Kristen Mary

Blog Move

2010-01-10T12:33:00.000-08:00

I have an exciting new announcement! I'm going to be discontinuing my personal blog, but only because my husband and I are collaborating on a new one called "The Himsl Hunter Family Craft Blog". Since we are both so active in crafting and artwork we thought it would be fun to pool our projects and ideas together and post them in the same place. We're going to post fun stuff that we do, projects we're selling but also incorporate more tutorials and pattern reviews. Not to mention the different crafts we do with our son, Ronán. I'm really excited about it!

I sincerely appreciate all of my readers and hope that you'll visit me at my new home!
The Himsl Hunter Family Craft Blog

Wrapping up Christmas WIPs

2010-01-03T13:04:00.000-08:00

Well, I didn't get my Christmas quilt done in time for the 2009 holiday. And since I usually don't feel like doing Christmasy (?) stuff once the holiday is over, it is getting put into storage for a few more months. But on the positive side, I'll be able to complete it easily in Fall 2010 since all of the blocks are put together, and trimmed to the right size. I have all of the fabric picked out for the binding and middle piecing (filler? what is that part called?) so it will be minimal cutting and maximum stitching. Looking forward to that. But for now, on to more springy projects like my brother's belated wedding gift, an Irish quilt. More on that later!

Christmas Gifts! #2

2009-12-18T14:22:00.000-08:00

I pimped out some ordinary tea towels with christmas fabric trim. A quick and easy gift for my brother and his new wife's first Christmas together! (well first christmas married...)

Christmas Gifts!

2009-12-18T14:14:00.000-08:00

I made a table runner for my mum this year. She doesn't usually check my sewing blog, so I think I'm safe positing this before she gets it. I'm so pleased with how it turned out. I like the fabrics, how they work together. I like the stitches I chose to quilt it, and that it lays nice and flat. I hope she likes it too!!

Winners

2009-12-02T18:19:00.000-08:00

Sewing Bloggers are the best bloggers out there. With their generous nature, sharing information and tutorials, I am never at a loss for resources. When we share our stories online, we're all winners, but in this particular situation I am an actual winner, of some actual awesome fabric! I won a pack of fat quarters from Amy of Badskirt in Australia. Thank you so much, Amy! I can't wait to fit these into a future quilt.

Done!

2009-11-17T18:51:00.001-08:00

Blake models my finished quilt for his step brother's wedding quilt. I hope they like it!

2009-11-12T06:19:00.000-08:00

I'm having a blast this week checking out the "Cross Country Christmas Quilt Designer Blog Hop"! A group of accomplished quilters each take a day between Nov. 9-20 and have a free tutorial or project on their blogs! I heard about it through Terry Atkinson who is a local quilt designer. I have one of her books and it is great inspiration!! I copied the websites from Terry's blog so you can see them too!

Nov. 9th. Gudrun: http://www.gudrun.typepad.com/
Nov. 10th. Sandy: http://www.piecesfrommyheart-sgervais.blogspot/
Nov. 11th. Terry: http://www.terryatkinson.typepad.com/
Nov. 12th. Pat: http://www.patsloan.typepad.com/
Nov. 13th. Heather: http://www.ankastreasures.wordpress.com/
Nov. 14th. Pam: http://www.pamkittymorning.blogspot.com
Nov. 15th. Kari: http://www.newleafstitches.com/blog
Nov. 16th. Terri : http://www.whimsicals.typepad.com/
Nov. 17th. Sherri: http://www.thisandthatpatterns.typepad.com/
Nov. 18th. Carrie: http://www.lavieenrosie.typepad.com/
Nov. 19th. Roseann: http://www.rosebudscottage.typepad.com/
Nov. 20th. Linda: http://www.lindalumdebono.blogspot.com/

Professional Quilting?

2009-10-30T12:32:00.000-07:00

As you have seen, I'm going a bit quilt crazy this year. I've really got the bug and am having fun with it. I don't have the world's most advanced sewing machine and I can't find a darning foot to fit my machine to enable me to do any free form quilting. So right now I'm stuck with straight lines, which is really fine while I'm learning.

But I can't help but be attracted to the stippled quilts and zig zaggy finished quilts, and I might want to try and bring one of my quilts to a professional for a more advanced quilting look.

How do you find someone that can professionally quilt your project? Does anyone know of a professional quilter in the Twin Cities? A basic search on Google yielded no relative results for me.

Thanks!!
Kristen

Wedding Quilt Continued

2009-10-19T18:04:00.000-07:00

I finished the top of the quilt for Blake's step-brother's wedding gift. Slowly but surely I'm getting it completed. Hopefully they'll get it in time for their first anniversary! LOL

This design is from Rosemary Wilkenson's book "Quick Quilts to Make in a Weekend". It is the Feedsack Scrap Quilt. The end measurements are approximately 60x55. I really liked it but was skeptical when I finished the middle section. Since the fabrics were made by different companies they responded differently and the whole thing was pretty lopsided. But I put it aside for a week or so and then when I added the borders it all sort of came together. I think that's why I like quilting so much and I know it is why I love sewing so much. It doesn't have to be perfect to be awesome. And there are a lot of ways to "fix" things to make them appear straighter or nicer.

Queen of Hearts and Alice in Wonderland Costume Set GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-10-14T10:01:00.000-07:00

Queen of Hearts and Alice in Wonderland Costume Set GIVEAWAY!!!!

This is a link to the blog "Grosgrain" where she creates amazing children's clothing and gives them away! (I still can't believe that) You'll have to check out the link above to see all of the photos of the dress in action and close-up details.

Quiltmania Continues

2009-10-08T18:47:00.000-07:00

The start of belated wedding present for Blake's step-brother.

More Scrappy Hedgerow Blocks

2009-10-08T18:38:00.000-07:00

Slowly but surely, I'm getting my Christmas Quilt blocks together. I really enjoy finding combinations of smaller prints to put together.

Christmas Quilt

2009-10-08T18:16:00.000-07:00

I'm working on a Christmas quilt! I love the idea of having a special holiday quilt that we take out each year as he weather turns cool. I'm following a pattern by Oh Franson! called Scrappy Hedgerow blocks. I had originally signed up to be in a quilt block swap but for some reason my registration didn't go through, but I wanted to still try them out. So we'll have our own quilt instead! I love the "fussy cutting" the middle blocks. I found some fun white fabric with dots on it to use for the fabric in between the blocks. They look like snowballs so it will be perfect!

Quilt Catch Up

2009-09-24T17:59:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it has been so long since my last post! It has been a very busy summer. My husband and I are working on a new blog project together and I was waiting to do my next post to introduce that but it has been delayed slightly. It is going to be very exciting though! I'm looking forward to it. More about that soon. For those of you waiting on the fabric paper dolls pattern that is coming along and will be ready soon as well. (I promise!) Thank you for being patient!

In the meantime, I thought I would catch up on all of the quilting madness I have been up to lately. This was a quilt I started working on before Ronan was born and only finally finished up. I was really stuck on how to bind this quilt. Do I make my own binding or use store made bias binding? How wide? Do I use satin blanket binding or cotton? How the h do you miter a corner?!?!

The quilt was actually very simple because the front is a panel and the back is a solid cotton. It has been so long now, I can't remember the name of the fabric I used for the front, but I'll keep looking and update this post if I find it. This is a quilt of firsts for me because I was able to do some simple machine quilting with just the regular walking foot. I traced the diamonds in the sections with diamond shapes and those without I traced the outer square. It worked well! Forgive all of the fuzz on the photo above. :-p

My first mitered corner!!!!! It took me ages to get up the courage to try this. That might sound totally weird but it is true. Every time I read a tutorial on how to do this I just didn't understand what they were saying. The photos didn't make sense. Finally I found "Posie Gets Cozy" who did a wonderful binding tutorial and it clicked for me. The binding was so much easier than I realized! I machine sewed the front part and hand sewed the back part.

