Questions Answered

Boy has my inbox been full lately! I am loving all the fantastic messages/comments you've been sending/leaving for me, and I really enjoy answering your questions. I've noticed, however, that several of the same questions are being asked over and over, so I thought I'd post answers to my most frequently asked questions for anyone who may be interested:

1. Where do you get your labels/tags?

I get my labels from ClothingLabels4U.com and I am super pleased with them. The customer service is fantastic and the labels arrive lickety split!

2. What pattern did you use?

All the items that you see pictured in my shop, on my blog, or my flickr photostream are made with my own patterns unless I specify otherwise, in which case I always let you know where it came from and link to the pattern designer. I'm actually pretty terrible at following other people's directions, which is how I got started making my own patterns in the first place. This also explains why you may find an annoying level of detail in my tutorials. I'm very much a visual learner and sort of assume that everyone else is, too, so I try show every step with photos.

3. Where can I buy your patterns?

My patterns aren't currently for sale due to my lack of ability/appropriate software for getting them off of my sketchbook and into a computer. I am pretty technologically impaired, so please bear with me as I stumble through this process! I do plan to offer more free tutorials, as time allows. In my wildest dreams you will one day be able to find a book of my patterns at your local bookshop.

4. Where did you get that fabric?

Most of my fabric is purchased online at etsy and occasionally on Ebay for some of the rarer or out-of-print stuff. I don't typically give specifics on sellers because everyone's stock varies so much and I don't want to give you out-of-date information, but I'm happy to tell you the name and designer of a print if you ask. Then you can just search for that print via the etsy search engine under "supplies" and voilà!

5. Did you ever get around to finishing [fill in the blank] project?

Probably not. But I can tell you that [fill in the blank] is sitting on my cutting table, watching me with pound puppy eyes, and will be finished eventually. I usually tackle UFOs whenever I have spare time (rarely) or an impulsive moment (occasionally), and I'll be sure to show you how they turned out when I get the chance. My UFOs thank you for the reminders, though!

A little help from my friends

ETA: Thank you for letting me know that the problem is solved. For anyone who is interested, I burned my feed with FeedBurner and updated the link in the "Post Feed Redirect URL" box in my Blogger settings, which I believe did the trick. I think I may have to have a little giveaway anyway since I didn't get the chance to hand out any prizes, details to come!

Thank you for all the wonderful comments about my fabric Easter egg tutorial! I can't wait to see some photos of your eggs!

Now I'd like to ask for a little favor...It seems that my blog refuses to update in Google Reader; it appears to be stuck on an entry I made nearly a year ago. If someone can help me fix this problem, I'd love to offer a freebie bit of coveted fabric or pear pincushion. It's probably something incredibly simple to fix, and I got so far as to find out there are some parsing errors, but the idea of scanning the html to figure out what's wrong is daunting, not to mention way over my head. So please feel free to e-mail me or leave a comment and hopefully I can get this sorted out with your help!

Thanks in advance!
Kim

Easter is in the air

I had one of those moments in Target the other day while walking (well running, actually, as I had a screaming toddler in my cart) by an endcap, and instinctively, reflexively even, bent down and grabbed this fantastic cake platter as we sped past. The first thing that popped into my head to describe it was "Barnyard Chic" -- check out the chicken wire detail on the foot! Completely fantastic --

Driving home, this strange urge to make Easter eggs came over me. Strange in that I don't usually get this kind of inspiration until either, a) after the holiday has passed, or b) it's so close to the holiday that there isn't enough time to complete the project. In any case, not only did I finish the eggs in time, but I've come up with a little tutorial (my first!) far enough in advance for anyone else who wants to make fabric Easter eggs, too. These are just a bit bigger than real eggs and a terrific way to use up those fabric scraps! Please be sure to tell me if you have any trouble printing the pattern (it should be 2-1/8"W by 4-1/4"h) or if any of the instructions are confusing so I can fix them!

Fabric Easter Egg Tutorial

Materials:

10"w x 5"h Quilting cotton, linen or other non-stretchy woven fabric in one or more prints
Thread
Fiberfill, Nature-fill or other similar polyester or natural stuffing
Disappearing Ink Pen
Scissors
Pins
Hand sewing needle
Pattern (I recommend printing it on card stock for easy tracing)

Seam allowances are 1/4"

1. Cut out the pieces. Place pattern piece perpendicular to the fabric selvedge, trace the pattern with disappearing ink (see photo below) and cut four pieces from desired fabric prints. You may cut multiple pieces simultaneously from the same print by folding the fabric over one or more times, cutting up to 4 pieces at once. (Tip: If you're using a scrap and don't know which way the selvedge is, test which direction the fabric is stretchiest. The fabric is stretchier going perpendicular to the selvedge, and less stretchy going parallel with the selvedge; you want the stretch going from top to bottom of the egg, not side to side, so your egg doesn't get too "fat" when you stuff it. Hopefully that makes sense.)

