a
department store. Usually, I would shop with my mother and say, “I
like this, but in blue” and over to the fabric section of Marshall
Field’s we would go. She sewed for me all her life. Mom came of age
in an era when even everyday dresses were tailored (think “I love
Lucy”) and a decent dress cost $50 or $100 back then. Sewing was
much more commonplace. And Mom could do it all: Welted pockets and
button holes, steam-formed shoulders and blazer collars that laid
like they were part of me.

What/Who first got you interested in sewing? What interested you in
designing children’s clothing patterns?

I’ve always liked clothes. Not fashion, but clothes. I can look at
an Armani cocktail dress at the Barney’s or a 50s swing coat at the
second hand shop the way some people look at a Vermeer. And then,
with Anna, I really just wanted some clothes for my daughter similar
to the kinds of clothes the kids had in Europe. Children’s clothes
don’t require much fabric, so why not sew up a few? I dusted off
Mom’s old Bernina and cut up some fabric with the lines and styles I
had seen in Europe. At one point, I came across Sabine Pollehn’s
forum, klickundblick.de and I said, “I want clothes like that.”
When I began posting some of my items, other people started saying
“I want clothes like that” about my clothes. And that was the
start of the pattern thing.

What is your favorite sewing tool?

Good question: Probably a Sharpie pen and paper. It all starts with a
piece of paper. I like my seam ripper that’s like a knife, I think
it’s sold as a “serger” seam ripper. A good pattern sure takes a lot
of the guesswork out. The pattern is one place I don’t like to
skimp. If the pattern has been hand-drafted by a couture
professional, I am ten steps ahead. If you have read this far, maybe
you’ve sewn Farbenmix and studioTANTRUM/fledge and maybe you agree.
And that tape measure: Measure thrice, cut once. And measure,
measure, measure as you go along.

Do you have any advice for beginner sewers that you would like to share?

Sewing for children is a good way to start sewing. First, it doesn’t
require a lot of fabric. Second, children always need new clothes as
they grow. If the sewn item isn’t perfect, no big deal. They will
soon outgrow it. And fudging is allowed. Appliqué is the French word
for “covering up wonky seams”, I’m sure of it. Also, in sewing
children’s clothing, you learn the basics of clothing construction,
upon which you can expand and improve. Once you have make a basic
jumper, there’s not much to hold you back from making a
double-layer jumper with a scalloped hemline. And choosing a good
pattern is also a good way to start. If the seams match up nicely, if
the fit is comfortable and flattering, and if the form is catching
people’s attention, well, pretty soon the sewing bug will bite you.
And just wait for the first time your little one puts on that twirly
dress you made her and she spins herself dizzy and lands in a heap of
giggles. Or your somewhat
  older girl shops with you at the fabric store and sketches up a
design she wants, when she eschews mass marketed brands and wants to
determine her own style. That’s what it’s all about. And
remember, with the Internet, you are never alone! It has been my
experience that sewists are not only some of the most creative people
around, but also some of the most helpful and generous. Do you have a
question? Is there a term you don’t understand? Do my pattern
instructions require the Rosetta Stone to decipher? There are tens of
thousands of sewing enthusiasts sharing their knowledge and are
pleased to help. Wondermommy is a great example of this.

When did you make your first pattern?

That would be REDONDO. That was in May 2005, I believe.

Did you go to fashion school or are you self-taught?

I have no right to do this: I have no background in fashion design
whatsoever. There is a tiny bit of me channeling my mother’s
abilities. My dress-up clothes as a kid were like a lesson in 20th
Century fashion design: 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s—all right
there. Mom could sew, but you should also see the fashion art she
painted and drew. I’m hoping my sister still has some of her art,
because I would like to make a few copies.

What is your biggest inspiration?

Inspiration, I think, just pops up at you out of the blue, don’t
you think? Some of my patterns have come by just looking at a solid
form and thinking, hm, what if that hubcap were made of fabric? How
would it fall? I’m always looking at seams. That is the alchemy of
design. I’ll watch an entire movie and not know the plot, because
I’ll be concentrating on the costumes.

What is your most favorite pattern and why?

The next one. Always the next one

How long have you been in business?

I’ve been distributing Farbenmix and studioTANTRUM/fledge in the
U.S. for over two years. Time flies!

What made you decide to go into business?

