Crafting in Boston

I used to envision getting loads of things done on my trips but eventually gave up on that, realizing that I'm much happier to spend my time walking around a city figuring out what makes it tick and how it got to be the way it is today than I am to sit around the hotel room working on crafts waiting for my husband to get off work.

I spent a whole month in Boston this summer and when I was packing, I thought I ought to try bringing along a couple of projects in the hopes that I'd get something productive accomplished, being away from the distractions of home.  I decided to work on a smocked dress for my friend's new baby girl and went off to my local heirloom sewing type fabric store to get a few fabric options pleated.

The first week of Boston, I found Grey's Fabrics, a cute local store that was a short bus ride (or a long walk) away down in the South End.  Grey's specializes in cottons with really interesting and unique prints.  There were some neat retro designs and a lot of feed sack cloth reproduction prints.

I decided to sign up for a couple of classes for the camaraderie and fun of doing a project that someone else comes up (I did feel a little silly paying for easy sewing classes when I'm sort of a professional seamstress).  I picked the dog leash class and the tie class, easy projects with instant gratification!  Even though they weren't groundbreaking projects, I had a blast and got a little of my years long sewing burn-out worn off.

I like the soft aqua pattern of the outside and I like the orange reproduction feed sack fabric lining even more!

Another great reproduction feed sack fabric!  It's so pretty I hate to use the leash and dirty it!

I also learned that she rents time at the machines for a few bucks an hour and was excited to be able to come in and work on my little dress.  Even better is that I learned they had sewing evenings every Wednesday where people would come and drink wine and work on their own projects.  I was able to finish my two little dresses during the sewing evenings I attended and had a great time doing it.  I'd love to start something like that with my friends at home!

 One of the adorable vintage machines in the sewing area.  I used Beatrix most of the times I came in to sew.

The smocked dress I made for baby Hazel turned out beautifully.  I wish I could finish every project I start in under two weeks!  I finished it so quickly that the dress only just now fits her and she's had it since July!  The nice thing about babies is that if you make it too big, eventually they'll grow into it : )

 The smocking panel in progress (almost done actually)

All finished!  I designed the smocking plate myself, though it's hardly anything groundbreaking... there are diamonds and hearts in lots of plates!  Coming up with the design and picking floss colors are really the hardest part about smocking.

On a hanger for scale reference... it's a tiny dress!  There are matching tiny bloomers too (not pictured)

After finishing the purple dress for Hazel, I was on a roll, so for the last sewing evening at Grey's, I whipped up this one for another friend's baby with a cute fabric they had on sale.