I got some new patterns!

Okay, actually they are old patterns. Adorable, right?

I love Peter Pan collars!!!
If I saw this coat in a store, I would pay good money for it!
Empire! Raglan! Darts!
This is the best one. Coat for Mateo, maybe....?
Mateo, is that you? It will be!

apple cozy!!!!!!

Floaty Toes told me about these so I went on a hunt for a free pattern and found it here @ Vegan Lunch Box - Apple Cozy Pattern. This pattern has a variation for pears at the end. That link will also lead you to banana and orange cozies. I will be gifting mine at the office holiday party this week. What's awesome about the red color is that it looks kind of like the marbling in a steak. I think I love it and will be sad to part with it, but, hey, I'm broke!

Apple cozy porn:

the first turkey

This Thanksgiving it was just my son, my boyfriend and me. My parents just recently moved up here, but my Dad had a surgery scheduled in California for this week so they decided to spend Thanksgiving down there while they were in town. Turns out the surgery was canceled though because the doctor who was supposed to perform the operation had to have emergency hip surgery and my Dad will need to reschedule up here!

Anyway, that left me on my own for food preparations which was cool because I had been expecting t do it for almost a whole year anyway since my parents moving here was a big surprise. My boyfriend suggested we cook the turkey breast-side down to get juicy white meat. We decided that a flip toward the end would be good to brown up the skin.

I started it all with Martha Stewart's Perfect Roast Turkey recipe, hence the cheesecloth shroud:


















This is the (almost) finished product:



































We had to keep putting in back into the oven because the juice from one of the drumsticks wasn't running clear. Finally, we just cut off some breast meat and ate while the rest went back into the oven. I also prepared mashed potatoes, corn, stuffing, gravy, rolls, and pumpkin pie! It was awesome and we had some kickass leftovers sandwiches for dinner tonight. We love Thanksgiving!

Oh, and while we were eating my son said, "Thanks for Thanksgiving!" So cute! It warmed my heart!

the last dahlia

This is my last dahlia of the season.



Enjoy:

best idea ever!!

So, you know those new ketchup bottles that came out recently? The kind that you keep upside down and have a valve-y thing so they ketchup doesn't leak out? Well, I've come up with a great way to reuse these babies! Put your dish soap in them! I mean, I'm surprised that I came up with this before Palmolive did, but I did! I was just at the store on Tuesday buying Thanksgiving stuff and there was nothing of the sort in the dish soap aisle. I also use a giant bottle like this for my body wash in the shower. I think some of the body washes are using this type of bottle, but I'm not sure.

Anyway, here's my picture:

burrito head wrap!

Long time, no post!! Hi!

I just made this hat thing based on Knitty: Winter 2006 - calorimetry pattern, but like double the size. I still plan on making another that is made directly from the pattern, but it's getting dang cold here and I needed a good head coverin'. I used dive Autumno 100% Merino Wool.



Notes:

• I love how it crosses in the back rather than just buttoning at the tips.
• I like how it covers most of my head, leaving whatever sweet hair-do I'm sporting exposed.
  
• I like how I could wear it with a ponytail.
• The wrapping/unwrapping feature is good for no f-ing up a sweet hair-do.
  
• MY EARS STAY WARM AND I DON'T GET A COLD WEATHER INDUCED HEADACHE!!!!!!!

Pics:

I don't even knit!

genius here

I've been blogged!

Some lovely person blogged about something in my shop! Woot!

GO HERE!

My First CHOSEN Treasury!

That means, instead of being chosen to be in someone else's treasury, I got my own treasury! I got to pick the items in it! It was really fun, and I liked seeing all my favorite things on one page. Yeah, I put one of my things there, heh. Take a look!!

Cranberry Necklace

I rarely ever post about jewelry, even though it has taken over my life (in a good way)! Here is a necklace that I adore. My first one sold in a matter of minutes :oP

Flikr meme

I totally stole this from here: Between Stupid and Clever

The rules are:

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker.

1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One Word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name.

sarah palin = super villian?

please go read this article. i know this is a craft blog, but we agreed that this was necessary!!

america's little super villian

Pillow Case Project Day 2

I received my Reprodepot order, hooray! The fabric that I am in love with, the one with the words on it...I know it doesn't match PERFECTLY or anything, but I still think it goes with the others pretty nicely. I also like the green Kona Cotton I picked out. I am still deciding if I want to use the sunflower yellow I bought.


So far I have 8 Kaffe Fassett flower triangles, 8 Kaffe Fassett twig trianges, 8 word fabric triangles, 8 green trinagles, and 16 cream triangles, for a total of 48 so far. I am just going to keep cutting and laying them out until they equal the size I need. A little bit of progress every day! That's how I keep a project from driving me nuts!

