Glass Beach

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-19T23:54:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays to all my crafty pals out there on the Interwebs! Isn't this such an appropriate pic for the season? It's my entry for Lisa's U-Handblog Extreme Sewing Contest. I'm sitting amidst our big outdoor Christmas decoration. It is a 27-foot pole strung with strings of green and white lights to form a tree shape and decorated with blow-mold lawn ornaments. Sadly, I didn't know about this contest when we had the scaffolding out to set up the tree or I would have had a much more extreme entry!

I hope you all have a lovely holiday season and see you next year!!

My Hand is Back!

2009-12-07T18:47:00.000-08:00

First: thank you so much for all your kind words about my hand - your thoughts meant a lot to me!

Second: my hand is all better! I had a wonderful plastic surgeon who performed the grafts on my hand and I have full mobility back! And while getting work done on my hand isn't what my vanity would have picked as a project for a plastic surgeon, I can do all the things I used to - like type quickly and sew and spin. And even cook (SAFELY) with hot oil. My hand will never look exactly the same but now I have some Rorschach Test shapes across my knuckles to keep me amused.

It's been lovely to get back to sewing. My pal, Alizah, had her jewelry show this weekend and I sneaked some wares onto her coffee table. For the show I made up some Notepad Portfolios that tickle me immensely.

I'm old-school and like to make lists on paper. My coat pocket is perpetually filled with dog-eared lists and reminders. Now I can keep all the clutter in a cute portfolio!

The interior has one big pocket, 2 credit card sized pockets and a pen pocket. A regular 8" x 5" note-pad slips in on the right side. My crafty mom sent me some padding compound a few months ago and I'm going to make some custom note-pads for menu planning and grocery shopping. The Portfolios that didn't sell this weekend have been reserved for Christmas gifts, but I hope make some more and have them in my shop in the near future. But I can't think of a cute name for them. Any ideas?

Again, thank you for all your kind words and I hope you have a wonderful holiday season!

Channelling Nicholas Cage

2009-07-08T10:30:00.000-07:00

That's what I've been doing lately - channelling a very specific moment in Nic Cage's oeuvre. And while it would be hilarious to be him in Valley Girl or Raising Arizona, the specific moment I'm thinking of is this:

It's Ronny in Moonstruck, yelling, "I LOST MY HAND!!"

[Here is the clip if you want to see Nic in action. I wish I were a better blogger and knew how to embed videos]

A few weeks ago I had a small accident in my kitchen and spilled very hot oil across my right hand. I ended up with 3rd degree burns, a heavily bandaged hand, and a big scorch mark on my kitchen floor. Along with the myriad other things I've been unable to do, I haven't been able to sew, spin or knit for almost a month. It's been so sad.

But things are looking up! I'm scheduled for a skin graft tomorrow which should help my hand's mobility and I'm hoping to get back to my crafting in the near future.

My friends and family have been terrifically supportive and helpful through all of this. The kidlings have done a great job picking up the slack. They also made me puppets to put over my bandaged paw:

They made puppets for my different moods - this one is "Silly." Although "Tired and Grumpy" seems to have been permanently attached to my face lately, I'm putting in a request for a "Relieved and Expectant" puppet now that recovery is in sight.

I think I have to go rent "Moonstruck" to watch while I'm healing...

Giveaway Day Winner!

2009-06-01T08:14:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone (all 461 of you!) for entering my giveaway! Without further ado, the winning comment number is:

Cindy who said,

"I was Smurfette one year, way back, when the Smurfs were popular. It was a lot of fun."

And, again, thank you so much to everyone who participated. Reading about your costumes made me laugh and cry. So many of you have such happy memories of your mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers or grandparents making costumes for you. And I relished hearing about all the costumes you've made for your own children or siblings. Thank you so much for sharing them with me!

And thanks again to Sew, Mama Sew! for organizing another excellent Giveaway Day!

Giveaway Day - Quilting Kit

2009-05-26T15:59:00.000-07:00

Happy Giveaway Day!

For Sew, Mama, Sew's Giveaway Day, I put together this little Quilting Kit:

It includes:

*Scraps from about 50 different fabrics

*2 spools of 100% cotton hand quilting thread

*A measuring tape

*10 quilting needles (Size 10 betweens) in a wooden holder

*An off-hand thimble

*A 12 inch by 14 inch project bag I made with a thrifted sheet, using Betz White's Tutorial

Here's a better view of some of the fabrics. These were culled from my frightfully large scrap box. The scraps range in size from 4 inches by 4 inches up to 10 inches by 26 inches. Most are 100% cotton and most have not been pre-washed.

So how can you win this cute bag of goodies? By leaving a comment answering the following question:

"What was your favorite Halloween costume?"
(It can be a costume you wore or one you made for someone else)
Edited to add: I apologize to international folks for forgetting Halloween is not a world-wide holiday. Just leave a comment about any costume you've enjoyed!)

And what does this have to do with quilting? Sorting my scraps reminded me of a costume my very crafty mom made for me: The Patchwork Girl of Oz. Much to my dismay, none of my classmates knew of this obscure character and assumed I was Raggedy Ann. My mom, being the cool mom that she is, probably foresaw this possibility but still indulged me and put in a lot of effort to make me a costume no one would recognize. Thanks, Mommy!

On June 1, I will select a winner at random from all the comments telling me about a costume left between May 27 and May31. I will also pay for shipping charges (either domestic or international).

Thanks very much to Sew, Mama, Sew for organizing this and be sure to go check out all the other participants here and here!

Tutorial: Hemming Cloth Napkins

2009-05-21T17:25:00.000-07:00

Last month, I sewed up several sets of cloth napkins for my oldest daughter's "Green Team" Earth Day Fair.

The napkins were a fast and easy way to reduce my fabric stash, so I thought I'd share this tutorial with other fabric addicts to help reduce both their stash and their trash! These napkins are cute and casual with tidy mitered corners. There are lots of other good napkin tutorial out there. I adapted techniques from this tutorial to make my napkins.

MATERIALS

*Prewashed cotton fabric
*Clear ruler
*Water soluble fabric marker
*Awl or seam ripper
*Rotary cutter
*Pins
*Scissors

Not pictured
*Cutting Mat
*Rotary Cutting Ruler
*Iron
*Sewing Machine
*Thread to match (or contrast, if you're so inclined) your napkins

CUT OUT YOUR NAPKINS

The napkin pictured above is a 12 inch square. This technique uses a 1/2 inch hem allowance so my finished napkin is an 11 inch square. Feel free to change your dimensions as dictated by your napkin needs. I recommend using a rotary cutter, but scissors will due in a pinch.

MARK THE HEM ALLOWANCE

Using the water soluble fabric pen and the clear ruler, mark a line 1/2 inch in from the edge. Repeat on all sides of the napkin.

CLIP THE CORNERS

To reduce bulk when you miter the corners, clip the corners using the marks you just made as the start and ending points of your cut.

PRESS THE HEM PART I

Carefully fold the edge of the fabric up to the marked line and press with a hot iron. Repeat on all sides.

MITER THE CORNERS

Now it's time for the fun part: mitering the corners.

At one corner, open up the fold on Side B.

Carefully fold Side A along the marked line, enclosing the raw edge.

Fold the corner down, lining up the folded edge from Side A with the marked line on Side B. I found my awl very helpful for the following maneuvers because I've got chunky fingers. If you don't have an awl, a seam ripper works well, too.

Refold Side B to the marked line, making sure to keep your corner folds tidy. Again, I would have been lost without my awl to help with this.

Finally, fold Side B along the marked line, enclosing the raw edge. Isn't that a pretty miter?

Pin the miter in place.

PRESSING THE HEM PART II

Continue around the napkin, mitering the corners and folding along the marked line to finish the hem. I like to press the hem again after the final fold, although if I'm in a slap-dash mood, I'll just pin the final hem in place. You can also try pressing both hem folds before mitering the corners. It didn't work out so well for me because the extra folds interfered with my miters but you may have much more nimble fingers than I do and end up with great results.

SEWING THE HEM

Starting in the middle of a side, begin top-stitching the hem. I stitch about 1/8 inch from the fold.

SEWING THE CORNERS

Keeping the miter in place while sewing it is a bit fiddly.

Hopefully you can see how I use my awl to keep the miter in place while it moves closer to the sewing machine needle.

Sew until your needle makes its first entry into the miter. Leave the needle in the fabric and pivot the napkin.

Here's my awl, again. This time it's gently pushing the fabric under the presser foot until there is enough fabric for the feed dogs to do their job. Be very careful, though, to keep your awl or seam ripper away from your sewing machine needle. My awl strayed too close once and the sewing machine needle shattered. (Stray bits of needle can really spoil a nice spaghetti dinner.)

Here's what the miter looks like from the back.

And here it is from the front.

Continue sewing around the napkin until you reach the beginning of your stitching, make a few back stitches, clip your threads and you're done!

Here are some of the sets I made for the Earth Day Fair:

And here is the pledge my daughter wrote for her Green Team:

I promise now,
I make my pledge,
To turn off lights
And do what's right.
We encourage now
The human race
To make the world
A better place.

Let me know if this tutorial worked for you or if you have any questions. And Happy Belated Earth Day!

Crocuses and Cuteness

2009-05-06T10:55:00.000-07:00

On those abysmally rare occasions when I'm weeding my yard, I love the thrill of finding a little crocus peeking out of a forgotten corner. Well, I found some little crafting crocuses in the corner of my notions box and I had some very cute, albeit slightly wonky, results!

But first, I have to show you cutest pin cushion ever:

It arrived unannounced in my mailbox a while back. The lovely Liz, of madeinlowell, makes these pin cushions as well as a multitude of other amazing wares. Thank you so much, Liz!!

Back to my metaphorical crocuses. First I found some metal purse frames that I bought months and month ago and promptly forgot about. I made this little clutch for my pal, Alizah:

I used Lisa Lam's most excellent tutorial to make the pattern and attach the frame.

Lisa's tutorial is terrific, but I discovered that I'm seriously adhesive impaired. I felt like I was in a Marx Brothers movie with glue and paper and bits of thread sticking to me, all the while yelling at the glue to behave. But I eventually got it together and I think Alizah likes it!

I also found some bobby pin blanks and cover-your-own-buttons and made these bobby pins with scraps from my gargantuan scrap box:

I sold most of them a Alizah's trunk show. They were such a hit that I think I'll make more.

I've also been flirting with Twitter, lately. I have yet to tweet but I love reading other people's posts. Do you have any Follow suggestions or Twitter tips or hints? I'm still flummoxed by hashes and @s and the like. I added a Twitter button over there on the side bar which I hope works...

Happy Spring!

"The Envelope, Please"

2009-03-06T12:12:00.000-08:00

I love award shows with all of the pomp and statuettes and really big envelopes (and accountants in tuxes guarding those big envelopes). And yet, I missed the Oscars this year. Again. Since I've had kids, though, I've managed to miss most of the nominated movies every year and am not emotionally invested in the outcome. [Note: I am always emotionally invested in Oscar Fashions and find Go Fug Yourself to be invaluable for my Red Carpet fix.]

But, really, all this envelope talk is just my goofball way of introducing my Envelope Wallets:

I'd gotten a few requests for a wallet larger than my 3 Pocket Flip Wallets but smaller than my Passport Wallets. "Easy Peasy!" I thought. Well, countless prototypes later, I finally came up with a design I like.

It's really just a mash-up of my other wallets but I had the hardest time wrapping my head around the design. I also had fits about which interfacing to use. My final design ended up using 3 different weights. The one pictured above uses a sheet I got at the thrift store. Yay, upcycling! I think I'm going to try using more upcycled fabrics.

These three are now listed in my shop and I hope to make some more in the near future.

I've also gotten some questions about the pattern for this wallet. I've been thinking of self publishing some of my patterns...do any of you know how to go about this?

ps Sometimes I practice an Oscar acceptance speech in my head...

Crafty Badger

2009-02-16T11:04:00.000-08:00

One of the best Christmas gifts at our house last year was the game, Crafty Badger. My husband and the oldest kidling bought it for the youngest kidling and it's our new favorite game:

It's made by the German toy company, Haba, and I'm in love with the metal suitcases and the cheeky wooden Badger. The game involves packing for a trip in the midst of reoccurring badger attacks, wherein said badger dumps out a suitcase at your feet and you have to repack the clothes. A rather surreal scenario, I must admit, unless sneaky badger attacks on unattended luggage is common in Germany. But we all love yelling "BADGER!!" when the little badger face turns up on the die. And, again, those little metal suitcases are the cutest!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-13T10:54:00.000-08:00

I made Valentines this year for the first time in a long while! They are little felt heart pins and I think they turned out quite cute, if I say so myself.

