2010!

Handmade Pillow

holiday slide show continued...
a cardigan pillow for my friend...

Handmade Sweaters for Family

holiday slide show, continued...
updated cashmere for my mom...

a wool & cotton sweater for my brother...

Merry Christmas!

Handmade Holiday Slide Show

Greetings, friends! Today is Christmas Eve and I'll be signing off for a much needed week of holiday rest, celebration and reprieve.
But in lieu of my absence, I'll be updating daily with snapshots of some of the handmade gifts I've given this year (like this tote/diaper bag I sewed for good friend), and a few I received that are guaranteed to keep me crafting all winter!


I wish you a wonderful holiday break, safe travels, good food, and company of friends and family!

--steph

Touche

All I did was simply ask him when he was planning to put the toaster oven away... It had been out for a day or so, you see, and isn't exactly a "display" appliance, if you know what I mean.
I wasn't trying to be rude. I just reasoned that if he felt the need to eat Red Baron frozen pizzas for lunch, than perhaps he should also put away the evidence.
So you can imagine my surprise when I came downstairs after a few hours of work to find this pile awaiting me. Yes...these are the things I'd left out. He was, he proclaimed, just trying to make a point.
He even, as you can see above, pulled my dirty dishes out of the sink to place them on display.

That was hardly necessary, in my opinion.
So maybe I'd neglected to gather a few things around the house. Sheesh...it's not like I haven't been busy doing other things for crying out loud!

Touche, dear husband, touche.

Cram Session

Hi friends! I'm headed out to conduct a serious cram session for the holidays involving shopping, crafting, and wrapping, so this post will be brief!

Before I hit the town, though, I wanted to share about a nice little surprise I received this morning in my email...

...which is that my No-Knit pattern 2 pack has been featured in Going Home to Roost's Last Minute Holiday Gift Guide! I'm honored to be selected among other talented crafters, and think creator, Bonnie's, blog is fantastic.

So if you have a minute, head over there to check it out!

I'll see you all tomorrow!

Toasty, Trendy, Last-Minute Project! (and it's super simple!)

It is five days before Christmas and I have not...

...wrapped any of my presents
...shipped any packages to relatives living far away
...finished making gifts for friends and family
...eaten enough holiday cookies
In other words, if there was a Holiday Procrastinators Anonymous, I would be the chairperson. Fortunately there are a few projects I have up my sleeve (get it...sleeve! ha ha, I'm so clever) that require little time and virtually no skill.
Like these adorable no-knit armwarmers. They were formerly sleeves on a sweater I don't wear. With a few snips, and a quick stitch, they became my newest favorite thing to wear to ballet class.
And with tank tops.
And to recommend as a last-minute handmade gift for friends, sisters, and hipster moms.
Armwarmers are, indeed, popular this year, but you don't need to trek to the store (or don a pair of knitting needles) to get, or give, the look. You just need an old sweater, and a pattern from my store.

As for the other shopping, wrapping, crafting, and cookie-eating...well, you're on your own. I have enough to do.

Classic

I tried ribbon. I tried ruffles. I considered satin and silk. But everything just looked wrong coupled with this old ribbed sweater I've been carting around for years.

And then I tried wool. Herringbone wool, to be precise.
The wool was from a thrift-store pair of trousers I bought several months ago. I never intended to wear the trousers (believe me, they were Not the cutest...), but instead saw potential in the fabric. Little did I know that they would turn another one of my bland sweaters into one of my new favorite cardigans.With elbow patches, of course. There aren't nearly enough elbow patches in the world today, don't you think? I'm just doing my part...
The style is classic. Cotton and wool hand-stitched together--what could be more versatile and timeless than that? And easy. The panels at the top of the sweater are just laid directly over the original knit. And the pockets are imposters--really just strips of wool pretending to be functional.
This particular sweater is a grayish-blue and brown, but I also think that cream with tan would look fantastic. In fact, I might just have to hit the thrift store sometime soon in search of that combo.
And as with all of my sweater makeovers, this one was very nearly free.

In other related holiday news, can you believe that we only have a couple weeks left of this holiday season? I have a few more crafty ideas up my sleeve for Christmas and New Years...and then it's on to other crafty ideas for 2010! (you didn't think I'd stop making things just because the holidays are over, did you? Because that would be crazy. Crazy.)

As always, happy crafting!

Consider making this classic design for yourself or as a gift this season! Click here to learn more about this pattern.

