retro mama

finding Bliss

2011-12-29T10:56:00.003-06:00

It's been rough-going, attempting to emerge from my post-Christmas cookie haze. There hasn't been time to spend in my sewing room with the kids home from school (more on that later), and we've all been fighting cold after flu after gosh knows what other plagues the boys brought back with them from their vector school buddies. So it was with great joy that I discovered the Fat Quarter Shop had provided a great excuse to play with fabric without getting my (hopefully non-contagious by now) germs all over it.

I started with 2 gorgeous prints from Liz Scott's new Domestic Bliss line and expanded on her fab color scheme. Then added a dash of spring green--yummy! And, apparently, rather fashionable as well.

This is making me want to sew right now.

Go play with fabric!
Kim

Merry Happy New Year

2011-12-26T07:43:00.003-06:00

2012 is approaching fast--get a fresh start on your New Year's crafting by stocking up on patterns and felt! Use promo code FRESH15 for 15% off your order at my Etsy shop now through Jan. 1. Patterns in my sidebar are already discounted, no code is necessry.

Happy Crafty Holidays!
Kim

P.S. Zakka Style is now available through Amazon (link in my sidebar)!

12 days of houses

2011-12-09T09:18:00.002-06:00

There might be a few more than twelve houses below. But they are all adorable, and they were all made with my free fabric house pattern! Thank you, everyone, for sharing your creative little houses.

Kirsten of Gemini Stitches

With or Without Nap

Hannah of Hannah Handmade

Helena of Craft and Creativity

Emily Elizabeth of EmmmyLizzzy

Irinelli of Made by Irinelli

Anna of Yards and Yards

I know I missed a few...if you've posted photos of houses that you made with my pattern, please leave your link in the comments!

Happy stitching,
Kim

Start spreading the news

2011-12-07T08:39:00.003-06:00

I haven't mentioned this before, and you all know I can't keep a secret (I'm pretty sure you already know my next 3 patterns), so I have been bursting to be able to share with you that one of my brand new projects is going to be in a book! This lovely gal's book, to be precise. Rashida has put together an amazing group of crafters that I am so proud to be a part of. And after seeing a few preview photos, I know I'm going to want to make every single project in the book.

Here's the part where I tell you that you have a chance to win a copy of Zakka Style: Head on over to Stash Books and enter today! You have until Sunday, December 11 to enter. (By the way, my project is the round hot pads in the lower right-hand picture in the first photo collection.)

You can purchase the e-book right now, look for it in your local quilt or book shop soon (the books are just now beginning to ship), or pre-order Zakka Style through Amazon. I'll squeeze in a link on my sidebar, too.

Happy zakka-making!
Kim

P.S. I am an Amazon affiliate. If you purchase anything through one of my links to Amazon on this blog, I will earn a wee commission on the sale, as in, a few cents. Just so you know :)

Meet Ruthie

2011-11-28T08:53:00.001-06:00

Introducing the newest addition to the Retro Mama PDF sewing pattern family...Here's Ruthie Bear!

Pink rosy cheeks? Check.
Sweet sleepy eyes? Check.
Mary Janes? Polka dot ears? Cute dress? Check, check, and check.

I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record when I tell you about my patterns, so this time I'll just share some feedback I've received for my Greta doll, so you know what you're in for:

"My nieces are all receiving these for Christmas! Fantastic pattern! They turned out great!"

"Already have a doll in the works. Such a cute doll and easy to follow instructions. Thank you!!! I'm sure this will make a couple little girls really happy!"

"Great pattern with very clear, well written instructions and pictures. I can't wait to start stitching. Thanks!"

"My first attempt at doll making was a success thanks to your very clear and simple instructions! Thank you!"

So if you were wondering whether you'll be able to make a beautiful doll for your little ones, the answer is, "Yes, you definitely can!". And if you ever have any questions while you're stitching, I'm happy to help you out, just send me an e-mail.

By the way, my Doll Dress & Cape pattern fits Ruthie, yay!

She's super cute without all the dress embellishments, too.

Also, I've just restocked all my wool blend felts. Keep an eye out for some Christmassy combos this week. If a bundle that you like isn't available, please let me know! And I'm happy to do custom felt bundles, as well.

