June

C is for Coffee and D is for Donuts

2012-02-02T09:57:00.001-08:00

In Progress

2012-01-31T16:15:00.000-08:00

I've fallen into the habit of thinking that I can only blog about projects that are done. Since I've been on Instagram I'm taking more and more snapshots of everyday and I've realized that I enjoy seeing what others are working on too, not just what they've finished. So, I thought I'd try to share more of what I'm working on at the moment...

Tulip Cardigan in gorgeous retro colors for my littlest kiddo. I'm planning on using the leftovers on a striped blanket.

Honey Cowl. I gave in to the hype and knitted this beauty with some Madelinetosh DK. It's actually done, just waiting to be blocked and gifted. Then I think I'll have to have one for myself!

Quilting this bad boy. It's going to take FOREVER. Wrestling a queen size quilt through my itty bitty machine is a chore but I know it'll be worth it!

Two at a time socks from this book. These are a gift as well. That super adorable bag? It's from the super adorable Mrs. McPorkChop and it matches my house perfectly. This is actually my second pair from this book, I'll make sure to blog about the first pair this week!

I'm sure there's other in-progress things that I've completely forgotten about but that's the life of a crafter! I'm always jumping around from project to project, it's amazing anything gets done! :)

Love Day Freebie

2012-01-27T07:31:00.000-08:00

It's almost February and about time to start thinking about those you are sweet on. Send a little love with these note cards. I made these for you to download and enjoy for free.

Included in the pdf are:
• 3 folding notecards (They fold down to 3.5 inches x 5 inches and fit standard 4 bar envelopes like these.)
• 3 labels (or use them as gift tags!)
• 3 seals (or print a bunch and make a garland!)

Just download the Free Valentines Notecards and print onto heavy-weight card stock. Cut along the outside lines and share with those you love!

*Please remember that this download is for personal use only, don't sell or redistribute the pdf or cards in any way. Thanks! :)

B is for Bow

2012-01-25T10:56:00.000-08:00

I'm having fun with these teeny little alphabet illustrations!

A is for Accordion

2012-01-16T13:34:00.000-08:00

I'm really challenging myself this year to draw just for the sake of drawing to try to build my portfolio of vector work. I thought it would be fun to work through the alphabet making little drawings for each letter each week. Maybe I'll make a poster of all the drawings when I'm done, or maybe I won't do anything with them. Either way, I think it'll be fun! So, here's A...

30 Before Thirty Update

2012-01-10T12:16:00.000-08:00

1. Get more tattoos

2. Grow my hair

3. Learn to spin yarn

~~4. Overcome my fear of flying (I'm TERRIFIED of flying)~~

5. Print the millions of photos on the computer and make my kids photo books

~~6. Design a line of fabric~~

7. Finish sewing something for ME

8. Eat better (Less Processed)

9. Talk a walk at least twice a week

10. Design a sewing pattern

11. Refurbish the bathroom

~~12. Knit a sweater for myself~~

13. Pay off our two credits cards - ONE DOWN! ONE TO GO!

~~14. Bake a pie from entirely from scratch~~

15. Have a date night with my husband (more than once would be great)

16. Have a family portrait taken

17. Finish decorating the master bedroom

18. Finish reading the Harry Potter series ( I have this thing about not wanting things to end...)

19. Watch Man Men (people keep telling me I'll love it)

20. Take better care of my skin (actually buy some good products)

21. Redesign blog

22. Knit one pair of socks each month for the next year

23. Print and frame my wedding pictures (I got married 9 years ago, seriously, it's about time)

24. Pay my library fines and use the library

25. Write more thank you notes

26. Ride a roller coaster (I'm TERRIFIED of roller coasters)

~~27. Go on a vacation~~

28. Learn to make a martini

29. Make pasta from scratch

30. Read at least one book a month

It's been awhile so I thought I'd do a quick update on my 30 Before Thirty list. I've crossed a few things off and few more things are long term projects. I haven't gotten a hair cut since the fall so

#2 is coming along. I'm at the stage where there's nothing I can do with my hair and it's driving me bonkers. Thankfully it's winter and I can hide under a hat if I have to be seen in public.

#4 I wouldn't say I'm OVER my fear of flying but I've figured out how to manage it and will no longer let it consume me the way it has in the past. I know I can get through it without a panic attack and just that knowledge makes it easier.

#6 I designed a line of fabric for Cloud9!!! It's in it's finalization stages and will winging it's way to print soonish. The release has been pushed back to the fall of this year but that gives me tons of time to come up with some fun projects for you. I'll share more soon!

#22 I'm well on my way to knitting a pair of socks each month. I am one month behind but I'm on track to make up for that this month. I've had some really, really wonderful motivation from Amanda, Angela, Amy, Megan and Sharon among others. We're having a little informal sock knitting party via Twitter and Instagram. It's been so fun to see everyone's socks take shape and it's always great to have a group of wonderful ladies to gab about knitting with!

#30 I've been terrible about reading lately. If I can count audiobooks I'd be doing ok on this one!

I think that's about it for an update right now. I've got about 5 months until my birthday, still plenty of time to knock this list out of the park!!

Sampler Quilt Progress

2011-12-29T09:38:00.000-08:00

It's been so very nice this week just to slow down and piddle around the house with not much to do, aside from full time work. After the craziness of Christmas I always really look forward to that week after, time seems to slow and I don't feel so rushed. This week I managed to eek out two blocks for the quilt I started in November. I've been working on these Summer Sampler Series blocks whenever I have a few free moments to myself. I can't recommend this series of tutorials enough. I've learned so, so much about piecing. Anyone looking to get started with more complex quilting should definitely try these! It sounds so funny but the sense of accomplishment when you finish a block is just so gratifying. I've said it before but I absolutely LOVE fiddly / precise sewing. I have no idea why but maybe because it require so much more concentration, I actually feel like I'm "getting away" when I sew. There's no room to daydream about other things. This has fit that niche perfectly and I think it's shaping up to be one of my most favorite things I've ever done. I'm using this gorgeous fat quarter bundle from Fat Quarter Shop and a few additional colors I picked up locally. I'm planning on sashing it with white with a few colored squares thrown in and backing it with a matching vintage sheet I have. I really want to hand quilt it but I have no idea yet how I want to quilt it. Since I'm only half way through the series I've got some time to come up with a plan. Although, I really can't wait for this to be done so I can snuggle under it!

I hope everyone had a really lovely holiday and is enjoying some quiet time this week.

December Socks

2011-12-14T14:43:00.000-08:00

I know, FINALLY a post! I've had such a hard time lately remember to document my projects. I've been in such a rush to finish things for the holidays that I've already finished and wrapped up the FO before I remember to take a picture. I've also been really dis-satisfied with any pictures I take lately. My "good" camera isn't working well anymore so I haven't felt like anything I've taken has been "blog worthy" but I'm trying to not be so picky! This time of the year is always nuts and I need to remember to take time to slow down a bit every day. I did manage to eek out a pair of socks this month (started last month) so I'm only two months behind on my monthly sock goal, haha! (Which reminds me, I need to give you an update on my 30 Before Thirty list!) These are the Log Cabin Socks, knit in Dream in Color Classy for my dad. I love this pattern, it's fun and super fast because it's knit with worsted weight yarn. I don't love knitting with this yarn but I know from experience that it's very hard wearing and I think he'll get a lot of good use out of them.

I still have two more knitted gifts to finish before Christmas but I'm actually not stressed about it anymore. It'll get done, it always does! What are you all working on??

Bad, bad blogger!

2011-12-06T06:55:00.001-08:00

Hey all! Just a note to say yes, I'm still here. I've been a very, very bad blogger. Work is insanely busy this time of the year. (Such bad timing) I'm getting ready for a craft show this weekend, making lots of Christmas gifts and somewhere in there was Thanksgiving and our trip to Florida. Phew, it's been a crazy few weeks. I'll try to pop in later this week and share some of the gifties I'm working on for Christmas. I hope everyone is well and getting into the holiday spirit! Even though it's always hectic, I absolutely adore this time of the year!

A New Jacket

2011-11-15T09:39:00.001-08:00

My littlest one needed a new fall coat and I've been searching the thrifts / consigments for a a few weeks with no luck. I normally don't like to sew things like this as it seems like you spend way more to sew a jacket than to actually buy one. But I had this adorable flannel from Cloud 9 Fabrics already so I thought I would give it a go! I picked up some coordinating wool flannel for the outside and I used this pattern, from Etsy. It's inexpensive and SO simple! I love the clean silhouette and the style is perfect for super active toddlers. The only modification I made was to add a layer of batting between the lining and the outside to make it extra cozy. It only took me a few hours to whip this baby up and I'm super happy with the result, not to mention that I was able to make it for less than $20! I made a size larger than the munchkin is wearing so hopefully it'll last a few seasons.

A few of my favorite things...

2011-11-10T14:15:00.001-08:00

I've been dying for ages to come up with some embroidery patterns for the shop and here's the first of them! It's a few of my favorite holiday things for you to stitch up! I'm definitely not the best of stitchers so I really debated not showing this close up photo, haha! But it shows that even the most meager of stitching skills can make a cute sampler for the holidays. I'm sure you all will come up with some really great ways to use this sampler! The PDF pattern is now available here.

In the Shop!

2011-11-03T13:22:00.000-07:00

There will be a very limited number of plushies available for the holiday season, the first small batch of Folky Guitars and Long Dogs are in the shop now. Get them while you can!

New in the Shop! Cut 'n Sew Kits

2011-11-01T10:58:00.000-07:00

Make Your Own Long Dogs are finally back in the shop! But this time he's joined by two more friends. You can now make your own mini Mabel doll and mini Happy Turtle! These are awesome for beginning sewers and would make wonderful stocking stuffers. All three are now in the shop here.

And the Winner Is...

2011-10-31T15:01:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the winner of my 2012 Calendar giveaway! Thank you so very much to everyone who left such very kind comments on the giveaway! I truly appreciate each and every one of you. I hope everyone has a safe and super fun Halloween!!

New in the Shop

2011-10-28T14:14:00.000-07:00

I'd planned on no adding things to the shop until next week but I've been a little ahead of schedule, *gasp* on making so I was anxious to add some stuff. Here's what's new in the shop this week. There will be much more next week! Also, don't forget to enter the calendar giveaway. You've got until Monday!

Yarn Love prints in three colors!

And hand screen printed Cut 'N Sew ornament kits for the holidays! Shop the new goodies here.

2012 Calendar Giveaway

2011-10-24T09:09:00.000-07:00

*The winner has been picked here!

Next week I'll be adding lots of new goodies to the shop but I thought in the meantime I'd do a little giveaway to kick off what's sure to be an exciting holiday season! I'll be giving away one of my new 2012 Mini Print Calendars to one of you. The calendars are printed on lovely recycled paper and feature a perforation so you can tear off the calendar bit when you're done and are left with an art print to reuse!

There's a few ways to enter : 1: Go here and "favorite" the calendar on Etsy, 2: Tweet about it! and 3: Leave a comment below. For each thing you do I'll enter your name in the drawing. So if you do all three you'll triple your chances of winning the calendar! I'll draw a name on Monday, October 31st to celebrate Halloween!

Randomness

2011-10-21T15:10:00.000-07:00

I've had a weird week. Lots of puttering around, not really being able to focus or get my head in a good place. So, instead of trying to write a focused post, here's some random things that are making me happy.

On my desk. New washi tape, yay! I can't wait to play with it.

And my new 2012 calendar. It's in the shop here.

Hand painted yarns drying, almost ready to be reskeined and put in the yarn shop.

Something about rumpled beds make me happy. It just says, "crawl in and get comfy".

KCWC Jump Rope Dress

2011-10-14T08:06:00.000-07:00

I was too busy this week to participate fully in Kid's Clothes Week but I at least wanted to finished something. This Jump Rope Dress has been lingering in the "to finish" pile since the summer. It just needed sleeves and a hem and it was done! Easy peasy and it feels great to have finished something. And even better than I managed to finish it while it still fits my little redhead. The only things I changed were to use the short sleeves from ViewA and I used snaps instead of buttons. (1. Because I'm lazy and snaps are easy and 2. Because snaps are great for a toddler who wants to dress herself) I just have teeny bit of this beautiful Heather Ross print left and I'll be so sad when it's gone. I love everything about it, the design, colors and the weight of the fabric are just perfect. I may have to track down some more! (It's so funny how the lighting makes the fabric look like it's faded at the top, I assure you, it's not)

Check out the Elsie Marley flickr group for some really great kid's clothes inspiration. I've got a bunch more patterns traced that I can't wait to start on soon.

Pogona

2011-10-12T07:48:00.000-07:00

I wish I could capture how much this yarn absolutely glows. I picked up this Madeline Tosh Merino Light when I went to Stitches Midwest in August. "Snatched" it up would be more appropriate. There's some serious magic going on here, I have no idea how a simple 1 ply, wool yarn can be so beautiful. It's got amazing drape and is just buttery soft. Drool. The pattern is Pogona by Stephen West. It's deceptively simple and perfect for showcasing a beautiful yarn. I've got a million more of his patterns bookmarked for future knitting. Here's the link to my Ravelry project page.

