Author: Debra VanDeventer

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Balboa Park

California Dreaming: Part 2

Seams Like a Story is taking a break from sewing to go on some summer adventures. My “California Dreaming” series features three posts from a recent trip to Southern California. Post one featured the Pacific Ocean. http://seamslikeastory.com/the-pacific-ocean/

The second post takes me to historic Balboa Park in San Diego.

Urban Oaisis

“If you go to San Diego, you must visit Balboa Park,” friends said. This iconic urban oasis hosted the 1915-16 Panama-California Exposition and the 1935-36 California Pacific International Exposition. Both events left buildings that are now registered as historic landmarks. Here you will find walking paths, museums, theaters, restaurants and the San Diego Zoo.  

A Witness to History

As we strolled around the beautiful park waiting for the Natural History Museum to open, we came across this Moreton Bay Fig tree. Planted in the formal gardens created for the 1915 Exposition, the tree has seen many changes to its surroundings as the park has developed. Its longevity is remarkable in light of the fast changing, throwaway world we live in. A fitting guardian to treasures in the beautiful Natural History Museum just steps away.

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The Pacific Ocean

California Dreaming: Part 1

Seams Like a Story is taking a break from sewing to go on some summer adventures. My “California Dreaming” series features three posts from a recent trip to Southern California. This first post takes me to the shores of San Diego, a half a day’s drive, but worlds away from my home in the desert Southwest.

Life on Hold

We’d been planning this trip with our friends for some time. Waiting for vaccinations. Waiting until it was safe to travel with precautions. Waiting for the world to exhale. Excited to be making our first timid steps back into the world after a year of turmoil and isolation. The past year had taken it’s toll on us all.

We rented a small bungalow just a few blocks from the ocean. We’d planned to do some sightseeing in San Diego: Balboa Park, The USS MIdway Battleship Museum, Little Italy, Old Town; but I was most excited to see the ocean. It had been several decades since I’d stepped foot in the warm waters of the Gulf Coast, and even longer since I’d seen the Pacific. I love my home in the desert; the mountains and Saguaros ground me. But lately, I’ve been longing for the ocean. 

Toes in the sand

I couldn’t wait. Once we’d checked in and dropped off our bags, I headed to the beach, practically running ahead of the others. It was too chilly to swim. I rolled up my jeans and kicked off my shoes, feeling the cool, wet sand squeeze between my toes. For the longest time I stood, breathing the salt-tinged air, listening to the crash of the waves, gazing at water so expansive it bent around the horizon.  

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The Simply Complicated Dress

Persevering through sewing challenges

This dress should have been simple but….

In a recent post, I mentioned how my sister inspires me and supports my creative endeavors.http://seamslikeastory.com/the-shirt-off-her-back/

A clothing boutique she frequents in Chicago was having a sale on their designer fabric remnants. Knowing I was blogging about sewing and creativity, she bought a few items and made a surprise package for me. When the box arrived, I found 3 yards of navy blue window-pane checked rayon, a yard of interesting upholstery fabric, and two packs of vintage buttons.

A box from my sister contained these treasures!

I decided to make a summer dress with the rayon and had just enough for this NEW LOOK pattern(N6651). It looked simple enough, but it wasn’t long before my challenges with the project began.

I had just enough fabric and the exact amount of buttons needed for this project.

Challenge #1: Cut it out.

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The Shirt off her Back

100 Acts of Sewing Dress #2 hack

Ok..I didn’t actually take the shirt off her back. My sister is eight years younger than me. We never got the chance to share clothes when we were growing up. But  when visiting Chicago this fall, I envied my sister’s buttercup-yellow print top.  It was the kind of thing you could pull on with a pair of jeans and be stylishly comfortable. I could make that, I said to myself.   When I got home, I  looked through patterns online.  I finally decided to use 100 Acts of Sewing dress #2 and cut it down to make a top. ( Looking back, I think I could have used the Tunic #1 pattern instead.)

I had 2yds of yellow print cotton in my fabric stash. I discovered that wasn’t quite enough, so I decided to experiment with adding contrasting colors.  If you look at pictures of 100 Acts of Sewing projects, often you will see the sewist has added contrasting borders, pockets, and trims to create interest to these simple styles.

https://www.pinterest.com/longis/100-acts-of-sewing/

The top went together  smoothly. When trying it on , I discovered the neck opening was a bit too large so  I made a simple pleat in the back. A fish tag fashioned from a scrap of fabric added a touch of whimsy. (I have no real interest in fish…I just thought it was cute!)

 The pattern called for making your own bias tape.  I had never done that before so I did a little research and purchased  a bias tape maker.  After a few false starts, I made enough bias tape to use for the neck facing and the border trim.

What started out as a copycat  of my sister’s shirt turned out to be a unique creation!  We didn’t get the chance to share clothes, but now we share inspirations! Maybe this shirt will come with me on my next trip to Chicago.

Threads of thought icon

Threads of Thought

Did you ever share clothes with a sibling?

If you are a sewist, have you tried making your own bias tape?

Where do you get inspiration for your creative works?

Read more from Debra:
Out of the Crayon Box:Thoughts on Teaching, Retirement, and LIfe http://amazon.com/author/debravandeventer

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This Apron Rocks!

Sewing with Lillian part 2

A few years ago, I taught my granddaughter Lillian to sew. She learned how to thread the machine, wind a bobbin, and practice straight stitching on paper patterns. When she was ready, we made some fabric bookmarks.

http://seamslikeastory.com/stitch-up-a-memory/

On a recent visit, older and wiser Lillian expressed an interest in doing another project together, so I suggested we try a simple apron. You know me… I’m ALL about aprons! http://seamslikeastory.com/apron-strings/

A “Swift” trip to the fabric store…

 Off to the fabric store we went. Along the way, we cranked up the radio and belted out a Taylor Swift song. Having recently taught fourth graders, I was familiar with the song and Lillian thought it was funny that Grandma knew some of the words.

Once in the fabric store, Lillian had definite ideas about what she wanted. She was drawn to anything pink, purple, or sparkly. We decided to make the apron reversible and chose a yard each of a pink cheetah print and a turquoise-rainbow-unicorn-kitty fabric. We also purchased a small amount of rainbow-cheetah- print for pockets.

To complete our girls’ day out, we stopped by Starbucks where Lillian confidently ordered “a tall hot chocolate, kid temperature, with whipped cream.”

So now we sew…

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