I am way behind in giving proper thanks to my Fabric Fairy. Today, I put the finishing touches on a few items I will be sending to her. I made an apron for the fairy and three peasant tops for her granddaughter who will be one in December. I hope they enjoy the items, as I really enjoyed making them and the fabric is so fantastic.
Fabric Fairy's apron. Isn't the fabric perfect for an apron?
Peasant tops for the granddaughter. I'm considering naming this top after her and calling it the "Ella." What do you think?
Wouldn't these look so cute with a pair of jeans? I love the vintage vibe of the fabrics and the style of the top. Adding the bird appliqué just gives it a little bit of a modern twist.
Yesterday, we took a road trip. We headed out to Benzonia, MI to visit the Gwen Frostic studio and store. For those of you who aren't familiar with Gwen Frostic's work, you're really missing out. After I graduated from college they named the new "School of Art" after Gwen (previously it was a "Department of Art"). Her prints are simple, yet have so much depth to them. You can read more about Gwen HERE. You can also visit the website for the studio/shop HERE.
Our trip started with a stop at Don's Drive-In in Traverse City for some lunch. Nothing like a Coney Dog, some fries and a Coke to start off a great road trip.
Yum!
Once we were successfully full, we were off to Benzonia! I am certain that anyone who lives in Michigan should visit the Gwen Frostic Studio. It's very special. The building itself is built into the landscape and sort of blends in with the landscape around it. I believe this was Gwen's intent when she built it.
View of the building and entrance to the studio/shop
When you walk through the door, you are greeted by water fountains and pools and large wooden beams . . . and then rows and rows, and shelves and shelves of notecards, books, calendars, napkin and placemat sets. It's almost breathtaking.
Just inside the entrance to the studio/shop
Jim perusing racks of notecards
Just below the shop area you can actually watch as pressmen print items from Gwen's blocks. They have an impressive set up and I was in awe. Of course, I got a couple photos . . .
Heidelberg presses hard at work (they have 12 total, I think three were working while we were there)
I also HAD to take a video so that you all could hear the sounds of these glorious presses. It was the coolest "swoosh, swoosh, swoosh" sound. This is my first time posting a video . . . enjoy!
Of course, we didn't leave without making some purchases. Here's my booty:
Small 2011 hanging calendar
Large 2011 hanging calendar. Had to get both, they have different prints :)
Michigan notecards
Small raccoon journal
This place was spectacular! So inspiring. It made me want to get my little Kelsey press up here so I can try some more printing on that tiny little thing :) We'll see if I can find a good place for it for the winter and make something happen.
Since we had the time, we did a little driving tour of the area on our way back. We stopped at the Point Betsie Lighthouse to take in some Lake Michigan views and enjoy a bit of time outside on such a gorgeous day.
Point Betsie Lighthouse
Pretty view of the beach
And, last, but not least, we made a stop at the mall in Traverse City. I know, doesn't seem like the mall can compare with the rest of the day, BUT take a look at what I picked up . . . and you might change your mind :)
My mom's very good friend gave me a bunch of fabric that belonged to her mother, who used to quilt but can't do so anymore. I can't believe how awesome all of it is. This woman has an eye for great floral prints. Check them out:
Look at this gorgeous stack of lovely floral prints!
Here's a few close ups of the patterns.
As a "thank you" to my mom's friend, I am making a couple of dresses for her one year old granddaughter out of a few of the prints. Here is my first attempt at a peasant style dress. What do you think?
I'd like to add a little more flair to the skirt and also even out the neckline a bit, but overall I think it's pretty cute. I'm also thinking of adding a few of these to my product line. Wouldn't it be so adorable with some tights and maybe a matching pair of THESE baby shoes?
Thank you, Fabric Fairy, for your generosity and total awesomeness!
I'm gearing up for a Holiday Craft Show in Kalamazoo on November 6. If you're in the area, be sure to come by and say "hi," and do a little holiday shopping :)
I decided to add some accessories to my inventory. I've been playing around with baby shoes, hairbows and crocheted bracelets. Here is a sneak peak, so far, of what I'll be debuting at the show (keep your eyes out for possible leg warmers and hats as well!)
