I just realized I never posted a picture of my finished mobile I made for the swap.  My partner was very patient while I got it done. From top to bottom it goes: big house, cabin, barn, ice house. I explained how I made it here and there are more pictures here and here. I’ve received some lovely comments about it on flickr and a couple requests to sell them, but I’m not sure about that. I couldn’t find my X-acto knife when I was making these, so I used a box cutter–a sharp one, but a box cutter nonetheless–so it took longer than it should have. If I get an itch to make something with paper again, maybe I’ll put one or two up for sale.

A couple of you are concerned because you never received a mobile from the swap and I’m sorry for that. It could have gotten lost in the mail like mine, or maybe your partner’s life just got in the way. I try to think of these swaps as an impetus to make something different and try not to focus too much on what you might get. I’m going to host another mobile swap next year, so hopefully it will go better (I was a little lax when it came to managing it this year–I didn’t think it would be so much work!).

After a big sewing jag, I plant myself on the couch. And try to avoid thinking about all the things I told myself I would do after all the sewing was over. Unfortunately not doing things gives you more time to dream up new things and remember even more things you said you’d do. So while I haven’t been here I’ve been furiously writing to do lists. Most of them involve pretty boring spring cleaning stuff like, clean out the spice rack. woo hoo! The glamorous life of me! But I dug out my old sewing to do list and added some new stuff to it (and crossed things off!). I realized last weekend, that had it not been for this blog I don’t think I would have made nearly as much stuff as I have this past year. I have my own little cheer squad here. Who wouldn’t want that? So thank you, thank you to everyone for your comments. They have pushed me to learn more and make more and think more creatively about what I am doing. I’m coming up on my 100th post and the 1000th comment, both are ridiculous and exciting, so there will be a giveaway soon. Until then, I thought if I actually posted my to do list, I would be motivated to do some of it. Feel free to share some or all of your “to make” lists in the comments.

The chair doesn’t have anything to do with this post. It’s just a bomb chair I got for $5 at the dig and save (how come no one told me they had furniture?).

to make

plush airplane or maybe helicopter

patchwork dolls with patchwork faces

animal dolls with mustaches and clothes and patterned all over (one down!)

modern felt book

dress for me, and a shirt and if those work then some pants

pillowcase pants for my kids

hats for everyone

hem all the curtains in the whole damn house

make all new throw pillows because I can’t stand looking at the ones we have any more

mend the enormous pile of clothes to mend

quilts, plural

clean up the hole my studio has become (aids in the making of things)

more sewing books

a nicer, cleaner website

*edited to add*

pajama pants from amy butler’s in stitches

three blind mice

the dish and the spoon

recover chairs, plural

stamped placemats

cover tin cans with linen (damn you, cotton friend)

another house mobile

robes for the kids from vintage towels

a quick note to tell you there are new diggers and a couple bears are for sale in my shoppe.  The sale went well, thanks for asking.  It’s hard to sell handmade things right next to a secondhand sale, but I made more than I spent (at the sale) so we’ll just call that a success.  And it was such a treat to see how people react to my stuff, so I’m sure I’ll do it again.  There will be pillowcase dresses and kiddy messenger bags and toy bags in the shop as soon as I get my shit together, which I’m guessing will be tuesday.  see you then.

I making bags like crazy over here.  All, of course, for the sale that you are sick of hearing about.  It’s this weekend and I’m actually getting a little nervous.  I’m sure all the self doubt will all go away when someone buys something–if someone buys something!  I’m used to selling pastries and breads and chocolates that I’ve made, where if you make a mistake it gets eaten anyway.  But someone will own these bags and use them, and if they fall apart their mother will be cursing me.  Or maybe they will be used and loved and come out of the washing machine in one piece.

You can see I finally made the toy bags I was talking about and though I wasn’t excited about them while I was making them, or even after I was done, but they are growing on me now.  Simple muslin drawstring bags with some applique (and stamped labels? yes? no? still can’t decide anything over here). The other bags in the picture are kiddy messenger bags.  I made one for my daughter just like it for christmas.  She got so many compliments on it, I thought they would go over well at the sale.  There are pictures of more bags over at my flickr site, if you are interested.  Have a good day.

I finished sewing a few things for the sale and I thought I’d pop in and show you. The bears are made from felted sweaters and printed cotton. I drew a simple bear then stitched, stuffed, and sewed on the features. Easy peasy. The denim and cashmere one is my favorite. I think it would be perfect for a little baby boy, but I have no idea if people will even buy these. I’m not much of a shopper (except for thrift stores and target) so I don’t really know what people buy or how much they pay for things. So how much would you pay for a bear like this ? They are a little under a foot tall (1 foot = 30 cm), machine washable, and super soft.

These are all the pillowcase dresses I’ve finished so far, but there are a few more cut and ready to go in my studio. I wasn’t going to make so many, but a showed a few to my friends and they were quite taken with them, so I whipped up some more. It doesn’t hurt that they are dead easy to make. And you can make them to fit girls from 6 months to 5 or 6 years old. For these I’m thinking 16 dollars a pop, what do you think? I haven’t sold stuff from a booth since my lemonade days, so I’m a little nervous about all of this. Tagging, pricing, talking up the things I’ve made. And this sale is the first of it’s kind so there could be a couple people there or hundreds. Nobody knows.