Happy Stitching!
Kim

Misc. & giveaway

2011-11-09T16:23:00.004-06:00

Just a coupble bits and bobs:

A Retro Mama pattern spotting at Quilt Market. (Thanks for the heads up, Misty!)

I finally got my first smart phone (goodbye, flip phone from 2008!), so please be patient with me as I figure out Twittering, Instagramming, and all that good stuff. Also, my apologies to the lady I accidentally crank-called twice yesterday and once today, I'm still perfecting my finger aim on the iPhone keyboard.

And last, but obviously not least:

Enter to win 3 Retro Mama PDF sewing patterns of your choice (along with a truckload of other awesome prizes) over at Birdsong. Hop on over there for all the details!

Have a lovely day!
Kim

making pretties

2011-11-03T08:00:00.001-05:00

Spent yesterday making some pretty patchworky and buttony hoops.

And a tiny bit of news...I have finally joined The Twitter, which means it's probably time for the rest of the world to move on to the Next Big Thing, right? But until that happens, come tweet with me!

I'm also on Pinterest, you may have heard of it? *wink* So many wonderful projects to do, so little time...

Happy Twinning! (tweeting + pinning)

Kim

Home for the Holidays

2011-10-25T09:25:00.002-05:00

I know. It's not even Halloween yet and this is looking very Christmassy. What can I say, Christmas is my favorite holiday, and when we're all coming down from our candy buzzes in a few days, it will be time to kick into all-out holiday crafting mode, so why not get a head start?

Don't you love a cute house ornament? I made a little fabric house last year, but it bugged me that the door and embroidery disappeared into the bottom of the house (Exhibit A), so I changed the design to avoid that problem. These scrappy house ornaments don't take very long to make, and they do include a hanger, I just tucked them under for the photo above. I mentioned before that I was in the mood for a tutorial, well...here it is!

Fabric House Ornament Tutorial

Materials:

Pattern
Quilting cotton scraps for house back, roof, window, and door
Fabric with numbers or fabric selvage for house number
Linen, linen/cotton blend, or cotton quilter’s linen for house front
Wool or wool-blend felt scraps for bird
10” length of ribbon, 3/8” to 1/2" wide (satin, grosgrain, velveteen, picot edge, twill tape, etc.)
Rick rack (1/2" wide), miniature pom pom, or other trim
Wonder Under fusible web (1/8 yard)
Sheer weight or lightweight fusible interfacing (1/8 yard)
All purpose thread
Embroidery thread
Button
Polyfill or other stuffing material

Tools:

Scissors, rotary cutter/quilting ruler/cutting mat (optional), sewing machine, iron/ironing board, pins, seam ripper, hand sewing needle, disappearing fabric ink, chopstick or turning tool

*Seam allowances are 1/4" unless otherwise noted, finished house is 4-1/2" tall, not including chimney.
*Always backstitch/backtack at the beginning and end of each seam.

Instructions:

HOUSE
1. Cut a piece of fusible interfacing slightly larger than the house pattern piece. Fuse the interfacing to the wrong side of the linen with a hot iron according to package instructions. Press with iron on the linen side until the interfacing is completely fused. Use a ruler and rotary cutter to cut around the house pattern.

2. Draw the cutouts at the bottom of the house with disappearing fabric ink (the cutouts are 1/2" x 1/2"). Cut on the lines with scissors. Cut another house from quilting cotton (there is no need for interfacing for the cotton house).

ROOF
1. Place a length of rick rack or pom pom trim on the linen house fabric, indicated on the pattern with a dotted stitch line. Center the trim over the line. I find it helpful to draw a line with a fabric pen 1-3/4" from the top of the house (the solid line on the roof of the house pattern). The top of your medium sized rick rack should meet this line, as well as the roof fabric when you place it over the rick rack (see Step 2). Mini pom pom is a little narrower than rick rack, and so sits a little lower than 1-3/4".

2. Place the roof fabric on top of the trim, right sides together, with the edge of the fabric 1/4” above the stitch line. Sew a 1/4” seam along the stitch line.

3. Fold the roof fabric up. If you use rick rack, go ahead and iron the fabric. If you are using pom pom trim or other synthetic trim DO NOT PRESS WITH IRON!!! Pom pom trim melts very easily. Finger press the fabric only.

