Bambini del mare

I am hosting my first ever holiday seed swap for all the gardeners out there. This is open worldwide and if it resonates, I would love for you to join in or share it with a friend. Here is the link to sign up:

I lost a lot of steam in starting Bambini Del Mare in 2020. A dream I had held close to my heart for over a decade seemed so out of reach, and my ambitious work work nature truly had me lose sight of the fact that I was making my life a bit overcomplicated. Despite all of my support from the sewing community, my effort and time in the patterns and the excitement of my releases, this did not convert into actual sales.

It all felt like too much, and I let it become a remnant of a memory, disappearing into oblivion. I realized that al of my effort was not for nothing and I truly should still keep these online should anyone have interest in purchasing my designs. If you have interest, you can now make purchases on Payhip here: https://payhip.com/BambinidelMare

For years, I have quietly observed MMM wanting to participate and not having the ability to do so. It always felt very elitist, like only people who were in a position to participate could, and it made me feel bad for how slowly I created. Don't get me wrong, I had all the ideas, but the time and, the ability to purchase fabric as needed (even at the thrift store), was very limited.

So now, MMM is here once more, and any desire to document all of my makes in a photo journal of OOTD's is completely gone. I have no desire to capture what I am wearing daily, and no need. My minimalism and sew slow approach to sewing does not align with daily posts of me mades. I don't even have 31 me made garments in my closet! When I don't wear something, I gift it to someone who can enjoy it. I never will forget that I spent about 40 hours on a vintage gingham dress and happily donated it to Goodwill realizing the person who found it would realize they had a handsewn (by hand) dress and that it would bring them joy. Same to the bomber jacket and blazer-not my style so why keep it?

Instagram has changed their algorithm, and they only favor people who post consistently using reels, and staying on the platform which is no longer in alignment for me.

So if you need some radical opinion for permission to not feel guilty for having no interest in participating, here you have it!

Who cares about documenting their makes anyways?

Date started: 04/02/2022

Date completed: 04/07/2022

If someone told me it would be more than a decade before I tried flat felled seams again I wouldn't believe them, but here we are, in 2022, and the last time I tried this seam was in 2010. It's not rather complicated to do, but I tend to become quite confused when sewing things that are not familiar, and flat felled seams just happens to be one of those perplexing to me things like french seams that 50 percent of the time I end up completing wrong. On our recent vacation to the Mendocino coast, I took my machine outside and watched the same video numerous times until I was clear on which version of the flat fell I wanted to use.

To commence, you can start RST or WST, and I chose to start WST and finish it on the outside. As lovely as linen is, the tendency to fray is challenging for someone like myself who really wears their clothes.

For the crotch area, I shifted to RST, and did the method taught in most schools which is trimming down one side and pressing to finish. I know everyone loves to use sergers as they are quicker, but I personally find that finish a bit unnecessary in home sewing. Why make your own clothes if you don't finish them beautifully?

Storytime Detour: The epic fail of the pandemia was a lovely pair of wrap pants from a Japanese sewing book that I made in a very expensive gauze and got huge holes in the bum area on the second wear as I was working in the garden. I was pretty upset because the fabric was purchased from a well known retailer in our area, and they charge about 2 to 3 times more per yard for cloth. Needless to say, it was an epic failure. Now, I only purchase cloth from Merchant and Mills, Tessuti, and a new to me local company called Lyrical Fabrics that offers lovely deadstock and currently, tonnes of gingham!

My sewing space was incredible. I purchased an extension cord in town and set myself up to sew with the birds and listen to the ocean. So restorative for my sensitive nervous system.

I think I have enough patterns for the year. In 2022, I am looking forward to rediscovering what I have already purchased and sewing from what I already have. I do purchase new patterns to support makers I appreciate, but I don't need to print anymore patterns at the plotter as I printed more than enough last year.

Size Sewn: 2, no mods. For reference, I am 5' 7"

Date started: 03/06/2022

Date completed: 03/25/2022

Oh this dress, the moment I saw it I knew. Summer comfort galentine time.

This was the first project in such a long time where I felt absolutely content sewing it. Despite minor hiccups in the process, my heart swelled as it came together so quickly, and with ease. I found my purpose. The why I create in me.

I could not trust myself to remember to lengthen the dress so I took the time to trace off the lengthened pieces and even used the second printing of this pattern to create a duplicate copy so I would not worry about cutting on the fold. As a mercurial being, anything that requires my fast-moving brain to remember is a lost cause and I will end up with a high low dress quicker than you can say “bananas.”

Size Sewn

I made a size 2 of view B. I love the style of view A but think elastic is a friend of Satan and avoid wearing it and/or sewing with it at all costs.

Mods

Generally, I lengthen the torso by 1”. That is a standard mod for me. In this case, because the dress was bias, I omitted this to see how it would sit on my body. My friend is taller than me, but I knew the length of the dress would likely work in our favor.