In other news Kid's Clothes Week is going strong over on the Elsie Marley blog. There's too much shop sewing going on right now for me to participate all week but I'm hoping to at least finish a little dress that I started forever ago. I still have a few more days to get at least one project done!

Shop Update!

2011-10-11T09:55:00.000-07:00

There I go not posting in forever again! I promise I'll be back with more later this week. I've been taking photos of finished knitting projects and I'll try to post other in progress projects as well. Today though I wanted to pop in and let you all know I'll be updating the shop the week of October 31st! All that week I'll be adding plushies galore, new prints, embroidery kits and more! The Make Your Own Long Dog kits will be back in stock as well and he'll have some new friends. I'll try to post a few sneak peeks as I get things together. It's going to be a crazy few weeks trying to get ready for the update. I'll also be selling at Craft Saturday in Des Moines, Iowa on November 5th. More info on that soon!

September Socks

2011-10-04T11:30:00.000-07:00

I knew I was far behind with everything but I didn't realize just HOW far behind until I saw that I would be posting my September socks immediately after my August socks. That's just crazy. Where in the heck did those weeks go!? Part of the problem is that I want to throw my camera across the room every time I try to use it. It's really not conducive to blogging when you don't want to use your camera. Those issues aside I need to try to post here more regularly.

Anyway, my September socks got finished on the very last day of September. I have to admit to have cheated just a little. This particular pair of socks was begun "eons" ago. Really, it's been so long ago I have no idea how long they've been lying around half finished. So technically I only knitted one sock in September but it's still a finished pair no matter how you slice it!

My family is exchanging Christmas gifts at Thanksgiving this year, so I'm thinking the October socks will end up being a gift. Right now my "to do" list is threatening to drown me. I've gotten to the point where it's so very very long that I just don't even know where to begin. Which makes things even worse. I need to take it in chunks and maybe even let go of some things that just aren't going to get done.

August Socks

2011-09-13T13:21:00.000-07:00

(Don't look too close or you'll see the dog hair on the bottom of my feet, eeep. Time to sweep!)

The August socks are finally done! (Shhhh, don't tell them it's September) Truth be told, I finished them over the weekend but have been dragging on taking their picture. Speaking of pictures... I've been really irritated with my camera lately. It used to take such nice, crisp photos and lately they're all coming out grainy, even in the best of lighting conditions. I even tried restoring it to factory settings thinking maybe one of the kids played with the settings but no luck. It's still taking crap photos. Why is that!? Is it possible for a camera to just get old and take junky photos?

Back on the subject of socks... These are the Monkey sock pattern by Cookie A. I've made these a few times before and they're fast. I knew I needed something fast if I was going to finish the August socks before the end of September, haha! Since I didn't even start them until the last two weeks of August I feel pretty good about getting them done. The yarn is Tosh Sock by Madeline Tosh and it's delectably squishy. I really, really loved the color in the skein but knitted up, not so much. I'm not too keen on how they pooled and striped but they're comfy and will keep my feet warm.

My goal is to knit a pair of socks a month, part of my 30 Before Thirty list. Now, I just have to get cracking on my September socks. I haven't even picked a pattern yet, yikes! Thankfully I'll have lost of knitting time this weekend!

Weekender Bag

2011-09-12T11:32:00.000-07:00

This is quite possibly the best thing I've ever made. No joke, I LOVE this bag. It's the Amy Butler Weekender Travel Bag pattern. I made it using a vintage tablecloth and a velvet upholstery remnant I found at Joanne's. I could see how this bag could get super expensive to make if using new designer upholstery fabric. I spent at least $35 in materials alone even using really inexpensive fabrics. Most of that cost was in the various interfacings. It's completely deceiving when you open up the pattern and there are only 3 pattern pieces because cutting the pieces out is probably what took the longest. The construction itself isn't difficult just tedious at times. They aren't kidding when they say "Just go slow and be patient"! At times you're sewing through 6+ layers of heavy fabric and that's tricky. That being said it was completely worth every poked finger, all the arm aches and the swearing. I LOVE this bag. Have I mentioned that? It's huge and absolutely my dream bag. And I finished it just in time to take it on a little "weekender" of my own.

My wonderful husband is letting me leave him with the kids while I spend a long weekend with my mom, two aunts and brother's girlfriend in Siesta Key, Florida. There will be lots of fruity drinks with umbrellas, sitting on the beach knitting and general laziness. I'm trying not to feel guilty about leaving the kids and hubby but I'm really, really excited about having a few days to myself to relax. I've realized that being a mom you can't be "on" all of the time. It's necessary to take some time for yourself or you'll be no use to anyone. So, I'm thinking that this little time out will rejuvinate me for quite awhile! (Although I'm completely terrified about the flight. Trying not to think about it but still terrified.)

And with this bag I can cross of #7 on my 30 Before Thirty list! "Finish sewing something for ME". DONE! I'm seriously tempted to buy Amy's new book after making this bag. I'm always needed various bags for the kids and for shopping and knitting, etc. It looks like there's some really cute patterns in there!

Wonky Star

2011-09-08T09:26:00.000-07:00

Sunday I had a wonderfully quiet 3 hours all to myself and I spent it sewing to my hearts content. I made my first ever true patchwork block. There was something so soothing about all of the careful cutting and piecing and something equally satisfying about seeing that perfect little square block in the end. I used some beautiful, beautiful bits of Skinny LaMinx scraps that I recently purchased and some equally beautiful linen I already had. This tutorial made it so simple.

After the block was finished I turned it into this little zippy pouch.

Lined with some Heather Moore for Cloud9 fabric.

It was perfect for "wrapping" one of my mum's birthday gifts and she loved it. I think there will definitely be more of these in my future.

Antique Flower Triangle Scarf

2011-09-06T13:16:00.000-07:00

I needed a break from the computer for a bit today, my darn allergies are making my eyes itch and burn like nobody's business. I love having the windows open so much, so I'm suffering through the itching and sneezing just to enjoy the beautiful breeze. It's worth it. But, as I was saying I needed a break, so I whipped up this beauty in about 30 min.

The fabric is from Cloud9's Miscellany collection by Julia Rothman, in the Antique Flower print. It's gorgeously soft organic cotton which feels so very lovely around the neck. The pom pom trim I found thrifting awhile ago. I think I paid something like 50 cents for about two yards. I've been wanting to make something like this for ages and that beautiful rust color is just so perfect for early fall. This is super easy, and could be customized in so many ways. I've included a short tutorial so you can make one too!

You'll need about 1/2 yard of fabric and 2 yards of pom pom trim.

Cut a square of fabric that measures 32 inches x 32 inches.

Cut the square in half along the diagonal creating two large triangles.

Lay the fabric right sides together. Pin with the trim even with the raw edges in between the two layers, the pom poms pointing in towards the center. This is a little tricky with the pom poms but as long as you use lots of pins it'll work out. I put trim on only two edges but you could trim the entire scarf or even just one edge would be interesting.

Sew around the triangle leaving a spot along one side for turning. Clip the corners and turn right side out. Iron and edge stitch to close the opening and finish the scarf. Wear with gusto!

30 Before Thirty

2011-08-30T14:22:00.000-07:00

I love making lists but I love crossing things off my lists even more! I conquered #19 on my list. I blazed through all four fabulous seasons on Netflix in no time flat. I watch a lot of Netflix while I work, (It keeps me company since I'm the only one in my office) and I've been working A LOT. It was just as wonderful as I'd heard and working for an ad agency made watching it even more fun. While the office shenanigans aren't quite the same there still are some vestiges left of those agency heydays. I can't wait for season five!

More things here to be crossed off soon!

1. Get more tattoos

2. Grow my hair

3. Learn to spin yarn

4. Overcome my fear of flying (I'm TERRIFIED of flying)

5. Print the millions of photos on the computer and make my kids photo books

6. Design a line of fabric

7. Finish sewing something for ME

8. Eat better (Less Processed)

9. Talk a walk at least twice a week

10. Design a sewing pattern

11. Refurbish the bathroom

12. Knit a sweater for myself

13. Pay off our two credits cards

14. Bake a pie from entirely from scratch

15. Have a date night with my husband (more than once would be great)

16. Have a family portrait taken

17. Finish decorating the master bedroom

18. Finish reading the Harry Potter series ( I have this thing about not wanting things to end...)

~~19. Watch Man Men (people keep telling me I'll love it)~~

20. Take better care of my skin (actually buy some good products)

21. Redesign blog

22. Knit one pair of socks each month for the next year

23. Print and frame my wedding pictures (I got married 9 years ago, seriously, it's about time)

24. Pay my library fines and use the library

25. Write more thank you notes

26. Ride a roller coaster (I'm TERRIFIED of roller coasters)

27. Go on a vacation

28. Learn to make a martini

29. Make pasta from scratch

30. Read at least one book a month

Projects in Progress

2011-08-25T07:43:00.001-07:00

This has been the busiest month of this year so far for me. But for such a busy month it seems to have dragged on far beyond it's welcome. I've resigned myself to the loss of summer but now I'm impatient for the cool, crisp days of fall. School has started so it doesn't feel right that it should still be 90 degrees! I've lots and lots of irons in the fire right now, so there's nothing finished to share but I thought I'd share a few in progress things that I hope to wrap up soon. It'll be wonderful to cross a few things off my list.

Cascade sweater for Miss M. Picked it up the other day to block and noticed that "someone" had taken a pair of scissors to it. Thankfully it was just a little snip through the bottom ribbing. An easy fix and it serves me right keeping my knitting basket on the floor beside my bed. Duh.

Hills 'n Hollers quilt for my mom's 50th birthday. (oops, I mean 49th for the second time, sorry ma) It's coming along nicely but has to be done by the 5th, yikes!

August socks. #22 on my 30 Before Thirty list is to knit one pair of socks a month. These may cross over into September, haha!

I'm also still working on getting those Kitschy Stitchy kits ready for the shop. I'm hoping to have those wrapped up by mid-September but will keep you posted.

Thanks everyone for the very sweet comments about my big news last week. I'm super, super excited about how the designs are coming along and can't wait to share them with you!

Hope everyone is making the transition into the new school year with little stress.

Hey! That's Swell!

2011-08-19T11:04:00.001-07:00

I am SO, SO pleased to announce that I am currently working with Cloud 9 Fabrics, developing a line of fabric called "Hey! That's Swell" for Spring 2012 release! This is a real dream come true for me and I couldn't be more thrilled about the opportunity to work with such a great company. Cloud 9 is committed to creating ecologically responsible organic fabrics at a fantastic price, making it easier to afford to sew with quality organic materials. I'm telling you, their fabric is gorgeous! It's a match made in heaven as I always strive to create beautiful things that have a small environmental impact, whether it being using recycled materials or natural / organic ones. I've admired Michelle's work for such a long time and it's really such an honor to work with her, I still want to pitch myself every day. I mean seriously, Michelle has worked with designers such as Julia Rothman, Heather Moore and most recently Ed Emberley! I couldn't ask for better company.

The line will fall into the Cloud 9 Kid's division and will feature those loveable Long Dog's prominently as well as several new faces. That's about all I can share about the designs now as things are still in their very early stages. The line will be branded "June Craft" rather than with just my name. This was a long, thought out decision and it seemed to make the most sense as the designs relate very directly to my June Craft work. I think it'll be a very exciting extension of that work and will compliment the shop so very nicely. More will be revealed at Quilt Market this fall, which is just around the corner. So enough talking, I have to get back to work!

Kitschy Stitchy Kits

2011-08-15T08:46:00.001-07:00

I've been pretty obsessed with all manner of hand stitchery lately so I thought I would give designing a few kits for the shop a go! I'm pretty darn thrilled with how they're coming out! Here's a tiny peek at one of the kits I'm working on. I plan to offer the kits which will include the printed fabric, crewel wool, needle and a little booklet of instructions. These will be limited edition but I'll also have a pdf of the pattern for sale. That way if you don't like the colors I've used you can substitute your own. I'm hoping these will hit the shop sometime in the next few weeks, I'll keep you posted!

30 Before Thirty

2011-08-09T13:13:00.000-07:00

I'm sad I haven't posted in awhile, things are crazy over in the June Craft household lately. I'm working on new projects for the shop and even a super secret, super awesome project that I hope I can share with you soon. I've also been working overtime with my full-time job (yuck) so, everything is "in-progress". I'm ready for things to settle down so I can finish something already! Speaking of finishing things...

