The Least Amish Amish Craft Fair In History

I found myself in Indiana's Amish country this past weekend and on my way back to Chicago I took a side trip to Napanee, Ind. That's how I wound up at Amish Acres, a sort of Colonial Williamsburg knockoff of the Amish variety. Except, you know, without any actual Amish on site.

They happened to be having an arts and craft festival that featured some truly hideous things. (One guy was selling carved wooden signs that said "Tequila makes my clothes fall off." Like I said, TOTALLY. NOT. AMISH.) But amidst the calico and spice dips and rag quilts (side bar: rag quilts? No. Just no.) there were some cool pieces of folk art.

And thus, I present to you, a selection of the non-heinous items at The World's least Amish Amish Arts & Craft Festival.

Spoon art.

Carved wood gnomes. GNOMES, PEOPLE!

There were lots of letter pictures.

I'm bummed I lost this artist's card, but her mixed-media work was cool

A dala horse.

Reclaimed metal turkey! Gobble.

Reclaimed metal flowers. I ALMOST bought one.

This was the most Amish thing there.

In which I make a to-do list

My I-Want-To-Make-This-Awesome-Thing-Right-Now list is getting bitch-ass long. (Yes, I used bitch-ass. Your point?)

Anywho, since I am spending more time thinking of things I want to make instead of finishing the projects I have to do (I'm looking at your quilt back, Modern Gal.) I thought I'd show you some things on my crafty to-do list.

I want to make this super-awesome quilt using Anna Maria Horner's latest fabric line, Loulouthi. I like that the big blocks show off the big patterns, and mean that the quilt wouldn't take very long to put together. (I like to plow through projects, not spend years on them. I am all about crafty instant gratification.)

(Photo by Pins & Bobbins; Pattern by Stitched in Color.)


This awesome needlepoint pattern. Keep in mind, I don't needlepoint. But I grew up watching my mom do it and I've been dying to learn and this kit by Modern Needleworks has me drooling, in large part because nothing about it says grandma. And because it's a full kit that has the pattern painted on the canvas. I may be a math nerd at the office, but I refuse to stitch things that require me to count to recreate a pattern. (I'm looking at you Counted Cross Stitch.)


A version of this pillow by The Rebel Homemaker, with warmer colors in the panels.



Anything that could even come, maybe, possibly, sorta close to look as awesome as this stitching by Prints Charming.


And, last but certainly not least, this kick-ass crewel sampler made by Alicia Paulson. The practical among you will point out that I don't know how to do crewel. I will grit my teeth and stomp my feet and say, so?!? And then figure out how to learn.


So that's some of what I've been drooling over. What are you and your fingers itching to get into?

Nesting doll(s)

I can't stop embroidering. Or wanting to make pillows. Luckily, the two seem to go together. (Well, they go together if you're a crafty freak.)

A few weekends ago, I stitched this super-cute Russian nesting doll, using a pattern from Sublime Stitching.

Looks adorable, no?


I started adding sashing when my machine crapped out on me. (Apparently, one cannot sew quilts for two years and not have the insides cleaned. Note to self.) It's since been repaired, but here's the work-in-progress. The fabric on the left will be the backing.

I'm playing with Aimee Ray's Doodle Stitch Along on Flickr. Here's my pretty-basic version of the assignment.

Craft Porn.

Ok, ok. It's not porn. Hold your horses.

Instead, this is a super-awesome compilation of 100 of the best crafty-type tutorials posted in 2010 from around the interwebs. If you're a reader of the big craft blogs, you'll have already seen some of these, but others were new to me. And, of course, totally drool-worthy.

Big props to The Long Thread, which has been compiling its annual Top 100 list for three years now.

Happy crafting.

Christmas Quilt. Redux.

I started working on this in August. Got sidetracked by life. Picked it up again briefly in September for a few days. Got sidetracked by life. Blogged about it. Got sidetracked by life. And finally just sat down for five hours this weekend to piece the top quilt together.

I'm planning to back it with a thin teal fleece while quilting it with a warm red thread. Here's a few pictures of the quilt, outside my church on Sunday morning.









The pattern, in case you're curious, is an improvised In and Out quilt by Blue Underground Studios. I added sashing (the white bits on the side) and tweaked the dimensions. I'm still debating the best way to quilt it.

Thoughts?

P.S. One of the cool things about the original quilt pattern is that it was inspired by Chicago's urban architecture. It's a reflection of the windows in downtown building. Click on the "in and out" link above to visualize.

In which I make things.

Because I am a dumbass, I forgot to take pictures of this project while I was working on it. But sometimes, there's something even better than a picture of a finished sewing project on a hanger. What is it? A finished sewing project on a person!

Meet my friend Emily. Or should I say, Rev. Emily.

That's her at her ordination service late last month. And that lovely green number she's wearing around her neck? That's the stole I made for her as an ordination present. Green happens to be her favorite color and it's also the liturgical color for ordinary time, which is a hefty chunk of the liturgical year. (Non church geeks click here to find out what the hell I'm talking about.)