Lazy Days Skirts

2009-07-29T18:19:00.000-07:00

My favorite easy skirt pattern from Oliver + S in action. My nieces model their skirts as well as the bonnets I made for them designed by Amy Karol ~ Kingpod.

Dreaming of a Fairy Garden

2009-07-29T13:32:00.000-07:00

Ever since my year working on Rebecca's Garden TV show, I've wanted to create my own Fairy Garden. Rebecca Kolls had an episode of planting tiny versions of normal sized plants and building a miniature garden home that a fairy could live in. I was glued to the screen. What a clever idea! I saw in the Chasing Fireflies catalog today that they are selling elaborate fairy garden supplies! They are all too expensive for me but they really capture the fairiness of this garden idea. When Blake and I finally buy our own home, we will make sure there is a magical piece of yard that I can dedicate to my own fairy garden.

Brilliant

2009-07-24T12:36:00.000-07:00

I had to file this under "holy crap!" So many times in crafting circles you see many versions of the same things. That doesn't mean they aren't all unique and great, but every once in a while you see something so clever that it sparks all kinds of creative thoughts. This is one of those times. "Miss Pretty Pretty" (Julie) designs Imaginative Play Toys and sells them on Etsy. My favorite are the card table tops. They seem to be a pretty simple design, made out of felt, with all kinds of embellishments and it fits over a standard card table. She also makes custom orders to fit over other size tables. It is just too clever! I love it. On top of it all, she is a fellow mid-westerner hailing from Menomonee Falls, WI. Check out her shop today!

Toddlers Rule

2009-07-21T19:17:00.000-07:00

There is nothing better than watching a toddler figure out a new skill. Here Ronan is working on his new favorite project, buckles. He sports a fashionable underpants-and-rain-boots ensemble.

Favorite Books

2009-07-10T14:50:00.000-07:00

My son is now 15 months old and showing distinct preferences in what we read at night. I usually get to snuggle and read with him before bed so I'm very familiar with his favorites. Now that I know that they have toddler books at the Library, I get to mix it up a bit. Here is Ronan's favorite book right now:
He really likes books with photos more than illustrations, so this book is just right. It is very simple and features some kids with down syndrome. "My Up & Down & All Around Book". He likes this set of brothers the best as they demonstrate on and off of a big pink ball.

I'm "reading" this book right now, "Airman" by Eoin Colfer, one of my favorite young adult authors. (from Ireland of course) I put "reading" in quotes because I'm actually listening to it in audiobook form. Also from the library and racking up late charges as we speak! Well, I have to support my local library some how, right?

I believe Blake is reading John Hodgeman's "More Information than You Require" that he got as a Father's Day gift. (Or was it his birthday?) Well, from Ronan anyway... And I'm looking forward to reading it when he is done!

Weekend Plans

2009-07-09T07:39:00.001-07:00

(image taken from Pink Hobo website)

I'm excited for this weekend because
1) We barely have any plans (don't tell anyone!) and
2) The one plan we do have is to go to the Yo Gabba Gabba exhibit at Pink Hobo!

I've never actually been to this gallery so I'm pretty excited. Y-G-G is one of the 2 shows we let Ronán watch. We have a couple of episodes saved on our DVR and break them out on a rainy day. Our favorite is when Jack Black comes to spend the day with the crew. Too Funny. It will be cool to see what Ronán thinks of the exhibit!

Embroidery

2009-06-30T18:37:00.000-07:00

I am loving the Sublime Stitching guest artist series that Jenny Hart has come up with. I love her drawing style but the fact that she is introducing guest artists makes it even more interesting and the obsessive collector in me wants each one! This one is from The Black Apple and I am having tons of fun mixing and matching the images. These are embroidered on a natural color linen and don't have any particular destination! Too bad these photos didn't turn out a little bit better. It was weird lighting that day, I guess.

New Pattern Coming Soon!

2009-06-23T13:34:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to announce that due to popular demand, I'm putting together a pattern of the Fabric Paper Doll that was featured on HGTV and that recieved a blue ribbon at the 2008 MN State Fair! It will be available soon in my Etsy shop, I'm very excited to be putting the finishing touches on it and getting it ready. I'd also like to do a kit version that includes the supplies and possibly down the road a "kid" version that would have less intricate steps so a child or beginner could easily put one together. Hooray! A summer project!

HGTV!

2009-06-16T07:44:00.000-07:00

Well, my episode of "That's Clever" finally aired yesterday! I didn't realize it so I didn't get my self-promoting email out to friends and family. Luckily I tape every single episode so that I don't miss it, and I got to see it! The show had two segments with me in it, the first one I do my fabric paper doll and the second, shorter one I do an embroidered kitty ornament. This YouTube clip is the shorter segment. I'm not sure the longer one will fit on YouTube, so I might have to break it up into 2 uploads. Anyway, here is part of it!

Dress Fun

2009-06-09T12:55:00.000-07:00

Way back in '06 I made my sister a "house dress" to wear on hot Texas nights around the house. I found this great butterfly fabric from JoAnn Fabrics that was cute and had a bit of stretch to it. I blogged about it here.

Today I was browsing fredflare.com for the latest and greatest in trendy style and I found this cute dress available for pre-order! It is a bit cuter and a lot better made (I'm sure) but I was so pleased to see the similarity to the Simplicity dress I made for Gretchen!

Photo credit, Fredflare.com

Results of June Poll

2009-06-08T13:41:00.001-07:00

I am really enjoying these monthly polls. Thanks to all that have voted! Here are the results to the queiry: Is selling something you made from an online tutorial wrong?

9% Yes - You should always only sell something completely original
45% Only if you don't ask permission first
27% It is okay as long as you give credit to the original designer
18% No - if it is online it is intended to be used by all

Looks like asking permission first is the majority.

Daydreaming at Work

2009-06-08T13:23:00.000-07:00

When you are at work, what do you daydream about? In between putting out office-style fires, I dream of sergers...

New Summer Purse!

2009-06-01T18:25:00.000-07:00

I got this great purse at Johnstock during Art-a-Whirl a couple of weekends ago. It was an awesome find, I love the fabric! Made by Calissa Designs

Fat Quarter Sheets

2009-05-18T10:22:00.001-07:00

I found out today via the True Up blog about Home Ec Shop selling fat quarter packs out of vintage sheets. How incredibly clever! I love the idea of using vintage sheets for projects but not the idea of having loads of sheet scraps all over waiting for multiple projects. This really answers that problem!

I Heart BookMooch!

2009-05-15T08:10:00.000-07:00

My sister told me about bookmooch.com recently and I found a few books that I could give away and signed up! When you really love a book you want to give it to someone that will love it as much as you do. Let's face it, there are only so many bookshelves in the world and I'm not going to stop buying books anytime soon either... So this is a fun and addictive way to to give yours away and get some for free! The only thing you have to pay for is postage for your outgoing packages, (and a donation to the site if you so wish). You can mooch a book and send it to a friend as a gift, or just hoard them all for yourself! I highly recommend checking it out!

Loose Teeth Vintage Inspired Sundress with Petticoat GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-05-12T10:09:00.000-07:00

Loose Teeth Vintage Inspired Sundress with Petticoat GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Cute new giveaway this week at Grosgrain! (photo from Grosgrain blog)

New Poll!

