Simple comme : biassed

Heavy Belgian linen, impeccably black and shiny
+
turquoise lawn lining, light and bright
=
Biassed

A simple drawstring skirt, cut on the bias.
A-line and reversible
Home drafted, sewn and worn.

Pommegranate

Something sweet and spotty in the making, for Lieveke.

Something fast and frilly for Noor. A little skirt.

Something soft soft soft for Noor again. An improvised sleeveless tunic.
Quick and easy 'cosy' with 3.75 mm circ's and 3 skeins of Blue sky sport alpaca, color melange pommegranate.


Hello monday.
Lies

Cheerful inside, outside

Just a few images of the kids and some happy garments I've been sewing for them.
The crazy Liberty dress reflects the inside of Lieveke perfectly, I think haha.
Noor's cords are pretty compatible with all that cheer. 7 months. She says mama!
I'm cooking up a baby-knit with bobbles, more later this week.



Happy midweek friends
-Lies

More you pretty (given) things

We are so lucky I tell you, some people are so generous that we have to repeat : we are so lucky I tell you. The above are just a VERY small selection of the massive parcels those generous friends sent, I just picked these because I felt yellowish and craved some sun today I guess (outside is rainy gray).

-Rosie Flo colouring in book for Lieveke, from Charlotte
-retro cross-over top and daffodil baby slippers, from Melissa
-funky kitten skirt for Lieve and baby pants for Noor from Jen,
who chose carefully from this wonderful shop.

***
We
wisper
sing
smile and
sigh :
thank you
thank
you
***

Oh and I do like these colorful Dutch blogs :

Mus

Vlijtig

Jikke's

I discovered them via my new favorite Julija's wardrobe (sewing AND knitting AAAND Belgian).

I hope the sun does come through for all this week
-Lies

Lovely lovely

... is what the new Echino fabrics are.

Rich images and colors, good strong linen/cotton blend. I've been singing while sewing with these! Making dresses and skirts for OUI boutique. Lievie shows them off, in her classic pose-then-jump-on bed way. She's wearing a favorite crochet top - by Trelise Cooper, iconic frilly Kiwi designer.

During our holiday-trip I knitted a lacey hearts-hat and tiny socks for little girl number two, with a super gentle 100% bamboo. First time that bamboo, but I'm hooked. Apparently even better than cotton for the baby's skin. We have a shortlist with 4 names now and yes, one favorite name... Exciting! I'm now officially into the 3rd trimester and the little girl is poking hands and feet out. Very cute.

Ah 't is good to be blogging again, I went here for fresh inspiration, all such talented designers :
-Tas-ka - most original eye on everything pretty
-Friedamaria - mesmerising photography, discovered via Fine little Day
-Flor de papel - beauty in paper, via Smosch


Oh : I'll be adding two more springbranch dresses to the Etsy shop tonight - they sold so fast last time... One very happy owner writes how 'poetic' the dress is, that's nice thanks!

-Lies

Photo jump

We were having a photojump for the Etsy stuff. It means that the model jumps a lot, and the mother photographer goes with the flow. It could be her life-motto (the mother's).
It was fun.
-Lies

Works of craft...

Yes friends, good times are ahead :

If you happen to be in the hood, don't miss! I'm busily crafting (like Kimberlee), to get things ready. Here is a preview of new girly skirts (a little batch might even end up in the Etsy, shhh). I used some sweet Olympus bubbles with an Echino rim. The fun new Echino fabric gives the skirts a patchwork look. And Lieveke was happy to model! In the first photo she wears a 'Liberty -red pepper'-top that was my second ever sewing project. The fabric is one of my all time favorites, so funky and different. I didn't have a sewing machine back then (didn't even know how to work one even!) and so I handstitched the whole thing. It took for ever, but this 'nice-'n-slow-method' did teach me a thing or two about piecing together a garment. Lievie has been wearing it for a good 2 years now (!). Well worth a few handstitches eh.




Showing at the OUI wall, now for the last week, an amazing collection of fantastic tea-cozies! The few times when I was doing a shift in the shop this month, certain people actually dashed in and plonked this or that cozy on their kids heads, thinking oh cute and warm! Ha ha I know they do look so appealing. The cozies are definitely cozies and not for sale, some of them are very very old (two from the 1930's - that is ancient in NZ!).