Ever since I turned 29 in June, I've been working on a "30 Before Thirty" list. I finally finished it and I thought I'd share it with you seeing as I now only have 10 months to accomplish everything on here. I know these lists are becoming a tad cliche but to be honest I needed something to really push myself. I wish I could say I was excited about entering my thirties but to be honest, I don't really know how I feel about it. I know that it's no where near being "old" but at the same time it does feel old. Silly, I know. I'm hoping that tackling this list will help me see that there really is so much life left to live, so here's my list!

1. Get more tattoos

2. Grow my hair

3. Learn to spin yarn

4. Overcome my fear of flying (I'm TERRIFIED of flying)

5. Print the millions of photos on the computer and make my kids photo books

6. Design a line of fabric

7. Finish sewing something for ME

8. Eat better (Less Processed)

9. Talk a walk at least twice a week

10. Design a sewing pattern

11. Refurbish the bathroom

12. Knit a sweater for myself

13. Pay off our two credits cards

14. Bake a pie from entirely from scratch

15. Have a date night with my husband (more than once would be great)

16. Have a family portrait taken

17. Finish decorating the master bedroom

18. Finish reading the Harry Potter series ( I have this thing about not wanting things to end...)

19. Watch Man Men (people keep telling me I'll love it)

20. Take better care of my skin (actually buy some good products)

21. Redesign blog

22. Knit one pair of socks each month for the next year

23. Print and frame my wedding pictures (I got married 9 years ago, seriously, it's about time)

24. Pay my library fines and use the library

25. Write more thank you notes

26. Ride a roller coaster (I'm TERRIFIED of roller coasters)

27. Go on a vacation

28. Learn to make a martini

29. Make pasta from scratch

30. Read at least one book a month

A Quilt Becomes a Bag

2011-07-26T14:28:00.000-07:00

Remember this quilt I was working on? Well, it somehow turned into this bag. Here's the story: Back in June I started the quilt for Miss B's birthday. Around the same time I asked her to pick out something in one of my sewing books that she'd also like for her birthday. She picked the tote bag from the Oliver+S Little Things to Sew book. Of course, it was the only thing I didn't have the fabric for. And since I'm only sewing from the stash right now, I was in a downright pickle. Then, I remembered the quilt. The Heather Ross fabric is a beautiful heavier linen that I thought would work perfectly. I had only pieced together a section that was just big enough to cut out the outside, and side pockets. I used the leftover fabric from the quilt for the inside pockets and a matching purple polka dot for the lining. The only thing I had to buy were the slide adjustors for the straps. I wanted the pretty metal ones like in the book but unfortunately my local stores only had the plastic.

I think it turned out pretty cute. It's a little crazy colorful but it matches Miss B's personality perfectly. The bag is a bit on the wimpy side and looking back I should have used a heavier weight fabric for the lining as well. However, it works perfectly fine for overnight trips to Grandma's or library trips and for the $1.50 I spent making it I think it was a big success!

Desktop Garden

2011-07-15T16:48:00.000-07:00

It's really no secret that I have a black thumb. Green things run away from me in horror, no, they really do. Since I had just recently killed the marigold plant on my desk I thought it would be a good opportunity for me to try something a little more hardy. That's where the succulents come in. They're sturdy but delicate at the same time. There's something so enchanting about them. I picked out three different types and planted them in this vintage milk glass vase that I already had. Although, if these do ok I may have to buy this planter for another spot, it's so cute! It was complete serendipity that the green plants matched my green vintage lamp perfectly. I adore that color. I'm hoping these will survive my well documented plant neglect but for now, I'm loving this little bit of nature on my desk.

Summer Play Clothes

2011-07-14T15:25:00.000-07:00

All those clothes I'd mentioned I'd made in June? I'm slowly getting pictures of everything as it comes out of the laundry, haha! These were all for Miss B for her 7th birthday. At this point, these have all gotten tons of wear and are a slightly wrinkled. I've had to do a little mending here and there but for the most part these have all worn really well and will last awhile. Here's the details from top to bottom:

Shorts: Fabric from stash. (Heather Ross Far Far Away II and a random yellow dot scrap) Pattern, Oliver + S Picnic Shorts. I made these shorts three different times and I have to say, these are my favorites. The fabric is heavy enough to wear like iron but still light enough to breath. And of course the pattern is like the cutest thing ever! The addition of buttonhole elastic in the waistband is an absolute must for my skinny 7 year old and makes them fit her so, so well.

VW Camper Outfit: Fabric from stash. (Heather Ross and a heavier weight polka dot) The Oliver + S Picnic Blouse and Shorts.

Stripey Outfit: Fabric from stash. (Have no idea what that stripe is, I've had it for YEARS. Shirt-weight Chambray) Oliver + S Ruffle Tank and Picnic Shorts. The Chambray is beautiful light and drapey but probably not a good choice for kids shorts. Theses are already ripping at the waistband. I've got enough of the strip to re-make them in a denim that I think will be a harding wearing choice.

Dress: Fabric from stash. (I think it's Denise Schmidt?) Oliver + S Jump Rope Dress. I had actually cut this dress out last fall and never got around to sewing it. I pulled it out thinking it would be way too small but it actually fits her perfectly. It was so fun to sew and I can't wait to make more!

Yes, I realize that my kids are like walking billboards for the Oliver + S patterns. Can I help it that they're the best kids patterns EVER!? That, and they are rather expensive, so I want to make sure I'm getting my money's worth. I'm pretty proud of the fact that all of these were essentially free (minus the pattern cost) since I used all stash fabric. I'm working my way through that stash at a furious pace and it feels great!

Print and Pattern Feature

2011-07-13T20:17:00.000-07:00

A most heartfelt thanks goes out to Bowie of Print & Pattern for this lovely feature. Her blog is one of my favorites and I'm truly honored to be a part of it. Thank you thank you thank you!

I'm feeling incredibly grateful today and hopeful for what's yet to come.

In other news, there was a big 'ole update in both shops today, so check 'em out!

Almost Done...

2011-07-08T08:37:00.000-07:00

It seems that all of my projects right now are at the "almost done" stage. I seem to get to this point and stall. Working full time from home with two young kids on summer break is nothing short of crazy. But I've finally settled into this hectic summer schedule and I'm ok with not getting as much done as I'm used to.

I bought this adorable crewel kit from this seller months ago and I'm just now working on them. This was my first experience with crewel work and I LOVE it! It's just like regular embroidery but you get to use yarn (yum) and it goes so fast (yes!). This is the result of such a few naptimes. Embroidering something like this with floss would take me months! It's refreshing sometimes to have a quick, instant gratification project to lift your mood. I'm hoping to finish this little guy this weekend and move on to those beautiful flowers.

I'm also hoping to catch up on sewing and restock the shop. Not to mention trying to tackle the pile of mending that's up to my eyeballs and finish seaming a baby sweater I finished knitting. In June I managed to sew almost an entire summer wardrobe for the oldest girl and also managed to not take any photos of anything I made, haha! I did say it's been hectic, right?

Yarn!

2011-06-30T09:40:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I quietly opened a new Etsy shop. I've been dying (pun intended, hehe) to open a shop selling hand painted yarns for ages and ages and I finally just took the leap. It's lovely to have another craft to quiet my mind when the days are hectic. And these are such a lovely way to play with color. I've just added these three lovely skeins of sock yarn to the shop.

Now in the Shop!

2011-06-20T07:37:00.000-07:00

My very first full fabric collection is now in the shop, available only for a limited time and only in fat quarters for now. It's perfect for all manner of crafty and quilty projects. There are also a whole bunch of Folky Guitars and Long Dogs for sale. Check everything out here. More goodies coming soon...

Coming Soon!

2011-06-03T14:07:00.000-07:00

Here's a teeny sneak peek at what's coming soooon to the shop. To say that I'm excited about this would be an absolute understatement! Right now I'm having trouble not jumping up and down with glee! I received my sample swatches from Spoonflower for my new fabric collection and they're PERFECT. I was expecting to have to do some color tweaking at the least but the colors are spot on. Sigh, it's so good. It's groovy and retro but folky and sweet.

There are four prints total, (1 large scale print, 1 floral, 1 stripe - long dogs! and 1 panel print) and two different color stories on quilting cotton. I'll have individual fat quarters and also fat quarter bundles for sale in the shop very soon. Yardage will be available upon special request. This collection is limited edition and won't be available forever. Anyone interested in pre-ordering can contact me for details. I really hope you all enjoy this fabric as much as I do!

P.S. Sorry for the crap photos, there's a little girl sleeping in the one room of our house that gets decent light. Better pics and bigger reveal coming!

Spring Desktop Background

2011-05-18T09:55:00.001-07:00

I've been reworking a lot of old patterns in new color palettes and thought this one would make the perfect Spring desktop background. I've been really drawn to super saturated, eye-popping colors lately. Like, need your sunglasses to view, colors. A few months ago I was pretty sure that I would just walk away from my previous style and old work but going through old files I've realized that would be like walking away from your family or a relationship that you've spent years and years cultivating. There's lots of life left in my old work, lots of work that I never did anything with. I know I seem so indecisive these days but I know lots of creative people are like that. It's easy to get bored or feel like you just want to be somebody different. I'm at this super weird crossroads and I'm not sure what path to take, or what I really want to do with myself. But rather than waiting around for the epiphany, I'll just keep on keeping on and see where it takes me.

I hope everyone is well and is enjoying the blooms of Spring and that you enjoy this background!

(Click on the appropriate size below to download the background)

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Kids Clothes Week - Day 6, 7 and Beyond

2011-05-16T13:32:00.000-07:00

After the great Blogger crash last week I'm a bit behind posting my sewing progress. Thankfully all my missing posts came back so I can keep moving forward without any hiccups! The end of the week and weekend were pure craziness so I got very little sewing done. Daddy had three band gigs so I was "in charge" all weekend and we all were under the weather. I did manage to eek out this Ice Cream Tunic from Oliver + S for the big girl. I did a pretty piss poor job of cutting the fabric so there's a lot of areas where stuff doesn't quit line up right. The kid thinks it's cute though so that's all that matters!

There is a lot of talk of sewing burnout after this amazing week but I have to say I feel quite the opposite. I feel invigorated and ready for more! It's so nice to finally have time to spend with my lovely Bernina. I picked up a few new Oliver + S patterns today so I can make a few more things for the big girl. Her summer wardrobe is pretty pitiful so far and there's not much room this year in the clothing budget. I've challenged myself to try to reduce my fabric stash by 1/2 before I buy any new fabric. Not only to reduce clutter around here but to save money. I've got so much beautiful fabric, it needs to be used! And my girls aren't getting any younger, at this rate they'll be in high school tomorrow and I'll still have all this fabric laying around that I'd intending to make them wee little dresses with.

Last week I also started a quilt for the aforementioned big girl's birthday which is coming up quickly. There's some precious bits of Heather Ross's Far Far Away II in there and so far I'm loving it. I was going to make the entire quilt these 4.5" blocks but now that I see it up on my temporary felt wall, I kind of like the way the white border is looking. So now I'm thinking I may add some chunky borders around this color square of patchwork.

AND I have a pile of plushies all cut out and ready for sewing. They'll be in the shop in the next few weeks. Exciting times!

KCW - Day 4 - Tea Party Sundress

2011-05-12T10:32:00.000-07:00

Otherwise known as "Cutest Dress Ever". I la la love this dress! I bought the fabric for this over a year ago and never got around to making it. Thank goodness I did it know as Miss M is at the largest size and that won't fit her long. I'll definitely be making another one for this summer. As always I can't sing the praise of Oliver + S patterns enough. I've learned more from sewing with their patterns than any other. This was my first time doing princess seams and a faced hem. Things are a bit more ripply and puckery than I would like but other than that I'm really thrilled with how it turned out! That little peek of polka dot lining makes me giddy. I sewed most of this last night after the kiddos were in bed and just put the finishing touches on it this morning, waiting for files to download from work. Talk about multi-tasking!

I can't believe it's Day 4 already. This week has flown and I'm not ready for it to be over! So far, I've only made stuff for my babe and pretty soon my big girl is going to feel left out... I'd better work on that. Hope everyone has a great day!!

KCW - Day 3 - Popover Sundress

2011-05-11T11:03:00.000-07:00

Last night I started on this Popover Sundress from Oliver + S and finished it today. I've had this teensy bit of Japanese fabric for ages and ages and never wanted to use it. I think this is a perfect pattern for all those little precious scraps and hope to make more! I love this pattern, it's super quick and easy and oh, so cute!

In other news I've reopened the Etsy shop! I've been soul searching for such a long time and realized that this is what I needed to do. I've had a really, really wonderful break but a part of me was missing. New legislation be damned! I love making beautiful things for kids and that's what I'm going to continue to do. I'll figure it out and make it work. I just didn't feel right about completely changing things up. Continuing to do what I love feels right. Of course I've got tons of new ideas too so the shop will be updated with new stuff soon!