Baby Shoes Soooooo cute! and the perfect addition to any of our pant or skirts outfits.
Hair Bows No little girls outfit is complete without a hair accessory! I'm playing around with different variations on fabric flowers, and creating headbands, pony tail holders and clips.
Crocheted Button Bracelet Cuffs I love these! You can wear one . . . or two . . . or three if you really want to get noticed. They are super soft and comfy and add just a bit of fun to any outfit. I plan to have these in adult and children's sizes.
I was asked by a friend to make matching skirts for her girls. She requested pinks and browns and polka dots with stripes. She also requested that they be "opposites." I chose the do the stripes on top for the older sister (6 years) and the polka dots for the younger (1 year). They turned out really cute:
I also created some matching hair accessories. One is a headband, the other a pony tail holder. I'll highlight these again in my next post.
I love doing special orders! They are always so fun and have turned out so cute. Check out some of my other special orders:
I found out about the American Sewing Expo just a few days before heading downstate for the weekend. Since our Saturday was already planned out with a football game (Go Blue!) and a baseball game (Go Tigers!) I took a look at what the Expo had to offer on Sunday. I found a session titled "Sewing & Crafting for Profit" and decided to check it out. It was worth it. I got a lot of tips and learned some new info. I also walked around the Expo for a bit and checked out the vendors. Lots of great fabrics, notions and machines. I was particularly drawn to Nifty Thrifty Dry Goods.Their display was awesome! I took a picture:
The colors and textures were pure eye candy. I restrained myself and didn't buy anything, but I plan to check out their website. I also found out that the Expo happens every year in Novi, Michigan so I plan to explore more next year.
I've finished knitting THIS sweater for a friends baby due in a few months. I can't decide if I should add a button accent or not. I'm thinking a button like the one pictured below would be cute. Ahhh, decisions. . . Loved knitting this. It was super easy and will be so cute on the babe, don't ya think?
My husband got me this purse a few years ago for Christmas and I love it:
So, I decided to try and re-create it:
I was fairly successful, but I'd still like to work out some kinks. To the average eye it probably looks fine, but to my critical eye it's just not quite good enough. Don't get me wrong, I'm going to use it, but I've also got two other fabrics to try to get it just right.
My Kelsey is packed up and in storage at the moment. It's probably the best place for it to be right now, considering the production it has been to get it working in the past. Anyhow, this past weekend we hit up the Antique Fair in Petoskey. I haven't been to many (if any) antique fairs, and before owning the press I really didn't have that much interest in them. I found one vendor selling block type and blocks for printing and I found a few treasures. I can't wait to try them out once we've settled somewhere that I can set up the press.
I was particularly fond of these printing blocks. The one on the far left is a scene with a couple fishermen in a boat, then the scotty dogs, a small telephone icon and a much larger fish. Should be fun to play with these!
I chose to purchase the letters that spell "Boy" and "Girl" as I've always thought it would be fun to do some letterpress birth announcement cards at some point. I picked out letters that aren't all the same typeface so there will be some movement and fun when they are printed.
If you haven't seen my previous letterpress posts, you can view them HERE and HERE.
. . . like this jumper. I initially thought it would become a gift . . . but after the number of hours I spent creating it, I think I'll hold onto it. Hopefully, one day, I'll have a daughter to wear it. For now, it's so cute I may just keep it hanging in the closet to adore every now and then.
I got a request for a frog themed gift for a baby shower. I have completed the stuffed frog and will now move on to create an outfit using a frog appliqué (currently working on the design). Check out this little guy, though. Isn't he adorable? You can make one yourself if you want. The pattern is available on the Lion Brand website. Just click on the "Patterns" link and do a search for "frog."
I've finished another criss/cross apron for my mom. I may have to make a couple for myself. I love that you don't have to tie anything, you just slip it on and you're ready to bake!
