In the meantime...

While everything else has been going on, I have managed to design a little sundress with a crocheted top and a fabric bottom - children's sizes 2-8 (US). The pattern includes a full, photo-rich written tutorial on how to measure for and attach the fabric skirt to the crocheted top. This little mannequin is sitting in front of The Knitting Nest in Austin, Texas - looking all calm, cool and collected in the already hot weather here.

You can purchase the pattern from Ravelry for $5: .

I will be teaching a class on making this dress this Sunday, April 10th, also at The Knitting Nest. If you are interested, call Stacy at (512) 291-8866 to reserve your spot.

Where am I?

Where am I? In the middle of stitch marker land, apparently. These are sets of knitting stitch markers that I just finished for sale at the Ravelry event at The Knitting Nest tomorrow, November 13. They are all made from 22 gauge sterling silver (so heavy duty, won't bend easily), Swarovski crystal beads (so, sparkly) and clear glass beads (also sparkly) and are all handmade and carefully finished (so not to snag the knitting.) There are 18 sets of 5 markers - and will be for sale from 10-11:30 am and 1-6pm during the Ravelry event. Any leftovers will go up for sale on my Etsy shop on Sunday. I will also have more project needle cases and sock needle envelopes for sale. I have also donated a special set of all 3 of these (stitch markers, project needle case, sock needle envelope) to the silent auction to raise funds for the American Cancer Society. This auction will be taking place all day tomorrow during the Ravelry event. The stitch markers are very special - sterling silver, freshwater pearl, and deep red, silver-lined vintage glass beads. The sock needle envelope is finished with a vintage glass button as well - the only one I've made in the true red wool felt. I made these in remembrance of all of my family members who have had cancer. That would be ALL of them, by the way. Only my siblings and kids and I have gone cancer-free so far. Spooky - the odds aren't good.

Mmm, sparkly and pastel.

Getting brighter.

Brighter still.

Ah, brightest yet.

I am very thankful that I have quite a few years of jewelry making under my belt. It made the process neater and faster. I will admit that wrapping the wire was a little difficult. The headpins that I used are heavier in gauge than I usually use for jewelry - but I wanted them to stand up to a lot of hard use. My fingers are sore - but they turned out pretty well, if I do say so myself.

I have been BUSY!

This little pile of fabric, felt and interfacing became...

I have been busy sewing my little fingers off. This weekend was that of the Best Little Yarn Crawl in Texas. I was busy making project needle cases that hold a few sets of double pointed needles, and up 3 circular needles. Just enough for a project, hence the name. They can hold dpns up to 7.5 inches long, or 8 inches, if you don't cover the tops with the flap. Any length circulars will fit.

Lovely, delicious scissor fabric...

Dress pattern fabric (tee, hee.)

Here is the lovely tree, flower, and fruit fabrics. From the scrap felt, I made...

Sock needles are tiny. They are thin and short. Perfect for losing and snapping in half. I thought that giving them a little padding and protection was a noble idea. Besides, I have lots of buttons and like to make things out of extra material.

Fern green and a deep, strawberry smoothie-colored pink. They will hold needles up to 5.5 inches long.

This is the inside of my project needle case. You can see needles already looking comfy inside. The button on the circular needle pocket keeps the circular needle cable from shifting when it is closed. It provides just enough pressure to keep things tidy.

Aren't they cute!

Here are the insides of the other project needle cases - red, strawberry, and fern green. I have four more of the brown ones to finish. There are also pink and yellow felt pockets.

Sales were a bit slow, but as it was day 3 of the yarn crawl, people were tired. I have been invited back to The Knitting Nest (Austin, TX) in November for their Ravelry party. November 13, some of the ladies from Ravelry will be in town for a visit. I will be there, cases (and beaded stitch markers) in hand.

I am also going to be teaching classes this Fall at the Southwest Family Y, in Oak Hill (Austin, TX.) Two levels each of knitting and crochet, and some quick, fun jewelry classes. If you are local - come sign up. We are going to be learning a lot!

Things are busy, but it looks like the next few months will be full of fun.

Rose's Birthday #2.

Cupcake gnome. Would you like some of my lovely cupcakes?

Rose turned 2 yesterday. My goodness, she seems so grown up. Well, as you may know, I planned a food theme for her birthday this year. As you may also know, my husband, son and I made gifts for her ourselves. Well, in addition to the whole market bag full of wool veggies, she got a few other things.

