That's Commitment!

Wow! I can honestly say that I'm not that dedicated to my craft. And I think that is ok.
It is quite pretty though! The colors are amazing!
More from this commited knitter at http://flickr.com/photos/theloneknitta/

Heroes of Craft

All hail Leslie Segrete, a true goddess of craft! You may know her as the mistress of "sewing world" and a designer in her own right on TLC's "While You Were Out." It takes a special person to wrangle yards and yards of fabric on a deadline. I don't think I could spend that many consecutive hours behind a sewing machine without pulling my hair out! So, YOU GO Leslie! You are a craft hero!

A Day Without Rain

Wow! It's actually quite pretty outside today! I decided to wander out to the garden and discovered that my toad lily is getting ready to bloom! I guess it likes gray, rainy weather. It was also nice to see some sun shining on my glass rocks for a change.

Time to return to craft world!

Get Crafting!

Ok, it's the weekend everybody! Time to get crafting! Ready, set, go!

Oh, dear...Need some inspiration first? The above images come from Anna Maria Horner's blog (http://annamariahorner.blogspot.com/), which is always SO inspiring! Check it out, and THEN get busy!

Hope you all have a great weekend. Drop me a comment - I know I've been getting many new visitors recently, and I'd like to meet you! Welcome!

Gorgeous New Fabrics!!

Happy Tuesday!

I saw these beautiful new fabric designs from Jessica Jones and had to share them! Maybe you will see them again soon in some of my own crafty projects!

Learn more about them on the How About Orange Blog:

http://howaboutorange.blogspot.com/2008/01/my-fabric-is-finished.html

By the way, I always thought my sister Erin would make an absolutely fantastic fabric designer (hint, hint), but I think she's made up her mind to work in art museums instead! Either way, she'll be successful at whatever she does!

Handmade Brooches Rock!

Hello everybody, and please give a heartfelt welcome to my lovely model Joan! She is a dear friend of mine who is wearing one of my handmade brooches. Doesn't she look fabulous? Hooray for Joan!
I haven't been blogging too much, sorry! I've been a busy bee working on items for my Etsy shop. By the way, a number of people have inquired as to special/custom orders for Valentine's items, so please let me know if you're interested. I will be happy to work something out with you!
Hope everyone is enjoying 2008 so far! Have a great week!

My New Etsy Store

It's official! I've finally taken the plunge and opened my own Etsy store! I was a bit apprehensive, but I decided to post just 3 things (which happen to be Valentine's Day related) as a trial run. Hopefully, they don't sit there all lonesome and unwanted!
Please check out my Etsy store link on the sidebar, and tell all your friends! Any feedback will also be much appreciated.
By the way, I can also take custom orders. You can reach me by email (for friends and family out there) or via my Etsy page (for everyone else).

Sewing Machine Cover

Yay! After much delay due to other projects, I have finished my sewing machine cover.

Here's the "before" picture of my sad, naked machine:

And here's the "after"! Now she will be warm and cute! Hooray!

T-Shirt Reconstruction

Happy Friday! Friday is jeans day at work (for the time being...the corporate goons have organized a dress code committee). So, it was the perfect opportunity to introduce my new t-shirt redesign! I took an old tee, sewed in an asymmetrical foldover collar, and added matching fabric along the bottom hem. Yay! I was really happy with the outcome! Plus, it gave me the opportunity to use some of the cute shell buttons from Grandma Nell's collection!

Reading is Sexy

Hello, my literary friends! If you're like me, you love reading, especially when it quickly dissolves into napping. I read so many books, I sometimes can't remember which ones to recommend to others. So, I started a list of Awesome Books over on the sidebar. Caveat: I only plan to list books that I have finished since January 1, 2008.
As for some memorable reads of 2007, I recommend the following:

• Through a Glass Darkly by Karleen Koen
• American Gods by Neil Gaiman
• The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

Happy reading!

Completed Projects!

Here are pictures of the two quilt blocks to be framed for my parents' dining room:

And here is the blouse I made (my first from a pattern) and wore to work today. Yes, I did have to go to work! No more smelly sewage in the building!




So what's next on the list? How about finishing the quilted cover for my sewing machine! I'll share a pic when it's done!

Check out Craftster!

Craftster has their "Best of 2007" list up at http://www.craftster.org/bestof2007/. Here are 3 of my favorites!!

Beautiful gown! I can't believe someone made this by hand!

Penelope, is that you?!

This just made me laugh- it's a knitted wig!

In Robyn's Garden, Plus Other Musings

Guess what? My workplace was flooded with raw sewage yesterday morning (thanks to the brilliant folks next door at Subway), so we've all been ordered out until Monday. So, what have I been up to? Well, I've spotted the first flowers of 2008 in my garden (see below). Plus, I've been working on a quilt block for framing (pics to come). I've also decided to try making a blouse from an actual pattern, though I'm a bit nervous about the outcome. I'll keep you updated!

Finally, I'm hoping to meet up with some other Houston-area crafters in the near future. I'm imagining a casual get-together to make new friends and share projects. So, if you (or anyone you know) is interested in joining in on the fun, let me know!

Happy New Year!

Hope everyone had a spectacular New Year's celebration! We spent it with our good friends, the "McLoxleys."

Jeff, my brother from another mother, officially retired from the petrochemical world to go to school at night and care for baby Sofie during the day (see below). So, I decided he needed a patron saint of mannyhood! In his case, Wicket (at left) will be keeping an eye on things at home while Sylvia is at work! When I saw the online tutorial for Wicket, I knew I had to make him for Jeff! I would guess that Jeff spent a good portion of his childhood wishing he was an Ewok!