2. Place pieces together for sewing. Always keeping track of which end is "up", place 2 fabric pieces, right sides together, pinning if desired. Do the same with the remaining two pieces. Transfer the two dots from the pattern to the fabric pieces on top. If using two different fabrics, make sure both pairs have one of each print and that the same print is on the top of both sets.

3. Sew a seam along the right side of one set of egg pieces, from top dot to bottom dot, backstitching at the top and bottom. Do the same with the second set of pieces.

4. Put the two halves together. Turn one set of egg pieces right side out, and place inside the other set of egg pieces, so that right sides are together on the inside.

Match the seams at the top and bottom and pin. (Note the purple ink marks on the lower righthand side in the photo below that indicate where I will leave a hole for stuffing)

5. Sew the two halves together. Sew around the outside edge of the egg, leaving a 1" hole on one side for turning and stuffing, backstitching at the beginning and end of the seam.

6. Trim the seam allowances, taking care not to snip into the stitches and leaving the seam allowances wide around the open hole.

7. Turn the egg right side out through the hole and it will look something like this

8. Stuff the egg firmly with poly-fill or other stuffing, and close the hole with small slip stitches/ladder stitches.

9. Voila! You have a completed egg.

10. Now make bunches and bunches of these and post your photos in my new flickr group dedicated to projects made with my patterns!

I hope you have as much fun making these as I did!

Have a fun and happy (and warm, if you're lucky) weekend!
Kim

edited 2/2/11 to add updated link to pattern

Talking Stash

I couldn't resist when I heard that they're talking fabric stash over here, so I had to join in! As a certifiable stash-a-holic, mine is ever growing, especially lately. I just can't believe all the good stuff that's out there these days.

What do you usually sew?

I spend most of my time sewing pincushions, but I'm dreaming of new bags and quilts that I hope to start soon. Selling my pincushions does help expand the stash, however, and there's something kind of nice about the repetitiveness of making them, leaving my mind free to wander and dream of new projects.

When you shop for fabric, what size cuts do you usually buy? (i.e. If you see something beautiful, but you don't have a use for it right away, how much do you buy?)

I typically get full yards of each print to keep my options open. Sometimes I'll get half yards or fat quarters if I have a specific smaller project in mind and think I won't need more of the fabric later. Occasionally I get a wild hair and fall so rampantly in love with an out of print fabric that I snap up a bunch of it the moment I spot it.

Do you buy on impulse or do you go out looking for something you need?

I usually shop for something in particular, but to get my money's worth in shipping I'll top off that envelope or box with a few impulse items.

Are you a pre-washer? If you are, do you wash your fabric before you need it, or only when you're ready to use it?

I prefer working with unwashed fabric, but if I do need to prewash for making something like clothes I'll do it right before I need it because I hate dealing with a huge pile of fabric that needs ironing!

Do you iron it?

I always iron fabric before I cut into it, whether it's washed or not. It makes a huge difference in cutting fabric precisely.

How do you sort it? (color, print size, collection, etc.)

This probably makes me kind of nerdy, but I sort my fabrics by manufacturer, subdivided by designer, and then loosely by color. I tried organizing by only color once and I could never find anything because I keep prints categorized in my head by designer. Knowing which manufacturer the fabric came from makes it simpler when it comes time to add to the stash, and can make color mixing easier when I'm choosing prints for a project.

Do you have any special folding techniques?

Yes, I use the ruler method of folding fabric, except that I’ve done it so much that I no longer need the ruler. Because I now fold by eye, my fabric piles aren't perfect, but I have a well used stash and am constantly taking out and putting away fabrics so this more casual method is quick and works great to keep things pretty neat.

How do you store your fabric?

I keep my most used fabric on open shelves so I can gaze upon them for inspiration and get to them quickly. Fabrics that are shorter than a yard are kept rolled up in colanders, also in plain view so I can grab them as inspiration hits. My lesser used or bolts of fabric, interfacing, felts and non-quilting fabrics are kept in closed cabinets.

What tips do you have for building up a well-rounded stash?

I often think fabric in terms of "main print/coordinating print". If I get a larger scale floral fabric, I know I'm going to need a coordinating smaller scale print like a stripe or polka dot as well. I also tend to get prints in sets, so if I like a particular fabric line, I'll buy several prints that work together, which keeps my options open for quilting projects. I'm also trying to veer outside of my usual color preferences, because there are so many wonderful projects you can do with a full spectrum of color, which is difficult if all your fabric is green or blue.

When do you say enough is enough?

There is no such thing as enough! There are always new prints coming out that will add new project possibilities to my stash.