2009-04-30T09:43:00.000-07:00

In light of the many cases of copyright infringement in the indie crafting community lately, I thought I would start a new poll this month on the topic. Unlike the many obvious copyright thefts (see Sublime Stitching, Syko, and Greenbean Baby to name only a few...) what about selling something that you made from an online tutorial?

On one hand, this is clearly a process that someone took the time to think about, work the kinks out and show you how to do step-by-step. On the other hand, it is something they offered online, free of charge to everyone.

What are the guidelines for something like this? How about courtesy? It seems like the safest thing to do would be to email the person and ask their permission to use their tutorial to sell your own projects. But what if they never write you back?

I would love to hear your take on the subject!!

Thanks,
Kristen Mary

Archie Complete

2009-04-13T18:03:00.000-07:00

A while ago I showed photos of the Archie doll that I was making for Ronan, in progress. Here is the finished doll! I made him from a Wee Wonderfuls pattern that I found online.

This is a mini quilt and pillow that I made for Archie. Ronan might be too young yet to play with dolls but I have hopes that he will enjoy Archie and accessories soon.

Here's the happy customer! Ronan seems to be doing some kind of horrible wrestling move on him.

Minneapolis in Early Spring

2009-04-06T14:38:00.000-07:00

And I mean early! It snowed a couple of days after this outing. I work downtown Minneapolis and our company has a photo club that meets to nerd it up every couple of months and when we are inspired we go on a lunchtime photo walk. Blake teases me and he calls it my "Finer Things Club" like in NBC's "The Office". And okay, its not that far off.

This photowalk was my first one and I was able to see the city with whole new eyes. Well, with Adam Turman's eyes really! I thought of his gorgeous artwork a lot while I was out, and could see where he got so much of his local inspiration.

On the way home we decided to challenge ourselves and see if we could photograph letters or found objects that look like letters that spelled out our company's name. Well, what do you expect when you work among engineers? It was a wonderful way to spend a Friday lunch!

It's an Etsy Rummage Sale!

2009-03-30T18:09:00.000-07:00

Well, like most of us in Minnesota, I am tired of waiting for spring to arrive. I'm jonesing for rummage sale season to start. But I'm going to get a head start by hosting my own rummage sale on Etsy! All month I'll be adding projects and supplies for sale at rummage sale prices. All shipping costs are included in the price listed. Not to be missed if you are jonesing for a rummage sale too!

Sláinte!

2009-03-15T17:28:00.000-07:00

Translated from Irish, "Cheers". Made this little banner in honor of St. Patrick's day this year. I was inspired because I wanted to have some decorations around the house but the decor available at most stores are atrocious. Gaudy green beads, sparkly shamrocks and references to drunkeness just isn't what I'd like to decorate the house. I think this turned out great!

Muntedkowhai%Necklace GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-03-13T07:16:00.000-07:00

Photo taken from Grosgrain Website

Muntedkowhai%Necklace GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

For a long time now, I've wanted to learn tatting. But I have realized a person can only successfully persue so many crafts at a time... So at this time I would rather buy or say "win" a gorgeous tatted necklace such as this one generously being given away by Grosgrain!

Small Magazine - Spring Issue!

2009-02-19T11:09:00.000-08:00

I am starting to realize that online magazines are the wave of the future. I am fully on board especially when the new Small comes out! Like Today!

Pre-Wash or Not To Pre-Wash

2009-02-09T08:05:00.001-08:00

That is the question... Most projects call for you to pre-wash the fabric before you use it so that it doesn't bunch up unpredictably after the finished product is washed... But so many fabrics look extra nice when they haven't been pre-washed and give a brand new look to the finished project. So I am often torn on what to do!!

Do you pre-wash?

Feel free to vote on the poll I've added to the side of the blog ~

Thanks for visiting!
Kristen

Baby Gift

2009-02-03T17:49:00.001-08:00

I made these tiny little 6-9 month skirts for one of Ronan's daycare teachers that just had a baby. They are the miniature version of Oliver + S Lazy Days skirt pattern, my new favorite skirt pattern!!

Spoonflower

2009-02-01T19:28:00.000-08:00

I am so excited, I just got my first 8x8 swatch of fabric from Spoonflower!! I used (with permission) an image that Blake drew of a little leprechaun wearing a top hat and it turned out SO well!! I just placed an order for the full yard of fabric. I can't even believe how excited I am that it turned out so nicely. I don't even know what I'm going to make with it!! I'm sure a little will be used for something for Ronan, but what else? I've spent the whole weekend staring at it and smiling. Spoonflower is so amazing, the possibilities are endless! Especially when you're married to an illustrator...

Archie Doll

2009-01-31T19:36:00.000-08:00

I've decided to make a boy doll for Ronan's first birthday in March. And since I get into the sewing room about once every 3 weeks I figured I better start early! I ordered an "Archie" doll pattern from Wee Wonderfuls online. It comes to you via .pdf and I printed it out at work on the color printer. :-) So far I have the pattern pieces cut and all of the fabric too. I've gotten as far as sewing the hair on and am stuck on one of the directions so I have to do some figuring. I may be able to work on it a bit more tomorrow during Ronan's a.m. nap (that is usually the long one)

I've been an admirer of Hillary Lang for some time now and am very excited to be making one of her dolls!

What the hell is going on around here??

2009-01-29T07:13:00.000-08:00

I am taking a quick minute out of my work day to write a blog rant and I fully appreciate how lucky I am to be able to do this. What is going on in this country right now?! I can't wrap my head around it. Every time I log on to the internet, headlines of layoffs bombard me. Today I heard a commercial on the radio for a Twin Cities car dealership that guarantees if you buy a new car and lose your job within one year they will allow you to return the car. This is insane, I really don't know how to process it, or even know what else to brace myself for. I feel pretty confident that I will be able to keep my job but I still have panic attacks on a slow day for fear it will look like I am not a necessity... Today I googled Mary Engelbreit Home Companion magazine to see when the next issue was coming out and there is just an empty page with a short note saying that it is no longer being published. That they will be sending out Martha Stewart living instead. So apparently only the Marthas of the world are making it, no thanks. My only solace is knowing that we at least were able to get Barack Obama in the white house. But it already feels like its about 4 years too late...

What are your thoughts or predictions? I would love to hear..

Handmade Holidays #4

2009-01-26T18:38:00.000-08:00

I thought I had posted these already, but I guess I just had them on my flickr account... Anyway, I made these awesome, adorable, easy skirts for my two Texas nieces for Christmas. I used the Oliver + S Lazy Days skirt pattern (free by the way!) It is a super easy pattern that has a cool new twist on how to hem the skirt with ribbon. I made 3 skirts for each girl. My sister confirmed that they fit perfectly!! I am thrilled. I think this might be the first thing I made for them that actually fit. It is very hard to properly fit clothes for kids that are so far away.

Shoot, I guess I never took pictures of their third skirts.. I made them each a corduroy skirt, one red with fairy tale ribbon, and one blue with gnome ribbon. They were cute. I even added a pocket on each of those, and the pockets were lined with the corresponding ribbons.

Handmade Holidays #3

2009-01-26T11:50:00.000-08:00

Now that my sister has finally received my late, late Christmas gifts, I can post the linen placemats that I made for her. I heard that she has a beautiful new dinner table and doesn't want to use a table cloth to cover it up. So I made her 4 reversible placemats. One side is a cream and green ivy cotton print, and the other side is a natural linen and celtic knot cotton design. I was inspired by so many sewing bloggers' love of linen, and thought I just had to try it for myself. I think the final product is just lovely, and I would use it again. I wouldn't keep it for my exclusive fabric choice, however. I am not crazy about how little give it has, and it frays easily and has more bulk at the seams than I care for. But this was a really fun project and I thought my sister would like the look of the natural linen.

