There’s been lots of fa-la-la-la-la-ing around here lately . . . along with a whole lotta sewing! The holidays are swiftly creeping up + it’s time to start scrambling to find those perfect gifts.

And who am I not to help those in need of fine, handmade gifts this holiday season? {I’m no elf, but I do try my darnedest!}

I’ve always been a big fan of the stocking stuffers, myself . . . there’s nothing quite like finding a big, bulging sock full of goodies come Christmas morning — and since I’m such a lover of all-things-utilitarian as well, I stocked the shop full of nice little gifties perfect for stuffing stockings! Check out these cute + festive + eco-friendly coffee sleeves . . .

I’ve even got my own travel mug dressed up for the holidays!

. . . Or perhaps some cute little travel tissue holders are more your thing? It’s certainly the time of year when one never seems to have quite enough tissues on hand. Why settle for those sad, resealable plastic bags travel tissues come in? I say give your friends + coworkers a little class for their tissues!

And for your best mates? Perhaps they deserve the ultimate holiday goodie bag . . . a 2008 Winter Survival Kit — this little sack of treats will go a long way toward making the bustle + bluster of this holiday season all the more bearable, so check them out and give a little holiday cheer to someone you love!

Stay warm + toasty, all! A post with some knitting content coming up next!

6 December 2008 | new goods for sale, sewing, shop talk | 9 comments

Hello, all! I’ve been meaning to post a little blurb about some new 100% philistine made products that I’ve recently added to the shop . . . just for all you knitters! Somehow, time has really gotten away from me . . . so how delighted I was to see my products for knitters featured in the new Indie Spotlight section of the winter edition of knotions! I’m absolutely thrilled to be featured in knotions + many great big thank yous to Jodi for including me. And speaking of knotions, have you seen the newest patterns being served up? The winter edition is choc full of some incredible winter accessories that I want to make nownownow, including my personal faves, the Magic Mirror Mittens, the Lakeside Knee Highs, the Isotope Hat, and of course Kelly’s Hanging Vines Socks. I am itching to cast on ALL of them immediatelyNOW! So, after you’ve checked out all of the great new patterns in knotions, come back here and check out all of my fun + happy new fold-over knitting project pouches + notions pouches . . . for those who are like me and have eleventy million projects going simultaneously, there is no such thing as owning too many project pouches!

Speaking of eleventy million projects, startitis has hit me particularly hard recently, so I should have lots of new knits to show off very soon!

Happy Tuesday, all . . . stay warm!

18 November 2008 | new goods for sale, sewing | 2 comments

Hello, everyone! Still busy, busy sewing over here . . . I’ve also been busy falling head over heels for Heather Ross’ Mendocino fabrics. They’re adorable, for one thing, and they come in the best color combinations! I saw them + immediately was inspired to turn them into . . . bathmats! And I couldn’t be happier with the results! Aren’t they fantastic? The perfect amount of retro fun for adults + super-colorful fun for kids, alike!

I paired up the Mendocino fabrics with some other really great fabrics to create the patchwork top panel + then backed the top with super-squishy, 100% organic cotton terrycloth backing. This stuff is absolutely dreamy to the touch–and I even added some squares of the terrycloth into the patchwork top panel so that you step onto cushy softness when you hop out of the shower.

And, look! Another great color combination–pretty blush, orange + gold! You can find both of these super-hip, super-fun patchwork bathmats in my shop now!

And you didn’t think I could stop at bathmats, did you? I mean, really, what’s a super-awesome new bathmat without matching washcloths? You can find a handful of patchwork washcloths in my shop, too!

Enjoy! + Happy almost-Friday!

23 October 2008 | bathmats + washcloths, new goods for sale, sewing, shop talk | 14 comments

Fall is finally here, friends, and I couldn’t be happier! It is my favorite time of year and I have been wallowing in it already! So many beautiful sights + smells to enjoy this time of year. I wanted to share a few of the glimpses of fall that I’ve been able to capture–I hope you enjoy them.

And . . . and! I am always up for a good way to celebrate fall, be it apple-picking, playing in leaves, or sipping hot toddies . . . so I was inspired recently to devise little fall-themed goodie pouches to have a fun, on-the-go way to celebrate the season. These little pouches make perfect surprise gifts for friends or for yourself! Check them out now in the s h o p! I hope you all enjoy them + enjoy the season!

16 October 2008 | fall is the best season of all, new goods for sale, out + about, sewing, shop talk | 11 comments

Hi all . . . wow, I didn’t mean to be gone for so long after flaunting my new fall scarflet, but I’ve been a busy bee. I spent most all of this past week cranking out a great big pile of linen dish towel sets, and, I must say, I’m pretty twitterpated with how they’ve turned out! I had so much fun making color sets of the patchwork pincushions that I continued that theme and made up color sets of the linen dish towels, which you can check out for yourself because they’re now available in my s h o p.

The { r e d } set is my favorite of the bunch. Those sweet lil’ acorns? Perfect for infusing this most perfect season into your kitchen.

So go take a peek in the shop and get yourself or a good friend a handmade, sturdy, + eco-friendly gift for fall!

Happy weekend, everyone!

4 October 2008 | WIPs, colorful!, linen dish towels, linen sling totes, new goods for sale, sewing, shop talk, socks | 3 comments

Today I made pincushions. I had never made pincushions before, but I figured if I knew how to make pillows, I knew how to make pincushions. And–lo and behold–my pincushions look a lot like my pillows. Who knew how fun it was to make pincushions? Also, I am officially a firm believer that anyone who has a sewing machine can never have too many pretty pincushions laying in wait to receive pins.

This lil’ bunch of colorful patchwork pincushions are now available in the s h o p, so go and have a look. ‘Specially if you’re in the market for taming your pins + needles!

Next up: a finished knit thing! { hey, don’t look so surprised. }

22 September 2008 | new goods for sale, pincushions, sewing, sewing accessories, shop talk | 12 comments

The first handful of my new linen sling totes are finished! It’s taken me a bit of time to perfect these pretty Zakka-inspired totes, but I am finally happy with the design. Which means you can expect to see them popping up in my shop very soon. And if you want one, you won’t even have to go sidling up to me on the street corner all shifty-eyed + avoiding the 224. Just a few clicks in the s h o p. Nothing illegal, I swear. {I love you, The Wire, bestest show ever.}

I’m really proud of the design + I’m hoping there will be interest in these great + handy little totes. I really love using tote bags on a daily basis, but I’m not a huge fan of too-small totes or totes with the U-handles, particularly when they don’t have a drop that is large enough to comfortably keep up on one’s shoulder. I’ve designed these totes to be practical, ergonomic + comfortable to, well, tote around everywhere you might go. The totes are roomy + capable of holding all of your purse essentials + whatever else you might want to carry around with you. Books, folders, your lunch, etc. And the strap is wide + lined with cotton fabric, and it can be positioned to sling across your chest or sit comfortably on your shoulder. This is my most favorite feature, because I can’t seem to keep purses, bags, or totes on my shoulder. I love that I can just sling this baby on and go!

I’m still waiting on a re-up of supplies to start really cranking the sling totes out, so there is only one in my shop right now {at a great sale price, too!}, but that will soon change, I promise. And if you are interested in a linen sling tote {I’ll soon be playing around with sturdy + heavy canvas for market/library totes, too} of a particular color/fabric combination or drop/handle length {for those of you über-tall folks}, feel free to drop me a line. Custom orders are always happily accepted.

7 September 2008 | it's finished!, linen sling totes, new goods for sale, sewing, shop talk, shoulder bags + totes | 9 comments