Tuesday, July 26, 2011

hot days and bright colors

man it's hot, like every day it's hot. hot. hot! but, eh, i'm not really complaining, i mean, it's summer, duh! you know the best part of summer? it's the bright hues that make it up, i mean, think about it, vibrant red skies at night, sailors delight, as they say... bright grass, green after a summer storm, wonderful. looking out in my mother's yard i saw pretty flowers all around, (though i think she sees failure, i think they are super cool!)

doesn't that say sunshine?!?

as you may know, there is nothing better than fuchsia!!!
i have really been getting into philip jacob's prints lately, particularly the flowers...

 kinda like laura ashley on acid at times, which is totally a good thing!

sunshine!
(sometimes you just have to look at the light...)

Monday, July 25, 2011

i'm back!

holy canoli! what a week! i spent a luxurious week in maine, doing nothing special... hiking, walking, biking, sitting watching hoarders with my dad... good stuff. we went and spent a week at the old kennebunkport, home of my lovely family. isn't it nice sometimes when you can go on vacation and just hang out... no itinerary, just fun. sigh...

ok back to reality, and sewing patterns!


for my birthday, this thursday, don't ya know... my mom took me to joann to get some stuff. nice! i grabbed a few new patterns this week and these are super cute. they are lisette, which i don't really know anything about, but i am v. excited to try them. i got a neato shirt dress, with matching lisette fabric. (sometimes you just gotta follow the rules...) and a cute little jacket/dress combo pack.

but what's really cool is this...


check out these two simplicity patterns, one is from today and one is from 1972. can you guess which is which? ha! of course, but just check it out, the old is new again, and man oh man i have to make myself that amazing red caftan!!! yay!!!

i bought two old patterns at the great secret shop... in arundel, maine there is an antique mall, lots of crazy stuff, and there is a wonderful little booth full of old patterns, cookbooks, and fabric. it makes me so happy, i always get something there. i would have bought tons of patterns if i wasn't on such a time constriction that day...  i had bought some cute fabric for the new simplicity dress but maybe i will use it for the old one...


the print has a cute 70's vibe, yes? well, mom thought so anyway... i also grabbed a late 70's mccall's pattern...


it says it's a one night pattern, hmmm.... we'll have to see... haven't sewn in a week, hope i'm not rusty!

Saturday, July 16, 2011

weekender... you bet!

tah-dah! done! yay! weekender bag ready to travel... throw some junk in there and let's go!


what do i have to say about the amy butler weekender bag... hmmm.... well, i would say that it is not a beginner project. it's the interfacing really, peltex heavy duty can really add up as you sew. i didn't need to use 16 needles though, as were recommended, but maybe i was just lucky on that one.

i would say the hardest part for me, other than the heavy sewing of course, was matching up the main panels with the top/bottom. that got a bit stressful. (i.e. me swearing, ed saying "what's wrong?" and me swearing some more.)

also, you do have to hand stitch the lining inside the bag, and if you are not a fan of that you will be perturbed. i don't really mind it, give me an episode of 48 hours and a needle and thread and i'm your girl, but i did mess up my middle finger pretty badly from trying to ram the needle through the zipper/lining/interfacing conundrum. my weird trick: i held a thimble in my mouth, and each time i had to push the needle through i brought my middle finger up to catch the thimble, brought it down, pushed the needle through, then put it back in my mouth. eh, it worked for me.

the only thing that i didn't do was buy plastic template for the false bottom. i have interfacing, i will survive. i am sure it would be a bit more professional looking if i did, but frankly i couldn't find the size needed, so what the heck, live and let live.

i recommend the project, so much so i think i am going to make another one... after my finger heals of course. man, i guess i better go on a trip now, huh? sounds good to me!!!

Thursday, July 14, 2011

stitching is a picnic!

so i made something kinda cool... but apparently not cool enough... eh, who knows, wanna see?


it's a cute picnic mat, perfect to roll up and throw over your shoulder! take it to the park, the beach, the backyard, wherevs! whatcha think...


it's 54x60, made up of bright kona solids on the front: melon, lagoon, cactus and white. i went for a kind of retro kitchen floor motif, it's made up of 6 inch squares, easy to make, super easy to love...


the back is loulouthi laminate from anna maria... i love the laminate on the back. that way if you plop down on the grass and it's a bit dewy from the night before you will stay clean and dry! yay!


the binding is art gallery in a deep purple... i think it ties everything together nicely... oh! speaking of tie... you can see that this piece loves to travel... roll it in three and tie it securely shut! plus there is enough left over to make a bow and have it hang from your shoulder. good for quick city picnics! that or throw it in your bike basket and head to the park!


maybe i will make this a tutorial, what-da-ya think? anyone? it's a simple pattern with classic results. homage to easy peasy summer!

