{Flying Bulldogs}
heart-y and delicious.
Well, let's face it. We all know Valentines Day is coming up, and for some it is a joyous occasion of gift-giving, fancy food, cute cards, and sweet, sweet lovin'.
For others, however, it is a day of eye-rolling, irony, loneliness, and existential philosophy. I apologize to those of you in the latter group, as this post is lacks the pessimism required to appeal to your sensibilities. However, you may enjoy this video, which you might have otherwise missed had you discontinued reading after this paragraph.
But, if you are a V-Day lover, and you are wracking your brain for gift ideas, you have truly come to the right place. Wrack no more(!), with these simple solutions to your Valentines gifting woes.
Maybe you can make a wooden box for your special someone, fill it with airplane bottles of wine, great drawing pens, or hard-boiled eggs, and top it with a lovely heart-ed knob.
Or, you know, it might be just the right look for your kitchen. Your sweet-one would probably love it if you went ahead and redid all the knobs as a Valentines surprise!
Suppose you don't like to craft, but your pardner does. Wrap their gift in a yard of fabric!
Try Kona Bay's Love is in the Air in two color-ways:
Or my absolute personal favorite, Jay McCarroll's Lovebirds:
Truly, you can't go wrong with the Beatles. EVER.
Your Sugar can't eat any sugar? Problem solved with this calorie-free treat, brought to you by the famous red-headed Bon-Bon maker herself :
And, if you are a traditionalist and would rather just get some flowers, or real candy and a bear (not-real, I hope), you could wrap it all up with this sweet heart-adorned cellophane wrap:
And there you have it.
For others, however, it is a day of eye-rolling, irony, loneliness, and existential philosophy. I apologize to those of you in the latter group, as this post is lacks the pessimism required to appeal to your sensibilities. However, you may enjoy this video, which you might have otherwise missed had you discontinued reading after this paragraph.
But, if you are a V-Day lover, and you are wracking your brain for gift ideas, you have truly come to the right place. Wrack no more(!), with these simple solutions to your Valentines gifting woes.
Maybe you can make a wooden box for your special someone, fill it with airplane bottles of wine, great drawing pens, or hard-boiled eggs, and top it with a lovely heart-ed knob.
Or, you know, it might be just the right look for your kitchen. Your sweet-one would probably love it if you went ahead and redid all the knobs as a Valentines surprise!
Suppose you don't like to craft, but your pardner does. Wrap their gift in a yard of fabric!
Try Kona Bay's Love is in the Air in two color-ways:
Or my absolute personal favorite, Jay McCarroll's Lovebirds:
Truly, you can't go wrong with the Beatles. EVER.
Your Sugar can't eat any sugar? Problem solved with this calorie-free treat, brought to you by the famous red-headed Bon-Bon maker herself :
And, if you are a traditionalist and would rather just get some flowers, or real candy and a bear (not-real, I hope), you could wrap it all up with this sweet heart-adorned cellophane wrap:
And there you have it.
A Celebration of Teal!
It isn't a real holiday, as far as I know. You could say I made it up out of the blue!
hahahahahaha.
Check out this trend of combining teal with gold tones! Now we know!
PS - Click the photo to find out more about each fabric!
hahahahahaha.
Check out this trend of combining teal with gold tones! Now we know!
PS - Click the photo to find out more about each fabric!
Only 54 days left 'till Spring!
Ummm... Not that anyone here is counting or anything. No, not at all. Especially not while in the warehouse cutting fabric in a winter jacket with a scarf wrapped around my head!
To celebrate the anticipation of longer days and temperatures above 60 degrees, I wanted to share these little cuties I found in the back:
Garden Friends(!!!) from David Walker's Spring Fling Collection
I have cut pieces from this collection many times before, but it was not until today that I realized just how freaking CUTE these animals are. Those little faces. And egg-shaped heads.
Flying Squirrel! One of the things I love about art is when an artist can have maximum expression with a minimum of details. Nothing superfluous, but includes everything you need to know.
Just like this endearingly precocious little bird.