KCW - Day 2 - Ruffle Top

2011-05-10T14:55:00.000-07:00

Today I whipped up this adorable little Ruffle Shirt, the pattern is from Heidi & Finn. This is the second one of these I've made and I still love the pattern. On a normal day this little number would only take about an hour from start to finish but today I've been moving slower than molasses. Out of nowhere it went from 65 degree days to today's high of 91 degrees! Holy cow, I wasn't ready for that and it's made me slow and stupid today. I didn't want to close up the house and turn on the air because the house has been closed up all winter! I want fresh air even if it is hot. The result is a very steamy office / sewing room. Moving on...

Last summer Michelle Engel Bencsko from Cloud 9 Fabrics was so kind as to send me a bunch of fabric pieces. I've been too scared to cut into them before now and aside from the occasional pet they've been sitting neglected. That seems to be a reoccurring theme with my fabrics and that could be why it just keeps piling up! But, I'm forcing myself to use it before I buy any more. This adorable print is from her Shade Garden collection with Henry Glass. I paired it with a perfectly coordinating mustard polka dot for the lining and blue bias. I love how the colors look together. I made the middle size, 12M - 2T and can't wait to try it on the babe when she wakes up. I think it needs a pair of matching bloomers...

Anyways, I'm thrilled that I was able to get this much done. I even cut out the pattern pieces and laid out fabric for my next project. If it cools off tonight I might start on it.

KCW - Day 1 - Mod Toddler Dress

2011-05-09T11:14:00.000-07:00

So, the goal for this KCW is to not spend a dime on new materials. The reasons for this are twofold. First, I have enough fabric to last through a lifetime of sewing and Second, we're pinching pennies around here. I know that I've got enough fabric and materials to make the girls an entire wardrobe of cute summer clothes.

This dress came out pretty much exactly how I imagined it. I wanted to make a super simple mod toddler dress with some really big, bright graphics. None of my fabrics fit the bill so I made some! I hand painted the design on a silkscreen to create the stencil and then screen printed the design onto some plain cotton that I had. I had the perfect pink binding for the armholes on hand as well. The pattern is a slightly modified version of the Simple Dress from Simple Sewing for Babies by Lotta Jansdotter. Modified because part of my pattern was missing (eek). I muddled through it though and I love how it turned out. The neckline and hem are a little too puckery for my liking but it's not horrible. And considering I haven't sewn anything in EONS I'm alright with it. I think I need to adjust the tension on my machine a bit though...

Now, I just need to decide what's up next for Day 2. The big girl has requested some shorts so maybe these? They're pretty stinkin' cute. Are you sewing for KCW? How's it going so far!?

Kid's Clothes Week!

2011-05-04T09:15:00.001-07:00

The Spring Kid's Clothes Week Challenge is here again! I can't believe it's been a year since the last one. I've gotten dreadfully little sewing done for the kiddos since then so I'm very excited to participate this year! Check out the Elsie Marley blog for some beautifully inspiring posts. This week she's been interviewing independent clothing designers and I'm blown away by the creativity!

My sewing week will start on Sunday and I'll try to post every day to give updates. I don't really have any set goals but have a few patterns picked out that I'd like to try. We'll just see what happens!

In Progress...

2011-04-29T16:13:00.001-07:00

A few "in progress" projects. It's nice to have a few long term project to jump back and forth between. These are the projects I keep close by my TV chair. I can snuggle in and really relax. This is the first time in WEEKS the sun has been out long enough to take pictures. I went a little crazy before my batteries died but I still didn't get pictures of any of the Easter bunny projects. So hopefully we'll have sun again tomorrow and recharged batteries. Hope you all had a great week and happy Friday!!

Posters

2011-04-26T12:22:00.000-07:00

Here's a couple of posters that I designed for the Rollergirls. I'm pleased as punch with them. I'd really love to do more work like this. Another goal for this year is to finally get a portfolio website up. I'm not actively looking for a full time job, the one I have passes just fine. :) BUT, I would like to get my presence out there and maybe pick up a freelance job or two for fun! I've been meaning to do this for a few years but like so many things it just gets pushed aside. Here's to making it a priority this year!

Pictures of Sisters

2011-04-25T21:21:00.000-07:00

I've decided that this year I need to make it a priority to get all of my photos organized. I'm probably the worst mother alive when it comes to my kid's pictures. I have zero photo albums and only a couple actual printed pictures of them in the house. Know what's even worse? I don't even have prints of our wedding pictures yet and we were married almost a decade ago. Seriously, I'm hanging my head in shame. And it's not that I don't love family photos in the house, it's just that for some reason this has taken a back seat for far, far too long. Occasionally I scroll through the pics on the computer and wonder why the heck I don't have these wonderful memories scattered around my house to enjoy every day.

First things first, I've got to get the kids pictures under control. My iphoto library is a disaster and I've got discs and discs of backups from old computers. Rather than taking the time to organize pictures when I upload them they go straight into iPhoto without any labels whatsover, I mean, who has time for that!? Geesh. But all kidding aside... why the heck didn't I just organize as I went!? Ok, that was the old me. The new me is turning a corner and trying to be more mature and more organized. So, first step is to consolidate all the discs and digital libraries into one. I think I want to then break up the photos by year / age. But let me ask... How do you organize photos? Is is by age or by event? I don't even know if I know how to utilize iPhoto properly!

Step two will be to pick favorites to frame for the house. We have a fabulously large blank wall that will be home to our family photos and I already have a bunch of frames. Step three will be to put them into albums. Now here is where I keep waffling... I'd love to take the time to design digital scrapbooks with journaling and pretty frames and lovely scrapbooky things. BUT I know that's probably overly ambitious and I'll never make it through them all. I don't know if I should have them printed digitally or buy traditional books to just place the printed pics in. Again I'll ask for suggestions... what do you guys do with your family pictures? I want something that the girls can look through (they LOVE going through mine and my husband's old photo books), so something sturdy that will last and can be passed down. Do you have any suggestions for great albums or is digital printing the way to go? This is going to be a HUGE project but I think if I take it in chunks I'll be more successful. I'll definitely share progress!

Sweetness

2011-04-25T08:57:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a lovely and relaxing Easter weekend! I know I was definitely not ready for ours to be over. I did lots of puttering and lots of cooking (see super yummy sugar cookies above) and lots of crafting. It was pretty perfect. I'm still coming down from the sugar high.

I wanted to thank everyone for their responses to the last post, it was funny and really heartening to read that everyone has the feeling of being overwhelmed sometimes and struggles with time management. I personally have a problem with saying no to people who ask for favors, or help and I always to to do too much. So lately, I've been trying to say no more (it's amazing but people actually understand and don't hate you!), I'm also trying to do less. Doing less I've been able to do more. It's crazy but true. I've also been trying to budget my time. Rather than just saying "I don't have time for that". I make time for it. Even if it's 5 minutes, it's incredible what you can do with 5 minutes. I've been working on house projects, knitting, sewing and even reading again. I've been trying to spend more time just being with my kids. All in all it's really, really improved my mood and all the stress and agitation of the last 8 or so months as kind of melted away. I think I'm finally back to "me", back to the things that are most important to me. That's a great feeling. Even so, there's still a little something missing. It's been wonderful taking a break from JuneCraft but I miss it. I've needed to take extended breaks from it before and each time I come back rejuvinated and better than ever. I think this time will be no exception. Except that this time I don't have a plan. I'm still in the dreaming, scheming stage of my Etsy return. I've got definite direction yet and that feels a little strange.

There's so much I want to do, I'm just not sure which path to take! I've got some great ideas for knitted baby and kid items but I don't know if there's a market. I also might like to try a screen printed tshirt line but is that market already saturated? Am I thinking the wrong way? Am I focusing too much on the business aspect and less on what's really important? So much thinking to do but it feels good to be able to do that thinking now. Thanks for listening to me ramble. Any advice, stories, etc that you want to share please, please feel free! I love our conversations!

Drive-Thru

2011-03-23T18:19:00.000-07:00

Lately I find myself spending lots of time thinking about yarn. I've been knitting for about 6 years and I go through phases where I knit nonstop and then other times when I don't pick up the needles for months. Usually the winter is knitting season and the summer is for sewing. This spring though, the knitting bug seems to have no interest in departing. That's ok by me. I could spend hours clicking through Ravelry, flipping through books, dreaming and planning.The problem is, I just don't have time right now to get much done. I content myself with a few rows before bedtime or while I'm cooking meals but would really like to have uninterrupted hours in my favorite chair with my feet up and a project in my lap. A girl can dream can't she? All that said, I don't have anything new finished but I thought I'd share another project I finished over the winter. I knit this sweater in just a week in January. Granted, I was recovering from a minor surgery at the time and was able to just lay in bed and knit.

The pattern is one of my favorites and one I'll use over and over. It's the Drive -Thru sweater by Wendy Bernard. It's knit with Cascasde 220 so it's fast and the resulting fabric is soft and durable. There are truly endless ways you could customize this pattern and that's one of the reasons I love it! I'd knit it once before in the wide faux-isle stripes but this time wanted to challenge myself. I've kept this sweater in my favorites for years, wanting to make something similar. I adapted some of her beautiful charts from here wanting to incorporate more purple. I still find colorwork a challenge but I felt like I made definite improvements working on this. Even though the kiddo picked out the colors and declared it "awesome!" I don't think she's worn it once. Ah well, I made a larger size so it'll fit her next year hopefully too. Sometimes the best part of knitting is the journey and not the end result.

I've really reached a point in my life where I'm craving simplicity and quiet. Our days are so incredibly hectic, I'm constantly frazzled and stressed trying to fit everything in. I guess I'm afraid of life passing me by, so I want to do as much as I can, to fill each day to the brim. But am I enjoying it? Not so much. I feel that a lot of things are being left out, like reading with my kids, playing games, cooking healthy wholesome meals, knitting, sewing, reading my own books, all things that are so incredibly important to me. There's just no time these days. I know that everyone struggles with these things, how do you all juggle it?

Springtime in Hollis

2011-03-15T12:18:00.001-07:00

Thank you so very much everyone who left such kind comments on my last post. I can't tell you how much that means to me! Right now I feel so very unsure about so many things that it's so heart warming to know that I still have you all to talk to regardless. It feels as though Spring is taking her time coming this year, even with the sun out today it's chilly and I'm glum. Every time I turn on the the TV or hop on the internet all I see are the extremely horrific images of the damage in Japan. I can't even begin to imagine the fear of losing your home, or having the health of you and your children put at riskbecause of radiation. My heart aches for them and I feel selfish for being down about silly things like wishing I didn't have so many bills, or wishing that I didn't have so much laundry to do. I made a donation today to the Red Cross. It wasn't much but every little bit helps and it felt good to be able to give even that small amount. It gave me hope.

But, because I don't want to leave on a sour note here's a little knitting. It's the small things in life that are beautiful and I must remember it's the small things (like knitting) that make life so wonderful!

This is for my little red head, the color perfectly matches her hair and I almost wish she'd grow a little faster so she can wear it. I finally broke down and ordered some Quince & Co. yarn for this project. I absolutely love the yarn and the finished project. I'll definitely be buying more of their scrumptious fibers. And the gorgeous little dress underneath is from one of my favorite designers EVER, Heather of Skinny LaMinx fame. Here's the Ravelry link for more details.

Where I've been, Where I'm Going...

2011-03-03T10:49:00.000-08:00

Wow, 5 Months. It's been 5 whole months since I abandoned this blog. I'm sorry for leaving without a word, without a "goodbye, see you soon." I got swept up in a tornado and I'm only now touching down again. Let me start by saying that I'm fine, the family is fine, the kids are more than fine! Nothing bad has happened. First and foremost I blame my absence on THESE GIRLS. Yes, I lost my mind and went and joined the local Roller Derby league. Not only did I join the league as a skater I became the league Creative Director, managing and designing posters, trading cards, merchandise, etc. etc. Roller Derby has completely taken over my life. But you won't hear me complaining. I'm happy and fulfilled at this moment. I've gotten myself out of the house, I've met some really incredibly amazing women and I've even managed to lose some weight and get in shape! Woohoo!

Secondly, I blame my absence on one big old fashioned case of "burnout". The summer season of farmer's markets, culminating with Renegade in September and wholesale orders just did me in. I was such a massive ball of stress for so long that I just fizzled out. The blog started to feel like a chore and I needed a break. I never imagined it would be such a long one.

So, that's where I've been. As far as where I'm going? I really don't know yet. I greatly miss you all, my crafting friends. I've been knitting like crazy in what tiny bits of spare time I have so maybe I'll try to share some of those projects with you. Or maybe I'll tell you a little bit more about my Roller Derby adventures. As far as the Etsy shop goes... well... I'm taking a break. Making things for kiddos has gotten a bit scary with all of the new legislation so I think that those days for me are over. To me, it's not worth the stress or the worry. This saddens me but also excites me because I feel this as a new beginning. There are SO many things I would like to do. There WILL be a new shop at some point...Whether it's still "June Craft" remains to be seen. I've got ideas and plans spewing out of my brain, have been making endless lists and sketches and I'm excited about the possibilities. I hope I haven't lost you my friends and I hope you'll welcome me back into your world a little at a time.

