tumbling blocks - shop

it's a shop update!

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 20:08:00 -0700

Whee! It was much fun to make these 5 little things in my shop. It was therapeutic even.

There are 2 mama cat's (with skirt-dwelling kittens). I love making these. I especially loved stuffing the linen one because linen is so different from cotton. It's firm, but it gives in that special, squirmy linen way. The construction of mama cat's dress almost drove me nuts, though. I kept sewing the armholes shut. Molly Chicken's doll dress tutorial helped me work it through. Thank goodness. Thanks also to Kristin who, in a fit of sweetness, sent me the rosette buttons you see popping up the the projects.

There are also two fun little needlebooks like the one in the last post, and there's a belt. I quite possibly have a new favorite notion. Vintage belt buckles are awesome. I am just now this fall getting used to the idea of wearing belts. They don't have to squeeze your middle and they are actually functional.

So, the shop is here if you want to take a look.

Thanks!
-Dorie

a needlebook

Sat, 08 Dec 2007 07:49:00 -0700

I really wasn't sure if it was "needlebook" or "needle book". The dictionary has "needlebook", so I'm going with that.

I made this little needlebook as a birthday gift for a friend. I like this construction a lot. It's the result of many months of trolling through the blogs and flickr, mentally noting what I thought was cool about everyone else's needlebooks. The binding stitching idea definitely came from Bella Dia. It has front and back fabric covers (all the pretty fabrics came from Erin in the scrap swap), and the back cover has an inner pocket. The "page" part, where you put the needle, has a flannel layer and a stripy green wool layer. There will be more of these, probably a couple in my etsy shop. I know someone in particular will be getting one for Christmas.

everyone else is doing it, so why not?

Sun, 02 Dec 2007 07:22:00 -0700

There have been some fabulous shop updates going around lately. I'm thinking of this lady, and this lady, and this lady, and oh, I could go on. So I want to put some things in my long-neglected shop too. I hadn't planned on doing this, and it's really kind of fun. I think it's been some time since I've worked on a project I hadn't had sitting in a queue of to-dos.

The half-made cats above will be kitty mamas like this one who hides three little kittens in her long dress. All the dolls are made, they just need clothes and faces. It creeps Elie out when I leave faceless dolls lying around the house. The worst was when I made a Waldorf doll for Eva some years ago.

There will be some other things too. I have some pitcher plant panels left from last year that I think I'll turn into pillows, and I have a couple other ideas that I hope I'll actually do. I am very ambitious on a Sunday morning.