The pins came about through a harmonic convergence of the perfect project and materials I already had on hand. I got a lovely stack of felt squares via Jenn's blog a long time ago. The squares sat sadly in my craft closet until I found Purl Bee's Valentine Pin Tutorial. The project was fun, fast and easy. I also got to spend some quality time with my pinking shears (which as a serious sewist, I'm embarrassed to admit I've never used).

I mounted each pin on a little card and sent them off to some of the special women in my life - family, friends, the kidlings' teachers and some of my crafty heroines. I even managed to save one for myself.

I hope you have a wonderful Valentine's Day!!

Passport Wallet Instructions

2009-01-05T19:45:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

While I have some pics and musings to share about my holiday, on the top of my Big List of Things to Accomplish This Year is making available the instructions to the Adorn Magazine Passport Wallet I designed a while ago. Sadly, Adorn folded sometime last year, so the instructions are no longer available. I've gotten several inquiries about the instructions and I finally typed up them up.

And here they are:

Passport Wallet Instructions (PDF)

UPDATE (February 21, 2010)

The Adorn site has finally closed down and I fortunately have a copy of the pattern piece templates (many thanks to my husband for helping me figure that out!). I have also updated the link in the sidebar if you'd like to use that one instead. Here are pattern pieces:

Passport Wallet Pattern Templates (PDF)

The instructions are a very basic PDF document with no graphics or photographs (concepts way beyond my ken). I modified the instructions I wrote for the magazine, so hopefully they are clear and easy to follow. Please leave me a comment if you have any questions about the instructions and I'll do my best to help you out.

Converting a document to a PDF and figuring out where to store it was all new to me, so I went to my bag-making/craft business guru, Lisa, at U-handblog and CraftBoom and she, of course, had all the information I needed.

Whew! I'm glad to have that checked off my Big List! And because I always like blog posts with pictures, here's one my favorite passport wallets I made last year:

The Winner!

2008-12-08T18:04:00.000-08:00

Thank you so much to everyone who participated in Give-Away Day! I was utterly floored to receive so many comments and thoughtful answers to my "Best Prize" question. But first, the winner!

Because of the high number of comments, I had to forgo my original plan of pulling slips of paper out of a hat, so I used random.org and had the eldest kidling push the select button. And the winner...

Threaded Basil! I'll email you for your address to send off your padded pouch! Yay!!

I loved reading all of your comments. One of the most touching and frequent answer to my question was the prize of spouses or children. Ingrid's champion spaghetti eating son made me laugh and laugh.

Thanks again to everyone who played and shared with me!! You're all winners in my book (was that to schmaltzy?)

Today is Give-Away Day!

2008-12-02T16:52:00.000-08:00

One of my absolute favorite blogs, Sew, Mama, Sew, has declared today Give-Away Day! I slipped my blog in just under the wire to participate.

Here's how it works. Today, lots and lots of crafty bloggers are all giving away something hand crafted or items to aid and abet a hand-crafter. You can enter to win by leaving a comment on their individual blogs. I love this idea because it's always cool to win something but even cooler to find crafty blogs!

Here is my give-away item. It's the first of my Padded Pouches:

I am especially charmed by the interior:

I'm a sucker for a good stripe.

Unlike my other pouches, this pouch is a little smaller and padded with cushy fleece. It's got a cozy feel and the fleece adds some extra protection for anything delicate that lives in the pouch. I'll be adding this pouch to my shop later today.

To win this pouch, leave a comment answering this question:

"What is the greatest prize you've ever won?"

Post your comment by 7:00 pm (PST) on Friday, December 5th, and my random number picker (ie, whichever kidling is closest to me at picking time) will select the winner. I'll ship off the pouch early next week and pay for domestic or international shipping.

Thanks for playing and go check out some other blogs!

Whatcha been up to?

2008-11-17T15:21:00.000-08:00

Hmm, I've been up to a variety of stuff lately - and as you can tell by the vast amount of time since my last post - none of which has been blogged. I think I have to admit to myself that I'm a sporadic blogger. (Ooh, I'm going to name my next band "Sporadic Blogger"!)

Lots of October was taken up with our annual Skeleton Theatre project. My husband and some of his friends build animatronic skeletons which perform on Halloween and the night following. This year was "Pirates of the Scary Beings" with 4 skeletons, a parrot, a huge talking skull and 2 pirate ships in our front yard. Chris wrote an original script, hired some of his actor friends to do the voices and once the electrics dried out from a Seattle deluge, we had quite a show! Along with my cooking duties, this year I was costume mistress and tooth creator.

Two of the pirates are of the dandy variety, so we got some coats from the thrift store and I fancified them with lots of gold trim and hot melt glue (Crafting note: do not listen to David Sedaris while working with hot melt glue - burned fingertips are the inevitable result of this ill-fated mixture!). Here's the finished result:

That's Captains Black and Blue. They are the evil pirates. To see a little behind the scenes, check out this lovely write-up from my favorite local news blog.

Once Skeleton Theatre finished up, I played around with my new loom! My sister scored an Easy Weaver loom at a thrift store and gave it to me for an early birthday present. Thanks, Cam! It took a little time, 3 books from the library and some googling, but I finally managed to weave a fairly presentable scarf!

I started with this poorly dyed (and photographed) roving I did in the crock pot:

Spun it into this sloppy yarn:

Had a blast weaving it on my Easy Weaver:

And ended up with this scarf:

I'm amazed. Colors that looked so wan and icky as roving and yarn blend so well once woven. I'm very pleased with my scarf and itching to warp my loom again.

The Winner!

2008-09-15T17:10:00.000-07:00

Yay, I have a winner for my "Pouches-A-Plenty" Giveaway! Thank you to all who entered. I have to admit to a bout of hostess stress when I announced it - "What if nobody enters?" I loved everybody's "P" words, too. They made me hungry and delighted all at once.

So with the help of my randomizer (aka the youngest kidling):

My winner is Sue! I'll be contacting you so I can send off your prize!

And here's a pouch update:

It's my "Retro Kitchen" set. Aren't they cute and kitschy? I'll have some more updates later in the week.

Thanks again to everyone who entered my little contest!!

Project Pouches-A-Plenty

2008-09-09T21:01:00.000-07:00

Hurray! My sewing experiment has been so much fun and as a result I have a nice passel of pouches for my shop!

I decided to focus on pouches because they are small and quick to sew - qualities of high appeal to someone having a bout of creative attention deficit disorder. My goal is to list something new everyday for the rest of September. We'll see if I can maintain my creative burst of energy.

To celebrate my plethora of pouches, I'm having a Project Pouches-A-Plenty give-away!

The rules:
1. Leave a comment for this post by Saturday, September 13
2. Indulge my word geekiness by including your 3 favorite words that start with the letter "P"

I'll pick the winner at random on Sunday, September 14.

The prize:

It's the first in my Circle Pouch collection. It's the perfect size for those little things that rattle around your purse.

I'm also excited about the first Project Pouch that I'm putting in my shop today:

It's a simplified version of my Flare Clutch but it can still qualify as a gussied up pouch, can't it?

So go ahead and leave a comment to enter the give-away and I'll leave you with my favorite movie quote populated with a prodigious amount of "P"s:

"Waiter, there is too much pepper in my paprikash. But I would pleased to partake of your pecan pie."
-Harry Albright in "When Harry Met Sally"

Riding the Pendulum

2008-08-29T14:08:00.000-07:00

First off, thank you for all the kind comments about my Training Wheels post. The youngest kidling will be starting school this coming Wednesday and I'll let you know how we do. I have a feeling I'll be the one in need of kleenex and a big hug.

So, for the 2 of you who regularly check my shop (Hi Mom, Hi Cam!!!), you may have noticed a distinct lack of anything new for, lo, these many months. Part of that is due to life stuff (and to what Chris aptly calls my spinning addiction) but I think a lot of it was because I burned myself out.

I have ideas for new products all the time, but when I'd sit down to plan and prototype, I'd get caught up with the minutiae of long-term production - "How can I most efficiently cut this out multiple times?" or "How will I stream-line sewing?" - and my eyes would glaze over and I'd wander off to rustle up a snack. These are very important considerations and my business model has served me well, but I've decided to take a break from it and just create stuff for fun, even if I'm only making it once or twice.

So I'll be spending the month of September swinging my sewing pendulum over to the more creative side and see how many new items I can dream up. Actually, I've already started and finished this last night:

I'm even considering a little give-away to celebrate! So check back sometime after Labor Day for details. And I'll also try and do a few blog updates about my little experiment.

One last thing, I want to give a very very belated congratulations to my bag-making buddy, JPAT for being a Featured Seller on Etsy last month. You go, girl!! Check her out - her wares are lovely!

Little House in the Big...'Burbs

2008-08-23T17:25:00.000-07:00

I've always been a huge fan of the "Little House" books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. My mom read them to us everyday while we ate lunch. I remember wishing that we could eat roasted pig tail, have a pig bladder for a balloon and that my dad would find an old wooden stump to turn into a smoke house. I was also impressed that Laura's only plaything was a corn cob wrapped in a piece of flannel (I continue to be impressed with that whenever I look out at the vast array of toys and trinkets spread throughout our house). Laura and her family were the epitome of DIY before DIY was cool!

Anyways, I've been trying to muster up some of that pioneer spirit lately. First off, I bought a bread machine the local Goodwill. Now, I know that a true pioneer would make her own bread from scratch, but trust me, I am the worst bread-maker in the world. I couldn't even call myself a bread-maker as much as a rock-baker. So it's been a treat for us to have home-made bread on a regular basis. Chris has requested sour dough bread next. Does anyone have a good recipe for sour dough starter?

I've also been getting more into dying my own wool for spinning. I've dabbled with dying in the microwave but I wanted to work with larger amounts of wool, so I got a crock-pot at Goodwill to dedicate to dying. Here's the one I bought:

I LOVE this one because it reminds me of the one we had when I was growing up. Actually, I think this avocado green one may match the crock-pot that replaced the mustard yellow one that someone (who shall remain nameless) put over a hot burner instead of using the heating element, thereby creating one of the most hilarious and smelly plastic messes my childhood kitchen ever saw. But I digress. Here is some of the wool I've dyed in the crock-pot:

And I've been spinning it with my new spinning wheel!

I did not get my wheel at Goodwill. It's made by a small, local company called Fricke. It's a single treadle, scotch tension, 5 ratio bundle of fun. It is a less expensive wheel than most out there but it spins wonderfully and I'm tickled with its small foot print and minimalist look. It was a gift from my wonderful parents (and really, I can use a spinning wheel far more than I could use a smoke-house made from an old stump). Here's some of the crock-pot wool spun up:

The other evening I had some wool simmering in the crock-pot, some bread baking in the machine, and my spinning wheel humming along and I felt a little like a modern pioneer in the 'burbs.

ps I've been doing some sewing, too!

In addition to sewing for my shop, I've been working on a submission for One Yard Wonders!

Laramie, Wyoming

2008-07-31T17:48:00.000-07:00

Hey there!
Can you see me through all the dust and cobwebs around here? Next time I'll try and remember to put down some dust covers or something before I take such a long and abrupt hiatus! I meant to post a little "Gone Fishing" note before I left on my extended vacation but life got a little away from me...

I just got back from my annual driving trek from Seattle to San Diego and back. We had lots of fun at the beach, various amusement parks, fairs and the like (including actual (albeit fruitless) fishing!). But right before I was to start the drive to San Diego, I got the very sad news that my grandmother passed away and I made a whirlwind visit to Colorado and Wyoming to attend her service.

My grandmother was 103, so while her passing wasn't that much of a surprise, it was very sad. Her name was Low Shee Hing. I called her "DoPo," which is Chinese for "Maternal Grandmother." She was born in southern China and came to the US as a mail-order bride. She and my grandfather ("Do Goong") eventually settled in Laramie, Wyoming and Do Goong opened the Paris Cafe.

The Paris Cafe closed when I was a baby, but the stories about it from my aunties, uncles and cousins are myriad. The Paris is now a real estate office but the bakery next door is the same from the Paris days. Mom remembers a window between the two establishments where they could pass freshly baked rolls back and forth. The grainy picture above is a photo of a photo I took at the Bakery.

It was very special to visit Laramie again with my family. I have many happy memories of visits there. Some of my favorite memories are eating Kentucky Fried Chicken at Dopo's table with all the aunties and uncles and cousins, listening to the mix of english and chinese along with the aunties' cackling laughter. I also remember making rubbings of DoPo's plastic lace tablecloth and wavy plastic carpet protectors - such things could only be found at DoPo's house.

DoPo was also a remarkable seamstress. She sewed all of her clothes from her own patterns. Mom told me that DoPo could look at a garment in a store and then go home and recreate it from memory. I'm sure my love of sewing is due to the influence of my Mom and DoPo.