4. Turn the house over, and trim the roof fabric to match the outline of the house.

5. Turn the house back over and machine baste the roof fabric in place, very close to the edge of the house.

DOOR, WINDOW, & HOUSE NUMBER
1. Cut a piece of Wonder Under slightly larger than the appliqué piece.

2. Adhere the Wonder Under to the wrong side of the appliqué fabric with an iron (bumpy side of Wonder Under to wrong side of fabric). Let cool. Lift up an edge of the paper backing to loosen it from fabric.

3. Cut out the piece of fabric that is fused to the Wonder Under.

4. Remove the paper backing from the fabric. Place the pattern piece on the sticky side of the fabric and cut around it.

5. Remove the pattern and iron the appliqué in place on the front of the house. Do this for the window, door, and house number, using the pattern as a guide for placement. DO NOT decorate your house below the line marked on the pattern, and remember to keep the iron away from any heat-sensitive trims!

5. Using a straight stitch on your machine, sew around the outside edge of the appliqué, just off the fabric edge. Sew a second line just on the inside of the fabric edge. For the door, I used thread that matched the door on the inside of the fabric, black on the outside. For the window, I used black thread only. I sewed pretty fast, not aiming for a super straight line, I like the hand drawn look of wobbly lines. For the house number, I only sewed one seam, on the inside of the fabric edge.

BIRD
1. Cut a bird from felt and place it on the house. Sew in place by machine with matching thread, just on the inside edge of the felt.

2. Divide the embroidery floss and use three strands for the bird. Hand embroider beak, feet, and wing with backstitches.

3. Make a French knot eye.

BUTTON DOORKNOB
1. Add the button last so you don't have to worry about bumping into it while sewing the birdie or other appliqués.

CHIMNEY & HANGER
1. Fold chimney fabric in half. Sew across the top and down the side with the raw edges.

2. Trim corner and seam allowances.

3. Turn right side out and press.

4. Place chimney upside down where indicated on the pattern, right sides together. Sew in place very close to the edge of the fabric. Fold ribbon hanger in half, place on the top and center of the roof and sew in place very close to the edge.

5. Alternate method: you may press under the top and side edges of the chimney fabric 1/4", right sides facing out, and hand sew the chimney closed with a ladder/blind stitch before attaching to house.

FINISH
1. Place the front and back of your house right sides together and pin. Make sure your ribbon will not get sewn into the seams. Sew around the bottom, sides and top of the house, leaving a 1-1/2” turning hole on one side. DO NOT sew the notched cutouts yet.

2. Reach inside the house to pull open the cutout on one side. Flatten it so the seams match up, and the seam allowances go in opposite directions. Sew across this short straight edge with a 1/4” seam allowance. Repeat for other side. Make sure the seam allowance on the bottom of the house is folded the same direction on both sides.

3. Turn the house right side out, stuff, and close the turning hole with a ladder stitch.

4. You're finished! Hang your ornament on a tree, doorknob, wall or stocking hook.

Happy homemaking!
Kim

P.S. The number fabric is Annie's Farm Stand Seed Catalog from Lakehouse. It has lots of different numbers in several fonts and sizes, perfect if you're going to make a bunch of these.

P.P.S. ~~For those of you who don't sew, I will be adding the house ornaments to my shop soon!~~ All the ornaments are on their way to new homes, thanks so much!

P.P.P.S. Don't forget that I am having a sale this week, just enter the code CELEBRATE during checkout at my Etsy shop for 20% off your order. The patterns in my sidebar are already discounted. The sale goes through Wednesday, 10/26. Sale has ended, thanks!

UPDATE: just editing my sale and shop info, so as not to be confusing :)

2000

2011-10-20T10:14:00.002-05:00

After taking the kids to school, look what I came home to:

(graphic from craft cult)

Woo! Over 2000 sales on etsy! In celebration of this momentous occasion, I'm having a sale! And it's perfect timing too? Because I know you're already thinking about your holiday crafting...right?

Just type CELEBRATE in the coupon code box when you check out through Etsy and all your items will be discounted 20%. This includes my brand new pattern and all my wool felt packs, so get shopping! The sale will run through next Wednesday.

Happy stitching,
Kim

Apples and Pears and Pumpkins Oh My!

2011-10-19T11:59:00.003-05:00

Just a quick post to let you know about new additions to my shop.

