valentine embroidery patterns

i am so very excited that my first two embroidery patterns are proofread, tested, and ready for sale :) my testing team has done an amazing job of sending me feedback, pictures, and just being generally supportive and wonderful. thank you all!!

here are a few of the photos these fabulous ladies have sent in so far:

sophie of threadhead

courtney of mon petit lyons

jill of that moxie girl

jill of that moxie girl

carla of small + friendly

original test, from me

new pictures continue to be added to the imagine gnats flickr group, so you can check there for the latest and greatest photos. 

if you should be interested in getting your very own imagine gnats embroidery pattern, you can find them here in my craftsy shop.

happy crafting :)

crafty updates and new toys

today we discovered that the head-cold none of us have been able to shake is really strep throat. a house full of people on antibiotics, ugh. but it hasn't slowed us down. in fact, i'm not quite sure what to even blog about first! so here's the short list and i'll come back to some of these over the next few days.

i got a new sewing machine! i've had my eye on this singer heavy duty machine (model 4423) for a little while now, and it happened to be on massive sale when i stopped into my local joann's over the weekend. when i texted Nick to tell him, his response was "get it!" love that guy :) and it turned out to be the perfect excuse for him to hunt down the pasta maker attachment for his kitchenaid that he's been eyeing, so we both won. me a little bit more, perhaps... in addition to my new sewing machine, he's been feeding me handmade pasta for dinner!

i read a lot of reviews about this machine before deciding on it, and i will say that (as usual) there were a few people who weren't big fans. they said "heavy duty? no way!" but i figure it's not like i'm running a sweatshop here. well, not most of the time anyway. i've only used it a bit so far, but it stitches beautifully, is simple to use, and it's quiet. i didn't realize how loud my old machine was. i do wish that the light would be a little brighter, but this is a complaint i can certainly deal with. 

i also picked up an ironing board over the weekend. i know, it seems silly... but i've been using one of those back of the closet door ironing boards for ages now and i figured i should be a grown-up and buy a real one. i got it from ikea and the big red flowers make me happy. almost as happy as not ironing in the bedroom closet ;) 

and do you see that lovely print hanging on the wall there? i love it! Nick got it for me for christmas from Cori Dantini's etsy shop after i had posted about it on fb. it is fabulous and i'm so glad to finally have it hanging up. even though i did have a bit of trouble with the frame and you can see the hook until i get that straightened out. but let's just ignore that for now, shall we? at any rate, you should check out Cori's work. she's all kinds of lovely.

i've started to get some pics of my embroidery testing team's work, and i can't wait to show all of them to you! (and to get these patterns finalized and listed in my etsy shop... hopefully in time for a last minute valentine project?) for now, you can see a few in the imagine gnats flickr group and here's a little preview of one that i did:

while i was home with some sick girlies today, i made progress on my echo lap quilt. more to come about that for sure... here's a pic of the quilt top:

ok, back to 7up on the couch. or playing with my new sewing machine. hmmm... happy crafting ;)

one 241 tote

for starters, yes. i know i need to learn to take some pics with my new camera with a different setting ;) someone please stage an intervention.

also, i need to warn you that i'm going to geek out for a moment. if you're not interested in my crafty crushes, you should probably just scroll down past this next little paragraph all of the text.

first and foremost, i heart Maureen Cracknell Handmade. i mean, really, how can i not? so when i asked Maureen about making a Mr. Fox pillow last week and she proposed a trade, i was a little bit in shock. holy cow, me? make something for Maureen? yes, please! so what do i make? well, we settled on a 241 tote, which i was totally excited about. Nick had bought me the pattern for christmas (after i fell in love with these totes from Hoosier Toni) and i've been wanting to get started on one.

a few fabrics just came together for me on this one... i got some prints from Rashida Coleman Hale's washi collection on saturday, along with this wedge geo print from Maude Asbury's Kitchy Kitchen collection. then i happened to find that the new Denyse Schmidt collection, Aunt Edna, had arrived at my local joann's when i stopped in on the very same day. as i wanted to use gray and orange and teal, this combination of prints was just perfection.

i finished the bag yesterday and sent off the link to Maureen and *phew* she loves it!! so, yeah, i might have done a bit of a gigantic happy dance about that one. 