I've told the kidlings that when they have their own children, I'd like to be called "DoPo." I hope that I'll be able to pass on some of the love, creativity and tradition I was lucky enough to get from my DoPo. Thank you for everything, DoPo, and ho ho chan!

Farewell to the Training Wheels

2008-06-09T19:32:00.000-07:00

{Today’s crafty post has been pre-empted by long parental musings. Regular craftiness will resume momentarily.}

A few weekends ago, we took the training wheels off the youngest kidling’s bike and she’s utterly enamored with biking – crowing with delight as she zips down hills and taking the inevitable falls with equanimity. As I ride behind her, watching her sit tall in her little saddle with her legs joyfully pumping, I’ve made the bittersweet realization that it’s not only her bike that no longer has training wheels, but her life and, in a sense, my life too.

This is what I mean: The youngest kidling just finished up her last year of pre-school and will head off to Kindergarten in the fall. She’s had four wonderful years of learning how to share, listen, inquire, make friends and make messes. She’s excited to go on to the big adventure of elementary school and I hope she approaches the ups and downs of school with as much joyful crowing and equanimity as she does biking.

Extending the training wheels metaphor to myself took a little bit more emotional untangling. When formulating our plan to have and (more importantly) to raise children, Chris and I decided that I’d stay home with them until the youngest started school. And with the help of our supportive parents, we’ve been fortunate enough to make that happen. So for the past 7 years, I’ve been the primary care giver for our daughters (because of Chris’ very demanding work schedule, we can go ahead a put an added emphasis on “primary”).

While they are terrific kids and frequently hilarious companions, I must admit to sometimes feeling as if the kidlings are tethered to me like a set of training wheels – and you don’t have a lot of maneuverability or speed with training wheels. But with both of them going to school full-time in the fall, my return to a metaphorically two-wheeled life is on the near horizon, a thought that fills me with both joy and trepidation. I’m thrilled at the prospect of more time to myself, but I worry I haven’t done enough to prepare them for school and life. I’m also not quite sure what my life will look like when they go back to school. I have some very vague and some very definite plans for what I’d like to do, but I’m bound to feel pretty wobbly for a bit, readjusting to my two wheels.

And so I bid a fond and bittersweet farewell to the training wheels…and look forward to the wobbles to come.

I'm a Find!

2008-05-16T08:57:00.000-07:00

I woke up the other day to a convo from the lovely Steph, letting me know that my Passport Wallet is an Etsy Find!

For the uninitiated, Etsy disperses news/how-to's/style commentary from its Storque site and often selects sellers to feature. I'm thrilled to get mentioned!

Now I need to focus on my weekend plans:
-Mow the lawn
It'll be the first time this year, so I'm expecting it to be like the jungle in "Romancing the Stone" sans a young Michael Douglas with a machete. Bummer.

-Photograph shoulder bags, flip wallets, pouches
Yay, the weather folk are finally predicting sun!

-Take the kidlings to see "Busytown" at the Children's Theatre
For the third time (but I love it just as much as they do).

-Sort my scraps

-Sew a bunch of stuff

-Rent "Romancing the Stone"
Hey, do you remember an old movie called "Napoleon and Samantha" with an itty-bitty Jodie Foster and my childhood heart-throb, Johnny Whittaker, and an old circus lion? I got it from the library the other day to show the kidlings and Michael Douglas played a poli-sci student (or "hippie") who saved the day. The movie was much more surreal than I remember.

What are you doing this weekend?

New Passport Wallets

2008-05-08T14:05:00.000-07:00

Yay, some of my new superbuzzy fabric is now a passport wallet called "Happy Map"!

Here's the interior:

The youngest kidling picked out the orange dotty fabric. She's developing a great eye for color! My favorite thing about the main fabric is the little quotes, like "Without a purpose, being free, to please myself, it seems the time stops." I love non-American English syntax.

Here's another new Passport Wallet:

My friend, Laurie, put together most of these fabrics for a custom order passport wallet and I like them so much, I put her design into production. Here's the inside:

These will go into the shop today and tomorrow, plus I have some new flip wallets to photograph. Oh, and those new shoulder bags, too. I hope my Seattle sky can stay clear for the next few days!!

My Own Project Runway (I think)

2008-05-02T17:42:00.000-07:00

True confession: I've never seen Project Runway. I caught about 30 seconds once. It looked like someone was rushing in from the Dry Cleaners. I mean to watch it, but we don't have cable and I keep forgetting to put it on hold at the library. I don't what my problem is because it sounds like my kind of show.

Anyways, this is a boring introduction to my pronouncement of May as my personal Project Runway month. This month I'm going to make myself some clothes. I'm tired of looking like I threw on whatever was lying on my closet floor (which is how I actually pick my daily ensembles) and I hate shopping for clothes with the intensity of a white hot sun. Especially with 2 kids in tow - someday, if we ever meet in person, I'll tell you the story of trying on bras at Target with both kidlings in the dressing room. Hilarious and far too mortifying to discuss here. So I figure turning clothes acquisition into a craft is my best bet.

And the Interwebs have aligned to encourage me in my endeavor! A few nights ago, as I ordered this from Amazon

photo courtesy of amazon.com

Sew, Mama, Sew! announced their Women's Clothing Month! They are even having a Sew-Along which I'm excited for, especially since I missed their Quilt-Along.

So it was all meant to be. I'll try and post some updates and photos (if I don't look too freakishly strange) throughout the month. Wish me luck!

That's A Relief!

2008-04-30T20:35:00.000-07:00

I've had a handbag design floating around my brain for months. I think the original sketch is on the back of one of the kidling's art projects. I made a prototype a month or two ago and was so discouraged I gave up.

Then my friend, Alizah, invited me to sell some bags at her jewelry show. I dusted off my miscellaneous scribbles and finally pushed the design out of my head and through the sewing machine so I could have some new bags to sell at her show. Chris likens this to when we throw one of our extremely rare dinner parties and I decide to make something I've never made before that usually involves a technique I've never tried or perhaps lighting something on fire (Hey Mom, remember that time I singed off part of my eyebrows making Steak Hong Kong?).

Anyways, here's my latest Shoulder Bag Design:

I'm pleased with how they turned out, although I might tweak the closure system for the next iterations. I'm so relieved to have the design out of my head. Sometimes the knocking got a little deafening. Several of these bags will be in my Etsy shop eventually, once I've taken pictures and come up with a better name than "Shoulder Bag." Any suggestions?

Happy Street

2008-04-24T12:20:00.000-07:00

Here's some cuteness I got in the mail yesterday:

I've already made up some little stories in my head about the adventures of Hedgie, Woolie the Sheep and their flock of chicks. The Happy Street Fabric is destined to become Passport Wallets, because isn't Happy Street what we're looking for when we're traveling?

I got these fabrics from Super Buzzy, one of my favorite on-line fabric sources. They are having a big Spring Cleaning Sale that I found out from my new favorite site, True Up. True Up is all about fabric. It highlights manufacturers, designers, self-printing options and sales. I love indulging my fabric geekiness there, although my PayPal account has felt its effects!

I'm getting ready to sell my bags at my friend Alizah's house this weekend. She has lovely jewelry so I'm planning on adding to my earring collection. I've been trying to figure out if I have time to include Hedgie and Co. in some new wallets...

P.S. Some of my things got a little blog action! My Owls of Athena Passport Wallet got a mention at Blue Orchid Design, and my Retro Blue Dots Brooch Clusters made it into a terrific collection of retro items at smashingmagazine.com. Yay!

The Sad Truth About My Head

2008-04-21T18:36:00.000-07:00

I've noticed a disturbing trend - so many of my blog posts open with sentences following this pattern:

"[Insert quaint non-expletive exclamation], I didn't mean to take [Insert embarrassingly long span of time] between posts, but I've been busy with [Insert random life occurrences]!"

I must try and break this habit. After this post.

Let's play a game. I'll make a list of Inserts and you can come up with an opening sentence for this post. Here we go:

Quaint non-expletive exclamations:
Darn
Dang
Golly
Gee Whiz
Sweet Kitty
Cripes
Jiminy Cricket

Embarrassingly long spans of time:
A week
A fortnight
A month
A year
An eon

Random life occurrences (based on true events)
Jury Duty
Tax Preparation
Family members struck with colds, stomach flu and strep throat
Organizing the Elementary School Carnival
Teaching an Etsy Workshop
Teaching at the YMCA
A Spring Break trip to Olympic Penninsula
Briefly walking next to Danny DeVito

Wasn't that fun? Hmm, now my life looks more like a Mad Lib and less like blah blah blah boring stuff.

Anyways, back to the sad truth about my head. It hates hats. Especially handknitted hats. I've knitted three hats for myself (including one while participating in the aforemetioned Jury Duty) and my head has rejected all three with such force of personality that the hats immediately defected to the oldest Kidling's head.

Here's one traitorous hat knitted with some of my handspun:

And here is another, modeled with some matching Knucks I made for the oldest kidling to match her father's. When I asked when she'd wear them, she said, "When I'm working on the scaffolding with Daddy."

The hat is The Greenery Hat and lots of fun to knit. And, really, the hats look so cute on the kidling, I'm over being sad about my bulbous head.

Pattern Patter

2008-03-15T22:56:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about patterns a lot lately. It all started when the kidlings were helping me tidy up. Through a typical parent/child miscommunication (the kind where a kid's brain translates, "Please run upstairs and change your socks" into "Please run upstairs and change your socks and then play Pioneer Girl and wash the dirty socks in the bathroom sink with extra soap and wear a funny bonnet for extra authenticity and be sure to make Mommy wait for 20 minutes wondering how long it takes to change your socks.") my book of patterns was lost for a heart-stopping 20 minutes.

I know it doesn't look like much, but that notebook carries almost all the pattern pieces and construction notes for my wares. I'm sure I could replicate them if need be, but I'd really rather not. And practicality aside - while I love to watch the number of sold items in my Etsy shop click upward, that notebook is a more tangible marker of my sewing accomplishments. Sometimes I can't believe I actually created patterns that work! (We found the notebook on the dress-up box, by the way.)

At the other end of the spectrum, I've been struggling with a lack of knitting patterns lately. I was always a knitter firmly wedded to a pattern. The connection between a specific yarn and a specific pattern was absolute. Then I started spinning and ending up with lovely yarn that had no pattern to go with it. What to do?

My first forays into winging it did not go well. I used these 2 of my handspuns

to knit 2 garter stitch scarves that were awful. Far too wide and just the right length do be supremely annoying. So the poor scarves just sat there and moped. Then I got Lexi Boeger's Intertwined from the library and it really helped me to "listen" to my yarns and let them guide me. So I unraveled (frogged?) the scarves, reknit them and I'm so pleased with the outcomes!

First is this scarf:

It's still a garter stitch scarf, but I re-knit it half as wide and it looks (and wears) so much better! The narrower width concentrates the colors so much more and blocks are in more pleasing proportions. The yarn was made with one of Hobbledehoy's Happy Batts and pink roving from bethbrown.

Here's the second scarf:

I knit this one with a drop stitch and I love how airy it is. The drop stitch accentuates the lovely candy striping of the yarn.

I probably should have reset the twist after unraveling the yarn so it wasn't so squirmy. But I kind of like the squirms. This yarn was spun from one of artclub's surprise batts.

So that's my pattern patter for today. Anything you'd like to patter about?

Mama's Got a New Bag!

2008-02-29T12:12:00.001-08:00

Hey, look, I made a new bag just for me:

It's rather rare for me to make a bag for myself. You usually see me wandering around with a proto-type or minor sewing disaster slung across my shoulder. I splurged on this bag because my ancient messenger bag has been leaving bits and pieces all over town lately AND Craft Magazine and Amy Butler are having a bag-making contest.

I contemplated entering my Sophia Bag, but this Amy Butler "High Street Messenger" pattern was calling to me from my pile of Good Intentions. To better justify this project, I stipulated that I could only buy minimal fabric and everything else was from my stash. Fortunately, I'm a pack-rat and only had to buy the solid curry fabric and supplement my stock of brown twill. I even found the marine hardware I used for a closure in my box of "General Randomness."

I made some modifications to the pattern, mostly by-passing zippered pockets. I trimmed the exterior pockets using Quenna's brilliant faux piping tip.

My favorite part was the patchwork front flap. I used to be a quilter ages ago and this project gave me a chance to reacquaint myself with my loyal walking foot and the joy of hand sewing. I've wanted to participate in Sew, Mama Sew's Quilting Month and just haven't had the time but I think the quilting bug has been reintroduced to my crafty agenda.

All in all, this was a fun project with only a few mis-steps. Of course, thinking about the prize of a new sewing machine kept me going through the hard parts (not that I could say any of these thoughts out loud because, you know, my stalwart Viking was RIGHT THERE!).

P.S. I've been checking out the other entries and there are some amazing bag-makers out there. I don't think my Viking has to worry about being replaced any time soon. That's ok, though, I got a new bag out of the deal!

