more photo editing

I am about 70% sure that I did not take the pictures in this post; Brandon did.  However I have taken the liberty to play around with them on picnik (don’t worry; I saved the originals!)  Back in September and shortly after Adeline was born, we went for a walk in a city park about 20 minutes from our house. I think this was one of the first days we had our new camera and we spent plenty of timing playing around with it at the park.

I like the pumpkins in this picture (it is Fall, after all), and I think they are a timeless subject.  I used a “vintage” style to edit this photo and added some texture to add to the older feel of the photo.  Of course the rounded edges top it all off.  I think the rounded edges are currently my favorite way to edit my photos.

The picture of the outhouse is begging to not be so centered, but even with cropping this was the best I could do.  I still think it’s an interesting subject for editing, especially with the opposing colors of red and green being so prominent.  I just wish I could see off the the left of the photo a little further!  Oh well.  We learn as we go.  Now we’ll just have to go back to the park and get another shot.  I warmed up the tones a bit in this one then used the “cross processing” edit.  I am not really sure what that means, but I like the way it looks.  It definitely amplifies the rustic quality of the outhouse–which I happen to think was painted within the last few years but made to look like it hadn’t been painted in 20!

Romeo and Mae pattern review: Milla Modern Pinafore

I could (and sometimes do) spend hours browsing through patterns and fabrics online.  I would do it in person if I had the time.  I recently found some patterns by Romeo and Mae that I fell head over heels for.  What’s a girl to do when she falls head over heels for a pattern but buy it?  (How materialistic does that sound? yikes!)

I purchased the Milla Modern Pinafor pattern and haven’t looked back.  I made three dresses in one weekend and another dress this past weekend but couldn’t get the pictures because I had this huge ordeal with trying to get the snaps on.  The short version of the story is that I finally had a coupon for Joann’s so I bit the bullet and bought a real pair of snap pliers.  It was the best decision I made since buying this pattern.

The pattern comes as a .pdf straight to your inbox so you don’t have to wait a week for the mailman to show up.  You can also print it out in every size rather than messing around with folding the right size from your pattern.

The pattern and directions are very straightforward; there were no points of confusion for me, and that is saying a lot. I really do not do well with directions, but this pattern may be the first exception.

My one complaint–and this is a small one–is that the sizing seems a bit off.  I have an average sized two month old, and when I made the first dress using the 0-3 month size, it was too small for her.  So I have been making one size up for her.  I still need to make a few adjustments to the sizing because even the 3-6 month size is border line too tight around the chest.  If Iwant her to be able to wear the dress for more than one month, I will need to widen the chest area a bit and lengthen the straps. I would say that a 1/2″ addition to all seems would do the trick.

It takes me about 1.5 hours to make one dress from start to finish.  I think I am getting it down to closer to an hour though.

One thing I love about this pattern is how versatile it is.  The dress would be really cute in the summer as a stand alone outfit, but it can also be paired with long sleeves and tights or baby legs for the fall and winter months.

I also love that I can mix and match my fabrics.

This pattern is a great pattern for anyone who can sew at an intermediate level or above.  It does take a little know-how with maneuvering the neckline through your machine, but other than that, it is very simple.

Adeline wore the pink one to church last weekend.

This one is probably going to be one of Adeline’s Christmas party dresses. She is a popular baby, so she will need more than one Christmas party dress.

This is the first one I made.  It would be perfect for a newborn or very petite 0-3 month old.  It is currently in my shop.

Want to make a Modern Pinafore?  Check out Romeo and Mae’s SHOP.

Want to buy a Modern Pinafore? Check out my SHOP.

Playing with photos (not fire)

In my pre-college days (which is beginning to feel like a long time ago) I worked in a photo developing station at a drug store in a quaint village  of northern California (that’s the PC way of saying small, rural town).  This was back in the day when the majority of people still developed their photos from real film and a select few used digital cameras.  This was also during the days when the county fair was a BIG deal.  If you didn’t go to the fair, you were truly square.  And if you didn’t enter something, anything–a rabbit, a quilt, a photo, some flowers, just something–you were almost just as square.