And as for the last 'work of craft', I'm proud to say that I got the formidable overlocker on the go (wheehee) and made two cross-over merino dresses for Lieveke. Yes. I am dead proud. Merino knit, dear people. The stuff I thought I'd never be able to handle, let alone sew with. Merino. And the dresses fit. And don't fall appart. Gah!



Hey -I think tomorrow the talented and versatile Joshi -Kimberlee's sweet little dog, is going to draw names from his little hat for Kimberlee's fab paper dolls. I've been training Josh all week ('no hon draw, not lick, no not munch, nooo....'). If ya still wanna be in, quickly comment, do! (And thanks for commenting all ye others!)

And have a gentle start of the week.
-Lies

Making things

The new fabric and sewing book from the previous post were very very inspiring, I had a little secret stash of Nani Iro fabric waiting, and so I have been making looooooooots of things.

little red dress
and
cream top
from the Iro book

The photo is blurry
but I'm showing (off) the selvedge
of the Iro Pocho dots
in a detail of the pocket

And some of those dots
are
a splendid silver

Lieve sweet and cosy
she insisted on wearing tights
cool those purple tippy toes

Yup i made skirts with that Goodness fabric, I call them 'half moon skirts'.

There is still a red one in our little shop

Cute I reckon.

Gosh it's time for a tribute to the good and inspirational as I've discovered a few more interesting sites, there are such talented people out there :

-La : such fresh and simple style, French bien sur

-Particules : perhaps my favorite of the day - stunning in beauty and idea's

-Grijs : a word from my language that means gray, but i think this one highlights all the special wonderful shades in between... and around... and lots of green!


Finally, here is a little collage of Lieveke - doing her new thing : pulling faces - in my favorite green knit. I made it about a year and a half ago, without a pattern, and heh heh it still stands! I've been searching for the same yarn (Touch I think) since but can't find it anymore, bummer cause the green is so vibrant and happy...
Keep well!
-Lies

Happy (check).

I just finished my new skirt in supersoft babycord. I couldn't resist the shapely and whimsical print of the fabric. It became a rather challenging but fun project. I wanted to design my own skirt-pattern, so it took a lot of tweeking to get the desired features more or less right : broad waistband (check), slightly bubbly flow (hmm very slightly) and some big buttons (check). Happy (check).

I want to share this work of Alf Lohr's with you. He's currently having a show at the Gallery where I work, and I just dig his thing. His media are watercolors - in such wonderful brightness on very thick paper. Alf's paintings - all are untitled- muze about the deceptive simplicity of creation where marks/colors (rather than signs or figures) are emotive guides towards deeper things. Attractive. Human.



The following are screenprinted cards made by my friend Lulu. The cards are free because promotional for her shop, and I grabbed a whole bunch - I'm so drawn to their simplicity and crispness. Often good design is just that I guess. I admire that Lulu put in such an effort in screenprinting (rather then just ink-jetting) her ads, she's a thoughtful one.



I've been going to some newly discovered blogspots for inspiration :

-from the Netherlands Studio Intussen, really original design

-from Canada Fortysixth at grace, serene!

-from the US Monmartre's sketchbook, beautiful things

-and from the US again Lisa Congdon, soooo wonderful.

Here's last week's knitting : some lacey socks for myself, made with merino/angora yarn in a dark lavender shade. Ha! Lace (check) and adult socks (check), I'm rather proud I did it - and they fit. It's around 25 degrees C at the moment, quite hot and very very sunny, have to keep them for a chillier time.


To be knitted with in the near future : a super soft skein of merino/alpaca (yes!) yarn - I think a shawl is wanting to be made...


How cool, this feature in Frankie-magazine : Threadden is a Melbournian 'sewing lounge ' and independent clothing store with local designer and vintage clothing. Here you can just shop for some stunning clothes (the dress on the woman in the feature is so beautiful) or drop in and hire a sewing machine to do your thing -and use some other equipment like overlockers, cutting tables, pressing-gear... Such a good idea!


See you soon, thanks for stopping by
-Lies