Umbrella Prints

I must admit to doing absolutely nothing lately that's notable enough for the blog. As the semesters near their end twice a year, I find my house in complete shambles, my daughter wild, and my office a sea of posterboard and white paper. I can see the end of the tunnel but it is still a tiny pinprick of light. In a couple of weeks, I'll be out.

Lately it's all I can do to help get the kid to bed before I climb underneath a blanket on the couch and mimic a root vegetable. Now that it is staying lighter later and there are actual leaves on the trees, I'll be able to get back into it all. But seriously mid-term is the mark where it all begins to go downhill.

The photo above is a Trimmings Pack from Umbrella Prints on Etsy. They are based in Australia and I've been wanting to buy some fabric for a while but haven't had a project in mind. I picked up this back and now I think I must buy some more of the elephants. They are better than I had expected. I plan to make more mini pillows and some rugs for the house I wasn't able to pick up today.

Play Eats: Etsy rules

Of course to finish off Play Eats, Project: Project saves the best for last with Etsy. These awesome felt foods are from DogBoneArt. When Z was tiny tiny, Laura and I traded loot because her sister was having a baby. I've also bought from her several times because her prices are good and she is awesome. Laura designs and hand prints all of the stuff in the shop herself. I love stuff that has faces on it.

We also love faces that have a mustache. I was looking through the play foods today and found this hilarious carrot from Flaky Friends. I can't vouch for the quality or anything but that carrot is great.

I was planning on doing a link list to shops on Etsy that sell either play foods or patterns for play foods but there is so much cool stuff from crochet or felt to wood or cotton, I think I will just give some words of advice: 1) acrylic felt is going to pill. There is no way to avoid this.  2) wood is hard. Your kids are going to whack each other upside the head with it.  3) acrylic yarn also pills. 4) Read the descriptions carefully.  5) Look closely at the photos for craftsmanship. 6) Finally, remember that actual people are making this stuff. Ask questions if you have them; if they don't respond, buy from someone else.

Here is a good way to search for just play foods on Etsy, click here. That should give you just food and a few mistagged items.

And click here to search Etsy for just patterns.

For all of the Play Eats posts, click here. I will probably add random posts here and there as new and wonderful stuff appears.

Interview with Andrea Courchene

I am please to introduce Andrea Lauren Courchene of Paper Sparrow for today's interview. I first "discovered" Andrea's work while shopping for fabric on Spoonflower. I decided to impulse buy some gnomes that were super cute and in the process, looked for more of her work.  Andrea has a very unique style that combines whimsical imagery with a touch of humor.

You grew up in England. How has that impacted you as an artist?

My fondest memories from my childhood are of walks in the New Forest with my grandparents. My sister and I spent several weeks at their house throughout the year, and as avid bird-watchers, they took us on many hikes, picnics and adventures in different parts of the forest. The New Forest is the largest unpopulated area in South-East England and dates back to the Bronze Age. It's mostly rivers and trails and walks but there are a few towns and historic sites too. My Grandfather told wonderful stories which let our imaginations run wild. I have the most vivid memories of picnics on tree logs, seeing deer, birds and other wildlife, building little dams in rivers and hopping on stones across streams. These memories have a huge impact on my art today.

You currently live in Florida, a place that is magical to me because of the amazing state parks and wildlife opportunities there. Do you see the Florida landscape in your backgrounds? A manatee perhaps?

Absolutely! Florida has some fantastic parks. I've lived in a few different areas of Florida, the panhandle has beautiful beaches with white sand and emerald waters, as well as those most picturesque old oak trees with spanish moss. I was fortunate to live in a house that was a short walk to Pensacola Bay in one direction and to a state park in the other. At the moment, I live in Central Florida which boasts beautiful springs and I get to visit my mum who lives on the Banana River on the Space Coast. You've reminded me of a Manatee series I did in High School, perhaps it is time to re-invent those pieces!

I read that you play cello. Does music influence your work at all?