What are some of your favorite stash-busting projects?

Small patchwork projects like clutches, softies, or pincushions are great for using up scraps. Bags and quilts are excellent for using up larger pieces.

Do you have a current favorite print in your stash? Let's see it!

There is no way I could pick one favorite, I'm not even going to try!

What's your definition of the perfect stash?

The perfect stash has a full spectrum of color, a good variety of print scale, and has all your favorite prints both for projects you're planning and for those not yet dreamed up. It's also well-behaved enough to stay nicely folded and safely hidden when your husband asks if you've been fabric shopping, again.

Sewing. Snow. Crafting. Cabin Fever.

This year sure has gone off to a running start. So I'll kick off the blogging season with the top 10 reasons that you haven't heard from me this new year until now:

1. It's been so dark and dreary and cold that I've been in a bit of a funk the past couple of weeks. It seems like a weak excuse, but I honestly thought we'd get a bit more sun up here.

2. Despite this, I've been sewing up a storm. Voilà, clothespin aprons (obviously, dreaming of sunny days which are still far, far away).

How fabulous are those Garden Party fabrics? Kind of retro with an edge. I wasn't sure how to approach this line at first but then I just woke up one morning completely in love with it.

3. Did I mention that it's 15 degrees below zero outside and Brrrrrr!

4. My children have come down with a serious case of cabin fever (see no. 3) and so we've turned our house into an obstacle course. By the way, the bilibo is the coolest toy ever, which we found at one of the coolest toy stores ever.

5. I've been playing with my new camera and photo editing software, both enlightening me regarding the extent of my lack of technical skill and knowledge, in a fun-challenge kind of way.

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Is that not the most mischievous smile? Love this kid.

6. An influx of fabric has forced me to rearrange my crafting space--a big time sponge, albeit a fun one.

7. Possible TMI alert, unless your kids have special needs: We've been checking out local places for therapy and activities because the boys have had some sensory issues brought on by the winter doldrums. We decided against having them attend a place that I would classify as a "therapy preschool for autistic children" for various reasons and the kids are now enrolled in lessons at a nearby gym. It's fantastic, and I don't think they could be getting better therapy, especially of the sensory integration type, anywhere else. We were so fortunate to find an instructor with training in special education, and what the boys experienced in one hour at this gym was better than any session they've had with private occupational therapists (who often promise SI therapy and then deliver something vastly different, oy-vey, not a rant I'll subject you to today). I definitely recommend checking this option out if your kids have sensory or other physical issues that aren't being fully addressed with your current therapies, or if you're just looking for a place to go that you can all have fun as a family.

8. Necessitated by certain overactive children (see no. 4), I am turning the family room into more of a play room. Lots of paint shopping, which you already know that I love, and drooling over all the incredible stuff I'm finding online. Like this rug, this chair, and this seriously adorable train.

9. Netflix watch instantly. More cheesy 80s movies and romantic comedies than you can shake a stick at.

10. Cleaning carpets. I go through this every winter. I will not delve into the sordid details of what four dogs and two children can do to carpet, but suffice it to say that we're getting our money's worth out of the steam cleaner. Ugh. I cannot tell you how much I hate carpet.

On a side note, I wanted to mention that the Indie Fixx Shop is closing (ack! so sad!) but you can score some really great deals there, so be sure to stop by before the doors close in March.

OK, so I lied

Not intentionally, though. My new camera arrived and I couldn't help but play with it. I thought for sure that figuring out all the buttons, dials, and menus would be so complicated that it would be a couple of weeks before I could do anything with the camera, but it's proven to be pretty easy to take mediocre pictures right out of the box. And Joey is so fascinated by watching the shutter close that he's proven to be a very patient subject.

Love those big brown eyes.

Although...if he looks a little annoyed in this picture, it's possible that he eventually got tired of our little photo shoot

I personally think the bedhead and the chapped cheek and lips are especially cute, the latter of which are a result of a possibly foolhearty, though well-intentioned, outing we took yesterday. It was a perfectly comfortable temperature outside, all bundled up, until the arctic wind picked up and knocked the breath out of you. I probably could've edited some of the chapped skin, but I haven't figured out my photo-editing software yet. Lots to learn!

I'm excited to finally have a nice camera to capture all those wonderful little things that happen every day, and the grandparents will be excited to get a few more pictures of the grandkids in the mail than usual (sorry it took so long!).