First is my brand new ruffle dress sewing pattern for Greta Doll. Make reversible sun dresses and a sweet fairytale cape for Greta, and soon for her friend, Ruthie Bear! This PDF sewing pattern shows you detailed steps for gathering fabric, sewing bias trim, and has lots of ideas for adding special details to your dresses.

Second, I've added wool blend felt bundles to my store for your holiday crafting. I use wool felt in so many of my patterns and projects, and I wanted to offer these wonderful felts in handpicked colors just for you!

Making owl softies for the little ones this year? With my owl felt pack, you'll have plenty of felt for all those eyes, beaks, and feet!

Lots of pears, apples, or pumpkin pincushions? No problem!

Stop by Retro Mama on Etsy to see all the gorgeous colors in stock today!

Happy Stitching,
Kim

I'm dreaming...

2011-10-11T06:30:00.001-05:00

Of a black and white Halloween!

I was whipping up a few of these

when I realized what was left over was a bunch of these

and all I had to do was a bit of this

to end up with a string of spooky black and white mini-bunting. (FYI the triangles are 2-1/8" tall because that is the biggest triangle I could get from the smallest pumpkin scraps).

Have you begun/finished your Halloween crafting yet? I'd love to know what you're sewing this year.

And by the way, this post was inspired by...Molly!

Happy Stitching!
Kim

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2011-10-05T12:22:00.002-05:00

Can you smell it in the air? That's right, it's rick rack season! (Although, one could sensibly make the argument, when isn't it rick rack season...Also, I'm not sure rick rack has a discernible scent). Anyhoo.

This is the pile-o-rick-rack sitting on my cutting table right now, waiting to be made into lovely holiday things.

And my new ribbon organizer (50% off Craftologie at JoAnn last week, woo!).

If only the rick rack were as organized as the ribbon. Hmm.

I've been working on something for you this week, and soon you can join in the fun. That's right, I feel a tutorial coming on. It's been awhile, I know. I haven't put one up on my blog since last Rick Rack Season, in fact.

Apparently, my energy levels follow the weather patterns: slowing down in the summer, and speeding up in the fall. Does that happen to you, too?

So, today I pose a question to you: What sewing notion do you think deserves its own holiday? I have declared my love for rick rack (bias tape, please don't feel bad, you know I adore you). Which embellishment or gadget strikes your fancy?

Happy Stitching!
Kim

Red bag

2011-09-16T10:46:00.003-05:00

You know the one, at the top of your header? I do indeed know the one. You guys have been incredibly patient waiting for me to release this pattern, and it’s finally here!

I’d like to (re)introduce you to my Pleated Penny Bag:

In this PDF sewing pattern you’ll find patterns to make two different bag shapes, with a cute curvy pocket and magnetic snap closure. I’ve included photos and thorough instructions for each step, and don’t forget, you can now sell items made from my patterns!

Let's get stitching!

Kim

Making

2011-08-26T09:54:00.002-05:00

The kids are in school, so now it's my turn to ~~play~~ ~~work~~ play (isn't it the best when work and play are the same thing?).

Can't wait until you guys can come along for the fun! Loads of fun stuff to share with you in the coming weeks!

Happy Stitching,
Kim

Feathering my nest

2011-07-18T11:24:00.001-05:00

Having a happy morning, drafting patterns and stacking fabric, when I discovered that I had created a little fabric nest for myself.

Found myself obsessed with this fabric combo. Will make something lovely with it, soon, I hope.

Fabric stacking soundtrack. The music also serves to distract me from the neighbor’s noisy pool, which is mere feet away from my window. Ah, suburbia.

Realized that I had the perfect spot to store/display my colanders. Happy kitchen colors! Now, I just need a rug to match…

It’s the middle of July, 90 degrees outside, and I’m drinking homemade hot cocoa. Life is good. (Gorgeous quilted placemat by Jolene, from the SUTK swap)

And speaking of feathers…look who decided our hanging fern was a nice spot for a nest. Sweet mama dove is really braving it out in that nest, it gets so hot there in the afternoons.

Happy nest feathering to you!
Kim

Settling In

2011-07-11T09:47:00.001-05:00

It's hard to believe, but here I am, already moved into my new house in Indiana. My mom drove up from Florida to help us get settled in (thanks, Mom!) so we are now about halfway out of boxes. Indiana is gorgeous, the weather is hot (yay, a real summer!), and I love my new house. I was excited that the space we decided on for my sewing room is a nice size, but not so much that it was the color of a watermelon--bright green on two walls, hot pink on the others.

