It’s Handmade Holidays all month long at Sew Mama Sew (if you didn’t know already).  They, so kindly, asked me to be on their board and come up with a few ideas for their amazing blog.  After crossing out many bad ideas, I came up with these little plush ornaments. They are simple to make and you can find all the tutorials here: woodland ornament tutorials.  If you make one, be sure to show it off on the Handmade Holidays flickr pool! Only 33 days until Christmas.

Tell the great thrift store gods what you need and you will receive (sometimes). I said I needed more color in my life and shazzam! A bunch of bright, awesome prints in the bargain fabric bin at my local thrift store. A buck a piece, not bad seeing as the management likes to jack the price up whenever her little heart desires. Sometimes they’re $4 a piece, sometimes they’re tagged with outrageous prices, and it’s always the same shit. But I’m very happy with what I gots, now I just have to figure out what I’m going to do with it.

Sometime you just have to pat yourself on the back for making the damn pillow already.

I’m having a hard time getting back into the swing of things after vacation.  It doesn’t help that my basement studio, which I thought (as I froze my fingers off sewing in december) would be heaven in the summertime, is stuffy and airless. Not pleasant one bit.  So most evenings I’ve been reading in the air conditioned bliss of my bedroom.  I did manage to sew up these two cuffed pants for two brothers. When my good friend had her second baby I started making a baby quilt just because that’s what you do when a baby is born, right? Well, after cutting and piecing some and loosing faith in my design, I realized this mama doesn’t need another baby blanket. Because once a baby is born everybody makes one, so you end up with 10 and then you go and have another baby and another 10 blankets show up on your doorstep.  So I thought I would make some pants for her boys instead. She gave me some sweet japanese prints for the cuffs (you can see them better here and here). I’ve never really been drawn to cutey cute fabrics, but the japanese somehow make cute things a little sophisticated–well with fabric anyway. The fit on both is way off, but we’ll just say they’re for growing in to.  The little ones are big but fine. I used a shorts pattern for the bigger size and just lengthened it and now they are super wide leg and a little girly.  I’ll see how they fit and maybe take them in (wow this is thrilling. are you still reading? congratulations).

I’m a little low on inspiration these days, but you my dear readers are full of it (ha!). So leave me a link to a blog, a photo, an article that has made you turn off the computer and work (or play).

thanks!

Errol, the chicken, is packed up and ready to go to Brooklyn.  He’ll be at Fact & Fancy, a new gallery/shop started by two lovely ladies from Etsy.  Rudolpho and Werner will be there too. I’m very excited about this, but right now I’m just tired.

good night.