The cupcakes here are from my mom, and are HABA toys from Germany. My mom also found her a kid's apron with cupcakes from Williams-Sonoma. A half-hour of hemming and it was short enough for Rose. My dad got her a wood sandwich playset, also some other lovely wood toys. Her Grammie and Grandpa Bob are 1440 or so miles away and had us get some toys for her - wood trains, a LEGO, and some stuffed animals (characters from favorite story books.) Her great-grandparents sent a cute cat card and some birthday money - she picked out more LEGOs. She is a very happy kid to have so many people who love her.

Her brother Badger made her some lovely rice-filled bean bags and a bag to keep them in. I found some fruit fabric and some coordinating leafy fabric. Badger helped design the bag and bean bags, Mama sewed, Badger filled them. Badger also picked out the really bright ribbons and threaded them through for drawstrings.

One last minute gift was a green gnome hat. I figured that she might also like something special to wear for her birthday, seeing as her brother got a full suit of chain mail and some armor. I adapted the pattern from an adult size witch's hat pattern I found on sale for less than a dollar. Like the helmet, I sandwiched a layer of heavy interfacing between two layers of wool felt (only one layer, not two like the helmet.)

I thought she might like some flowers on it, but might want to change flowers or add other decorations; so I made the flowers removeable. I found the pattern for wool felt rose hair clips at the Purl Soho blog: purlbee. I made Rose one at the same time I made two rose buttons for her hat. The leaf is my pattern, though.

A nice simple button on the back - securely stitched on.

Buttonholes cut and stitched in matching pearl cotton embroidery thread. Now she can put on whatever she wants. Her comment was "It's so nice." Balm to my sleepy heart.

Her dad and I conferred on his gift. He was originally going to carve her a bowl and spoon out of wood. However, Rose as a tendency (being 2) of hurling her toys around the house with glee. For her brother's sake especially we decided to make her a bowl and spoon out of wool felt. Dad did some of the design work, Mama made the pattern and did the stitching. I think I will put this up as a tutorial in the next few days.

Here is my next project this morning. Rose currently really likes pink. She had her own piece of the pink fabric on the right and she likes it so much that she takes it to bed, and wears it folded around her wrist as a bracelet. I got some more yesterday to make her a skirt that she can twirl in. The fabric on the left will be gathered pockets. I will be sewing a lot in the next 2 weeks. I designed some knitting needle cases, and a local store will display them during a yarn crawl. I will show off the fabric next week (It is full of birds and trees.) I am also thinking of doing more with some lovely dressmaker themed fabric I saw the other day - hmm.

And because 11 veggies seemed like an odd number (literally and figuratively), I made Rose a chili pepper. Also, because it was funny. Again, I am easily amused.

Bug Addiction - My First Giveaway

Well, if you read my last post, you'll know that I made a ladybug pincushion for the heck of it. My previous post contained the link to the tutorial for it as well, but here it is again. I decided to make 4 more. They are that fun to make. So, one is for my daughter Rose, 2 are for a pincushion exchange with friends, and 1 may be for you:

This one. I am giving this ladybug pincushion to one of my readers, if you'll leave a comment below. I will close the giveaway next Friday, June 4th, 2010 at midnight CST. I will allow my son to pick a number randomly and announce the winner on Saturday, June 5th. I'm interested in hearing about everyone's first memory of a pincushion. Let me know!

Ladybug May

Just a few sneak peeks of a project I've been making. Its a present, so I can't show you everything until my friend gets it.

Life in spring is full of ladybugs. At least, here in Texas.

And one more little ladybug - a pincushion. You can find the tutorial here. It's teeny and cute and it hangs off of your thumb to keep pins in easy reach. It took about 15 minutes total. I recommend everyone make one NOW.

Random Bits of Goodness

Here is the beginning of one of my next obsessions. I will be making a circular knitting needle case, a double pointed knitting needle roll, a sewing needle book or two, and a few pincushions. Woodland and gnome themed, with lots of little mushrooms. I even have little mushroom buttons. I find this very funny as I am really allergic to mushrooms. I must be trying to enjoy them vicariously. I have a pattern for a rug that looks like grass, lots of mushroom knitting and crochet patterns, acorns, little woodland animals, leaves, stumps, and gnomes. I'm thinking that I must make a woodland themed living room. Wouldn't it be fun to lay on a wool rug that looked like deep grass (and not in the 1970's scary shag rug way) and be in a little forest themed room where you hang out and play? I would have given my dolls away for the chance.