I started playing cello when I was three and actually went to college for a performance degree. It has influenced my life in so many ways and given me many opportunities to travel and connect with people who have made who I am today. I've been lucky to spend a summer in Maine, a summer in North Carolina, as well as in Texas attending music festivals, which has given me a chance to see different parts of the States as well as some great road trips along the way. And I got to live in Chicago for two years during grad school which was one of the best cities to live in! A lot of my paintings feature animals playing music. Collaborating with musicians is a wonderfully creative experience, and something I've been doing all my life, so I like to imagine a world in which animals would do this too!

Your work reminds me of Wes Anderson’s films. Are you a fan?

Of course! Several of his films would make my top ten. Royal Tenenbaums is one of my favorite films and my boyfriend Paul loves Bottle Rocket. Most recently I've been hugely influenced by Fantastic Mr. Fox. My "Fox Jam" painting was directly inspired by this movie. Being from England, I grew up reading Roald Dahl's books, The Witches, Matilda and the BFG were some of my favorites books as a child so I was particularly drawn to Fantastic Mr. Fox. In addition to Wes Anderson films I love stop-motion animation like Fantastic Mr. Fox, the British series Wallace and Gromit as well as Tim Burton's classics The Nightmare before Christmas and Corpse Bride.

So you’ve recently quit your day job. What does that mean for Paper Sparrow?

It's funny - I ask myself this same question all the time. A couple of years ago, I would never have imagined that Paper Sparrow would be a real business or that anybody would even like or buy my work, so Paper Sparrow has been a complete dream for me so far. I'm leaving my options open and seeing where the road takes me, I'm hopeful that I'll be lucky enough to continue doing Paper Sparrow full-time in ten years time.

A million thanks to Andrea for the interview! She has some awesome Christmas fabric on Spoonflower right now that you should check out. I bought a nice little series to hoard for future projects (I'm thinking stockings for next year!). If you follow the main link to her blog, you'll find links to all of the places where you can buy her stuff. She has set it up so that you can buy her images on iPhone sleeves, pillows, and even shoes. Very cool. But you won't be able to buy the original painting of Pandas in Canoes 'cause that's mine (well, on Christmas it will be mine).


All photos courtesy of Andrea Lauren Courchene.

Handmade Dollhouse Furniture on Etsy

After you try making your own miniatures and realize how hard it is, you can buy stuff that other people make. I seriously can't believe some of this stuff is handmade. I sifted through thousands of dollhouse stuff on Etsy and came up with a list of really amazing finds. There is no information on scale for some of these items. But, hey, the good thing about handmade stuff is that you can just ask the person who made it.

 These nesting/stacking tables had me at hello. Check out miniaturesbyannina. Oh, and this too.

I had this couch in real life once. This one is cleaner. Red sectional by minimodernistas. Click over to the sold items for a real treat.

Isn't this yummy? I want to clutter it up with some tchotchkes. By AmazingMiniatures.

Look! It's the Expedit from Ikea. I love it. It's probably better quality though -- and you don't have to put it together yourself. She has the Lack side table as well (see the sold items). By Amatheria.

This is pretty cool. It's even on casters. By miniaturesforever. You know how we love our unfinished pine around here.

This whole shop is killing me with it's amazingness but I think I need one of these chairs. By smidgehouse. If I were a bachelor, I'd live in this apartment. It seems as if I have two girlfriends.

From High Point, NC, furniture capital of America: the Contour Coffee Table. By minibydesign. Another shop whose sold items are phenomenal.

Who doesn't love them some Mission Oak? And check out that floor. I want that it my real house. By minibuilder.

You probably don't really want to let your toddler play with any of the above. These are for when your kid goes to bed and you pull out the high-end stuff. Check out the rest of the dollhouse posts here. Let me know if you want me to post about the play dollhouse furniture on Etsy. There are some nice pieces at reasonable prices.

Interview with Constance Kaiser

I spend a lot of time on flickr. I love looking at the stuff that other people make and their inspiration. One day I somehow came across these super cute robot dolls and superheroes. After some clicking, I discovered that the artist, Constance Kaiser, uses Spoonflower to print panels so that people can make their own. It's a wonderful project for people who are new to sewing or who want to make something quick; you don't even need a sewing machine. I was so taken by these little guys that I asked Connie, of Connie Lou Fabrics, if she would do an interview so we could learn more about her process. She has some really amazing items. I love the Little Red Riding Hood tote panel that has everything to make a little bag and all the characters from the story. She also has some holiday designs (like the Gingerbread Man below and a matching hand puppet panel) that can work throughout the year.

