My friend Kali had checked out some of the octo creatures I had made and was in need of a baby shower gift for our friend Renee, and asked if I could come up with something.
She is made from decorator fabrics, vintage buttons, and has a sheer skirt dress. I always cut the tentacles slightly different so that each one is unique.
Her hands even clasp!
I made this flower pillow pattern for a Christmas gift for a couple years back, and have been meaning to revisit it, once I had the perfect color combo in mind. If you know my work, then you know that I tend to work best in greens, oranges, yellows, and browns, and generally in somewhat subdued, muted versions of these. It’s not like me to latch on to hot pinks or purples, LET ALONE MIX IT WITH PAISLEY! Ahh!
So, when I had a stack of fabrics that had been relegated to the “not sure sure if I can make this match” pile, I bravely made the decision to use them all in the same object. If none of them worked with the normal color scheme, then surely they would all work together, right?!
I cut enough for two of these pillows made with different vintage fabrics. I’m pretty happy with the result, and REALLY proud of myself for working outside my boundaries.
So eat it up, ‘cuz I dunno when lime green polka dots with beige and blue plaid is gonna happen again.
Get him while he’s stripey! He is the only round-bottom teardrop bird loaded to my shop for now.
Bright colors are not usually my go-to color scheme, but I have had several really cute fabrics that I’ve squirreled away for just the right project. Finally! A home for them. These little Wrenny Wristlet bird purses were perfect!
I made them in three color-ways: ”Pinky,” ”Candy,” and “Citrus.”
They all have different linings, zippers, and button eyes. Some even have different colors of beaks and feet. I will try to keep a few in the Etsy shop for a little while, but I am running low on some of the colors!
Who’s that guy pickin’ his own pocket?! Why, it’s a Long Neck Vulture in “Vintage Floral” colors!
He is similar to his sibiling, but his feet and pocket are hand-stitched. Check him out here.
Up next in the shop . . . a Long-Neck Vulture in pastels.
He has a pocket, a crazy long neck, sunken button eyes, quilted wings, and topstitched feet. Find him here.
I will be participating in two shows this upcoming weekend. Here’s the skinny:
First, Paula Wallace has graciously allowed me to show my bunny and kitty blocks alongside her immaculate oil paintings, prints, books, and other works. The show is called “Fresh Paint,” and will be held Friday, June 3 from 6pm until 9pm, and will continue through June 19. It will be held at Dundee Gallery. (Dundee Gallery is at 4916 Underwood Ave.) I am also proud to be showing with Matthew Schrader and Valerie Spellman Batt, two artists who work in glass. Matthew makes hand-blown items of all sorts, and Valerie works in stained glass.
I have been wanting to find the perfect items to bring to Jean’s Dundee Gallery for a while, and Paula’s show afforded me a wonderful opportunity. Paula wanted some little bunny items, and the bunny (and kitty) blocks fit the bill! Thank you to Jean and Paula for the opportunity.
Yay! With the help of my WONDERFUL mother, I’ve gotten a bunch of stuff cranked out! It’s a new cat purse!
Saturday, June 4 (5pm-9pm), I will be participating in a show to raise dog food (and money to buy more dog food) for the food bank. It is called Fetching Food for Fido, and Anna Hunter is hosting it on the third floor of Hot Shops Art Center. (Hot Shops is at 1301 Nicholas St.) It will run for the whole month of June. And best of all, IT’S A DOG-FRIENDLY EVENT! (Unless they are like our puggle, Charlie.)
I will have animal items for sale (like this cat purse, mini monsters, bunny and bird items, blocks, etc.), and have donated a few more for the raffle. There will be paw printing, photos, adoptable Great Danes from Rocky Mountain Great Dane Rescue, and more. Particpating artists include Anna Hunter, Randi Hunter, Rob Quinn, Matthew Shrader, William Holland, Gerard Pefung, Adam Swinarski, and me!
Hope you can make it to one, the other, or both.
My biggest goal this year, after having moved my studio back home, was to spend a little more time on making smaller items, and making them more regularly, for the online shop. I’m slowly getting the shop built back up, and one of the first entries in some time was a few pairs of women’s Shorty Shorts.
I have made a few different styles of these, and I feel like I’ve got a good system for making these now. They have serged seams so they stretch well, and I have lined the crotch with a cotton knit.
I like the little button details, and I try to use fabrics that would be comfy if these were worn as underwear, or just pajama bottoms. Heck, pull on some tights and these babies on top and strut around downtown. Head on over!
You know the little teardrop birds I’ve been making? Well, I made a slight modification. The bottoms were notoriously tricky, since the bodies of these guys are made up of strips cut on the bias. Sometimes they were a reeeaaaalll pain, what with the tiny feet in a tiny circle.
So, I flattened the bottoms. This makes them a little more uniform in construction form piece to piece, and will save time in the long run. (Which means lower cost for you guys! Yay!)
They sit on a flat surface nicely now, and I love how it makes them look even chubbier.
Win / win!
Just listed in my shop.
