Awesome Hood Detail

I am in love with the hood on this dress. The skirt I could do without.. a bit over the top. But this Hood! Isn't it beautiful?

I love how it attaches to the dress and the buttons! Oh god the buttons.. it's so cute! I can see this style being adapted into an awesome sweater. I'm a little sad it didn't even get mentioned in the end but there were a tons of designers.

Original Photos - Featured on Project Runway Season 7, Episode 2.
By Seth Aaron.

A hiking we will go.

Part of my new years resolutions to myself: Join a hiking group and get outside! I hiked me ass off, got a really great workout and met some really cool people.

I'm hooked.. I found my group. I'm not dead and made it home in one piece. I also managed to go solo and keep up in the middle. Those hills just about killed me. Bring it on again! I want moooore.

And tomorrow I'm crazy enough to have signed up to meet a new biking group where we will be tacking some more hills, on bike. I am going to be so dead on Monday!

I had a little revelation while powering up the hill and trying to work through the pain. This was the right choice. This is where you need to be. Stop freakin worrying so much and just power through.

I need to STOP worrying about the little things. I need to focus on what I can do now with this moment. I need to stop fretting about being alone or the struggles ahead. Sometimes you just need a change of pace to really wake you up. The possibilities are endless and the future holds many blessings as well as hardships. It's part of life and being alive. So just strap on your shoes, face the day with a smile and keep on trying. Because really that's all you can do.

Recycling Jars - Reuse!

I have a ton of glass jars that I can't figure out what to do with them. They are too small to store food in and I have my craft supplies in stored in other containers already. So what to do? The plant lover in me really wants to try this idea.
From Design Sponge via link.



Then you have this clever idea by Geninne - link. Where she collects treasures and uses it as a beautiful display. If you are a crafter like me you are a magpie of sorts and collect shiny little things. I'm always bringing home random nuts, sticks and leaves in my pockets after walks. Now I would have someplace to display them!

Unicorn Hat

For all the princesses in the world! I still have a little girl in me that still loves my little pony and gets giddy when I see rainbows or unicorns. This new hat got me SO excited that I couldn't wait to finally share it with all of you!

It's available in my shop here and I have only three left. I'll be making other versions with different fur so they will look a little different. You can always order a custom hat though and I can make it any color you want!

I keep saying each new hat is my new favorite. I almost want to say that now but really they are all my favorites. This one just makes me so happy and I can't wait to sell it at markets and see the look on little girl's faces! oh my goodness.. I just can't wait.

Pretzels!

Did you know that you boil pretzels in baking soda water? That is what I learned the other night. That and don't try and cook something new while drinking. That can lead to weird results. This time it was using the wrong kind of wax paper that filled the house with smoke. The pretzels all were stuck on the paper but we happily ate around them. My friends were taught how to make pretzels and we all learned that you don't just drop the pretzels in the water.. as it will come out looking like a pile of poo.

I used a recipe from Alton Brown on Food Network. I highly recommend trying it yourself. It's fairly fast and the ingredients are really basic. What parts we could eat were soooo good that not a pretzel survived the night even though half of them were stuck on wax paper.





I still don't understand why the pretzels have to be boiled in baking soda water.

It fizzed up like soda and there were TONS of bubbles. It foamed over the pot and got everywhere.

I was happy to make them for the first time and will definitely try it again. It's fun, fast and entertaining to make people try to roll out pretzels! With my group of friends it was probably similar to getting a bunch of kids to help you.

Sewing Machine Pin Cushion Tutorial

When I'm sewing I really hate having my pin cushion in an annoying spot. If it's on the right it's out of the way so it's hard to get to when I'm in the middle of a piece. If it's on the left it's interfering with my fabric and will get knocked off the table. I figured the best place for my pin cushion was on top of my sewing machine! I had another problem though.. it kept falling off and getting in the way of the thread. There just has to be a solution to this problem! I finally figured it out. A pincushion that ATTACHES to the sewing machine. So here is a little tutorial for anyone that wants to make one too!

First measure the top of your sewing machine where you want the strap to be. I went over a couple of inches on each side for the strap to overlap so you can add Velcro.


Then measure your fabric. I went a little over two inches because my final strap needs to be under one inch in width. Make sure you add seam allowance! I measured 18 inches down and a little over 2 inches across.


Next fold it in half and sew along the outer edge.

