A Little Bit Indian

Vintage Science Encyclopedias

2012-02-19T14:13:00.001-08:00

I can't get enough of these old kids science books. They illustrations are vaguely familiar but so out of date that I think they would make awesome onesie graphics or t-shirt graphics - esp. for little girls. Not sure how I would get around the whole copyright thing but I may do one or two for A and T and see what they look like. Here's the one's I've collected so far.

Oh, Citronelle

2012-01-24T10:16:00.000-08:00

Just found this great french pattern store, Citronelle. The patterns are not only super cute but also super expensive - arghh. I might just suck it up and buy a few because I'm picky about patterns and how they look. I still searching for the perfect peasant dress and this may be it.

Discovering Photoshop Actions

2012-01-24T10:10:00.000-08:00

I've been dreading the fact that I have a LOT of pictures to take and then post for new inventory. Even though I'm fairly adept at photoshop, the process just sucks. It's time-consuming, boring, and means I have to spend even more time than I already do at my computer.

Enter the thousands of free photoshop actions that I never even considered downloading to make the process loads easier. The one below that I got here is one that I think could work for me. I realize a slight skewing of color balance or hue or whatever makes the picture more interesting. My originals are just sad. The actions are fun. You can find just about anything. I especially like the vintage and retro ones, of course.

In case you were wondering, this fairy bed is actually a fun alternative use for a moo box.

New Dresses

2012-01-20T11:53:00.000-08:00

I'm pleased with how these new dresses are turning out. They are all available in the shop and made out of upcycled materials, mainly linen and cotton. If I had to chose one fabric to call my favorite, considering versatility, comfort, ease with sewing, and drape, it would be linen. It's amazing how much awesome linen you can find at the thrift store. I also used that homemade bias tape for the armhole facing and neckline. I'll be doing a lot more of this style because they are easy to get on and off and super comfy.

Some Bias Tape

2012-01-20T11:45:00.000-08:00

I finally got around to making some bias tape. I used the awesome Prudent Baby method which is a huge time saver and you come away with yards and yards of fun homemade bias tape to use on dresses like these. It also helps to have the Simplicity bias tape machine which i got on sale a while ago and which has proven it's worth immensely.

Vests

2011-12-14T19:00:00.000-08:00

I finally came up with a cute boy option for Little Bit - these vests are turning out so cute. I based my pattern on one by Leila + Ben and might make a few more adjustments but I'm pleased with the idea. I've been using women's wool and corduroy skirts for the outer layer and men's button downs for the lining. It helps that my little model is so effing cute.

Flan

2011-12-14T18:44:00.000-08:00

I have to brag for just a minute about how flipping awesome this flan turned out. I haven't made flan from scratch in about 15 years and this was for a party that ended up getting canceled so now I've got a few days supply all for myself (and the kids maybe - John is not a flan fan). I did, however, give myself an almost second degree burn on my finger when I completely forgot how hot the caramel would be and wanted to taste a drizzle to make sure it wasn't burnt. I basically poured a tiny drop of boiling hot caramel on my finger and proceeded to lick it off, thus burning my finger AND my tongue. It was pretty brutal, but the flan tastes delicious. Thanks to delicious wordflux for the ingredients and sticky gooey creamy chewy for the great instructions.

Cute fall activity

2011-11-20T11:14:00.001-08:00

I found this lovely blog called Atelier pour enfants which had these cute leaf pictures that A and I tried to replicate. I think I was more excited about it than she was, but she really got into it.

Learning how to backlight

2011-11-20T10:47:00.001-08:00

It seems like the only time I can get interesting pictures of my kids is at 4:49. The light is perfect. So how do you get backlit pictures that look good the rest of the day? I'm trying to figure it out but for now, I just go outside between 4:30 and 5:00 and bribe the kids to look at the camera. These two came out pretty good.

Tennis lessons

2011-11-20T10:40:00.001-08:00

Why fathers shouldn't try and give their daughters tennis lessons.

