06 April 2011

Stone Soup

Did you think I'd ever get this posted?  I didn't either.  But here it is: my first inspiration of the Once Upon a Thread Series!

I know there are a lot of versions of this story, but I adore this particular version of Stone Soup, set in China with three monks and a quaint little village.  Just take a look at the cover, with the little girl peering into the huge pot.

I used a vintage pattern for the overalls, the Oliver + S Music Class blouse, and the bubble skirt [aka the pot] was my own pattern.
The story begins with the question "What makes one happy?" and the oldest monk goes on to show them where happiness is found...
I took out the seam allowances along the outer edges of the overalls and straps and just used bias to finish it instead of a facing...easy peasy without the added bulk, since it's a quilted, double sided fabric.  I placed the pocket too low, after reviewing these photos and think I'll remove and lift it because it's going to bother me every time she puts these on.
Back to the book: the villagers are all suspicious of the new comers and retreat into their homes and spy on the monks...

...all except for a little girl who decides to help them make their stone soup by fetching her mother's huge pot, whereupon the villagers' interest is piqued and they want to know how to make soup out of such lowly objects.
My large button love surfaced again on this project :)
The fabric for the overalls and the fabric I used for the bubble skirt lining came from fabric.com.

As the soup production progresses, one by one, the villagers bring offerings of herbs, spices, roots, vegetables, to make it tastier and tastier.
I am always on the lookout for simple white blouses for my baby dills to wear with skirts and sleeveless dresses on Sundays, and they seem like an endangered garment.  Why is that?  I found some luscious Italian woven cotton shirting at my most recent fabric outing [more on that later] and pulled it out for this sweet blouse.

Here are the detail photos of the buttonholes.  I did the top two button holes horizontal and the rest vertical, with the last one sewn with contrasting red thread and small, spherical milk glass buttons.  Very pleased with how it turned out.
In the end, the villagers bring their rice and steamed buns and gather for a village feast of stone soup.  Don't you love the lanterns all aglow?
Here's a peak at the lining of the bubble skirt: carrots!!
After supping on stone soup, the traditional entertainment of shadow puppets amuses the masses.
and the villagers learn that happiness comes from giving of themselves. 
And I had to incorporate the stones, right?  At first I attempted to drill my own buttons.  I bought my stone drill bit and had my stones ready, my goggles on...and I drilled and drilled and drilled all for a little dent.  I even called a friend whose husband is a stone expert, and then my dad just for a second opinion.  Slow and add water was the consensus.  As I exasperatedly put my drill down and walked out of the room, Ryan asked what I was going to do.  I told him I would find something on Etsy, you can find anything on Etsy, right?  And I did!  I fell in love with this set of drilled stones found at Allybean's shop.  She has some pretty amazing stones that she gathers and drills herself.  And! she sent an extra set with the ones I purchased for one of you!  I'll choose one of the comments left and even engrave some words of your choice.  What would you put on your three stones?

Some of you have asked if Once Upon a Thread will be an annual event.  I enjoyed it so much that, yes!  I think it will!  I'm even considering  do a bi-annual Once Upon a Thread for two weeks instead of the whole month.  It was suggested I even do a separate blog...which I have also mind mulled, but right now I'm leaning toward keeping it here, on no big dill.  

49 comments:

  1. I have absolutely loved reading about the fantastic projects everyone came up with. Such talent! I am a kindergarten teacher and ultimate lover of children's books. I go straight to that section in every book store. I hope to participate next time around! So excited to hear you'll be doing it again.

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  2. I love the fabrics you chose ! and this idea of stones ... so good !!
    If I had some stones, I would love to engrave my children's name (Alice, Colin, Gabriel, Paul)

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  3. I just read that book to my class the other day :)

    Love those buttons! I think it'd leave them plain.

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  4. Beautiful pieces! Thanks for sharing this series. It was fun to re-discover books I loved as a child, and to discover new books to read with my children.
    I think I would put on my kiddo's names, and then put those stones on a diaper bag.

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  5. very neat:O)
    we just purchase the original Stone Soup this week and have been reading it multiple times each day- Leland thinks the soldiers are so clever and the rocks so silly :O) i have enjoyed Once Upon a Thread SO much!! thank you for creating and hosting it!!

