I’ve been working on the design for my soap website. There’s so many options… the sky’s the limit, but it’s hard because I like so many different looks. Some of my favorites are repetitive motifs and florals. I’ve been collecting them to figure out which one I want to use. hmmmm… which one?
Ya ya ya! I’m going to soap making boot camp this weekend. Two intense days of nothing but learning how it all works from people who have been doing it for years. It’s a class offered by The Nova Studio in Pt. Richmond. This is extra important to me because it’s what I’ve been needing to get a jump on Little Brown Owl Soap Company.
As some of you know, it’s been in limbo for well over a year now. I have a website designed and am working with my super talented husband to get that up and running (but probably not launched till I have something to sell :)). I may be contacting some of you soon to test out the product. I need to figure out packaging and shipping methods still, but it’s all coming along. I’m especially excited to attempt a new scent that will hit home with most of the fellas I know (Stephen’s idea of course!)… Hop soap. I know ladies, it seems like it would be kinda smelly, and not in the good way. Don’t worry, I’ll add a woman’s touch, so that it will attract instead of turn away.
Some nice things about l.b.o. soap is that it’s purely vegetable, mild and natural, made with essential oils (no animal products, perfumes, or fake stuff of any kind). Some other scents I’m leaning toward are sandlewood, patchouli, douglas fir, lavendar, milk, tea tree, eucalyptus, rosemary mint, oatmeal and my all-time favorite, cocoa butter. We’ll see what really turns out.
Ta ta for now.
I just wanted to briefly brag about my husband and his awesome computer nerd skills! My computer broke a few weeks back and yesterday, in order to fix it, Stephen transplanted my Mac Power Book G4 into a new housing. This may not sound that intense, but I was like performing surgery at a microscopic level (well, that’s kind of an exaggeration). Anyway, it was crazy, and my sweetie pulled it off. Here’s a picture showing what he had to take apart and put back together. After he got it all together again, to our surprise and delight, it turned on and the problem was fixed 
He’s got the skills to pay the bills and he’s kinda cute too.
Little Brown Owl is coming along swimmingly. I can’t wait to get it officially launched. My friends and family, I bet, are a bit tired of hearing about it, but soon there will be visible proof of my hours of invisible work. Stephen has been so supportive and helpful with all the back end crap that goes into starting an online store. I’m so thankful for him. Anyway, I just wanted to give an update to those who were wondering, “what the heck is happening with this?”. Thanks for the wonder. I will be producing the goods soon.
This week I’ve been a crafting fool. I’m thinking about the damage I’ve done so far and it’s only Tuesday. I found this fabric at a wholesale fabric warehouse yesterday. I drive by this place everyday. It’s like one of those places that you see, but you don’t see. You know what I mean? Anyway, I finally visited it and they have great fabrics that are incredibly affordable. Who knew?
Rosa liked it too…
I started a small quilt for my good friend whose having a baby boy in July. I’ve only finished the front as of today. There’s nothing more fun than vintage cowboys (and girls).
Yesterday, I ventured to a new project. I’ve been wanting some sort of hanging solution by the front door. Something to hang the keys, dog leash, etc. I discovered the section at the craft store that has all the unfinished wood objects and found some great plaques. They come in all shapes and sizes. I also had some cool fabric left over from a former project. So I whipped these babies up. Quick and easy!
Tools you will need:
fabric
wood plaque
hat and coat hook set (hook and screws)
sawtooth picture hanger set (hanger and nails)
sheetrock screw (to mount to wall)
scissors
staple gun
hammer
power drill (phillips bit)
How to:
1. With your scissors and fabric, cut out a piece of fabric about 1.5 to 2 inches larger than the size of your wood plaque (large enough to stretch around and behind it).
2. Stretch the fabric around and behind the wood plaque on one side and staple with the staple gun. To stretch the fabric evenly, make sure to staple once in the center of all four sides before stretching the rest.
3. Center your hook in the middle of the plaque, on top of the fabric, and screw in place.
4. Nail the sawtooth picture hanger on the back.
5. Mount it on the wall by hanging it from the sheetrock screw.
*Note: These are intended for lighter objects like a set of keys, dog leash or a hat. In order to make them more stable for heavier things such as coats or bags, you may want to use longer sheetrock screws and drill directly through the wood plaque into the wall behind it.
These make me smile. A bit of nostalgic old fashioned charm. That’s what I’m all about. Throughout history, these have been made from scraps of leftover fabric, but these pincushions are made with ribbon remnants, shirting fabric, and felt. These new materials work especially well because its edges won’t fray. You could also give these as a gift or use them to decorate your crafty space. You could also venture out to create other fruit and vegetable pincushions. I have way too much time on my hands…
Tools and Materials:
Fabric and ribbon remnants
Sewing machine
Needle and thread
Scissors
Fine sand or emery
#3 pearl-cotton thread or felt, for berries’ tops
6-strand embroidery floss, for seeds
Fabric glue
How to:
1. Begin by printing out the template [provided by marthastewartliving.com] Trace the cone template onto fabric, then cut out the shape. Fold the fabric into a cone shape, right sides facing, and stitch together along one edge, leaving a narrow seam allowance.
2. Sew an even running stitch along the perimeter of the opening (will be the top of the berry). Before cinching the top, place the cone in a small jar for balance, and fill it with sand or emery (keeps the pins sharp). Pull the thread taut, and stitch the top closed.
3. For the strawberry’s top, trace the cap template onto a piece of felt, cut out the shape, and affix it in place with a drop of glue; then sew along the edges with a slip stitch. Or, create leaves by sewing long stem stitches onto the strawberry using the pearl-cotton thread, leaving a loop of floss at the top for a handle. Embroider seeds onto berry using embroidery floss with a single stitch or a French-knot stitch.
