Mele Kalikimaka - This Here's Some Cool Bark Cloth!

Like any self-respecting fabricophile, I just love quirky prints and cool finds. So when I received a box of  unused fabric from a friend of mine, it was like Christmas 2013 all over again! I opened the lid and staring me in the face was a beautiful piece of Hawaiian Bark Cloth.

 Okay, maybe not original bark cloth. Bark cloth was originally made from the fibrous inner bark of a certain species of tree, and is actually a non-woven piece as opposed to the woven fabric we know today. Still, it's a find. This particular piece is from Gordon Hawaiian Fabrics, and is a beautiful chocolate brown with teal accents. I have 3 yards. I don't dare cut into it.

If I had a sunroom, I would consider making some cushions for my island wicker chairs. If I had a summer home, this fabric would be perfect for pleated drapes in a family room. As it is, I am just going to hold onto it for awhile and admire it. Who knows what may inspire a project? I'll bet if I were given the opportunity of a free trip to Hawaii, I would gladly make his and her island shirts for me and Bob. They sure would look nice with a few leis wrapped around our necks.

Please comment with your ideas on what I should do with this fabulous fiber. I will send all comments a gift of appreciation! (Leave your mailing address please!)

 Look at this beautiful
 medallion!

Clair and Clover respectively

"What To Do When You Need a New Sofa" or "I Need a New Couch And I'm Poor"

It was time. It was actually past time. We have this off-white sofa in a fabric I can only describe as 1990's ultra-suede in our living room. And between a flurry of cats, snacking, red wine spills etc. that we've put it through, it has become less and less appealing over the years. But to purchase a brand-new one? When me and Bob have two lovely, new kittens in the house who have been using the arms as a manicure file? And let's face it - after Christmas, Valentine's Day and three birthdays, investing in a sofa just wasn't in the budget.

Being the thrifty Yankee, I assessed the situation. The back cushions were okay, the bottom of the couch where it meets the floor was alright, but the cushions were stained beyond cleaning and the sofa arms resembled a rodent's nest. Time to get the show on the road.

chewed sofa arm

I went to one of my favorite bargain stores (**the store where you should buy it when you see it, if you catch my drift). Home decorating material was a buck a yard. Bingo. I left that place with ten yards of a medium-weight navy/white material that had the texture of linen. I had visions of the end result all the way home.

new sofa material

Now the reason I'm telling you my sofa woes, is because I want you all to see just how uncomplicated it is to create a new look for a less-than-new piece of upholstered furniture. First, you're going to want to make some box cushion covers. This will hide and/or protect the seat of your couch and may be removed to be laundered whenever you want. Anyone with basic sewing skills can create these. I used a zip enclosure, but if zippers freak you out, you can substitute with velcro, or simply hand stitch the pillows closed.

Here's a helpful link:
http://www.ehow.com/how_6676976_make-box-cushion.html

twill reinforcement

adding a zip

finished zip enclosure

After I finished my cushions, it was time to think about the last area I needed to cover, my feline-destroyed sofa arms.

Find a piece of paper that is big enough to cover the front arms of your couch. I used newspaper, but you can also use butcher paper, freezer paper, anything like that.

Pin it to the arm using common pins. Then trace around the shape using a sharpie or another easy to see marker/pen/pencil. Remove, then add a 1/2 seam allowance.

pin to sofa arm

add a seam allowance

Measure the length of the arm, and how wide you'd like your cover to be, (make sure to add extra width so you can tuck one end into the box cushions). Then stitch this width around the front of the front arm face.
Voila! Add a few accent pillows and you're done!  I completed this project for around fifteen dollars. Of course, the cost of fabric is what dictates the price. Look around, there are some good fabric deals out there. Joanne Fabrics is a nation wide chain that always has excellent coupons available. Marden's has several locations in Maine that has fabulous deals. And The Exeter Hankerchief shop in Exeter NH has a fantastic remnant department featuring very high quality goods.

www.joann.com
www.mardens.com
www.fabricandfurniture.com

And here is the finished project! Not a brand-new sofa, but one that is in now decent enough shape to take us through another year or so - or at least until our sweet, little kittens have matured a bit! 