Speaking of food - that is the theme of the other craft obsession: play food. Now, to tell the truth, play food and other non-food representations of food have been an obsession since before the age of 3. I used to draw pictures of food, pictures of dishes, and a large red-and-white checkerboard tablecloth. I would then cut everything out and make a little play picnic. Why? I have no idea other than it was the 1970's and all of the older people I knew had large bowls of glass grapes and marble apples and pears. I am entranced by fabric that has images of fruits and vegetables on it. I go gaga over wood food toys and little tins at the toy store. I collect knitting and crochet patterns of play food. And I am starting to collect wool felt play food patterns and tutorials. It is a good thing that I have children who enjoy play food - otherwise I'd be some crazy woman in a house full of play food with no other excuse.

Just a few other things being made here: this is Rose's latest dress made from the same pattern that I made for her to make a nightgown in the fall. A remnant piece I found just before she was born. Cool and comfy cotton batik.

Rose is enjoying one of her new halter tops and skirts. But mostly she is enjoying being in the box.

And for parity's sake - a photo of Badger. He's still wearing the shorts I made for him for Halloween for his wood sprite costume. I noticed that he tends to wear mama-made shorts and pants more than the few store-bought ones he has. Must be roomier, or just funkier. He's a funky guy. Here you see that he needs a haircut - but has decided to grow his hair long again. Going for the wild man look, I guess.

Partying like its 1885...

Oh, I've been a busy Mama...

First, I decided that I needed to get rid of my old, ratty pin-tomato, so I took some scrap tattoo print fabric and a vintage button and made a dirt-simple pincushion.


I think that I am continuing a really strong obsession with pincushions that began when I was little. I found a list of really lovely tutorials for all sorts. I am going to start making the little bottlecap ones. I love the idea of recycling bottle caps. We have a few, but don't drink soda, so I may go through my husband's stash of them. I may have to initiate a pincushion exchange. I wonder if I can make tiny Altoids tin sewing kits as well. Hmmm.....


Then, I started up on the summer clothing for Rose - looked into my fabric and picked out a pile.


This morning was spent cutting out summer clothes for Rose - 3 chemises, 2 dresses, a knit skirt from one of my old T-shirts all added to a dress I cut out for her last night.


All of the lace, perle cotton, thread, buttons, and elastic for said items. (Also fat quarters for a small purse. This is my newest small work basket. Yay, resale!


This is a skirt and halter top made from scrap fabric - every inch of a scrap that I've had for 5 years. I made this last Sunday.


This is a skirt and halter made yesterday from 4 quilting fat-quarters that I found on sale. Including the thread, I spent less than $6.


Another fat quarter and scrap skirt - 2 fat quarters found on sale, the rest is sewing scraps. Made last week. Rose loves red, as do I.

Here is the last skirt I made yesterday. Two fat quarters - not as full as the others, but light and airy fabric.


And, lastly, my husband and mother bought an antique printing press in order to start a card and stationery business. An 1885 Golding #3, we believe. It needs a few parts and a tiny bit of work, and some type and plates. But we should be up and running soon. We are all very excited.

Now to draft a pattern for a circular knitting needle case, and double pointed knitting needle case. With mushroom, gnome, woodland creature fabrics, and beautiful red wool felt, all with vintage buttons. Mmmmm.....

Playing with ketchup - or just catching up to myself.

Oh, baby! It has been a really busy month and a few days. The above are what I have been working on. Well, some of what I've been working on. The rest has been reorganizing of one thing and another. Reorg of the yarn, reorg of the yarn inventory complete with photos of all of the yarn (on Ravelry); reorg of the spinning fibers; reorg of the knitting, crochet, spinning, sewing, fiber art books and magazines; reorg of the knitting projects; reorg of the sewing projects; reorg of the both kids' books and toys. Then there was the making of two sets of four handmade bookmarks, with handspun tassels as presents. And the 3 skeins of handspun yarn for a friend.

All in one month- I was busier than I thought. The top photo is a sundress meant to last 2 years - a knit top and a sewn bottom. The next a tomato hat for Badger. The next a series of crocheted frogs. Then a baby alpaca/merino hat for my dad's friend - Rose begged to model it. The next is a detailed photo of the swirl on top of that hat. The last is a baby hat for a friend - a cabled owl.

Next week is the beginning of a big sewing week: new shorts for Badger and new dresses, tops, and skirts for Rose. Maybe a skirt for me.

All of the projects are like playing with ketchup: sounds like a good idea at first, gets messy quite quickly, goes faster than you think, surprising when it is done.