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So hard returning home, missing my sister and the kids. But I know it’s even harder for her….left behind. Wishing things were different. I can’t help but wonder if our life is on the right track, if we’re not supposed to be somewhere else. So much about Boston is conducive to our lifestyle: proximity, scale, impatience, efficiency, nerdiness…..but my heart strings pull me back to Chicago.
The best way for me to deal with it is immediately work on some projects for the kids. Pajamas and kimonos for the boys, and I have promised to make them a set of freestyled S, M, L Totoros……..
When I go to Chicago, I have a terrible habit of haunting all of my favorite shops and spending way too much money. I get caught up on a ‘Chicago High’ and next month when my visa bill arrives I am full of regret. So, I told Julie that I was not spending any money this time, hoping that would keep it to a minimum.
Well, we ran up to her local fabric shop to purchase a few essentials (for instance, a cutting device….as her scissors would not cut fabric and I had 2 little boys begging for kimonos) and I came away with all of this. But listen – It is all Robert Kaufman voile & lawn and it was on sale for $1.99 a yard! Can you blame me? I mean, I actually am feeling like I need to go back and purchase more. I am not sure I really gave this fabric store a chance, because it is very large and organized very differently than most shops. I feel like there might be buried treasure in there. And I know that this time, when I return to Boston and my meager fabric options, I will be wracked with regret over not purchasing more, more, more.
We arrived at 7am Chicago time on Monday. I am only now able to really reflect on what that meant for us- getting up and leaving Boston. Of course, MP went to sleep directly on the flight, and I wrestled a baby alligator on my lap in the form of an 8 pound Chihuahua.
The kids have been a blast, though they never stop moving or talking…..we have been having all sorts of adventures and time is flying way too fast. Floria has worn all her kimonos and is wearing her sundress today, and each of the boys now want kimonos of their own, so I will patterns for sizes 6 and 8 before I leave.
I think my favorite thing of all is hearing Floria in the morning when Julie goes in to get her and instead of saying ‘good morning’, I hear “where Amy?”……and next thing I know I have the boys jumping on my bed.
Although Biscuit needs a kimono for every single day, I took a little break to make her this sundress. I saw an article in MS Living a couple of years ago where you make a little sundress out of a pillow case. It was so cute and I know I saved the article somewhere, but I tore the house apart looking for it and came up empty (maybe I didn’t save it afterall). I’ve seen this style of the gathered neck in all the shops and figured it couldn’t be too hard. So, I basically made my own pillow case, in a sense, and went from there
The fabric is a chestnut print from IKEA, and the tie is from Amy Butler’s Midwest Modern collection.
Thank you for all the encouragement and kind words on the kimonos. I’m so addicted to making them and hope that others find the pattern as simple and fun as I do. I keep tweaking it and changing little things about it and for me it is already leading to lots of other projects!
Here are some additional photos of the ties.
The binding around the neck is a continuous piece with about 10″ to 12″ extra at each end. Those ends for the ties. The other ties are under each armpit.
More photos here.
The tutorial is up! I rushed a bit, but I gave it my best shot. Please note, that it’s written in such a way as to assume knowledge of basic pattern terminology as well as things like how to make your own binding. Feel free to download it, take a look at it and leave me a comment if anything is unclear or if you need a little more help (I have no problem revising it and uploading revisions over time). I’ve never written tutorials before, and it’s harder than I thought!
Enjoy this fun little project, it’s really quick and easy. And be sure to post or email me photos if you make one of your own! And I warn you, they are addictive…..
Edit: I recommend making a fabric pattern out of scrap or muslin. Then you can reuse it in the future. Also, it will help you to practice/visualize the kimono and how it wraps/ties.
Once you make a Kimono Wrap, please check out the Flickr Group and share your creations!
I can not stop making these things. I feel like I have fine tuned and simplified this pattern into a very fun little project. Julie has declared she wants biscuit to wear kimonos every day and, well, who am I to stand in her way? I’ve also had a few requests, which I find incredibly flattering and also daunting (as I am terrified of disappointing people).
I feel like when I give someone something handmade (other than Julie) they might not really like or appreciate what I’ve done. For me, I am always thinking of the person that will wear the little item with each stitch and cut. I put a lot of thought into the fabric and binding selection, and worry the whole time I am selecting incorrectly. But, more than anything, I just want the receiver to “love” it. And I think this prevents me from ever opening a shop.
That being said, if anyone would like a kimono of their own, shoot me an email or leave me a comment. Lol.
We had our annual trash and garden round-up in the neighborhood today. It’s days like this where I am beyond thankful for where I live. The building I live in is an Artist Coop, started many many years ago when this area was an industrial wasteland. And although it is still a more or less wasteland, it has heart and character that rests squarely on the shoulders of the founding members of this community. I feel great for contributing to the day and honored to live among some amazing people with incredible life stories. Every time I meet another neighbor, my jaw drops from our conversations and I realize it’s okay to keep following my own path.
A third of the building cleans the streets, sidewalks, hillsides and alleys (since the state and city prefer to bicker over whose responsibility it is) while the other third cleans out, weeds and plants in the courtyard. We were assigned to the courtyard (!) and have the cuts, callouses and blisters to show for it. I was a slow start (as I can not necessarily tell a weed from a plant) but I got the hang of it real quick. I have to say, I like gardening for about an hour. So, after about 6 hours, I was a little crabby. And very dirty. And very over it. So, if MP and I ever have our own yard, our garden will be made of rocks.
Oh, and the other third? Well, they didn’t do a damn thing. But they showed up to the barbeque and coronation of the new Trash Queen.
