Whee--new fabric!

I went into Craft Warehouse looking for a different fabric (naturally), and found 30s prints on the flat-fold table. I NEVER see 30s prints when I am looking for them. So even though I didn't have a project in mind, I bought a little bit of 10 different prints. I knew I would kick myself if I walked away from a good deal.

They are soooo pretty.

So next on my sewing table: A red/white/blue quilt. A horse quilt. And something with 30s prints.  I really want the red/white/blue one done for summer. And then I want to sell the horse quilt by fall. So many things to do! I don't know when the 30s quilt will happen, but of course it will. Maybe even this year!

happy embroidering

I picked up a new packet of embroidery patterns--they are sort of like fabric, in that there are so many mood choices that you can never have enough. Even if all the embroidery patterns are happy, well, there are different ways to say happy.

And personally, I love animated kitchenware.  I love animated fruit, but I still haven't found that pattern for sale. In the meantime, animated kitchenware makes me happy.

I'm pretty sure I will be making that teapot next. I wish I had more towel blanks to work with....

cheery cherry hand embroider dish towel

I love having these dish towels hanging in my kitchen. Maybe no one else notices, but I think they lend an air of dignity and cheeriness at the same time.

 When I spotted the printed cherry fabric on the flat fold table, of course I had to buy it! Remember not so long ago most fabrics were $6 a yard? Now only the flat fold table is $6. A yard of regular priced fabric costs and hour and a half of a minimum wage worker today. Wow.  Sort of puts the price of craftwork into perspective when you see it for sale.

I have listed this dish towel in my etsy shop. I do also have a matching potholder using the same cherry fabric and a single embroidered cherry. I have to dig it out of my bin of finished work to snap a photo, but if you want a set, just let me know in my etsy comments and I can do that.

scotty pot holder

I finished several pot holders over the weekend, and several more are waiting for binding. I need to find a break in the bad weather to make a trip to the fabric shop! Man, I just hate driving when it's 20 degrees. Who wants to have their car break down when it's 20 degrees? Why risk it? I had a friend who failed to notice the car in front of her had come to a stop (would you believe she was looking at her phone?) and WHAM, no more car. You just never know. And man I don't want that to happen when it's 20 degrees, even though I carry a quilt in the car just in case.

Soooo, I will be making that trip to the fabric shop when it's just a little warmer. It's supposed to be mid 40s on the weekend, and that will seem heavenly.

In the meantime, a cute little scotty dog.

 

Available in my etsy shop. And buying online means you don't have to drive anywhere and the postal service will do all the work. Isn't life perfect sometimes?

squirrel tea towel

I think I find these vintage transfer images so charming that it's hard to stop embroidering them. Well, I always run out of towel blanks too soon. I guess that's why I stop and turn my attention to something else. After this one, I have one more to embroider--so I know what I will be doing this weekend. Bliss!

I have listed this pretty towel in my etsy shop!

hen going to market tea towel

These vintage transfers are so charming, it makes it fun to embroider them. Picking out vibrant colors and creating something with a little retro flair is always compelling.

 

I gave this pretty towel away for Christmas!

sweet dish towel with a charming dish scene

I was having a Malcolm in the Middle marathon this weekend--can you believe it's been off the air for eight years? The humor stands up pretty well, the jokes are still funny. I find I don't watch comedy programs anymore, the laugh tracks are aggravating and the jokes are too obvious. Malcolm still makes me laugh. And it's fascinating to see the family in trouble while driving, finding a road side call box (do those even exist now?) because cell phones were not yet ubiquitous. How long ago it seems!

While watching, I worked on embroidery.

 

I added the pretty fabric border and rick rack to a plain cotton towel, and then did the embroidery.

I've got a few more things to stock in my etsy shop this week! Please check them out! Having pretty things, even simple pretty things, adds so much pleasantness to life. I just don't understand people leaving things drab. I'm sure you're the same way, or you wouldn't be reading this!

I haven't forgotten the sewing part of life

Sometimes it seems like we're all so busy, doesn't it? I only find time to sew on the weekends. All of these are photos of projects in-progress. I have finished 3 new potholders, but wouldn't you know I didn't take photos of those?

I hope to have all of these finished this weekend, and some new listings up in my etsy shop before Christmas! I need to buy binding fabric for the potholders, nothing I have on hand matches exactly. So much fabric, and yet I always seem to need more.

How are your projects coming along? Check back in a couple days, and I'll show off 4 finished projects! Hopefully the sun will come out (from behind the snow filled clouds) and give me some good lighting. We'll all keep our fingers crossed, right?

a visit to C&R Mercantile

I know we are all trying to shop locally, and I have to admit I was remiss in not visiting the C&R vintage shop earlier than now. 

Lots of vintage goodness to peruse!

 Is this a vintage chicken roost? Or modern? I like how easy it would be to hose it down and keep it clean if you really were using it for chickens. But as a kitschy sort of storage display, I think it is adorable.

 I did not take photos of all the vintage linens, there are so many and hard to photograph. Layers and layers of linens. Is that a bottlecap crocheted trivet? I did not even notice it when I snapped the photo.

 I did notice the refrigerator door used as dish display. Genius!

 The proprietess (hmm, spellcheck does not like that word?) explained vintage bed jackets are popular with the prom girls. In the spring, I guess it would make just the right sheer layer to accentuate a gown....