And this bubblegum pink happy, running (NAY, FROLICKING!) bunny, with a cactus for a tail.
Are your teeth starting to hurt from too much sweet? I have to admit mine are.
Here's a little something to fight the plaque:
Created and photograph sent via cellphone by my very own Bossmama, Cheryl. These prints are from Douglas Day's Rebel Collection, which is basically just an addendum to his Be A Man Collection, and which both set off the alarm in my head marked "Angry Feminist." But I just can't help loving the aesthetic of his illustrations, even if I can't love the message that in order for someone to Be a Man, they have to use tools, get in fights, own a mean dog, work on cars, drink beer, and never smile.
Speaking of beer, I do love this design. If only the bottle cap didn't say "Be a Man;" this fabric excludes me from liking it for myself because I am not one. Sad.
Okay, enough of that. I'll leave you with Scott Jarrard's non-gender-specific, absolutely wacky Boogie Monsters
collection!
To celebrate the anticipation of longer days and temperatures above 60 degrees, I wanted to share these little cuties I found in the back:
Garden Friends(!!!) from David Walker's Spring Fling Collection
I have cut pieces from this collection many times before, but it was not until today that I realized just how freaking CUTE these animals are. Those little faces. And egg-shaped heads.
Flying Squirrel! One of the things I love about art is when an artist can have maximum expression with a minimum of details. Nothing superfluous, but includes everything you need to know.
Just like this endearingly precocious little bird.
And this bubblegum pink happy, running (NAY, FROLICKING!) bunny, with a cactus for a tail.
Are your teeth starting to hurt from too much sweet? I have to admit mine are.
Here's a little something to fight the plaque:
Created and photograph sent via cellphone by my very own Bossmama, Cheryl. These prints are from Douglas Day's Rebel Collection, which is basically just an addendum to his Be A Man Collection, and which both set off the alarm in my head marked "Angry Feminist." But I just can't help loving the aesthetic of his illustrations, even if I can't love the message that in order for someone to Be a Man, they have to use tools, get in fights, own a mean dog, work on cars, drink beer, and never smile.
Speaking of beer, I do love this design. If only the bottle cap didn't say "Be a Man;" this fabric excludes me from liking it for myself because I am not one. Sad.
Okay, enough of that. I'll leave you with Scott Jarrard's non-gender-specific, absolutely wacky Boogie Monsters
collection!
"Could I make a stuffed animal out of an acrylic sweater?,"
asked my friend L., via Text Message yesterday. "Or will the material just fall apart on me?"
As I squintingly started to TXT back with my tiny, tiny lettered buttons, I realized that my answer was going to be longer than the permitted 160 characters, so I wrote her back via Facebook message, and decided then and there that this subject must be featured on this blog. Because that's what blogs are for, right?
Dear L.,
Yes, but how easy that will be really depends on how loose or tight the knit is and how thick the yarn is.
The looser and thicker, the more likely it will fray when you cut it. Cut off a piece and manhandle it a little bit to see how bad it ravels*.
If it is pretty bad, you will have to sew (on a machine, with a zig-zag stitch) just inside the seam allowance before you cut the shapes out of the sweater.
Also, the fact that it is acrylic means that you may be able to melt the edges with a lighter, but I would definitely test on a scrap first; that doesn't always work well.
But these are kind of worst case scenarios. A lot of times knit fabrics are tight enough or use thin enough yarn that they really won't ravel (think: t-shirt). If the sweater is old or has been washed a lot, some acrylic fibers can kind of felt together similarly to wool, and they won't really ravel either.
I hope this helps. Let me know if I can clarify anything or if you have any problems. I hope you take a picter of it!
-C
I also just had an idea about flat-lining the knit fabric to something woven, so that even if the edges did come undone, they wouldn't be allowed to fray past the stitching line. I'd be really interested in hearing other ideas that readers may have (you stitchers out there are clever, I know!).
I wish I had some photos of stuffed animals that my friend L. has made because they are GREAT. She has made monsters, and animals, and little embroidered pillows, but my favorite was a giant eel, encrusted with sequins and beads that she had sewn on by hand. A-mazing!