Happy Monday!
Kim

Winter's a Hoot

I know, I know, I've been a blog slacker lately. Does that make me a slogger? I don't think I can entirely blame being busy for my lack of posting, although I really have been quite busy (no more pear pictures for a while, I promise). I've been feeling a bit in the photographic doldroms lately, that is, not exactly having a love affair with my point-and-shoot camera. We've had our fun, of course, but it was never meant to be a long-term relationship. I've finally made the plunge in getting a digital SLR camera, meaning I need to relearn all that fun photography stuff I learned in high school and then promptly forgot when my old 35mm SLR camera died on a trip to Hawaii and was never replaced. My new camera is presently in the mail on its way to me, so hopefully I can unveil beautiful pictures taken with it early in the new year. In the meantime:

I've been making a few little owls:

There's just something about orange and gray that I can't resist

This little gal makes me smile:

And this one is made with some adorable ultra-retro prints:

You can find my owls here, and also at my shop.

We're gearing up for the holidays (lots of cookie-baking and cookie-eating, oh yeah, and some sledding and gift-wrapping--not many pictures, alas, camera woes) and loving this midwest winter. Stay warm (or cool, depending of course on where you are)!

Kim

Holiday Spirit

I'm definitely in the holiday spirit, but for some reason I've also been craving pink this year. Pink and green, to be exact. See, it started out when I walked past an adorable scalloped pink cake platter the other day while shopping. And then I walked by it again. I left the shop without it--it's terribly impractical, after all, especially around my kids--but I couldn't get it out of my head. So I finally went back to the store and bought it (it was on clearance, even, Score!). Then I was poking through my fabric stash and something pink caught my eye. And then something green, and more pink. Before I knew it, I had an armful of pale pink and green fabrics, spools of white ric rak and pink velvet ribbon, and an image in my head that I had to see in person. While I was making the pears, I watched this movie, which is not a good movie, at all, but the main character has the most fabulous vintage(y) green couch that I absolutely covet, and was wearing a gorgeous pink cardigan in the same scene. Anyhoo.

I was terribly excited when I had a plateful of pear ornaments, in all their pastel sugary goodness.

These pears will be available at my Hyenacart shop on Saturday, and in my etsy shop possibly next week. If you are unfamiliar with Hyenacart, it is a community for selling (primarily) handmade goods. The fees are minimal ($5.00 per month that you want to add new items in your cart, no listing fees or commission), your website is customizable, and it comes with a built-in base of customers who love to support handmade crafters and artisans! And the forums are some of the most positive and helpful I've ever visited.

And now I’m thinking I should have bought the bigger matching platter, too. Hmmm.

This one is my favorite

And now I'm off to devise a brilliant reason to buy the second cake dish, should it still be there....

Dreaming of a white Christmas,
Kim

And then there were three

First there were pear pincushions, next came the giant pear pillow, well now I've gone and made a mini-pear ornament! I adore the wonderful retro Michael Miller Christmas tree prints, and as I've mentioned before, I'm already feeling that holiday spirit so these fit the bill quite nicely. I plan to have pear ornaments available in my etsy shop as soon as I decide whether to sell them individually or in sets. What do you think? They're 4" tall and I can fit two in a box. Three is a nicer number for a set, though, alas...

My favorite part is the ric rac hanger. Love the ric rac. And now I need to go two things:

a) Go shut the back door. Somebody (the kids) seem to think that it's perfectly fine to leave the door open when it's 45 degrees outside.

b) Make a bunch more of these ornaments; I've got lots of Christmas prints and several yards of red ric rac begging to be put to use.

Happy Wednesday!
Kim

visions of sugarplums

Continuing in the trend of making things for my family, I've embarked on sewing a quilt for my elder son (to be followed, of course, by a quilt for the younger, although hopefully, unlike the afghan I started for him, fully complete and not just 3/4 of the way). Using the flock of triangles pattern from this book, I customized the fabrics to reflect his favorite things: lots of color, and lots of typefaces. Joey has been obsessed with books since infancy, so it was an easy decision to incorporate book inspired prints for his first quilt. Maybe it will keep him from removing all the clothes from his dresser drawers to read the fake antique newspaper printed on the drawer bottoms. Probably not, but a gal can dream.

Just a peek, because I haven't finished piecing it yet

I used 21 prints and solids for the quilt, which seemed daunting at first, but after making stacks from my fabric stash I ended up actually having to pare down the selection from about 35 prints. Michael Miller has this knack of using colors that go with practically everything, including many prints from other manufacturers. Amy Butler has the same knack, and you may be able to spot some of her polka dot prints in there as well.

Anyway, I hope to have both quilts finished in time for Christmas. I'm planning to have a homemade/handmade holiday this year and I'd love to hear about your handmade holiday plans, too! We finally gave up on the big tree with breakable ornaments--it just doesn't mix well with 4 dogs and 2 rowdy boys, so we're having a small tree (located way, way up high on a shelf), with homemade paper and fabric ornaments. There will be loads of paper snowflakes and other handmade decorations and hopefully plenty of real snow. And cookies. Lots and lots of cookies.

Happy Holiday Dreaming!
Kim