Yeah. Good thing Mom brought her painting gear.

It took what seemed like forever to decide what color to paint my room. Blue is one of my favorite colors, and there are so many gorgeous blue craft rooms these days, like this one and this one. But my new room doesn't get great light, and I was worried that it would look a bit like an aquarium in there.

After putting up a couple of swatches, I decided on a pretty peachy pink, called Ballet Slipper Pink by Martha Stewart, mixed at 50% strength. It looked a little dingy at full strength, but brightened right up with a bit of white in it (the photo to the left compares the two).

I think it will be a great background color and it is so relaxing and retro. Peach + turquoise might be my new favorite color combo (see below). Added bonus: my room no longer glows kryptonite green.

After a couple of days of unpacking boxes, I got a fun surprise. My sweet old teddy bear, Apricot, said Hello after her long voyage from Wisconsin. I've had her since I was a wee tot of 5 or 6, but I had forgotten that she was tucked away somewhere in my belongings as I hadn't seen her for some time.

And when I picked her up to give her a little squeeze, I realized that she is exactly the same color as my new walls. No wonder I feel a little twinge of nostalgia whenever I go into my sewing room.

There is still tons of work to do to put my space together, but I'm enjoying the process. I hope to show you my sewing spot once I find a new chair (Pink Thrifty Chair that I found for $9.00--I know!--pictured below is a bit too short). I've been searching since we came here and I have had no luck finding a sturdy enough chair whilst lurking about in local antique shops. Ah, well. I suppose I'll just have to keep shopping...

More to come very soon!

Happy stitching,
Kim

P.S. Thanks so much for everyone's kind e-mails and to those who left suggestions of things to do in Indiana. I’m lucky to have moved to such a fun state and I cannot wait to hit the road and really get to know the place!

On the road...again

2011-06-13T07:20:00.004-05:00

You know you've been away from blogging too long when folks start to inquire whether you're OK. Thank you so much for the concern, I'm doing fine! I've just been (mostly) offline lately, very busy with life stuff. I'll try to be better!

Last month, we went to this place:

Many of you will recognize this as being the view of Cinderella's Castle at Disney World as seen from the ferry. The blurriness is a result of using the zoom on a boat with my point-and-shoot camera (I decided to leave my Nikon at home; I may rethink that choice next time, as most of my vacation photos met or exceeded this level of awfulness).

And some of you will understand what a huge undertaking that trip was when your kiddos are both autistic. But I am a Disney junkie (a result of having lived just a few minutes from Disneyland during my formative years--thanks Mom and Dad!) and this was the first time I was able to share this magical place with my husband and boys. It was hard work, exhausting, and wonderful. Disney is so accommodating to the needs of special guests, and it made all the difference for my family. If you're planning a Disney vacation, I highly recommend this book; it helped us think of every little detail for a perfect trip.

While we were in Orlando, we found out that we're moving! Again! And this time it's to Indiana!

postcard from Jassy 50

This will be the 11th state I've lived in (see #7 for the others). I've been racing around getting our house ready to put on the market and packing as we are moving later this month (actually, it's more like two weeks from now, ack!). My lovely fabrics are all stashed away so there won't be any sewing for a while *sniffle, deep breaths*, but my patterns will be available throughout my move.

Fortunately, I will again be able to have my own room for sewing, but it will take some work to settle in and get things just so. I'll share that process with you as I go along.

So tell me...what do you know about Indiana? Favorite quilt shops? Fun places to go with kids? I hear there's a place called Santa Claus that we simply must visit. Or have you been to Disney lately? You know I want to hear about it.

TTFN, (did I really just type that?)
Kim

April showers

2011-04-19T16:33:00.003-05:00

I certainly hope you're having nicer Spring weather than we are (sleet, wind, it's generally brrrrrrrr)!

If April showers are getting you down (or maybe even if they aren't), you might like to try out my Cloudy Day Applique Tote tutorial over at Craft Snob. The colorful clouds and raindrops will remind you of the gorgeous May flowers to come.

