Spicy Pillows....so hot right now!

If it isn't already too obvious- I'm a fabric lover...some may call me a hoarder but I prefer collector or connoisseur. I have a closet full of beautiful fabric. Among the many, many, MANY large scale linen prints, I have silks, velvets...even maybe a leather or two. Believe me, I've collected more than my fair share of fabrics. I am seriously concerned that someday my piles and piles will end up in the apartment below us...ok, maybe not...but that gives you an idea of how much fabric I actually have saved up over the last few years.

So what do you do with so much fabric, you ask? Well, besides a handful of hot pads, woven rugs, and bags, I've really enjoyed sewing pillows! As I've mentioned before, I'm a self taught sewer so I jump on anything that helps me improve. I've made monogram pillows for my sisters and my sis 'n law (who also added a few more pillows to her collection a couple Christmas' ago). I've whipped up a set for my Aunt. I've made a ba-zillion (ok...more like 15-20) different pillows for our living room and bedroom over the past few years. They are a simple way to spice up a room. Its always exciting to pull the bins out of the good 'ol craft closet and build a color palette. It helps remind me why I push myself every evening and weekend...it makes me feel creative and alive! 

Most recently, my mother in law, Leslye, asked me to sew some pillows for her. She and her husband, Don, visited last November and we spent some time digging through the piles of pattern and color. 

She brought a few photos of pottery she has on display in her living room and away we went...pawing through the piles of fabrics and here is how everything came together....

Spicy, bold, summery colors...a mouthwatering salsa and guacamole color palette! (am I making you hungry?!) I love this classic but fresh combo. We mixed prints, velvet, dots, stripes, embroideries...a little bit of everything but it came together beautifully!

The pillows I've made in the past have had an envelope closure in the back so the pillow can easily slip in and out. I made Leslye's pillows two sided so she can mix and match until her heart is content!

Side 1 on the left and Side 2 on the left:

And of course a few a group shots for good measure:

And another satisfied customer...and sofa!

More projects to come soon!! :)

Photo Friday: A Special Bear for a Special Woman

A special bear I made for Erik's Grandmother in memory of her husband, Jack.

Shopping Vintage: The Holiday Party Dress

I know I may have mentioned it before, but I am a sucker for vintage dresses. I've spent hours 'window shopping' for old dresses on Etsy and browsing through consignment stores, searching for that special, one of a kind piece to add to my closet. Don't tell Erik, but my dream would be to open a second Etsy shop full of vintage finds...but that may have to wait until we have a place with more storage...oh, and some start up money.

I can't remember when this love affair started but I have a few ideas...Maybe it was watching Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr, in her HUGE ball gown, dance across the screen in The King and I...or ANY of the amazing costumes I fell in love with while watching movies from my Papa's Rogers and Hammerstein collection, for that matter. Thanks to my sister's Judy Garland phase, maybe it was the red velvet dress and sparkly head scarf Judy Garland wore to the Christmas party in Meet Me in St. Louis that sent me over the edge. And Dolly...Hello Dolly...that gold number Barbara Streisand wears while she's singing with Louis Armstrong...words cannot describe how much I love that dress.

Like most little girls, I remember really liking the idea of 'dressing up'...putting on your Sunday clothes (as Dolly would say). Not a lot has changed. I still like dressing up! Every year, I start looking for a dress to wear to Erik's annual Christmas party a couple months in advance. My one stipulation...it has to be unique. I go into this dress hunt knowing that there will be a little work...you can always find a vintage dress that is beautiful but its hard to find one that fits perfectly! I have to go in with an open mind. Its not what the dress is, but what it could be...I know that's pretty deep for dress talk, but its soooo true.


My three rules for finding that perfect vintage piece:

1) Know your measurements...all you need is a measuring tape and maybe some help from a friend (and maybe a helpful youtube video). One tip- I tend to buy dresses that fit my measurements or a little larger because you can always take it in but you can't always let it out!

2) Learn a little about clothing construction...or find a friend (this is an open invite people!! I'm here!)

3) Be creative!!! As long as the fabric is in good condition...go for it. I'm still teaching myself how to alter clothing, so if you are more experienced, the sky is the limit!


And this brings me to my dress of the season...I found the perfect dress a couple of years ago but due to  a bad cold, we skipped out on the party that year. It was a $40 find from a shop on Etsy and it hung on a hanger in my closet for two years. Everytime I opened my closet door, there it was...begging me to wear it. With a few alterations, this dress became one of my favorites!

Here's my 2012 Holiday Party Project...I mean dress :)

The bright aqua and silver brocade fabric is what drew me in...every girl needs that statement sparkly dress, right?

A bit boxy, but, man....that fabric!

A little big and a little too long...I have a short person complex thanks to my younger (but taller) sisters.

I took the dress in 2" on each side and took the hem up about 3.5"...I know, soooo scandalous.

AND.....The After

Paired with black tights, black wedges, a bun and bright red lips!