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  6. I love the clever way you intergrate the vegetables. And seriously, if I had that fabric I'd make an adult set of overalls out of the peas and garden in it like every day of the summer. Okay..so maybe I'd make a carrot version too and alternate. No one could make fun of a 31 year old wearing vegetables in her vegetable garden....right?

    If I had those stones I'd put my children's names on them and hang them from a tree like a wind chime, or a secret prayer.

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  7. Katy. LOVE your stone soup outfits!

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  8. This is so much fun! I have loved seeing all of the wonderful books and creations.

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  9. Love the fabric you used and the Stone soup story is such a good one. I've read so many versions, but the message is the same! The orange thread with the stone is perfect. I'd probably leave the stones plain until the right project came along and then I might paint something on them.

    I've loved this series of books and clothes. Really fun. If your counting votes, can I register mine! :)

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  10. This is such a fun Month. Loved the posts and I love rocks (a Geologist who sews). I would love some rocks to add on to projects. What a great idea. It is amazing what you can find online. Thanks.

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  11. that is my fav version of that book! love it. have read it to zoe so many times! and I LOVE your interpretations of it. wow. This post is simply eye candy...Thanks/

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  12. FIREWORKS! What a great ending to a fun month!

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  13. Says this lamb, un-baaa-lievably cute! I love the veg prints! Can't wait to see the buttonholes. If those stones lived at my house, they'd have my husband's and little daughters' names. Then I'd plunk them in a lovely vessel filled with water for my own (plain) stone soup. Thanks again for hosting Once Upon a Thread - thoroughly enjoyable!

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  14. I loved this series - so inspirational! My daughters are always collecting stones and would be so impressed by stone buttons. I'm off to check out that shop . . .

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  15. I absolutely love your blog and the cute thingst showed up for Once Upon A Thread. Those stones are so cute. I guess I need to think of what I would put on them just in case I win!

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  16. Katy, you just amaze me. I can hardly sew a straight line so seeing all of this talent on your site has been so much fun. Thank you for taking the time to share.

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  17. oh, so glad to read that Once Upon a Thread will appear again in the future :)

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  18. what a beautiful book! we have "the seventh sister" and this reminds me of that one very much. :) great giveaway!

    bess

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  19. I love this story! I come from a part of Ireland where we have more rocks than trees, and my husband always teases me about having a rock and stone farm. I'd love to have 'Conamara' (where I grew up) engraved on a stone to bring with me on my travels. I'm already looking forward to the next Once Upon a Thread series!

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  20. I love how ALL the details tie into the book.

    That is a very wonderfully illustrated book! I've never seen it before.

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  21. Love this! I've never seen that version of the book but it's lovely. I really like the fabrics you used. The white shirt is impeccable! I love the way you incorporated rocks. I'm excited there will be another Once Upon a Thread. :)

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  22. My Son's favorite book is his Stone Soup (ours is solder's and a village, with lovely red and black pictures) he is fascinated by it and sits still for the whole story (1year old/ 9months gestational) :D
    I'm gonna have to make some overalls with stone buttons now!
    Words... Probably his name and maybe "Pollywog" (long story) :)
    Www.froginstitches.blogspot.com

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  23. Love hese outfits! And the stones! And you new header!

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  24. Seeing all the creativity going on during Once Upon a Thread has me all inspired. However, I have not had so much luck with my own designs. I made my little a bubble dress and ended up having to resize and then I messed it up two or three more times. But I did get it right and I looked oh so cute on her. I guess I will just have to keep trying. The ideas aren't bad, it's just when I try to get them from head to in my hands, things go a little wonky.

    Oh, and I love the bright lining fabric! I did that with a denim dress not so long ago. It's a little surprise that just pops!