Anyhoodles, since I love Emily and she is 800 percent fabulous, I knew I wanted to make a stole for her big day. I didn't use a pattern, but if I make another one, I'll tweak it a bit so it wasn't so wide. The hardest part was getting the stole to lay flat along the back, so I borrowed a bunch of stoles from my pastor friend and tried to figure out what worked best. (BTW, I have a lot of minister friends. And seminary friends. And yet I have the world's foulest mouth. They love me anyway, because that's the kind of people they are.)

Here's a strangely cropped picture showing Em serving communion to her hubby. Note the pretty back of the stole. Say it with me: Ooooh. Pretty.


And here's an even more strangely cropped picture showing the full stole. It's a little rigid because I put interfacing on both sides, but I hope once it gets a few washings that it softens up a bit.

Even though I forgot to take pictures of the project (and here's where I should give a shoutout to Emily for letting me use her pictures of the blog, since I am a horrible friend and missed the whole service because I was drinking mai tai's on the beach in Hawaii), I had a ton of fun making it. It actually was a pretty simple project and I love the idea of making something for clergy who aren't into the standard stoles that are a) heavily brocaded and look like they were made with my grandmother's old draperies or b) look like they should be accompanied by Birks and a rousing chorus of Kumbaya. (Not that there's anything wrong with that.) I really hope I get to make some more!

It's hard to see here, but there's a smattering of stuff from different designers including Denyse Schmidt, Amy Butler, Anna Maria Horner and Art Gallery Fabrics in there. I used mostly fat quarters and lined the back with two different Amy Butler prints.

Woot! And, may I be one of many to say congrats Rev. Emily! I'm so proud of you!

In which I make a mess. And progress.

N.B. If I owe you a long-awaited wedding present that's really going to be more like a Happy First Anniversary! present, read at your own risk.

Many moons ago I started working on a wedding quilt. Started, being the operative word. The pattern was taking forever. None of my colors seemed to go together. I ripped out every seam and started over. A lot. It was just ... icky. Luckily (or at least, luckily if you enjoy procrastinating) everyone on the planet decided to have babies, which kept me up to my eyeballs in baby quilts for a while.

But birthin' season is almost over so now I MUST return to the wedding quilt, which is inspired by this.

I spent about three hours working tonight and only made three blocks. Sigh. I forgot how much is involved in this, especially since I can't use my favorite fast-sewing technique of strip-piecing.

After what felt like an hour of cutting, I had this. One glorious mess. (This is just a part of it.)


I had a hard time taking pictures of the finished blocks. Plus, it's getting late, I'm tired and I don't feel like playing with photoshop to fix the crappy lighting. So pretend this looks STUNNING. Is actually a picture of the whole block. Has cool colors that aren't funky in the light. Is straight. And then multiply it. By a lot. And then your mind can enjoy its imaginary-for-now-but-soon-to-be-actualized awesomeness.


The end.

I solemly swear ...

... That I am up to NO GOOD.

A bedroom problem.

No no, you dirty birds!! I have an, ahem, different bedroom problem. Specifically? This.


Not sure what you're looking at? It's one of the several big-ass scuff marks my stupid headboard has put on my wall. And NO, pervy! Not from that. Please. Anyhoodles....

I've hated my headboard since I got it, but it was cheap and that was -- and is -- good enough for me and my tight budget. Still, I was getting fed up with the scratches. And finally on Friday, while frantically preparing for my parents' arrival, I decided to bite the bullet and make a headboard cover.


To make the slip cover I used five-inch nine-patches I started piecing together about a year ago, hoping to finally make myself a quilt for JUST ME. Since my project kept getting put aside by baby quilts and wedding projects and giving sewing lessons to friends and all manner of assorted other things, I finally accepted the idea that my bedspread quilt just wasn't meant to be. And with that, I dug into my pile of nine-patches.

With that I mind, I measured the headboard (a queen-size is 60 inches), grabbed five of my favorite blocks, arranged them in a way I liked and sewed them together using the standard quarter-inch seam. They formed a strip that was about 68 inches long at that point, so I trimmed 3 inches off each side to fit my length while still allowing room for a seam allowance Then I added white sashing at the top (3.5 inches wide x the length of the piece) and bottom (5 inches wide x the length of the piece). I hemmed the bottom sashing piece to keep raw edges away and did the same thing on white backing that ran the length and width of my patchwork top.

And, voila! Super pretty AND functional headboard that looks awesome and keeps the piece o' crap from further marring my walls.



The whole project was super easy and took me about 40 minutes to do. Alas: I was in such a rush that I didn't think to take pictures for a proper tutorial. So these will have to suffice.

But, tell me. Whatcha think??

Pretties!

I've been focusing on sewing baby quilts for the 8 gazillion pregnant people in my life. But after Lido sent me his super-awesome pictures of the baby blanket he knitted, I couldn't resist.



I truthfully have no idea what I'm making.




But damn if it isn't fun.

Itching to sew.

Did anyone else catch Ashley's super-easy-and-cute pillow case tutorial?

OMG! Want! To! Sew! Some! Right! Now! (Also: I really want to use that Anna Maria Horner folksy flannel too. EEEP. Alas, I have none. Whine. And my shop is sold out.)