Sabine Pollehn asked me. No huge plan to conquer the world one
sewing pattern at a time. But it seems to be happening! And it will
be your—you and sewing enthusiasts everywhere—fault! Really: I
have a really lousy Website that has only been up a couple of months.
I don’t have a big company behind me with a PR and advertising staff
to call magazines and promote the patterns. I’ve never been to
“market” and only recently understood what “market” meant. These
patterns have sold in the thousands, because somebody posted a
finished garment on a forum somewhere and somebody else recommended
it and somebody else posted something on a blog…I’m very
embarrassed at my lack of professional marketing. On the other hand,
I am proud of the fact that these patterns have sold without
advertising. They have sold through word of mouth and forum and blog.
I probably should have it another way, but I am rather pleased that
the sewists want these patterns, despite the
  fact that the packaging isn’t very fancy and the trancing requires
some concentration and some of the designs really are a leap of faith
in terms of construction (think “LAGUNA” ;-).

What can we look forward to in the future from you and your company?

Nancy action figures? I don’t know: What do you want? There are
areas in this corner of crafting to which my colleagues at Farbenmix
and I could really add something new. We have the ideas. But we are
really just working from our homes between packing lunches, searching
for lost shin guards and sitting through music lessons. I have been
working on some clothes for myself that I like and maybe I’ll try
my hand at women’s patterns. But I want to know what you want. I
know you want more patterns translated. And I am the bottleneck. I am
so very sorry for that. I have a couple of wonderful women
translating with me. But it takes time. And I’m looking into French
and Japanese versions. It takes time. For all other things, I’m
open to ideas and criticisms!

Is there anything else that you would like to share with the
Wondermommy readers?

Nancy, I would like to thank you again for doing this interview.  I know you are very busy.  Your words have inspired me.  I, too, am relatively young to sewing with no design education, but you prove that it is possible for all sewists to do great things.  Since you asked, I will share what started me to sew.  I started to sew when my daughter was born.  Something made me want to dress her with “art” that was spun from my hands.  I may be the only person that calls my sewing art, but that is what I feel.  I feel that I am sewing love around her tiny body.  I felt a kinship to you through your words about your children.  They make my world go round, and my daughter and son are my biggest inspirations. 

Thank you so much Nancy for all that you do.  We love Studio Tantrum and Farbenmix.  Your designs are so creative and inspiring.  All I can say is that we want more!

If you want more of Nancy, here are a list of her sites:

Mother of Invention Blog

Studio Tantrum

Fledge Flying is Easy

Day 5 : Adding Elastic to Underarms

Day 4 : Putting the Dress Together

Day 3 : Pockets & Straps

Day 2: Fusible Interfacing

Day 1: Getting Started

It’s day 5 on our journey!  We are almost at the end of this project.  Day 5 is an optional day.  You do not have to add elastic to the underarms of your dress if you do not want to do so.  It helps the dress fit a little more snugly.  This day also has a lot of judgement calls.  You will have to make some decisions, as the directions are relatively sparse in this area. 

First, decide what size elastic that you are going to use.  I’m using 3/8″ elastic.

Second, decide how long you are going to make the gather and its casing.  We are going to make a 3 inch casing to hold 2 inches of elastic. 

These are all calls you will have to make.  Remember, I’m making a 86/92 size. You may feel that the larger sizes need more elastic.  You may also decide that you want to add less elastic.  The call is totally up to you.  You will still complete the steps the same way that I do…your mesurements will just be a little different than mine.

Now, get your dress out.  You’ll also need a marking tool of some sort, elastic, ruler, a safety pin/bodkin, and your machine.

When you attempt this part, you will probably want to use thread that matches your dress.  I’m going to keep using my multi-colored thread so that you will easily see what I have sewn.

Again, I’m using 3/8″ elastic.  If you are using smaller/larger elastic you will need to correct the measurements accordingly.

First, measure two lengths of your elastic to two inches long.  This will give you one for each side.  Set these pieces of elastic aside.

Now, we have to measure and draw our casing placement.  I’m going to make a 3 inch long casing a little more than 3/8 of an inch from the top-stitching under each arm.  This means that the mid point is 1&1/2 inches.

Now, draw a line at the beginning and the end of the three inches.  This will allow you to see where the closing stitching will go. 

Use your ruler to measure down a little more than 3/8″ from your top-stitching.  You’ll need to make sure that it is large enough for the piece of elastic to slide in.  Make a mark so that you know how far down that point is.  Your casing is going to be curved to match the arm hole, so I suggest measuring this way at the midpoint and on each end of three inches.

