american summer
if there is an american flag anywhere nearby ruthie will find it, point, and give a gleeful shout: "MERIYAN FLAG!" on the bus, flying above the playground, stuck to accelerating cars, painted on the fire house, waving in little passerby's hands, way beyond in the distance flying above buildings.. she sees them all and lets us know so that we, too, can share in the delight. an exasperated eve will complain, "she always says that." but then she will smile (we all do) with wide-eyed ruthie as she points and exclaims, holding her breath and spreading the excitement.
as the heat increases each year and the sewing really gets going, i find myself continually (but somewhat unconciously) drawn to that flag's classic american color palette of red, white and blue. old pieces of fabric are pulled out, new pieces brought in and they wait in their pile until i figure out exactly what it is they will become.
as always, but particularly in the summer, they become simple shapes that remind me a little of my own childhood days.. days that looked nothing like eve, ruth and charlie's; rolling hills in the place of brick and cement buildings, one neighbor down the hill in place of hundreds on one block, five acres instead of 600 (maybe 650) square feet.. but days that i still, somehow, see glimpses of everyday as i watch these kids laugh and fight and play.
there are more reds, whites and blues to be put to use, and soon. but here we have a start.
round one: american summer
..
this many pictures for one post would certainly be unnecessary if i wasn't so entertained by eve's modeling lately. here's to summer and the extended days i'll be able to spend with this moody little girl again.
Friday, May 29, 2009 at 11:46AM
Reader Comments (49)
i love red/white/blue for summer & these are super-cute! what pattern did you use for the red-striped shirt at the bottom?
The skirts are almost as lovely as the model! Your choice of fabrics is super awesome. Where do you encounter them? <3
love the fabric and how you've played with the direction of the stripes! beautiful additions (and such cute little models).
adorable and inspirational as always. Now I want to go sew something. Coincidentally I also want to learn to take fantastic photographs now. Love, love Ruth's pose.
beautiful as always. I just adore your work.
Lovely...I adore the clothing you make! Do you even follow a pattern - so jealous of your daughters wardrobe!
Wow... these skirts and shirts are so dang cute! And your little girl is a perfect model. :) I'm sure getting all the pics is half the fun. I just love your work. It's so inspiring. Thanks for sharing.
Beautiful outfits...I especially like the last skirt and top. The bottom left photo is absolutely gorgeous. I agree your daughters modeling is wonderful. What patterns did you use for the skirt and top?
I am de-lurking to say that I just adore your sewing and your two beautiful daughters. I need to make more time for sewing- yours is an inspiration to me!
hello! I love these outfits esp the second one! you are very talented to come up with such combinations and designs.
You are so talented. A friend of mine showed me your blog and it made me want to get my sewing machine, and I did! You have given me an extra enthusiasm for my ward super saturday tomorrow to sew for a good 4 hours! haha Thank You
the cuties are so cute.
these are so adorable! i really like the clothes you've been making them. i'm actually finding inspiration for my own wardrobe from these pictures. :)
I love your sewing! But please tell us what patterns you are using or if they are your own :)
These outfits are gorgeous, I absolutely love the fabric choices and the styles. They are so classic, and they capture americana perfectly. I think I bought the same little flower fabric that you used on the top blouse. After I got home with it I was afraid maybe it looked too old fashioned for children's clothing, but now that I see it (or something very similar) on ruthie I want to go get started on a tunic for my daughter right now. Thank you.
BTW, the expression she has while doing the dance move is fantastic.
I've been reading your blog for a month or so and I just have to say the clothing you make for your daughters is brilliant...they're amazingly cute as well which helps but I'm curious. Do you work off a specific pattern group and alter or by now is it all customized by you? Also where do you find these great prints!
oh my goodness - you make me want to be a better seamstress! love, love these adorable skirt/top outfits. can you share if you use a pattern for these, or do you just "tweak as you go"? thanks for sharing!
I love them! I have a skirt like the one in the 2nd outfit- got it at anthropologie for you don't even want to know how much! yours looks like it's made much better!
keep updating us with your lovely clothes!
.love.ly. again.
What an adorable child! And a born model - some of those poses are just so delicious!
your girls are adorable!
i want these sweet outfits for myself. love the fabrics, the details and certainly the cutest model!
Cute shirts and skirts for lovely girls!!! I like what you do and come every day to have a look! Thank you for your good ideas!
Beautiful! I really like the changing directional stripes in the blue skirt. How do you keep up with growing children? Your work is so cute, that it pains me to think of them outgrowing it!
You make me want to learn to sew for my little girl. Your daughters have the best wardrobe! Lovely blog.