I also got a few little toys from Reprodepot, including a button covering kit, and a snap fastened kit. I'm sure I won't be able to resist playing with those this week.

P.S. I just hit my 400th sale in my Etsy shop! Thank you to all my customers!

New Supply Shop Added

Hello all! I just added a new shop to the list of 'Places we like to buy are stuff'. It's called Pink Chalk Fabrics. They have all the cool designers, and do something I REALLY LOVE, which is sorting by color! You can go on and see everything that is orange, or whatever your favorite color is. It's a nice tool for matching up fabrics for projects, especially quilts. Enjoy!

Pillow Case Project Day 1

I recently bought a great memory foam body pillow and decided this would be the perfect opportunity for a small quilting project. The pillow measures 50 inches long by 19 inches wide by 11 inches deep.
I am using a quilt from the Denyse Schmidt Quilts book called Flock of Triangles. Mine will be a different size, but the design will be the same. I have picked out at least 4 fabrics that I will use for sure, and two more that I may throw in. Three of the fabrics I already have on hand, as you can see in the pictures; a cream colored Kona Cotton, and two awesome prints by Kaffe Fassett. I ordered two more colors of Kona Cotton from Reprodepot, along with a print that I ADORE and I hope will match the color scheme. When they arrive, I will take more pictures!
I used my rotary tool to make quick work of the triangles. I cut 10 inch squares, cut those into 4 smaller squares, and cut those squares in half. That's it!
Tune in for updates :o)

Another Treasury!

Sorry about the cropped picture. They sure don't make it easy to snapshop these treasuries. But lookie! There I am, tiny lavender post earrings. It makes me so happy!

Artists that I am loving

I thought I would share some artists that I have lately been drooling over. Etsy is a great place to find amazing art from people who aren’t quite discovered, and so have reasonable prices. A print for $20? I’ll take it!

The reason I like this artist is the same reason I like Marimekko: black lines and bright colors. To me it feels clean and brilliant. This print is called The Water Village and sells for $27.

I actually love this print so much that I bought it! It currently sits on my fireplace mantle, waiting for me to find the perfect frame. I love its absurdity and its refusal to explain (in a good way!). This print is called The Bird Bus and sells for $20.

This is quite different than any other art that I usually like. I find it disturbing in such a delightful way. This is a real painting, not a print! Alas, I cannot afford it in all its glory, at $750, but I’m sure it will find a good home. This painting is called Edward and Lola at Night.

Again, crisp black lines, clear colors. This artist uses a screen-printing technique. The style reminds me of old children’s books that used only a couple of colors, like this. This print is called Monster Attack and sells for $18.

This girl is incredible and the reason I love her stuff so much is because it reminds me of Edward Gorey. Lots of black, and lots of the ‘etched’ look (although not in this exact print). It’s a technique that not a lot of artists are using these days that I happen to miss. It definitely gives the pictures a darker feel to them. This print is called Mohair Horse and Rider and sells for $25.

I have to mention this person, even though she is not on Etsy. Her name is Lart Cognac Berliner (coolest name ever!). I don’t remember how I found her, but once I did I immediately bought a bunch of her stuff, including an amazing day planner, and this limited edition print that you see here. The detail is almost ridiculous. This print is called Cosmic Forest and sells for $18.

THANK YOU to all the artists for letting me mention you, use your pictures, and link to your shops. I love you all!

Quickest. Project. Ever.

So, I was browsing on the internet looking for a heating pad and all of a sudden I thought, 'I wonder if there is a hippy homemade way to make my own heating pad?'

THERE WAS!

I introduce to you the RICE BAG.

It's just what it sounds like, a bag of rice. Seriously, that's it.

If you go on Etsy you will find a lot of people selling these in different sizes; some good for necks, eyes, wrist pads (like when using a mouse), tummys, and even booboo sized! You can make small square ones and put them in the freezer, and put them on booboos later. This would be an awesome (and super cheap) alternative for kids who hate ice packs.

For me, I like them warm. Pop it into the microwave for about one minute at a time. Each microwave is different, and the size of the bag and the amount of rice will also have an affect. For my bag, 2 minutes is pretty good.

What kind of rice do you use? Any kind! Brown, white, whatever. Some people use flaxseeds in there too, or a combination of both. And if you want, throw in some dried lavender or other scents you like!

How much rice do you use? I was using a pitcher when I poured mine in, so I only know the amount in fluid ounces, which turned out to be 55 fluid ounces. You don't want it to be too full...make it floppy so it can mold to your body.

What kind of fabric do you use? I would suggest 100% cotton, because it will be unaffected in the microwave. You could make the rice bag with muslin, and make a cover with another fabric, if you want the option of washing it.

How long will it last? You will notice, surprise surprise, that it smells like rice. If you use it a lot of have it for a while, it will eventually have a cooked rice smell. At this point you might want to open it up and switch it out for new rice.