Experiments with dye

2008-02-20T12:25:00.001-08:00

Wow, February is zipping by me at lightening speed! We had the younger kidling's birthday party with a Candyland Theme, complete with a green-screen Candy Tram ride that Chris whipped up in a few days. And we're still reeling from the sugar rush!

Last weekend, through a harmonic convergence of getting caught up with my shop, a well-timed play-date and a technical rehearsal, I had the house completely to myself for 2 hours! So I dug out some natural merino roving I'd bought ages ago and messed around with dying it.

The kidlings and I experimented with Kool-aid dyes before so this time I added Wilton's Food Coloring Gels. I've had these for (literally) years, so some of them were kind of gummy. Next time I do this, I'll go buy some new jars. I used instructions from Keep On Knitting in the Free World and they worked like a charm.

I ended up using Wilton's Brown, Copper, and Kelly Green along with Kool-Aid Lemonade.

Here's half the roving after a good soaking in water with the dyes squirted on with a turkey baster. At this point I seriously doubted my color choices and felt strangely drawn to the idea of spaghetti for dinner. Next up was a few trips through the microwave and drying out in the shower to become this:

I like the colors together but wish I'd used two to three times more dye. I'm excited to spin it up, though, and see what I get!

And finally, I got a lovely award as a "You Make My Day Blog" from Jocelyn! Thank you so, much Jocelyn! (I'm kind of shy when it comes to tagging other people, so it may take a little while to pass along the award.)

"Grand!"

2008-02-02T16:31:00.000-08:00

That's how I've been feeling this week for a variety of reasons.

First, I got so many kind and heartwarming compliments on the bag and pattern review I did for Sew, Mama, Sew. Here's the bag:

It's one of Amy Butler's new patterns, The Sophia Carry-All. The pattern review is here.

I also made some new things for my shop, including this flip wallet:

(Aren't the bunnies adorable?)

And this Passport Wallet:

And finally, I made it to a grand's worth of hearts yesterday!

Now I have a hankering for some Pillsbury Doughboy's Grands Biscuits.

How have you been feeling today?

Extracurricular Sewing

2008-01-25T09:37:00.000-08:00

It's a brand new year and yet my Etsy shop looks much like it did in 2007. The poor shop has been a bit neglected because I've been doing a lot of extracurricular sewing this month.

First, I sewed up a passel of bags for my sister's birthday.

It was a particularly special birthday for her this year, so she got an extra helping of presents! I especially like this bag:

I call it "The Light Bright Bag" because it makes me think of the Light Bright toy we shared when we were kids. For those of the younger set, a Light Bright was a backlit panel with a grid of little holes over black paper that you could poke plastic pegs into to make glowing designs. Oh, here's the updated version. My sister picked the fabric for this bag and I think it underscores her excellent taste. If you ever see me wearing anything cute or hip, there's a 95% chance it was a gift from her!

I also made a bag for a Pattern Review I did for Sew, Mama, Sew. The review will appear early next week and I'll post some pics after that. It was a lot of fun to make a bag from someone else's pattern! It's so easy to follow my own well-trodden path and get into a rut. I've been thinking of doing some more pattern reviews here. What do you think?

Anyways, now that my extracurricular sewing is finished, I'll be working on my new handbag design this weekend and hopefully will have one or two for my shop on Monday.

Happy weekend!

So little time...

2008-01-15T12:09:00.000-08:00

I have so many things on my to-do list including:

putting a new line of handbags for my shop into production
adding the PayPal storefront somewhere over there------>
proto-typing zipper pouches
spinning yarn for mitts for my sister-in-law
working on a pattern review for Sew, Mama, Sew

And yet I'm obsessing about sewing a new shirt for myself. My inspiration is an article from the Threads Magazine newsletter called "A Figure-Flattering Tee" (and if there ever was a figure that needs flattering, it's mine.)

photo courtesy of Threads Magazine

I love Threads and have been a subscriber for years. I love to go through old issues because there is always some new technique to learn or hint to try. The above article is by Marcy Tilton, whose patterns and techniques are wonderful. I especially love this article about t-shirt construction. Anyways, it's taking tremendous will-power to not run to the fabric store and buy patterns and fabric and dust off my serger.

What's tempting you lately?

Nifty!

2008-01-04T17:19:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note to mention some nifty things I gleaned from the Etsy forums today:

1. Heart-o-Matic

This is a quick way to see how many Etsy Hearts you've garnered! You can find out stats for your shop or individual items. It's a much quicker way to indulge my ego than waiting and waiting for my spiral of hearts to stop spinning.

2. PayPal Store Front

You can use this widget to set up a little store-front on your blog! I just messed around with it and it is the niftiest. I'll be adding a little store-front down in the lower right hand corner later in the month when I have it all updated. Here's the Etsy forum thread discussing it. Thanks to Meringue and MagicJelly for letting us in on the coolness.

Also, I just discovered Flickr Stats. You need a Pro account to activate them, but it's another cool way to track views and where they're coming from.

Any cool tools you'd like to share?

Yarn

2008-01-03T09:27:00.000-08:00

(Sometimes good post titles escape me. This is one of those times.)

Another activity during my hiatus was knitting up some of my handspun yarn into presents. That was a lot fun and deeply satisfying. It tickles me to no end to know that I took some lovely colored fluffy stuff and turned it into something durable and fun (I hope) to wear. So, let's see, what did I make...

My Sonoma yarn spun from roving from Maine Woods Yarn became these mitts, modeled by my pal (and mitt recipient) Case. I used Midnight Knitter's Potluck Wool Mittenettes pattern.

My Hyacinth yarn, also from Maine Woods Yarn, became a scarf for one of my sisters-in-law. The pattern is Yarn Harlot's One Row Handspun Scarf - a quick and fun one to knit!

I had a lovely time spinning a chunky yarn from Knitspin's Felldew roving, which I knitted into wristwarmers for my other sister-in-law. I made up the pattern as I went along.

I also got my invitation to Ravelry which I am slowly updating. I'm MaiaL there (good user names escape me even more often than good post titles!) if you ever want to visit.

And before I forget, Happy New Year! I hope you all had a fun and safe one. We spent our New Years watching bits and pieces of the fireworks show at the Space Needle from our upstairs window. There was a computer glitch, so it was a haphazard show.

Lifesavers and Ketchup

2007-12-27T16:43:00.001-08:00

Golly, I didn't intend to take such a long break, but my brisk Etsy sales (yay!) and holiday preparations kept me ensconced in my sewing studio and away from my blog. I hope your holiday season has been lovely and if presents are a part of your celebration, I hope you got some that made you happy.

I certainly did! For the "Lifesaver" portion of this post, I'll begin with a gift that saved me during my Etsy holiday rush:

It's a Yamata Iron Press that Chris gave me for my birthday/Christmas. I have no idea how well it presses clothing but for fusing interfacing it has no equal! Not to linger too long in hyperbole, this appliance reduces my production time dramatically. And it makes my least favorite part of sewing one of the most fun with its speed and cool sci-fi sounding steamer. Thank you, Chris!

Here's my second Lifesaver:

It's home-made chai that Chris' sister, Jen, made for me a few years ago. I rediscovered it in the back of a cabinet just in time to help me through some late nights sewing. It smells and tastes divine. Thanks, Jen!

And now for the Ketchup....or Catch-Up (yes, I am as word-geeky as that pun indicates). Here are some things I've been doing since my last post:

Making some new flare clutches...

...some custom order Passport Wallets...

...helping the oldest kidling with her school's craft fair...

...and making the Etsy front page!

(I missed the actual Front Page, but this is the treasury that made it. Thanks to you all who clued me in!)

I also hinted a while ago that a Rock Star might be visiting. Ann Wilson of Heart recorded a song in Chris's studio. Which is in our basement. So I got to answer the door for a Rock Star! She was lovely and kind and amazing to hear. The piece is for a production at Seattle Children's Theatre.

I have lots of yarn-y things to chat about, too, but I'll save that for another post.

Any presents you're especially happy about?

More On Photography

2007-11-26T12:00:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone who chimed in on my "Photo-phobia" issues. I have a feeling that taking good pictures, similar to doing laundry, will be a constant bugaboo for me.

Here is the set up I've been using lately:

Chris made the collapsible staging area for me - it's great. I set it up in the dining room on a card table where we get the most light. I've been using banner paper for a background. Banner paper pros: it is white, inexpensive, readily available and easy to store. Cons: it's translucent and very grainy in cloudy light. And as you can see, we get a lot of cloudy light here in Seattle...

...which led to more research about camera and PhotoShop adjustments. Here are some more useful tutorials I found on Etsy's "Storque":

Bright Light, Big Color: Using EV and White Balance to Make Your Photos True to Life

On the Level: Making your Photos Pop with Histograms and Levels

Knowing how to make these adjustments is very useful, but I've come to the conclusion that I need to reduce those adjustments in the first place with better lighting.

My new plan: use professional photography lights.

My inspiration: Jenn Maruska and her husband, Josh.

Jenn has some of the most distinctive and pretty product photos.

from JennMaruskaDesign.etsy.com

Go and check out her Etsy shop if you've never seen it- it's ok, I'll wait until you're back.

Isn't her shop just lovely? Her husband, Josh, takes the photos and Jenn noted on her blog that Josh posted this excellent description of his set up and techniques at his blog. Here is Josh's set-up:

from Josh Maruska's Blog

OK, now please go and check out Josh's post. It's very informative and the story of how he got his lights is excellent.

Wasn't that a good read? He's added some more information since I first read his post and now I have to go back to take some more notes.

Here's the crazy thing: after all my grousing about my photos, it all comes down to sheer laziness on my part because we OWN PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY LIGHTS! I used them at the beginning of my Etsy adventure but got too lazy about setting them up and taking them down all the time (keeping the lights up isn't a practical option with kids in the house). Also, they are very hot and I got really sweaty. But I am now committed to using them and hoping that my results are half as professional as Josh and Jenn's.

Whew, such a long post about photography! Having high quality product photos is so vital to an on-line business, though, that I'm sure I'll revisit the subject in the near future.

Thanks to Josh and Jenn for sharing their behind-the-scenes look!

P.S. Jenn recently got one my Brown Bohemian Handbags and said some very kind things about it on her blog. Thank you, Jenn!

Tutorials Galore!

2007-11-24T08:15:00.001-08:00

Happy Post-Thanksgiving everyone! Did you have a good one? We had dinner at home and then hosted a Pie and Games party. I'm still trying to decide which pie I liked best, the Key Lime or the Chocolate Chiffon. Chris came up with the brilliant idea of taking our bounty of card tables (does anyone else own 6?) and setting up a clubhouse for all the kids. The kids loved that, but I think they were more intrigued by all their parents screaming at one another while playing Pit. So my Thanksgiving encompassed much of what I'm thankful for - family, friends, a home and good food (especially pie!)

And now that the feast is over, I can concentrate on getting some crafting done. That's something else I'm grateful for: all the tutorials on the net that rev up my imagination. Here's a few I've collected from blogs I regularly read:

How to Wire Wrapped a Briolette (messy on purpose style)

Photo from Mill Girl

This tutorial is authored by my pal, Liz. I have a pair of her earrings similar to these from her Etsy shop and they are gorgeous! I've often tried to sleuth out how she made mine and now I know (but I don't think my jewelry-making skills are nearly on par with hers!)

A Mini Wallet Tutorial

Photo from blissful

Isn't this adorable? This tutorial is from Quenna of blissful. I'm sure you've noticed her pretty wallets from her Etsy store and elsewhere. She's got a great eye for fabric and design. Aren't those kimono girls cute?

Make Fabric Labels

Photo from Allyson Hill

Allyson has an amazing Etsy shop. I'm entranced with her new Drop Sacs.

For the "Galore" portion of this post, check out Sew, Mama, Sew. This fun blog is posting tutorials every day for the month of November!

What are some of your favorite tutorials?

"What? What? Wait, that's me!!"

2007-11-19T19:30:00.002-08:00

This is what I said to the youngest kidling this morning when I was reading one of my favorite blogs, CraftBoom! Once a week, CraftBoom's Lisa features three Etsy shops and this week one is mine! I've mentioned CraftBoom! before in my post about excellent photography tutorials. It's an excellent resource for marketing a craft-related business and I highly recommend spending some time there.

Lisa also owns a lovely on-line shop, U-Handbag, that is full of all sorts of bag-making supplies and fabrics I covet. And she has another excellent blog for that shop, U-Handblog, which I haunt every day. AND she is a bag-maker extraordinaire who shares her expertise with a wide range of tutorials.

Silk Pleated and Darted Purse of Prettiness (and tutorial!) from u-handblog.com

She is someone I highly respect and I'm honored she picked my shop to feature.