Now, connect these marks by placing your ruler on them and drawing a line.  Again, it will curve with the armhole.  Make sure that your end marks touch this line.  You’ll end up with a nice little drawn box.

Here’s what you should have so far:

I have drawn pink lines on the pictures so that you can see the boxes better.  My chalk lines are very light.

Now, take your dress to your machine and stitch the bottom line of the box.  This will give you a casing between the top-stitching and your newly sewn line.

You will now use your safety pin or bodkin to run your elastic into this casing.  Make sure you pin the edge without the safety pin to the dress slightly beyond the vertical line at the edge of your box.  You will want to sew this line first.  I went back and forth a couple of times to secure it.  Then, pull the elastic out the other end, remove the safety pin, and sew that line of stitching.  This will give you an entire box of stitching, and secure your elastic in place.  You will repeat these steps for the other side.

You should now have elastic in both sides, and this ends our day.  Your results should look similar to mine.

If you have any questions, just leave it in the comments section and I’ll try to answer it!

Don’t forget tomorrow is our sixth and final day of Marieke.  You’ll have a complete dress on Friday!

Don’t forget to add your link if you want others to see what you have completed on this day:

Head on over to the Kirsty blog to find out more about this week and giveaway!

I didn’t get any photos to share this week, so you’ll have to sit through another of my oldies :)  Here is another Anna dress that I made a couple of years ago. I love these fabrics.  I found them at Jo-Ann.  They are so happy and cheerful.  I also made a bow to match this dress.  It is one of my all-time favorites.  

If you would like to participate in the WOW meme, just look here for more information.

If you are participating in this week’s WOW, don’t forget to leave your link in Mr. Linky below.

Day 4 : Putting the Dress Together

I can’t believe we are already at Day 4.  This dress really does sew up quickly.  Today, we are putting the dress together.  This means we are sewing the lining in and sewing the side seams together.  Exciting!  We’ll actually have something that  you can try on your little model at the end of this day. 

Before we get started, let’s look back at what we’ve done so far:

Day 3 : Pockets & Straps

Day 2: Fusible Interfacing

Day 1: Getting Started

Remember, it is never too late to start this sew-a-long.  It will be available here for as long as wordpress holds it.  Just jump in a catch up whenever you feel like making this pattern.

Ok, get out your lining pieces, you dress pieces and your straps.  The first item on the agenda is to pin the back lining piece to the back dress piece.  You will need to sandwich the strap pieces in between these two pieces.  These pieces will be place with their right sides facing.  For strap placement, center them where the back comes up into what looks like straps. 

Here are the shots of this:

Remember, you are going to use a 3/8″ seam allowance.  Once your pieces are pinned together, you may start sewing carefully.  You will sew from the arm curve on one side all the way across to the arm curve on the other side.  Make sure that you leave the side of the lining and dress unsewn.  Once you have sewn across, you will need to notch the arm curves.  This entire process needs to be repeated for the front lining and front dress pieces.  This side is easier because there are no straps to sew.  Make sure when sewing the back pieces that you keep the straps out of your way and do not get them caught in any seams expect the top of each strap.

You should also clip any corners that need to be clipped.

Now, you can turn your back piece and front piece right side out.  I used a bamboo skewer as my turning tool.  You could also use a chop stick or your scissors.  Just be careful not to poke it all the way through your corner.

Now, press your pieces flat.  You want them to be nice and crisp.  No puffy spots.

You now need to flip the lining sides up.  This will create a flat edge down the lining all the way to the bottom of the dress piece.

As in the above photo, you need to place the front piece on top of the back piece, matching the side seams.  I pinned my sides, if you are a beginner this is the way to go.  Those of you that are advanced sewers really don’t need to pin these sides.

I am going to use my serger to sew this seam.  If you do not have a serger, do not be alarmed.  You will simply use your regular sewing machine, sew a 3/8″ seam, then, go back and finish the edge by zig-zagging or using an overcast stitch.

Here are all of the photos of the way that I finished both side seams.  You will sew from the lining side all the way to the bottom of the dress piece.  Both sides are sewn exactly the same way, so when you finish the first move on to the second.

Make sure that each seam between the side and dress fold the same way.  I made both of mine fold toward the lining.

The next step is hemming the lining all the way around.  You need to fold the dress so that the lining is sticking out the top.  I’m going to hem mine by running the serger all the way around.  If you have a regular sewing maching, you could run a simple folded hem all the way around.  Remember, keep to a 3/8″ seam allowance.