(Information provided by www.marthastewartliving.com)
I’m sitting in my living room drinking coffee and eating leftovers from our Zachary’s Pizza gathering last night. Oh, the sweetness. A good friend of ours, Dan, was in town. We met in Berkely at this pizza joint that has become so popular, we had to wait for about an hour and a half to get a table. Luckily, they served beer, so we were content with that and the company. Dan and Steve go way back. A lover of life and dreams, that one. It was good to see him.
This morning I found a site to share, Reprodepot Fabrics. They have really cute vintage, retro and Japanese imported fabrics. They carry patterns, buttons, patches and sewing accessories as well. I was surprised to see that the prices aren’t too bad either. Great stuff… check it out.
These coasters make a great housewarming gift. Each takes about 15 minutes to complete, so it’s easy to plan on making a set of four or six for a generous gift. I chose some reproductions of 19th-century fabrics for this project. I like the way the small scale of the prints complements the small size of the coasters and the fine sewn lines of the concentric rectangles of quilting.
[Excerpted from Last-Minute Patchwork and Quilted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson; www.marthastewartliving.com]
Tools and Materials:
4 1/2-by-10-inch piece of fabric for each coaster (*Note: 1/4 yard of 45-inch-wide fabric will yield 8 coasters if cut precisely.)
High-loft natural cotton batting, 46 by 36 inches
Cotton thread in a color to blend in with your fabrics (I used mustard yellow)
Walking foot for sewing machine
Finished Measurements: About 4 inches square
Construction Notes: Use 1/4-inch seam allowance throughout, unless otherwise noted.
How to:
1. Prepare fabric: Wash, dry, and press the fabric.
2. Cut fabric: Cut one 4 1/2-by-10-inch piece of fabric for each coaster. (If you’re making coasters from 1/4 yard of fabric, cut two 4 1/2-inch-deep strips from selvage to selvage, trim the selvages, and then cut each strip into four 10-inch lengths.)
3. Cut batting: Cut one 4-inch square of batting for each coaster.
4. Assemble coaster: Fold the fabric in half, right sides together, to form a 4 1/2-by-5-inch rectangle. Sew the two 5-inch sides closed so that only one side of the rectangle remains open. Trim the corners, and turn the fabric right side out.
5. Tuck the batting smoothly inside the fabric (this can be a bit fussy at first, but it gets easier with practice). Fold the coaster’s open edges to the inside, covering the batting with one fabric edge, and finger-press the folded edges in place. Make the corners as square as possible. Your piece should measure about 4 inches square.
6. Quilt coaster: Attach the walking foot to your sewing machine, and set your machine to the needle-down position in order to turn each corner cleanly as you quilt. (If your machine cannot be set this way, hand-turn your needle into the down position before lifting the presser foot to turn the coaster at the corners.) You’ll start quilting at the outside edge, and sew in one continuous line to the center. Use the coaster’s edge as a guide to make straight seams the first time around, and then continue using the outer seams as your guide as you work your way inward.
7. Begin quilting about 1/8 inch from the edge on a side neighboring the open edge (you’ll close the open edge when you quilt along that side). Sew a few stitches, then take a couple of backstitches to anchor the quilting. Stitch along the side of the coaster, consistently staying about 1/8 inch from the edge. At the first corner, stop sewing with your needle in the down position. Lift the presser foot, and rotate the coaster 90 degrees; lower the presser foot, and sew to the next corner.
8. Repeat stitching along each side and turning the corner as instructed until you’re on the fourth side, then stop sewing 1/4 inch before you reach the last corner.
9. With your needle in the down position, lift the presser foot, and rotate the coaster 90 degrees; lower the presser foot, and sew 1/4 inch inside the previous stitching line to within 1/4 inch of the next corner.
10. Repeat the process from step 9 to form concentric rectangles of quilting until you reach the center of the piece. Finish the quilting with a few backstitches.
The instructions below will show you how to make a foundation row and single crochet stitch. If you follow them exactly, you’ll complete a 7×9 inch block. With these basics, you can make a number of other projects.
Beginner Crochet Block
What you need:
Worsted-weight yarn, any color or colors
Size G crochet hook
Yarn needle with big eye
Scissors
| How to beginStep 1: Hold crochet hook in right hand and make a slip knot on hook.
Step 2: Bring yarn over hook from back to front and grab it with hook. |
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| Step 3: Draw hooked yarn through slip knot and onto hook. This makes one chain stitch.
Repeat Steps 2 and 3 in sequence 28 more times. You should have 29 chain stitches and one loop will remain on hook. Step 5: Insert hook into center of next chain stitch. Draw yarn through the chain stitch and up onto the hook. There are now 2 loops on hook. Step 6: Bring yarn over hook from back to front, and draw it through both loops on hook. One loop remains on the hook, and you have just made one single crochet stitch.
Repeat Steps 5 and 6 in each of the remaining 27 chains–be sure to work in the very last chain. You have now completed one row of single crochet. Measure your work; it should be about 7″ wide. If it is too wide, try again with fewer beginning chains. If it is too narrow, try again with more beginning chains. Step 7: At the end of the row, make one chain stitch, then turn the work counter-clockwise, leaving the hook in the chain. Now you can begin another row, working into the stitches of the previous row. Step 8: Make one single crochet stitch in first stitch and in each remaining stitch of the previous row. Be sure to work into the last stitch. Chain 1, turn. Repeat Step 8 until the block measures 9″ long. Finishing: Cut the yarn from the skein, leaving a 6″ end. Draw the hook straight up, bringing the yarn through the remaining loop on the hook. Thread yarn into yarn needle and weave back and forth through stitches to secure. (Information provided by www.marthastewartliving.com) |
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