Musing over new designs

Hello!  I hope everyone is preparing for a lovely holiday.  I can't believe it's already Thanksgiving!  I've been busily working on finalizing the first of my e-patterns, getting extra details about the original and it's construction and tweaking the pattern.  During my breaks (ha!) I have been musing over ideas for new dresses for Victoria.  Every dress I've made her so far has gathered fronts, and then I saw this plate.  I think she'd look adorable in a dress like this!  It's more fitted, a little more grown up.  (Not that I'm anywhere close to ready for her to grow up!)  I love the little cross-over detail on the front and the over skirt, and the ruching.  Plus it's different than most of the little girl dress patterns out there.

I'm thinking that's a chemisette along the top, but perhaps it's a chemise.  But I don't know.  Chemises usually go further down the shoulders.  Hm.

And I've also been working on Victoria's paletot which I started last...March?  I started with a sacque coat diagram from 1858 as I mentioned in this post, but I'm rethinking the back of it.  Since it started life as a sacque with only side seems and a center back seam to add the fullness in the skirt, I'm thinking of adding in a side back piece so that the fullness can be accommodated there while allowing the center back to be cut on the straight grain and possibly on the fold, like ladies' clothes are done.  The extra seams, also, might provide some help in shaping.

I've already done 3 mockups, but methinks I'm going to have to do more.  I really want to get this right because I want it to be one of my patterns.

Until next time, my friends,

xoxoxo Amy

A Few Changes

This blog is about to undergo a few changes.  I have another blog, A Day In 1862, in which I expound on and show off my 1860s clothing creations, and this blog was *supposed* to be a place for me to expound on and show off my non-1860s self.  But life has happened and thrown all my plans asunder, and from the rubble I'm making new plans.  I've had to give up my job as a marketing "person" for the company I was working for in DFW, and now I find myself enjoying home life with my little girl and husband.  However...there is apparently someone inside me who *insists* on being busy.  This "busy-ness" has turned into an endeavor to create 1860s sewing patterns for children, and the Thistle & Lilly name just...well...it worked for the pattern line!

So I'm switching blogs.  Thistle & Lilly is officially my new pattern brand, and this will be the blog home for the projects surrounding them.  I'm rather excited.  I already have 3 freebie patterns (although they're being formatted as an e-pattern right now), and I'm working on a shoe-making tutorial.

I don't know what will become of my 1862 blog.  I hope my followers there will follow me over here!  Perhaps I'll keep it open for my grown-up 1860s creations and leave this one specifically for children...until life happens again, that is.

So if you're seeing this blog post and you're a follower of my 1862 blog -- please follow me here!

Much love and here's to a lovely Thanksgiving to all!

xoxo Amy

Paintbox Blanket

Finished my first crochet project!  After fiddling around with some colored squares, I ended up bordering them all in white and creating a "paintbox" blanket inspired by this one on London Mummy. I loved the simplicity of it and it really lent itself to a baby blanket for my dear friend Sarah Jane's new baby, Anne.  I hope you enjoy the photos.  I was truly a joy to make.

I used Martha Stewart's Extra Soft Wool Blend yarn.

a wee update

Whew, have I been busy lately!  Mostly work stuff, but I've also been busy making Victorian duds for myself and Victoria, working on a logo for a friend's singles ministry, working on t-shirt art for another friend's new business as well as his logo...I could go on.

By some miracle, I do manage to snag a moment or two here or there to work on some sort of crochet.  I've found myself putting away the grannies for a while and working only on my ripple blanket, just because that ripply-ness can really ease away the stresses with all that repetition.  Grannies you have to stop and start.  Ripples you just keep on, waving to and fro.  Now I know why people like to do shawl ministries.  You can get some awesome praying done over a long row for a blanket.  I say that, but here recently, I finished another "batch" of baby grannies for a blanket that will hopefully end up on Victoria's bed before she's a teenager.  I'm loving the progress.  No pics yet, but I'll take some soon.

I have also made some slow but steady progress on the ripple, but it's a very large blanket, designed to cover a queen sized bed (or drape over a full-size bed), so it'll take me a while.  Here's how it looks so far:

Then I had the delicious opportunity to make some baby stuff for a friend who is delivering her first wee one in the next few weeks.  I will not deny that I flagrantly stole this design from Amy over at Nana Company.  Hers is way cooler than mine, but I had a baby package to go out and desperately wanted something hand-done to throw in there, so when I saw her little bib, I just....well, I copied.  :)  Imitation is the best form of flattery, eh?  At any rate, it was FUN to make, made me long for another wee babe of my own.  I hope baby Audrey enjoys it.

Pin It

Time to get back to stitching.  I hope you are all doing lovely.

Amy xoxoxo

handmade holidays

I really love handmade holidays...

"Joy" garlands...

"Red Wool Coat" felt ornament pattern is from Rosie Little Things and makes a lovely accent to any gift.  Check out her site and blog.  She does some beautiful little designs.

As is the "Little Deer", also from Rosie Little Things...

I always wish I could do more for people at Christmas time, but it has been pure joy working on these little things for dear friends.  I hope you are all taking time to enjoy the season.

Amy xoxo

thanksgiving + baby granny pattern

my big girl

I do hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving.  I went with my husband to his parents house and my daughter was able to see her uncles and cousins -- whom she doesn't get to see that often -- so it was quite a treat.  Jalapeño turkey (what can I say, I live in Texas), smoked turkey, dressing, green beans, sausages, potato salad, cranberry salad, fruit salad, green salad (we like salad, I guess), and pies, pies, pies.  I tried my hand at a Pumpkin Pecan Pie this year.  All I have to say about that is one is YUM.  It's my new favorite.


