Time

Clock designed by Leimone Design

I am having a serious case of blog deprivation!! My time is so limited now so the chance to just sit back, read, and hunt down amazing cute crafty things on the internet hasn't really been happening lately.

I'm just curious how other people do it. Do you have a desk job and just peruse your fave blogs during some down time at work? Or do you just obsess and stay up all night till you pass out in front of your computer screen? I have always enjoyed the community of bloggers out there and really miss commenting and making connections. I MUST figure out a way to keep up! Any tips is greatly appreciated! Or if someone wants to time manage my life, that'd be great too.

Skirt Fever

I made my first skirt a few weekends ago using the Starboard skirt pattern over at UCreate. I must say that my skirt making wasn't without a few little flaws, but for someone just starting out with garment making, working with a skirt pattern is a perfect introduction. It allows you to learn some basic techniques and become familiar with how to work with different fabrics.

Now I have skirt fever! Lucky for me there are so many interesting and Free skirt patterns out there. But I have to say that UCreate has some of the best posts when it comes to skirt making.  Check out my visual list of what I'd like to work on next.

Pinwheel skirt

I already have this skirt all planned out.
I'm thinking a dark navy blue fabric with this adorable
folk art heart ribbon as the trim. So cute!

Ruffle Skirt

Perfect skirt project for scrap fabric.
Imagine all the wonderful color schemes you can make with this design.
You can go neutral or take it to the next level and play with contrasting tones.

Scalloped Tulle Skirt

So this tulle is actually scalloped fabric that you can buy,
but the link will show you how to make your own. 

Feltie Review

One of the up sides of living in one of the most amazing cities in the world is you have access to one of the biggest bookstores in the world. The Strand is such an amazing place to visit and it can be overwhelming if you don't know what you are looking for.

Whenever I make a trip to The Strand it's to appease my incredulous craft book addiction. And thank goodness, I am never let down! My most recent addition is the 'Stash Happy Felt' book by Amanda Caresita. There is a shortage of modern feltie craft books but 'Stash Happy' will not disappoint.

It is full of  great felt projects that can be easily completed on a weekend or even a week night. One of the projects that won my heart was the felt whale pincushion.

Pretty easy to make and SO SO cute after you finish! Just look below!

Here's a little recap of the project:

Time Spent: About 3 hours
Supplies: 5 different colors of felt, stuffing, and a few extra round pins.
Check out Giant Dwarf for all of your felt supplies
Pattern: Simple and easy to use. You only need to blow up a copy of the gusset pattern.
Construction: Easy for the most part. I did have trouble sewing the gusset (the middle strap) on straight.
Recommended Sewing Soundtrack:  A remix of Modest Mouse or Magnetic Fields
What I would do different:
*Cut out a little extra fabric on all the patterns so you some felt to trim off after sewing the pieces together. 
*Sewing the gusset was a little tricky. So I would pin it to the sides, a check the length to make sure it right.
*When attaching the top and sides to the belly, start your seam at the center of the gusset to ensure it stays straight.
*Instead of stuffing from the bottom of the belly of the whale, I would actually sew the heart on the belly with the machine, sew the whale together and then leave a small opening near the base of the tail and stuff. I would then hand sew the gap shut with a ladder stitch.
*Sewing the pin templates of the fish and water spouts can be a little tricky so when you trace the pattern, trace it a little bit larger so they are easier to sew and cut out.

Besides a few little flaws, I LOVED the project and can't wait to make this little whale in a variety of colors. I'd love to take it to the next level and add a cute bow or even make a polka dot whale! How cute would that be?!?

Mollie Makes and Feltie Wonders

 I recently discovered the most amazing crafty culture magazine since, well, Adorned! Mollie Makes is sure to make your crafty heart explode with giddiness. The magazine is not filled with the most amazing cute projects ever, it also is just down right pretty! Unfortunately, this paper trade is out of the UK so publications here in the U.S. are hard to come by, but so worth hunting down!

In their most recent issue, they showed their readers how to make the way too adorable Lori Marie's Panty Flashers for pens. Cute beyond belief! Just take a peek at the video below to see just how darling these little ladies are.