i did find the topstitching around the bottom curve of the side panels to be a bit of a challenge, but i'm generally a bit challenged by the whole curved thing anyway so that's probably to be expected. have you made this bag? any tips or tricks? i already have a second one cut out... i'm thinking that i certainly need a new bag for myself.

for the interior pouch pocket (based on the tutorial here), i used some scraps of washi petals and leaves in grey and cream. and, of course, one of my lovely tags from Remember Wynn (love them!).

in case you're somehow not already a big noodlehead fan, you really should check out Anna's blog. she has an amazing tutorials section and some adorable patterns. the 241 tote pattern is incredibly well-written, and i think i'll try the go anywhere bag next. i've been eyeing that one for a while too and saw some lovely versions last night while perusing  the noodlehead tutorials and patterns group on flickr.

i also just happen to know that the lovely Rashida has set up a new flickr group, I ♥ Washi!... and, as my husband can attest, i was over the moon when she invited me to add pics of this bag to her group. let's not even talk about how excited i was when she commented about how much she loves the bag! gah!! and then i wake up this morning to find a sweet comment from Anna as well. yeah, i'm a little in crafty crush heaven at the moment ;)

linking up to {sew} modern monday at canoe ridge creations.

and (belatedly) linking up to Handmade 52 (week 5 already??) at Raising Oranges.

happy monday :) 

sweet nothings in my inbox

last night i got a very sweet email from Megan of Absolute Mommy, which was followed up with this post where she says some very sweet things about this little blog of mine. now, Megan is pretty sweet and this wouldn't be out of character for her to just send me her "sweet nothings," but these had a particular purpose...

she was writing to tell me that she gave me an award! The Liebster, to be specific. i must confess... i had never heard of it either, so here are the details:

leibster means beloved, favorite, dearest in german (according the the interwebs, at least) and the award was started as a way to spread some love in blogland by recognizing up and coming bloggers with under 200 followers. and now i get a chance to pass on the love!

The RULES:

*choose five up and coming blogs with less than 200 followers

 *mention them on my blog

  *let them know by sending them a message that they have been nominated

so here are five blogs i love and want to share with you... tough decision, i tell you. it turns out i know and love a lot of the "little guys." 

small + friendly

Carla is a modern homemaker who blogs about her version of the american dream and share her adventures in all things crafty. you can always find a fun project here, and she is one of the sweetest and most genuine people i've had the pleasure to meet.

true, pure, lovely

Tara learned to sew from her Oma when she was ten, has been relearning over the past three years, and i love how she mixes classic design with a modern aesthetic. she blogs about her two little boys, the fantastic things she makes for them, and is an all-around lovely and crafty lady.

mon petit lyons

Courtney is a quilting wonder, and i'm always inspired by her projects. she also cooks, crafts, embroiders, and makes some adorable clothes for her two little boys - her lions. plus she always seems to know about some cool thing going on in the sewing world.

buzzmills

i've known Jane since high school, and we reconnected through sewing, crafting, and parenting. she blogs about her adventures in all things crafty and creative. as she says, "it's what gets us through the day and fulfills us." i readily confess to having a bit of a crush on her lovely family.

girl like the sea

Tara blogs about her life as a wife and mother to two little girls. here you'll find her newest thrifted finds, fun kiddo art projects, and some kitchen love as well. she has quite a knack for making adorable clothing for her girls and always posts lots of pictures of the cuteness.

so congrats to you lovely ladies and thanks for the friendship and inspiration! and yeah, it's kind of a silly award but it was awfully nice to read Megan's email last night. i hope you go check out these links... i'm sure you'll find something you like. and since i don't think that i can sum this up any better than Megan did, i'll leave you with her quote...

"That's what is so great and addicting about blogging.

The community. The bloggers. The love."

lazy saturday

i'm working on a few projects, 

Nick's been cooking, and

B is reading stories on the couch.

"STOP
taking my picture!"

happy saturday :)

RE4: hope is in the bag

earlier this week, craft hope announced project 16 :: the littlest warriors, a drive to collect handmade beanies and bags for kids fighting cancer. so far, i've been inspired by all of the excitement surrounding the project. lots of people have been sharing their favorite tutorials and project suggestions... you can find some great links on the craft hope facebook page, and some collaborative boards have been started on pinterest: Craft Hope Hats and Craft Hope Bags.

in this spirit, i thought i'd share a few of my favorite refashioned bag tutorials. crafting hope comes from the heart, not the wallet... you can dig into the back of the closet and find all of the material and inspiration you need.

please note that you can click on the pictures below to go directly to the posts, and also click on the blog names to go to the most recent post on that site. show these folks some love... they've put together some great tutorials and inspirations! so tell them, won't you?