Sunny Sunday

I was going to write about Black Friday, and everything I find wrong about it, but instead, I'm going to promote a most enjoyable event that will be taking place in Kittery, November 25 on what I'm calling Sunny Sunday.

This Sunday, The Buoy Gallery in Kittery Maine will be hosting Craft Fix, a holiday artisan fair showcasing some great handcrafted items. Just one of several reasons why we should consider sticking to low ground and shop local this season.

By keeping holiday shopping local, we are jump starting economy in our own backyards, providing a source of income for the Everyman merchant next door. Why place hard-earned dollars in the pocket of corporate America? The greed that accompanies these big box stores is immense. Couple that with refusal to pay employees a decent wage and expecting long hours including giving up a well-deserved Thanksgiving holiday - well here I am veering in the direction of a Black Friday diatribe.

I'll step off my soap box now and bring you pictures of some of the items you will find at Craft Fix this Sunday!

from left to right, top to bottom: Amanda Telford, Byrdy Dilando, Annika Wisswaesser,

  Lori Dennis, Tracy Maestro

File This Under "Pass the Stuffing, Please"

Due to family obligations on the actually holiday, my family and I celebrated Thanksgiving this past Sunday. We affectionately call it "Fakesgiving", but aside from the moniker, every thing is pretty traditional. My sister does the majority of the cooking but we all pitch in.

This year I was instructed to bring sweet potatoes. Okay, easy enough. After years of eating them steamed and mashed with butter, salt and pepper, I decided to go out on a limb and roast them with a little curry and garlic. You see, even though my mom is normally an adventurous eater, on holidays, she likes the old standbys. And my aunt, well she's the kind of person that when dining out orders the same thing every time. Long story short, everyone seemed to enjoy the curried potatoes.  Now I feel empowered to mix it up a little next year.

This year Bob and I are invited to the house of some good friends for the actually holiday. We are bringing some apps. I was cruising some recipe websites last night trying to find something a little different. What is listed below goes beyond "something a little different".

For starters, there's the main course - The Turkeydunkin 

 A combination of turkey and a jimmied doughnut, I'm betting this would be a hit at the kiddie's table!

And if you were thinking more of a casserole type of entree, how about 

The Turkey Meat Cake

This actually looks pretty tasty. A take-off on the Shepard's Pie/Meatloaf

Then of course there's always dessert. Well, maybe a cross between an appetizer and dessert. The pleasing

Velveeta Cheese Cake 

 

Now we need something to wash all of this down. In 2003, Jones soda company stretched it's already imaginative minds and produced a limited edition Turkey and Gravy soda. In 2004, a complete beverage-dinner 5-pack was offered containing the above flavor along with these traditional favorites: green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and butter, cranberry and fruitcake.

Anyone have any different offerings at their own family Thanksgivings? I'd love to hear from you! Is there one dish you absolutely love and look forward to every year? How about one you can't stand?  Let me know! In the meantime, everyone of you have a wonderful holiday filled with food, love and great company!

 

A Gift Idea For Your Fitness-Minded Friends

Yup, you heard it here, folks. Two days before Thanksgiving, and I'm half way through my Christmas gift-giving list. Of course I'm not going to pat myself on the back yet. In the past when I have had a good jump on things, I lose the urgency, thinking I have all this time to find the few remaining presents I need to purchase. Next thing you know, I'm out on Christmas eve, jostled by the maddening crowd, looking for that elusive, perfect bauble that was in plentiful supply just three weeks earlier. Then there's the two-day (or god forbid) overnight shipping costs which brings online shopping down a peg or two. But it won't happen this year. I promise with only one set of fingers crossed. Following is a gift idea to help you along with your own situation.