Can you tell us a little bit about your background?

I’m a stay-at-home-grandmother, with a husband, two grown sons and an 8 year old grandson. Most of my work experience was in the public sector: Director of a Head Start program, Legislative Aide at the Virginia General Assembly, etc. I have no formal art training or graphic art experience. But I am one of those obsessive artists, who sees everything as a blank canvas needing some decoration.

My mother loved to sew and I was the artist, so we combined to become sort of a craft-conspiracy. She would sew darling dresses for my nieces, then I would hand paint or applique on them. Though I consider myself a non-sewer, I learned to love fabric from my mother. I also have a beautiful collection of antique quilts done by family members (one of which won a first prize at the Ohio State Fair in 1932).

I like that you offer a basic print to coordinate with your more whimsical images. That’s not something that I see a lot on Spoonflower. Why did you decide to do that?

So I had been doodling, painting and crafting for sometime when I tripped across Spoonflower last year. I thought the idea of short-run, original design fabrics would be an extraordinary tool for crafters and seamstresses. What fun it would be to make a clutch from an original design and line it with a coordinating print, make a unique fabric baby bib and back it with a matching plaid, or add coordinating original design fabrics to a quilt. The possibilities are endless! I rarely work on a print that in my imagination when I’m not designing the matching plaid or stripe or print.

Your doll panels are such a great idea. My mom made lots of dolls from these panels for me when I was a kid, even a tote bag that I still have. Is this a nod to vintage?

In my first shop on Etsy I made and sold original design dolls and puppets. So I began thinking that those would be perfect to print up on fabric and then sew. Better yet, I print them and sell the panels to people who sew to make up. I’ve really had fun with the concept of panels or kits. I think that the difference between “Look what I bought for the baby” and “Look what I MADE for the baby,” is incredible. I never thought of it being vintage, but in a way I guess it is. Like when my mother and I worked together. I’ll be the artist and you do the sewing and together we’ll make something unique and original.

I’ve never seen images printed on fleece before. What is that process like?

I believe that fleece is God’s gift to non-sewers. You don’t have to worry about hemming or finishing seams or fraying. And fleece can be cut into all kinds of shapes and patterns; plus fleece is sooo soft for baby and toddler toys. Though I work primarily through Spoonflower for my fabric printing, and I love the Spoonflower community and all the technical bells and whistles that Spoonflower has, I go to another site to have my fleece printed. Spoonflower made it clear early on that they would not be printing fleece; they would only print organic fabric. I go to Fabric on Demand to have my fleece printed and the process is very much the same. I’m amazed at how crisp and bright the colors are, though I do lose some of the fine detail (that’s just due to the fuzziness of fleece). I think that soon all my pocket dolls will be done in fleece. The smaller the object being sewn and turned, the less fabric you want wadded up inside the little nooks and crannies. And with fleece you can work with a much smaller seam allowance and not worry about fraying.

So, what's on the drawing board?

I just can’t stop thinking about all the wonderful possibilities of printing your own fabric. I’m already designing the Christmas presents for my family this year. I’m going to take some traditional family holiday recipes, write them out on recipe cards, then scan them and make a print out of them. I plan to print up the fabric and make tea towels or hot pads for all my brothers and sisters, cousins, and nieces and nephews. How adorable will that be…“Aunt Jean’s Pumpkin Pie” and “Aunt Dorothy’s Creamed Onions” and “Grandpa’s Christmas Fudge”! I’ll also be adding some baby shower gifts panels and children’s apron kits to my shop as soon as the printed fabric arrives.

Thanks so much to Connie for the interview! Come back tomorrow because Connie has offered to give away one of her panels to a reader. Make sure you check out her other shop, Mini Monster, where she sells her finished creations like hand puppets and cool little monsters.

Giveaway Info (and another dress) . NOW CLOSED

Here is my second go at the Pretty Pinafore by Carolina Fair Designs. I used the more boyish color of the alphabet fabric by Cosmo Cricket and let Zadie pick out the bias tape. We almost went with a bright raspberry to girl it up a bit but decided a dress was girly enough. You can read my review of the pattern and see more images here.