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

a true weekender

phew. heavy duty. i spent the better part of sunday, and a few hours on saturday night, and a few hours on monday night, working on my weekender bag from amy butler.


it's pretty intense. but i am not complaining! no sir! it's just a bit tough on the old 14 needle if you know what i mean. there is tons of interfacing in this project, but if you want it to look professional and beautiful, you gotta suck it up and make it work!

i wouldn't say it's a novice piece, but amy really does make it easy on you. this is my first pattern to follow in her collection, and i think the layout and instructions are very simple to follow, making it a dream, though time consuming... three hours of cutting. bah! i am 3/4 of the way finished, here is a primer...


of course, i am using my absolute favorite fabric of  the moment, habitat by jay mccarroll... again... whatevs, i love it. the trim and lining is just some good old fashion kona navy.

i am very happy with it, other than the fact that i did trim down the main panel seam allowances, and it's a bit harder to sew, but i am on my way...


i'm gettin' there, i'm gettin' there. i have a deadline for this one, it must be done by the end of the week or else! or else!!! i can't wait to tote through the airport looking oh so fashion-travel-ista!

Monday, July 11, 2011

you flirt!

wow, that was a lot of stuff! too bad you weren't there... missed you. i was going to post a couple of days ago but then i left my camera at spool like a schmuck. schmuck! i ran to get it today so that i could show off the projects done in my class this week... we did the flirting the issue skirt by anna maria horner. check them out!


tah dah! with some new wrenly by valerie wells! love it!

 and some cute pretty in pink action (not my words, the creators, tre-bon!) and one super cute mess! (i say that in the best way, since it's some great wild habitat by jay mccarroll.) see, you can be girly and punk rock!

i just think it's such a fun skirt, and it's easy! cut some rectangles and sew! anna maria, you genius! i have two so far, i may need to make another one! (can i use anymore exclamation points today!?! yes!!!)


sigh... ok what else? oh yeah, i am a celebrity now! kayhart checklist...

1 - have anna maria horner read and comment on your blog... CHECK!
2 - be feautured on barelymeasured.com... CHECK!

that's right! heather has done a little featurette on moi! how super neato! everyone should check it out, not only for it's fabulous expose on yours truly, but also because she is deliciously talented and has fun stuff for all!!! seriously... go!

so many other things are stewing too... hey, go USA soccer, tchau marta! and i have been working ever so hard all weekend on a amy butler dream... more on that soon. so busy! must dash!

Friday, July 8, 2011

color in the night

wow did it rain today. i mean rain. intense, and me rolling along in the pouring rain in my twenty minute bike ride home from work... shudder. so i was thinking, you know what you need on a rainy day, pictures of bright happy happiness! the sunshine after the rain...

(v.v. beautiful, no? check out this great photographer here.)

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

urban quilting

ahhh, urban quilting. you know, so often you see quilters that live in lovely little towns, or at least have grass in the backyard... and you think, eh, not me. now, i'm certainly not saying there aren't urban quilters out there, i mean, heck, most of the people reading this are probably within a couple miles of me. (i hope they are reading... hello? 'ello? 'ello? faint echo trailing...) and there are neato fabric designers like jay mccarroll doing lines like habitat right here in philadelphia, sigh... and then there's me, and my backyard...


gorgeous, eh? normally when i do a new quilt i grab my bike and ride away to the park, which is about a mile away i guess... it is nice there, and i love it, but i thought, show it like it is honey! a pretty quilt in a not so pretty back yard of concrete and wires...


this quilt was just made to be made. no other reason. it's not very large, about 32 by 40 i think. i haven't even measured it yet. i just loved this one print from amy butler, so bright and vivacious! my gentleman likes the quilt because he likes the habitat print... it looks like video games, he says. and of course, it has some gingham, my favorite. so it's just pretty, and i like it. i think i'm gonna keep it and hang it on the wall. it's the kind of quilt i would give to my own little girl. pretty in an unpretty land.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

back and fourth

ah, fourth of july. red, white, and blue, very, french? nay! nay! i say! tis our very own holiday, ever so american. i mean, come on, how many other countries celebrate their deliverance from oppression by grilling hot dogs and setting off little firecrackers in their backyards? none! and that is why it is so great! now, don't get me wrong, i am not making light of our struggle to freedom, etc, i just think that as americans that's what we do, we say, "eh, this is how we do it." and that's pretty sweet.


so check out the red, white, and blue version of my very own london pattern, made by the lovely olga at spool. isn't is so very. of course, through the process of her following my pattern, we, and by we, i mean she, found some discrepancies in the pattern. whah, whah. bummer. but like any good american, (see, i'm tying something in here...) i had to dust myself off, and fix the problem! so now the pattern has been revamped a teensy weensy bit, and it is all the better for it. no pattern oppression in the great state of kayhart. no, no!


so now anyone who wishes, as this is the way of america, can pick up my pattern and make their own london table runner and quilt! free of persecution of the color of their fabric, sewing equally in one nation under god, etc. etc.


happy 4th!!!