As you can see in the top photo, the edges ended up a little wavy. I'm assuming that is because the fabric had a little more pull in some areas than in others. I still like the way they look though, and they are nice and flat when ironed. I top stitched along the edges and did a decorative feather stitch along the pieces on the top, where the linen and cotton fabrics met. It will help it to keep its shape when washed.

My sister said she really liked them and I look forward to eating off of them when I go to visit her in February!!

Handmade Holidays #2

2009-01-17T05:53:00.000-08:00

My friend Amanda at work knit this scarf for me as a Christmas gift and made one for our boss as well. This is so soft and warm and just the right length, I love it!! She made a beautiful black chenille scarf for our boss. I felt like she really captured our personalities when she picked out the yarn. What I love most about making handmade gifts is that while you are making them you are thinking about the person that you are giving it to, and I believe those intentions are sewn/knit/crafted right into the final product. I really feel that in this scarf, and I think of Amanda when I wear it. Thank you Amanda!!

2009 Fabrics - Michael Miller Sneak Peek

2009-01-14T14:38:00.001-08:00

I read on the Michael Miller Blog "Making it Fun" that this adorable new robot camp fabric will be available soon at your favorite sewing shoppe. It is a great help to have such bright and awesome fabrics like this to combat the huge void of cute boy clothing patterns that are out there. I found one great fabric pattern for pants for Ronan a while ago and I've made about 8 pair from that so far. And he has many sizes to go! I think this fabric will surely end up as a pair of pants. Or who knows, maybe I will be brave and make him a shirt!!! Oh, how cute.

Handmade Holidays

2008-12-30T14:53:00.000-08:00

We had SUCH a handmade holiday this year, it was fantastic! Everywhere I turned we were giving and getting thoughtful, handcrafted gifts of love. I'll be posting lots and lots as I get the photos taken, because they are just too amazing not to share with you all. This photo shows one of the the shaker toys that my sister made for Ronán for Christmas. He just loved them. They were a set of 4 bottles with various beans and rice and beads in them. We keep the popcorn one in the car and he plays with it each time we go somewhere. How inventive!! Thanks Gretchen!

... Wait... Christmas is over, already!?

2008-12-30T14:43:00.000-08:00

I've only been celebrating for a month and a half. Getting gifts wrapped (and sewn!) decorating, making sure the cat and the baby don't tear down the tree... Our first Christmas together was pretty awesome. But I'm amazed that it is already over and I find myself back at work! What I'm really looking forward to is New Year's weekend in which we stay at home. I'm treating myself to a shopping afternoon on my own so I can buy a dress for our company holiday party. Wish me luck, hope there are good sales!

Christmas Accomplishments

2008-11-24T13:59:00.001-08:00

Well, I'm finally getting some things completed to give as Christmas presents! Here are the holiday gift bags that I'm giving to each of Ronan's 4 teachers at daycare. I also added little photos of Ronan and personal notes on red circles and attached to each bag with a festive ribbon. The bags will be filled with Andes Candies which are a holiday gift staple for me, as they are "locally" made in my hometown in Wisconsin! I am also adding a coffee gift card as I often see the teachers with fun drinks from Caribou Coffee. I'm excited to have these completed!

You'll see one is not a holiday fabric and that is because that teacher loves "Project Runway" and we talked a lot about it when I picked Ronan up during it's previous season. I used the P.R. fabric that Hancock is selling. I think she will get a kick out of it. :-)

Small Magazine

2008-11-20T07:44:00.000-08:00

Yay! The new issue of "Small" is out!

Winner!

2008-11-17T10:00:00.001-08:00

Winner!, originally uploaded by Kristen Mary.

It has taken me a long time to post this, and I've been staring at the package waiting to photograph and blog about. And finally this weekend I had time!

I won these items from one of my favorite crafty blogs - Syko. She is in Finland and specializes in freehand sewing images on fabric. She's pretty amazing!! Thank you, Kajsa! sykossa.blogspot.com/

Nordic Bo Peep and Long Lost Sheep Costume GIVEAWAY!!!!

2008-11-11T12:34:00.000-08:00

Another gorgeous creation from Grosgrain!

Nordic Bo Peep and Long Lost Sheep Costume GIVEAWAY!!!!

Level 13 Art Show

2008-11-07T13:37:00.000-08:00

Design $nfs

Blake has a painting in the Level 13 art show at Altered Esthetics, and the opening night is tonight! I always enjoy attending the AE openings. We'll bring Ronan so we won't stay too late. Say what you will about art galleries with theme shows, I really enjoy them. Plus it gives artists an opportunity to have one or two pieces for sale and exhibited, but not have to commit to an entire show of their own. For a sneak peak of Blake's piece, check this out!

Crafters Local 612

2008-11-05T13:35:00.000-08:00

Crafters Local 612, a group that I am involved with, has put out a glorious new website. I'm so excited about it. I had been designing the website for the past 3 years but our organization had begun to go so far past what I could do. We needed a "real" one. And frankly, I was ready to give up the reigns. We started out a small "maverick" group (LOL!) and have grown into an amazing craft-sale planning juggernaut! And there is so much more we want to do.

The website is particularly fun because it is going to be so much more than just information on the sale. There will be all kinds of resources available to browse and interact with. Right now I'm hooked on the Forum and posting tips and other sales that I've heard of. I invite you all to go and check it out, and sign up for the forum, it's fun!

www.nocoastcraft.com

Time and Pants

2008-10-30T07:40:00.000-07:00

Time management is not my current strong point, so I hope that people are still enjoying my blog posts though tiny and sparse... I have to take photos, transfer them to my flash drive and then sneak them to work to publish on my breaks. This process can often take a week or more. Also a victim of my time management is sewing projects! But my pantaloon obsession still manages to be fed from time to time. Here are some swanky plaid pants that I made for Ronan. I usually only ever sew using cotton fabric- like quilter's cotton. So it was fun to experiment with a knit fabric. I'm actually not quite sure what fabric this was, but I think maybe a wool blend. It was a remnant that I saw out of the corner of my eye as I breezed through the store. Immediately "pants!" came to mind so I nabbed the remnant and brought it home. It was the perfect amount for Ronan's pants and even had enough for the pockets on the side.

Oh, this is a fun picture. I just noticed that the blanket he is sitting on is the first quilt I ever made, and he's leaning up against a pillow, and I made that case out of some retro Alexander Henry fabric. :-)

Fall is nearly over

2008-10-28T13:32:00.001-07:00

Here in Minneapolis we are starting to get the hints of winter. Ahem... It snowed on Sunday. But it didn't stick, so I'm appreciating every last shred of fall sun that we get.

I've got the golden ticket...

2008-10-14T11:49:00.000-07:00

I was just invited off of the waitlist for Spoonflower, a company that allows you to design your own fabric! I'm enlisting my favorite illustrator (and husband!) to help me to get some custom leprechaun fabric made, to start. Oh, I'm so excited! I guess I better get a-sketchin'!

Grosgrain

2008-10-13T07:46:00.000-07:00

Photo from Grosgrain Blog

Even though I have not had very much time to blog myself lately, I do get a few quick peeks at blogs when I'm at work and I am very excited to have found Grosgrain! This is a site that has amazing and adorable clothing and costumes for little girls and a huge inspiration! Kathleen Dougherty is the Blog author and amazing seamstress. She claims to not only be self taught but doesn't work from patterns! I guess she started working from patterns and then figured out that all patterns use basically the same types of pieces and then worked from scratch like that.