Carolina Fair Designs is giving away two patterns on this blog. You have two chances to enter. Go to her shop, pick out which design is your favorite, then leave a comment on each post (Wraparound dress here and Pretty Pinafore here). Make sure you leave some contact info or a way to find you.

Winners will be chosen August 16. Good luck and happy sewing. Yay!

THANKS TO ALL WHO COMMENTED! THE GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED.

Somebody Else's Project: Circle Dress

When Zadie was just a baby I got this awesome circle dress from Sweet Pepita at a craft show. I'm thinking it was Squifire's in Baltimore but I honestly don't remember.

The dress finally fits and it's been getting a lot of use. In fact, Zadie pretty much demands to wear it everyday. It hasn't been hung up on a hanger in the closet because it's always pulled straight from the laundry basket (clean) and over her little head.

One day, shortly after the first time she wore the dress, Zadie was demanding to wear the circle dress and I had no idea what she was talking about. I showed her everything in the closet and pulled out lots of tops and rompers from the drawer, only to remember that this was in the dirty laundry hamper. I pulled it out and she was so excited. If only the stuff I make for her would have the same power...

Anyway, I'm in no way getting any kickbacks from mentioning this awesome shop and seller (although I certainly wouldn't mind, ha ha). I just want to give props where they're due. Thanks for making great stuff!

Project: NYC Pants

My mom and I have developed a little tradition of taking a mother/daughter trip to New York every couple of years. This past Fall, we took Zadie with us. It went surprisingly well even though I was super stressed about getting food in her and freaking out when she wouldn't nap. I've definitely chilled out a lot since then (I think).

I picked up an XXL men's shirt with this pants pattern in mind and actually got around to making them. I took these photos back when it was cold out. Now it's 80 - 90 degrees every day. We wear these to the park a lot because the cotton is thin and it's easier to go down the slide in pants than shorts.

They are surprisingly easy to make, a great fit over cloth diapers, and just plain awesome. I have two pairs of these that the designer, Kim, has made. We met at a craft show a couple of years ago and kept in touch. She is an amazing person. Everything she makes is from recycled/upcycled clothes and she uses pretty much every piece of those shirts. It's very cool.

These are Zadie's favorite pants. Check out the little detail I added to the hem. Just imagine what I can do with my new sewing machine (did I just write that? ha! more on that later. I'm still too afraid to turn it on).

Earth Week Sponsor . Natural Home Essentials

I'm very excited to introduce the first Earth Week Sponsor, Natural Home Essentials, a local company. Karen sells most of her products at our co-op. She is a pharmacologist specializing in toxicology by day so when she reads a label on a product, she actually knows what those ingredients are. Ten years go, she started to make her own natural home and personal care products so that she could avoid exposing her family to chemicals found in commercial soaps, lotions, etc.

Here's what's special about her products:

- Made with pure oils, butters, waxes, and other natural materials
- Scented only with essentials oils - no artificial fragrances or phthalates
- All palm oil is certified organic & sustainably farmed - no rainforest destruction
- No genetically modified anything!
- As many organic ingredients as possible while still keeping the price reasonable
- Food grade sodium hydroxide, not industrial-grade lye, in the soapmaking process

Over the last few years we have made a gradual shift to more natural products. I don't buy anything with parabens (methylparaben, propylparaben, etc.), SLS, homosalate, or pthalates. I've also been using deodorants without aluminum ingredients for over 10 years. Luckily, it's becoming easier to find these products thanks to this green revolution we're in and websites like Etsy. And we even luckier to have Karen as our neighbor who drops a soap or two on our front porch when we're not looking. Awesome.

Here's the giveaway from Natural Home Essentials:
Pink Grapefruit Soap, a refreshing splash of citrus with the moisturizing power of shea butter

Masala Bay Soap, a moisturizing soap, fragranced with an exotic blend of West Indian bay, citrus, and spices

Healing From The Hive Body Butter Bar, designed to moisturize and protect with only pure, natural ingredients, without feeling heavy or greasy. No unpronounceable ingredients that don't even keep your skin from getting scaly and cracked. Because it contains no added water, no chemical preservatives are required.

