Kitschy Stitchy Kits

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

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

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

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

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

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...

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?