Recycled T-Shirt Tote Bag

More Design Please

Messenger Bag from Cargo Pants

Noodlehead

Purse from Sweater

Create & Delegate

via A Lemon Squeezy Home

so get going! for more RE-inspiration, check out the rethink, refashion, re-wear board on pinterest. happy crafting :)

sunki love

every once in a while i have one of those "i've been living under a rock!" moments... you know, when you suddenly discover something that everyone else has known about for ages. on the off chance that i just didn't notice you under the rock with me, i have to share this.

the spring line of Figgy's Patterns is out! (at least, i think it's the spring line. if not, please excuse me... i've been under a rock, you know.) i first saw this dress when Leslie of maze & vale posted her version and review of the pattern... made with her own handprinted fabric, no less. look how gorgeous:

see? well, it was love at first sight for me. and you can imagine my excitement when Cynthia of fabricworm posted last night on facebook that the pattern was for sale in the shop. i might have even let the pizza cook a few minutes longer than necessary while i grabbed my very own sunki dress pattern. maybe. i also might have thrown a few other things in my cart, like some washi half-yard cuts and a Clever Charlotte pattern. yay :)

(you can check out the Patterns by Figgy's facebook page for links to more pattern reviews.)

so now the only question is, what do make myself finish before i start on this?

link love and crafty crushes, embroidery edition

this is very exciting, folks! my first two embroidery patterns are complete and have been sent along to my testing team. doesn't that sound official?? please ignore the fact that i just now made it up. i'm feeling uber-professional-real-craftsperson today. i mean... i made patterns (in multi-page pdfs, even) and sent them to people who are excited about them, and we'll get to see what they make with them. i'm not sure that it gets much more fun than this.

just because all of the ladies on my testing team are so fantastically crafty and sweet and talented, i thought i would share with you their blog/page/shop links. so go check these out!

Jenny :: Jenny Bartoy Handmade Designs blog / facebook / etsy and Stumbles & Stitches blog / facebook

Vanessa :: Designs by Sessa blog / facebook

Sophie :: threadhead blog

Courtney :: mon petit lyons blog

Tara :: ROBOT Inside blog / facebook / etsy

Megan :: Absolute Mommy blog / facebook

Sonya :: Sago on Tuesdays blog / facebook / etsy

Jane :: buzzmills blog / facebook / etsy

Kara :: my other car is a crane blog

Carla :: small + friendly blog / facebook

Jennet :: Feathered Nest Studio blog / facebook / etsy

Rachael :: Rae by Day blog

Jill :: That Moxie Girl facebook / etsy

Amber :: Wamber's Whimsies blog

Krissie :: Hey Monkey facebook

Nicky :: bluebird & the boy blog

and my new embroidery crafty crushes... two very lovely and talented ladies. on top of that, two ladies who were both kind enough to say things like, "i would love to have you link to my blog" and, "i'm thrilled to be an inspiration to you!" and you can find links to both of their fab tutorials on my new embroidery page. thank you, Mollie and Aimee!!

          

total link overload, i know. you're welcome... and happy browsing :)

fabric and cats

if you have cats, and if your cats are anything like mine, the second you put a piece of fabric, papers, a pattern, crafting books, a cutting mat... on a flat surface, it's a race to see who gets to take a nap on top of it. we've joked that our cats (and we have six!) seem to know whether or not things are craft-related. they don't seem nearly as interested in the girls' drawings or clothes that they leave lying around the house (urghh!) as they are in materials which are intended for use in one of my projects.  

so last night i didn't get much done on the project i mentioned here, but i did want to take a picture of the fabrics i picked up yesterday. within moments of placing them on the kitchen table, our dear Isabella emerged as the craft sitting champion of the night. 

yup, i'm still having quite a good time playing with my new camera. the cats present a bit of a challenge, as they tend to not sit very still. i try to use the manual focus and hope that they move back into the same spot again so i can quickly snap a photo. the upside is that they don't get as annoyed with me following them around with the camera as the girls do, though they are harder to catch when they run away.