Not only does she have an amazing blog but she gives away many of the items that she makes!

In a nutshell, I want to be Kathleen Dougherty when I grow up. :-D

Shenandoah Costume GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

For the Love of Etsy - #9

2008-10-03T14:17:00.000-07:00

Etsy Love # 9 Kajsa Wikman - Syko

I've enjoyed viewing Kajsa's Flickr photos for some time which brought me to her blog and Etsy shop. Kajsa is from Finland and is working on starting a full time business with her sewing and textile art. I love to hear her about her successes and trials and I hope that she does well! I'm often moved by her seemingly simple freehand stitches that are actually quite complicated! She is an artist with her machine and can draw some beautiful images with thread. Really, you just have to see for yourself!

This scarf is one of my favorites!!

I'm excited to hear that she is going forward with some patterns of her work. I am looking forward to getting some of those!

I've been busy!

2008-10-03T14:06:00.000-07:00

I've had a number of gifts to make so I snuck away to work in the sewing room and boy did it feel good. Lots of new babies, which is fun to sew for! I have quite an extensive list of homemade items to make for Christmas gifts this year so I'll have many more Sunday afternoons up there when Blake is watching football.

Taggy blanket for baby shower. Made with Michael Miller's fabrics from the "First Sight" line.

Size 3-6 month pants for the baby shower. Fabric I finally cut into from this post.

And Raiders pants for Ronán because I love Blake so.

My Birthday Skirt

2008-09-30T10:38:00.001-07:00

My Birthday Skirt, originally uploaded by Kristen Mary.

I made this robot skirt to match Ronan's robot pants! I made this a while ago but haven't had the occasion to wear it until now. Here are some Crafty Planet treats I picked up as a birthday present to myself!

1. Japanese Import robot fabric

2. Oliver + S boy pajama pattern

3. Ready Made Magazine

4. Amy Butler's book "Little Stitches for Little Ones"

5. Sublime Stitching embroidery pattern "The Black Apple" special artist's series

Viva la birthdays!

For the Love of Etsy - #10

2008-09-15T09:04:00.000-07:00

This is a continuation of my "Best of Etsy" picks, as started earlier in the week. I can never get a treasury put together on the site, so this is the next best thing, I think!

#10 (again, in no particular order) "Pengcath"

9. Cathy Peng - Pengcath - I adore Cathy's illustration style. I already have a limited edition print in my bedroom, greeting cards, and stickers all over the place. I was even able to persuade her to make me a specialty calendar for my cubicle walls! And my wishlist is never ending. :-) I am looking forward to getting her sheep sleeping print for Ronan's bedroom.

Her subjects often include a cute and wiley black and white cat (as shown above) but she does commissioned portraits, painting, screen printing. Prints, originals, stationary, clothing, accessories. She does it all!

You can find her at Cathy's Sweet Shop on Etsy. www.pengcath.etsy.com

The End of an Era

2008-09-04T19:02:00.001-07:00

On Tuesday we got the news that my Grandmother had died. This is my mother's mother and she lived in a nursing home in Wisconsin. It was not sudden, and not a surprise but sad nonetheless. This is the end of an era. She was an amazing woman. Blake, Ronan and I drove down from Minneapolis on Wednesday knowing that our planned vacation to South Dakota would resume when the funeral and services were over at the end of the week. The funeral was an occasion to see many family members that I don't see very often, and distant cousins of cousins from Chicago who's company I adore. It was an event of mixed emotions. Every time I would feel sad about losing Grandma, I couldn't help but think about how wonderful of a person she was and how lucky I am to have known her and how blessed I was to have been loved by her. And I would smile.

I will miss you Grandma O, one of my favorite people in the world.

Blue Ribbony Goodness

2008-08-25T07:24:00.000-07:00

I submitted my fabric paper doll to the MN State Fair this year and got the blue ribbon in my category! I was so excited when I found out I ran around all over the place at work to tell people. On Saturday my little family and I went to check her out in all her glory.

Supportive hubby and son. Not a "are you done yet?" uttered. I love checking out all of the quilts and clothes and wonderful textile art at the fair. This year I was able to see a lot of familiar projects from friends and acquaintances that had submitted. It was wonderful to see so many ribbons that they all won! Congratulations to you all!!

It was a pretty fun way to spend a Saturday. Lots of mini donuts and brownies were consumed, although nothing on a stick if you can believe it. My eyes were a lot bigger than my stomach as it turned out... I had a long list of foods that I wanted to eat and only ended up with a few. The weather was gorgeous too.

Top 10 Etsy

2008-08-21T12:46:00.001-07:00

I am desperately trying to stay involved in the craft scene despite my lack of time in the sewing room. Juggling full time work and full time Mom is a tricky one and I've had to stick to a pretty serious schedule so that I don't go off the deep end. So there a lot of fun things that have gone by the wayside for now. I am amazed at my crafty mom friends that seem to be able to do it all! I'll check out their blogs and they've got all kinds of new ideas and projects finished and I'm lucky if I get a shower in when I need it. But I know it is not forever and so I forge on! (And wear a lot of deodorant)

So in an effort to keep up the blog, let me share with you 10 awesome Etsy projects that get my "Are you kidding me? GET OUT!!" awesome award! (In no particular order) These are the types of things that make me want to cast aside the computer and jump right behind the sewing machine. If only it were an option...
10. Robot-a-Day by Anatomy of a Skirt - Pretty much every single one of these robot pouches I covet. Such a cute idea and the execution, impeccable.. And she literally makes a robot a day. That is pretty impressive.

I love making pants!

2008-08-13T18:35:00.001-07:00

Ronan's second pair of pants. If I wasn't so busy snuggling him all of the time I'd make pants every day! These are from fabric I bought at Crafty Planet.

Summertime Rules

2008-07-25T13:25:00.001-07:00

Really, the photo says it all. I hope you all are having a wonderful summer!

TNT Hilarity

2008-07-25T13:17:00.000-07:00

I confess that at work, I sneak onto fancast.com and listen to television programs when I'm working. Sometimes. But today I realized I watched most everything that interests me on there, and so I went hunting around for a new show. I landed on the TNT network website and looked for some full length episodes. While I was there I noticed that the episode page has a button called "Boss Coming? Dramatic Pause". If you press it, a fake spreadsheet comes up with nonsense charts and info. It was SO funny. When it's safe to return you just click on the spreadsheet and it brings you back to the program page. LOL!!

It's a slow week.... :-)

www.tnt.tv/dramavision/

My husband, the artist...

2008-07-10T10:28:00.000-07:00

I love being married to an artist. He's been very motivated lately and it is fun to see him blossoming into a freelance illustrator. (though, don't tell him I said he was "blossoming" :-p) This week he was able to get one of his cartoons into the City Pages. He didn't make it into the print version, but check out his online version. This is in regards to the Republican National Convention that will be in St. Paul this September. The City Pages called for cartoons depicting "When the Elephants Come to Town". Check out Kevin Cannon's as well, his is my *2nd* favorite one.

Robot Pants!

2008-06-09T17:53:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't want a pair of robot pants? I bought this fabric at Crafty Planet and made these tiny pants for Ronan today. How cute is he?! The pattern was Simplicity 3765. It was an easy pattern to follow and has cute little pockets on the side. I think the pants instructions on Handy Home Projects blog is actually easier to follow though.

