Mama’s Day

 I finished my mom’s Mother’s Day gift  just in time.  I crocheted a table runner for her.   The inspiration for this project came to me after I picked up Berroco’s NaturLin #273 the other day.  I had to pick up this pattern book for it’s yummy throw.  While at the yarn shop I fell in love with Berroco’s NaturLin.  This yarn is a linen and rayon blend that  is very luxurious.  The yarn highlighted the stitches beautifully and was wonderful to work with. 

 

On a humorous note I have to share the outfit my husband picked out to wear for Mother’s Day brunch.  He came downstairs and asked me if this outfit “worked”.  My uncontrollable laughter immediately let him know the answer was a resounding NO.  While the photo doesn’t show it…the colors of the shirt and shorts do match.  What is it with men and plaids?  Don’t worry he changed outfits and was presentable for our Mother’s Day brunch.  Here’s hopping everyone else had a great Mother’s Day too.

 

del.icio.us Tags: Mother’s Day,Berroco,NaturLin,crocheting,crochet,table runner

 

I’ve gone and done it…

I have had joining a sock club on my wish list for several months now.  Well, last Saturday I went and did it.  I joined the sock club at the Boucle Yarn Studio here in Fargo ND.  They have a great mini-club that only has three socks a year.  This perfect for me.  I have so many projects going on that a pair of socks a month is a little out of my league right now. 

 

For the sock club kits Boucle has a company called the Unique Sheep custom dye their yarn.  This month’s yarn was dyed from a picture of the flood waters and the lace pattern is reminiscent of waves.  What a great tribute to our recent flood fight.  Here’s a photo from one of the clubbers who is fast as lightning knitting up their socks. I have yet to cast on.  However, I have hardly been able to keep myself away from my kit.  At the moment I am working on a gift for my mom.  Mother’s Day really snuck up on me this year!  I don’t know how…anyway, I am burning the midnight oil to get Mom’s gift done in time.  Just as soon as I get the gift done and paint that corner of the kitchen, I am jumping head first into my sock kit.  The soon I get at those projects the soon I can get to my socks…I’m off

 

del.icio.us Tags: knitting,Fargo,Yarn,socks,sock

 

What I’m doing tonight.

Mark Ryden and The Cardigans

I have to admit that Love Fool was (ok, still is) one of my guilty earal pleasures.  Last evening while waiting for the blizzard that never came, I was idly surfing some illustrators that had captured my fancy when I came across this video.  I just had to share.

I have to get back to preparing for Christmas.  I am handmaking a majority of my presents this year.  It seems like a great idea until four days before Christmas and one is a habitual procrastinator.  I’ll let you know how things turn out after the holidays.  Here’s wishing you and yours an abundance of joy and cheer.

 

Kitchen curtains

When not working on the house, I have been working on a filet crochet curtain.  It is slated for the window above my kitchen sink.  This is my first attempt at filet crochet.  I found it not nearly as scary as I thought it would be.

It was difficult to find a pattern that wasn’t filled with cheesy cats, hearts, or such.  Most patterns out there are very outdated (and not in a good vintage way).  I am not sure who would have found these appealing.  My grandmother sure wouldn’t have.   I happened across Hass Designs while surfing the web for patterns.  Their designs are European in nature and instantly appealed to my Norwegian and German ancestral sensibilities.  Now these patterns I could see my grandmother crocheting. 

I miss my grandmother a lot since I have become a mother.  She passed away at the wise old age of 94 right after I graduated high school.  I know she would just adore my little frog prince.  She was a food pusher and oh boy, can my little frog  eat.  They would have been a match made in heaven. 

I got to visit my grandmother quite a bit as a child.  I remember that she was a crochetter and promised to teach me someday.  However, we never got around to it.  She also made the best cinnamon roles on the planet.

I just realized that in the above photos the curtain is on our kitchen table, which used to be my grandmother’s kitchen table.  Call me sentimental but I can’t help but think, I bet Grandma placed her crochet down on that same table back in the day.

del.icio.us Tags: filet crochet,crotheting,grandmother,Hass Design

 

Progress is being made…

Slowly but surely we are making progress on our house projects.  We now have front steps, new shrubs, grass, new sidewalk, and new door.  We are planning to hang a new screen door and make some railings.   Lastly, I plan to paint the shutters the same green as the steps.