And if you want to know how to make them, well, you are either going to have to hunt down a copy of Mollie Makes, or wait for my little tutorial review.

You can check out more amazing products by the lovely Lori Marie on her blog. You'll definitely be putting a few of her items on your wish list. I guarantee it.

ADORN=Amazing

I love craft books. LOVE. But I also love crafty magazines as well. I was lucky enough to come across these old ADORN issues a few months back. This magazine is so amazing but unfortunately it went out of business a few years back. This is the only magazine I have come across that's specifically geared towards modern day crafting. It really covers everything from sewing, embroidery, home decor,and so much more.

One of my favorite projects is this fabric passport wallet. It's the perfect project for a fabric addict like me. Alas, the pattern for this purty little fabric wonder was only available online and I thought it was no longer available until last night!  I happily discovered that the original designer of the wallet scanned the pattern and instructions for all to enjoy! Thanks Maia! Your wallet is amazing!

Instructions HERE

Pattern HERE

I know this is a passport wallet, but I also think it's the perfect accessory for fall!

Free Craft Book? Yes, Please!

 I'm sure you've heard me mention my fabulous friend Polly Conway from Pollyanna Cowgirl before. Well, my amazing crafty friend is up to more handmade goodness and is giving away this amazing book over at her blog!

This new Vintage Craft Workshop Book is beyond awesome. I mean look at that apron below. It's amazing!

Polly is also now creating Easy Craft videos for Wikia. You can check out her most recent one below. Now hop on over to her blog and enter her Giveaway!!
Go HERE.

Local fabric

My new neighborhood is full of life and at certain moments I feel like I'm not just living in a different city but a different country all together. There is a little strip called Fulton Street near my new place that is bustling with commerce. Random, eclectic shops fill the streets; most of them run by a variety of Carribeans and Jamaicans. I recently spotted a few random wholesale fabric stores on the drag and decided to stop by and check them out this weekend.

The selection was pretty limited and consisted mostly of boring upholstery material but there was a little section of African wax print fabrics in each store.  My oh-so-naughty fabric addiction just couldn't resist buying a couple pieces. I just had to have a few swatches of these vibrant designs.
I'm still not sure what exactly I am going to make from them. The fabric itself is a very stiff cotton that has a lot of body to it but no real drape. Despite that, I am tempted to make a skirt or even a long sort of maxi-inspired dress. The best part of the fabric; it was only $3 bucks a yard!

New Opportunities

When moving to NYC, I was hoping to have a chance to explore new opportunities and possibly even work outside of the industry I had spent 11 years working in.  It took me longer than I was hoping (or expecting) to find a job here. But I have to say it was all worth the wait.  I am now spending my days doing a job that I truly love.  I never thought in a million years that I'd get paid to help merchandise beautiful fabric, assist people with their crafty endeavors, and spend my days putting my all my Etsy experience to good use!

So what exactly am I doing now? Well, I am the new store manager at an amazing sewing studio and fabric/needlework supply store on the Upper East Side in Manhattan. It's called Pins & Needles NYC and it's a dream!  It's also the reason why I've been m.i.a. from the blog lately. You can visit the store HERE.

And if you ever decide to visit the Big Apple, please, please come by and say hi!

  

 

Long Live McQueen

One of the main reasons my beau and I relocated to NYC was to take advantage of all the amazing exhibits here. Seeing the McQueen show on Tuesday morning was a great reminder of just that. It was simply stunning! The show has already proven to be the most popular Costume Institute exhibit at the MET of all time.  This past Sunday, it hit it's 582,000 visitor.  The exhibit itself was broken up into several different rooms that explored some of the essential themes of McQueen's work; Romanticism, and Naturalism being the main two.  One of the most stunning rooms was a sort of cabinet of curosity type space that exhibited specific accessories (shoes, hats, body like armour) and clothing from McQueen's show. Installed next to the shadow box cabinets were various video screens casting sequences from a variety of shows. (Photo below)

The exhibit itself was a little difficult to enjoy due to the large crowds inside. But still it was all worth it. McQueen was not just a designer, he was an artist and a philosopher who explore and expressed his thoughts and reflections on life through clothing and the female form through the most exquisite way possible.