I’ve been posting for some time about a custom order I’ve been working on.

My friends Philipp & Renata are going to be married later this month and asked me to make a ring pillow for their ceremony.

I am honored to have something that I made be a part of their special day. : )

Without further ado, here is the ring pillow that I made for them:

I’m very happy with how the finished pillow looks,

and I’m thrilled that they are pleased, too.

Congratulations, P & R!!!

Jenn : )

A shop update:

New tasket sets!

Pom Pom Fawn

(I only made one with this small pom pom trim.)

Our House.

Pretty Forest.

Dotty Birds.

Happy Thursday.

The weekend is almost here!

Jenn : )

It seems like lots of friends and co-workers are having babies these days.

Two girlfriends of mine have babies who are less than a year old.

Being a fan of Lotta Jansdotter’s book Simple Sewing,

I recently purchased another of her books: Simple Sewing For Baby.

So far I’m loving it!

It’s filled with projects that are practical and fun.

Some of the more whimsical items may not match your personal esthetic,

but they could be easily modified to “make them your own”.

The first project I tried from the book was the Tag Blankie.

And I’m so happy with how they turned out!

It was fun to choose fabric and then ribbons to match.

The sewing was very easy.

This one is for little Robyn.

I double stitched the edges to make sure those tags stay on.

And this one is for little Mylo.

I hope he likes robots (as much as I do)!

I washed both blankies together on gentle with woolite, tossed them in the dryer and they both came out looking great! This is a wonderful project because these sew up very quickly (and isn’t it satisfying to start and finish a project in the same day?), and they make a lovely handmade gift for a friend, or your own little bundle of joy.  I’m also proud to say that I had ALL the supplies on hand to make these – no trip to the fabric shop was needed.  I’ve been saving scraps of ribbon in the hopes of finding a project to use them for and this worked perfectly.  I used satin-y ribbon scraps that I hadn’t washed before – and they came out of the washer/dryer just fine.

My next Lotta project will be the Soft Rattle toy.  Again, I’m going to only use materials that I have on hand.  I’ve already had a learning experience washing cotton velveteen to use for this project.  I was very nervous about how to go about washing/drying it, as I have very limited experience (ie: none) with this material.  But you know, sometimes ignorance is bliss.  I just stitched up the raw edges and threw it in the washer, then dryer, and to my delight – it came out looking better than when it went in.

I’ll let you know how those rattles turn out!

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Have you tried any new projects lately?

Experimented with a new material or technique?

Tell me about it!  : )

Cheers – Jenn : )

No longer a wip – these three hotpads/trivets are finished!

Machine quilted with hand sewn binding.

Washed and pressed.

With a twill tab on the back.

Now to get some really good photos,

and then they’ll be in the shop.

Jenn : )

So, what’s been going on with those Japanese fabric scraps I blogged about awhile ago?

Well….

I got out my favorite Clover pins.

(Technically these are for light/sheer fabrics,

but I’ve used them for many fabric weights.

You can buy them on Superbuzzy, but I’ve also found them at Joann’s.)

Did a little chain sewing…

…see how you can save thread if you’re

sewing lots of pieces together at once?

Gave them a good ironing with my Clover Iron.

(Also purchased at Joann’s.)

Stitched them all together with a bit of linen in the center.

Ironed on a little teapot sketch.

Got out my smallest embroidery hoop.

And embroidered this steamy little fella.

Time for a tea break!

Be back soon with the finished piece!

Cheers!

Jenn : )

Well, readers, if you haven’t already figured it out,

our regularly scheduled Two Spoonfuls post has been delayed this week.

My foodie partner is neck deep in boxes, so we’ll skip this week and will post again on the 22nd.

Now unpack those pots and pans, Ginny!

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We’re enjoying a lovely sunny day here.

Josh is out for a bike ride with the guys and I’m going back and forth between the kitchen and my studio.  Yesterday I was inspired to start a new project for my shop, after receiving the latest issue of my favorite Japanese craft magazine: Cotton Time. (I’ve been stalking Superbuzzy like crazy waiting for the new issue to arrive!)

I had to get just a bit of this Matryoshka linen blend, too.

Last night I collected my scraps of Japanese linen and canvas fabrics,

gave them a good wash and ironing, and started cutting.

I’ll have more photos of what I’ve got in mind for them as I get more done.

In the meantime – here are some photos from Cotton Time that might inspire you:

The little sheep pouch…..*sigh*.

Isn’t this purse pretty?  I’d be afraid to spoil it by using it.

Have a great day!

Jenn : )

This is why it’s important to always wear protective footwear while sewing.

Be careful while you craft today!

Jenn : )

Today is a Two Spoonfuls day – a day where I’d normally be posting my latest culinary adventure.

But frankly, the weather has been grey and murky lately and photos just aren’t going to be blog worthy.  So I’m putting off my cooking post for a day or two.

In the meantime….

(Vintage Wright’s Rick Rack package.  Cost = $0.10)

…remember that you can jazz up your skirt collection, gals, quick and easy with some cute Wright’s trims!

And if wearing a huge skirt and having a 5″ waist doesn’t tell the world that you’re a girl – then just add some Wright’s Candy Stripe Bias Trim or  4 or 5 rows of Wright’s Ruffling to that skirt for that “Feminine Look” – that’ll erase ANY doubts in anyone’s mind!  Now get to it – I know you’ve all got at least 50 skirts in your closet!

Happy Friday!

Jenn ; )

Wow – this week seems to be flying by.  It’s already half over, tonight is a new Lost episode, and somebody will be leaving American Idol.  Whew!

Josh and I took a trip over to Bainbridge Island Wa this past weekend.  We lucked out and had a very sunny day.  We took the car over on the ferry and visited new friends at their beautiful home.  It was such a nice day trip – I’d like to go back again soon and visit all the little shops there.

I was so preoccupied with the gorgeous weather and our new friends that I forgot to take any photos while we were there.  But I did get this one of Josh on the ferry.  Can you tell we were having a great day? : )

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I want to send out a big thank you to Liz over at LavenderLizard for including my little orange needlebook in her latest blog post.  Thank you, Liz!  If you love great Etsy finds like I do – I hope you’ll take a gander at Liz’s fun collection.

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This morning I did a big shop update…well, big for me anyway. : )

I’ve got a brand new Project Tote.

And a matching needlebook.

And something a little different…

The other day I made up this tasket prototype.  This one is quite a bit bigger than my usual taskets.  I used linen (reinforced with fusible fleece) and this new Japanese canvas I just got from Superbuzzy.  Over all I’m very happy with how this new design turned out.  I think there’ll be some larger taskets in the shop soon.

This one does have some slight puckering of the lining at the back, but all-in-all it’s sturdy, roomy and cute.

Since it’s a prototype, I’m offering it at the same price as the smaller version, even though it’s quite a bit bigger.

So if you like a good sale and need a cute place to store some fabric bundles, knitting supplies etc… I hope you’ll give this tasket a home!

Sold – and on it’s way to NV.

Have a great day, everybody!

Jenn : )

Finishing up new needlebooks.

Can you imagine my delight when I found a package from my Grandma in the mail the other day… and it was FILLED with vintage buttons?!?  I’ve been sending her photos of the items I make for my shop and she sent this package with a sweet note wondering if I might be able to use these.

Um.  I will FIND A WAY to use these, Grandma!

Some are just darling.

And, as fate would have it – I found buttons to match my new needlebooks!

Thank you so much, Grandma!

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Thanks, too for the super nice shout-out, Andrea!

: D

Jenn : )