And I know that people don't really read blogs unless they have photos, so here is one! This is a stuffed ball that one of my summer camp students made out of felted wool (yes, we dyed and felted it ourselves!). I love, love the hand-stitching.
*Did you know ravel and unravel mean the same thing?
As I squintingly started to TXT back with my tiny, tiny lettered buttons, I realized that my answer was going to be longer than the permitted 160 characters, so I wrote her back via Facebook message, and decided then and there that this subject must be featured on this blog. Because that's what blogs are for, right?
Dear L.,
Yes, but how easy that will be really depends on how loose or tight the knit is and how thick the yarn is.
The looser and thicker, the more likely it will fray when you cut it. Cut off a piece and manhandle it a little bit to see how bad it ravels*.
If it is pretty bad, you will have to sew (on a machine, with a zig-zag stitch) just inside the seam allowance before you cut the shapes out of the sweater.
Also, the fact that it is acrylic means that you may be able to melt the edges with a lighter, but I would definitely test on a scrap first; that doesn't always work well.
But these are kind of worst case scenarios. A lot of times knit fabrics are tight enough or use thin enough yarn that they really won't ravel (think: t-shirt). If the sweater is old or has been washed a lot, some acrylic fibers can kind of felt together similarly to wool, and they won't really ravel either.
I hope this helps. Let me know if I can clarify anything or if you have any problems. I hope you take a picter of it!
-C
I also just had an idea about flat-lining the knit fabric to something woven, so that even if the edges did come undone, they wouldn't be allowed to fray past the stitching line. I'd be really interested in hearing other ideas that readers may have (you stitchers out there are clever, I know!).
I wish I had some photos of stuffed animals that my friend L. has made because they are GREAT. She has made monsters, and animals, and little embroidered pillows, but my favorite was a giant eel, encrusted with sequins and beads that she had sewn on by hand. A-mazing!
And I know that people don't really read blogs unless they have photos, so here is one! This is a stuffed ball that one of my summer camp students made out of felted wool (yes, we dyed and felted it ourselves!). I love, love the hand-stitching.
*Did you know ravel and unravel mean the same thing?
Home Decor Fabric Ideas
I Stumbled Upon this great website the other day: J. Caroline Creative.
She sells lots of fabric accessories which may be of interest to our fabric customers, but what I really love are her tutorials and project ideas!
Here are a few of my favorites:
Fabric covered button knobs: She covers large buttons with fabric, then hot glues them to a concave knob. Instant update to an old piece of furniture!!
Chair re-upholstery: I am going to try this soon, but I think I'll start with some kitchen chair cushions, first! I'll be sure to post my efforts. Feel free to post yours in the comments!
Storage Basket: I think these are super cute, and would look great with a lot of the Home Decor fabric that we sell.
Pillowcase: This is a simple, well written pattern with diagrams; it would be a great project for the beginning seamster. We also do have ONE fat quarter left of the Heather Ross "Stripes." And we have lots and lots of yards of her "Seahorses" Fabric from the Mendocino Collection. We used to have a lot more, but she sells fast! This fabric is exceptionally soft and tightly woven (i.e. has a high thread-count), not to mention it is so very, very sweet.
I hope this helps folks get their cogs a-turnin' with some project ideas! As always, I'd love to see what you have been working on, or have you share links to any great blogs or tutorials that you stumble upon!
She sells lots of fabric accessories which may be of interest to our fabric customers, but what I really love are her tutorials and project ideas!
Here are a few of my favorites:
Fabric covered button knobs: She covers large buttons with fabric, then hot glues them to a concave knob. Instant update to an old piece of furniture!!
Chair re-upholstery: I am going to try this soon, but I think I'll start with some kitchen chair cushions, first! I'll be sure to post my efforts. Feel free to post yours in the comments!
Storage Basket: I think these are super cute, and would look great with a lot of the Home Decor fabric that we sell.