KCWC - Day Two

2011-10-11T17:56:00.000-07:00

Today I was excited to try out a little vest for T using the free Leila and Ben unisex vest pattern. The fabric came from a thrifted wool skirt for the main fabric and a men's button down for the lining, and I have to say, the whole thing was extremely gratifying. The pattern was clear and it was super quick so I'll be churning out a couple more in some different colors/patterns because they are too cute. I'll probably add 2 or so inches to the bottom because it's a little on the short side with T's big ol' belly but other than that, it fits great. I like the wooden button detail too - it makes it a little more rustic and a little less formal.

KCWC - Day One

2011-10-10T19:03:00.000-07:00

So begins the Kids clothes week challenge over at Elsie Marley, a blog I adore, and since it's my first one, I thought I'd start nice and easy. It's getting a little cooler around here so I made a pair of linen pants for T (from a thrifted men's shirt) following the Flat Front Pants tutorial so perfectly outlined by Dana of Made. They turned out nicely and I kept them super long so he can wear them for a while. I like rolled up cuffs so it's fine.

Man, he really needs a haircut.

Yo Gabba Gabba

2011-09-23T19:47:00.001-07:00

Oh, the good ol' days of being a rock star. Had a little taste of what it used to be like but way better when we recorded a filmed a segment for Yo Gabba Gabba last week.

Got the full LA treatment of hair, makeup and a catered lunch...

and we're not allowed to divulge any of the set so I can't post the pictures I really want to post of us and the Yo Gabba gang. Needless to say, it was pretty awesome. Cast, crew and creators were amazingly nice and flattering. The whole experience was nothing but positive AND we can now join the ranks of The Shins, MGMT, and the Flaming Lips, 3 of my favorite bands. Wohoo!

A Successful Copy

2011-09-21T09:18:00.000-07:00

I'm becoming a tiny bit more confident in my sewing skills, as I've been sewing almost every night for the past 6 months, so I'm trying to mix and match patterns and call on my brain to design and execute clothing I have no pattern for. Here is my first attempt and I'm pretty siked about how it turned out. It was a breeze too, which helped. The bottom is an upcycled skirt that I just lopped the top off of and gathered a bit and the bodice was a muslin-y remnant. Since the skirt was already lined and I didn't line the top, it came together very quickly. This one is for A, but I'll probably do some more for the shop and for me. I do like the hem on the original so I need to do one with that next.

New Barrettes

2011-08-10T19:25:00.000-07:00

Have started to crank out some new barrettes to get ready for the back to school season. Just when I think I'm going to stick to a few styles to be consistent, I make a bird under a cloud. They are all available in the Little Bit shop

No, you are awesome Threadless!

2011-08-10T16:20:00.000-07:00

I recently cold emailed Threadless to see if they had any remnants or mess ups that are just lying around to use for my t-shirt dresses. I wasn't expecting a response at all, but what I got was 5 awesome t-shirts in the mail a week later. How effing awesome is that. I got the idea from somewhere I can't remember now but I am very impressed. Haven't done anything with the tees yet but am planning to soon.

Growing Up sew liberated

2011-08-10T14:20:00.000-07:00

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A is going through an evil witch phase (i'm sure it will resurface often over the years) so I bought this book specifically for the cape pattern - it did not disappoint. I'm a little skeptical of a lot of these sewing project books that have cropped up in the past few years, mainly because there's usually just one project I like and the rest I could live without. This one, though, has a lot of practical, cool, and fairly simple sewing projects that I am excited to try. Thank you, Meg McElwee.

New Blog: Take 2

2011-08-10T12:12:00.001-07:00

So I started a blog a few months ago with the intention of cataloguing my crafts, my kids, and my life and I was really excited. I had followed a lot of crafty moms out there for some time as a silent on-looker and finally felt ready to take the plunge. I dove in, treaded for the 3 minutes I can ususually tread before panicking, and then pretty much drown and that was the life of my first blog.

I'm trying again. This time for reals.