Elin&Jim

I have been experimenting with applique, in the last few days. It is really cute and makes the most simple project interesting and fun. Two of the most successful projects finished are these two personalized pillows. I have made them for friends' kids with birthdays coming up: Elin and Jim.

They both turn one in March and and they both moved/will move to a new house, so what better present than something for their new bedroom? I think they turned out really good and even the applique borders look acceptable (please don't look too closely!).

For Elin's pillow, I mixed and matched four different cotton fabrics to create the letters and patchwork frame. The back is off white cotton. For Jim's, I used Alexander Henry's Zoo in blue to create the frame and a simple dark blue checkered cotton on the name. The back is heavy weight green cotton. I used 100% polyester as filling.

Now the challenge for future similar projects (and there will be tons of them as these are so much fun to make) is to make them environment friendly. The fabrics are the easy part, I will be able to use scraps, remnants and repurposed materials. The filling, however, will be trickier - using old pillows for kids and babies is out of the question, so I will have to look into organic or recycled fillings which is more difficult and more expensive to source. I have found some options at Hart's Fabric but finding closer to home will not be as easy!

Brown paper packages tied up with strings

I love beautifully wrapped presents. I love giving them and receiving them! Unfortunately, it isn't my forte and one of the reasons for that is that I never seem to have the necessary supplies.
So, now that I am getting ready to launch my Etsy store, one of the (many) things to decide on is packaging. Presentation is such a huge part in the whole shopping experience, I want to make sure I make the right first impression.The good part is, there are tons of options out there. The bad part is, how do I choose?
Two of my favorite stores are Nice Package and Olive Manna. They are both relatively new, run by women and even though they are more expensive than the more generic wrapping supplies, I think the quality of their products will really help my own stand out. And who doesn't want to get the best start possible for their little shop?

Little fabric basket

I love getting new fabric in the post, it feels like you're getting a gift (even though you paid for it!). So this Tuesday, my order from Fabricworm came in with 2 half yards of Snorkle (by Cosmo Cricket).
It is so adorable I had to use it in a project immediately! I have been meaning to make little toiletry baskets for my little girl's room so I decided this with be the perfect fabric for them. This is how the first one turned out:

And on the shelf, in the room:

I will try to make two more in the next few days and finish the set (and give that mirror a good cleaning!).

On a sunny Saturday morning

I woke up this morning and was surprised by a white landscape. Growing up in Portugal we never had it, so it's always fun and exciting when you peek out the window in the morning and everything is covered in snow!

I decided that it was too dangerous to go out on the bike and too beautiful to drive so I decided to bundle up my daughter in the buggy and walk to the supermarket. It's easier said than done! The snow on the ground made it hard to push the buggy and I was all over the place, trying to walk on a slippery road. It was quite a workout!

What a great day to be out and about! The air was crisp, the sky was blue and the temperature not too cold. After running some errands and getting the groceries we walked home through the park.

  

I had brought with me some bread and we went over to feed the ducks. We are clearly not the only ones doing it, these ducks hang out here the whole day and as soon as they see someone coming, the run over to see if you have food. I find it a little creepy sometimes, a little too "The Birds" for my taste but M. thinks it's hilarious.

Once the bread was gone, we made our way back as it was almost time for lunch! Maybe we'll go out again in the afternoon.

Handprinted Down Under

Lately I have been looking into eco-friendly materials and using them in my bags and crafts. It's easier said than done. Not only there isn't a lot to choose from in the mass-produced fabrics but they are also very expensive! While searching the internet for options, I came accross handprinted fabrics and immediately fell in love. They are pricey too but the fact that someone designed them and them actually made them, by hand, makes them really special.
Below is a sample of my favorite ones, all from Australian designers:
Ink & Spindle

Umbrella Prints:

Pippijoe:

Daisy Janie

A few weeks ago, while surfing the net searching for fabrics and new ideas for projects, I discovered Daisy Janie fabrics. I was immediately taken with the cool designs and zingy, fresh colors and organic, no less! The only downside is that they are a little pricey but, for the right project, I call it an investment! Her new line, Geo Grand is coming out in just a month or so, so I will definitely stay tuned.

In case you can't wait that long, there are plenty of funky prints to choose from, so head out to Daisy Janie's shop and snatch yourself some organic cotton goodness!

If you can make it there

I am planning a trip to New York in March and the official countdown has begun! I have friends to see, shopping to do and turist traps to visit. 

One of the places I am most definitely going is Purl Soho. Since my friend Joslyn sent me the link, I visit their website all the time and pour over their fabrics and other eye candy. Unfortunately, shipping costs and customs make it to expensive to buy more than patterns so I intend to stock up when I go there. Now the hard thing will be deciding which projects to make with the new fabulous fabrics I am going to bring back!