I have to say … I can’t believe I made luggage. Not that I have tested this bag’s durability through airport security, but it looks impressive. The pattern is by Amy Butler, and I can recommend it if you have patience and strong hands. There is a fair amount of wrangling involved in making this bag, but the instructions are very clear and are easy to follow–in theory. The fabric is Jennifer Jones’s Outside Oslo, which we both seem to love.
Author Archives: brigitdermott
Dollhouse renovations, part 1
Here is my old dollhouse, shipped over from England when we moved in 1977, in the early stages of renovation. I love how the glue remnants on the wall make it look like a condemned crack house. I am giving my daughter free rein to update the interior, so we had a great day scraping off layers of wallpaper and ripping up felt carpeting–seriously dusty and gross. This house was a major part of my childhood, and truth be told my early teenage years. It will be a test to see how “free” I can really let her be. I have landmarked the exterior, since my dad is still very proud of his handiwork. (He worked through the night to have the house painted for my birthday morning.) We have plans to make a hot pink sectional sofa, and some pendant lamps. So, expect more dollhouse posts in coming weeks!
Triangle table runner
For such a little thing, this project took me quite a while–all those teeny triangles. I also decided to hand quilt, something I really enjoy but only on a small scale. Can you see that the triangles are not perfect, or technically not triangles at all? I was so focused on getting the top points right and the rows aligned, I kind of forgot about the sides. I am starting to understand why Boo Davis, author of Dare to Be Square, only works with squares. I am pleased with the neutral palette. I decided to mix in some subtle prints, and they add some interest without making it too busy.
Bucket family
Not Charlie Bucket and clan, but bucket hats. I made a complete set for all our noggins. It was my first attempt at sizing up a pattern (from the Little Things to Sew pattern) and it worked pretty well! I used Robert Kaufman Essex for all three exteriors. My husband declined a “fun” lining, so his hat has olive green in the crown only, but I did sneak in some green top stitching. My navy blue hat has Liberty Hot Pink Wiltshire as the lining. The Tana Lawn is so silky smooth it’s perfect for lining a hat. It would be excellent for a baby’s senstitive skin–plus you would only need a teense.
Bucket hat
This bucket hat was a snap to make–thanks to the excellent pattern from Liesl Gibson in her book Little Things to Sew. My daughter is on the cusp of being too old for all the patterns in this charming book, so I had to make something quick. I finished this hat in a morning, just in time to head out into the Florida sunshine.
Here is a peak at the interior fabric–Walk in the Woods from Moda.
homemadecity.com 