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Navy Block-Printed Culottes
Two summers ago, on a visit to Ohio, my mom and I accompanied my aunt and uncle on a stroll through their local farmers’ market. We sampled some scones, picked out some produce, and saw many wonderful doggies, but what I remember most about that day was a pair of shorts.
I saw a girl about my age wearing the most adorable shorts. They had an elastic + drawstring waist, but they were made from a navy fabric with a floral border print that elevated them from “gym shorts” all the way to “dressy shorts”. In a rare moment of nerve, I approached her, gushed over how cute her shorts were, and asked if I could take a picture so I could try to sew them later. She was more flattered than confused, and didn’t even seem to think I was weird (although perhaps it was just midwestern kindness).
This all took place a few weeks before my move to Florida, and I knew similar shorts could play a huge role in my Endless Summer wardrobe. Who am I to refuse a super comfy pair of shorts that doesn’t make me look like a bum? Needless to say, for the past 1.5 years I’ve been on a mission to create my own version of the Canton Farmers’ Market Shorts.
My “house pocket shorts” were a step in the right direction, and my second pair sewn from Simplicity 1887: the pattern that I hoped would be the one. My first pair from S1887 was a navy rayon, sewn as a wearable muslin. They came out really big, but the flowiness of the fabric + the magic that is elastic made them work for the most part. I knew the chambray of the House Pocket Shorts wouldn’t have much drape, so I made those in a much smaller size for an exact fit.
After two very different pairs, that pattern went back in my binder and the Canton Farmers’ Market Shorts went to the back of my mind as I journeyed around the world.
When I got home from India, of course my sewing room closet wasn’t quite ready to accommodate the enormous stack of fabrics that I had acquired. So they stayed in the open, displayed on a shelf for inspiration. And inspiration they were… because one night, as I was falling asleep, I remembered this fabric and realized it could become some wonderful shorts.
I used my trusty Simplicity 1887 again, and cut oversized to allow for full comfy-ness and because this cotton has the perfect amount of drape. I elasticized the whole waistband, which made the front a little bit funny until I added extra tacked down pleats. I also put two minor darts in the back. The pleats + darts allow me to have the flowy culotte look I was aiming for, without weird puffiness near the waistband.
I didn’t have much extra fabric, but I did line up the pattern pieces carefully for appropriate flower placement. With such a big motif, I wanted to make sure I didn’t end up with a round orange flower like a target in the center of my booty.
The pocket fabric is another blockprinted cotton I brought home from Jaipur, and I can’t believe how well it matches the flowers of the main print. I let a little bit of the pocket lining peek out for a faux-binding look.
The jury is still out on whether I will add a tie-front, but otherwise these are done! I finished them over the weekend and immediately celebrated their wearability with a stylish beach walk.
And now, back to sewing with plain white.
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A Christmas Painting for the Newlyweds
My little brother (okay, little by just 18 months) got married in June and it was just so great. I finally have a sister (in law) and it was so exciting to be a part of their special day and the months leading up to it. I wanted to do something special for them for Christmas, and decided to test my painting skills.
They did a sparkler sendoff and the photographer captured this completely magical photo of them kissing at the end of the night, surrounded by light and love. It was already such an artsy, interesting photo, that I thought it would be fantastic rendered in watercolor.
Of course, the hardest part about painting (for me) is setting up the drawing… so I cheated. I downloaded the photo, posterized it in Photoshop, then laid it against the window and traced the major outlines. Then I flipped it over and rubbed the image to transfer my pencil lines to the paper.
This was far more technical and less creative than drawing the image by eye… but it also meant they were still shaped like real people. So I am really glad I did it this way.
Then I got to fill in with watercolor, starting with major shadows. The blending and the shading on such a dynamic image was really fun.
The thing I was most worried about was mixing a realistic skin tone. That, and shadowing/defining the hands… I feel like those are two things that can so easily turn out completely wrong. But I think I managed okay, and didn’t accidentally turn them too orange or too pink, or peach colored crayola crayon like back in kindergarten. Basically, I was scared they’d end up looking scary, and that didn’t happen!
I stylized the sparklers and removed the bystanders in the name of art. I tried to make it feel magical, like shooting stars wishing them well on their new life together.
Finally, a black frame and a clean white mat elevated it and added that extra bit of contrast.
It was such a fun project and a joy to give.
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Woodblock Printing at Jaitex Art in Jaipur
This was the final workshop of our Jaipur trip, and it was a true culmination of everything we’d learned. We drove out to Bagru again, this time to Jaitex Art, for a session on true woodblock printing (as opposed to the mud printing for indigo resist).
first night dinner table, set with our custom blocks When we first signed up for the trip, many moons before departure, we were given the opportunity to each design our own woodblock. Our designs were sent to India, and our blocks were carved by master artisans in preparation for our arrival.
When we all met at the hotel for dinner on the first night, our blocks greeted us by candlelight. It was the cutest gesture and a very warm welcome to a new place with a new group of people.
The center photo shows the block I designed, with the two nested triangles. I wanted something that could make some fun repeats and tesselations. To augment our designs, the workshop included a huge table covered in woodblocks that we could use, and that felt like Christmas. It was so hard to choose between the hundreds of blocks, but I grabbed an armful of various triangles and tried my best to just go for it.
The pigments used for these prints were natural dyes. We had access to four colors: black, yellow, red, and brown. I chose to limit my design to just black and yellow because those are my favorites, and I wanted to maintain a very graphic, modern look.