 I liked the doll there on the vanity, I was wondering if her dress is a place to store hatpins. I sort of remember seeing one used like that before.

 In the far background by the window there is a sewing box on legs, making it a piece of furniture. I can see buying it and painting it white and outfitting the drawers with pretty fabric linings. Hmm.

 And lots of fabric to choose from! I will definitely go back when I start working on my 1930s quilt!

 Any idea what was stored in this display originally? How pretty it looks with the trims inside.

 Bailey is in attendance every day. What a laid back dog, relaxing behind the counter. He'd be good company for the slow times.

 Located 2 blocks north of the post office in Hermiston, Oregon. If you're near Pendleton, you are near Hermiston. Open Tuesday through Saturday. She's on facebook, but I am not so I can't link directly. I'm sure you can find the shop.

dish towel embroidered with a basket of vegetables

I'm still embroidering one pattern here and one there, and not a whole set of images. I wish I had more blanks, because I've got lots of time to work on these. Why do I have time all the sudden? What did I used to do? Hmm. Anyway, lots being accomplished in the little bits of empty time here and there.

I have listed this towel in my etsy shop. It's priced a little higher than I intend to price most, because this one took twice as long as usual to embroider. All the color changes, and it really is pretty intricate.

This dish towel is listed now in my etsy shop!

Another Blue Bird Pot Holder

I love doing this cross-stitch pattern, it's as much fun as straight embroidering. And you can never go wrong with little birds.

I have listed this pot holder in my etsy shop, so now there is a pair available.

Blue Bird Pot Holder

I was busy this weekend sewing up purses for the girls, and I debated whether I should display them here before giving them away, and decided I would wait. It's only a couple weeks, right? But I'm proud of the purses, they turned out beautifully.

So instead, here is a gorgeous potholder. Having so many embroidery transfer designs to choose from makes these feel fresh to work on; if I had only one design, I'd probably never make more than one. And wouldn't that be a shame?

 

This potholder is available now in my etsy shop :).

three embroidered tea towels

When I was in town, I bought several towel blanks. Now I wish I had purchased more!

I started with a set of Mon/Tues/Weds, and mixed up the designs so they're not all from the same transfer package (as in, not all duckies). I figure I have so MANY transfers, why stick to one theme? That was for when you had only one package.

A charming cat. I loved making her ear under the plastic cap look like it was really under a transparent cap.

 

The ducky I thought needed just a little bit more, but I couldn't decide what.

 

And a cute little mouse. She seems so sweet.

 

I'm selling these all as a set, and no, I'm barely being paid for my time. I just love to make them. Great for a house warming gift or a practical wedding gift.  Available now in my etsy shop.

teapot & donut pot holder

You know, I don't know whether potholder is one word or two. Is it one that works both ways because it's not standardized, or is in the process of shifting from one to the other? Hmm. Yeah, not going to look it up right now.

I like the sprinkles on the donut are made with a French knot, which adds a little bit of dimensionality. That's what makes handmade individuality so fun!

Available now in my etsy shop!

"too hot for me" pot holder

Isn't this guy darling? He's about to boil over, and escaping the kitchen.

I think the rick rack adds that little bit of something that just finishes off the look of these pot holders. This cutie is available now in my etsy shop.

vintage feel cupcake pot holder

One day when I buy a vintage travel trailer (and don't you love how the UK folks call them caravans? Don't you look forward to one day caravaning around the country? I sure do.) I am going to outfit the interior with all sorts of retro, homey things.

Like these pot holders I've been making.

It's hard to NOT be cheerful when in the presence of so much kitsch!

I've listed this pot holder in my etsy sewing shop. Did I say I sketched up that cupcake myself? Maybe the first of a line of cupcake embroideries. By the time I have that caravan, I will have plenty of fun vintagey things like this to outfit it with! In the meantime, I'm sharing my handmade bounty....maybe I should put aside the small profits in a jar with a "caravan" label....

embroidered coffeepot pot holder

I love animated kitchen appliances, and animated fruits/vegetables. A perfect example of 1930s sensibilities incorporated into everyday life!

And I love shabby-chic roses! Two art forms merge together perfectly!

I have listed this pot holder in my etsy shop! All hand-sewn by me!

sweet animated tea kettle pot holder

I love this fabric, it's a design by Tanya Whelan. I love almost every fabric line she has designed. She gets the colors just right, and captures the essence of shabby roses.

I have used a layer of Mylar heart-deflecting batting, as well as standard cotton batting, inside to protect your hand from burns. I can't imagine actually using this cutie to grab my hot pans, but you never know what you will grab in a pinch. You can see I've added a hang loop for easy display.

 The reverse side is the same pretty rose fabric as is on the front. I've used quilt binding all around the outside edge.

A sophisticated pot holder makes a great hostess gift or housewarming gift!  You can buy my potholder here.

Embroidered cardinal potholder

I love the red and green colors (I had to accentuate the red of the bird, and the green was a natural fit), and how this would be lovely to hang in your kitchen during the holidays. But the bird is also neautral enough that it could be displayed year-round; who doesn't love little birds?

I used quilt-shop quality cotton fabrics, and the inside has a layer of heat-deflecting mylar batting made especially for pot holders.

I have listed this pot holder in my etsy shop!