Check out the website for more information and a complete list of ingredients. Giveaway now closed.

Project: Polka dots and ruffles

I bought the pattern to make this super cute ruffly dress from Etsy during the great series of blizzards earlier this year. The directions were super easy to follow and this was quick to put together. If my sewing machine had a longer stitch length, it would have been even easier (add that to the list of requirements for my future upgrade). Instead, it takes me years to make a ruffle perfectly ruffly.

I used fabrics from the Nicey Jane line by Heather Bailey. I think the polka dots are just perfect for a little girl.

The pattern called for an extra row of ruffles on the bottom but I think I had enough going on that one more would have been one too many. I still have the ruffle and I'm thinking about turning it into a flower or something.

As you can see, the dress is hanging off of Zadie but it was also really hard to get on (and off). There's definitely something wrong with the fit. The pattern didn't call for a closure but I'm going to have to cut it open in the back and add a button and elastic so this will be easier to manage during toddler-wrangling-getting-dressed time. I'll probably just tack up the straps with a longer stitch so that it will fit better but allow for some growth.

Does anyone have any suggestions for alterations that might be better than these?

Project: Trades are awesome.

The best part about Etsy, for me, is the community. I like that when I have a question about something, the person who actually made that thing with their own two hands is going to answer me back.

Since I've been in this pattern/sewing kick, I've been looking really closely at some of the toddler dresses. I emailed the owner of DevonRose demanding that she make patterns of her designs because they are awesome. She wrote me back saying that she doesn't use patterns -- she just cuts straight from the fabric. What?!? Is that possible? Not for me. There's no way I could do something like that. She is like a magician.

Anyway, she had bought one of my yetis a while back so we got to "chatting" and she suggested we trade. Awesome. This green dress is amazing. The craftsmanship is really impeccable. That's something that's really important to me. I couldn't find a stitch out of place (and you won't in my stuff either). These little fabric covered buttons just rock (I'm so going to buy one of those fabric covered button maker thingys next time I leave the house). Check out how the underskirt just perfectly accents the hem. I love it. I also love her blog. Good stuff.

New Projects

I've been on a crazy crafty roll lately making lots of things for Zadie. We're going on a little trip soon and I wanted to have some really fantastic toys to take with us. My favorite is this 21" cat doll. I bought the pattern from mmmcrafts on Etsy. It was a pdf and Larissa emailed it right away. It was an incredibly easy pattern to follow and I really enjoyed making it. I've been sewing a lot of stuff lately and with some patterns, I spend more time reading and re-reading the instructions to figure out what the heck they're telling me to do. That was not the case here. It was well written and the drawings were perfect.

The best part was picking out the fabrics. I couldn't decide between this teal corduroy and some red that I also had. I put them both on the couch and let Zadie decide. She pretty much charged at the fabric from across the room (this is a toddler who isn't quite toddling yet so it was funny to see) and jammed her little pointer finger onto the teal. She made her choice very clear. I didn't even realize that she could understand what I was asking.

I don't think I altered the pattern in any way (although I did embroider the face instead of using felt). The sleeves are cool ladybugs I picked up on Etsy for the Mod Sampler Quilt-Along project that I haven't finished yet (all the blocks are done, I swear!). The funny thing is that the sample cat in the pattern is wearing the same sleeves in a different color. I thought they were polka dots until I saw a closer picture on her flickr. The skirt was a challenge since I had never sewn elastic in like that but it was cool to learn something new -- and it was pretty easy. I used a Japanese house print that I got at Purl in Soho, some Echino, a solid -- really all just stuff I had. I didn't have to buy anything new (although I did and didn't even end up using it, as usual).

The shoes were my favorite:

Customer Appreciation Week . preempted

As you can probably tell, customer appreciation week was viciously interrupted by my obsession with the quilt along (and I'm already pretty far behind in that -- they are just speeding right past me).

Anyway, since I don't like leaving anybody hanging...

Here is one of the cutest kids I have ever seen and she is wearing a Lemon Cadet bun bun polo tee and carrying around her new bean. This is Shannon's daughter. In addition to heading up EtsyKids, she runs a delicious Etsy shop called The Clever Kitty. She bought the shirt a little big so there will be plenty of time to wear it! Check out her blog. It's very nice.