Happy March!

Hoot! An Owl Tote

2010-09-28T09:26:00.001-07:00

Recently I was super lucky as to work with Michelle from Cloud9 Fabrics on this awesome project. Michelle designed this adorable little owl tote to showcase their beautiful fabrics. I got to write the pattern and design the layout. I had a blast because not only did I get to work with Michelle, whom I greatly admire but I got to make this awesome bag first! I made mine with some vintage fabric and yellow canvas I had on hand and I love the way it turned out. This pattern would work so well with so many different fabric combinations. I even heard it suggested that this would make a great Halloween Trick-or-Trick bag! I think that's a fabulous idea and would look so cute made from felt or other Halloween themed material. It's a super quick project (about an hour) and would make really great holiday gifts. You can purchase the pattern here!

More Printing....

2010-09-25T16:58:00.000-07:00

The baby took two marathon naps today, probably because of the cold rainy weather. (Boy, I could have used a nap too...) But, I was able to get a TON of printing done, yahoo! Another new shirt and a two color poster for the mister's band. I'm having a blast!

Totes in the Shop! - And Why I'm Behind with Kids Clothes Week

2010-09-24T12:22:00.000-07:00

These pretty new screen printed totes are now in the shop!

I know, I know, I'm dreadfully behind on Kids Clothes Week posts... I honestly haven't gotten much sewing done in the last few days. I have hopes though that I will be able to finish at least a few more things for the kiddos before the Sunday deadline. I've been so super busy this week working on projects for friends. One big one is still a secret but I should be able to share it with you next week. The other is designing and printing new shirts for my husband's band. I'm sure I've mentioned it but he's an upright bass player in a rockabilly band. Those guys and their wives are like our second family and I've been busting my tail this week to get shirts printed for an upcoming gig. I finished these girly tees in the wee hours of this morning. I'm still learning the ropes but I'm pretty pleased with how these turned out being my very first two color shirt! I've got the guys shirts to print and several posters also. I'll share those with you when they're done! Hope everyone is having a really wonderful Friday!

Kids Clothes Week - Day 2

2010-09-22T07:28:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to try making some of these super cute reconstructed kids tees for ages but I've been a) terrified of working with knits, b) terrified of non-pattern sewing and c) too busy. Since I had a full evening last night to myself (yay for the mr.'s band practice nights!) I thought "what the heck, I'll give it a shot". I have a tub full of thrifted tees and knit scraps, so I just went for it and to my great surprise it turned out better than expected! My sewing is still a little wonky, I'm still working on not pulling the knit while sewing but for the most part I was able to iron out any puckering. I started by cutting of the sleeves and collar. Then I cut the diagonal section out to make it look like a raglan style shirt. I used the pieces I cut as templates to cut new pieces and it worked perfectly. My only wish is that I had, had a few more knits in girly colors to make this a little more girly. Adding the ruffles at the bottom definitely helped with that though, even if they don't really match. Best of all, the big girl LOVED it! Success. She wore it to school this morning over jeans. It's totally her style, a little kooky. I'm going to try to get to the thrift store today for supplies to make a few more.

Kids Clothes Week - Day 1

2010-09-21T15:28:00.000-07:00

I was able to get some not so stellar pics of what I made last night before the storms came. Ah, I absolutely love this time of year! I spent an hour sewing last night and made some great progress! The first two pairs of baby pants had been sitting around my studio for months, all finished except for putting in the elastic. I did that in about ten minutes and had two new pairs of pants for the babe, woohoo! The sweater pants I made from the sleeves of a couple of thrifted sweaters. This is a great tutorial on how to make them. The first pair I simply made a casing for the elastic from the bottom band of the sweater. The second pair I used some rib knit I had in my stash to make a waist band. Not sure which I like better, I'll have to see how each stays put on the babe before I vote on which is better. I have NO idea what I'm going to make tonight and that's kind of exciting!

New Prints in the Shop

2010-09-20T11:42:00.000-07:00

All of these new prints are now in the shop! More goodies tomorrow.

In other news, over the weekend we made a trip to the animal shelter and fell in love with this used kitty, all 20 pounds of him. He came home with us and has settled in like he's always been here. I have a feeling he's going to be a wonderful studio companion and you'll be hearing lots more about him.

Kids Clothes Week Challenge

2010-09-20T08:45:00.000-07:00

I've been so very out of the loop the last few weeks and even months that this completely snuck up on me. The super wonderful blog Elsie Marley is once again hosting a Kids Clothes Week Challenge. This time for fall and winter clothing. It's really simple, you just spend one hour each night for a week sewing something for your kid or kids. It's really amazing how much you can get done in a week by just carving out that time. And since I haven't been able to sew anything for my own munchkins in so long I'm really looking forward to this. I didn't have time to really make a plan for what I want to accomplish but I've got lots of fabric and lots of patterns in my stash already. I'll just start sewing and see what happens! I'll share what I come up with as I go along. Also, keep checking the Elsie Marley blog all week, she's doing a giveaway everyday to celebrate. Annnnnd there just might be a little June Craft giveaway on her blog later this week too! She was so kind as to ask if I'd be would like to participate by donating an item and of course I was more than happy too! More on that as the week progresses. That's it for me for now, I'm hoping to be back later today with a few things for the shop.

Thanks Renegade for the Memories

2010-09-16T08:40:00.000-07:00

It's really hard to put into words how awesome last weekend was. It was a magical weekend. Yes, it was exhausting and so much work but in the end it was a blast! The weather (after a little rain Saturday morning) was absolutely beautiful and the people came out to the fair in droves. I mean, it was PACKED the entire weekend. And to top it all off I got to spend the entire weekend with my two bestest Chicago buds. They were amazing and took care of me with coolers packed full of goodies, put knitting into my nervous hands, bought me sangria and made me laugh all weekend. I really don't know what I would have done without them. I couldn't ask for better friends or better booth helpers. It was like we were on a camping trip all weekend! And all the awesome customers I got to meet, everyone was so super nice. I really wish I had gotten more pictures of the entire fair and some of the really incredible booths. It was so busy though I just didn't have time. All-in-all though it was worth every minute and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

I've spent this week re-cooperating and catching up on full-time job work. I had planned on getting the Etsy shop updated with new prints but not sure that's going to happen. Maybe tomorrow, or maybe next week early. I promise it'll happen soon though!

September Background

2010-09-09T08:11:00.000-07:00

I hope you'll forgive the lateness of this background. The past month has literally flown by, the days seeming like hours and the hours like minutes. The culmination of months of hard work is finally this weekend and I couldn't be more excited! And a little relieved that it'll be over soon. I plan on taking a little break from making things after it's all over to focus on some personal projects... But don't worry, any leftover inventory will be stocked in the Etsy shop next week and oh, there's some wonderful new things!

One new thing that will debut this weekend at Renegade is a 2011 calendar print. It's a limited edition digital print in a larger 11x14 size. It's printed on a beautiful french Speckletone paper and I just love it. There are two colors to choose from and next week these will hit the Etsy shop as well. So, this months desktop background is inspired by that calendar and there are also two colors to choose from! I also omitted the calendar this month since it's so late in the month. What do you think? Do you prefer your backgrounds with the calendar or just the background? As always click the size you need to download the file. Enjoy!

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Red Version
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Renegade Sneak Peek

2010-09-02T08:27:00.000-07:00

Hi all and Happy September! August went so fast, I can't believe it's already turning into fall and Renegade is literally just around the corner. I've been slaving away in my little craft corner of the world every night after work but I thought I would give myself a brief respite and share a few sneak peeks with you.

I was super honored to be asked to participate in a little gallery show that the awesome folks at Renegade are putting together. The show is the "Hoot Show" and they tasked some super amazing artists with creating a unique owl themed piece to showcase. This is also a contest, the winner gets their booth fee refunded, woo hoo!

I sent my submission off yesterday and drat I didn't take a photo of it before it got packed up. The piece that will be displayed in the Spotlight Gallery is a super kitschy wall hanging that I made based on this design. I loved the way it turned out and I hope all you Chicago folks will stop into the Renegade Gallery and check it out! I'm super excited to see all of the other entries next weekend. I also printed up a super limited edition of the design on paper that will be available for purchase in my Renegade booth.

And here's a few other little designs that I've been working on that will also have their debut next weekend. Now... back to work!

1st Grade

2010-08-24T20:04:00.001-07:00

I can't quite believe it but today was the first day of 1st grade for my big girl. The summer went by much too fast but I have to say it was by far one of the most fun in recent memory. We kept incredibly busy and soaked up every moment of sunshine that we could.

I've never seen a little girl so incredibly excited to go back to school. She loved her summer but I think was very ready to return to a less hectic pace and "normal" routine. I had hoped to finish sewing a back to school dress for her but all I managed was to finish her pretty new backpack.

I used this awesome pattern by Made by Rae here. The original pattern is for a toddler sized backpack and was just too stinking cute that I had to try to adjust it to fit a bigger kid. As suggested I used a heavier weight canvas that I ordered from Superbuzzy.com. Miss Brodi herself picked it out and I love it, it's so cute. I chose the contrasting blue piping to really make the colors pop. I enlarged the pattern by 130% and that seems to be the perfect size for an older kid, plenty big enough for a few 8.5x11 folders and a few books. Because it's bigger it's not quite at sturdy as the smaller version and looks a little more droopy. If I were to do it again I may add a lining to add a little more stability, although I think it looks great as is! If you make this backpack in a larger size you'll need slightly more than the 1/2 yard suggested in the original pattern and two packages of pipping instead of one. I think I spent a little more to make this than actually buying one but she's got a unique bag that no one else will have and she was pretty proud of that! It's definitely a more advanced pattern but it was a lot of fun to make. I'm sure I'll be making many more from this pattern in all sorts of sizes! I think I'd like to try to figure out how to add a front pocket in the future....

I love these pictures of my girl. I'm finding this age incredibly challenging. She's willful, obstinate and so opinionated. There are so, so many frustrating moments when I just have to stop and breathe deeply to calm my nerves. But looking at these photos I'm reminded of the sweet moments, of how incredibly funny and full of life she is. Happy 1st grade sweets!

Bad Blogger

2010-08-11T11:47:00.000-07:00

I've been such a bad blogger as of late. I've been involved in several major projects with my full-time job that has kept me working around the clock for the last few weeks. The last of these crazy big projects will be presented tomorrow which will be a HUGE load off my shoulders. In what little down time I've had I've been sewing like a mad woman. I'll try to photograph some of the things to share with you next week. I'm so excited for the end of the week to arrive because I get to take my very first little vacation of the year! I'll be heading here for a long weekend...

Yup, smack dab in the middle of nowhere. And you'd never guess it but it's home to one of the biggest vintage car shows around. The Symco Shakedown. My rockabilly Mr. will be slapping his bass as one of the many entertainers for the show. All of the girls are tagging along to float in the river, sit around a campfire eating s'mores and laugh with great friends. The kids are staying home with Grandma so it promises to be an amazingly relaxing weekend. So, I'll be scarce until next week sometime. I hope you all have a great, great weekend!

August Desktop Calendar

2010-08-03T09:36:00.000-07:00

Sorry this is a little late my friends! August is shaping up to be a very hectic yet fun month. No matter how much I'll miss it, it feels good to have my little shop closed for a bit. Mostly because I'm so excited to finally get some of the new things done I've been wanting to do. There's also lots of back-to-school sewing for my gong to be 1st grader that I've got to do. Hopefully I'll be able to share little sneak peeks of all of the projects I've got going on this month. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this new background!

*Edit: I've fixed the problem with the files so if you were having trouble installing the background re-download it. Thanks so much to everyone who kindly brought the issue to my attention!!

**Edit: Geesh Kayanna, get your stuff together! Ok really, I've fixed the files so re-download if you were having issues. I'm so sorry for the screw-ups today. Not sure where my head is at!

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One.

2010-07-28T12:25:00.001-07:00

I really don't know how it's possible but my baby girl turned one yesterday! It seems like only weeks since we brought her home from the hospital and at the same time it feels like she's always been a part of our family. None of use could imagine life without her. She's got the most contagious smile that quite literally lights up every room she's in. She's always so happy and has everyone wrapped around her tiny little finger. I tried to get some good pics of her special day but the above was the best one out of the bunch. She's a quick little wiggle worm and getting a picture of her lately is next to impossible. Most of them turned out like this...

Maybe we'll try again when she's sleepy!

Vintage Patterns

2010-07-26T12:08:00.000-07:00

I was always scared of sewing from vintage patterns. I think I had this perception that they would be like vintage knitting patterns and be completely impossible to understand and execute. Many modern patterns (like the great Oliver + S ones) share tips and tricks allowing you to learn along the way. This isn't the case with vintage patterns. So, it really helps to have some sewing knowledge before heading into a vintage pattern project because back then most women did know how to sew and there are a lot of assumptions made. That's really the only tricky part. Make sure to read through all the directions before starting so you can look up any techniques that aren't familiar. I've had a few successes lately with some vintage patterns so I've been snatching them up left and right to add to my collection. Here's a few that I've recently gotten my paws on. I'm so excited to sew some of these up! (There's even one for my rockabilly mister!)