Back in those days, people would come in to get their photos developed for submission in the County Fair.  And there was a lot of talk behind the counter of which photos would win prizes and which wouldn’t.  Then there were the conversations about the digital photos and *scandal of all scandals* which ones had been edited!  That was my first brush with photography and for a long, long time after getting my first digital camera, I was too scared to edit my photos or at least to admit that I edited my photos.  It would be like admitting I had a nose job (which I do not have).

Things have since changed.  Most people edit their photos, and the editing has become part of the fun.  There are so many programs to help you edit your photos, and I am in the process of looking for a great one that won’t cost an arm and leg, or just an arm or just a leg for that matter.  I have no limbs to spare.

Thus far, picnik has been my editing site of choice.  It is amazing that I can take an ordinary photo like this

And turn it into this

Or this

Take this boring old close-up as another example

It is much more appealing to the eye when it looks like this

While I am not overly impressed with my photos or the edited versions (I’m not submitting any of these to the county fair), I do think that photo editing is an art form just as taking photos and developing photos is. Perhaps I could say I am an artist in the making (and this is where I would use a smiley face I weren’t too ashamed of the nose that would show up)

If you would like to recommend a good photo-editing website or software that would allow me to retain all limbs, that would be welcome.  For now, I’ll stick with picnik and just wait until I get a Mac (that is a whoooole other post that I probably won’t write any time soon!)

photo-shop 101

There is something about having a baby that makes you spend money.  Lots of it.  toys. diapers. cameras. clothes.

Actually, that would be camera–singular.  We bought a fancy new camera that neither of us really knew how to you, so along with it, we bought a book about using digital cameras.  I’ve been reading the book a little, looking at other people’s photos a lot, and just playing with the camera in between.

Today I took Adeline for a walk and strapped the camera to the back of the stroller–you know, just in case.  It is fall in Louisville, which means everything out of doors is featured in stunning color.  Because the clock fell back last night, the sun was already beginning to set during our walk.  As we were walking along and saluting various neighbors, a tree with some pretty little berries caught my eye.  It also caught the sun.  So I caught the camera hanging from the back of the stroller and then caught this:

And this:

Friday Finds

Romeo and Mae (formally known as Lil Peas and Carrots) have some of the cutest patterns for little girl clothes.  A friend of mine has a dress for her baby that is made from this pattern, and it is absolutely adorable.  This is at the top of my list of items to buy next for Adeline.

I want to make some clothes for Adeline, and I am already thinking about making her First Christmas dress.  I bought the Milla pattern this week and can’t wait to get started on it.  Depending on how it turns out, this just might be the dress for her.  I love this style because it is so simple but could look really cute with a long sleeve onesie and tights underneath.  I also have lots of ideas for different fabric pairings to make the dress.

*Photos are from the Romeo and Mae shop.

Introductions must be made

Everyone, this is Adeline.  Adeline, this is everyone (actually it is the computer, but there are others looking at you from behind their computers).

So it has already been 8 weeks, and now my teeny tiny little baby already looks like this

Yep, she smiles, grunts, coos, bats her hands around, and does all sorts of things little babies like to do that result in lots of garbage and lots of laundry!

I have been able to do a little sewing but of course pictures of Adeline are much more exciting than pictures of sewing (that’s a fancy way of saying I haven’t taken any!)  I dropped off more zipper pouches for the Female Art Collective last weekend, and I even managed to patch some pants for my hubby.  Perhaps more to come on that (the pouches, not the pants) later.

I am beginning to think about what I am going to be making folks for Christmas this year (and buying for those I can’t impress with my sewing machine skills).  I don’t want to ruin any surprises, but a few ideas are spiced up kitchen towels, cosmetic bags (maybe for a gift exchange I’ll be participating in) and a few custom items I know some family members need/want.

For now I should probably take care of business and leave the sewing and scheming for when I have time!

Facebook

Irene Design is now on Facebook!

I have actually had this page for a while but never took the time to figure it out.  Now you can keep up with ID here!