I kind of feel like Courtney Cox in that Bruce Springsteen video where he pulls her up from the audience to dance on stage. (Hmmm, does that reference date me as much as I think it does? Did you even know that Courtney Cox was in a video with The Boss long before she was Monica? Or that she was the ill-fated second girlfriend of Michael J. Fox on "Family Ties"? Perhaps I should just stop now.)

Speaking of rock stars, I might have one over to my house tomorrow for a recording session with Chris. I'll let you know who if the session actually happens!

Hello Old Friends!

2007-11-14T08:23:00.000-08:00

Contrary to what my last posts would indicate, there has been more to my life than spinning and skeletons. I've actually gotten some sewing done!

I'm welcoming some old friends back to my Etsy shop this week. First is the Brown Bohemian Handbag:

So soft and cuddly. And also the subject of my very first blog post!

Next is the Blue Bangle Dot Wristlet Wallet:

This is one of my favorite fabrics but I couldn't find any more once I'd used up the 2 yards I purchased back in the days when I thought 2 yards was A LOT of fabric! Oh, the naive days of youth. I recently joined a fabric co-op and there was this fabric, just begging to be purchased. All those happy ovals of color never fail to make me smile.

I also have some brand new bags to add once I've taken some photos. (Which reminds me, I'll be doing a follow-up post about all the great tips and tutorials you told me about!).

PS. Here's a new Etsy related site to look at:

The Mini Blog

Sellers can post their Etsy Minis and buyers can browse by category. Go check it out!

Tools of the Trade Revisited

2007-11-11T13:53:00.000-08:00

Last night I had the pleasure of participating in another home craft show at my friend Leigh Ellen's house. Just like last time, it was a treat to meet some other artists and to see customers interact with my wares. And I made a good amount of sales!

I had lots of fun chatting with the artist set up next to me - Alizah, who makes lovely hammered jewelry. One thing we discussed was the cost prohibitive-ness of starting a new craft. That made me think of my latest spinning obsession and that I'm pleased as punch to have spent very little on my spinning gear (which leaves more pennies to spend on lovely batts and rovings).

So here is another Tools of the Trade posting, but this time about spinning:

1. File Holder Lazy Kate (free)
This broken file folder holder was destined for Goodwill until I realized I can suspend my drop spindle between the sides to wind yarn into a ball.

2. PVC Niddy Noddy (free)
Using these directions, I made my niddy noddy from PVC pipe I scrounged from the basement. The pipe is from a display rack Chris made for me a long time ago (I spray painted the rack gold for festivity's sake).

3. Drop Spindle (free)
Another perfect gift from my uber-crafty mom.

4. Pestle Nostepinde ($1.50)
My nostepinde (ball winder) is a pestle I got from the fabulous Daiso shop. At least I think it's a pestle because the packaging was in japanese. (As a side note, I love to shop at Daiso and look at the great packaging graphics of angry sponges yelling at dirt and happy containers welcoming left-overs.)

Do you have any "Craft Gear on the Cheap" tips to share?

It's November???

2007-11-05T07:33:00.000-08:00

Whew, we survived Skeleton Theatre! We ran the show on Halloween and the following evening. Technical difficulties prevented us from starting on time on Halloween but after that the shows went very well. Here's some pics:

If you are interested in some behind-the-scene pics, you can check out Chris' flickr stream.

I didn't have any time to sew during the mayhem, especially since my sewing studio moonlights as the guest room and our very good friends from LA flew up to partake in the skeleton fest. However, I did sneak in a little spinning here and there amidst the cooking of lots of food, making of t-shirts and figuring out how to velcro a light sabre to a skeleton's hand.

It's a lovely carded batt from Enchanted Knoll.

I have a feeling that I won't be spinning for a while, though, because I just looked at the calendar and it is NOVEMBER! I think my mental calendar stopped at Halloween. Now I'm in scramble mode to get ready for the holidays...and my birthday! My birthday is at the end of the month and I'm planning a little treat so check back later.

I hope you had a great Halloween!

Skeleton Theatre

2007-10-25T11:33:00.000-07:00

There is a long tradition of Halloween productions in my family beginning with my dad's Percy the Pumpkin Man, continuing with my husband's many creations. This year we're doing Skeleton Theatre again.

It's a massive undertaking so I'll be busy with that for a little while, feeding lots of volunteers, making sure no one gets electrocuted and providing first-aid amidst all the kidling-related Halloween minutiae I've volunteered for. I'll be back to the blog once Halloween has passed and I've recovered from the excitement.

Have a happy Halloween!

Photo-phobia

2007-10-17T13:25:00.000-07:00

Hurray! I just listed this "new" Passport Wallet in my shop:

It's "new" because I actually finished it 2 weeks ago but had been putting off photographing it. I'd been suffering from a case of Photo-phobia because my application to the very cool design site, trunkt, was recently rejected and I fear it's because of my photos.

After moping about it for a bit, I went in search of some help and the following tutorials gave me some excellent photography and Photo Shop tips:

Taking Professional Looking Photos Without a Professional
-by Lindsay Landis of Lindsay Designs, from The Switchboards

How to take and edit professional looking photos of your craft products-a tutorial
-by Lisa Lam, from CraftBoom

A Photo Shop Tutorial-Back to the Basics
-a You Tube Tutorial found at Etsy's The Storque

I also spent some quality time with the instruction manual for my digital camera and learned a lot about all those mysterious letters and numbers and white balance and such.

So, I don't know if my photos are any better than they were but at least I feel more educated about the process! Do you have any photography tips or tutorials to share? Leave them in a comment and I'll try and do a follow-up post with your suggestions!

Catch-Up

2007-10-13T14:14:00.000-07:00

I've been playing catch-up the past few days. Catching up on bills, some Etsy orders, neglected emails, dishes in the sink. Now it's time to do some blog catch-up!

First, thank you to everyone for your input about a strap-line! I loved hearing your strap-lines:

"Handmades with style"
-Plumm

"Hatching Inspiration; Moments in Flight"
-Freckled Nest

"Handcrafted Limited Edition Jewelry"
-A Pretty Rock

"Vintage Inspired Designs Made for Today"
-Vintage-At-Heart Designs

(I'm still working on mine.)

Second, thank you for all the lovely comments about my Flare Clutches. I wish I were better at responding to your kind comments in a written form instead of chatting at my monitor as if you could hear me!

Third, here's an update on my spinning adventures. I've been squeezing in a little bit of spinning between sewing projects. I find spinning to be very restful and meditative. Kind of like what sewing used to be before I started sewing "professionally."

This skein is "Sonoma" from Maine Woods Yarn. This was my first attempt to spin and ply a large-ish chunk of wool using only my drop spindle. It's a little slubbier than I like.

Here's my second attempt-"Hyacinth". I like that the yarn is more even. And I love the contrasting colors! The roving for this skein also came from Maine Woods Yarn.

I think I'm going to knit up some scarves for myself and the kidlings with these skeins. I'll let you know how it goes.

What have you been catching up on lately?

Tutorial: How to re-thread a zipper pull

2007-09-28T15:42:00.000-07:00

I love all the tutorials floating around the web. I fully admit to late night googling, trying to find out how to make your own niddy-noddy. In the spirit of giving back, I now offer this small tutorial on re-threading a zipper pull:

***************************************************

One of the most vital products in my sewing studio is "Make-A-Zipper".

Economical and easy to use, I just measure the length of zipper I need and snip it off. One peril of using it, however, is over-zealously zipping the zipper pull off the zipper!

After much forehead slapping and abandoning perfectly good zippers, I came up with the following way to rethread a zipper pull.

1. Separate the zipper tapes

Just pull the tapes apart - they should separate fairly easily.

2. Get 2 strips of masking tape

I usually make mine around 2 to 2 1/2 inches long.

3. Make masking tape tabs

This is the important step. Carefully line up one side of the masking tape along the outside edges of the zipper teeth, making sure to leave about three-quarters of the tape hanging off the end. Then fold the masking tape back on itself to the other side of the zipper, creating a little tab. Now do the same to the other side of the zipper.

4. Thread one side of the zipper

Thread the zipper tape through one side of the zipper pull. You'll feel the teeth click as they enter the pull. I usually slide 2 or 3 teeth into the slide.

5. Thread the other side

The tab is helpful for this step. Tugging firmly but gently, thread 2 or 3 teeth through the other side of the pull.

6. Start zipping

This is where you'll see the tabs in action. Firmly hold both tabs in one hand and pull on the zipper pull with the other. You may have to change the angle of your zipping hand slightly to get the pull to move. Try wiggling your hand around and soon you'll start feeling the zipper pull zipping.

7. Hurray! Your zipper is happily re-threaded!

Now take a look at your re-threaded zipper. Your zipper tapes may be misaligned a little bit. If that's not a problem, then sew away! If this is a problem, start the process all over again. But you're a pro at this now, so it will only take a few seconds!

Note: I've only tried this method with nylon coil zippers. I'm not sure if it would work for zippers with molded plastic coils. This technique also applies only to zippers without a zipper stop.

Let me know if you have any questions or if this tutorial is helpful. I know I'm thrilled with my home-made niddy-noddy!

Flare vs. Flair

2007-09-21T12:24:00.000-07:00

Yippee! I've moved out of the prototype stage to the production stage for my new handbag! Here they are...the first three from The Flare Clutch line:

I've gone back and forth in my geeky English Major way between calling it the Flare or Flair Clutch. I decided on "Flare" since it is more physically descriptive but I'll call in "Flair" in my head for my own amusement.

I'm excited about the pockets in this bag. There are two exterior pockets accessed from the same zipper that can hold lipstick, credit cards or slim flip phones. Inside is a slip pocket that is sized to fit cash.

I'm hoping to start carrying them in my shop this weekend!

I need a Strapline

2007-09-19T12:51:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite blogs is Lisa Lam's U-handblog. The blog is related to her on-line shop, u-handbag.com which sells lots of great bag making accessories. U-handblog is chock full of useful stuff: sewing tutorials, tips on running your own business and inspirational photos of handmade bags [Editorial comment: my Retro Blue Dots on Brown Handbag Set is one of this month's U-Handbag's flickr Faves. Again: feeling a little like a rock star!]

Anyways, Lisa just started a new blog, CraftBoom, about running a craft business. Her latest post is "Ways to Market Yourself & Your Craft (on the cheap)" and has the following suggestion:

Get yourself a strapline (as defined by Wiki). A strap line is a useful bunch of words that serve to reinforce /inform (in a quick & simple way) just what your craft business is/provides. I’ve had my strapline “Love Bags, Make Bags” from the beginning and I hope that from reading it, it is obvious to the reader that my craft business is involved in handbags, and handbag making. When my strapline appears alongside my logo is serves to inform people of what my business is (in case you can’t tell from looking at the logo in isolation.

I need a catchy strapline. Do you all have any suggestions? Do you have a strapline?

My Favorite Things

2007-09-17T13:51:00.000-07:00

At our house, the latest disc taking up permanent residence in the DVD player is "The Sound of Music." I've been struck anew at the hottie-ness of Captain Von Trapp and the girls have learned about the evil-ness of the Nazi Party. In honor of Maria and her charges, here are some of my latest "Favorite Things."

Aren't these magnets and buttons cute? I got them in a lovely little package from my good bloggie pal, Steph. She recently had a give-away on her blog and I was one of the winners. Yay! I'm particularly enamored with the Etsy pin. It will be going on my jacket momentarily. She also included one of her moo cards...those are so cute! I'm still trying to decide if I should invest in some but the long box of business cards I just received keeps holding me back.

Here is a ring I bought myself to celebrate my 1 year Etsy Anniversary. It's a Slinky Ring made by Horizonte. I love the textures and colors. It's also very light and doesn't snag so I can wear it while sewing. (I took some pictures of this lovely ring on my finger and immediately deleted them. I have singularly unattractive hands - great for sewing and creating, not so great for modeling. I get hand envy whenever I see Blissful's or JPAT's pretty hands in their listing photos!)

Finally, some of my desk companions. The blue puppy is a pencil sharpener we gave the oldest Kidling for Christmas that I have co-opted. His little ears flap when you sharpen a pencil with his tail/crank. He is also emptied in a surprisingly anatomically correct fashion that the youngest kidling likes to call, "Changing the puppy's diapers." Finally, there is my "Shakespeare Insult Mug." It holds lots of coffee and makes me laugh. I especially like "Not so much brain as ear wax."

Really, Captain Von Trapp is just yummy!

"That's a lot of cards, Mommy!"

2007-09-07T09:30:00.001-07:00

So said my oldest kidling upon seeing my recently arrived box of one thousand business cards.

I have to say I agree with her. After ordering a hundred cards here and there, I did some cost analysis (ooooh, look at the business-y type words!) and realized I should just buy 1,000 at a time.