Painting the shutters sounds like an  easy project, right?  Wrong.  We have vinyl siding which means the shutters are vinyl too.  This in and of itself is not a problem.  It is just that the shutters are attached with these anchors that can not be removed.  Basically, I will have to cut the shutters off, paint them, then drill out the anchors left in the wall, and reattach.   A little challenge has never stopped me before and won’t this time either.

I really dislike that the front door does not have an overhang.  I am working on designing a solution for this.  However, this is a project for a year or two down the road.

 

My Little Frog Prince

I had a photographer over to the house to take photos of my little prince a couple weeks ago.  We got back a couple proofs and just had to share.  He is 10 months in these photos and even the photographer was impressed by his lack of crying and laid back nature for the two hours they were here. 

            

As some of you may have noticed I have been lack in posting the last couple of weeks.  This means I have been working hard in the “real” world.  The day before the big photo shoot I got worried about having the little one in all white.  I hectically ran to every store in town in search of an extra outfit in color.  I could not find a single baby outfit that did not have some graphic on it.  Side note: I don’t hate graphics on baby clothing it is just that it tends to date the photos.  I was looking for a timelessness and elegance to these photos.  Long story short I decided to sew a romper.  I have never sewn any real clothing prior to this.  However, this did not stop me from purchasing a pattern, material, and thread at 9pm the night before the shoot.  I worked feverishly throughout the night and the blue outfit above is the fruits of my labor.  I must say I am proud that it doesn’t look like mama went crazy with the sewing machine.  All of us kids of the 70s remember those outfits.

 

Yet more branding ideas

  I keep working on my branding for my Etsy store.  I know it is going to be an ongoing process.  At the moment my banner is this:

The accompanying avatar is this:

                                                                     

I then print the following logo on return labels and stickers.  I currently am using the Paper Source labels in chartreuse and pool.  I have then used the logo and made matching cards to attach my pacifier keepers and stitch markers to.   With these new designs there is a continuity between web and print elements.

I wanted a design that is simple and fun.  I tried to recreate the feel of the Japanese sewing tape I use for pacifier keepers yet still have a hint of my own drawing style.  I appreciate any feedback you may have.  Is the logo too simple?  Would you be enticed if you just saw these images to check out my store? 

Here are a couple more images of my first run of packaging an order last week with the new logos.

 

del.icio.us Tags: Etsy shop,Etsy,Logo,banner,avatar,packaging,stitch markers,branding

 

My new toy

I have to share my newest toy.  Last week I bought a new sewing machine.  I had an old old Singer machine from the 60s that I got it at a garage sale for $20 growing up.   It was very very sturdy.  It’s body was all cast metal of some sort and it could sew through several layers of canvas.  However, I had the worst time with it’s tension.  I finally stopped using it and sewed everything by hand.  Needless to say I didn’t do much sewing. 

Well, with my recent domestication trend (buying a house, having a kid, ect.) I decided that I need a sewing machine.  I didn’t want a fancy computerized model.  Realistically, I would never use all those stitch patterns and such.  Yet, I wanted something a little more sturdy and higher quality then the under $100 models found at places like Target or Sears.  I thought about Singer because I was familiar with them.  I did a little research at JoAnn’s online and found that the feedback on Singers was pretty bad. 

Long story short, I went to our local sewing machine store.  They suggest a couple of the entry level Janome machines.  I settled on the Janome Sewist 525S machine.  I am loving it.  It is sturdy, has one step button holing, all the stitch patterns I could want, and the tension is a dream.   I’ll keep you all in touch with my feelings on this machine.  When I was doing my research I found most feedback on machines was made in the first week of purchase, which doesn’t tell one much about their quality.  Also, everyone loves their new purchase.  Time is the true test of a product.  If you still like it months or years later that is the mark of a good product.

del.icio.us Tags: machine,sewing,crafting,Janome,Singer,Sewist 525S,sewing machine

 

Update to my shop

I updated my shop the other day.  I have added several new designs to my pacifier clip line.  I even have added a new owl design.  The cute little owls are singing so sweetly.  Head on over to thefrogandowl.etsy.com to check out all the new designs.

I just purchased a new batch of Japanese tape.  I can hardly wait to get them made up. 

       

  

del.icio.us Tags: Japanese linen trim,pacifier clip,handmade,imported,Etsy shop

 

Movie recommendations

Let me share my Netflix movie list entitled, Chocolate for your eyes.  These movies have just astounded me with their visual imagery. 

Chocolate for your eyes
The Cell (2000)
What Dreams May Come (1998)
MirrorMask (2005)
300 (2007)