The mobile swap is “over,” but I am still working on mine and I know there are other procrastinators out there scrambling to finish. So I thought I’d post a few more lovely ones from the flickr mobile swap group this week. The four above stuck out because of their unique construction. The first is a promotional piece from Hatch Designs that was posted by Dave from grainedit.com. I don’t think it’s actually for the swap, but a bird mobile that pops out of egg carton material is too fantastic to not show you. The next is by Elizabeth from e p i t a. It’s not finished, but what a great idea–like sticking baseball cards in your dirt bikes, but in mobile form. The bottom left picture is from Terry at easebetweennotches.blogspot.com. Her idea was to make a mobile that looked like a bouquet of flowers turned upside down. It turned out great and the cone hides all the messy construction bits but still looks super stylish. Well done! The last is a simple felt garland hung from one end. Elizabeth from ohfransson.com used a pattern from a japanese craft book to make this sweet little mobile (that doubles as a garland). These and all the other fantastic mobiles are on the flickr mobile swap group. Mine will be done soon, I hope. I think it’s probably in bad taste for the swap organizer to be late for the swap, but it’s my party. I’ve had the pattern done for a week now, but keep changing my mind when it comes to what material to use. It’s time to just fish or cut bait.

I have been absent from this little blog for a bit. We’ve had guests and will have many more in the coming weeks, so you’ll only hear from me on and off for a while. If you actually know me, well, just call instead of stalking me on the internet, silly.

There hasn’t been much time for making, but I did manage to try my hand at wet felting. I bought a big bag of lovely colored roving at a garage sale this summer and have been meaning to try it ever since. I thought it would be nice to sell a little bag of felted rocks along side my diggers. Wet felting is ridiculously easy, but wet felting on details was not so easy. A good friend told me that white wool doesn’t felt as easily (because of the bleach?) which is probably why I was swearing up a storm trying to put the tiny stripes on the rocks. But I haven’t given up. I really like the rocks especially in bright colors and I think I’m going to try to embroider some rock like details on them. Maybe even some moss!

I’ve been thinking about this project for a while. All my hand sewing supplies are jammed into a crappy bag my husband got at some conference and it’s gotten so bad that I can’t even bear to look at it much less sort it out. I wanted something where everything I needed would be there when I had a minute to sew (and most of the time it is literally a minute). I just wanted to open it up and sew. Immediately a book came to mind and then I thought of these reader’s digest books. We have a couple (back to basics is my favorite) and you can get them at any thrift store. And low and behold next time I went there was this DIY one waiting for me. I was a little nervous at first because it looked like there might be a ridiculous amount of measuring involved, but there really wasn’t and it came together pretty quickly.

On the left there is one removable embroidery floss card, with spots for 4 more (it was getting late) and a big wonky pocket underneath.  In the middle there is a little ribbon to tie a small scissors.  On the right there are some pockets for pencils and a big scissors or glasses, a pincushion, and under the pincushion is a needle book. I think I may make a few more of these just so I can get it right and maybe even to sell (if you think there are people who would buy them).   I think the big pocket should be two pockets that snap close and the needle book needs a snap or some kind of closure too. I have to totally redo the embroidery floss cards because they were a pain the the butt, but I like that they are removable.  Is there something you would add?  It is too matchy matchy? Should I use different fabrics for everything?  I need some feedback over here.

I am very excited to announce that my shop is up and running!  The little diggers have been in bits and pieces all week, but I finally sat down with all the parts today.  And as my daughter built tower after tower after tower with her blocks, I sewed button joint after button joint right next to her.  Setting up an etsy shop was a little intimidating at first, not because of the site itself–it’s fantastic–but because I had to sit down and describe myself and what I make.  And make people want to buy it.  I have no idea how to do this, so I went with boring ol’ descriptions of the first three then when I got to the pink digger I laid it on thick.  I was only going to make three to start with anyway, but then I saw this little bit of hot! pink! vintage! linen in my scrap bag I cut into it without thinking twice.  Because how fantastic would it be if a cute indie rock boy out there gave his cute indie rock girlfriend my pink digger for valentine’s day.   I guess that’s an odd daydream to have, but I think that’s what mothers of small children do: daydream.  Most of what we say could be recorded and just played back over and over again all day, “Stop. stop. sit down. sit down. don’t play with your food. don’t rub your toast on your head. don’t put playdough in your brother’s ears.” I always wondered why I had to say, “MOM!” so many times before she heard me.  Now I don’t hear my daughter until the third or fourth mom.  So (to get out of this tangent) I’ve been day dreaming about this little shop all week and now here it is!  yay.