In other news, Free Shipping ends on Sunday August 9, so take advantage of it while it lasts!

Tomorrow is the New Roots benefit show at Derby City Espresso in Louisville.  My new line of spiced up zipper pouches will be available as well as (possibly) some baby items.  You may even be able to spot me in person!

Don’t look if you’re hungry

Etsy Treasuries are a great place to look for random items when you’re bored (that would never be me!)  I happened to go do a little browsing today when the treasury was at 333.  That happens to be the magic number just before the list drops to 332 and there’s a mad dash to create you very own treasury.  I patiently waited the three minutes for the last treasury to expire and then jumped in line to make mine.  It worked, and here it is.  Be warned though…it may make you hungry.

blogged

I was recently contacting by “B” who has a blog about the “irreverent look into a jobless 24 year old’s surprisingly chaotic life.”  I appreciate the honesty in that statement and am glad she has an outlet for the adventures that arise from the “aftermath of pressing the reset button,” as B describes it.  She is starting a new series on her blog about local artists and crafters, and I was honored to be the first one.

You can read the interview at B’s blog, Polka[dot]bop.

Female Art Collective: round one

As I mentioned last week, I dropped off my first batch of goodies for the Female Art Collective.  I spent the weekend before that crafting these super handy little bags specifically for FAC.  I had a great time going through my fabric stash challenging myself to not go buy more fabric but use what I already have.

I would say I did pretty well on that part but of course congratulated myself with an order of new fabrics from an Etsy seller who is closing up shop and getting rid of a bunch of really incredible fabrics…I just couldn’t pass that up!!

This last weekend I made 6 sets of burp cloths, which will also be going to FAC.  These items can be found on the FAC Website or at the New Roots benefit show coming up at Derby City Espresso on August 8!

a minor glitch

Oops!  I may be good at playing around with my sewing machine, but I am not so good at playing around with my blog!  I didn’t realize that I had only been posting one part of my new posts and not the entire post.  That is fixed now, and you should be able to read the whole thing.  Hopefully they will make more sense now!

Is organic better??

Yesterday while the hubby and I were sitting in the OB’s office waiting our turn, he mentioned an article he read on the BBC’s website regarding a study that has shown that “there is no evidence that organic foods are any better than non-organic foods.”  I thought that was an interesting concept and wondered what he might mean by “better”.  Better looking? Better tasting? Better for the environment?  So, I read the article.  You can read it too by going here.

Now I am no scientist by any means, and I have done little research compared with these folks, but it seems pretty clear to me that the title of the article is slightly misleading.  (The article says “Organic has ‘no health benefits’”) .  What the article is actually getting at is that based on the study cited, there is no proven nutritional benefit to organic foods over conventionally grown foods.  OK, I’ll grant that.  Like I said, I’m not a scientist.  However, I think it’s still safe to affirm that organic foods are indeed healthier if not for the nutritional benefits.  Think of all the things you do not ingest when you eat organically grown foods.  Pesticides, chemically-derived fertilizers, anti-biotics and hormones in meat…the list goes on.  To me the common sense still says that organics are better (i.e. healthier) whether or not they are more “nutritious”.   Just my humble opinion; did I mention I am not a scientist?

I will continue to buy organics where it seems to make the most sense to me.  I will continue to savor every bite of the vegies I am fortunate enough to be able to buy from a good friend at the market every week.  (He currently has the tastiest onions I have ever had.  I think I could sautee one of those and just eat that if it weren’t for the inevitable heartburn that would ensue!)

With all this to say, I’m curious what you all think.  I know that for some folks this is a very touchy subject and others rarely think about it.  Also, on a similar note, has anyone seen the documentary, Food, Inc. yet?  It only played in select theatres, unfortunately not in a city near me.  I’m curious how that was.

Enjoy whatever food you are blessed to be eating today!

New Ventures

The recent silence is not indicative of inactivity on my part. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. The past weekend was spent making some amazingly delicious whole wheat carrot cake cupcakes for a bake sale, trying to finish the nursery, and attending our last baby shower. In between all of those activities I also managed to work on some ID exclusive pouches for a new venture I am taking part of.

