Rachael of Imagine Gnats is one of the first people who really reached out and got me involved in this crazy little microculture of people who sew stuff. Today I'm back on her list of blog tour hosts to share some art smocks I made with her Roly Poly Pinafore pattern
You can get 20% off in her shop in the month of January with the code "januarytour"
Art smock pinafores
A while ago when the Roly Poly pattern first came out, I sewed up this little bee version.
There was no way I was going to top that creation for myself, so I decided to make something fun and practical and put together some art smocks for my little Picassos.
First off, I started with these fabric crayons from Joann's. A real gem here #sarcasm
It's seriously the worst when you get your kids all amped up about something and then the fireworks wind up being more like a dull fizzle. The idea is that you draw with these things on paper and then flip the page onto your fabric and iron it on. Only the red and yellow transferred well enough to see, and (so awesome) the red showed up especially well where it shot through my fabric and onto my beautiful ironing board cover.
Thankfully I was also planning on having them go to town on the fabric with paint, so we headed to the garage with our pattern pieces emblazoned with faint shadows of pictures the kids had drawn, and enjoyed some messy art.
Clover wasn't sure about it at first.
We used acrylic paint mixed with fabric medium. Extra fabric medium to make it more splashy.
Too bad we didn't have any art smocks for this project. Who decided to do a messy art project ON the art smocks? Gee whiz, yo.
Overcome with angst over her work, Violet threw her head back in a display of anguish and frustration. Either that or she was annoyed with being yelled at again for sticking her multicolored paint brush into her sister's pristine paint sections of the ice cube tray.
There ARE rules in art.
- Don't eat the supplies
- Don't mess with other people's art
- Listen to your mommy
So after the kids declared their pieces done, we waited several weeks or so for the paint to dry. Then I sewed them up.
I think they look like they got caught in a paint massacre....or a butcher shop. All of the red spattering....Lol! They look pretty explosive, which the girls are.
They are made with unbleached muslin on the outside and mustard linen for the lining. Actually, the lining is the same fabric I used in the original bee pinafore. I know, so original. But it's pretty much my go-to fabric to have stashed for projects. I'm convinced that mustard is a neutral. It goes with everything.
After underestimating how much fabric I needed to make two of these (math....not my talent) I needed something to line them with. There was yardage aplenty enough of the mustard linen because I had gotten 4 yards of it a while ago at Joanns.
When I asked for my yardage at the cutting table, the lady there looked at me with a skeptical eye. "What are you going to do with 4 yards of yellow linen? That's a lot of fabric." False, cutting table lady. The correct phrasing is what "won't" I do with 4 yards of yellow linen! I would feel less offended by her fabric inquisition, but I don't see her approaching the lady with ten yards of beige cat print in her hover-round with such skepticism.
end rant
There really aren't any front shots of Clover's smock because she was too wrapped up in her drawing and wouldn't turn around no matter how much I pleaded.
Violet managed to muster up a pose when I asked her to turn around and growl at me.
My kids are thoroughly in love with oil pastels. For months now it's been all they want to use. No more crayons for them. Pastels are so saturated and smooth.
There you have it! Adventures in smock making. Thank you Rachael for inviting me to join the party!
If you want to see what other creative things people are making with Imagine Gnats patterns, here is a list of the bloggers on the tour.
la inglesita / Miss Matatabi / Rae Gun Ramblings
Welcome to the Mouse House / Casa Crafty
Make it Handmade / Made with Moxie / Buzzmills
girl like the sea / just me jay / Play Crafts
Sew Well Maide / Sew Charleston / Mingo and Grace
Caila Made / Sewbon / do Guincho / call ajaire
Alison Glass / a.Amelia Handmade / Bored & Crafty
you & mie / Stitched Together / things for boys
fake it while you make it / Sanae Ishida
Behind the Hedgerow / I Seam Stressed / Charming Doodle
The Crafty Kitty / Siestas & Sewing / Figgy's
a Rafflecopter giveaway
You seriously crack me up!! I wish I had that much fabulous mustard linen sitting around!! Yes, indeedy it is a neutral! And what a great idea to have the kids go all "Jackson Pollock" on their art smocks!! I remember V having so much fun being allowed to draw on her rollie pollie...can't imagine how excited she'd feel about painting on it! And oil pastels are the best!
ReplyDeleteI wish I were more talented with the combination of colours/prints in my sewing projects.
ReplyDeleteI am a terrible artist! I'd love to be able to draw or paint something and not be completely embarrassed.
ReplyDeleteCould you please adopt me? ;-) I will not eat my art supplies, I will not mess with other people´s art and I will always listen to you!
ReplyDeleteI wish I could compose. I have no musical talent and can not imagine what it must feel like to have a whole symphony in your head, or even a song.
I am laughing so hard at the image of the lady in the hoverround hahah. Awesome. Also, my girl is starting a county art class next week and I had totally forgotten about the whole needs a smock thing. The roly poly will be perfect. Great idea!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun post. When I hear about dumb fabric cutting ladies it makes me want to run out and take their job! I wouldn't question you! Funny story though. :)
ReplyDeleteI wish I could draw and compose the pictures I have in my head. When I try it comes out so lifeless. I guess I'll just stick to creating with fabric.
these pictures are so fantastic! Love your art rules.
ReplyDeleteoops, this is Jessica :)
DeleteI too, have a stash of that same yellow linen. Though not quite as much. Those are great.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could draw things the way I see them in my head. Seriously, I'd love to make a line flow into a simple form without it looking like a four year old drew it!
ReplyDeleteI wish I could draw things the way I see them in my head. Seriously, I'd love to make a line flow into a simple form without it looking like a four year old drew it!
ReplyDeleteI don't know if my comment published....but I'd love to be able to paint murals!
ReplyDeleteI just want the days to be longer so I can spend more time being arty and crafty!
ReplyDeleteLove the art smocks - what a fabulous idea to get the kids involved in making them.
And the mustard fabric is great. I wonder why the fabric lady works in a fabric shop - surely she knows there is a use for every bit of fabric however big or small!
lucymclaurin@hotmail.com
No one expects the Fabric Inquisition! lol Love the smocks!
ReplyDeleteLovely aprons! I really wish I could sew clothes like they do on project runway! So creative and looking wonderful. All I can do is dream and follow a pattern!
ReplyDeleteI wish I could take amazing photographs. Or paint pictures good enough to hang on my walls, Or throw beautiful and useful pots. Or really, just stick with anything long enough to learn to be good at it. That's my real challenge - sticking to it. Ahh, well. Someone has to be a dabbler, right?
ReplyDeletep.s. i'm with you on the mustard linen. love, love, love it!
ReplyDeleteThat Bee Pinafore - unbee-lieveable. (sorry). ok, seriously. that thing is awesome. also love the splatter paint versions. and that picture of your girl with the little toes on the chair - too much. always inspiring, tara!
ReplyDeleteI wish I were more consistent. I somehow seem to be creative, but jumble something up in a process... I'm just not detail oriented or ... aware... and could use some consistency sometimes... of course, the flipside of this is that inconsistency and non-detail-process thoughts leads to some creativity muscle flexing... but I do wish I were more precise and consistent sometimes.
ReplyDeletei wish i was good with watercolors... my grandfather is a master at this and tried to teach me so often, but i miserably failed. great job with the art smocks! suits your girls :)
ReplyDelete