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 your gorgeous little girls! you should make the clothes in adult sizes too :) i would definitely buy them.
I LOVE that last top...so stylish! She can really strike a pose, eh?
You have the most adorable daughters! I love the dresses, wow!
I love following your blog. Your girls seem like quite the characters. I am totally inspired to make clothes for my little ones when I get to that stage of my life.
The clothes you make are gorgeous!
love the modeling & expressions. how fun. my boys need help in that department. taking photos turns out to be a gazillion silly faces. its now tradition. way cute skirts, by the way.
Lovely as always! I can't believe how big the girls are getting!
how heaven! i can't decide if i like the poses or the outfits more...
I've just started reading your blog over the last 3 weeks and it is becoming a firm favourite. The clothes for your girls are so beautiful. They are inspiring me to do more stuff for my little girl. Are they your own patterns? Just stunning designs. As for your two little girls, SO beautiful. They are just so enchanting. They are very lucky to have such a lovely mammy.
LOVE LOVE LOVE the outfits!!! OF COURSE! You're fabulous. And Ruthie is just SO DANG CUTE! I LOVE all her modeling expressions :)
Sorry, I meant Eve :) She was the model, and did a FANTASTIC JOB!
Cute! Your girls are so adorable!
simply beautiful. Fabulous Katie, I love it. I too am drawn to the red, white, and blue. Valerie often makes fun of me for it, but I don't care, its what I like. Blue and red seer sucker especially.
gorgeous! I am so inspired by the clothes you make! My daughters should be so lucky! ;) One of these days....
Please, oh please give some more tutorials or share pattern names. I just love, love your outfits. Do you even use patterns?
jennifer
Oh, my, lordy, but you have one amazingly cute model there! And the clothes are so lovely, too. I love the skirt & red & white striped shirt outfit. They compliment without matching.
I love that last photo!
totally in love with your little outfits! my fav of this entry - the red and white pin stripes and grey skirt...a bit like a really cool school uniform...man your kids are so blessed!!!! i had hideous clothes growing up and thought i looked cool, man was i so wrong!
absolutely. adorable. simple and sweet! love the outfits .... and the modeling. seriously.
okay. now that you've inspired us all --- what pattern? a tutorial? we'd love to know :)
I love the striped outfit - well I really love them all - but the stripy one the best. Adorable models and great photography too!
I love these. I'm not a mom, and i probably won't be for a while, but I made a flower girl dress once and I never realized how much fun i would have doing it.
Love the Blog and love the sewing!
Kirby
I am so in awe of the wonderful clothing you sew for your children. Adopt me? I'd have the coolest wardrobe around.
gorgeous!
I just found your blog the other day and I have to tell you that reading it was pure nostalgia for me. I am my mom's second little blonde girl... and seeing your two little toe heads totally brought me back to my childhood. My older sister is just as blonde, and we have our little brother who was so fun... poor guy stuck with us girls! Then they did it again! I have two younger sisters followed by another brother. And our mom would make little outfits for us, I still remember the matching pink and white stripped Easter dresses with the little white jacket. Anyway... I just wanted to share. Your kids are darling and you are so talented! I love seeing all the things that you sew.
Hi, I've been reading some of your old posts as it seems you do not write any longer which makes me rather sad! I do hope you do and you are happy with your whimsical girls. I live a million miles away in England with two darling rumbuctious boys but just wanted to say I love your style, your makings and your way with words, wishing you well,
Elizabeth x