Of all the things I've done related to my Etsy shop, this one has given me the greatest pause. Looking at that dauntingly loooooooong box of cards makes me realize I'd better work hard so those little slips of cardboard have lots of places to go, either through marketing or sales (there I go again with the business talk!). Wish me luck!

Back To School!

2007-09-02T14:39:00.000-07:00

I have to admit to having a certain wistful feeling on the first day of school for the past few years. While part of it was sending the oldest kidling off to another year of elementary school, a lot of my wistfulness was missing that sense of anticipation a new school year brings.

This Septmember, however, I've got something to be excited about: I've been busy in my studio making some new things for my Etsy shop! It's not quite the same as getting a box of 64 crayons with the built-in sharpener but pretty darn close. I'm especially excited about a new handbag design I've been working on. I'm still tweaking the design a bit but hopefully I'll have some ready in the next week or so.

I've also been making some new 3 Pocket Flip Wallets from my big stack of fabric. Here's a sneak peek:

Are you excited for Back-To-School season?

Mary Grayson

2007-08-28T12:39:00.000-07:00

My latest crush: littleputbook's Studio Shot Tuesdays flickr group. I love to see everyone's creative workspaces and tools and such. My contribution today is a shot of my dressform/handbag model:

My husband and the kidlings named her "Mary Grayson" (due in large part, I think, to her gray covering). She's almost like a member of the family. I catch the kidlings hugging her all the time.

Mary is currently dressed in a kimono I got at a sale my friend, Emiko, had last week. Emiko just got back from Japan, bringing a suitcase full of lovely kimono pieces with her. This was one of the intact kimonos she had that she assumed would be taken apart and made into something else. The kimono is so beautiful, though, I can't bear to cut it up so now Mary has a new outfit.

Above Mary's head (or lack of head, I guess) is my shadow box of little things I've collected over the years. Here's a close up of some of my favorite tchotchkes:

The white buddha is a chop with my chinese name, the sandpainting is from a trip to New Mexico I took with my best pal Lori and the "bad dog" pin is a gift my husband bought from The Cambridge Artists Cooperative. I got the Terracotta Warrior on a trip to Xian and the little native american was a gift from my mom. The origins of everything else are lost in the sands of time.

It's all about me!

2007-08-17T12:35:00.000-07:00

I finished making a knitting bag for myself the other day!

This is the first bag I've made expressly for my own little self in the longest time. Most of the bags and wallets I use are either prototypes or goof-ups. I'd seen so many cute knitting bags like this one on Etsy that I wanted one too. I adapted a commercial pattern to make it capacious enough and I used my serger, which has been sadly neglected of late. There are some things about this design I would tweak if I ever make this bag again (including the use of said serger) but on the whole I'm tickled pink.

Here's a peek inside with the latest example of my sock obsession. This yarn + this pattern = the coolest socks ever....blog post forthcoming.

And for some more me-centric news - the wonderful Dandelion Blu has tagged me a

I get called "rockin' " so infrequently in my current state of perpetual frumpiness that this tag is even sweeter. As a newly instated Rockin' Girl Blogger, I get to dub 5 of my own and I pick

Adornments and Distractions
freckled nest
Jenn Maruska's Blog
Mill Girl
rhembein

Thanks so much, Dandelion Blu!!

Studio Shot Tuesdays

2007-08-14T09:31:00.000-07:00

I spent a lot of the weekend cleaning up my studio!

My studio isn't really pretty but it is practical - especially now that it is tidy! I'm quite pleased that my fabric has remained tamed and my notions are still neatly tucked into their drawer.

One thing missing from the above shot is my beautiful spool rack that my husband made for me a long time ago:

He used two different kinds of wood to create the diamond pattern. I have no idea how he drilled the holes for the spool dowels. This rack was my Christmas present the same year I surprised him with a hand-knitted sweater. He still has the sweater but my spool rack gets more use!

My cleaning frenzy coincided nicely with the advent of LittleputBook's new flickr group, Studio Shot Tuesdays. Go check out some other work spaces!

Sox-stravaganza

2007-08-12T11:24:00.000-07:00

My latest obsession: knitting socks. It began innocently enough - I was browsing through one of Etsy's Saturday Night Specials forum threads (an excellent way to get extra cool stuff at extra special prices) and I ended up buying some beautiful hand-dyed sock yarn. I've done a lot of knitting in the past but deeply feared socks and their complicated shapes. This yarn, however, just called to me so I rustled around the net for a pattern and Joann's for some double pointed needles and sat down to knit with some practice yarn. It took me two or three (ok, SIX) tries to figure out what I was doing but I eventually untangled myself enough to get some knitting done. Here's what I've got so far:

<--This was my first pair of socks, knitted with some commercially made yarn using these instructions. I love how the self-striping yarn looks and it kept me entertained. The pattern itself is great. It is a wonderful road-map to the anatomy of a sock. I especially loved knitting the heel. It made me feel like my favorite literary heroine, Jo, from Little Women.

So after this pair I was hooked. Socks are such a portable project - perfect to work on while waiting for kids to finish swimming lessons, spouses to finish shopping at Frys or for very long car trips.

Here's another pair in more girly colors --->
These were knitted with commercially made yarn and a commercial pattern. I like the heel and toes for this pattern a little better than the above pattern - they are more tapered and elegant. Aren't the colors fun? I craved a neopolitan ice-cream cone the entire time I was knitting.

(I'm sorry all the socks look so misshapen but I didn't want to subject you to my hobbit shaped feet. I think I need to make some sock blockers.)

<---Here's the pair that I knitted with the hand-dyed yarn. It's from SeeJayneKnitYarns and it was a joy to knit.

I originally used another pattern I got off the web. It had a very simple heel and no gusset shaping. I ended up with an ill-fitting tube with a goofy protuberance for a heel. Perhaps that ugly sock is more a testament to my poor knitting than the pattern, but I unraveled that sock and used my original pattern.

Aren't the colors and shading beautiful? There is so much more subtlety and nuance with hand-dyed yarn! I think I'll be using hand-dyed yarn from here on out.

Now I'm off to make a little knitting bag!

Do you have any knitting adventures to share?

Crafting in Colorado

2007-08-02T10:18:00.000-07:00

One of the stops on my big trip was a visit to my hometown of Boulder, Colorado. I got to spend time with my family, eat lots of my Mom's delicious cooking and see my best pal who recently returned from a Foreign Service tour in Sudan.

And I got to try something new! My mom, who is a crafter extraordinaire, had her spinning wheel out and I got to spend some time with it. (Do you know how hard it was to not type, "take it for a spin"?)

I've always been fascinated by spinning wheels. I remember watching Disney's Sleeping Beauty with rapt attention when she was inexorably drawn toward her slumbering fate but I was much more interested in the spinning wheel than the princess. And spinning wheels have such lovely anatomical names like "maidens" and "mother-of-all" and "the footman." So after finally figuring out the scotch tensioner, I sat down to spin. It was quite tricky and an awful lot like learning to drive a stick shift (although I didn't crash into a gas pump my first time out alone-TRUE STORY!)

Here's my results:

Definitely what on author diplomatically called "novelty yarn". I'm not sure it is knit-able but it was delightful to spin. I think I need to practice more with my drop spindle before my next trip to Colorado.

I'm Blushing

2007-07-31T11:48:00.000-07:00

I love flickr. I started using it as a marketing tool but it rapidly became a daily treat to look at. It's a lovely way to catch glimpses into the lives and brains of other designers and artists. I am quite attached to the "Notes" feature where you can leave little messages on pictures - it's as if life is a comic strip and I can pen in little thought balloons.

But I digress. The other day rhembein found me on flickr and wrote this very flattering blog post about it (which is why I'm blushing). There were all sorts of harmonic convergences in our meeting, including the fact that the island where she lives is one I visited on my honeymoon!

Ooooh, she's an amazing designer:

photo originally uploaded by rhembein

You can see more of her gorgeous creations at her site. Hurry, go check them out!

Thanks so much for the the lovely blogpost, rhembein!

A Milestone

2007-07-24T11:56:00.000-07:00

I set up my Etsy shop late last August with high hopes and low expectations. I got a convo about a custom order on my first day and after figuring out what a "convo" was, I've been trundling along with fairly regular sales. At the beginning of the summer I made some sales goals to meet before my one-year Etsy anniversary and this morning I met my milestone:

I never thought I'd be able to make 200 items, let alone sell that many! Etsy has been a grand adventure, allowing me to stretch my brain and develop my designing skills. It's provided a great excuse to go to fabric stores and helped me overcome my irrational fear of sewing zippers. I've met amazingly creative and kind people along the way. I think I'll have another cup of coffee to celebrate!

Have you met any milestones lately?

I'm Back with a Stack of Fabric

2007-07-22T19:40:00.000-07:00

Whew! We've made it back home from our long summer trek. We drove from Seattle to San Diego and back with lots of stops in between. The kidlings were great sports throughout the trip, sleeping in 7 different beds in 4 different states.

Here are some things I learned on the trip:

1. You aren't allowed to trim your child's hair in line at Disneyland.

2. Today's TV needs more shows like the original Muppet Show with its irony, puppet-y mayhem and non-destructive explosions.

3. Nerds candy + a car seat + twisty highways = a parent's nightmare.

While some people collect commemorative silver spoons or postcards on vacation, I collected fabric. Here's my spoils:

I got to visit Denver Fabrics, Rosie's Calico Cupboard Quilt Shop, Michael Levine and The Stitchin' Post. I loved them all, although Rosie's was the most jaw-dropping, with rooms full of fabrics all coordinated by color. Thanks to my mom and my husband for taking care of the kidlings so I could frolic with amongst the fabric!

The Quest for Tidy Continues

2007-06-21T07:50:00.000-07:00

I think I neglected to mention here that my Etsy shop will be taking a summer vacation. My sewing machine desperately needs a tune-up and I'm looking forward to spending time with my family, including my husband, Chris, who is finishing up a 2 1/2 month gig at the Old Globe Theatres in San Diego. I'll reopen my shop in July with a (hopefully) re-energized machine and brain.

One thing I'm doing during my hiatus is my on-going quest to tidy my work space. I've seen so many inspiring studios on other blogs, including Jenn Maruska's recent studio updates, that I've been anxious to get mine in order. And yesterday, I got a terrific book, "Creating Your Perfect Quilting Space" by Lois Hallock from the library.

It is filled chock-a-block with ideas but one really stood out: "Keep all thread, machine feet, pins, and scissors nearby." By "nearby" she means within 16 inches when you are seated and I had my supplies strewn across my long sewing table. So last night, in a fit of mad organizing, I cleaned out the top drawer of a filing cabinet I use as a cutting station and filled it with my bag making supplies. Here's the result:

Everything at my finger-tips!

I wish I'd had the forethought to take a "Before" picture, but just imagine ugly stacks of random paper and unused hanging files and you'll have it. The beauty of this drawer is that it pulls out, making it so efficient to get stuff and then stow away.

I love this little area with my snap whackers (I use a quarter for an anvil since I think my original anvil ended up in a wristlet I sent to Michigan), wallet innards, marking tools, extra machine needles and my glassbeach labels by RohmCustom. On the right is a lovely bowl made of wire from Africa that my dear mother-in-law gave me years ago.

I'm seriously crushing over my new drawer. I'm very pleased with the improvements I've made in my studio so far. I haven't made anything prettier, yet, but I've made some things tidier!

ps. I posted the first pic on flickr with some more notes.

The Brains of Others

2007-06-19T08:52:00.000-07:00

I've been buzzing around my studio finishing up some custom orders. I love how custom orders stretch my brain. Other people have ideas about fabrics that I mentally tagged for something else and, voilà, there is something new and unexpected! Here are some nifty ideas from the brains of others.

First, a fused shopping tote for my friend, Steph. This bag was inspired by the "One Small Change" series on Steph's blog. I used the Fusing Plastic Bags Tutorial from the Etsy Labs Blog. I was so excited to find bags with trees for the exterior!

Next is a Handbag/Passport Wallet in Spumoni that I sent off yesterday. It's so fun to see fabrics that I envisioned in a smaller medium get to spread out and be grand.

Do you have any nifty ideas from the brains of others?

Why My Dad Is Cool

2007-06-17T11:18:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day!

In honor of my dad and my husband, I offer the following essay:

Why My Dad is Cool

1. His fertile imagination

My dad was always willing to tell my sister and me stories. We especially loved the on-going series of “Elfie and Elferina and the Ogre Who Could Not Count.” He also created a running cast of characters that would visit us, including “Mr. Figaro,” a strangely asian Norwegian man who would come and play the accordion at our birthday parties. The best, however, was “Percy the Pumpkin Man” who would visit our front porch every Halloween. My dad would rig up his old squirrel fur coat with gloves and fishing line and an archaic microphone system behind a pumpkin head. You had to chat with Percy before you could get any candy. Dad is a professional story-teller now, so lots of kids get to hear his stories.