The Female Art Collective (FAC) is a Louisville-based group of (yes) female artists. While the group is based here, not all artists reside in town. I think I saw some from Portland, Oregon and somewhere in California (both places very dear to my heart!).

The group does sell online at their website and is also planning a host of shows and events in the next few months, the first of which is sure to be a great time.

FAC is hosting a benefit show right here in Louisville on August 8 for the New Roots organization. New Roots seeks to bring fresh foods to urban environments that otherwise wouldn’t have much access to them (ever heard of the “food desert”? I suggest doing a little Google search on that term. You’ll learn something new today)

And to bring this back to why I am writing, Irene Design is one of the new artists that will be making a FAC “debut” at the Aug. 8 New Roots show! I promise to give you all a sneak peek at what I have been up to, but that won’t be for a few more days. For now, feast your eyes on the art already being presented at the FAC website, check out their Facebook page, and if you’re in town mark your calendar for the evening of August 8!

following through

I’m not going to tell you how long it’s been because “a long time” is sufficient.  It has been “a long time” since I cut out the squares to make these pirate napkins for some little adventurer to add to his or her lunch box treasure chest.  But moving past how long the squares have been sitting around waiting to be sewn, I finally did sew them up last night.  I over-stitched (or serged) the edges with a fancy red thread so these won’t fray too much as they get used.  These are made from a fabric that I had very little of, so I just have one set which will be up in my shop later today.

I tend to get lots of “great ideas” for different projects and then they sit, half baked, on the shelf for months until I finally remember.  This weekend I took one step closer to fully baking some of those projects though.  Along with finishing the napkins, I made some new (and improved!) sandwich wraps for my shop.  The new wraps are slightly larger than last year’s version and I used velcro rather than buttons.  The buttons were kind of clever, but really the velcro is much easier for everyone!

Why sandwich wraps?  They are a great way to replace plastic baggies, they can be re-used, when unfolded they double as a placemat, and since they completely unfold, you can simply shake out the crumbs without worrying about them getting stuck in little crevices and corners.  The wraps are also machine washable.

I have several wraps listed in the shop already with two more on the way!  And, as promised, I am offering a discount for ID readers!  Just leave me a message when you check out that says you read my blog, and I will refund 10% of your sale to your paypal account.  (unfortunately there is no way for me to offer a discount that comes off ahead of time…this is a feature I assume Etsy is working on…maybe.)

Back to School

If school is a part of your life, then I am sorry to be the one to pop your bubble.  That’s right folks…it’s almost here.  Unless you are one of the lucky ones to be heading back after Labor Day, then you are probably counting down the days until school starts for the fall.  I know I am–not because I am going back to school but because Brandon will be.  His semester starts in just a few short weeks (which means I will once again be married to a student.  boohoo!)

For ID, this is good news.  It means I can bring back some of the school supplies like sandwich wraps, and revamp a few other items for those headed back.  And that is just what I am doing this weekend.  I spent last night cutting and pinning the fabric for sandwich wraps–which are new and improved for this year!  I also hope to get a few pencil pouches made–similar to the zipper pouch, but more specific shape for carting around those goodies.  I’ve even purchased my first “showcase” slot for next week–that’s an Etsy feature where folks can go and look at items from 30-some-odd shops that fit within a certain theme (in this case, it’s “Back to School”…how fitting!)  I’ll be busy this weekend getting all of that together and look forward to letting you readers in on a Back to School deal next week!

Oh yeah, and for those of you in my age bracket, remember how cool it was to go get your Lisa Frank binders and folders before going back to school?!  What was your favorite back to school item as a child?

Summertime yellow napkins and pouches

In celebration of summer I have finally listed a few items that are as bright as the sun and as cheery as a summer day without all the humidity!

A few months ago, I purchased some fabric that I had been eye-ing for some time.  It is one of my all-time favorites: Alexander Henry’s Juicy Lemon print.  This is one that has the ability to conjure hints of summer in all it’s glory and splendor on even the iciest of days.  I made a few items for my own home, including a runner for my coffee and tea bar and a hand towel, but I also decided to share the summer love in my shop.  So I made napkins.  You can find them by clicking on this link.

