Hi everyone, it’s Tamara again, back for another collection
introduction.
Gentlemen, start your engines … “Les Monsieurs” has arrived!
Last week I introduced you to the decidedly feminine Flight Patterns. This week is for the boys! Les Monsieurs was the second of
my two lines to debut at Quilt Market this past Spring.
I created this line for my five-year old son Max, who, like
most little boys, has a vivid imagination, loves playing with things that go
fast, and dreams of one day being an astronaut, a race car driver, a pilot, a
super hero that scales tall buildings … The list goes on. The name of the
collection is all him. I love the way he talks about his wooden men, calling
them “les monsieurs”, as opposed to the correct French “les messieurs”.
Much of the physical inspiration for the line is based on a
series of wooden toys my husband Greg has been lovingly creating for Max since
his first birthday.
While I wanted to design my interpretation of the toys, I also wanted to give them context. I love telling a story on fabric, and so tried to portray the dreams and aspirations of a boy who wants to be like his Papa, racing around a building block city of his own imagination, scarf blowing in the wind.
To appeal to a range of little boys’ (and their mama’s)
tastes, I colored the line in three versions that can be used individually or
all together.
I started with Aviator, a natural, somewhat earthy color way
that still has a bit of zing to it. Then came Retro with a range of blues and
pops of intense navy, bright turquoise and acid green. And for the little boys
who love color, I created Soft Top that offers lots of brights in a very
energized color way.
Sewing options abound. The first thing I wanted to make was
a super hero cape (as pictured below). It is fully reversible and I will have a
tutorial finished up within the next week or so over on my blog. The racing stripe up the middle is my favorite
part.
Accessories are a big hit with my boy, so I made bow ties,
bow ties and more bow ties. This was a really fun project, as the printed
motifs are just the right size to play with pattern placement.
In recovering this chair seat, I played with the chevron,
cutting it very finely to create little diagonal lines.
And clothing. This sweet, simple caftan-style top has been a
hit! I have already had requests for adult versions.
And remember that I mentioned the three color ways could all
be used together? Well, all you moms out there, be careful about showing this to
your boy as he is going to run to start packing for a camping trip. This is a
junior-sized quilted sleeping bag (with built-in pillow) using each and every
fabric in the collection.
The chevrons, called Tire Treads, are a great dynamic filler
fabric. They can blend in or stand out, depending on what you pair them with. There
are twelve colorful options.
Now for some fun! Here is a link to a tutorial for a playful interactive pillow I created, the “Monsieur Pocket
Pillow”. There is a little bit of simple painting involved as well as a bit of
sewing.
The doll is removable and is meant to be
your little monsieur today, or the racecar driver / aviator he dreams of being
one day, depending on which way he is placed in the pocket. The pocket, of
course, is also a great secret storage spot for a variety of little treasures,
so be sure to search therein should keys or other small valuables go missing.
Once again, Michael Miller is kindly
offering a giveaway … a fat quarter bundle in the Aviator color way to one
randomly drawn lucky participant to sew a pocket pillow (or some other
wonderful creation) for the adventurous little boy in their life. All you need
to do is leave a comment below telling us which Les Monsieurs color way
inspires you the most.
Well, it has been great being here with
you the past two weeks. Thanks again for spending a bit of your time with me
and for all the kind comments last week.
You can keep track of what I am creating
here:
Happy sewing!
Tamara
Comments are now closed.
Thanks for participating!
And, the winner is...
(Chosen at random by random.org)
"Love them all, butI keep going back to the Aviator (earth tone) color way. Maybe with fall around the corner, it is inspiring me the most to line a jacket and hat for my little guy or make a quilt... so many ideas, so little time!;-) Thank you for the giveaway!"