Handmade Scottish

2008-05-18T14:42:00.001-07:00

Blake and I went to the Scottish Fair this Saturday and I was able to buy a couple of lovely handmade items. The mug is a pottery piece from Patty's Pottery. I've visited with Patty and her husband at several fairs and this was the first time I was able to get a piece for my own collection. She usually works monochromatic, so I was really excited to see this multi colored piece with the dot details.

The bear was from a vendor called "Frugal Corner" and they make kilts. When I asked if they made these from the kilt fabric remnants, they said that they send the fabric "down to Texas" to have them made. I'm not sure what that means exactly, but I could tell they were handmade and Texas is still US made so it counts to me!

I love being able to find handmade goodies when I go to fairs like this.

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-13T15:19:00.000-07:00

I haven't been getting to too many projects lately, though I am itching to get back into the sewing room. As you can see I've been pre-occupied with my little guy. Here he is at 2 months! Happy and healthy. We just got his first immunization shots today. So he's a little groggy and fussy. But he did well and I was amazed at how fast the nurse gave the shots. When I was little I remember it taking forever. LOL.

Happy Mother's day (belated) to all of you mothers out there!

No Coast Craft-o-Rama

2008-04-24T08:46:00.000-07:00

I just found out that No Coast Craft-o-Rama, the craft sale that I help put on each year has been voted "Twin Cities Best Craft Show" in the City Pages annual "Best Of" edition. City Pages is the Minneapolis/St. Paul equivalent of NY's "Time Out". Each year Twin Citians vote on their favorite stuff and I am pleased to say that our craft show is a favorite. It's quite an honor! You can read the article here:

ARTICLE

Baby Day

2008-03-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

The first photo of my new son, Ronan Fionn. Born on Friday at 5:47pm. 8lbs 3oz 21 inches long. Today is my first day home with him and the only reason I have time to post is because my Mother is over and holding him while I check my email. :-) Otherwise he keeps us on our toes the whole day long. Being a mother is awesome so far (day 3) and every time I pick him up my heart soars. It is amazing after 9 long months that the day has finally come.

More photos soon!

More Handmade Gifts

2008-03-19T15:44:00.001-07:00

Well, I'm still not crafting right now, even though my crafty wish list is growing and growing. But I just have to go with the flow and they'll all be ready and waiting for me when I have the time and ambition to get back to them. In the meantime, here are some fun new gifts I got from my Crafters Local 612 girlfriends!

These were made by Trish of Crafty Planet. The bibs were hand knit and then sewn onto cute cotton fabric. She said it was the first time she used fabric and knitting together, well it turned out awesome!! The booties she bought at No Coast Craft-o-Rama last December from Audrey's Daughter.

Here is a photo of the knit side of the bibs. Look at all the fancy details! She said that when she made the bear on the green one that she was just "winging it". Well, that is why she is the crafty goddess we mortals call "Trish"... Thank you!!

These little darlings were made by Ellen. They are a wonderful bigger size and have the convenient food-catching pocket at the bottom. I pulled them out of their bag one by one and each one was my favorite! (do favorites work that way?) One is outer space kids, one has tiny robots and the last is sock monkeys and bananas. Hello, they are adorable. Thank you Ellen!

This last photo I have already posted I think but I didn't realize at the time that they were a part of the Crafters Local 612 Bib themed gift, so I thought I would post them again. These were made by Tracy, a couple of sweet small knit bibs (I still don't know if I'll be able to actually use them, they're too much like heirlooms!) and a cute cotton fabric one with a dog theme. Thank you Tracy!
The best part of the bib project is how each person's reflect their own personality. I am honored to be the recipient.

You girls rock!!

P.S. - Baby update. Today is my due date, I am 40 weeks! Contractions have started and I am due into the hospital in the morning to see if we can get this baby going a little faster. Wish me luck, friends. Next time you hear from me I will be a mom!

Love, Kristen Mary

Handmade Gifts

2008-03-02T18:08:00.001-08:00

It has been so hard to keep up my blog lately. I admire all of you crafters making daily posts, and updates. I get a chance to read a lot of them thanks to Google Reader, sneaking peeks at work in between tasks. But I can't seem to get things photographed around the house in a timely manner. I'm hoping once I'm on maternity leave, I'll be more inspired. Though I hear having more "time" won't exactly be true. :-)

I'm now officially 37 weeks and they tell me that the baby is fully developed, so that I could go at any time and he would be pretty safe. To me it means a mad countdown to try and cram every last thing in while I'm still considered a person with no kids. But I'm getting more and more tired, winded, distracted, and worn out so sometimes I take two steps forward and one step back. I've not been able to craft much but am nesting like crazy around the house. Doing loads of teeny tiny laundry, organizing drawers and shelves, and trying to see the house as a new mother and how I can place things that are more practical to my new role.

I keep getting blown away by the support and generosity of those around me. I had an office shower last week and people are so genuinely excited for me. I got some thoughtful gifts from people I wouldn't have expected and just general warm fuzzies from everyone. Friends and family you would expect to be happy for you but it still takes me off guard how they show it. People telling me how Blake and I will be such good parents and have all the confidence that it is true. It really helps boost my confidence!!

Anyway, I thought I would feature some fun handmade gifts that we received lately. My friends Tracy and Willa bought me these hand knit (crochet??) overalls which are cool as hell, but snuggly, warm and they even have little silver buttons with celtic knot designs on them. These are going to be so cute on him!!

Below are bibs that my friend Tracy herself made for us. I don't know if I could ever bring myself to use the knit ones, they are just too precious. As you can see, mini Winnie the Pooh is modeling the blue one. I think they might be better off on a teddy bear or other such decorative option... I will use the fabric one though, it's a nice big size and I really need to break myself of the habit of only saving handmade items for "good". Half the fun of having handmade is using it, right?!

This blanket is a little lap-sized quilt that was made by one of Blake's coworkers. She is pregnant too and due a couple of days before I am. She and her mother made this for our baby and it is so cute! It is made from flannel squares and quilted with decorative stitches. One of the stitches says "BABY" over and over, and the other one is a row of tiny alligators that are really adorable.

Thank you for these thoughtful and beautiful handmade gifts!!!

Donation

2008-02-15T17:16:00.001-08:00

I'm not sure what it is about Christmas Tree skirts that I just love! I have this one simple pattern that I always use, and it just really pleases me to come up with new and fun combinations of fabrics to put together. This is one that I made for my Aunt Peg who runs a fundraiser with her husband each year to raise money for "Avenues to Independence" where their son lives. They organize this kick-ass Irish themed St. Patrick's Day party and dinner with dancers, a band, and a raffle. I seldom get to attend since it takes place in Illinois, but this year I had the honor to participate via raffle donation.

I made this Christmas Tree skirt from the RJR Fabric's line "Killean" which has toile-like sketches of Irish castles and cottages, and coordinating plaids. It's not a traditional look for a Christmas Tree skirt, and not a shamrock to be found, but I think it's pretty classy and I hope it raises them a pretty penny!

Awwww..

2008-02-06T18:07:00.001-08:00

Valentine's Day came early for me this year! Blake ordered me an assortment of my favorite Fannie May chocolate candies direct from Chicago, IL and it came a little early. Fannie May is an O'Herron family favorite and I grew up having this amazing chocolate at all of our candy-related holidays and family celebrations. If you ever have a chance to get your hands on some of these treats, I highly recommend it!

