Hello Friends! This blog turned into a snoozer this week b/c I was too busy watching this little dormouse snore it up. Of the 1.2 million views on youtube*, maybe 1 million are mine. <-- that's a hyperbole. I did watch a few times, however, with a big grin! Partly b/c it is just flat-out cute and partly b/c I'm hoping some of its peaceful, oblivious-to-the-world slumber will rub off on me. Couldn't we all use some seriously sound sleep like this? Honk, shoe, honk, shoe, honk shoe...
Do you think dormouse's friends are back at the brambly hedge, making chestnut stew and keeping his blackberry tea warm for him?
*To read more about why and how this video was captured, read the info on youtube.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - How quickly can you sew a Liverpool tunic? Turns out, about 9 minutes in ultra-uber-hyper high gear with some technotronic dance music playing!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - About the video
This past October, I wanted to create a garment to wear or show at my booth at Quilt Market - featuring one of the fabrics from Daisy Janie's newest organic collection, Tilly.
I selected Amy Butler's Liverpool tunic pattern. I loved the line & length of the tunic, and it suited the retro-y, flowery fabric I had in mind, Mumsy Dusk. On a whim, I videotaped the sewing portions of making this garment. The video is shown 8x the normal speed. I kinda wish all sewing went this quickly! More than 2 hours of sewing condensed into 9 mesmerizing mins!
The finished tunic is shown at the end of the video. Enjoy! I hope it inspires you!
Very special thank you to Amy Butler, who granted permission for me to use her Liverpool pattern in this video. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Amy inspires me immensely! Not only in terms of her talent and creativity, but also regarding her role in transforming the quilting fabric industry. I know that I am able to do what I do with Daisy Janie in part b/c of what she has done & continues to do! For more info, visit www.amybutlerdesign.com
Videotaping this project was a last minute idea. My husband's old Sony Cybershot camera was nearby, and the notion hit me. I don't know a thing about adjusting settings on this camera. I just set it up and pressed stop & go. Lighting and tint get a little wonky in spots. Each segment is taped exactly as it happened. You'll catch me taking a quick look at a seam or two to see if they pass muster.
The sewing machine I used is a refurbished 1970s Kenmore that just bit the dust. *sniff sniff* I've always believed "it's not the arrow, it's the Indian." However, as the machine no longer fed the fabric unless the handwheel was turned, I finally had to admit this machine was no longer sharp enough to hit its target. In the video, you'll see my right hand reach for the handwheel to get the fabric moving about a thousand-million-billion times. (Think how much time I could shave, Coach!) I also don't have button-making capability on this machine, so I added snaps instead. Improvise!
Prior to sewing this tunic, I have never successfully sewn an entire piece of clothing for myself. Rigged-up Statue of Liberty costumes don't count! Elephant costumes for my son don't count! I tried making a maternity dress for myself 15 years ago, and it turned out so terribly that, after I got over my laughing fit, I swore myself off curves and darts for.ev.er! But I've been soooo inspired by all the clothing sewing I see day-in and day-out that I had to try! I was prepared for the worst and ended up pleasantly surprised! Goes to show you that, if I can do it, most anyone can do it.
I don't have the best lighting, the best set-up, the best sewing machine or the best sewing skills. I have desire & determination. Sometimes that will be enough to get you where you want to go! Try. That's all you can do!
"Your belief determines your action and your action determines your results, but first you have to believe." - Mark Victor Hansen
Coldplay (whose music has gotten me through some very low spots, including this very song),
Harmony Art (a good friend & pioneer in bringing pretty organic fabrics to market), and
Pure Fabricz (a dedicated retailer of organic fabrics & Daisy Janie distributor in the Netherlands).
This stop-motion video tells a short story about a farmer who returned to sustainable farming methods once he realized the often cruel and, equally as often, the devastating effects of factory farming.
In my experience with producing organic cotton fabrics, I am constantly, constantly (it makes it more emphatic if I use the word twice in a row) reading and educating myself on the cotton industry and its effects on the farmers, their land, the workers, us and the earth. I've had many 'bubble-over-my-head' moments like this farmer does around 1:17, where the realizations of what's actually happening out there have left me dejected and motivated to do what I can. Knowledge is powerful, and it makes me evermore steadfast in how and what Daisy Janie produces. "Be the change you want to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi
Truly, I don't like to be preachy or be preached at - so I will leave this thought with you: If you aren't already, educate yourself about how the products/foods you consume get from Point A to Point B and make compassionate, thoughtful buying decisions based upon what you learn. These small, purposeful steps will cultivate a better world for you, your family and will spill-over to the rest of us. It may not be easy and it may not be cheap on the front end - but we all pay later if the cheap, easy way continues ad infinitum. [stepping off soapbox...thanks for the help down.]
Major kudos and hi-fives to this young lady, who conducted a science experiment and made a discovery for herself about harmful chemicals used on non-organic produce in the process. Maybe this will be new to you, too. Out of the mouths of babes...
This is just 1 chemical that deals with 1 aspect of this sweet potato's life. Or, rather the inhibition of its future life. Add to this a cocktail of fertilizers, pesticides and fungicides that are used in chemical-laden conventional agriculture ... oy. Thems alotta chemicals, Ma! Where'd the tater go? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
If you're interested... Here is some info about this particular chemical, chloropropham (linked from Cornell University's Pesticide Management Education Program). It's not the worst of the worst, but I'm pretty sure I don't want to be ingesting something that affected lab rats like this:
"Chlorpropham is moderately toxic by ingestion. It may cause irritation of the eyes or skin. Symptoms of poisoning in laboratory animals have included listlessness, incoordination, nose bleeds, protruding eyes, bloody tears, difficulty in breathing, prostration, inability to urinate, high fevers, and death. Autopsies of animals have shown inflammation of the stomach and intestinal lining, congestion of the brain, lungs and other organs, and degenerative changes in the kidneys and liver."
Jan DiCintio
Thanks for visiting my blog! I am the owner, designer and chief bottlewasher of Daisy
Janie. I have been a one-woman show
for 12 years – in one artsy business or another. Five years ago, I made
my way to fabric & surface
design, and eventually to self-production of my own organic
fabric collections. It is here I plan to stay! I'll be writing about
the fabric adventures as I go (but not giving away the farm of course) as
well as other life-ly, happy things. I'm a 41-yr-old mom to a 13-yr-old
Peanutman, wife to the man
of my dreams, doggie-owner of Scout
and George. I like to design fabrics, run, workout, hike, sew, google
(is that a hobby?), cook, eat, drink beer, and laugh (a lot).
