waiting for the heat
i say that we are waiting for the heat now, as we search for socks to warm our chilly toes just after peeling off three sets of wet, cold clothes from our morning walk to school, and i mean it. but really, when the heavy heat of new york summer hits i will hardly be welcoming it. for now, though, on this shivery morning, we are waiting anxiously for some warmth and we are preparing.
ruth wears her skirted swimsuit and practices "swimming" in the bathtub daily. eve discusses our upcoming summer stay in oregon and prepares for the risk of tsunamis (she asked for an example of a word that started with "ts" and out came "tsunami". we're now going on week five of tsunami-related conversations... if only i had thought to say "tsar"..). little charlie remains blissfully unaware of plans beyond his daily task of finding the colored pencils and distributing them as far and wide throughout the house as possible, but his little legs are practicing standing on their own so he can be ready for the summer playing. and me, i am sewing. sewing for the day when we no longer need layers or socks or something warm to drink.
summer sewing is my favorite. skirts, easy dresses, uncomplicated shirts, jumpers and shorts. done.
these shirts will be repeated in several different fabrics for the upcoming season. maybe with different details, or maybe the same. i'm a sucker for rolled sleeves and ribbon loops..
there will be more shorts, too. i always forget how easy pants and shorts are. in fact, i'm almost tempted to say they are easier than skirts.. they come together so quickly. testing my pattern by making three pair in one day was easy and totally do-able, not torture, for me or the kids. and even if only the final pair fit the way i wanted (flowered denim wins), i can tell myself that the other two pair are great too. after all, they are shorts, and shorts don't need to be perfect. shorts just need to allow little legs to run and play and dance in the sprinklers. and that is the glory of summer sewing.
someday little charlie will be included in the sewing. i have no choice, really. soon all he has will be too heavy and too short for his skinny legs. and soon i will not be crouching in front of this computer, rubbing my feet together for warmth, i will be on the playground watching as all three red-faced kids run and jump and scream in the heat while i tap my toes in the spray of bursting water balloons, wishing for cooler days.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009 at 02:38PM
Reader Comments (54)
ACK! those are too cute. i am always so impressed with simplistic that is so so striking! i want to be good like you!!!
Your outfits for the girls are wonderful. Those rolled sleeves are perfect. Great job.
WOW... really WOW. I am in love with everything... I agree with rubyellen about wanting to be good like you :)
Although your little (adorable!) model looks none too excited, her summer wear is beautiful! And inspirational. My little ones need shorts!
so very cute, the outfits too. I love how the shorts go up on the sides, like jogging shorts. the strappy button up top is my favorite. your sewing is always so beautiful.
Your clothes are adorable and I like the fabric you picked, good colors!
Those shorts are precious!!
so simplistic that the fabric really shows...are these your own patterns? you are so talented.
you are all too kind! (i love it). while these are my own little patterns, it really is the great fabrics that deserve the credit here.. do they remind you of your childhood the way they do me?
barbara- that shirt's my favorite too. i'll be making about twenty more in the weeks ahead. (also, i didn't even think of jogging shorts when i made the shorts, but there they are!)
I just found you blog and spent too much time going through all your posts. Your family is lovely and I'm in love with all your sewing. My daughter's knees get so bashed up in the summertime capris are the way to go for me but I'm loving these shorts.
You are so awesome. I would like one of each in my size, please. What kind of pattern did you use for the tops and do you think a twenty-something could wear a top like that?
sarah, i'm totally planning on making some of these shirts for myself. even though i think everything looks better in miniature, i have no doubt it could be a really great top for the likes of us.
i make my own patterns but if you found a decent kimono-sleeved shirt pattern you could adjust it here and there to get the same look. honestly, give it a go without a pattern. you'll be surprised by how easy it is and (hopefully) how cute.
top outfit is my fav. so cute!
wow!! These are soooo adorable! I am trying to get fired up to sew my girls some summer clothes, but I can't even imagine coming anywhere close to your great designs!!
Hiya! I just stumbled on over and wanted to say that your items (and your girls!) are lovely. I'm making a dress this weekend, and think I might utilize your flower trim tutorial, too. Muchas gracias por todos!
I was wondering if you would mind my putting a link over here in my "Rotating List of Super Web Distractions."
Laughter and silk thread,
Hadley
hadley (i love your name), link away! i'm honored.
Oh my, they are all so great. Can you share what patterns you used or did you make the patterns yourself? So wonderful.
Someone in my feed reader linked to your last post and I've spent the last hour reading all the way back to 2007! I love your sewing and your photos and everything, just subscribed to your feed, can't wait to see what else you come up with!
These clothes are sooooo cute! Do you sell them anywhere?
Hi Katie! I think I know your husband from Zwickau. Ask him if "Pilse jagen" rings any bells. My friend showed me your blog and we adore every single entry.
Mimi
Oh, my word! These clothes are remarkable! So cute!
As always, AMAZING!!! You really need to write a book -- how perfect -- you have all of the pics, patterns, stories that go along with them, and audience, too!!!! Wishing you warm weather soon!!!
Please please either write a book or let us in on the pattern for those shorts! I just found your blog through some other design blog, but now I can't figure out which one! (that's how many I keep track of, it's almost an addiction)
I really want to make those shorts for myself for the summer (in my size and appropriate length of course!), and am totally going to try the flower collar no a dress, but instead of a collar, I'm going to do some abstract stream of them down the front of a dress.
Thanks for the great inspiration! (and if you want to add another blog to your daily checklist, I just started a sort of design/decor/craft catchall one called decorazzi, on Blogger. )
Keep 'em coming!
So cute! I love it.
I LOVE that second to last picture - what a perfect face! She looks like she has only 30 seconds of patience left for Mom's picture-taking.
I just moved away from Brooklyn last June, and the summer heat can be just brutal! I have vivid memories of waiting for an F train to take me back home and feeling like I was going to melt into a puddle right there in the station if the train didn't come immediately. Of course, being the F train, it felt like I waited an eternity while I tried to pretend that sweat wasn't pouring down my back and seeping through my shirt in a very unladylike manner. That's one of the few things I don't miss about Brooklyn!