2. His creativity

My dad is an amazing artist. Pictionary is an adventure with him because he likes to add shading to his drawings. He is also a master of the ditto, a sadly lost art. For those of you who remember dittos, my dad could do FOUR COLOR dittos!

3. His love of language

Dad just retired after 40 years as an English professor. He taught me about the nuance and intricacies of language for which I’ll always be grateful. He also tried his hardest to teach me to be a good speller, but, alas, spell-check is still my best friend. He’s one of the official judges for the National Spelling Bee, so he is on TV once a year! It’s a big deal at our house for the kidlings to watch for DoGoong (Chinese for maternal grandfather).

__________________________________________________________________

Why My Husband Is Cool
(as dictated by my daughters and annotated by me)

1. Because he builds.

Some of the birthday attractions my husband and his friends have built:

a 13’ pirate ship
a castle with a dungeon, waterfall, bridge and climbing wall
a working carousel

Some of the things for Halloween my husband and and his crew have created:
A scary Hell-Tube
A huge aquarium scene with an 8’ jellyfish
Skeleton Theatre

2. Because he makes things sound scary and makes things sound nice

Chris is a composer and sound designer for theatre and is the Resident Sound Designer for the Seattle Children’s Theatre-absolutely perfect for the kidlings. They get see the sets getting built, meet the actors and see some darn fine theatre.

3. He has a studio

We and the above-mentioned crew built a recording studio in the basement. The kidlings love to go and play around with equipment and all the instruments down there. I particularly like the isolation booth because I can send them there and get a little peace and quiet.

4. He hugs

(Sniff!)

So I feel quite blessed to have 2 such remarkable men in my life. Happy Father’s Day, Daddy and Chris!

Me and my dad taking a nap

Fabric Bonanza!

2007-06-16T15:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I braved the pouring Seattle rain to buy some fabric at a yearly sale a lovely lady in my neighborhood holds. She is a fabric rep and every year she sells off her samples for $4.00 a pound! Looky-look at what some of what I bought!

The samples aren't that big and lots of the fabrics are discontinued, but I have plans to start making limited edition items for my shop and these samples will be perfect! While it makes better business sense to make lots of the same items, it's more fun to play around with new fabric whenever possible. My little samples just upped my chances for new fabric frolics without emptying my pockets (too much).

Crafty Saturday-Fun With Koolaid

2007-06-14T15:34:00.000-07:00

I've been itching to try my hand at dying wool and felting . So last Saturday, the kidlings and I tried dying wool with Koolaid. It was lots of fun and very cool. We adapted these instructions from www.knitty.com with great success. Here are our supplies:

Wool, Lemon-Lime, Tropical Punch and Grape Kool-Aid, misc kitchenware, water and a microwave (not pictured)

After soaking the wool in warm soapy water and getting kind of sticky mixing the Kool-Aid, we plunked our wool into the dye baths:

So bright!

We microwaved each dye bath in 2 minute increments. The purple and green took about 6 minutes each, the red took about 8 minutes. We knew we were done when the bath water was clear:

Isn't it amazing how clear the water is after the wool has sucked up the dye?

We let the wool cool a little bit and then took it out to dry.

Next time we'll use gloves

And here's the final product:

Success!

Next up: Felting!!

Bon Voyage!

2007-06-13T11:44:00.001-07:00

Today I'm shipping off the first round of Passport Wallets I've been listing in my shop. These were adapted from the pattern I designed for Adorn Magazine. They've been a kick to sew and, because I tend to be anthropomorphic about my stuff, I dreamed up little scenarios of the places these wallets would visit.

These guys have also been make some guest appearances. One turned up in an Etsy travel-themed treasury:

And another was featured on yesterday's Indie Diner!

Bon Voyage, my little passport-carrying friends. Travel safe and be well!

ps I just have to add one more treasury by Analiese because it is such a gorgeous list!

But Wait, There's More!!!

2007-06-11T17:10:00.000-07:00

Today has been the best feedback day! Here are some more wonderful feedback pics:

These are from Freckled Nest who has a terrific blog. Check out her post about her pie!

Thanks you guys!

Best. Feedback. Ever.

2007-06-11T08:45:00.000-07:00

So, if you've hung out at Etsy for a while, you probably know that you can include an appreciation picture when you leave feedback for something you've bought or sold. Look at this happifying pic I woke up to this morning:

It's my good pal, Liz, with one of my wristlets. As a seller, I couldn't ask for better feedback! (Isn't she adorable?)

More Cockle Warming

2007-06-09T15:33:00.000-07:00

I hope I'm never so jaded that the sight of a little gold star next to an Etsy Treasury doesn't give me a flutter of excitement, but some of my things were recently in two treasuries that gave me the happy-sniffles.

First was another bloggie friend treasury by my friend, Steph. While we've been in a treasury together, this time she listed me among her blog pals. Aren't friends fun?

The other was a treasury made by JPATpurses, a bag-maker extraordinaire. I'm thrilled to have one of my bags on a list that includes so many of my Etsy bag-maker idols.

Because I have no idea how to make this treasury clickable, here's a list of these bag makers for you to check out: jpatpurses, BlackBags, blissbyheather, bagladiesinpa, blissful, jennalou06, BananaShowcase, MadBags, thefunkybaglady, jcasa, and ChicBoutique.

ps. wikipedia tells me that "cockles" refers to the ventricles of your heart. Just another little bit of trivia for you to store away!

Meet the Maker-Plumm

2007-06-06T11:56:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the inaugural entry of my “Meet the Maker” feature! Today’s interview is with Amanda of Plumm. I’ve long admired the clean lines and details of Amanda’s bags. I find her blog insightful and full of a bag-lover’s eye candy. Thank you, Amanda, for agreeing to be my first interview!

MEET THE MAKER: PLUMM

1) Tell me about the first bag you ever made.

The first bag I made I called the "Gumdrop". It was a cotton candy pink number with cute grosgrain ribbon handles. It was a Christmas gift for my little Niece. I have known how to sew since middle school, but had only done pretty basic projects...like curtains, pillow covers, simple alterations, etc. But, when I couldn't find the perfect little girly bag for my niece I was inspired to take things to the next level. I just did a few sketches, sat down at the sewing machine and made a purse. I realized pretty quickly that I just intuitively knew how to do it...I have been making purses as often as possible since that day!

Lucia by Plumm
2) What is something you look forward to in your creative process?

Without exception my favorite moment in creating my bags is the moment I get to 'flip it'. Meaning when I have finished all of the wrong side stitching, attached the liner to the exterior, and can finally turn it right side out to reveal my finished purse. I almost always work straight through from finalized sketch to finished bag without really stopping...the flipping is when I see how well the picture in my head was brought through to reality. Sometimes I am disappointed, sometimes very pleasantly surprised, but always very excited to see what I've got!

3) What is something you dread in your creative process?

Cutting! Arg. I definitely don't love cutting layers and layers of the same shape....not fun. When I am doing the initial cutting for a new design I don't really mind it because it still feels creative...It's the repetitive cutting of making my established patterns that can get tedious. Oddly enough I never mind sewing the bags I've made over and over...just the cutting.

Gwenn by Plumm

4) What role does Plumm play in your life?

Plumm is a beautiful sidetrack, a consuming distraction, a constant companion. My mind really is a constant creative force. Plumm is where I focus the majority of my creative energy. Although I do paint my kitchen cabinets a different color every year or so. I am just obsessed with color and line. I need to see my ideas come to life one way or another...If I can't sew I start to color with the kids crayons, or dream up a new paint scheme for one of our rooms.

5) Corollary: How do you balance Plumm and the rest of your life?

I think about new designs, fabrics, and color combos constantly...but I am a stay at home mom to a couple of very active preschool aged boys. This makes it a challenge to get much time to work through my visions. I am pretty much limited to when they are asleep. I am constantly working to maintain the balance between my mommy responsibilities and my need to create...I find myself having to hold back quite a bit right now because the kids need me a lot of the time. As they transition into school I see Plumm growing quite a bit. I really intend to dedicate those hours to creating....we'll see!

Kristen by Plumm
6) What are some things of note about the rest of your life?

I am married to amazing person...he is a mechanical engineer by day and a Kick a$$ wood turner by night. His Etsy shop is called 'Form'. Being married to someone who is also obsessed with creating makes my life all the better. We feed of each other's creativity and passion.

We have two boys. Luke, 3, who is homemade and Zakai, 2, who we adopted from Taiwan about a year ago. Both of them are truly special beings. We are blessed.

I also have had Rheumatoid Arthritis since I was 9 months old. Because of this I have a bunch of fused joints in my hands and arms. I am on a pretty effective new medication right now so every thing is just peachy...3 cheers for medical research!

7) What is your favorite tool in your studio?

My sewing machine, hands down!!! It's nothing fancy but it allows me to take flat rolls of fabric and turn them into these beautiful, useful objects...That's pretty amazing.

8) Any hints about your next creation?

Hmm...Well my sketch book is filling up with wrap skirts right now. I was given a Serger for my 30th birthday (thanks Mom) and as soon as I learn to use it I hope to begin stocking the Plumm shop with some fabulous clothes. I have so many ideas...it's really just a matter of finding time.

The Library Tote by Plumm

All photos courtesy of Plumm.

A New Feature On Its Way!

2007-06-06T11:43:00.000-07:00

I’m so excited to introduce a new blog feature: “Meet the Maker”! I will periodically post interviews with other bag makers that I admire. My first interview is with Amanda of Plumm and it will be posted…well, in about five minutes.

Here’s a little background:

I fully admit to having a competitive streak (see Geller, Monica v. Pictionary). While I want everyone to one day carry one of my things, I realize that nobody has just one purse so there is room for all of us bag-makers to rule the world. Etsy’s “Bags and Purses” category has been a constant source of artistic inspiration for me and there are some bag-makers that give me a frisson of excitement whenever they list something new. I love learning about artists’ creative processes and these interviews give me a chance to have a small peek into the brains of other bag designers. I hope you enjoy the interviews as much as I do!

MAUVEalicious Treasury

2007-06-04T20:50:00.000-07:00

Yay, I'm in another Etsy treasury! As always, I'm so pleased to have one of my bags amongst such prettiness. Thanks again, bellarosebyliz!

And isn't "mauve" a fun word? To satisfy my idle curiosity, here is what wikipedia told me about the derivation of "mauve":

"Mauve was first named in 1856. Chemist William Henry Perkin, then eighteen, was attempting to create artificial quinine. An unexpected residue caught his eye, which turned out to be the first aniline dye—specifically, mauveine, sometimes called aniline purple. Perkin was so successful in recommending his discovery to the dyestuffs industry that his biography by Simon Garfield is titled Mauve."

Now you have a little nugget of knowledge to use next time you play "Trivial Pursuit"!

My Crafting Needs A Soundtrack

2007-06-02T17:58:00.000-07:00

My husband gave me a super MP3 player for my birthday and I've had a lovely time filling it with songs from the late 80's. However, I've discovered I can't really use it when I'm crafting because I've either

1) come too close to cutting the cord in half with my rotary cutter or

2) I've been startled out of my chair one too many times by a family member looking for clean socks.

Instead, I've had some of my favorite DVDs playing in the background while I sew and I've come to the sad, sad conclusion that I watch the BBC's "Pride and Prejudice" mini-series far too often. I really have to branch out. And yet I'm drawn to Colin Firth's yummy sternness and Jennifer Ehle's adorable archness. And I'm not the only one who loves Austen's "Pride and Prejudice"-I was delighted to find these Elizabeth Bennet Ear Bobs in the shop of my blog pal, Steph:

originally uploaded from stephaniegibson.etsy.com

But enough is enough. So, I beg you, please help me with suggestions of other DVDs to update the soundtrack in my studio!

Your Tips in Action!

2007-05-31T10:49:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone for your tips for on-line selling! One of the best tips was to name products creatively. I took that tip to heart and named my new passport wallet "Spumoni Ice Cream." I don't know if this is creative or merely goofy, but I thought I'd give creative naming a go. Here are some photos:

Another Crafty Saturday

2007-05-28T18:23:00.000-07:00

This Crafty Saturday display is courtesy of my oldest daughter.

My kidlings spend a fair amount of time in my sewing studio rummaging through my big box of scraps. This Fairy Quilt is the latest result of their fabric forays. I love seeing bits and pieces of my bags in their creations. I'm also pleased that the kidlings like to sew - hopefully I'm following my mother's example and giving them a love of crafting!

Before and After

2007-05-25T08:59:00.000-07:00

Over the past few days, I've been struck by the truth of the oft-repeated mantra of Etsy sellers: "It's all about the photos."

Some of the very first things I listed on Etsy expired and I decided to reshoot them before relisting them. While I'm no whiz at photography or computer graphics, I think my skills have improved.