I lengthened the dress by 14” as per Sanna’s Instagram tutorial as we are the same height 170cm (5’7”). I ended up using my very special gingham fabric for this make from Merchant and Mills and it is 140cm (59”), making the ability to not cut a bias dress on the fold a puzzle in my small California living space with so much on the floor from our recent move.

After lengthening I realized I should have checked the side seams because they did not match up and I was left with some excess I need to trim away. I am used to working with a lot of notches to match up seams properly (from training in school), and the next time I make this I will true up the seams and add notches to ensure everything works out the way I anticipated. 

One really confusing thing that I have observed in sewing two of Sanna’s patterns now is that F & B pattern pieces seem to both be facing the same direction, which means, if you are not particularly careful, you may seam the wrong sides together. I noticed this on this make, and with the Hallon dress as pieces one and two are not mirrored but face the same direction. To stay on track, I make sure I label the pattern pieces with side back, and CB, etc, to prevent this from occurring.

Now that I can afford quality materials, I am going to keep most of my fabric shopping with Merchant and Mills and Tessuti as I am very sensorial and prefer the weight, quality, and feel of their linens and silks.

The straps ended up being one of the straps because I found them way too long for where I prefer dresses to hit bust wise. I also am unable to turn straps with a loop turner or other methods (no I don’t need suggestions, I went to school for this and am simply not good at it), so I did a fold over and stitch method. Shortening the straps also reduced the gaping at the underarm I noticed on other makers dresses on IG.

I lined it up to the selvedge edge because I worried about running out of space but had a solid 5 inches left therefore, the next dress will not be lined up to the direct corner. The reason I lined up to the selvedge initially was not only a worry of space but also a worry that on my limited floor space I would miss the true bias and cut the pattern off grain, skewing everything. I tend to confuse easily, so I spend a good few evenings reading and re-reading pattern instructions until I am fairly certain I know where things will be cut and what mods to make.

Making a toile is something I do 95 percent of the time but in 2020 and 2021 I lost a lot of steam in the toile process. It seems like in 2022, I can use all the fitting knowledge I expanded on since 2010 to current and work from my toiles to make garments I love and wear. 2020 and 2021 were heavily influenced by sewing instagram, albeit marvelous to connect with community, I found it incredibly distracting on staying focused on my aesthetic and what I want to sew for fun.

In closing down my sewing pattern side of business, I realized that it took all the fun out of making for me. I really need a partner to release patterns with as it requires a ton of effort, time, and motivation to release creations into the ether. I spent so so much to bring my patterns to the community and barely made any sales. It costs a lot to release patterns too! As a projector (HD), I simply don’t have enough energy to keep a pattern business running alongside my music career, single parenting a teenager, and my bookkeeping business.

As long as I’m not too tired to sew, it can be super fun to work with my motivated energy on a project. This space will share a lot more of my self drafted makes and possibly even some small sewing projects that can be completed in an afternoon or two (hello instant grat).

This dress came together in a morning and a few afternoons and will likely become a gift for friends for many years to come.

This dress in particular, is a surprise gift for a dear friend who is expecting, and although I had hoped I would be able to give it to her at her baby shower yesterday, sometimes I am just too exhausted to say “ambition take the wheel”, and am leaning into letting myself rest.

I highly recommend if something is bias and you have the capacity to cut it (sans fold), you print two and create a very big pattern piece as I did. That was not the intention, initially, I planned to sew one for my daughter but she saw the dress and politely declined, which made my heart flutter as it enabled me to be embrace my maximalist-ness and let my freak flag fly.

In the end, I decided to trace the pattern off for my mirrored front and back pieces  so I could cut a size larger than a 2 in the future. Transferring the markings with care.

Overall, it took me longer to piece this pattern together with the mods than sew it. I think it took less than two hours on the machine. For longer dresses, one of my design teachers recommended a machine-sewn hem so you don’t trip on the dress or get a heel caught in it. Despite my preference for hand sewn hems, her advice resonated and I follow that sewing order unless something is short enough I won’t trip on it. Especially because certain times of the year I can be very trippy.

In crashing into sleepiness after a morning of pattern cutting, I accidentally lengthened view A instead of the back piece for view B which signaled it was time for a break.

Final verdict of this dress is to use a lightweight material. Although the linen is lovely, the weight is a bit too much for the straps and I imagine my friend will start to feel it as the linen tugs due to the sheer length of the garment.

I think I will keep my iron under the couch. That seems like a good place for it.

If I invite the spirit of practice into my work maybe I can find more joy in the small moments of simply being.

In the practice of saving all my scraps, the lovely, larger pieces will be added to a quilt I have in progress for this year. The itty bitty pieces though, are going to be recycled. I still can’t comfortably get myself to put them in the trash, but they sure will look great somewhere else. (edit: I later threw some teeny itty bitty pieces away in the new era of letting go of things Serah).

I am still releasing the outdated need to save my fabrics for the perfect project. There are very important items like some special silks from Tessuti Fabrics that I am saving for some self-drafted makes I will be starting this Spring to wear in high Summer. Thank goodness my energy is finally returning. Kudos to a good night’s sleep and recharging with those you love.

