It is ON!

30 Days of Creativity is born!

Today I made an apron... adorable and covered in Owls, and available for purchase in my Etsy Shop!

As I discover new and awesome crafts, I'll post process photos and how-tos here!

Here's to 29 more days!!

An Upcoming Challenge...

...30 Days of Creativity!

During the month of November I will attempt to create something every day! And write about it!

I think this is an awesome opportunity to make a dent in my (overly large) fabric stash... And get me back in the habit of making stuff. The summer has been a tough time of year -- the pull of the sun and wonderful weather has kept me outside. I'm kind of looking forward to crafting indoors and catching up on my Netflix viewing.

Stay tuned!

my project runway

Well, look at that! We're still around! Things have been a little hectic in Procraftination land, but we're still kickin'. In fact, I have a little side project up my sleeve! Since it is rather related to this blog, I feel it entirely necessary to point it out. So, until we meet again, here's another place to get your fix for crafting.

http://under-the-gunn.blogspot.com/

Stamptastic!

My BFITWWW (Bestest Friend in the Whole-Wide-World) from high school lives a mere mile from my house. Do I ever see her? No. Well, hardly ever. We do get together at least once a year for her birthday - when she has a Stampin' Up party! The friends who craft together, stay together. :) In any case, she is a member of a "stamp club" and I get to crash on occasion. Last night was one of those nights, and I just had to share the card I walked out with! It is so NOT my style, and I would never have made it on my own, but it's lovely just the same. And, of course, I dropped some major coinage on stamp sets I will maybe use once. (But this year's Christmas Cards are going to be SO CUTE!!!)

Duvet-o-Rama

Have you been looking high and low for that perfect duvet for your bed? Disappointed with the selections in your local home stores, and even in the wide world of the internets? I know I have been, and so was a friend of mine. So, to make her transition to her hip and cool Uptown apartment even more awesome I sewed up a duvet cover for her. (I apologize for the photo quality -- cell phones are meant to be phones, not cameras.) IKEA had some great new fabric in a bright citrus yellow with dandelion-ish white explosions. I bought a little over 3 yards (queen size quilts at IKEA run 86" square) because I wanted to be sure to be able to center the pattern, and at the time thought I might make shams as well. (Overly ambitious of me.) I bought 3 yards of a heavier white fabric to the top and bottom, and a queen-size flat sheet for the back. After I confirmed the width of the yellow fabric, I figured out how wide the top and bottom panels needed to be (I shortened the top to around 12" and made the bottom panel around 20" -- for visual interest?) I trimmed and sewed, then had to figure out where on earth I was going to find 8 square feet of space to lay it out and pin it. But it happened. Then I sewed the top and sides, and the bottom leaving 36" of space for the quilt-insert opening. But how to close it? I wasn't about to try button holes, and I didn't want to leave it all gaping open... so I thought "Grommets! Grommets and grosgrain ribbon!" And so it is. It turned out great! And now I wonder why I never made one for myself.

6-Year-Old's Birthday!

I've been lucky enough to be blessed with an invite to a fabulous birthday soiree, which will include not ONLY a pinata, but also a bounce house! (I hope I get to play, too!) So what does one give to a 6-year-old princess? I'm embarrassed to say I did some internet research to see what the kids are into nowadays... but I settled on something that I think I would have enjoyed, and also inspires the imagination!

Making it productive!

Okay, so maybe you don't *want* your vacation time to be productive. But, if you DO, I suggest: bringing SO many projects that you can't help but be into working on at least one of them. I'm spending a few days on "the North Shore" (of Lake Superior) and I brought with me: (3) cross-stitch projects, (3) books, and (2) skeins of yarn for crocheting. And some magazines. And my laptop. It was total overload, but hopping from one to another was sort of therapeutic in a way.

Not dead!

Oh my, but the ol' blog has kind of fallen to the wayside with the craft show preparations, and then the Etsy shop opening, and now "The Nightingale" at SteppingStone... So sorry! Here's a little taste of Raven and my booth at Crafted Togther:
It was, perhaps, not the most successful show monetarily -- but I thought it was a great experience regardless. Depending on where it's held next year, I think I would participate again!

Preparations!

So... ultra-cool apron for change, and dollars, and pens, and etc. (in an adorable fabric given to me by Raven!) and then an interesting attempt at stenciling on a t-shirt with bleach. It didn't turn out too bad! But next time, it will be better.