Yoga is one of the fastest growing fitness regimes in this country. Statistic Brain suggests in a July 2012 study that 15 million Americans practice yoga. Studios are all over the place.  Do you have a yogi on your holiday shopping list? At an average, annual growth rate of 20% , I'll bet you do. Why not purchase one of my handcrafted yoga mat bags? I have a good selection in my Etsy store, along with some nifty Dupioni silk eye pillows that would make nifty stocking stuffers for your fitness-minded friends and paramours. Shop here http://www.etsy.com/shop/sleepingvirginia?section_id=12444721 or come see me at Craft Fix on Sunday November 25th 11-5pm 2 Government Street in Kittery Maine.

Here are some pics of some of the bags available. The birch branch rack is brand new and crafted by the very talented Tom Keating of South Berwick, Maine.

Around the World in a Little Over 80 Days

I have a new addition in my studio. I found this big laminated sheet of The United States framed with old barn board in South Berwick yesterday. I've been looking for one of this size, because I already have a map of the world, but the United States is too small for the plans I had.

See, I wanted to take a Sharpie and mark my Etsy sales. It's kind of fun seeing where my all of my stuff is now residing. And I was also curious to see if there is a trend forming. Some towns were too small to pinpoint them exactly on the map, (Wauconda, IL, for one) but I tried to mark a spot in the general area.

I started with last year's invoices. I finished 2011, but haven't started this year yet. But I did notice some interesting facts.

Last year, I had twenty-two orders. Four in sunny California. Two in the southern half of the state, and two a little more than half way up. One was in a town near Lake Tahoe, and the other three on the coast: San Francisco, Pasadena and Long Beach. I also had a sale in Seattle and Jacksonville, Oregon.

Canada was also good to me. I had sales in Oshawa, Ontario, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and Coquitlam, British Columbia. Two sales were from Brazil and Australia. This was exciting and a little daunting since I have never mailed anything out of country before, and I was worried that: 1. the item would never get there, and 2. I'd have to pay a weeks wages for postage. Turns out, I didn't have to worry.

I also sold close to home.

South Berwick, Portsmouth, and Boston. were local sales. Since I live in Portsmouth, I've been scoping out that little, yellow bag. But so far, no sightings.

With seven sales in California, Oregon, Washington and BC, a little over 30% of my Etsy business for 2011 was on the west coast. In January, I'll be taking that Sharpie out again and seeing how 2012 stacks up.

Busiest times of the year!

Thrown into the mix with Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas is the bundle of craft shows I participate in at this time of the year. Okay, don't feel sorry for me - yet. I love doing these fairs. For one thing, it's nice to have people browse and purchase the items you've worked so hard on for months. A validation of sorts. But the preparation for these outlets contains a fair amount of stress. Do you have enough product? Will people like your stuff? What if the crowd is less than, um - crowd-ish? And after carefully preparing and setting up your display, your table looks like crap? Hmmm, so many things to think about.

Anyone who has worked retail realizes that packaging is key to selling a product. At a craft fair, presentation is equally important. I regard it as a skill in itself. I want my table to be pleasing to the eye, so I have to make sure I have attractive signage, baskets and bins to place my wares, and somehow try to make the whole dang thing cohesive. There are artisans out there who are really, really good at this. I've seen their setups and they create a "wow" reaction. I hope to get that good someday,

So this year I am doing a fair that requires tables to be covered to the floor on at least three sides. All of a sudden my makeshift tablecloths will not do. That's when I booked it to Marden's. My favorite go-to place for great fabric at really reasonable prices. What follows is my adventure putting together a table top that reaches the floor, constructed from 4 yards of sweet, neutral colored cloth that draped quite nicely.

 After I sewed the side pieces on, it was time to add the skirt. I slipped on the table cover and measured the length of skirt, being sure it would hit the floor. I mean, that was the whole reason for this project in the first place, right?

I actually had fun doing this. Of course, I'm a geek and get a crazy high doing this kind of thing. Here's what I came up with... and come see me and the rest of our crafty bunch at The Craft Fix, Buoy Gallery 2 Government St. Kittery Maine. Sunday, November 25th!