It absolutely kills me to see stuff this cute. Just when I feel like tossing my applique foot into the trash and giving up, someone sends me something like this.

And we're out.

So the time has finally come. The yeti is extinct. He will be remembered fondly by his hand-stitched toothy grin, his pointy claws, and his silky pelt.

Oh yeti, you will be missed.

Pictured above is the last of the yetis. Ever. He flew via First Class Mail/Parcel Post to his new home with Jess T's dad. Another traveled far away and will be a baby shower gift so that's a secret. If you find some of this fur, let me know and we'll attempt a reincarnation.

I have already begun working on designs for a new elusive species. Look for them in late Spring/early Summer.

R.I.P. mysterious beast.

Stripey and stuff

Look at this cool collage by Rebecca Kate on flickr. It's all stripes and legwarmers. Up there in the left corner is me and Anda and Sido and Zadie. We're all very stripey in the photo.

I took a screenshot of this.

I love it. I need to learn how to use flickrtoys.

BOGO sale continues

Due to some success, I have decided to continue the BOGO sale in my Etsy shop until Feb. 14.

Here's the deal:

Buy any one item at regular cost and get ANY item of equal or lesser cost for FREE! Please shop as you normally would adding both items to your cart, but do NOT pay, wait for an updated invoice reflecting your sale prices. ALL items qualify for the sale, even bean dolls and yetis, panties and rompers.

Let me know if you have any questions.

BOGO

I'm having a huge sale in my shop for the next week. I'm in the middle of a huge life change (no, I'm way too young for menopause). I'm just rethinking a few things around here so I decided to have a sale. Plus one of my YetiLovesSeamonster peeps, Tiddlywinks, was having a sale and I had a lot of fun choosing a bunny for Zadie so I thought it would be a good idea.

So it's Buy any item in the shop and Get One free. That's right. As much as I hate that acronym, I'm using it now.

So just buy what you want but don't pay. Wait for me to send you a revised invoice and pay then.

And no, this is not in response to the CPSIA CPSC craziness (I'm sure that will all get worked out). It's just me.

And no, I'm not doing any custom orders right now. (Unless you are JessT or the other yeti lover who I will not name -- yours are both almost done, I swear).

Oh, and Anda is sending me some things from a consignment shop in Brooklyn that was only open for like a week so I might have a couple of sizes in a few items not listed so ask.

Handmade Arcade: a review and all the stuff I bought

Handmade Arcade this year was so much better than last year.

1. It was not in a filthy warehouse with absolutely no heat.
2. It was in an armory with a working bathroom and big huge tanks and stuff (and heat and lights and windows and doors).
3. I wasn't pregnant.

Because this is a two day show, I had time at the end of the first day and at the beginning of the second day to do some shopping. Also, because it's so close to home (about 1.5 hours), I had some helpers. I usually don't have much time at all to shop at craft shows so this is a big bonus for me. You don't get into this business if you don't like the whole movement (but that's a post for a different day which may discuss why I don't consider myself a visual artist anymore or maybe for just right now).

Zadie was being an absolute angel: sleeping in the stroller when prompted, eating solid food like a big girl, going home with Grandma at the end of the show so Mr. Lemon and I could actually eat a meal out together (Welcome to Moe's!), and being a gorgeous model of the yeti ringer onesie and bean romper lines SO I bought her tons of stuff.

First of all, this amazing elf hat by Sweet Pepita. She will wear this in the Spring.

This amazing horned yeti creature with a red bird on his head by Cutesy but not Cutesy. You gotta see the kid grab this beast by the horns and chomp on that bird. It's really cute.

The squirrel card to make the "S" for the alphabet in her nursery by esoule. We will probably frame the gnome. The wallet is for me and was made by the people at Get Felt Up who were very nice.

I got these cool legwarmers in a trade with Little Lumpkin who also made a Christmas present for my niece. I was so excited to finally be able to meet all of the family as Sarah and I were pregnant at the same time.

Finally, I bought some more fabulous Tim Gunn magnets from Tiny Rat who makes these really cool plastic canvas creations too.

If you didn't make it out, check out the vendor list on the website. Almost everyone has an Etsy shop so you can still buy their cool stuff.