What are you making this Spring?

Written under a Sun in Pisces and a moon in Taurus feeling like home is starting to feel a bit cosy again.

Project 001/012 of 2022 is a gift. What will project 002 be? Stay tuned for more.

Wiksten Haori

Started November 2019 Completed October 2020

Presenting the finished a few weeks ago Wiksten Haori Coat! A cult classic of all sewists, I originally thought Jenny was a Bay Area local and flocked to A Verb for Keeping Warm to purchase the physical pattern. Once it was in hand I realized this pattern was special. The way these are packaged and presented is like a lost art, revitalized again once in your hands.

I am so happy I finished this coat. It only took me a year. I spent more time reading the instructions than sewing, but I generally do this to ensure less confusion on my end while sewing.

I don't even recall the size I cut. I would imagine it was the small, and I am sure I can search for the traced pattern in my box of tracings.

The instructions were easy to follow, and I hand sewed about 90% of the garment. The wool was gifted by my father from Stonemountain and Daughter Fabrics. Growing up in Berkeley and Oakland, this is a store I spent way too much money at whilst I could not afford it. Their quality is so high and their curated selection is the best.

Everything was fairly easy. I wish I did not interface the collar as the flannel I used (from my stash, probably from Joann Fabrics), became stuck and created some unattractive bunching. The finishing of the collar confused me so I made up a different way to finish.

The only downside for me is that the arms feel short. As I made this a zero waste make, I am not sure if I used what I had and made adjustments so the arms ended up shorter, or they are too short for me (I am 5'7" 170cm). I will need to look into that.

As a perfectionist I am learning to let go of certain items and trust the process. It is more about the journey than the destination, and I am not perfect. The garment is comfortable, serves a purpose, and was made from the last fabric my father purchased for me before his passing.

I am thankful that I finished a thing, and a meaningful thing at that.

This has been such a distracting year and anything that is getting accomplished feels like a major success.

Life is about cycles. If sewing teaches us anything, it is that creativity is also a cycle.

To Create a Version with French Seams, I used an eyelet piece that was 46" wide to cut out my bishop sleeves in a size 0. This was a vintage remnant that I picked up for about one dollar in early spring. The length of the piece was 33" and just enough for my bishop sleeve in the size 0.

I messed this up 3 times in creating this tutorial, so definitely take it slow.

Start by cutting out your sleeves. I do not recommend cutting eyelet on the fold.

Gather the hem and armhole at the gathering areas.

With wrong sides together, you sew the side seam at a seam allowance of 1/4" (0.6cm).

Press and turn the sleeve around.

Sew the seam at 3/8" (0.9 cm).

Now you will have a finished bishop sleeve with a French Seam. I personally get very confused when sewing these, so I watch about 3 videos on YouTube, make a test on muslin, and sew very slow! It is a bit mind boggling as you are not sewing RST but WST.

To create the Facing which I actually turned into a Cuff for this version, you will pin WST and sew a seam of 1/4" (0.6cm).

Join and press.

Flip it and sew a seam allowance of 3/8" (0.9 cm).

To create the front ties, the edge of eyelet trim should be wide enough. I lined my piece up to the edge and was able to cut the 6 ties.

A few months ago I decided to put any new Bambini Del Mare projects on the back burner. I simply had too many things running at once and was not going to be able to keep up with it all. This can feel especially challenging when you are an ideas person and so many good ideas are inviting themselves into your home, but what do you do when you have too many ideas?

If I am being entirely truthful I feel that Bambini Del Mare was a failed idea. I did what I knew best-I started a business. I poured an immense amount of personal funds into technical editors, graders, online lessons, technical flats, and ended up spending more than I have earned from this project. I had planned to release a simple pinafore pattern and my creativity monster hijacked the project and decided I was going to release a complicated, backless dress because it was so determined on finishing an abandoned idea from 2013. Sometimes things just need to be let go. Sometimes, it's okay if they never see the light. As a single parent it hurts to realize the error in my ways, but it was an important lesson nevertheless.

I have recently learned that ideas can be just that-ideas. They don't all need to be acted on or pursued. Just like you can let sand slip through your hands at the beach, you can release an idea into the universe and let it go. It is never worth your security to bank on an idea being the one that will get you the gold. You will simply suffer immense loss of self, time, and energy trying to prove to everyone that your idea is a good one. Amazing ideas can simply be amazing ideas.

I think there is a bit of a trap as artists in that we immediately are told by society that there is a lack of money, and lack of potential earning-this can create a scarcity mindset. So we hop on the wheel, thinking things have to be agonizing, hard, and that ultimately creates a scarcity mindset.

It wasn't until recently that I realized it did not have to be that way at all! We can actually embrace our creativity, support and uplift each other by sharing and amplifying each others work and messages if they resonate, and build thriving artist communities that support art.

Just my two cents for today.

As I am unlearning old bad habits, I hope you will do the same.

Happy Fall,