Also just in time for summer and its mid-year resolutions, I made a semi-pact with myself that I am not buying any new fabric (unless I really need it!) until I go through the piles  I have at home that are just sitting around waiting to be made useful.  One of those fabrics happens to be this bright yellow daisy squared print that is also perfect for summer.  Daisy Squared has been turned into a zipper pouch and seem to be much happier now.  There’s even a little surprise on the inside of the pouch (see the matching ribbon–that’s from Brandon’s great-aunt)!  This super-functional little bag is also up in my shop now.

I hope you all have a great weekend and don’t get too much sunshine!  I plan to work on some paintings to hang in the baby’s room and maybe a little sewing.

The Diaper Bag

When Brandon left for work yesterday, I told him that my goal was to have the bag finished by 7pm.  Sure enough, by 7pm I had washed and dried my hair, carried various dishes to the sink, and oh yes, finished my diaper bag!  I gave myself a few pats on the back, took some photos of the bag, and added them to my facebook page for the world to see (of course).

Now, to give credit where it is due, I used this pattern from Craft Apple, who has one other bag pattern I may like to try at some point.  (Remember, I am by no means good at following directions, so for me to have finished a project like this based on someone else’s directions is quite a feat not only for me but for the pattern writer!)  About mid-way through this project, I told Brandon that I would not be making this bag again.  It was taking way too long, and I just couldn’t figure out how to box the corners at the bottom of the bag.  However, I feel differently now.  I can now box the bottom corners with ease and I think that making the bag a second time would take me about half as long as it did this time–in other words, I would not need a three day weekend to complete the project!

If you’re thinking of making this bag, here are a few notes from my experience:

I pretty much stuck to the rules, with the exception of adding a key hook at the opposite end of the cell phone pocket.  To do this I cut a piece of fabric 2″widex5″long.  I folded in a 1/2″ crease on each long side then folded it in half lengthwise to enclose the long raw edges (using an iron to keep folds in place).  At this point, it measured 1/2″widex5″long.  I sewed a 1/8″ top seam on both long sides.  I put a lobster hook on the piece of fabric and just sewed the raw edges into the middle seam when it was time.  (Does all of that make sense??)

I used regular quilting-weight cotton fabrics rather than the heavier weight fabrics suggested on the pattern.  The bag does not stand perfectly upright on its own, but that is not a big deal to me.

Rather than placing the interfacing on the fabric prior to cutting, I chose to cut the pieces and interface them separately because I knew I would have left-over fabric (I bought 1 yard of each of the three I used).  I didn’t want to have interfacing on my left-overs.  The problem is that is it took me at least twice as long to do the initial preparation phase as it would have if I had just interfaced the whole fabric piece…I would not recommend doing what I did.

Also, I found that I needed 3 1/2 yards of interfacing and 1/2 yard of the Peltex 70.

Definitely take the extra 30 seconds to mark each piece with masking tape so you know which is which…there are a lot of pieces to this pattern, and it’s much simpler to be able to pick up a piece and see the corresponding letter on it rather than guessing if you have the right one or not.

I really like that this bag has several varieties of pocket sizes for keeping all those weird things babies and mommies (or daddies!) need like pacifiers, bottles, diapers, and cell phones!  My iPhone fits perfectly into the enclosed pocket on the side of the bag.  The pockets are very sturdy because the fabric pieces get folded in half and are interfaced, so they don’t seem flimsy even with using a lighter-weight cotton than called for in the pattern.

Finally, if you’re wondering about the great fabrics I used, I got those from Above All Fabrics.  The exterior side fabric is Sorbet Twist Watermelon from Moda Fabrics.  The middle exterior fabric and pocket fabric is Cocoa Rings Circle Dot from Robert Kaufman fabrics, and the interior fabric is Spring Stones, also a Robert Kaufman fabric.

I’m really happy with how this bag turned out and can’t wait to be able to use it (I have just about 7 weeks left!!)  This is a pattern I will definitely be saving in hopes of making again.