Adaline's First Doll

2008-01-27T17:03:00.001-08:00

My niece Adaline had her first birthday this weekend and my husband really wanted to give her a handmade doll. I was worried that I wouldn't have enough time and energy to make her a doll, but I had a doll form that I made a while ago that I never finished. I used a pattern for the doll (approx. 20 inches) from the book "Gifts to Sew for Special Occasions". It had a great easy pattern but I wasn't crazy about the hair options that they were giving me. I studied Hillary Lang's Flickr site and got some ideas from looking at her dolls, but no tutorial. Finally I decided on brown yarn hair and just jumped in and did it. I love how it turned out but if I was doing it again, might add on more strands in the back to keep it full looking. I sewed down the majority of the hair on her head, and so if the braids come out it will be easy to re-braid and have it looking nice again.

The top I made from a pattern in the book "2-Hour Dolls Clothes" which I absolutely love. They only go up to 18 inches though, so the first version of the shirt came out too small. It fit everywhere, but didn't close in the back. Eventually I added on extra bias binding to extend the back enough to make it close with velcro. I was pleased with that fix!

The skirt is just a rectangle of fabric sewn together in back and I used elastic on the waist. (This was after thinking I could tie the back with ribbons and it looked totally stupid) The elastic waist was easier than I thought it would be and I think it looks super cute and more importantly, it looks nicely finished. (something I'm always striving to improve)

Here is Adaline getting the doll at her birthday party.

I think the doll passed her snuggle test!

Forgotten Arts & Crafts

2008-01-25T07:19:00.000-08:00

Blake got this book from the library the other day and it was really a fascinating read. "Forgotten Arts and Crafts, Skills from Bygone Days". The book itself is pretty simple with all black and white images, woodcut illustrations and sketched diagrams. It is tiny part "how-to" but mostly "how-they-did". It talks about the skill itself and how it was innovative for the time period as well as the types of craftsperson that would use said skill. As Paul Hayes of Cash in the Attic would say "Its a lovely bit of social history".

A recommended read!

Shots from around the craft room

2008-01-24T10:35:00.001-08:00

Blake and I were able to get a sweet new camera this Christmas just in time for all the baby pictures we'll need to take. :-) Here are some shots from my craft room that I took while getting better acquainted with the Nikon.

And one from the kitchen because it's springy brightness always cheers me up:

Clothing Patterns for Boys

2008-01-16T13:58:00.000-08:00

I went to JoAnn Fabrics the other day to hunker down and check out all of the cute patterns that are out there to make for little boys. I was really looking forward to it since my two nieces have been the recipients of all of my clothing experiments up until now. But what did I find when I opened up book after huge book of patterns? Not much, I tell ya! I can't believe how few patterns there were for boys! I looked at tons of pattern books where page after page were adorable variations on dresses, pants, knickers, shorts, bloomers, and skirts for little girls, and the best they came up with for a boy was:

And sure, it's cute but not quite my style. Even a simple pattern for over-alls were hard to come by. The most disheartening thing I'm finding is that you can make little boy bibs with duckies on it, or you can make clothes that look like they should be on teenagers! Even in stores I see this trend in boy's clothing. You're either a little baby or a skateboarding teen. Why no in-between? Boys, I'm so sorry! I never noticed before how grossly overlooked you are when it comes to your wardrobe options!

But I am not discouraged! It just makes the task more interesting. I'll have to scour the internet for new sources of ideas and styles. I'll look beyond the the typical spots for clever color combinations and interesting pattern ideas.

Any hints as to where I should start?

2008-01-07T16:42:00.001-08:00

My sister has been so generous and creative sending us gifts from Texas the past few months since I found out I was pregnant. It is really fun to be able to share my pregnancy with her even though we are so far away from one another. Here is a photo of one of her most recent gifts. It is a set of onesies that she gave new life to by tye-dying them. They were onesies that her girls used, but by dying them that gorgeous blue she was able to cover up any discolorations made by the (darling) previous owners. And they look awesome! Thank you so much, Gretchen!

Handmade Gifts

2008-01-05T14:57:00.001-08:00

I do especially love to get handmade gifts. This set of cross-stitched items is from my mother-in-law for Christmas. It is a towel with a little hood (the bear), a small towel, and bib.

Christmas Gift Project

2008-01-02T17:53:00.000-08:00

It's always a bummer to make a gift and not be able to post it on the blog right away. I usually forget for a few weeks anyway! Well, since I've remembered, here it is! Blake and I each had a name of one our in-laws for gift exchange this year. I had his brother Brett and he had our sister-in-law Jody. We decided to get them each a copy of the "Dangerous Book for Boys"/"Daring Book for Girls" respectively. We went one step further and made them each a fabric roll with pockets to store the 12 items from the "Essential Items" chapter. We were able to get a few things on the list to start them off.

Holiday Card Solution

2007-12-26T08:40:00.001-08:00

I didn't get a chance to blog about this last week, but I was finally able to make a ribbon holiday card holder this year. I read about it in a Martha Stewart magazine last year and since I keep my holiday magazines each year for inspiration, I was able to review it this year and give it a try. It is actually pretty different than Martha's but the same general idea. I really like it. I've pinned the cards on with straight pins, and it's colorful, decorative and finally in a place where I'm not knocking down cards all month!

Martha's version:

My version:

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-25T09:52:00.001-08:00

Happy Holidays! We had our family Christmas dinner last night so Blake and I are relaxing at home today and catching up on house stuff before we go back to work tomorrow. This is a cheese ball I made yesterday from Amy Sedaris' recipe. Usually I do a big ball o' cheese, but this year it was Blake's idea to make it into a snowman and I think it turned out so cute. Even funnier was when people started to eat him because they had to stab him to get some cheese. Some people felt bad and others loved taking a whack at him. :-D

Things Others Have Made

2007-12-16T16:48:00.001-08:00

Doing a little blog catch-up after a miserable week sick at home. I just wanted to highlight some things that other people in my life have made recently that made me smile.

These are place cards from Thanksgiving. My sister-in-law and nephew made them for everyone and they all have stickers that reflect our personalities and interests. They were so cute and a wonderful touch, especially considering how many of us there were!

This is a wreath my mom made for Blake and I this year. She sprayed it a little so that the branches have a whiteness to them, and added berries and pine cones. All of the little ornaments have been around since I was very small and have little stories behind them. She really does these kind of decorations well, and it is especially welcome in our first house!

Stash Building

2007-12-08T19:25:00.001-08:00

Now that the No Coast Craft-o-Rama sale is over, I've finally been able to start thinking of other projects. I needed to go to JoAnn Fabrics to get some special fabric for a gift project that I'm working on and noticed a lot of cute fabric on sale! I thought I would treat myself to a couple of yards, I've been so good about it lately, and felt I deserved a treat! These cute Christmas fabrics made it into my cart. Blake didn't like the green fabric on the left very much but I thought it was cute in a retro way so I bought a yard. The one on the right is so cartoony and cute so I picked up a yard.

They are both designed exclusively for JoAnn which I used to really like because they were usually pretty original designs and limited runs of the designs so they were kind of collectible. Plus they were really affordably priced. But lately, the "exclusively for JoAnn" line has gone way up in price. Like crazy high. $6.99 is usually the cheapest, and sometimes as high as $9.99! Plus the quality of the fabric has not improved and is far below the quality of fabrics made by Michael Miller or Alexander Henry. And those you can get full price around $8.50 or so. It is kind of a disappointing thing.

But these fabrics were really reduced in price so I didn't mind getting them this time.

This fabric I found in the section of Juvenile clothing Fall section. I can't remember exactly how they phrased it but the weight of the fabric is somewhere between regular cotton and home dec. The sale was like 70% and so this was only $1.99 per yard. I got two yards and I think I'll make Ronan a little romper with it. My sister gave me a cute pattern for my birthday in September that included a romper/overalls so I think I'll give that a try! If you click on the photo you can see it a little bigger and get the details. So cute!