Pillowcase: This is a simple, well written pattern with diagrams; it would be a great project for the beginning seamster. We also do have ONE fat quarter left of the Heather Ross "Stripes." And we have lots and lots of yards of her "Seahorses" Fabric from the Mendocino Collection. We used to have a lot more, but she sells fast! This fabric is exceptionally soft and tightly woven (i.e. has a high thread-count), not to mention it is so very, very sweet.
I hope this helps folks get their cogs a-turnin' with some project ideas! As always, I'd love to see what you have been working on, or have you share links to any great blogs or tutorials that you stumble upon!
Things Organized Neatly
Have you seen this blog?
It got me thinking about the ways we organize and the patterns we create here in the Office. I've started taking photos of collections of Things from around the Office, and the sometimes awkward way we stack, sort, store, and shelve.
Here is the first post of what I hope are many!
{stack}
{store}
{spray paint}
It got me thinking about the ways we organize and the patterns we create here in the Office. I've started taking photos of collections of Things from around the Office, and the sometimes awkward way we stack, sort, store, and shelve.
Here is the first post of what I hope are many!
{stack}
{store}
{spray paint}
This Just In!
Thanks to everyone who made the Shop Local Festival on State Street a success despite the Early November chill!
Now that I'm back in the office, I've had a busy day photographing, cutting, posting, and organizing fabric. I just got started posting our brand new Holiday and Batik fabrics, so here is a sneak peek for the readers:
I usually don't like Holiday fabric, but some of these are retro and kitschy in a really enDEERing way. Get it? Uh-huh.
All the ladies at the first quilt show we went to asked if we carried batiks. We didn't. But now we do! They are beautiful and have crisp clean lines, and vibrant and deep colors. I hope everyone else likes them as much as I do!
This week you can expect lots and lots of new items to be posted to Etsy, since we don't have any more craft shows coming up!
Now that I'm back in the office, I've had a busy day photographing, cutting, posting, and organizing fabric. I just got started posting our brand new Holiday and Batik fabrics, so here is a sneak peek for the readers:
I usually don't like Holiday fabric, but some of these are retro and kitschy in a really enDEERing way. Get it? Uh-huh.
All the ladies at the first quilt show we went to asked if we carried batiks. We didn't. But now we do! They are beautiful and have crisp clean lines, and vibrant and deep colors. I hope everyone else likes them as much as I do!
This week you can expect lots and lots of new items to be posted to Etsy, since we don't have any more craft shows coming up!
Thursday Update
I have several updates, since I haven't posted in over a week! Here it goes:
1. We have TON of fabric on sale, including Kaffe Fassett, Brandon Mably, Le Rouvray, and A Little Bit of History (1800s reproduction fabric). Some of the fabric is for as little as $2.02/yard. You seriously couldn't do better.
2. I've been busy all week preparing for the Shop Local Festival on State Street here in Greensboro. We have the usual fabric cuts, plus handmade items, assorted knobs, and gift wrap! Stop by and visit me (I'll be the one wearing a ridiculous amount of clothing with my hand cemented around a mug of coffee), and check out Greensboro's other awesome homegrown vendors. It is this Saturday, November 6 from 11a-5p. See you there! Also, please let us know of any other community events where you think we might fit in; we'd love to be at your next quilt show, craft fair, community celebration, etc., and we appreciate any heads-ups about what is going on around town!
3. We go through a ton of fabric bolts, and I'm getting tired of throwing the empty cardboard in the recycling bin. I think it is time for someone to come up with a great use for them, and to give them a longer life before being reprocessed! I think they'd be great for experimental building projects/insulation/art projects, etc. Do you have any ideas? Do you want them?
Here are some links to what other people have done with them: storing large quantities of fabric, making a message board, shipping antique sewing machines, building props for films/plays, and a cardboard city.
4. We are expecting a new shipment of fabric any day now!! I am really excited to see what we are getting in! I know it includes some Holiday prints, and some Batik fabric (the latter gets requested all the time, but we've never had a supplier before now)! I'll start taking photos as soon as we get it in, so stay tuned!