I'd post her pictures, but I'm not sure what Ashley's rule is on grabbing images, even with attribution. And OMG, how much would it suck if one of your sewing/quilting idols got mad at you!? I'd cry. A lot. And then I'd drink and it'd be OK. But in the interest of not crying and not consuming empty calories, I recommend you just click on the link. Do it for the sake of my waistline and my eyeliner. And trust me, once you look at it, you'll thank me.

Lidolicious

Confession time: I have a friend crush.

Yup, a crush on a friend who is just so fabulous that he's simply impossible not to love. Lido's a modern-day renaissance man: a knock-you-over good photographer (check out his blog), a chef, a journalist, an artist, a guy who knows more about philosophy and dance than I'll ever know and is a 100 percent great friend and human being. (Years ago he even let me mangle his toes once on the dance floor. Rest assured it was a mistake he never made again. He also once let me sleep in the back of his Outback during a weekend-long jam band and bluegrass concert. Also a mistake he never made again.)

Basically, he's fabulous. (For the record, he's also engaged to the equally fabulous Jessica, whom I love and wish nothing but the best. Mazel tov!!)

The last time I publicly professed my Lido Love was in September when I was having an existential font-related crisis. But wouldn't you know it? Mr. Marvelous went and out did himself and caused me to fall all madly in friend love with him again. If I didn't love him so much I'd smack him.

So what did he do? Well, it looks like even though he's busy living it up with his lady in Montana and working as media director at a Web site/newspaper, Lido went out and learned to knit.

Yes. Knit.

And because he's Lido, he didn't just decide to knit a scarf. Or a hat. Or pot holders. Or something else nice and basic. Nope. Lido, upon learning that his cousin was going to have a baby, went out, learned to knit and made that munchkin a freaking blanket.


(Ladies, are you swooning yet? If not, well, perhaps you should see a physician.)

He sent me the pictures of his project and after squealing and demanding more details, I asked if I could post the pictures and some of his story for you all to admire.


When I asked him what prompted him to learn to knit, he was as always his humble self:

"I don't know why I started knitting. It was something I tried doing ages ago and never really completed anything. So when my darling little cousin became pregnant I thought why the hell not knit them a blanket. (They are very earthy, locally made, hippie, livin' on the farm, appreciate handmade type folk.) Mostly, I like it because I feel like I'm accomplishing something but I can still sit and zone out, clear my mind, and do something that's nothing like anything else I do during the day."

He also confesses to being unable to stop knitting. It's a plague I know well.


Anyway, now that I've made the boy blush and hopefully not enraged his fiancee by professing to love her betrothed, let me just sum it up by saying OMG! Hats off, Mr. Vizzuitti. You are, as always, totally Lidolicious.

Right folks?

Confessions of an Etsy addict

Chances are, if you read this blog, you've probably got the same type of Etsy addiction I do.

So with the Christmas holidays rolling around (and my own fantasy that I'll be flush with cash this year ... hahahaha. Right.) I thought I'd post some of my favorite Etsy shops with the hope that maybe you'll post and share yours.

Ready? Set? Go!

First up: Paper Prayers -- folk art with a spiritual slant. These crafty ladies have much more on their blog and you can convo them for items that aren't listed in the store. (They make the rounds at a lot of craft shows. I'm currently in love with this piece.



Next comes The Love Shop! How can you not, uh, love it! Great prints with a great message. There are too many fun ones to pick, so I went with this.



The Wheatfield makes me so happy. In fact, I have one of Katie's designs as my background at work. It calms me down AND makes me smile. Incidentally, she's having a sale right now where all prints are $15... Hum. I might have to pick up a few.


I am somewhat convinced that if Vol25 and I ever meet, we'd be instant besties. Of course, she might think I'm bat-shit crazy (also, true) but I just immediately get what she's talking about in her work. Plus, we both heart typewriters.


When I used to live in Chattanooga, I'd see Beth Gumnick's work all over town. Now I have a piece in my house that I picked up during my list visit. It's a hand-painted sign and I LOVE it. You can see more of her work here.



Can you tell I have a think for prints and wall-hangings? Yeah. It's a sickness....

There's, of course, my favorite etsy fabric shops: Whipstitch and FabricWorm. And the fun (and sometimes dirty letterpress) of RarrarPress and YeeHaw Industries.

So what about you? What Etsy shops do you love??? Prints or fabric, jewelry or, well, anything ... Let me know!

Photos via each Etsy shop.

Finished quilt!

This weekend was the much-anticipated baby shower and the delivery of the handmade name banner and quilt!

I'm home sick with strep, so you'll have to delight in the pictures and small captions since I'm too wiped to post any of my usually am!

How it started:


Then I learned to applique. Which, incidentally, was not easy.



It's quilted with a stipple and backed with turquoise minky.



Best part? I finally managed to bind it without it looking like poop! (Credit for that goes to this amazing tutorial.)



Ok, I lied. Learning how to bind wasn't the best part. The best part was seeing her face when she opened it.


Um, Kathleen, you know it's for the BABY, right?


And check it, Chris likes it too!


I can't wait for baby Josie to get here and roll around on this! It was made with love by Aunt Noodles. I think Kathleen knows that, too.


The End.