half credit

there was a kid in my high school calculus class who would get all of the right answers to questions, but was never able to explain how he did it. the teacher would make him write out his work on the board and he could certainly transcribe the entire sequence that lead him from problem to solution. but there was always a step or two, a leap you might say, that made sense only to him. for not being able to totally prove his theory yet still coming up with the right answer, he got half credit.

in clothing construction class, i too would receive half credit. my attempt at making the amy butler anna tunic seems to be complete...but don't look too closely or you'll be able to poke many holes in the theory and there will be no explanations to offer. just the fact that it came out sort of right, but who knows how it got there.

half credit.

oh, and that kid, he's now a mathematician working for nasa.

best dressed baby

knitting friends and fans, this chickadee has not forgotten about you! there has been plenty of k1 p2 k1 sl1 psso k2tog going on behind the scenes at chickadee central. the cutest thing to come off the needles lately is this coordinated set of baby sets. it was a special order from two very special people for their not-quite newly born niece (she's due to make her appearance this week!). with several skeins of bernat cottontots and a eighties knitting book, this chickadee cast-on on a mission to make baby girl (blank) the best dressed neonatal in all of the nursery.

let's roll out the burp cloth carpet and welcome the cuddly soft sensations to center stage (aka: the changing table). crawling forward first is a newborn noggin topper and matching kimono/wrap sweater, both accented with yellow ribbon. the kimono sweater has a bit of added flair thanks to a couple rows of contrasting crochet. the design of the kimono sweater was inspired by the ladies of mason-dixon knitting, you can find their version in their sassy book.

here's a closer look at the closure:

toddling toward you next is the saque (a fancy way to say "cardigan"). it comes complete with matching bonnet and booties. and for the baby who just can't make up her mind, there is an optional contrasting bonnet and bootie set in yellow. she can mix and match or be mindful of tradition. and she's free to do what babies do, since all of these pieces are cotton and machine washer/dryer friendly!

built by me!

hello friends! welcome back to the blog. hope that your holiday weekend was much like mine -- filled with friends, family, fun and frivolity. in the spirit of all that is fun and perhaps a tad frivolous, this chickadee recently took some time out from craft show construction for some personal pattern play / wardrobe enhancement. simplicity pattern BBY-3835 has been at the top of the 'things to make for myself' list for an awfully long time. now it resides at the top of the 'things to make for myself again' list and rightfully so.

the pattern is one of a small series inspired and designed by wendy mullin, the glamorous genie behind built by wendy. built by wendy began in 1991 as a one-woman clothing design business that has since blossomed and now boasts several retail stores as well as outlets across the globe...not to mention a book (sew u) and simplicity pattern line (built by you) both penned by wendy. below is this chickadee's take on a timeless built by wendy classic.


there wasn't much need to alter the proportions of the pattern, the only thing added was the pocket on the front, trimmed with some lace and ribbon. instead of gathering the sleeves with elastic, i opted to sew them straight across - like the bottom hem. the dress version does call for darts on the back panels so next time around i may insert some to give the top a bit more shape. the pattern itself was simple to follow and calls mostly for straight stitching. my only struggle was constructing the channel for the elastic around the neckline, but practice makes perfect and i am ready to try again.

kitty cat clutch

preparation for the ballston arts + craft market has taken over the usual operations here at chickadee central. but since all work and no play is a dangerous and dull duality, it is best to take a break and share some sewing treasures and triumphs that took place behind the scenes. achieving a balance between work and play is of great importance and so is achieving a balance between things made for others and things made for self. everything in moderation...except when it comes to super cute lace with kittens on it. yes, kittens!

this has been in the stash basket since it did appear to my wondering eyes several months ago, patiently waiting for a proper feature. it was a last minute, no pattern, no preparation project and i'm oh so pleased with the finished product. the lace is layered over leftover cotton fabric and the whole thing is lined in denim. a little pocket awaiting little bits is just a zipper away.

the leftover fabric for these fancy felines came from the construction of a dress (new look #6557 from simplicity), which also provided the inspiration for the clutch in the first place. sorry to say, there aren't any great pictures of the dress to share at this point, but here is one to give you an idea. it was an easy pattern to follow and i hope to make more in the future.