Translating Greek

Permit me to bend your ear for a tick...
‘Tis the season to gossip about the economy, or at least so say the politicians and pundits. Dollars and cents are apparently fresh on people’s minds--partly because we are ankle-deep in the spending season, and also because of our recent recessionary hiccups. Thus, everyone is encouraged to do their patriotic duty and hit the malls, as if our Christmas shopping has the collective power to pull us all up by our global bootstraps and end our economic woes. But before you jump to conclusions about my admittedly predictable introduction, this isn’t a post about overspending during the holidays, or even about the shortcomings in our global economy. Rather, this is a post about getting back to the real roots of our economy--which is the home. Now, I’m not being overly sentimental in saying this. In fact, the word for economy is translated as such. This little etymological tidbit is something I recently learned from a speech given by Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury. In it he said, “'Economy’ is simply the Greek word for ‘housekeeping’. Remembering this is a useful way of getting things in proportion, so that we don’t lose sight of the fact that economics is primarily about the decisions we make so as to create a habitat that we can actually live in." In other words, “economy” isn’t all about retail spending and “putting up good numbers” for the quarter. It’s not about affording and giving lavish gifts--or even cheap gifts for that matter. Creating a “habitat worth living in” has far more to do with our satisfaction in our work, the strength of our relationships, and the care of our resources. So while we are busy with this season's festivities, it is nice to practice this idea of "putting things into proportion." What are we doing to create good habitats for ourselves and our families to live in? How are we building community? How are we taking good care of what we've been given?

Because it doesn't take a scholar or an economist to know that Home is worth investing in, and that keeping close to our roots is good for the world.

And speaking of home, come back tomorrow to see another outdated sweater I found hiding in mine, and how I brought it back to life!

Glossary of images, all handmade from Etsy Sellers!
Family of Six by Goose Grease Undone
Little Red Paper House Set PDF pattern by Maria Lunate
Good Morning Sunshine Barnwood Peep House by Lucinda And Jane
Pocket People and Carrier pattern by Whosie and Whatnots
Big house pillow "My Lovely Tacky Diningroom" by Lei Li La Loo

Champagne-Sparkle Mondays

I have a radical idea that might change the way we think about Mondays. Radical. Let's call it "champagne-sparkle Monday." It is sorta like "casual Friday," only much, much more exciting. Because instead of denim and comfortable shoes, we could wear cocktail dresses and fancy heels. And instead of water or coffee, we could offer our clients/customers champagne instead (while also enjoying a flute or two ourselves).

I think it's a fabulous idea. It would really take the edge off of a Monday morning, don't you think? Employers around the country would gladly go for it.

Okay...maybe not.
Alright, so perhaps champagne isn't realistic, and cocktail dresses aren't practical, but at the very least we could spice up our Mondays (or any other day of the week for that matter) with a little sparkle. Just a hint. Like in this top I designed using an old tank top I had.

I call it the Sparkle Holiday Top, but really you could wear it just about anytime. Because sequins and beads aren't just for the holidays or parties.

Oh no. Sequins are for anytime.

Anytime, people.

Now admittedly you can go overboard with the sparkle-factor, and turn heads in a bad way. But I created this design to be a bit understated--more like a necklace for your collar than a showgirl ensemble. You can certainly wear it with a pair of jeans and a jacket or cardigan without looking out of place.

Or you could dial it up and pair it with a pencil skirt and kitten heels for a holiday soiree. Like, say, a New Year's party, where there really might be champagne to add to your sparkle!

Undoubtedly I will be wearing my Sparkle top all year long, because I like a little bit of glamour for everyday. Just a hint.

If you're looking for a little glamour in your life this season, consider making this top yourself. All you need is a plain tank top, dress, sweater or shirt, a handful of beads and/or sequins, and needle and thread. I provide a trace-on template in my pattern, so you don't even have to fiddle with the design if you don't want!

You could even wear it to work next Monday. Just save the champagne for after your day ends.

To learn more about this DIY pattern, and others, click here!

Patchwork Design

When it comes to home design, I have to admit that I'm not partial to the "country" style. I don't love gingham or wicker or needlepoint art.

I do, however, love patchwork.
Patchwork appeals to me for a number of reasons. First, it gives me a chance to play with color, pattern and texture all in one design. And second, it is a great way for me to use up some of my fabric remnants and scraps.

Personally I like to pair patchwork with unexpected accessories, like a sheepskin throw or a braided jute rug. And even though these pillows include very traditional patterns (ticking stripe, checks, etc.), you could apply this design to something a lot more modern, like retro polka dots or asian batiks.
For instance, I recently made this collection of pillows for my mom to enjoy this holiday season. And even though they look complicated, I promise that it only took me two afternoons to make four pillows!
Basically the design possibilities are endless! And with the right combination of colors and patterns, these pillows would fit in almost any home!

Of course it wouldn't be nice of me to not share how I made these pretty pillows, so I've created a pattern that you can follow along if you feel inspired. The best part is that I included a "paint-by-number" design template so that all you have to do is plug your favorite fabrics into the scheme and skip all the hassle of trying to piece them fashionably together.

You can find the pattern for sale now in my online store!

Happy Patching!