purl projects up the sleeve

purl is an adorable shop – in, as the url suggests, soho – with gorgeous fabrics, wonderful classes and a first rate blog!  two recently posted tutorials have really sparked my interest; i can’t wait to make and share them with you

the first project is inspired by traditional hawaiian quilts.  the part of me that loves tessellations, repeated patterns and even numbers has certainly been drawn to this kaleidoscope-like aesthetic.  as i’ve said a thousand times, mixing an age old technique with a modern twist is where the magic lives — and in this case, enlarging the pattern to fit a floor pillow breathes new air into an outdated design.  plus, purl’s vibrant + w-i-d-e wool felt by the yard gives the pillows pictured some added pizzaz (yep pizzaz)

second crafty-maky thing (only technical terms here) : the dopp kit.  when my college boyfriend referred to his toiletry bag as a *dopp kit* i thought it was part of his creative speak (he brought ‘geri’ into my life and i’m still using it)  turns out, this one has a wikipedia page and other people use the term too.  generally, i shy away from zippers.  i think, thanks to the dopp kit, it’s time to conquer my irrational fear, find a sweet fabric + make the zipper my friend.

aw, cute handle! (remember when screen names were referred to as handles by middle-aged poeple? stupid.) if you have any experience with zippers, felt, or purl – let me know, sharing = caring.

 

custom surprises

things i like:
1.  details
2. hidden treasures
3. personalization
4. travel
5. maps
6. crafts
7. free projects
8. google

fortunately, map envelope .com combines each of those elements!
type in location + sentiment, preview, print, fold + tape or glue

BAM! pretend to send mail from Tokyo – or even better, prep for the cross country drive with a handful of landmarks and cities in your supply.  cool.  tres cool

 

illustrator cha cha cha wacom tablet la la la

what i’m workin’ on today

rock on baby

love fun family portraits i can’t wait to share photos when it’s printed on canvas!

 

repurposed sweater blankets

for a while now, i’ve wanted to scavenge local thrift stores and create an upcycled throw from unwanted wool sweaters.  to be totally honest, i teeter along the line of skeeved out and eco-mindful.  thankfully chicagowillie offers incredible step-by-step instructions, including washing with extra hot water! (adios germs, sorry mother earth – is this net zero?)  but really, why does a wool knit elicit so much anxiety when i certainly don’t mind generic hotel sheets nor used t-shirts (is cotton less odor absorbent?)  hmmm, one for the shrink.  anyway follow these 4 blog posts + make one of your own!

1: Sweater Felting Tools and Supplies
2: Choosing Sweaters
3: Washing + Cutting
4: Design Development

thanks for the direction chicago willie

 

i love irregularity

drakes quilt

this beautiful amy sullivan quilt really touches my heart especially in the bottom row – where the squares begin and end seemingly by their own spontaenous will.  so balanced and yet so playful – love d*s for the tip. can’t wait to get back to the sewing machine and try out some movement of my own.

 

made these

thanks to wee wonderfuls’ hillary lang – i stitched up two sweet little gifts for a new baby.  here are the simple steps:

-1- download free pattern

-2- transfer design onto fabric – my secret is using the computer monitor as a lightbox – no need to print out // saves trees too

-3- choose your yarns (in my opinoin, limited colors work nicely: 3 per doll)

french knot embellishment

-4- embroider using varied stitches to maximize interest in the details

- 5- pin embroidered design to decorative fabric – wrong faces touching each other <or right sides: either way works>

oh how i heart gingher scissors

- 6- cut around your embroidery with plenty of extra fabric to spare

i added eyewear to personalize the dolls + match baby's parents glasses

-7- face right sides together and stitch leaving a gap to turn inside out and fill

-8- make dolls rightside-out and stuff <i used bamboo based stuffing>. be sure to use plenty!

-9- stitch opening shut with matching thread to front or back

voila!

-10- test dolls out with play

getting acquainted

if i make these again, i’ll add a pocket to the back – kids love tiny spots to place things . . . i think.

backing fabric

check out more of lang’s designs for inspiration + get creative!

bear + bunny

 

quilt craft

accent embroidery quite sweet

a very cute idea on noshii who found it @ two straight lines.  sundays are nice for blog hopping

 

last call / reminder

interested parties in the matryoshka swap from a post in may please shoot over an e-mail – we have a few left!  (reminder below)

i have six blank nesting dolls . . . each with 5 different sized dolls.  i would like to organize an artistic swap.  6 interested participants would receive one set of nesting dolls to decorate as they please – they would send this completed set back to me <i would cover shipment to you and you would cover shipment back to me> then in return for your work, you will receive a set of 5 dolls – each family member decorated by a different person.  that is to say if picasso, chagall, close, giacometti & arbus participated – arbus would decorate/design/what-have-you her 5 piece set and in turn receive a set that featured picasso, chagall, close & giacometti.  i know this will be a great project!

e-mail hi@myconey.com and let creativity flow

 

back to the hand

combo post friday + saturday : might not be the right thing to do but “it is what it is”

sunday wedding

heading to PA for a wedding & really enjoyed drawing this card.  wondering if it is a good or bad idea to add custom/personalized/hand-drawn work to my ETSY shop.  i had forgotten how much i love micron pens and prismacolor markers <for shame>.  if you are reading this and you catch it in time, come to the Fort Greene Flea Saturday June13 and say you read my blog for 20% off.  be there or be somewhere else because fingers crossed for a no rain weekend.

xo

 

1st things first

this year’s renegade craft fair was my first as a vendor as well as renegade’s first fair of the season <LA-SF-CHI to follow>.  mama nature was particularly kind because it was torrential friday + sunday evenings – yet somehow, both saturday and sunday were absolutely beautiful! so much so that i managed to burn the backs of my knees to a crisp, i swear ma – i wore 45spf

p*Charming set-up Day2

situated around the track, it was amusing watching artists + shoppers bolt through the soccer field to grab a bite or use the temporary bathrooms – with running water and soap!

alphabet river

people really enjoyed spelling out their names as well as making bff matchy necklaces.
this lovely lady brought her friend back on Day 2 and shows off the layered look quite well

pretty model

busy bee Day1

caught in action!  as is pretty apparent, i was manning p*Charming whilst amazing friends looked over prismPOP.  in case you were lost / overwhelmed (300 vendors this year) p*Charming shared a booth with ikyoto + Look Closely Press; prismPOP with Caja Jewelry all of whom i met through my proud participation in the etsy street team: the {NewNew}; which I must tell you is an incredibly nurturing group of artisans + crafters.  i had fantastic neighbors!

sister friends manning prismPOP

all in all, renegade was a beautiful outdoor weekend full of delicious food (thanks in large part to a pretzel croissant from my old neighborhood bakery pal) super company & fun.  i am so looking forward to heading to cali next month to do it again in SF and LA!  please do introduce yourself as i am an easterner + would love some company.

also, if you are not already on the mailing lists(pP & p*C), sign up for discounts!