So, what's a yoyo anyway?

If you watched Project Runway last week you saw Angela's winning design for Macy's I.N.C. line. Now, we could argue about whether she deserved to win because, let's face it, she seems to be the designer we love to hate this season. But, whether or not you liked her design, you surely noticed her interesting use of yoyos in place of buttons on the jacket. She called them rosettes but yoyos are what we quilters call them.

So, what's a yoyo anyway?



Yoyos were a popular way to use up fabric scraps during the depression (1920s to 1930s). Thrifty sewers cut out small circles and gathered the edges to make little puffs of fabric. And they sewed them together into quilt tops. Coverlets are probably a better way to describe them because they have no batting and aren't quilted. Some nice examples can be found here, here, and here.

And, if you want to try making these yourself, there are some nifty directions here.

And that leads me to introducing a new addition to my website called—ta da—Gramma's Yoyos!



My illustrator friend Tara has a mom named Elena Larsen who sews the cutest little girls dresses. And we’ve been talking about possibly selling them on my web site because they fit so well with my vintage products. Actually they’re very close to what I might make if I had time to sew children’s clothing. Which, unfortunately, I don’t.

So, we've been working out the arrangements and there are now seven dresses up for sale on my site. Called Gramma’s Yoyos because each one has a yoyo on the pocket. They're handmade, feature a colorful mix of fabrics, and are designed to fit sizes 18 to 36 months by way of expandable tie waists and tucked skirts that can be let out as your little girl grows taller. And each one comes with a matching hat—how cute is that?

Elena hopes to join her daughters on their trip to Italy next spring. So, if you buy one, not only will you be getting a super cute vintage-inspired dress but you’ll be helping to send Elena on her trip. And everyone should visit Italy at some point in their life, right?



Read more about the dresses here. And here's hoping that yoyos or rosettes—or whatever they're calling them these days—get really popular :)