This took me about five minutes from beginning to end!!!

P.S. I used Kaffe Fassett fabric :o)

Something to be proud of

I made it to the front page on Etsy! There I am, bottom left hand corner!

The Debutante

This is him. I made him for Nick's 25th birthday. My little one calls him "the sea turtle". The pattern is from Softies: Simple Instructions for 25 Plush Pals. If you haven't already, check that book out! The creatures are beyond adorable and there are patterns for all skill levels. The pattern called for a larger eye, but this one was the largest available at Joann.

Since I was making him for a grown man, I chose olive green and white fur rather than the suggested black-and-white-tipped green and turquoise furs. I thought an orange tutu would be about as manly as a tutu could be.

I think Nick likes him. He stuffed him in his shirt immediately after opening the gift. That's a positive reaction, right? =] He also said the the Debutante looked pretty manly and that he wears the tutu because he likes it and is comfortable enough in his manhood to not care what others might think about it.

Success.

What's it going to be then, eh?

So, I finally made something but I can't post it yet because it's a gift. The items in this picture are clues. I have a few other projects lined up and I have my sewing machine out so I may have a burst a posts in the coming weeks. Yay!!

Small Closet Project

It's not much, but I was so happy with my recent closet organization that I wanted to share it. I don't have a dresser, but instead have hanging organizer things in my closet. The only problem with these is that it's hard for things like socks, which would just constantly spill out. I found an easy and awesome solution...I took a box and cut off the top flaps, and the top of one side. Voila! A little drawer! It pulls out easily, and now no more socks on the floor!

Customers are cool

I just want to say a few quick words about my Etsy customers. They really rock. They are so nice, say such cool things, AND the best part is that they have awesome ideas. Sometimes a customer will ask for something that isn't in my store, but they just had an idea. And that is SO FUN. I love doing that stuff. They give me a fresh perspective on my supplies.

My favorite thing was this one pair of earrings. The original design sells REALLY WELL. They are probably my most popular item. They are called 'Protons Fig Neutons' and have this neat balancing mobile thing. One of my shoppers wanted them with different colors of pearls instead of the blue glass beads they normally have. I worked with her to get the color combinations just right, and they turned out phenomenal. She loves them, and I love them too!

And now I can put that new item in my shop, because if two people love them, maybe more will!
Here are pictures of the original design and the new design.

Props to great customers!!

What's in your tote?

Have you been to Ikea lately? If you have you will know that not only are the chicken fingers in the restaurant delicious, but also that they are now charging 5 cents per plastic bag at checkout.
Or maybe you live in San Francisco and have to pay 17 cents per bag at your grocery store.
One by one, individual stores and whole cities are taking action on the bag dispute. That's why it's more important than ever for us crafty people to come up with cool reusable alternatives!
If you type "grocery bag" into Etsy at any given time, you are going to find about 2000 or so matches. How do you find the best reusable bag for you??? Not everyone is looking for the same things, but these are some of the features I look for:

1. The bag is durable/washable
This Etsy seller, cipolla, has made a tote with one of my favorite features, it is LINED. This means it's really strong and you can haul around your heavy groceries in it!

The Sunday Market Tote - Sliced Pear $40

2. The bag is large
This amazing Etsy seller, QwertyO, makes a tote with a very important feature...it's LARGE. It's wonderful to have a reusable bag but if you are stuck at the checkout and realize that only a few things fit into it, and the rest are shoved into paper/plastic, then why the bother? This one is awesome and huge, AND this seller makes a smaller for for the kids to like to emulate mom and dad. (p.s. her daughter also makes these sweet little bags for produce - replace those ziplocks!)

Market Plus Five $25

3. The bag is easily portable
Are you the type of person who already has a bunch of reusable totes but always forgets them at home? Me too! No one wants to have to remember to put a bunch of bags in our bag! That's why this tote is so awesome. This Etsy seller, Made By Molly, did something simple and brilliant, she made her tote COMPACT. Plus, it's adorable. Look at the little button!

Calorie Counter Market Tote Bag $30

4. The bag is itself made form recycled/upcycled materials
I love two birds with one stone! This Etsy seller, zJayne, made a tote that is clever and simple. They are totally functional AND they are made out of old shirts. Brilliant! Score BIG TIME for the upcyclers!!!!

Six Pack paper or plastic No Thank You $24

5. The bag is attractive
To me, this is a big one. If you don't like the way that the bag looks, you will be less likely to use it! Who says that functional things can't also look cool? This Etsy seller, effie handmade, makes a BEAUTIFUL tote. The colors are beautiful and the pattern is simple. And there are BAZILLIONS of totes out there, so you are sure to find one that suits you (I like anything orange!). Or better yet, make one yourself :o)

Orange Flowered Tote Bag $23