BABY GRANNY SQUARE PATTERN

I had a friend ask me about my pattern for my baby grannies, so I'm going to post it here in case anyone else is interested.  It's actually the simplest, basic granny square there is.  So, here is the pattern just for you, Jo!

To Start:  ch5, ss into first ch to make a loop
Round One:  ch3 (which serves as your first dc stitch), 2dc, ch2, 3dc, ch2, 3dc, ch2, 3dc, ch2, ss to the first stitch to finish the round.  Tie off, if you're going to use a different color for the second round.  If not, just start on round two.
Round Two:  Start your next round wherever you like, but make sure you do 2ch for the corners and 1ch for the spaces.  I start at one of the corners.  Cast on.  ch3 (which serves as your first dc stitch), 2dc, ch1 (to make the space), 3dc, 2ch, 3dc, ch1, 3dc, 2ch, 3dc, ch1, 3dc, 2ch, 3dc, ch1, 3dc, 2ch, ss to first ch3 to close the round.  Tie off.
Round Three:  Do the same thing in the previous round, except naturally you'll add another group of 3dc in the middle (ch1) spaces you made in round two.  Tie off.  From here, I used Round 4 as a means to join-as-I-go, using the method I linked to below.  If you prefer to single crochet or slip-stitch your squares together, then you can just go ahead and do round 4.
Round Four:  Repeat, putting a 3dc, 2ch, 3dc in each corner space, a 3dc in the middle spaces, and make sure you separate the middle groups of 3dc with 1ch.

I'm doing a join-as-you-go method.  I'm using Attic 24's join-as-you-go method, and it's turned out looking really nice.  I only used colors for rounds 1 and 2, then used white for rounds 3 and 4, which gave a nice separation between the baby squares.

I hope I didn't make any mistakes in that pattern.  :)  If you come across any blips, let me know.  Enjoy!

Amy xoxo

baby grannies

I used to be anti-granny square.  I didn't have a hatred for them; I just felt that they were so done.  I mean, we all (well, those of us who lived through the seventies) had at least one granny square blanket out of that scratchy 100% acrylic yarn hanging around the house.  I had one that either my mother or grandmother made...I can't remember.  Probably my grandmother, since she was the big crocheter in the family.  My sister and I had matching granny square blankets.

Yes, I still have it.

But I was sick of them.  Until I saw this and fell in love all over again with granny squares -- baby grannies to be exact.  And then there was Martha Stewart's sugar-cookie-ish wool blend yarn (yes, I'm still drooling over it) that had me at hello.  It was a match made in heaven.

Don't know which little one will end up cuddling up in it, but I hope they'll enjoy the super-soft wooly squooshiness.  It's brightening up the grey, rainy days we've had lately.

- Amy xoxo

rippley goodness

I've been noodling around on a ripple blanket for our bed!  I love this color.  Since this was my first large blanket I've ever crocheted, I wanted to choose a pattern that was easy, but not boring.  Then I saw this over at Pleasant View Schoolhouse and fell in love with the simplicity of it.  Incidentally, the waves coordinate nicely with a quilt design that I'm going to be making for our bed:

"Diamonds" from the book "Fresh Impressions: 6 Quilt Designs" by Allison Jane Smith

I enjoy this quilt style so much that I even want to use the same color scheme.  I love sunny and  butter yellows with cream.  And who wouldn't love a bit of springy sunshine in the bedroom?  What I really like about this is the subtle use of an light blue in the center of a few blocks and around the edge.  I needed a yarn that matched that blue for the coordinating ripple blanket.  And I did.  Thank you Martha Stewart for coming out with your new yarn line!  Her extra soft wool blend yarn is absolutely dreamy to work with.  Plus, it's just darn pretty.  Unfortunately our stores aren't carrying the merinos yet.

Can't you see this lovely quilt coordinating with the "Igloo" blue ripple blanket?  I can picture myself curling up in it already.

Now that I have the yarn, I need to find the fabric for the quilt.  So many decisions.  Patterns or solids?  Plain quilters cotton or should I spring for sateen?  (I once had a whole-cloth sateen quilt which was so soft to the touch, but sateen would be quite a bit more expensive.)

Have a blessed day!

Amy xo

a new chapter

Felted Wool Patchwork Throw from the Purl Bee

Sometimes, creativity just takes you into a different direction.  For me, it meant taking a surprising detour from my usual Civil War era projects and falling headlong into my fabric stash.  And yarn.  I've started crocheting too.  With a toddler running around and a full time design gig, my life has gotten rather busy -- gone are the days of sitting in front of a BBC film and happily sewing up fancy Civil War dresses.  But that's ok.  Life has changed, but it's changed in the good kind of way.  And besides, the new crafts are a welcome distraction.  I'm finding myself rather enjoying the feel of yarn in my hands, and the methodical hooking away from skein to blanket or scarf.  It's quiet.  It helps me be still, and with every stitch, I count blessings, and remember those I love.

Not that I'll ever stop making historical clothing...but they'll likely be more for my daughter than myself.  (Although I'm sure I'll eek out a dress for myself now and then.  How can I resist?)  I still love historical clothing, the styles, the sweetness.  But this blog, hopefully, will be a peek into what truly makes me tick -- my muses, my love of design and color and creation, and things that inspire me.  If you Pinterest, then follow me there too! I'm just getting started on my pin boards and I'm truly enjoying it.

xo Amy