Before:

After:

It's the same card holder taken with the same camera, just better lighting, composition and Photoshopping. This little holder languished in my shop for 7 months with the "Before" photos and then sold in a little over a week with the "After" photos.

What Etsy truisms have you found to be...well..true?

I'm Not Worthy

2007-05-22T20:41:00.000-07:00

As I've mentioned before, I love when one of my things gets selected for an Etsy Treasury. Today I found the little gold star next to a treasury by bellarosebyliz that literally made me say "Wow" in that whistling way I usually reserve for well-made handbags or impossibly cute shoes.

I'm amazed that my little wristlet is in the company of such lovely works of art. Some of my favorite bloggers are in this treasury, too! stephaniegibson, who created the Long Peach Necklace has a very fun blog, Adornments and Distractions. And I've long admired both gemmafactrix's Walking Spanish Earrings and her blog, Love, Gemma.

Aren't Etsy Treasuries the best?

ps This treasury made the Etsy's Front Page!

Crafty Saturday

2007-05-20T19:14:00.000-07:00

This was a weekend full of birthday parties. One had a fairy theme so the kidlings and I decided to make a crown of flowers as a gift. After they picked out lots of pretty silk flowers, I gathered the necessary supplies:

Silk flowers, old hanger, floral tape, wire cutters, curling ribbon

Although they seem weak and ineffective when you want to hang up any clothing of substance, wire hangers are actually quite strong and wily. I cut off the hook part and managed to form a very crude circle. Then I wrapped the flowers around the wire with floral tape:

halfway there...

Here are some things I learned (other than the inherent stubbornness of wire hangers):
a) use a smaller gauge wire
b) cut the stems of the flowers longer than you think you'll need
c) wrap the stems with green electrical tape which is much stronger than floral tape.

I'm fairly happy with the final crown, which will hopefully survive life in the dress-up-box for longer than a few wearings.

Tah-Daaaah

And having 2 daughters leads me to believe that fairy parties are not a thing of my past and I'll get to use my new-found knowledge in the near future.

How was your weekend?

The Five Senses (and Selling)

2007-05-17T17:21:00.000-07:00

A few weekends ago, a friend invited me to bring my wares to a Mother's Day home show. I had a lovely time and learned a lot, especially seeing my purses in action. I watched as ladies stroked, scrutinized and swung my purses over their shoulders. Being primarily an on-line seller, I rarely get to see people interact with my products. The home show gave me a much better idea of which fabrics work (and which don't!). While selling on-line appeals to my shy and retiring nature, I miss sharing with customers the tactile joy I get from textiles. (I often stop friends on the street and ask them if I can feel their clothes...I've learned to do this tactfully through much trial and error.) It would be great if selling on-line could appeal to all five senses instead of just one. Smell-o-vision for everybody!

Another highlight of the evening was an order for a handbag/wallet set from my most excellent hostess. Here's a photo of the complete set:

I'm especially pleased with the button decoration - my embroidery skills are usually rather dull.

Note to self: ask Bill Gates about Smell-o-vision and the interweb at next neighborhood bbq.

The Randomness of Others

2007-05-14T13:59:00.000-07:00

I was recently tagged by the adorable megslemonade for another round of "Seven Random Things about Me." Although my life is rife with randomness, I've already played once and how interesting can my eccentricities be? Instead, I'm listing random things I've enjoyed from other people's lists.

1. Adornments and Distractions
"I hate taking my kids to the pool in the summer, but I feel like it is my duty as a mother to take them. If you survived childhood summers without going to the pool, please let me know. It would be quite a load off."

2. All Things Littleput
"I have eaten Alpaca, it was yummy and sad all at the same time."

3. Blissful
"My favorite coins are dimes -- so slim and sublime."

4. Jenn Maruska Design
"I once sent an email to my husband's boss asking that my husband be excused from attending a Sexual Harassment Awareness meeting at his job. I told him that he was already a good sexual harasser and I needed a rest."

5. Love, Gemma
"I have exactly two pairs of matching socks....all bought within the last three months."

6. Mill Girl
"For being so realistic and cynical, I have no trouble believing my horoscope. "

7. Pepperina Press
"I hate the lame Disney-fied Winnie-the-Pooh with a fiery passion. It is very bad for the image of the real Pooh, who is a very earnest character."

Musings on Motherhood

2007-05-13T09:21:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother’s Day! As I’m getting ready to go out and celebrate the day, I’ve been pondering motherhood. Here’s what I’ve come up with:

Things I learned from my mother
(photo circa 1968)

-Crafting is a vital part of life.
My mom taught me to incorporate crafting into my everyday life. She is amazingly talented and in my lifetime has successfully mastered sewing, knitting, tolling, quilling, embroidery, crewel-work, line-drawing, rug hooking and quilting.

-Listen with attention and compassion.
As a kid I noticed that everybody wanted to talk to my mom because of her great capacity to truly listen and care about people.

-Aways take oranges when you visit someone for the first time.
Especially if they are Chinese. My mom worked diligently to teach my sister and me good manners. I don’t always behave properly, but that’s due to my failings and not my mother’s.

Things I’ve learned as a mother

-It’s true. The laundry is not going to do itself.

-Hugs and kisses from my daughters make inevitable stickiness worthwhile.

-Mothering has made me a better (albeit sometimes grumpier) person.

Things I hope to teach my children

-It’s better to be kind than nice.

-It’s better to be stylish than fashionable.

-That they are wonderful, special and incredibly important people. But not more so than anybody else.

I hope everybody has a lovely Mother's Day!

I'm in print!

2007-05-09T12:28:00.000-07:00

Several months ago, Adorn Magazine contacted me to design a Passport Wallet for them and today my issue hit the newsstands!

Images from Adorn Magazine, Summer '07 Issue

My work has been in print once before

Image from etsy.com
but this is the first time I've been hired to design something outside my Etsy world!

ps Adorn is offering a great subscription offer to Etsy members! Check it out!

pps I'll be adding some Passport Wallets to my Etsy shop very soon!

01/05/09 UPDATE

Sadly, Adorn Magazine has folded, so I typed up the instructions for this passport wallet and made them available here:

Passport Wallet Instructions

The pattern templates are still available on the Adorn website here:

http://www.adornmag.com/charts/template_passport.pdf

Please let me know if you have any questions or problems. Thanks!!

My Quest for Tidy

2007-05-06T17:22:00.000-07:00

I am on a quest to tidy my space. I love the sense of calm a well-ordered area gives me and yet I’m not neat by nature. I’ve been on the prowl to find tips to help me in my quest and yesterday I found a wonderful link on folding fabric. It inspired me to spend a couple hours refolding my fabrics and untangling my interfacing.

Here is before:

Here is after:

And this project only cost me a trip to the fabric store to dig around their recycling bin for cardboard bolt cores.

Let me know if you have any tidy tips to share with me – I desperately need them!

Happy May Day!

2007-05-01T15:42:00.000-07:00

I’ve always loved May Day. First, it reminds me of my childhood, when my mother, sister and I would make little baskets of flowers to leave on the front steps of our favorite neighbors. I also love May Day because some say that in ancient Greece, they celebrated the goddess Maia (hey, that’s me!) on May 1. My parents thought they made up my name when they gave it to me, but I’m fine with being named after a Pleiades. I didn’t have time to make up any little bouquets with my daughters this year so all I can offer in celebration is a new wristlet wallet that has lots of pretty flowers. Any suggestions for a name for it?

I'm the It girl!

2007-04-29T23:23:00.000-07:00

Well, I've been tagged by Mill Girl (via Sandra Eileen) in a game of blog tag and I must list some random things about myself. Randomness as follows:

1. I prefer pickles to chocolate.

2. I love to tap dance but haven’t done it in years.

3. I have two theories about movies: A) If Keanu Reeves says, “Whoa” then it’s a good movie. B) The quality of a Rutger Hauer movie has an inverse relationship to his weight.

4) I was born and raised in Colorado but can’t ski.

5) I’m a sucker for slapstick.

6) I live in one of those houses that does outlandish decorations for the holidays.

7) I have absolutely no sense of direction.

8) I wish I had played Barbies with my younger sister more often.

9) My drawing skills haven’t progressed past stick-figures and misshapen ducks.

Who will be "it" next?

Springtime

2007-04-28T14:52:00.000-07:00

As I was wrestling with the lawnmower this afternoon, I noticed the dogwood tree had blossomed around my daughters' birdhouses. I don't know if any birds have taken residence in them but I think they look like cheery places to live.

A trio of new bags

2007-04-27T12:42:00.000-07:00

I've been fiddling around with a sling bag design for a while. I have thankfully graduated from a mini-van sized diaper bag to a more compact 4-door sedan sized bag. I like this design because I can sling it over my shoulder if I need to be hands-free or especially mobile when chasing after kids. Here are my first three bags for public consumption:

It's also great fun to work with large scale prints! Wallets call for more dainty and delicately scaled fabrics but these bags can handle broader strokes and brighter colors. They'll be available in my etsy shop in the next week.

Warm and happy heart

2007-04-25T11:30:00.000-07:00

Today I found another little gold star in the Etsy Treasury! Even sweeter, though, is the title: "Etsy Friends." The cockles of my heart are all warm and cozy. madeinlowell created the treasury. She is a wonderful polymer clay artist and hilarious individual. I made her acquaintance in an Etsy forum thread about poetry devoted to a mysterious Bow Tie Kid in her second grade class. Check out her Mill Girl blog!

The siren call of a fabric store

2007-04-22T10:16:00.000-07:00

I have a very difficult time driving by a fabric store without stopping. Some of my all-time fabric stores are Pacific Fabrics, a locally owned Seattle chain. Not only do they have a terrific array of fabrics and yarns, they also have lots of fun and useful classes. I took an upholstery course and transformed two chairs from scary 70s to retro 40s (I also got to use an electric staple gun which is always an empowering experience).

My latest visit to Pac Fabric garnered me some pretty fabrics that resulted in this:

The color combinations on the diamond fabric are so crisp and fresh. And I like the old-fashioned quality of the calico lining.

Where do you like to shop?

I love a little gold star

2007-04-19T17:16:00.000-07:00

I have ever since elementary school. That little bit of shiny external validation always makes me smile. Instead of checking my homework for little bits of foil, I now look at the Etsy treasuries for little gold stars. And yesterday I found one! Thanks for including me, Avision!

Tools of the Trade

2007-04-18T11:55:00.000-07:00

One of the wisest things my husband has ever taught me is “Tape is cheap.” He’s a music composer and sound designer for theatre and back in the antiquated days of analog he used a lot of reel-to-reel tape for his recordings. Basically, I think he means it’s worth the investment in tools (in his case, tape) to get the best end result possible. This little catch phrase is so applicable to other areas of life – I just recently applied it to my sewing studio. First, I invested in a sleek pair of Gingher scissors. After years of hacking away with an old pair of shears, cutting and trimming is now a new-found joy. Next, I purchased a soapstone marking pencil. Now I can actually see and remove my markings without glaring sunlight and a pink eraser. Finally, I found a lovely and sizeable handmade pincushion, made by loosestring at Etsy. It’s just the right size to fit in front of my machine and it can hold pins galore. I’m finding that great tools add as much joy to the process of making things as finishing them.

Seller Shoutout: Hollyhawk

2007-04-15T18:40:00.000-07:00

Photo from hollyhawk's etsy shop

Here is one of my favorite purchases from Etsy: hollyhawk's Floret leather cuff in plum. I love the color, the print and the width. It is impeccably crafted. Wearing it makes me feel girly and hip for which I'm eternally grateful, since my latest look is careworn and haphazard. Thanks Holly!

ps. I just discovered Holly's blog!

Longing for blue skies

2007-04-11T10:11:00.000-07:00

As I was staring at my ever burgeoning pile of "To be made into something" fabrics, I realized that many of them had sky blue backgrounds. As much as I love Seattle's ever-changing weather, I'd like to have a nice stretch of blue skies for a while.

Hello, sad and neglected blog

2007-04-10T08:14:00.000-07:00

I never did make a Brown Bohemian handbag for myself, although I did make quite a few around the holidays for other people! Now it's time for Spring and I just finished a custom order handbag that tickles me with its Spring-y-ness.Originally uploaded by glassbeach

This is one of my favorite fabrics. I love the retro quality and the polka dots. I've made wallets with this fabric but I think the scale is well suited for a larger handbag. I think I'll have to make some more.

Welcome to my adventures wrestling with fabric and interfacing!

2006-11-04T22:54:00.000-08:00

I've been sewing and crafting since I was five but my crafting obsession has reached a new high since I've recently started to sell my final products on Etsy. Here is one of my latest projects:

Originally uploaded by glassbeach

I am so pleased with the contrast between the manly corduroy and the girly sparkles. I think I may have to make another bag just for me!