The beans are ready to eat

After simmering in my studio for quite some time, the beans are soft enough to head out into the world via Etsy. I had a few in the shop before and they sold so I made a bunch more.

I would have had them up sooner but it really takes a certain kind of day for perfect lighting. It needs to be very bright but overcast. Even then, my camera still sometimes does a hack job with a couple of the brighter colors. I'll be getting a new camera soon but until then, I gotta work with what I got.

Since Baby Lemon is first priority, I won't ever have a big enough chunk of time to put these all up at once so look for these throughout the week. I've got one of the Joel Dewberry fabric that was featured in the onesie in Parents Magazine. It has a bright yellow dotted swiss back. I have a few of this gorgeous red satin brocade Asian print fabric with teal backs. There are striped beans and corduroy number print beans and kitty alphabet beans one last green woodgrain bean from that amazing Alexander Henry fabric that I love so much.

Beans and brooches

A few of the new bean dolls are finally in the shop. I also decided to list the brooches. Instead of listing them individually, I just made one listing and you can choose the color stitching on the face. This one is pink.

I've finally been able to get back to working on new stuff. I have a nice stack of bean dolls ready to stitch. I have more of the Asian print brocade that sold out at Crafty Bastards, some new stripeys, a couple from the Joel Dewberry bud print, and even a couple out of that cool black and white fabric that I used to make some guys a while back. I didn't realize until just the other day that it was designed by Alexander Henry. Go figure! I was buying his amazing work before I even knew who he was.

Lemon Cadet on Indie Fixx!

Last week when I was preparing for Crafty Bastards, I got featured on Indie Fixx for their reader fixx! Indie Fixx is a great blog with a huge readership so this is a big deal.

I was chosen by Alicia of Eternal Sunshine. She loves my bean plushie that's on consignment over at My My. It's a good thing because I don't have a single bean left in my shop.

I'll be adding what's left from Crafty Bastards next week. I have to wait until the weekend to get some good sunny photos of those beans. They are really tricky to shoot!

And yes, I will be dishing the dirt on Crafty Bastards as soon as I get the photos out of the camera. And yes, it was amazing.

An invasion

I've been busy here at Lemon Cadet preparing for my Fall show schedule. Instead of adding too many new items to the Etsy shop, I've been organizing the studio, finishing up some custom orders and ordering wholesale blanks.

Plans have been in the works to add new Yeti items like a brooch, a set of magnets, and some stuffies (yes, that's right, stuffies -- also known as plushies, softies, stuffed beasts, and dolls). So when a customer lost her beloved Yeti panties and requested a patch, it seemed the time was nigh.

I whipped up a Yeti who's currently flying via the USPS cargo plane to Boston for his training session. Above is the portrait I snapped of him in my office with my cellphone for his visa (Yetis need a visa for travel as they aren't permanent citizens this far south). As soon as he's good and ready, I'll be offering them in the shop. Brooches and magnets will be there quicker.

I'm almost finished with my inventory spreadsheet and I'll post a pic to flickr as soon as it's ready. Now I know what I have in every size and color. Why I didn't do it sooner is beyond me...

Plushie Softie Stuffie Pillow Bean Love

So finally I added my brand new bean dolls to the Etsy shop! I've had a couple finished for a while now but I wasn't ready to part with them.

Yesterday I shot a bunch of photos and got the images all ready to go. These beans are really big. They're about 14" tall and super stuffed. I'll start making some smaller ones after the Eastern Market.


I also made two striped bean dolls but with new stuffing. The new stuffing is all lumpy and I don't like it so I'm going to pull it all out and fill them up with the same kind of stuffing as the first two guys.

Soon, I'll have a listing for a matching set (onesie or tee). I think that will be really awesome -- a bean doll to match your kid! I'll be able to make the bean dolls in almost all of the fabrics that I have (and I got some great new prints last weekend). In the meantime, if you want a matching set -- or if you have a onesie and you want a bean to match, just send me an email and I'll get started.

A little note: Since these beans have no removable parts (i.e. no button eyes or other loose appendages), I would let my baby play with one if I had one (a baby, that is -- I have beans). That said, these bean dolls aren't designed to be used with babies or as children's toys. And never, ever, ever put your baby down next to a pillow or in a crib with a pillow because babies can get suffocated. So be careful.

Huskystar, I have missed you!

So I went on vacation and then mom had a bit of surgery and then it was the first week of summer classes...

Excuses, excuses! But until just now, I've been so busy playing catch-up that I haven't had one free moment to make stuff.

I got so excited after stitching up that striped bean doll (inside-out and there to the left of my baby, Mr. Huskystar), I decided to take a picture and write up this little post.

The bean dolls will be in the shop by Monday. I had taken photos of the two corduroy number beans before I left. I thought I had locked them before deleting everything else from the Nikon but alas, I had not. So into the abyss that is the digital recycling bin they went.

Tomorrow promises to be sunny enough for new pics.

I really love sewing. I really love doing the applique. And I really really love drawing up new little guys.