Shop Update Part. 2

2010-07-23T09:04:00.001-07:00

I've FINALLY listed the rest of the plushies in the shop. Sorry it took me so long, the heat around these parts has fried my motivation. Thankfully we're getting the air conditioning replaced next week so just a few more days to endure and we'll be cool as cucumbers and productivity will return. (I hope) There's a few more guitars, some LongDogs and a few Mini LongDogs. These are just a few of what's in the shop. This will be the last batch before my little shop vacation. I'll be back with more in September, along with some new exciting goodies! I'm hoping to share sneak peeks here along the way. I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!!

Cloud 9 Fabric and some Shop Talk

2010-07-20T09:04:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to blog about this little hat since I sewed it up way back in May but it keeps getting pushed aside. I was super lucky to get my hands on some gorgeous Cloud 9 Beyond the Sea fabric way back when it first was released. I can't tell you enough how awesome this fabric is. Not only is it 100% organic, eco-friendly and priced quite reasonably - it's super cute and feels so dreamy to the touch. I knew the Beyond the Sea collection would be perfect for summer goodies for the kiddos, so with just the tiniest scraps I stitched up one of these sun hats. It took less than an hour to sew up and turned out better than I thought it would. It's been used numerous times this summer already to protect baby Mabel's head from the sun and she looks too cute in it! Check out the Cloud9 website here and get your hands on some of their amazing fabric!

SHOP NEWS -

I should be listing the rest of the softies that I've sewn up later this week. (Fingers crossed) I'll let you all know when that happens. I've also made a pretty big decision to take a shop vacation for the month of August. August is filling up to the brim with shows for my husband's band, mini vacations, back to school, etc. etc. I've also got less than two months to prepare for Renegade Chicago which I'm freaking out about. I've got so much new stuff that I want to finish in order to debut there that I realized that I needed to close the Etsy shop temporarily just to catch up and get it all done. I'll put the shop in vacation mode on August 1st and reopen at the end of the month. A part of me is terrified to do it - afraid that I'll be forgotten about. I'm trying to focus on the positives which is that I'll be able to come back with lots more cool stuff!

Also, Don't forget that the rest of this month I'm donating $1 from each sale to Oxfam for Gulf Relief. I'll already be donating $27! Woot! Thanks so much to everyone who placed an order this month and made it possible for me to help out in this way. So, if you've got birthdays / special occasions to buy a gift for make sure you get your orders in before August 1st!

New in the Shop

2010-07-15T13:09:00.001-07:00

Just popping by to tell you about the new design in the shop. Plush folk guitars for your budding rock star! And, there's a new little school of crinkle fish too! See them here. The rest of the plushies will have to wait to be added to the shop next week. It's been an incredibly busy week with my full-time job workload so I'm a bit behind with everything else. I'm taking a vacation day tomorrow and we're taking the kids to the zoo and science museum! Yay for a little mini vacation. I hope everyone has an amazing weekend.

New Creative Space

2010-07-13T15:16:00.000-07:00

I had planned on waiting to share the finished office re-do until it was well, finished. I'm just too excited though to worry about the details that will take me ages to complete so, here it is...

It was probably the most ambitious project I've tackled so far in this house and it was worth every bit of work and money. I did it on a teensy budget and only spent about $350 to do it. Not too shabby. I repainted the ceiling bright white and the walls a super yummy light peach and papered two of the walls with vintage wallpaper. (Thanks to all that make recommendations on which wallpaper I should choose! ) The whole room is so bright and cheerful, how could you not be creative in here!? The thing that made the hugest difference was taking about that monster shelving unit. Remember what it looked like? It was amazing how big and open the space felt once that was gone. I am missing the storage though already and there are a few things that still need homes but I'll get there. All of the fabric that was on the shelves in now in the cabinets below the massive new sewing / cutting table. I haven't used the table yet but I can just tell it's going to be perfect. I've even got a corner for storing all the shop inventory in one spot, yay! I'm horrible at keeping paper trails of what I have in stock so this is the perfect system for me. I can quickly see what I've got and it's easy to grab stuff to wrap up and ship it out. Even the babe has a little nook for toys and a place to sit when she's a little older. The big girl already loves to snuggle up here and read to her baby sister. All-in-all, I couldn't be happier with how it turned out. It's seldom that things turn out in real life exactly how they do in my brain but in this case I have to say, it's EXACTLY how I imagined it! There is still some finishing trim to put up, some artwork to buy and hang and some boxes of things to put away but like I said, I'll get there. Thanks so much to everyone who gave me their wonderful suggestions. I definitely used some of those great ideas.

Fresh off the Machine!

2010-07-13T11:32:00.000-07:00

Some super happy new screen printed bibs have been added to the shop! My babe has been wearing some like these for awhile now and we love them. They wash up really well, are quite absorbent and are cute to boot! Check 'em out here.

Blueberry Park

2010-07-09T08:45:00.000-07:00

Over the past few months I've been quite lucky enough to meet and become Twitter friends with Karen of Blueberry Park, which is an online UK shop chock full of beautiful handmade products. Karen is always right there with a kind word, encouragement or truly insightful comment. She's one of the many reasons I'm so happy to have this online community of artists and crafters to be inspired by and get feedback from.

I was also lucky enough to have Karen purchase a set of my handprinted fabric and was incredibly delighted to see what she came up with. Seriously, how cute is this!? And such a great way to use small bits of precious fabric.

Some of my very favorite textile designers / printers are represented in this amazing piece! Who can you spy? She also whipped up these adorable pot holders using strips of my pear fabric. Gah, I love that orange! You can buy these here, in Karen's etsy shop.

And for even more crafty, fabric inspiration go visit Karen's blog. And one last thing... if you've purchased any of my fabric or kits, I'd LOVE to see what you've done with it! Email me pics or add them to the Flickr group.

Ch-Ch-Changes

2010-07-08T07:18:00.000-07:00

This week feels like it's on fast forward because it's so out of the ordinary and I'm trying to accomplish so much. I pulled the trigger on the office / craft space redo and I'm completely entrenched in demolishing and painting. My little brother came over yesterday and tore out the old built in desk and it's amazing how much getting rid of that massive block of wood opened up the room. That in combination with the primed walls - it's incredibly light and airy and I couldn't be more excited! Look what we found behind the desk...

There was just the tiniest bit of this pretty paper, isn't it sweet? I wish there had been more - I would have tried to keep it. But since there was so little I took a quick picture before priming.

Since the room is going to be mostly white / off white I want to do one accent wall but I'm really torn between two different wall papers. I have this adorable vintage paper that I've been saving for something special...

Or... Well, I'm thinking about doing something rash and ordering a roll of this... This is my husbands favorite. What do you guys think?

Poppytalk Handmade - Gulf Coast Donations

2010-07-06T09:56:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to participate in the Poppytalk market for ages and when I saw their post about this months' market benefiting the gulf I knew this was the right time for me to get moving and do it! I've got two new prints on my virtual market table that all of the proceeds will go to Oxfam. http://www.oxfamamerica.org/whatwedo .Which, in turn will go to help communities being devastated by the gulf oil spill. In addition, all month long I'll be donating $1 from every sale in my Etsy shop. Sometimes I feel so incredibly small when I think about all of the tragedy and global disasters effecting the world and wonder what the heck I could possible do that would help or make a difference. Often I just shut down and do nothing. But if everyone has that attitude then nothing will happen. This is a very small effort on my part but if thousands of people make even this small effort it will have a huge impact. So, visit Poppytalk here and purchase something beautiful to make a difference.

Happy July!

2010-07-01T09:55:00.000-07:00

I'm loving this color combination lately. It feels so summery and vintage and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! Click on the appropriate size for your computer below to download.

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Office Space

2010-06-30T15:07:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of blogging in the last few weeks, my motivation has been seriously taxed. I'm still fighting a nasty virus that's now turned into laryngitis, blech. But enough complaining...

I was thinking today as I surveyed the disaster that is my office that it's really time to consider redecorating. It was the first room that we decorated when we moved into two years ago and while I do still love it it has some issues. I spend my entire day in this room working for my full-time job and many of my evenings sewing and crafting for the Etsy shop so it has to do a lot and be inspiring to me. As you can see from the terrible photo it's super super dark. (And yes, there's a plate on the floor) I took that photo mid-afternoon when the sunlight should have been pouring in but alas, it feels like a cave. It's on the upper floor of our house and I do love the room. It feels like being up in a tree house with all of the trees surrounding our home. I love the combination of the black storage pieces, the gray walls and orange accents but I think all of the black soaks up any light that the room does get and makes it seem darker and smaller. The monster Ikea storage unit is great for holding a gazillion things but what you can't tell from the photo is that it's smack dab in the middle of the room cutting the room in half. Because of the low angled ceilings it was the only place that it would fit. On the opposite side is my sewing area and another window. Another issue I have with the storage unit is that while I adore the idea of all of my fabric and yarn sorted by color and neatly folded to admire whenever I choose, in practice it just doesn't work. You can't really see because of the darkness but it's a mess, there's fabric falling out everywhere. I think I'd really like to find something that has doors or drawers to store the fabric so it's hidden. This would also help because this room serves as a playroom during the day too, meaning that the baby who's so much more mobile is now getting into everything.

So, I know all the black has to go and I need to find some low covered storage in lighter colors. Either something from Ikea like this, or something from a thrift store that I paint. I think I'll keep the orange accents but paint the gray walls white. Maybe I'll paper one wall in some vintage paper. I would love to build something like this to put in the center of the room as a sewing / cutting table. Another issue is the built in desk. It's so adorable and I love that it's recessed in the window well. The problem is, I think it was made for a child. The opening is too short to put my legs under when I have my chair at the proper height for my arms. Also the drawers don't work very well and so are not very usable. I would really really hate to get rid of it but I'm thinking that it might have to happen. I could probably find a new desk to fit in the space. But I don't know, what do you think? Sorry for the rambling post but sometimes it's nice to just get my idea out there, it helps to get your thoughts too and focuses me a bit. I'd love any ideas you guys have on creating nice crafty spaces. I also started a Flickr gallery here for inspiration.

New Prints

2010-06-23T07:03:00.001-07:00

Hi all! Hope everyone is having a great week so far. I can't believe it's Wednesday already. I've been sick with a summer cold so the last few days are a blur of tissues and cold medicine. Today is much better and I'm hoping to be able to catch up and be productive the last part of the week. I did manage to get some new prints listed in the shop yesterday though! I'm using a new kind of archival art paper for the prints and oh my, is it lovely. The colors just jump out at you and the weight is just beautiful. There are two new prints in two different colors each. Many of you will recognize that cheeky little bird from one of my free desktop background. Hope you enjoy them! In the Shop here. Also, don't forget there's still free shipping on every purchase until the end of June!

Pretty Little Sleep Shorts

2010-06-16T11:58:00.000-07:00

I've been promising my big girl a set of pj shorts for ages and since it's her birthday tomorrow I decided it was high time to make good on that promise. I used some of my favorite vintage linens and whipped up four pairs last night. I also bought some sweet little white camis for her to wear with them. I didn't use a pattern, just kind of winged them based on another pair of pj shorts she has. These babies are so light and soft (not to mention adorable) that methinks I'm going to have to make up some big girl ones for myself!

DIY Necktie Card

2010-06-14T14:25:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you but Father's Day completely snuck up on me. I had a moment of panic when I realized that its this weekend already! So I hastily came up with this lightening fast card using things I had around my office. It's a great way to use bits of scrap fabric. So, if you still need a card for a special dad I hope you'll enjoy making this one! (P.S. Sorry about the dark photos - it's been so dark and rainy here the last week)

Materials:

Card template - free download here

Card stock

Exacto knife

Cuting matt

Glue stick

Piece of fabric cut to 5 inches x 3.5 inches

1. Download the card template and print out onto your card stock. Play with different colors of card stock if you'd like to contrast with your fabric. Cut out the card following the cutting lines or simple print out onto a 5x7 piece of card stock.

2. Using the Exacto knife cut out the window following the dotted line. Cut slightly on the outside of the line so that you won't see any of the line after you've finished.

3. Fold the card in half, then open it up and apply glue to the inside front.

4. Place your fabric face down onto the inside front and smooth with your hands. If necessary trim any fabric that's visible from the front. Let dry and you're done!

