Changes

Yes, it's still (D)rivvel Supp. I'm trying to give myself a makeover. It's much like giving your own perms, highlights, and in many cases, doing a redecorating project. It just looks a little "off." I'll be tinkering in the days to come, so don't be alarmed if you get some scary, home-made-looking stuff popping up from time to time.

All this stuff comes from Li Fhung's "China Blue" kit. She generously allows its use for blogs as long as credit is given--no matter how crummy it makes her look! Brave, confident designer, she.

Remember Emilee Olson

I've just read that one of the four students killed in that horrific bus crash in Minnesota was a Chinese adoptee, adopted as an infant from Anhui province. She leaves behind two brothers. From the touching video posted here, it appears that one of her brothers is also an Asian adoptee.

To the China-adoptive community members who read my blog: I understand that the Cottonwood, MN community is small enough that a card addressed to the family will get to them without a complete address. Also, online condolences can be sent by going to "Obits/Condolences" at this site.

More Florida

Maybe this will make me feel warmer.

New Digital Kit

This is from a brand new kit by a designer who lives in Hong Kong. Her stuff is absolutely stunning. Her elements are unusual and fresh, and she has gorgeous papercuts in this kit. You can find Lie Fhung's creations here.

Florida Trip

Here are the first of several Florida Trip Posts.

Trying to get caught up

It's been crazy here since before Christmas. I'm going to try to catch up, probably going backwards. It's kinda like taking Christmas decorations down in July. If I just leave it up, I'd be ahead for next year. Anyway...here are the girls on Saturday night, ready to go to a Chinese New Year celebration with local adopting families. We had a great time!

PS. Debby, I made them. :o) I got tshirts at Target, and the Michael Miller "China Dolls" fabric at a local quilt shop (look online, easy to find). Directions: buy a bit of fusible interfacing. Cut two one-inch-wide strips the width of the tshirt (side seam to side seam--ours were about 11 inches). Measure (by eyeballing/holding up to child) where a high waist would be on your child, and iron on the interfacing inside. Then cut off the bottom 4 or so inches of extra tshirt, centering your cut, so there is still at least a seam-width of interfacing left on the tshirt (this will keep the shirt from stretching out of shape when you sew on the skirt). Next measure side seam to side seam. Add about 1.25" total for your skirt seams. This will tell you how wide to make your skirt waist. Lay out your fabric, where the fold will be the center front (and back, if you don't want to make a back seam--I didn't). Mark a curved-up line the length of your measurement (mine was 12.25"), which will be your waist seam. The more you curve it, the more flared the skirt will be. Then (after holding up a measuring tape to your child, measuring from where the bottom of the tshirt is to where you want the hem to fall), go back to your skirt fabric and use a pencil on the fabric to mark where you will cut (Ava was 17" and included enough for a flip-up hem). Use your measuring tape, holding it on the top, curved waist line and measure down 17" (or whatever). Move your tape over a little and measure, mark again. Keep doing this and you will soon see a perfectly measured, curved skirt bottom emerging. You will want to see it go out on the sides a little, extending the flare. When it's all marked, it'll look a little like a quarter-circle. Cut an exact copy for the skirt back. Open fabric, pinning right sides together and sew both side seams, making a tube. Press open the seams, keeping it inside out. Tuck your tshirt into the tube, right sides together (skirt back and front doesn't matter since they're identical). Pin the side seams of the skirt and shirt so they match, then stretch the shirt or skirt a bit to make everything line up and pin it together. Sew the skirt and bodice together using a stretch stitch. Turn right side out, and if you like, you can top stitch the bodice at the skirt to keep it all facing the right way. Make a hem, and if you like you can add trim to the skirt. I used twill tape instead of ribbon, since it curves better than ribbon. If you like, you can put fusible interfacing on a motif on the skirt fabric to make an appliqué for the shirt. I used "invisible" thread to hand-stitch around it, since it was too much like work to satin-stitch it down. Once you do one, the second is a cinch.

Xin nein kuai le!

Happy Chinese New Year!