i was pretty amused when i got this silly, distorted shot of Oliver:

and this is my favorite from last night... my dear little Bianca (the baby of our pack). when i saw her picture on the animal shelter website, i knew i had to have her. she is sweet and funny and just starting to grow out of some of her kitten-ish silliness, becoming quite the lap cat. 

by the way, if you already have seven pets... don't go look at the animal shelter website. it won't end well. really. well, unless you enjoy having nine pets, that is. 

working through it

i've been working on a project. if, that is, by "working on" i really mean something more like "thinking through." and this part surprises me. every time, every project. the time it takes for an idea to move into the actual cutting out and starting to sew phase. it's like i forget that this is how i work or something. or i expect it to be different every time i get an idea. "ah, yes, this is going to be the one that just works out right the first time," i say. to myself, of course. inside my head. unless i'm in my car... talking out loud to yourself in the car doesn't count. everyone knows that.

anywhoo... i had such project in my head when this morning i read following instructions over on my friend Jane's blog, Buzzmills. i'm feeling better for two reasons:

one: at the very least, i'm not the only one that isn't very good at following a pattern... in fact, just the other night, Nick said to me, "you make everything you do as difficult as possible." he was kind of kidding a teeny bit, but he's mostly right ;)

two: i have a slightly better idea in my head about how the process works. which i'm documenting here so i can make myself read it next time i have a brilliant idea.

even when i have a seemingly simple pattern, i seem to find ways to add in a little confusion. fully lining a shirt or adding a hidden zipper is always good for that, i've found. you know, in case you're looking for ways to make your sewing more difficult and frustrating ;)

despite my ability to *just* follow directions, i'm not at the point yet (with garments, specifically) where i can just start cutting and end up with something wearable...

we've all had that moment, right? please tell me we have :)

so what happens is i read a pattern, i think, "oh, yeah. this makes sense. i'll just do it this way." but then i stall... and i think. and shapes turn around in my head. sometimes i wake with a start while drifting off to sleep and groggily search for my notepad, in the hopes that whatever i jot down will make some kind of sense in the morning. and then sometimes i choose a fabric completely unsuited for the way i originally expected the project to proceed and have to rethink some more things.

and that's where i am today. armed with some vintage-inspired buttons, a few yards of wool (in both herringbone and checkerboard prints), and my trusty pattern, i think that i've figured out my game plan enough to start cutting fabric tonight.

wish me luck! (it involves a lining)

sneak peek of the photo variety

here's the first of my official wedding photos!

it perfectly captures the spirit of the day.

(not to mention the personalities of all involved)

the incredibly lovely and talented Marissa Bowers of

marissa bowers art * design * photo

was kind enough to share this preview pic.

(and give me permission to share as well!)

i know i've mentioned it before

(here and here)

but it bears repeating:

i adore Marissa and her beautiful work.

a fantastic photographer is an amazing thing
and i am lucky to know one :)
i can't wait to share more with you....

thank you, Marissa!!

*psst* giveaway alert

remember these voile scarves??

today you can enter at see kate sew for a chance to win this one:

the giveaway also includes prizes from

Modern Fabric Studio and good natured by dani

if you're stopping by from the giveaway, welcome :)

have a look around and leave a comment or shoot me an email to say "hi!"

i love to hear from you and hope to see you back around these parts.

*and*

in case you haven't heard yet, kate's little twiggy took the top prize

in last week's project run and play's sewing through the decades challenge.

congrats, kate!

echo lap quilt progress

i posted about the start of this quilt here (more about the fabrics used there as well), back before my magically wonderful new camera arrived. so here's a better pic of the original blocks:

a few block close-ups:

and *ta-da!* the progress i made today:

i am loving this quilt! and i'm proud of the fact that i managed to make something with some nice solid spaces in which i hope to do some fun quilting. 

i've also been working hard on my embroidery pattern test and hope to have the final pattern out to my lovely testers later tonight. what's that? you want desperately to see? well, ok... here's a little preview:

linking up with this week's {sew} modern monday at Canoe Ridge Creations. head over there to check out some other great projects for a little monday morning inspiration :)

happy crafting!!