Winter and the Holidays

Lena's sweatshirt swing dress, perfect
for winter weather.

Thanksgiving is over already, and December lurks around the corner. On the North Coast winter can't be far away. It's always a busy time of year, as cooking, baking, shopping and making, as in making by hand, come into the forefront.

I am so grateful to be able to make by hand. An idea comes into my mind, and I go into my studio and bring the fleeting thought into reality. There is nothing more fulfilling! I have been busy making...holiday cards, hand stitched journals, stationary, gift tags. I have also created several new Magic Baby Designs for holiday and cold weather wear. Hope you like them! Everything in my shop is on sale through midnight on Cyber Monday, so please stop by. Watch for Small Shop Saturday specials all through December.



Girl's Party Jacket. Yes, it's reversible!



Boy's Christmas Overalls, reversible and adjustable

Baby Sailor Boy Sweater with holiday collar

Hurrah, It's a Party. These reversible overalls in
piped velveteen (on the front side) and matching
shirt were a custom order. I love custom orders!

Magic Baby Snuggle Jackets

When I began designing baby clothes years ago, I found that the process was similar to how I approach making art. In this case, inspired by a new grandbaby, I pulled out flannel scraps left over from making Magic Baby Snuggle Blankies. I have always been frugal in most aspects of my life; needless to say, I was not going to let those exquisite scraps go to waste, especially when baby clothing requires so little fabric. My first step was to cut off any selvedges from the scraps, then rotary cut them into strips and squares, which were stacked together in a box. Piecing the strips together, I could make matching snuggly, cuddly reversible jackets for the Snuggle Blankies. It was easy to add little tags of ribbon into the seams, keeping everything very soft, and snippets of trim to the fold-up cuffs. After turning the jacket right side out, I inserted a scrap of pre-gathered satin pink ruffle into the bottom edge.

Magic Baby Cuddle Jacket Prototype, front

The biggest challenge in this design, as is the case in many of my designs, is coming up with a unique closure that is also functional. For the jacket, I inserted a piece of medium gauge, round elastic into bias tape, gathered it and measured the length before inserting it in between the front and reverse jacket sections. Next, since I don't want to be buying tons of buttons, and because buttons can pop off, I created a "soft" button using ribbon blanket trim satin stitched over a cut-down cosmetic sponge, and stitched in place with an "X" of embroidery floss.

This design was fast, easy, and, in my mind, a complete success. I have the pattern worked out from NB to 4T, and plan to make jackets that also match my reversible dresses. 

I am still working on prototypes for my "story clothes", finishing up my new holiday designs (the boy's overalls are finished, and ready to ship!),  and completing three custom orders from the show last weekend.

I am an artist, so why am I spending so much time designing baby clothes? There are several answers to this question: a) I need to earn a regular income, and baby clothes sell faster than artwork b) I am a grandmother, and like making things for babies c) It's fun and challenging. Granted, I have had to put my current book project on hold, and don't have as much time in the studio to make artwork. I do, however, make time for art. Can't live without it!

My new granddaughter wearing her MagicBaby Cuddle Jacket.

First of all, let me say that I am happy to be posting again. There have been some problems with blogger, and I couldn't post or leave comments. Hurrrah, Magic Baby Designs blog is back in action!

I am thrilled to be participating in my first boutique with Magic Baby Designs this coming Sunday. I hope to see some of you there! By the way, order your holiday custom order outfits now. I have several choices in my etsy shop, will have some new designs on Sunday, and more to come. Happy Fall!

Experiments in Construction and Composition

First Magic Baby Reversible Overalls
An experiment that worked

I am swimming in experiments. This past week, just as I am working like crazy on my fall and winter etsy line, I dropped my camera and broke it. Sigh. Since I can't show you what I am currently working on, I decided I'd show you my very first reversible overalls prototype, created several years ago. The design is very cute, with two bodices to play with and a cute crossed back strap. In addition to loving the challenge of creating reversible designs, something which sets my Magic Baby clothing apart, I also love the challenge of figuring out ways to create design elements that will allow my clothing to fit for a very long time. This experiment worked in that regard, too, going from baby to toddler quite easily.

Miss E was just a baby when she first wore
these.

I pieced one side of the overalls using a re-purposed wide wale corduroy blouse and some fun, striped cotton upholstery left over from making pillow case edges years ago.
On the reverse, I used a decorator-weight cotton sateen in light blue, and added pockets lined with the stripe, all of which blended beautifully with a fall leaf fabric in cotton. The colors were perfect for my red-headed granddaughter!

As cute as the design came out, there were  some problems I discovered while testing out my ideas. First of all, there is no leg opening for ease of diaper changes in this initial design. Since making it, I have, of course, made allowances for adding either snaps or snap tape to baby sizes.

Secondly, with the back bodice design including built-in crossed straps, the shoulder tabs would have needed to be lengthened in order for me to make them adjustable. I made this adjustment, as well.

Finally, the gathering into the bodice is adorable, but perhaps not great for a boys design, which would look better with pleats or straight. This, of course, is an easy design change that I have made moving forward.

In the end, I have saved this cute design as a special one for my own grandbabies, and have created four simplified overall designs for my Magic Baby line. I do love this one, though, and seeing it makes me want to sew up a new pair!