1. We have TON of fabric on sale, including Kaffe Fassett, Brandon Mably, Le Rouvray, and A Little Bit of History (1800s reproduction fabric). Some of the fabric is for as little as $2.02/yard. You seriously couldn't do better.
2. I've been busy all week preparing for the Shop Local Festival on State Street here in Greensboro. We have the usual fabric cuts, plus handmade items, assorted knobs, and gift wrap! Stop by and visit me (I'll be the one wearing a ridiculous amount of clothing with my hand cemented around a mug of coffee), and check out Greensboro's other awesome homegrown vendors. It is this Saturday, November 6 from 11a-5p. See you there! Also, please let us know of any other community events where you think we might fit in; we'd love to be at your next quilt show, craft fair, community celebration, etc., and we appreciate any heads-ups about what is going on around town!
3. We go through a ton of fabric bolts, and I'm getting tired of throwing the empty cardboard in the recycling bin. I think it is time for someone to come up with a great use for them, and to give them a longer life before being reprocessed! I think they'd be great for experimental building projects/insulation/art projects, etc. Do you have any ideas? Do you want them?
Here are some links to what other people have done with them: storing large quantities of fabric, making a message board, shipping antique sewing machines, building props for films/plays, and a cardboard city.
4. We are expecting a new shipment of fabric any day now!! I am really excited to see what we are getting in! I know it includes some Holiday prints, and some Batik fabric (the latter gets requested all the time, but we've never had a supplier before now)! I'll start taking photos as soon as we get it in, so stay tuned!
More Scarves
I've been really enjoying making these scarves out of 2.5" x 43" Jelly Roll strips!
This one is exactly like the first, but with different fabrics (Brandon Mably's "Jazz" and "Casbah" each in Dusk, Martha Negley's "Oak Leaves," and Free Spirit's "Color Connectors"). This scarf is identical on the front and back, with frayed edges for a "shabby-chic" kind of look.
The third one was going to be the same, until my very talented friend, Maggie, suggested that I finish the outer seams. I did that, plus just used a solid piece of fabric for the back, instead of having tje pieced strips on both sides. Speaking of the pieced strips, the florals are Philip Jacobs,' "Grandiose" in Mist, and "Lilac Rose" in Taupe.
The striped fabric I used in this scarf made a huge difference! It is Kaffe Fassett's "Woven Two-Tone Stripe" in Green. This is not a printed fabric, like most quilting cottons; the stripes are actually woven in. Because there isn't that extra layer of printing ink on the surface of the fabric (which generally makes the fabric stiffer), it drapes beautifully and is SO soft.
It's reversible!
It's perfect for wearing while standing in front of a bunch of plants.
And, dear reader, if you feel so inclined, any comments/suggestions are welcomed and encouraged. I'd love to know what you think about anything we are making/selling/presenting, even if my only readers are people who I regularly talk to in real life.
This one is exactly like the first, but with different fabrics (Brandon Mably's "Jazz" and "Casbah" each in Dusk, Martha Negley's "Oak Leaves," and Free Spirit's "Color Connectors"). This scarf is identical on the front and back, with frayed edges for a "shabby-chic" kind of look.
The third one was going to be the same, until my very talented friend, Maggie, suggested that I finish the outer seams. I did that, plus just used a solid piece of fabric for the back, instead of having tje pieced strips on both sides. Speaking of the pieced strips, the florals are Philip Jacobs,' "Grandiose" in Mist, and "Lilac Rose" in Taupe.
The striped fabric I used in this scarf made a huge difference! It is Kaffe Fassett's "Woven Two-Tone Stripe" in Green. This is not a printed fabric, like most quilting cottons; the stripes are actually woven in. Because there isn't that extra layer of printing ink on the surface of the fabric (which generally makes the fabric stiffer), it drapes beautifully and is SO soft.
It's reversible!
It's perfect for wearing while standing in front of a bunch of plants.
And, dear reader, if you feel so inclined, any comments/suggestions are welcomed and encouraged. I'd love to know what you think about anything we are making/selling/presenting, even if my only readers are people who I regularly talk to in real life.
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