When you are finished turn the tube inside out. I have this handy dandy tool that I use for my straps that looks like a big giant plastic needle. You can use an old clothes hanger or a piece of pipe cleaner. Just sew on the end and pull through! It's important to sew and not pin as I've had far too many pins break right in the middle and then you have to start ALL over again.


Iron the tube flat

Sew on the velcro and close off the edges. Make sure you put the velcro on opposite sides so it can wrap around.





Next cut out a circle for the pincushion. I used a roll of tape as a guide. It made a decent sized cushion. See what you have around your house! Glass jars, lids, tupperware. They are all good sources for templates. You want a perfect circle.. that will just make things easier.

Sew around the edge of the circle and stuff with scraps. I used a bit of polyfill and fleece.

Use embroidery thread in a contrasting color to wind around the cushion. Pull tight and tie a knot at the bottom. Sew it on the strap securely. I added a button to the center to give it a finish look. It's cute as a button! ha ha!

New Recycled Hat

This is my favorite hat by far. An experimentation with using recycled upholstery fabric samples from Trillium Artists and a new style. Now I am proud to introduce to you THE BOMBER KITTY HAT!

This hat is cool because:
- It uses recycled materials
- The upholstery makes it feel and look fancy and expensive
- It's a bomber flap hat! Totally love the Elmer Fud style
- The buttons allow for a tight fit and will keep the hat from sliding off
- It's stylish AND cute



Available in stores soon! This will be an exclusive line for Trillium Artisans. If they approve my membership and the hat. I will keep ya'll updated!

Happy Kids on Christmas Day!

Thanks to my friend Geahk for the photos. I made these two hats for him right before I left for Christmas break. They were the last project I had to get done!

Hand delivered and then I took off for a nice break with family. Now I get to see the faces of the kids I made them for. Awesome!

Thanks Geahk!

Mug Pincushions

More from one of my favorite pincushion makers. I love the idea of using an oversized mug for storage and pins. I need one of these in my sewing room.. make that SEVERAL.

blogged here.

Time for tea?

Would you like some sugar with your tea?

Found via link

Pom Pom Flower Tutorial

make your own using this tutorial.

Creative Community

Artwork from Geninne's Art Blog.

I'm tired and I've been sewing for hours. I'm not sure how much time I put in this weekend but it was not nearly enough. Instead of being resentful and cranky I'm rather happy and exhausted. My life seems to be now interwoven around my creative pursuits. No longer are they on the backburner of my life but always in the present and my life is arranged around it.

Downstairs I have a nice assembly line started and many projects in progress. It's great to have whole days dedicated to working at home. I am taking all of this very seriously and treating my work like an actual business. It's really nice to have pride in my work. I enjoy the long hours.

I am so very thankful for my wonderful friends that support me. I am so thankful to have creative and wonderfully talented people that actually want to hang out with me. I am honored to be their friends. I've never really felt that way about people until the last couple of years. I have SO much respect for them.

I am thankful I get to go to craft fairs and Saturday markets. I am so excited about this year and all the wonderful people I get to be around every week. I am no longer a stranger there. I feel wanted! I'm not scared or angry any longer. I'm so happy to be going back. I am so happy to be running my own business.

I am so happy to spend my entire Sunday sewing up hats. I think about all my customers when I sew. I think about who is going to receive this hat and make it perfect for them. So remember when you order a hat from me I am thinking about you the whole time I sew and piece it together. I spend these hours sewing and sewing and what fuels me is the smile I know they are going to have when they see their new hat. I enjoy this business primarily because of that human connection. I feed off of your smiles! That sounds creepy a little.. but what I am trying to convey is that I was sewing like a crazy woman all weekend and it was for all of you. I am happy to have this wonderful support and I look forward to sewing for all of you for many years to come.

You my customers are just as important to me as my creative friends. For you are the community I serve and your support is what makes my life possible. You are the creative force that keeps me going when I'm tired and perks me up when I am down.

Thank you everyone.

And now the poor seamstress needs to sleep. Goodnight to all!

I'm going primal

I'm yet another American that has been just so overwhelmed with the health advice that the media feeds us that I just gave up entirely. It was just simply too much to sift through. With all the low fat, low carb, atkins and calorie counting how can you know who is right? They all contradict each other and months after something new comes out you hear a news report that says it was actually all bad for you and TRY THIS new thing instead. Seriously I'm tired of the crap.