 

Magic Baby at Retail Show

When: Friday, September 9, 6 - 8 p.m.
Where: Valley Art Center, Bell Street, Chagrin Falls, OH
One night only, at the opening of the wearable art exhibition, Art Strikes a Pose
This is Magic Baby's first retail show. Hope to see you there!

If you can't make it to the retail show, please visit Magic Baby on etsy

Inspired by Children...Again: a T-shirt tutorial

What could be more inspiring that a child's drawing?

A few weeks ago I wrote a posting about being inspired by children. This past week, I was so inspired again, I decided to share it with you. And the bonus? You, too, can do this with the Magic Baby in your life!

This past week, my oldest grandchild started first grade. Oh, the memories, and oh my, how quickly time flies!



My favorite First Grader...



My grandson loves to draw, an activity that I encourage. On a recent visit I had shown him a drawing his own father had made as a child with fabric crayons. We decided to try it on his next visit, and voted to make a drawing that he could wear on a t-shirt. If you want to try this at your house, here's what you will need:

A box of Fabric Crayons

White drawing paper

Light to medium colored cotton knit t-shirt fabric (or actual t-shirt) a bit bigger than your paper

An old towel, a hot iron, and some scrap paper

First of all, you should know that Pentel Dye Sticks can also be used, but they work differently than fabric crayons. Printing with fabric crayons is a two-step process: draw on the paper, then transfer to the fabric. The dye sticks, which look similar to fabric crayons, use a one-step process: direct application onto the fabric, followed by heat setting.



Step one: Make your drawing!

Drawing is easy, especially for children. Here is my grandson's drawing. So that his lettering would not be backwards on the final print, I showed him this trick:

1) Write the letters on the back of the paper.

2) Tape your paper to grandma's sliding glass door with the letters toward the glass and the drawing facing you

3) Trace your letters on the front of the drawing, then color them with the fabric crayons. Yes, they will be backwards...for now.

Above, you see the fabric crayon drawing on the left, and the transferred drawing on the right. To transfer the drawing onto fabric, place an old towel on your ironing board (this will protect the surface from the crayons.) Place the t-shirt or piece of t-shirt fabric (we cut off the back of an old t-shirt) onto the towel, the fabric crayon drawing face down on top of that, and a piece of scrap paper on top of that.

With a hot iron (no steam), iron until the design has transferred. I let my grandson carefully help me, being careful to keep him away from the hot tip of the iron. His back and forth movement shifted the drawing a bit, so I gave him some fabric markers to outline the shapes for a crisp look on the t-shirt fabric.

Grandma is going to sew his drawing into a special t-shirt for him. You can, of course, transfer the drawing right onto a t-shirt and be finished. Save the precious drawing, however, as it can be used over and over. Just color it in with more fabric crayons to brighten the colors up, then transfer it again. Think of the possibilities : )

The Artist Grandmother

Becoming a grandmother was the inspiration for creating Magic Baby Designs. When my own children were babies and my husband was still in college, I had to make do with what we had. I recycled sweaters, coats and usable cottons to make all of their clothes. I started making quilts in earnest about the same time. The first Christmas we were married, I got my first sewing machine, a $99 Singer. I still have it. It's the machine I use to stitch paper.

When I was still living at home, I sewed on my grandmother's converted treadle machine. Having come very close to getting kicked out of Home Ec. in Junior High for making a bikini instead of an apron, it should have already been clear to anyone who knew me that I was going to follow my own path.

When my first granddaughter was born a few years ago, I was thrilled. Although I have sewn several things for my grandson, I admit that making fancy baby dresses for little girls is a lot more fun than a Thomas the Train pillowcase. I made her this dotted dress outfit for her first Valentine's Day. I now own more baby patterns than I ever had when my own children were small. Of course, I never follow the pattern instructions. I prefer to use them as a suggestion, and proceed as I do when making my artwork: do something, respond, do something else; collage and layers upon layers.



Happy first Valentine's Day, Miss E!

My own grandmother was very artistic. Even though I was still little when she died, I remember how she always encouraged my artistic efforts. And when she was able to finally have the time, she started making art and craft pieces for the sheer enjoyment of it. She was the only grandparent I knew, and I absolutely adored her, even though I only saw her a few times a year.

As a grandmother of three, the youngest born two years ago already, I cherish taking some time away from work to make special things for my grandchildren. With my Magic Baby line of clothing, the hardest part is not making everything for them. I have told their mothers that the baby girls will be the recipients of my learning curve process; the prototypes go to them, or, as in the case of Baby E's Valentine dress, are designed for them. Some patterns are just too intricate and detailed to make for anything but a custom order.

The Little Frenchy dress, to the left and below, was my very first Magic Baby design. I made this one, the prototype, for my oldest granddaughter. She wore it for years, then passed it on to my youngest granddaughter just this year. It is designed to fit for a very long time, is completely reversible (two dresses in one,)and transitions easily from dress to cute top! These are now available in many color combinations for custom order in my etsy shop, from newborn sizes on up to girl's size 8. I also have designed a Frenchy Girl style, which is has a patchwork skirt. Very cute! 

With fall around the corner and a wearable art exhibition and a fashion show booth coming up, I am busy finishing up new fall designs. I would love to know what clothes YOU loved wearing as a kid. Leave me a note in the comments section!

 

Baby dress to cute top, several years of wearable cuteness!