We need to run the end of the serger stitching back through so that it doesn’t unravel.  Simply, thread it through a darning needle.  Then, run it under the stitching, and cut it short.

Turn your dress right side out.  Then, take it and press it really flat.  We’ll start top-stitching next so you want it to be really flat and crisp.

When you have pressed your dress, you can begin to top-stitch.  I’m going to use the same multi-colored thread that I used on the pockets.  You can use what you wish.  Use a similar color to your fabric if you want your thread to blend in.  Use a contrasting thread if you really want it to stand out.  You can also choose what stitch you want to use.  I simple straight stitch is fine and works well.  I’m going to use a zig zag stitch to add a little pizzazz.  Whatever stitch you choose, it will be done in the same way as my stitch.

I’m going to start my top-stitching in one of the underarms really close to the seam.  This will keep my beginning and ending hidden under my daughter’s arm most of the time.  You will use a continuous stitch all the way around the bodice of the dress.  You should top-stitch withing 1/8″ - 3/8″ all the way around.  If you chose, you could run two or more lines of top-stitching.  We’ll just do one, though.

Here are the settings I used for my zig-zag stitch:

My sewing machine is a Kenmore.  These settings may be a little different on your machine to acheive the same results.

Here are all of the shots of the top-stitching that I did:

Now, you are done with Day 4.  I know day 4 was long, but we completed the toughest part of the dress.  There are only a couple of more days to go.  Then, your little one will be sporting a very cute dress.

If you have any questions, leave a comment here.  I will try to answer them to the best of my ability.

If you want to show off what you have completed so far, leave your link in the Mr. Linky below…or, email me at idoru(at)popstar(dot)com.  I’ll happily share your progress.

Remember, our next day will be on Thursday.  We’re going to finish up all the instructions this week.  And, next week we’ll have a big share day on Wednesday!  Happy Sewing!

I thought I would give you all a preview of the week so that you knew what was coming.  Tomorrow, is Day 4 of the sew-a-long.  I’ve waited a few days to give everyone time to get caught up.  Day 4 is the big, sewing the dress together day. 

Day 5 will be posted on Thursday & Day 6 on Friday.  Then, next week I’ll try to post a couple of embellishments or changes to the pattern.  Next week will also bring a day to share what you have made.

Wednesday of this week will be WOW time.  Make sure if you have anything that you would like to share that you have made with a Studio Tantrum or Farbenmix pattern that you get it to me.  My email is idoru(at)popstar(dot)com.  Everyone would love to see what you’ve made, and it helps to celebrate our theme this month.

Don’t forget to sign up for the giveaway!  The deadline is fast approaching!  You don’t want to miss your chance to win.

There is still a big interview coming, but my interviewee is very busy.  So, as soon as she returns the answers, I’ll post that for you.

I’m also working hard to make the Wondermommy shop expand.  In July, this will be my big focus.  I want to it a success!  So, there will be more items coming to the shop.  Many more kids clothes and a couple of crocheted items.  Also, look for a sale.  I have a few items expiring soon.  You won’t want to miss the sale. 

Our next sew-a-long will begin in August.  It is a lot of work to put together a sew-a-long, and doing two of them back to back is extremely tiring.   So, for August, I need suggestions as to what kind of sew-a-long you would like.  It can be for any pattern…just think of some options and post your suggestion here.

Ok, I’m starting to babble.

Before I go, I would like to share about my movie out-ting with my son.  I haven’t shared anything person in awhile.

My son and I ventured out to the movies yesterday.  We saw the new Indiana Jones movie.  He loved it and has been humming the theme ever since.  I’ve realized he shares my love of going to the movies.  So, I think I have a new movie buddy.  He does really well.  We need to work a little more on volume levels, but overall he is a good little man.  The only time he was scared is in the preview of The Dark Knight.  He’s really scared of the Joker.  I don’t blame him, he is kind of scary. 

My husband and I haven’t been able to go to the movies regularly since before the kids were born.  We don’t live near family and don’t have regular babysitting. So, it is great that my Little Man is finally able to go to some films that don’t have cartoon characters.  I’m not going to take him into an R movie or anything, but he enjoys superheros and action.  Our entire family will be going to see Wall E.  It looks so cute.  I think my daughter will enjoy it, too. 

The Indiana Jones movie was great.  If you like Indy, you’ll love this movie.  I recommend seeing it.  It is a good way to cool off during these hot days of summer.