(If you are interested in having a similar bag made for you or as a gift, feel free to contact me via my Etsy Shop).

Happy July 3rd!

Some people love the Fourth of July.  Mainly it’s the junior high boys who live across the street from us…they have been able to light things on fire and blow things up all week, and no one tries to stop them.  I don’t mind that so much, but when I was younger I was the junior high girl hiding in the house wishing the night would just end so I would not have to hear the endless succession of explosions.  It’s not so bad now; at least I can get through the night without crying!  However, this is still on the bottom of my list of favorite holidays.  I will in fact say this is my very least favorite holiday–not for what it stands for (don’t get me wrong, folks!) but because I just plain hate fireworks, or any other loud noise for that matter.

On the bright side, I do have a three day weekend, which entirely makes up for the fireworks in my book.  This weekend I am doing all sorts of fun things like sewing and swimming.  Oh right, I do that most weekends.  But I get an extra day of those activities plus more time with the hubby and friends–it’s a long weekend, remember?

Fabric for the diaper bag I am making came in yesterday.

Zipper pouch I listed tonight in the shop.

I hope you all enjoy your Fourth of July celebrations, especially if you are the type that likes to play with pyrotechnics.  Stay safe out there, friends!

on being productive

Having the sewing machine out of the sewing room seems to help me focus a little!  Rather than being distracted by all the possibilities, I can spend my mental capacity on the one project I have at hand.  This weekend it was a custom set of four zipper pouches.  Check out the beautiful interior fabric! I love the richness of that brown.

I also worked on some new burp cloths.  Although I really like the ones I have already made, I wanted to make something a little different.  So rather than sew a strip of fabric down the center, I made some appliques and sewed them on the sides.  This way the center panel is still clear to catch all that spit-up, but the sides keep things interesting.  I used the zig-zag stitch around the edges of the flowers, and let me tell you, it took a long time!  There was a lot of sewing 5 stitches, turn the fabric, sew three stitches, turn the fabric…you get the idea!  I am really pleased with the outcome though and have put these up in the ID Shop!  (The zipper pouch is there as well!)

In other news, some of my friends had a babyshower for me over the weekend, and I felt so loved and celebrated (well, my baby was celebrated!).  I am now under the “two months to go” mark, and getting very excited.  I’m tired and have a hard time breathing–when I’m sitting down!–but still enjoying being pregnant.

This coming week is a busy one, but I am hoping to start working on that diaper bag this weekend!  I even have an extra day for it!

moving on

My sewing machine has a new home in a plastic bin under the kitchen table.  I have had the luxury of having an entire room to store all of my sewing supplies and have learned to really spread out and use the space (i.e. make a big mess!).  However between the summer heat and my own “oven” baking away, it is just too hot to sew in my upstairs sewing room sans air conditioning.  So I packed up the essentials in order to avoid 10 trips up and down the stairs–although that would probably be really good for me!–and am trying to re-learn how to sew without making a giant mess everywhere. Thankfully I have a patient hubby.

Remember the zipper pouches I made right before the holidays?  Well, I just took a custom order for four of the ones with sparrows on the front.  I also learned that particular fabric is now incredibly difficult to find, but I did eventually find it.  Sadly by the time I finish up with those bags, it will probably be much closer to extinction.  Why won’t companies reprint those fabrics when they are so popular??

The good news is that I was also able to get my fabric for the diaper bag I plan to make sometime soon.  Thanks to the ever-helpful Melanie over at Above All Fabrics, I decided not to use the Lime Green Trellis fabric and just stick with the other three.  Buying fabric online can sometimes be tricky (when you can’t see if those greens really go together or not!), but I have found that –almost– all of the Etsy sellers are incredibly helpful in that department.  They also tend to have the best prices on the “designer” fabrics….just a little hint to all you seamstresses out there.

The one problem is that the …addiction… I have to fabrics is really difficult to supress when I am buying fabric.  So many great prints out there and so little money (ok, and aso little time as well).  Maybe in some other life I will own a fabric shop…oh dear, let the scheming begin!