Now that I'm finally researching all of this I've found that eating healthy can be really rewarding and doesn't have to make you suffer at all! By planning out what I'm going to eat every week I'm finally cooking again and trying out some fantastic recipes. I'm not starving and I feel AWESOME. I can't express that enough.. I feel so fantastic and happy and the energy I feel keeps flowing all day with or without coffee. I don't have the excuse to run out and buy fast food because I honestly feel that what I have planned is going to taste way better than anything I could buy "eating out".

I thought this would be difficult and that I would face some kind of inner struggle. This has been the easiest thing I have ever taken on. It's been so rewarding in that I feel better and happier. I don't even have cravings and I totally wasn't planning for that. That has not been my goal! It's amazing that it just all went away.

So with all this cooking I've activated the foodie in me again and I'm trying out new recipes left and right. Through this research I found something that finally works for me. I came across the blog Mark's Daily Apple and my eyes were opened to the ways of Grok. I'm skeptical of everything I find and I did a lot of reading and digging and the more I read the more I was converted. This guy has some great no-nonsense advice and fantastic recipes. I love how he just breaks things down subject by subject and analyzes it piece by piece. I'm the kind of person that just can't accept things at face value, I want to know WHY - I want to know HOW - I don't want to go buy a book or buy your stupid piece of equipment. I want to know the real science behind their claims.

I've decided to give the primal way of life a real try. To eat like Grok! Now I've been reading Mark's blog but I really need to get his book next to take it to the next level.

I know I sound obessed lately but I'm not crazy. I am just sharing with you what's going on in my own personal life and the road I'm on includes my health as well as business and artistic growth. I have been eating better since last fall and I'm amazed how much it has changed my life. I have more energy all day long. I'm not having crazy mood swings that involve huge spikes and horrible lows. The most important thing of all is that I haven't felt sick in MONTHS. That alone is worth it for me. That is how I know this is all working. It's fixing me from the inside. My habits are changing as I cook breakfast and prep my lunches every morning. Even my housemate has started to pickup on my habits and is cooking more and making healthier choices. I really don't think I'm someone to model after and I'm just experimenting myself but I guess when a person starts to make big changes in their life it affects people all around them without really trying.

I'm dedicating this whole year of really focusing on living a healthier and fuller life. That means finally working for myself, following my dreams, saving money and aggressively paying off bills and keeping my body healthy so I am a strong warrior through this whole process.

Paper Heart.. You need to Listen to this

Sweet movie and awesome soundtrack. It makes me sad a little but that means it's working.. haha.



Now I feel all sentimental and sad.. GREAT!

maybe it's more like happy sad.. yeah love is a happy sad.
Stupid movie! never watch it! ahhh!!!



I always watch movies so late and WAY after the hype. Oh well.. I heart you netflix. We shall cry and craft together and think sad thoughts all night long. Just me and my stories.

Squirrels

and now for a squirrel break..

Coffee Cozies.. saving the environment?

I've seen these little guys at so many craft fairs and all over etsy. I do admit they are cute but I keep thinking.. are they really necessary? I just don't get it guys.. I just don't get it.

It's supposed to replace the cardboard sleeve that you would use with your disposable coffee cup. You are supposed to carry it around with you and slip it on when you get your coffee instead of using this extra bit of cardboard. I've seen versions that you can wear as bracelets and cuffs. They are cute but really.. what's the point? You are STILL USING A DISPOSABLE CUP! It's only taking care of a small part of the problem. Why would someone sell something that is supposed to be green but that only solves a small part of the problem?

To me it seems like a product that really doesn't need to be made. Why do people buy these things?

I wouldn't have such a problem with it if it was shown in the photo with a ceramic mug or around your beer or water bottle. But around a disposable cup when you are promoting it as a green item? I just don't get it.

Working from Home

Behind the scenes action.

First Collaboration!

This is my first collaboration with Amanda from BreadandBadger. My cute little robo dino is now available on glass ware and kitchen ware!

Check out her shop here.
You can buy the spout bottles here.

This is a great start to this year!

Easy Buttoned Legwarmers

Check out the tutorial here.

I'm going to try to make a pair. RIGHT NOW!

Happy Monday

Working at home has it's perks. One of them is a warm kitty on your lap.

Back on track

... and sewing like crazy