I Guess I Really Like Birds.

Project #3 - Bird Mobile

Close up of the fat little guys.

This is a little (very late) Christmas gift for a little baby all the way across the country.  With the holidays so crazy, I unfortunately did not budget my time accordingly (that's a total excuse for my chronic procrastination).  And alas, I'm only a month late.  But better late than never....right?

I drafted up the patterns for these all on my own, but did seek inspiration from other mobiles I have seen recently.  The fabric was a vintage pillowcase that I scooped up in hopes that it would become something useful in the future, and I think it made the perfect little bodies for these birdies.  I used little glass beads for the eyes, and an embroidery hoop that I covered in ribbon to keep them all together.

Anyway, I hope you like to look at this from your crib way over there in California little one!

Put a Bird on It.

IFC's New Sketch Comedy Show - Portlandia

I'm in love with this.  Also I love putting birds on things.  And I know everybody else in the design community does too.

Round 2.

Pin Cushion - Project #2

Due to the fact that my big bad dog ate my last pin cushion (I think he liked the saw dust? or maybe he just knew that I needed it), I was in dire need of a new little guy.  For about three months now I've had pins sticking into everything soft in my craft room, and that's just no way to go about things.

To get my creative juices going, I rummaged through my fabrics and rediscovered this very expressive little owl.  Anyone who knows me at all, knows my enthusiasm towards owls and squirrels so when I encountered this wonderful fabric, I had no choice really.  After looking at my cute little owl, I decided that this owl would feel very apprehensive about being stuck with needles.  So there you have it.  "Be nice".  And if you will notice, I did not stick even one little pin into the owl (although the thought did cross my mind, so it's safe to assume there will be a few pins in his eyes in no time).  

And with that, project #2 is complete - a pin cushion with sass.

P.S. Who knew appliquéing something by hand took so much time?

Here We Go.

Project #1 - My crocheted scarf.

So I admit that I didn't do this all in one week, but I did finish it this week, and here it is.  Ta-da.  I was really happy with the way it turned out, and the warmth it provided!  At a balmy -14F this morning, it came in handy on my morning commute (I keep trying to remind myself how beautiful it is here while my hair is frozen and it's so cold my eyebrows hurt).  

About a year ago now, one of my good friends taught me this trade.  I already knew how to knit, but I really love the space between stitches that you get when you crochet.  It gives the piece a more lacy feel.

I used a double crochet and single crochet pattern, and ended up making it a loop or never-ending scarf.  Those are the warmest scarves in my opinion.  This may be the first of many crocheted pieces that I concoct.  Hope you enjoy!

New Beginnings.

In the spirit of the new year (and of course Julie & Julia), I have become one of the many people in this ever growing blogosphere (I sure do wish that word hadn't stuck).
My hope with this blog is to open up my creative side, and inspire me to stick with what I love doing.

My passion, since as far back as I can remember, has been making things.  My Mom, being the ultimate crafter extraordinaire, led me down this path and helped me hone and adore this creative side of myself.  It started out with making a wonky stuffed apple with my Peter Rabbit sewing machine, and then developed into making clothes for my dolls.  Then of course making clothes for myself, and sending me to college for Fashion Design, and later Accessories Design.

What I have found out about myself, and of course had to find out the hard way, is that I hate designing others' ideas.  I feel empowered and satisfied when I make something from my own imagination come to life.  So here I am, trying to do it all on my own, with the help of my wonderful boyfriend and our ever growing four legged family, with the ultimate goal of opening my own store of designs by me and by other talented independent designers and crafters.

Unfortunately, you need money, time, and a great location to make that dream come true.  So until then, I am working full time and trying to squeeze out crafts in my spare time.  The goal of this blog is to make things and hopefully build up my inventory, as well as learn about myself and my hobby.
In the mean time, here goes my pledge to you and to myself;
Make something, anything every week for one year.
So here goes nothing - wish me luck!