I played with different repeats of my block, and added other triangle blocks where appropriate. I didn’t plan the design out in advance, which was very contrary to my usual style, but my biggest takeaway from the week was to let myself play and be creative. So I just started. I worked my way around the edges, and filled my scarf: triangle by triangle.
I’ve probably said this about every day, but it was so fun to see what everyone else was working on. This project was especially interesting, because we were all working with blocks that we had designed months ago, often with certain intentions in mind. We had all learned so much over the course of the week that many of us ended up making entirely different creations than we anticipated when we first designed that block. And that was pretty awesome.
Every scarf was so beautiful, special, and unique.
This picture makes it look like everyone went with yellow, but the red dye actually looked yellow until it was set with a mordant that set the dye permanently and turned it red.
It’s been fun to go back through these pictures a full three months after the trip. This blog post reminds me that there are so many more things I want to print, and I’d love to try different colors and different variations of my little triangle woodblock. That block and my handprinted scarves are some of the best souvenirs I’ve ever brought home from a trip, and I will cherish them and their memories for a long, long time.
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My 9 Favorite Books of 2019
I’m thrilled to report that in 2019 I read 51 books, completing my goal of 50 for the year. I track my books in Goodreads, which is good motivation and also helps me remember what I read (and whether I liked it). Most importantly, it helps me find my next book. I’ve always found choosing books to be the hardest part.
I worked hard this year to pick up my Kindle instead of my phone when sitting on the couch or lying in bed, and I feel like this year re-solidified reading as a true hobby of mine. I’ve always loved to read, but as an “adult” it can feel less productive than what I “should” be doing, so for a long time I didn’t read nearly as often as I would have liked. But guess what? Reading books feels way better than scrolling Instagram. So I’m all in.
Samantha’s 2019 Year in Books on Goodreads
These are in approximate order of how much I loved them.
1. Love and Other Words (2018, romance)
I couldn’t put this book down. There are two timelines, “Now” and “Then”, and a secret between the two. I was torn, because I was compelled to find out the secret from their past, but I also didn’t want the book to end because it was such a pleasure to read. There was a lot of coming-of-age character development and that’s always one of my favorite themes.2. The Night Tiger (2019, historical fiction / magical realism)
This was another book that I just raced through. There were multiple characters, multiple mysteries and perils, and a good handful of magic realism. I recommended this book to just about everyone I know who reads, because it was engrossing and fun to read. The setting, 1930s Malaysia, was the perfect backdrop to this mystical story.
3. In the Company of Women (2016, nonfiction interviews)
I’m late to this party, but I finally requested Grace’s book from the library and I savored every page. This book just oozes creativity, inspiration, and grit. Every one of the women interviewed has passion and ambition, but what unites them all most is that they all work really hard. It’s a realistic window into the lives of creative types, and shows that doing what you love isn’t easy and deserves a ton of respect.4. Evvie Drake Starts Over (2019, romance)
I loved this book from page 9, where we find Evvie laying on the floor in the middle of the night because there’s just too much going on in her brain. My college roommate and I still talk about how great it was to come home from a day of class and just flop on the floor of our dorm room when the day had been too much. So from the start, I found Evvie delightfully relatable. Watching Evvie’s transformation from her past self into her true, thriving self was a great journey.5. Little Fires Everywhere (2017, contemporary fiction)
Mia Warren’s character caused me to fall in love with this book. She is a photographer and mixed-media artist and I loved Celeste Ng’s descriptions of the various projects Mia would be working on. It always amazes me when an author manages to have such depth of imagination. This book exemplifies my favorite kind of book: I love stories about families and communities, their intersections and their quirks.6. The Name of the Wind (2007, high fantasy)
I can barely recommend this book with good conscience because it’s the first in a trilogy, and the third book is still unfinished (perhaps unstarted…) even though the first was published in 2007. But I never read fantasy, and when I saw that this book began with a custom map, I almost put it down because that’s my general indication that it’s… not my thing. But I loved this book. It’s fantasy and definitely has some wacky magic, not to mention a dragon, but it’s different than any book I’ve ever read and I loved it.7. The Bride Test (2019, romance)
The Bride Test is a companion book to The Kiss Quotient (2018), which I read last year. Each book begins with an unlikely premise/predicament, but Helen Hoang writes such a compelling story that I quickly forgot how unrealistic that one minor plot device could be. Both books feature characters on the autistic spectrum, and the way they are written is just perfect. They’re relatable and realistic, and it’s great to see the world from that perspective.8. A Piece of the World (2017, historical fiction)
This book falls into the historical fiction genre but it’s almost a pseudo-biography. A well-researched and well-written story about real people. Its realism does mean that this is not a lighthearted book, but it was an interesting view into the life of Christina Olson and the artist Andrew Wyeth.9. A Question of Holmes (2019, young adult mystery)
This is the fourth and final book in the Charlotte Holmes series, a cute set of books that explore the lives of the grandchildren of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. James Watson – who work together (sometimes grudgingly) to solve mysteries, of course. I especially enjoyed the fourth book, as our protagonists finally got some much-needed character development and growth.
(start with Book 1, A Study in Charlotte)I’m spoiled at our current house because I can walk to the library! But I tend to keep it even simpler than that, and borrow library ebooks to read on my Kindle. Hopefully you all know this, but I feel like lately I’ve met far too many people who don’t have library cards. Get a library card! They are pure magic.
I’m always looking for more books to add to my list! What did you enjoy reading last year?