Happy Sewing!
Kim

Two things

2011-04-11T07:50:00.002-05:00

1. Make sure you catch my tissue holder tutorial over at Craft Snob. And when you print the pattern, make sure that the print settings under "Page Scaling" is set to "None" so your pattern piece prints at the right size (it will print too small if the setting is set to "shrink to printable area", don't ask me why).

2. Be sure to take advantage of my sale, tomorrow is the last day! Enter coupon code SPRINGSALE20 at checkout in my shop. The patterns in the sidebar are already discounted.

Have a great week!
Kim

Fair and Square

2011-04-07T10:48:00.002-05:00

Just stopping in to let you know about my guest blogging appearance this week at Craft Snob. I've got a cute patchwork coaster tutorial for you (and those coasters will go along perfectly with my tea cozy pattern!).

Don't forget that I'm running a sale this week, 20% all patterns and finished items at Retro Mama with the coupon code: SPRINGSALE20. Patterns in my sidebar are already discounted!

Happy Sewing,
Kim

Spring sewing

2011-04-05T07:49:00.003-05:00

The snow is melting, the sun is shining, the unmistakable sound of sewing machines revving up for Spring sewing...and a Sale at Retro Mama!

Everything is on sale in my shop, all patterns, kits, and finished dolls.

Use the code SPRINGSALE20 when you check out at my Etsy shop for 20% off your entire order. Patterns purchased through my sidebar are automatically discounted, no code necessary. The sale will run through Tuesday, April 12.

See you there!
Kim

Under the weather

2011-03-30T08:30:00.002-05:00

I'm in bed sick with the flu this week...but I've briefly crawled out of my cocoon of covers to direct your attention to the lovely blog Craft Snob where I'm a guest blogger this week and for the next 3 weeks with a series of introductory sewing lessons.

So if you're interested in learning to sew, or maybe you'd like a little refresher, clicky click on over there and check it out. And while you're there take a look around--Sara has got so many cute ideas for you to try out!

See you there!

And now, back to my regularly scheduled nap...
Kim

signed, sealed, delivered

2011-03-23T13:13:00.003-05:00

Well, this post is long overdue. Remember way back when I was working on this? Those bits and pieces did eventually transform themselves into a table runner (double sided):

and a mug rug...

Then perhaps I found a sweet little vintage Pyrex bowl that might have stowed away in the box to my swap partner

Such a fun swap, from beginning to end.

And what did I receive?

Just this fabulous bunch of goodies from Jolene of BlueElephantStitches

I know. Wow. Thank you Jolene for thoroughly spoiling me! I love every detail on every item. Be sure to check out her gorgeous photostream, she is such a talented gal.

If you'd like to join in the fun, swing by the Spicing Up The Kitchen swap group to check for updates on the next round.

Until next time!

Kim

Hopping Along

2011-03-08T11:26:00.004-06:00

I have some egg-citing news to share (I know that was awful, but I couldn't resist)! My fabric Easter eggs are featured in the April issue of Crafts Beautiful (published in the UK), which is currently on newsstands!

My free tutorial for the fabric eggs can be found here, and there is also a new link in my sidebar for easy reference.

Because I am very frequently asked about the fabrics I used for the eggs, and they are so hard to find, I've listed some Easter Egg sewing kits in my shop. Choose between Retro Ruler and Hello Betty (click on the photos to go directly to the shop listings):

The kits have nice sized cuts for little patchwork projects, too.

If you are one of my readers in the UK, I have a request: I would be thrilled if one or two of you could send me a copy of the April 2011 Crafts Beautiful magazine as it is not available to me here in the middle of Dairy Country, USA. I would love to offer you not only my eternal gratitude, but a couple of patterns or kits of your choice from my shop in exchange. Please e-mail me if you would be able to do this. The Hello Betty eggs pictured directly above are also available if you do not sew. All set! Thanks to everyone who offered!

Kim

Shop Update

2011-02-21T12:30:00.003-06:00

This doesn't happen very often...but I've listed some finished dolls and softies in my shop! I really do miss making critters, so you may see more of these pop up from time to time.

Without further ado, I'd like to introduce:

Astrid

(You already know) Greta

Ruthie

Ginny

And a handful of bunny softies:

and you've already been introduced to Basil:

(Betsy is already on her way to her new home in Australia!)

See you soon!
Kim