The Shirt

2010-06-10T07:49:00.001-07:00

For the last five-ish years or so my husband has only worn western, rockabilly style dress shirts. On casual days he wears black tees and rolled up jeans. He's a simple guy. Unfortunately these shirts are pretty hard to find and they're usually pretty expensive. Sometimes $80 and up for the nice embroidered ones. This may not seem like a lot but we're pretty cheap around here, haha! So, for about five years I've been saying that I needed to learn how to make these. Up until now I haven't felt like my sewing skills were up to snuff but I thought that this would make an excellent 30th birthday present and boy was I right. He was giddy about this shirt and promptly "ordered" a dozen more just like it, haha! It made the work so very worth it. He wore it to work this morning and I was able to snap these few pics before he ran out the door. It's a bit wrinkly from being in the gift box but he was happy and didn't care.

I was terrified that it wouldn't fit or be super wonky when he put it on but, hallelujah, it fits perfectly! And to be honest, it fits nicer than his store bought ones. I know I'm biased but gosh, he looks so handsome in it! Of course it has "issues" being handmade. The slash pockets aren't exactly the same and don't line up exactly and the hem wants to roll but he was totally cool with all of its flaws and said those things made it better. (He's so sweet) I don't even want to think about the hours that went into this but it was a HUGE learning experience and I'm totally confident that the next one will go together in about a quarter of the time. Most of the time suckage was just that I had no idea how these shirts were constructed and since there are no modern patterns that are exactly like this I had to make some of it up as I went. I used McCalls 4530 as the main pattern and did a lot of research and comparing to his other shirts to make a bunch of little changes. The biggest of the changes was adding the slash pockets. There are ZERO instructions for how to make these so I used a tutorial for making a welted pocket and just kind of muddled my way through. I'm over the moon happy with how they turned out and now have a pretty good method for making them. The hand sewn arrow tacks ended up larger than I wanted just to cover up some mistakes but I like the way they look. I have to say though that my favorite part (other than putting the last few stitches in) was the embroidery. It was super fun and I've got big plans for future shirts! He's the upright bass player in a rockabilly band so I'm thinking he needs some "show" shirts, this is going to be fun!

Oh, and I made this shirt for under $20 pattern and all! Woot! I'll try to get some more detailed pictures in the next few days to share. Happy 30th to my very best friend and the most amazing husband a girl could ask for!

New Quilts and Catching Up

2010-06-09T12:52:00.000-07:00

Wow, I didn't mean to completely disappear for an entire week! I was so busy getting ready for the market last weekend and this week has been a game of "catch up". My husbands birthday is tomorrow and I'm frantically trying to finish sewing his present. After tomorrow I should be back to the regularly scheduled chaos but in the meantime I've added a few new quilts to le shop. Hope everyone is having a great week!!

What I'm Wearing

2010-06-02T07:24:00.000-07:00

This is my first day back to the "normal" routine after a marvelous five day weekend. Every minute I got to spend with my family was wonderful and such a great way to celebrate my birthday! Although, I dreaded getting out of bed this morning knowing that the fun was over and it was time to get back to work. It's better that it's a cloudy day so I don't feel like I'm missing out on too much, haha!

But on to the pictures... I picked this dress up last week at one of my favorite local shops. The Shop Next Door. They sell handmade local goods and super excellent vintage clothing. I consign with them and seem to always leave with something when I go to visit or drop off new things. The owner Heather is such a doll and does an amazing job finding new artists for the shop.

I was so tickled when I spotted this dress on the rack. Two of my favorite colors and it fit me perfectly, score! It was a little more than I normally like to spend on vintage stuff but well worth it for something I really love. And still so much less than buying something new. The flower pin I picked up at an estate sale awhile back and love the way it compliments the dress.

The one thing I'm finding with trying to dress up more often is that I don't have enough shoes! Seriously, for a girl my shoe collection is very lacking. My husband has more shoes than I do, it's quite sad! I struggle with shoe buying. I never find anything at the thrift stores and buying new kind of goes against my program. I may have to make an exception in this case to just get what I really want. Which leads to my next quandary... In the past I've always just bought cheap shoes. Like PayLess cheap shoes. I wear them a few times and they fall to bits and get tossed. So, is it worth it to buy a few pairs of nice expensive shoes or continue buying cheap shoes and be able to have a lot more of them knowing they'll just get tossed? And when I say expensive I mean it. I've been drooling over Fluevog shoes for years, here's a few new ones that have caught my eye...

How amazing would those gray ones look with the dress I'm wearing!? These are the type of shoes you take it to have repaired and keep for a lifetime. Are they worth it? Anyone have any experience with them? Of course the cost ($200 a pair, ack!) would mean that I'd have to save my pennies for a pair at a time... The great shoe debate begins. I would love to hear your thoughts!

Happy June!

2010-05-31T08:50:00.001-07:00

June is my most favorite month of the year so it's fitting that this months desktop calendar is one of my favorites so far. It's a celebration of all that's wonderful about the official beginning of summer. Sunshine, flowers and color, oh, the colors! As always, just click on the size you need below to download.

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I'm deep in production mode over here getting ready for a market next weekend but I wanted to make sure I shared this with you before the start of the new month so you can enjoy it! June is super special in this house. Three out of the four humans in this family are June babies so it's a month full of celebrations. I'll be celebrating all month long here on this space and in the shop as well. So stop back soon for some special deals in the shop!

Giveaway!

2010-05-27T10:56:00.000-07:00

If you haven't already pop over to Bloesem Kids. You can enter to win a huge gift of four things from my shop! Thanks so much Irene for hosting this wonderful giveaway. And keep it bookmarked, she's hosting a giveaway every Wednesday!

What I'm Wearing

2010-05-26T08:20:00.000-07:00

I think I mentioned a few posts ago that I've been trying to get dressed everyday. Haha, How's that for the start of a post!? But seriously... working at home it's so easy to get caught up in just staying in "comfy" clothes all day. I started to get really down and very unproductive. Getting dressed in real clothes does wonders for my mood and really boosts my productivity. As you can see from the pictures I don't always go so far as to actually put on makeup but hey, it's a start. And shoes? Forget about it, unless I actually go somewhere!

I adore this dress. It's so floaty and comfy and it fits me absolutely perfectly. No need for undergarments that squish in the flab with this one! I scored this teal beauty at the thrift store,practically new, for $1! Yes, you read that right ONE DOLLAR! Woot! I've discovered that one of my favorite thrift stores has a special deal every Friday at 6PM where you can get 5 pieces of clothing for $5. How cool is that!? I'm thinking this Friday I'll bring my husband along and we'll make a date out of it. The butterfly pin is one of my favorites and was also thrifted. It just adds a little special something to an outfit.

The past few weeks have been so stressful with full-time work, I feel like I just can't get a break. The proverbial "shit" just keeps piling up and up. This morning our air conditioner repair-man let us know that we need an entire new unit. Ugh. So we'll be muddling through the summer with our window units while we save the money for that giant bill. Our city recycling program is so excellent that we just have to set out our glass in buckets at the curb. This morning some yahoo drove by and stole all of our glass for the deposit money, which I would have been ok with but he stole our buckets too! Seriously, who does that!? Ok, enough whining for today. Time to move ahead and get stuff done so I can enjoy my long Memorial Day weekend! Although I'd love to throw on my disguise and hide out for a bit.

Just stopping by...

2010-05-24T15:07:00.000-07:00

To say "Hello"! I'm still alive. My full time job is sucking up all of my time at the moment which is why I've been scarce around these parts lately. I've got a marvelous FIVE day weekend ahead of me so I'm planning on playing catch up and spending more time with you my crafty internet friends. I've got lots of new things to share this week and a HUGE giveaway / surprise to share on Wednesday.

In the meantime there's a brand spankin' new print in the shop!

New Project Peek

2010-05-18T09:03:00.000-07:00

This morning I finally managed to finish the marathon of a project that's been sucking up all of my time for my full time job. It feels like the elephant that's been living on my shoulders the last week is finally gone. Phew. There hasn't been much time for sewing or blogging, or working on stuff for the shop. I'm sooo glad that it's over and life can return to it's normal level of chaos.

Here's a teeny tiny peek at a new sewing project that I've started. It's something extra special for my husband's 30th birthday in a little over three weeks. I'm not going to say much more about it because I don't want to jinx it. It promises to either be one of the coolest things that I've ever sewn or one of the biggest disasters of my sewing career. Hopefully I'll be able to share a little more about it soon, when I've gotten farther along.

Hope you are all having a great week so far!

Kids Clothes Week 2 - Review

2010-05-17T07:12:00.000-07:00

Well, this will be a super short post because I only managed to sew one little thing last week for the babe. My full-time job workload was crazy so I spent a lot of the time that I normally spend in my studio sewing working instead. Blech. This week should be better though and hopefully I'll be able to get some of the things sewn that I have cut out.

I bought this pattern on Etsy ages ago, and it was great to be able to finally use it. I just love the illustrations on vintage patterns! It's still a little big for her but I think it'll fit perfectly late this summer when it's really hot. The fabric is a vintage cotton from my stash, the purple polka dot is also from the stash but it's new. The pattern was already cut out (yay!) so this baby only took a few hours from start to finish. It was my first time putting snaps in the crotch of a garment and they went in pretty easily. You use bias tape to face the seams and that worked like a dream. It was a little tricky to get the prongs of the snaps through all of those layers so I ended up using my hammer to get them through. I think this is the first time I've sewn a facing that I didn't curse during, so I think my relationship with facings has turned from amicable to friendly. And I just love that little peek of polka dot. The button tabs are also snaps but I sewed buttons over the snaps to match the buttons on the little side tabs. They're a little "floppy" so I might go back and hot glue them to the top of the snap to hold them better. I'll definitely make more of these. I really love the little puff sleeved blouse pattern that's also included so I might try and whip up a more dressy version with the blouse. And I could totally see the long jumper in a corduroy for fall, so cute!

Sorry for the yucky pictures. It's been so dark and gloomy here, not ideal for picture taking.

Kids Clothes Week 1 - Review

2010-05-10T08:57:00.000-07:00

Well, here it is. The little stack of clothes from my first week of my Kids Clothes Challenge! I managed to sew five new things for my big girl in a week and I'm so inspired to dive right into my second week. Here's what I made...

Super soft denim pleated skirt with lined shorts attached underneath. Pattern from here. I omitted the bow because my girl is a huge bow-hater. Made these in one night. The only tricky part was figuring out how to sew the shorts lining correctly. Once I figured it out though it was super simple. I used a vintage solid blue cotton I had laying around and the denim I picked up at Joann's for $4/yd. I'll definitely make these again. You could also just use the skirt by itself or the shorts by themselves making this pattern a great one for the price.

Ruffled tank made using Simplicity 3513 View B. This isn't fabric I would have picked on my own but Miss B picked it out and I was obliged to use it. It did turn out cute and I do like the vintagy vibe of the fabric. Super easy pattern, this came together in just a few hours from cutting to finishing the last hem. The pattern calls for using a bias tape casing for that front gather but I just used elastic thread in my bobbin case and sewed a few lines of "smocking" to create the same effect. Super simple and much, much faster.

More fabric Miss B picked out and I do like this one. It is pink but not overkill. This one is the Oliver + S ruffle halter from the new Stitch magazine. This came together super quick and the construction is so cool! It may seem weird at first but just roll with it and it turns out perfectly. The pattern calls for leaving the edges of the ruffles unfinished with just a single row of stitching along the edge to prevent crazy fraying. I have to admit even controlled fraying sounds scary to me but I decided to throw caution to the wind and do like the pattern said. We'll see how it washes. I can see me making a few more of these. So cute and the perfect top for summer.

This is by far the most difficult thing I've ever sewn and I can't begin to tell you how proud I am of this shirt. I want one in my size! This is the Oliver + S music class blouse. I've been wanting to sew some Oliver + S patterns for such a long time but honestly the cost of them has prohibited me from doing so. I finally splurged and let me tell you that's the best pattern money that I've spent probably ever. Making this shirt was like having an intense sewing course right in my own home. I can't even begin to tell you how much I learned making this and how much confidence this gave me. The patterns are so detailed and easy to understand. They explain things so clearly and give you tips on how to improve the quality of your garment and tips on making difficult areas easier. This shirt took me several days to make but it was so worth it. Miss B is in love with it and would wear it every day if I let her. I'll definitely be making more and I'm sure they'll go much quicker now that I've made one. I made a size 6 which fits her perfectly except for the length. She's gotten so tall, so the next one I'll have to add an inch or so in length. And I included a little close up of the little neck label I made for the girls clothes.

And last but not least I made her the Ice Cream Dress also from Oliver + S. I used a gray oxford shirting I found at JoAnn's for $1.50 a yard and a Robert Kaufmann stripe that was impossible to resist from Sew Mama Sew. (It was on Clearance) The shirting was a little tricky to sew with as it had a tendency to fray like crazy, so unlike the cottons that I normally work with. But it turned out beautifully. Another amazing pattern and I could seriously rave for days about how great they are. I cut this dress out one evening and sewed it another evening, so all in all it took about 4 hours I think. Not too bad. Again, it'll go much faster now that I've already made one.

