Orange study

It was a busy Christmas

The "Mustard Scarf" by Jane Richmond was a gift for James mother. It was a fun project and quick to knit up and I used Malabrigo kettle dyed wool. The hats are the "Really warm hat" by Melissa LaBarre. These were also a simple project that were fun to knit up.

For some of our friends we made a mulled wine mix based on a recipe by Ina Garten and, tied it to a bottle of wine. These were easy and created the need to buy a Clover pom pom maker. I now have one in almost every size. Pom Pom makers are easy enough to create at home with some cardboard, but I felt for the quantities I was making the store bought version were worth the extra cost to save a little time.

When we watched the Family Guy rendition of Star Wars with my sister she found Cleveland's character R2-D2 particularly entertaining. So for Christmas I embroidered her this picture and stretched it over a canvas to make a wall hanging. My favorite part was creating his 'fro out of french knots. I used a screen shot from the movie, traced it and transferred it on to the fabric using a heat transfer pencil then retraced it with a fabric marker.

Embroidery: first attempt

This is my first attempt at embroidery. It was a lot of fun, easy, but harder than I expected. It's on a tea towel, and the design is my own. I used a heat transfer pencil to trace my design then ironed it on to the towel.

Throw pillows

New pillow cases for some old throw pillows. They are inspired by some pillows a friend had on her couch. I hope to post the pattern soon.

More current projects

I've started doodling. These are some invites for various weddings.

beep… beep…

This is a birthday card I made for some friends. Their boys turned 2 a couple of weeks ago, and have been going through a construction phase for a while.

I used 3 screens per image (gold, green, and white). Alignment was a little bit of an issue with this one.

Playing with printing

I've been playing with linoleum block printing lately. This is a print I made from a picture I took of a sign in Noe Valley.

Current Projects

Along with my knitting I'm currently working on lots of fun things right now. Above are snippets of some invitations and cards.

Mazzercise

I felt the need...

Vase Cozy

I made this for my sister a couple of Christmases ago. It's 2 pieces of garter stitch sewn around a vase I purchased from ikea using a blanket stitch. The yarn was from my stash.

Version 2

I've created both of these before in different colors. The french press cozy is a request from my uncle, and the cat is for my cousin who is about to have a baby. When I find something I like knitting with that is also machine washable, I'll knit her something useful like clothes ;)

Coffee press cozy:
I discovered the french press cozy pattern from Derek & Lauren via Design Sponge. The wooden buttons are from Britex fabrics, and the fibers are from Imagiknits and are a wool and a wool silk blend. The request was for woodsy colors because the recipient is retiring from the forest service. So, I chose the darker green fiber because it has a texture that reminds me of moss when knitted.

Kate:
Kate is made up of kid mohair and wool blends also from Imagiknits. The creator of her pattern and many other fun things is Jess Hutchison. If you like her style you may also like the knitted creations by Anna over at Mochimochiland

Renegades

I managed to make it to the Renegade Craft fair this weekend. What a fun show! I didn't have my camera on me so I tried to makes notes of some of my favorites. I did make it out with a new skein of handspun yarn from Betsy ply. I can't wait to play with it.

Squeaky and Fuzzy

I've always wanted to try softies. We have some company staying with us this weekend (Beulah the pug) so I decided to make some quickie toys. The used toy store down the street gave these guys up, originally a rabbit and a lion. I removed rattles and crinkle paper and placed squeakers in them to make them more appealing.

Needle felting nonsense

Lately I've had the urge to try out dry felting. I knitted and wet felted this purse a long time ago, and only use it occasionally. So, I thought it would be a good canvas to practice on. I started trying to follow the lines, got bored, and started doodling.

A daycation up the coast

James and I drove up the coast on the PCH a few weekends ago. We stopped whenever we felt like it. The whole trip was gorgeous. Below are a few pictures of crafty things that caught my eye.

We stopped in a small used bookstore where we payed what we thought the books were worth. We picked up a few goodies, and I shot a picture of the cover of this book because I like the print and type.



There was a yarn shop in Point Reyes along the way, and of course I had to stop. The owner had these awesome plushies on display. Owls are the new deer.

An Invasion

These are a gift for my man. They are gouache, thread, and ink jet on water color paper sandwiched between 2 pieces of acrylic and a piece of acetate. After finding out how easy it is to have acrylic cut and drilled, I hope to do some more projects with it.

Courtney von Albright

After seeing someone in this dress version C (the dress furthest in the back), I decided I had to have it. Unfortunately she purchased it from a vintage shop. I researched the dress and found this vintage pattern. The fabric shot on the right minus the adorable puppy in the middle is my practice fabric. I'm almost finished with the dress and minus a few squiggly lines it fits pretty well. Since beginning this project I've noticed Diane von Furstenberg's work everywhere and really started to admire it when I see it. This could get expensive ;)

Bridesmaid's belt

This past weekend I attended the wedding of a friend. The bridesmaids, bride and I are all close friends which made for a really fun time. Since we all used to knit together, The bride decided to incorporate it into our outfits. She designed the belts and we all worked on them leading up to the wedding.

Two weddings and a clutch

I am in two weddings in May both of which I can't wait for. I've been looking for a clutch I could use for both weddings, but since one wedding has white accents and the other has ivory accents it narrowed the possibilities quite a bit. After much unsuccessful searching, I decided to pull out my new sewing machine and make one myself. This is my second project on a sewing machine and I'm really getting in to it.

Both fabrics for this piece were purchased at Britex in San Francisco. The exterior fabric is textured and is ivory with white accents The liner is silk and a print by a designer named Anna Sui

Pattern notes: This pattern w/ Uhandbags instructions was really simple. I used only one piece of fusable interfacing for this one b/c I wanted a floppier bag, and my pattern is altered a little b/c the frame I used isn't the same as the pattern. I used E6000 glue, and it was a scary mess.

More helpful handbag sewing tips and make your own purse here

Light Box

I made myself a light box in an attempt to improve my photos. These shots were taken while messing around with my camera settings and in the last remaining minutes of direct daylight in the house.

Learn how to light, and create your own light box here.