No Coast Craft-o-Rama 2007

2007-12-02T14:25:00.000-08:00

As usual, No Coast was a blur of activity and sales. What a fun way to spend the weekend. We had a longer time selling on Friday evening, and then a nice long day on Saturday but ended at 5pm. It was really a manageable amount of time, and I really think it helped to spread out the shoppers so that at no one time there was a mob that you couldn't get through. It was really fun to visit with shoppers, other vendors and I was so fortunate to have my Mum and Aunt Mary around to help out and provide much comic relief. :-)

Blake and I split a table again this year, and I think it was nice because neither of us had quite enough to fill up a whole table. This way it looked like we had tons of stuff to sell. Mum thought it was funny that if one of us were gone, people couldn't see why the one person left sitting would make zombie Christmas cards as well as sewn stuffed animals. LOL. Even though we didn't sell out at the end of the day it was really nice to have heard so many encouraging comments and to see people laugh at Blake's cards.

Plus, I got to catch up with some friends that I haven't seen in a while which was great! Some friends from my office made it too which was lovely.

Here's pregnant me on day 2 of the sale! It was nice and toasty warm in our area so I could wear short sleeves. We were near the stage too so we always had music to listen too. My favorite as always is the Roe Family Singers. They really are wonderful and provide a good energy! I bought a CD of theirs this time.

A close-up of my side of the table. Listening to what people thought was cute or a good idea was fun. A lot of people commented on the stuffed animals I had made. One of the animals was a camel and they commented on how you don't see that very often. I suppose that's true! A little boy came to our booth with his dad and was eye level with the stuffed animals. He must have been only 6 years old and looked at me and asked "Do you have any cats?" I showed him that I had two and he nodded approvingly "Yes, I think I would like to have one of those" It absolutely melted my heart and his dad winked at us and told him he'd think about it.

Here is a close up of Blake's side of the table. People were really attracted to his Crazy 8's limited edition prints as they walked by. But they stopped to by a Zombie Christmas card that reads "Leave some Brains out for Zombie Claus". It was hilarious to see the people that had to have the card. A number of people bought it for a parent who loved Zombies or horror movies. A lot of people pointed and laughed, it was a fun part of the sale.

Thanks to all who stopped by our booth to say hi and do a little shopping!!

No Coast Article on Etsy

2007-11-29T11:39:00.000-08:00

Gerri Jo one of the vendors at No Coast Craft-o-Rama this year interviewed me and wrote an article for Etsy Storque (The Etsy Blog) that was published today. I'm really pleased with how it turned out and getting very excited for tomorrow!

Here's a direct link to the article: ARTICLE

Utilizing Every Last Minute...

2007-11-28T18:24:00.001-08:00

before No Coast. Here is the packaging for the Molly Dolls that I have made up. I'm actually really happy with how they turned out.

These crayon bags are some last minute additions. I hope to make a few more before Friday.
(Sure, it's 9pm on Wednesday... I can do that no problem)

Something about being a few days away from the sale gives me the urgency to do more, more, more! I never feel like I have enough made to sell. And there are so many last minute things I need to complete! I wish I had a network of elves that could help me out.

Embracing the Season

2007-11-25T13:50:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post to show you two of my favorite decorations this year. It is the Abominable Snowman doll from the Rudolph movie of years ago, who is so hilariously fluffy and cute. And a cartoon drawing that Blake did of us the first year we dated. I really had fun decorating the house for Christmas this year. Even with the few items that I own... Last year when we moved into this house it was February so this year will be our first Christmas that isn't in a 1 bedroom apartment. I'm really looking forward to it and embracing all the fun "nesting" aspects of getting ready for the season.

My No Coast Craft-o-Rama Wishlist

2007-11-18T07:07:00.000-08:00

I'm taking some time out from being a craft-factory getting ready for selling at No Coast Craft-o-Rama in 2 weeks to make a wish list of the items that I am excited to buy when I'm there. Every year so far I've planned on buying certain things, but never had any time to just browse the other sellers! It's much harder to get away than I realized, and once I do get a few minutes, I can't remember who it was that I wanted to see!! So this year I'm making a must-have list that includes (and are not limited to!) the following:

Pumpkin Girl - Recipe Cards

Pink Sparrow - Felt Pins

Bits of Joy - Baby knit hat

Jennie the Potter - Ceramic bowl or Mug

Charlie & Sarah - Wellies Onesies

Zeichen Press CD cases:

It's Back!!

2007-11-15T17:39:00.000-08:00

Oh what joy, Project Runway is back! And just in time to save me from the television void that is left by the writer's strike. The first episode bypassed the usual format of showing how the people were chosen. I kind of liked that introduction but it was also nice to get right down to it! I don't have any favorites yet, still getting used to the personalities. No one from Minneapolis this year, too bad. I'm still waiting for the season that will feature Rebecca Yaker!

No Coast Craft-o-Rama

2007-11-05T13:27:00.000-08:00

Here is the poster for the 2007 sale. It was designed by the talented Adam Turman!

It's That Time of Year Again!

2007-10-30T18:08:00.003-07:00

This week I'm filling my Etsy shop with lots of Christmas items, getting ready for the holiday season!

Lots of Tiny Pants

2007-10-27T17:42:00.001-07:00

and tops... and skirts... and dresses...

I've been busy busy making tiny clothes for all of my fabric paper dolls. I'm featuring them at this year's No Coast Craft-o-Rama. The last two years I focused on Christmas items - tree skirts, bags, stockings. Which I loved doing. But this year, since 2008 is the year the Fabric Paper Dolls will be debuting on HGTV's "That's Clever" I thought I would capitalize on that publicity and see if people are interested in them as Christmas Gifts this year. I hope so!

These little darlings will go for $30 and they come with several outfits, the back of the doll has a pocket to hold all of the little clothes and you can even buy outfit expansion packs if you think you'll need more than the doll comes with.

I'm pretty excited about my progress. I've spent many long hours in my mini-wardrobe sweat shop, in fact so many hours I've been able to watch the entire Lord of The Rings trilogy - Extended Versions!! (not all in one sitting though. :-)

Soon these dolls will be going into my Etsy shop as well, to see if they peak anyone's interest.

that secret project I was telling you about

2007-10-15T16:43:00.000-07:00

One of the girls of Crafters Local 612 (the craft group that puts on No Coast Craft-o-Rama) got married in July and the rest of us decided to get together and make her a quilt. I volunteered to put the top together, and it took me forever to decide on the material for the strips in the middle and the edges, plus I had morning sickness around that time and I was laying around a lot more than usual. Anyway, we gave her the quilt this weekend, so now I can post the photos! I forgot my camera when we gave it to her (ug!) so I don't have a photo of the finished piece, but I do have close-ups of the squares and the finished top at least.

Tracy's camping Square:
Cherries:

My embroidery square!

Kristen M's embroidered dogs:

Tracy's adorable gnome!

Kristen M's embroidery of a Heinz katsup label but it says the wedding date and couple's names instead: (Ellen is from Pittsburg home of Heinz Katsup!)

Monsters:

Crafty Square:
Tattoos: (Jonny has many)
Trish's tooth embroidery: (Ellen is a dental hygenist)
More teeth!

Inspiration

2007-10-14T17:18:00.000-07:00

For my birthday Blake bought me "Doodle Stitching". It's a wonderful book for encouraging free style embroidery. I've been embroidering my own (and Blake's) designs for a while now, but this book helps get inspiration beyond my normal style. I highly recommend it to new and seasoned stitchers!