Neat Pins

The etsy shop PinksandNeedles specializes in these handcrafted pins and pincushions. They are art in miniature.

I like the idea of a personalized set for your favorite quilter/crafter. What an incredibly lovely gift made just for them.

Images courtesy of pinksandneedles

potential quilts

So SarahJane recently announced on her blog that her textile line, Children at Play, a collection done with Michael Miller Fabrics, is debuting at the International Quilt Market. I have been a fan of her illustrations for some time and I really like the look of the fabric collection.

I will take three quilts made from these sweet and cheery designs for my sweet and cheery little ones, please.
I wish her lots of success in her new venture!

All images courtesy of Sarah Jane Studios

newdressaday

Before

After

I am totally impressed with the site newdressaday.com. It is the handiwork of Marisa, who (after being sparked by the film Julie & Julia) decided to tackle her own year-long creative endeavor. She blogs:

The only shopping that I’ll be able to do is that of pieces that have been used and worn already. So long to mall trips and hello to sifting through piles of vintage pieces at flea markets and at neighborhood garage sales. Each day for the entire year, I’m going to introduce a new piece into my existing wardrobe that I’ve found from these places. On top of this, I’m giving myself a budget of $1 a day.

At a time when folks are growing more aware of recycling and re-purposing, her blog is not only creative and humorous, it is inspiring.

As a non- sewer, I was constantly fascinated by how she could hem and stitch her way into a whole new look. I was particularly charmed by the non-glossy, funny presentation of her creative process and the slew of "before and after" photos.

There are only 25 days left in Marisa's self appointed challenge- you should check out her blog before her year is up!

Images courtesy of newdressaday.com

Toys for the Taking

Here's a little something cheerful to send you on your way to the weekend: The Toy Society.

Have you heard about them?

The Toy Society was started by a small group of Australian crafters who began leaving handmade toys in public places to be adopted and loved by whomever found them. But the concept caught on, crafters from all over the world joined the project, and the Society just recorded toy drop #959.

Here's what you might find if you come across a Toy Society toy:


If you do find a toy, it is then your duty to visit the Toy Society blog and record your find. To me, the finders' responses are the best part. It brings me such satisfaction to read about a find and to know that a quirky, hand-stitched toy appeared in someone's life and made it happier.

Some of my favorite Toy Society drops:







For many more images of Toy Society drops, visit their Flickr group.

Thursday, a button lover, and Etsy

I have a thing for buttons. As a little girl, it delighted me to run my fingers through my mom's button box, letting them slide through my fingers, cold and slippery.

As a crafty sort of adult, I have my own collection of buttons, made up of hand-me-downs from my mother, huge lots of buttons from estate sales, and a treasured few paid-too-much for vintage buttons of particular beauty. If I make something for you, and I use one of these particularly beautiful buttons to emblish it, you can be sure I love you very much.

Of course Etsy is a treasure trove of buttons, one I love to run my virtual fingers through.

Like this simple collection of pretty vintage buttons from LillianOlive:


Vintage button as necklace by WhimsyHouse:


"Violet Hoopla," a button, felted cashmere, and embroidery collage by bomchelle:


Antique crochet and vintage buttons on a mustard linen pillow by vintagedesignstudio:


Hip and lovely vintage button brooches by runamok:


Sweet needlecase with vintage buttons by JennMaruskaDesign (dear family, bookmark this for mother's day, please):
Gorgeous wintery mini-wreath embellished with buttons, by ravennagirls:


Vintage button bobbypins (that I wish my daughter would allow in her hair) from annatillettdesigns:


Button and paper embellishments by chocolatecupcake:


My personal favorite in this grouping, "Buttons," a 5x5 print from LolasRoom:

And a necklace celebrating the button (which I got for Christmas, but in silver, and which I very much treasure) from luxedeluxe:


Enjoy cultivating your own button love!

Mortal Plush: I am not your toy

plush made by melissastanley727

A friend of mine got accepted to be part of this little bit scary/little bit cute/all awesome art show. It's called "Mortal Plush: I am not your toy" and it is a group exhibit of "emotional plush art" that's going to take place in National Harbor, Maryland: July 11th - August 11th. I don't think I'll be able to go, but I took a trip through the flickr group just to check out the artists' submissions. I don't know who got accepted, but here are just some of the plushes (or is it plushies?) that appealed to me.

"I Can't Believe You're My Sister" by Silent Orchid

(Can't you sense her annoyance? The hand on hip nails it.)

"Pip N Squeek" by Kit Lane

(Sweet fuzziness. I love the pink thread.)

"Sad and uber angry Mr. Toastee" by Yummy Pancake

(I would go through these feelings too. If I were toast.)

"old lady 011" by Wool & Water
(Does anyone remember Madame, the sassy old lady puppet from the 80s? This girl totally reminds me of that girl - without the rhinestones, of course.)

"Lil Octopus in Hand" by Loopy Dolls
(I get the same sense of sweet strangeness that I get from that doll head toy in "Toy Story.")

"Needle Felted Buddies" by feltalive

(Just a pair of red-headed friends.)

"Squirrely Pin" by VenaCavaCraft
(Just some tiny, fuzzy love with some darn careful stitching too.)

Freemotion Art

End of the Pier, originally uploaded by gillian.bates.

As a sewist who still has to concentrate like gangbusters to keep my hems straight, this freemotion machine embroidery by Gillian Bates is astonishing.

I'm in love with these pieces--the medium, the colors, the subjects. There's something so nostalgic and true about them.

And some of them are for sale in Gillian Bates' Etsy shop.

If you are willing to settle for a print, there are also postcards:

Now it's just a matter of choosing.