 

 And a couple model pics for good measure but mostly to make Erik laugh...

And my date for the night, doing his best James Bond impression! :)

Lots of food, drink, and conversation (oh, and my hot date!) made for a great night out. Like I said before, I'm still learning this alteration stuff so I was pretty proud of myself! I received a couple nice compliments but my favorite reaction was when a lady told me (after she'd had a few cocktails) that she like how "it looked like it was from the future but also kinda from the 60's".  Hmmmm...how do I top THAT next year?

A Fresh Start

The goods news is, I can feel the craftiness coming back! I haven't started any new projects yet but I will soon. To make sure I'm ready when the creativity starts flowing, I decided to organize my fabric and supplies. We moved into our new apartment at the end of February and I called 'dibs' on part of the front closet.

I sorted my fabrics into 'printed' and 'woven'. The woven fabrics are in a big bin (just waiting to be made into new pillows!) and the prints are organized by color and stacked on the upper shelves. If you can believe it, I went through my fabric before our move and took four to five bags back to our showroom to be donated. What I still have is the fabric I just couldn't live without...

And here is one more photo. This shows MY side of the closet...poor Erik!

Hopefully, this fresh start will inspire me to get back to weaving, sewing, and crafting. In the meantime, stay tuned! I have some fun photos from my amazing weekend in LA with my wonderful friend/bride-to-be, Tina and her awesome friend/maid of honor Anastasia.

 My sis-in-law, Julie, is in town this weekend and then next week Erik and I are finally going to have a weekend get-away to Vancouver, B.C. Many adventures and posts to come! :)

My Craft Corner Evolution

When you live in a small space you have to make the most of every square inch. When you live in that same small space with your husband...you have to share every square inch. Thankfully, my husband doesn't seem to mind that I've claimed a corner of our dining area, including the dining table, as my own. Scraps of fabric, yarn, my sewing machine, my loom, multiple pairs of scissors, and everything else you might need can be found in my corner on any given day. Did I mention I'm somewhat of a fabric and craft supply hoarder? I'm pretty sure I get that from my mom. Her attic was like walking into craft heaven...or a Hobby Lobby.

Behind the piles of fabrics, thread, books, etc, there is one piece in my little corner that means the most to me- my floor loom. I spent most of college sitting behind a floor loom or around a printing table. If I had more space, maybe a garage or studio, I could set up a printing table but I always thought that owning my own loom would be too far out of reach. They can be extremely expensive and being young and a newly wed, I never thought I could justify spending so much on a hobby when there are student loans and rent to pay. I thought it was something I would only dream about. That is, until one very inspiring trip to the Seattle Art Museum. There was a special exhibit of local Native American art and artifacts and in a quite corner, there sat a very simple frame loom with a weaving still in progress. That was the only time I was ever excited to leave an art museum! I couldn't wait to get home to sketch up a plan. With my sketch in hand, Erik and I headed to the home improvement store to stock up on all the supplies we would need to build a simple frame loom. I never could have done this on my own...Erik not only supported me in my crazy creative idea, he actually built it for me. He even sanded and applied a clear coat finish on the wood.

Here are a couple photos of my very first loom:

There was a lot of problem solving when I actually started weaving on it. It was like learning to weave all over again. With the use of dowel rods, household twine, and a ruler, I was able to "Make it work!" (as Tim Gunn would say!)

Here's a close up of a scarf in progress:

Although my homemade, well 'Erik-made', loom will always be my favorite and closest to my heart, there were things I couldn't do on this loom that I would be able to do on a floor loom. I made a handful of beautiful scarves on this one but I was ready for an upgrade. I religiously searched Craigslist and surprisingly found a number of floor looms for sale...but unfortunately, many were way above my little budget.

Right when I thought my upgrade was out of reach, I found this:

 

Erik, again, was pulled into this adventure. Believe me, it was an adventure. I'll try to paint a quick picture of what we went through to pick this monster of a loom up-  the large part of the loom was strapped to the top of our Jeep during rush hour on one of the longest floating bridges in the world while an ambulance trying to pass. I should also mention that it started to rain AND Erik had to pee! It was crazy, but worth it! I made many rag rugs, scarves, even a baby blanket on this extra large loom. It took up so much room though and it still wasn't quite the set up I wanted. To help you relate- its like having a car that drives ok but it isn't that Audi or BMW you've always wanted. At least, that how I tried to make my case with Erik. :)

I held onto this loom for over a year and a half when one day this past November I decided to list it on Craigslist. I thought it would sit there forever but within 48 hours, Erik and I were loading it up to go to its new home. I never thought it would go that fast! I said a quick goodbye but I'll be honest with you, I had already moved on...

And finally, here is the new addition to my craft corner:

I haven't had time to set it up yet so the photos show it folded up. More photos of the loom and new projects to come soon!

This is the Audi of looms for me and its parked right there in my own corner...I don't think I'll need to upgrade for a while.