Check out the bleach stencil tutorial here!

It's OPEN!!!

My Etsy Store is open for business!!

Snaggletooth Stitchworks ahoy!

I'm super excited and super scared!
Not as scared as I am about Raven and my FIRST CRAFT SHOW!
This Saturday!!

http://www.craftedtogether.com

We're going to be AWEsome.

Something new...

So I picked up a pattern a few weeks ago... It looked pretty cool, and I gave it a try last night/this morning. Man, it was hard. I mean, not hard... but it required a level of accuracy that I don't always bring to patterns. I'm kind of a "oops, let's see how we can make that work now" kind of person. This bag was no different. Firstly, cutting out those handles! Ick! Ick ick ick! Then the side panel didn't match up with the outside, and the bag at the end result is actually about 2-3" shorter than it should be because of "adjustments." :) But it is pretty darn cute. And with my "adjustments" I think it might be doable -- I think I may do away with the full-length handle detail though. Just for my sanity.

Totally hot!

I've been waiting to sew this bag for EVER! I knew there'd be enough to line the pattern up nicely, and it is SUCH a cute bag. I just don't even know how I'll bear to part with it.

I'm Dotty!

Thank goodness this one went together more easily than the last one. The fabric was lighter, and I did use a denim needle... so we'll say I tipped the odds in my favor. :)

@#!!&%@

You know how sometimes you start sewing... and you're all, "hmm... this isn't quite working out right. This is kind of difficult... but I can do this. I can do this thing." And then you're sewing, and the fabric layers get *really* thick, and you're struggling and you break a needle, but it's cool, but then you break another one, and it's not as cool, and then you break the third, and you start cursing (aloud) and then you finally get that last stitch in....

....and then you see that on one of the seams you missed 1/2" and now you can't sell it.

....and you're kind of excited, because you haven't had a bag yet that you can call your own...

.... but you kind of wish you didn't hate it so much.

Back in the saddle...

I feel like I haven't really gotten a chance to sit down and get stuff done for a while! So This morning I hammered out a few kiddie aprons... Cars, Pirates, and Rocket Ships! I keep running out of ribbon in the middle of things. I think I need to track down a wholesale supplier if this is what I decide to do. I can't keep running to JoAnn and Michaels all the time to pick up another 3 yards.

A little Amy Butler...

I acquired some small scraps of Amy Butler fabric the other day... not really big enough to make a project, but definitely cute. So I was thinking back on all that I've read about craft fairs since Raven and I got the good news about our debut, and they mention having something fairly low-priced and accessible. I'd read a tutorial at Whip-Up for these travel-size tissue covers that are super cute! I'd been wanting to give it a try for a while, so here goes!

How cute, right? Right! I did have to make some adjustment (apparently travel-sized tissues in Australia are a different size package than here in the US) and I'm using bias tape instead of ribbon. But this is my first time using Wunder-Under, and I love it!

We're... Comin'... Out!

Make sure to join Raven and Me in our Craft Show Debut!!

We (Snaggletooth Stitchworks and Etherea) will be taking part of Crafted Together on Saturday, May 30th in downtown White Bear!

We are super-psyched! And super-freaked-out!!!!

More details to follow as they are available!!

A Green Gift... and Just a Regular Green Bag

So the first bag here was a present for my good friend (who had a birthday recently) because she finally picked a MN RollerGirls team to support: the Garda Belts! The second was inspired by some outdoor clearance fabric at JoAnn (again -- why do I even walk through the clearance area? I always find SOMEthing I shouldn't buy!) Green seems to be the color of the hour! Must be my continuing hope that spring will come eventually. Waking up to snow this morning was NOT cool.

PS - I was perusing the Crate & Barrel "Best Buys" catalog, and lo ad behold: on one of their outdoor furniture sets they are selling cushions with the self-same green vine-y fabric! I have to get in on this Crate and Barrel action!

Apron-O-Rama!

It was an apron fiesta this weekend. It started out with the dino fabric. I couldn't help but buy it. And then the hearts -- so sweet, and on clearance! The aliens I had already, so I only had to buy lining fabric. *sigh* Even when I can't buy anything I buy things.

Mmmmm...

Some of the "forbidden" fabric... I'm doing pretty well with getting the fabric I buy made into bags quickly. This must be what it's like to buy fabric with an exit strategy. :)