So, in review here are some things that I learned this week:

• I don't hate facings as much as I used to. We're still not friends but our relationship is "amicable".

• If you sew something wonky, take it out and resew... you'll be much happier with the end product if it's well done.

• Favorite new trick from Oliver + S patterns: Sew a basting line where folds are (ie: a hem line). This makes folding and ironing your hems a piece of cake and they turn out perfect every time. (Especially on curved areas!) It may take extra time but it's really worth it in the end.

• I love detailed patterns. Little pin tucks, gathers and pleats make me happy. Why? Not sure, maybe because it looks so much more professional and special.

• I can't wait to try again to make something for myself! Granted kids are just little cylinders with none of the fitting issues that us ladies have but still, I think I've learned a lot and hopefully it'll translate.

This has been a super long post and I promise I'm almost done but I wanted to thank everyone that left a comment on my last post. It was very hard to write and get out but I'm so glad that I did. Your kindness and positive energy has been so overwhelming and so very appreciated! It's forced me to look at myself differently and in a much more positive light. I know that I still have a way to go but it's so important for me to be able to show my girls that you can have self confidence at any size. So, thanks again, I love you all!

$1.50 Self Esteem Booster

2010-05-05T12:05:00.000-07:00

So, this is a big one for me. I don't post pictures of myself on the internet much, or really at all. I tend to hate pretty much all pictures of myself. You see, I have really horrible self esteem when it comes to my body. I've been on the heavier / curvier side almost my whole life and I've always hated it. Kid's on the bus tormented me in junior high and there were so many tears then and in high school and even sometimes now because I wish I looked different. I find that I'm constantly comparing myself to other, thinner, taller women and making myself miserable. I think I feel ten times bigger than I actually am. But, the older I get the more and more I'm realizing that life is just too damned short to be constantly wishing you were someone that you're not and unhappy with the way you look. I LOVE clothes and retro, vintage fashion but I'm horrible at dressing myself because it's hard to find vintage things that fit the way they should. I tend to just give up and resort back to my comfy pj's, looking frumpy and honestly that just makes me grumpy. I'm learning to embrace my faults and move on. I've got cellulite (oh, oodles of it) a flabby tummy from my beautiful babes, stretch marks galore and more curves than the law allows. There's nothing better than feeling good about yourself and I've decided that I need to devote more time to helping the inner me feel good about the outer me.

This adorable little shirt I scored at the Salvation Army for $1.50 is a really great step in the right direction. Seriously, isn't it so cute!? I feel so "kicky" today. I love the aqua gingham so much, it's perfect for spring and it fits me perfectly. All of the sewing for my girls this week has me so excited to sew some things for myself that actually fit. I've got so much confidence now in my sewing skills. I've taken the time to do some really honest measuring and analyzing of my body to figure out why I've failed in the past and how to adjust patterns to fit my shape moving forward. I've made a commitment to only buying used or handmade clothes or making them myself. I've spent way too much money in the past on cheap, cheaply made clothes that fall apart after two washes. Enough I say. Just writing this has made me feel a gazillion times better, sharing my faults and insecurities makes them seem less important in the grand scheme of life and I think that's just what I need.

May Flowers

2010-05-04T12:02:00.000-07:00

I'm a bit behind on sharing this with you. I had actually completely forgotten that we had entered a new month. Is it just me, or did April go by at super speed? Time, you need to slow down a bit so I can enjoy you a little more.

I thought this new flower medallion design was perfect for the May calendar and I had a request for red and teal which I was more than happy to go along with. Something bright, fresh and airy seemed like just the ticket. I hope you enjoy it!

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Also, I'd love ideas / requests for upcoming months. I'm going to try to knock a bunch out ahead of time so I don't forget again! :)

Kid's Clothes Tutorials and Inspiration

2010-05-04T06:58:00.001-07:00

Hi all! I'm deep in the thick of sewing for my kiddlets over here. Kid's Clothes Week doesn't officially kick off until next week but since I have two little girls to sew for I'm creating my own two week challenge. This week is being devoted to making clothes for my big girl, who's turning 6 next month. (Where does the time go!?) She's the challenging one because she's started forming her own opinions about what she likes to wear and what she "will get laughed at" for. It's sad that already at 6 there's peer pressure to have "cool clothes". I may be weird but I can't stand clothes with big giant brands on them or how on so many kid's items they slap licensed characters on them to appeal to the kids. It drives me nuts. I've noticed that really avoiding that stuff lately and just giving my girl basics, she's developing this awesome sense of style that's all her own. It's quirky and colorful and I love it! We've had numerous lengthy discussions about color choices and styles. I think the list of what I'm making should all be winners and I can't wait to share them with you at the end of the week!

I had originally planned to do a little roundup of some of the free tutorials that I've found lately but when I hopped over to the Elsie Marley blog yesterday she's done just that thing. And she's done it really beautifully! So, I thought I would just point you to her site for loads of gorgeous inspiration. Not just for girls but for boys too! So check it out and get inspired!

Craft Saturday and some Miscellaneous Thoughts

2010-05-03T07:49:00.001-07:00

I'm so behind in posting about this but I figure better late than never! I was honored to be able to participate in a super great craft show a few weekends ago in Des Moines, IA. It was my first ever show and I had such a great time that I'm so excited for future markets. Danelle (MonsterFashion) did such an amazing job of curating the show and it was nothing but high quality unique booths. Everyone was so nice and so much fun to talk to. Check out all of the amazing vendors here and I hope you'll take a look at each of their sites. I loved meeting everyone and it's so true that there's nothing that can replace that "face time". Working from home can be so isolating and being able to get out and actually talk with like-minded people was so refreshing. Here's a little look at what my booth looked like. I was really happy with how it turned out. It was super simple to set up and it felt like my house, just like I wanted it too. I think I'll stick with this general theme for the farmer's markets this summer just on a little larger scale.

Speaking of the markets, those of you that follow me on Twitter may have heard me complaining last week about my insurance woes. In order to participate in my local farmer's markets they require insurance to cover any accidents that may occur in a vendor booth. I've been having a heck of a time trying to find a company that will insure me. No one it seems wants to insure crafters that make things for kid's. This has something to do with the new super strict federal laws and it doesn't matter if I tell them that all of my items follow CPSIA guidelines, they just don't want to take the risk. I could go on and on about how ridiculous these new laws are but I'm honestly tired of thinking about it and just don't want to be negative. I think I may have finally found a local company that will insure me for the markets but this whole things has me thinking about what I make in general. I'm so happy with what I'm making right now, it all feels so right. The new laws will not begin to be enforced until next year so I have some time to continue what I'm doing. But, thinking ahead there may be a shift in some of the items I offer. Maybe I'll have doll / bib kits instead of the actual dolls and bibs, (Thanks Michelle for that amazing idea!) Behind the scenes for awhile I've been working on fabric designs and working on screen printing my own fabric for use in the items I make. I'm thinking soon I'll be listing some of the fabric for sale so we'll see how that goes. There are already so many amazingly talented fabric designers / printers out there that I'm a little scared to jump into that pool. I'm not really sure what the future holds and I'm not rushing to make any decisions. I've always just made what felt right to me at the moment and not made any solid plans. The shop has always evolved organically and really reflects my current passions and I really want to keep it that way. Just a little update on where my head is at these days.

In other news, I've begun my two week Kid's Clothes Challenge and I'm having an absolute blast! I'll try to share some tutorials I've found with you this week and some pics of finished clothes.

Happy Monday!

New Banners and Kid's Clothes Week

2010-04-29T11:52:00.001-07:00

In shop news, there are two new banners today. Check 'em out. I'll be listing more in the next few weeks, each with it's own color palette. I can also make custom ones for you based on colors of your choosing! Just send me a message and we'll work on something special just for you! Tomorrow is the last day I'll be listing new things for awhile, so I promise I won't bug you any more with shop talk for a bit. :)

I will however bug you quite a bit in the next few weeks about kid's clothes. The other night I was perusing the Wee Wonderfuls blog and she mentioned making plans for Kid's Clothes Week Challenge. This sounded like just the thing to get me motivated. Weeks ago when I purged and organized my office / studio I sorted all of the fabrics I've bought in the last few years into bins with each of the girls' names on them. I also threw the patterns I had been intending to use in the same bins to keep it all nice and organized. Then I put them back in the closet to be forgotten about. Ha.

So reading about the challenge helped get me motivated about the girls' summer wardrobes once again and I dug the bins back out. I purchased a few new patterns and I've been bookmarking kid clothes tutorials like a mad woman. I'm more than a little excited to use up all this beautiful fabric and save money by not having to buy oodles of new summer clothes. The challenge doesn't officially start until the second week of May but since I have two girls to sew for I thought I would get started next week. I'll focus on one girls wardrobe a week and see what happens. I hope to sneak a little sewing for myself in somewhere too but I won't get too far ahead of myself. I thought I would do some mini pattern reviews too as I go along and I'll try to share some links to some really great free tutorials I've found. This is going to be fun!

More Shop Talk

2010-04-28T09:37:00.000-07:00

I've just listed this new quilt in the shop. They're something I've been wanting to make for such a long time and I think the perfect thing to have for sale at some of the Farmer's Markets I'm doing this summer. I've got a few more in the works that I'll hopefully be able to list in the next week or two. I can't tell you how much I enjoy making them. It's quite a lot like painting with fabric. I love choosing the colors and arranging them with no particular pattern in mind. They turn out each so unique because I don't use a pattern. They just organically come into being as I sew and piece them together. To make them even more special I've been screen printing cotton blocks with some little illustrations that are then incorporated into the quilt. I've struggled with the price a lot. I want them to be worth my time but at the same want them to be affordable. After all, I want them to be adopted and loved. That's what they're for. We'll see how it goes...

Also, if you haven't had the chance check out the new prints, bibs and toys that I added to the shop earlier in the week. There will be a few more things tomorrow and Friday as well to round out this massive update.

I'll be back later today or tomorrow to talk kid's clothes!

Shop Talk

2010-04-26T11:48:00.000-07:00

I had originally planned on having one big, huge shop update today but I'm now going to space it out throughout the week, for a few reasons. One, these April showers are not making picture taking easy and two, there's just so much new stuff, to try to get it all listed in a day is just nuts. So, I'll be listing something new everyday. Today there's two new screen prints and some new dolls and dogs. The photo is another tiny peek at something that will be making its way into the shop this week. I hope you'll stop by for a visit!

Oh and hop over to my shop on PapernStitch for a special treat!

Winners and a Tiny Peek

2010-04-20T07:05:00.000-07:00

And the winners are...

Pulled at random from a hat by my 5 year old...Blueberry Park and Meghan have both won a 5x7 print of choice from my shop. Thank you so much everyone who shared a recipe or favorite spring / summer food. I am so excited to try all of these yummy recipes!

In other news there will be a big shop update next Monday April 26th. I'll try to share little sneak peeks this week of some of the new things that will be included in the update. Here's the very first tiny peek...

Inspired Mondays

2010-04-19T07:50:00.001-07:00

This week I'm so very inspired by the beautiful Etsy shop Lila Ruby King. I tweeted about this gorgeous jewelry last week and couldn't resist sharing it with you again. If the name and style of work seems familiar you'd be right. This is a sister shop to Anna Ruby King ! I've been a huge fan of her gorgeous illustrations and Gocco prints for ages and I was so delighted that she'd forayed into jewelry. Her jewelry has the same organic yet whimsical quality that I love about her illustrations and they play beautifully together. I think I may have to treat myself to an early mother's day present...

In other news, I'm keeping the comments open on the giveaway until tonight. I'll announce the winners tomorrow. If you have a chance check out the entries. There are some amazing looking recipes!

Craft Saturday was a blast and I'm so excited to do more shows in the future. I really wasn't sure if I was going to like doing it as I'm pretty shy and have a hard time working up the courage to talk to new people. But, everyone was incredibly fun and friendly and doing something a little out of my comfort zone was just the thing I needed to boost my self-esteem. It wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it would be! After seeing how amazingly talented all of the vendors were I was even more honored to be a part of such a great show. I'll be sharing some of their links with you sometime this week and some pictures of my setup.

Hope this week is starting off well with all of you!

New Necklace

2010-04-13T13:07:00.000-07:00

This week has been "trying" to say the least and my dears, it's only Tuesday. So today I needed a little pick-me-up. I showered and actually got dressed in something other than "comfy clothes" and just that little step has made a world of difference. Yesterday afternoon this beautiful necklace arrived and I knew it was just the thing to help beautify my world today. It's a custom embroidered necklace by Corinne of September House. (shop here) I wish I could get a better photo but it's insanely hard to take a photo of something around your own neck, haha! (Disclosure: I did get a better photo but it was mostly boob so I opted not to post that one :) The stitching is tiny and oh so perfect. It was such a pleasure opening the beautiful packaging and an even bigger pleasure to put this beauty around my neck. I hope you'll stop by Corinne's shop and pick up something lovely for yourself.