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  25. I love the overalls, and the shirt is great, too! I love the milk glass buttons. The stone ones, too! I don't know that I would want mine engraved though. If I win, then I will think of something to engrave on them :)

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  26. super cute outfits!! the stone buttons are amazing! i would have "mama made it" engraved on mine! ;)

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  27. oh, this is wonderful. I have to say that the white blouse is my favorite part! I'd love to win the stones, thanks so much! and three cheers for more once upon a thread :-)

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  28. I'm so very excited to hear that 'once upon a thread' will make another appearance! I have sincerely enjoyed reading every single one of the creative posts. What a source of inspiration. It's encouraged me to take a time-out and let my mind wonder into that oh-so-fun dreamy land of imagination.
    If I had three stones... I would want my children's names engraved on them... which means I would have to have another child! Our little family soup is full of love with plenty of room for another carrot.

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  29. i'm so glad to hear you'll be doing this annually. this was a great idea!!!

    as for stones, i'm leaning towards "faith," "hope," and "love." i dunno.

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  30. You really can get anything on etsy....holy cow. What a great month! Thanks for hosting.

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  31. Leave the pocket where it is - it's easier to get stuff in and out of, for the wearer. Function over form :-).
    I loved the concept, and also really liked the blouse, such a lovely styling, and beautiful execution.

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  32. Fabulous annual idea.

    Love the rocks, do the girls love it?? Silly questions, I know they do.

    Words - non billable hours

    Since I wish that was my life right now.

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  33. Katy, you're so talented. Love the story and creations to go with it. So excited that you'll do this theme yearly. Love the stones. Wondering if my husband can drill holes in stones. Might start looking for the right ones on hikes.

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  34. Loved, loved, loved! "Once upon a Thread!

    My stones would reflect my home's foundation... Faith, Hope and Charity... solid, like the stones.

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  35. Thanks for the chance at winning...I would do whisper blossom and leave the last blank for the stones unless I could think of something else clever by then {;0)

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  36. Hi! I started following you just as you started once upon a thread and I have loved reading these posts! It has been so much fun! I hope you decide to do it again. I'm just trying to start my own little blog right now and it would be so great if you did something like a competition where anyone could submit their project and you chose the best (so that some of us newbies might have the chance to participate.) Thanks for getting me so excited about such a great idea! You're awesome!

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  37. I loved every bit of this series. Learn't about so many story books and stories that children out there read (We have different kinds of stories here in India, thought the values remain surprisingly same)..
    Thank you for the series :) it was fun!!!

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  38. I love the picture of the vegetables in the pocket.

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  39. How clever to add the stones onto the skirt! Stone soup brings back amazing memories but not necessarily from the book; I'm a geologist and on one of our field excursions our group decided to make stone soup for dinner! We already had a collection of stones to chose from and then each one of us contributed a food item to drop into the pot - honestly it didn't taste too bad:)
    Thanks for the giveaway and creating Once Upon A Thread!
    nlczerw(at)gmail(d0t)com

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  40. When 'once upon a thread' started I thought "how will she ever fill a month with stuff made from stories?". Every post amazed me with it's uniqueness and details.
    I love the hidden carrots. Like painted toenails in the winter... No one knows it's there, but it makes you smile to know there's something pretty hidden beneath.
    My stones would be my son's name, " ilu" for my husband, and " breathe" for me.

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  41. I loved everything on the once upon a thread series. And I am thrilled that you will make this into an annual event. My family houses a bunch of book lovers so I am thrilled to be inspired by more books in my sewing. and the stone soup is one of my favorite stories of all time.

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  42. OMG! What a talent on both the sewing and the post. LOVE!! I would put my kid's names on the stones. Lovely.

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  43. I love your blog! I have found so much wonderful stuff :D I would probably put something about music or Cellos if I got the stones. I have always loved the story of the stone soup!

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  44. What darling stone buttons- you are a genius to even think of that! I had only read bone soup- same story in a Halloween setting. What a great series- thanks!

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  45. I've really enjoyed reading the Once Upon a Thread posts this month. SO many lovely ideas and projects. I love those stones too. If I won them I'd get 'forever' and 'grateful' etched on them or maybe 'big splash' and 'little ripple'. Things I'd love to have written on some clothing for my daughter.

    kristiannashara@yahoo.com

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  46. These are adorable!

    Thank you so much for such a fun month! It was so neat and such a wonderful idea, Katy! I look forward to future Once Upon a Thread posts!

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  47. I would definately put my wee ones names on the stones! Adorable.

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Be a lamb & tell me what's on your mind.