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Bird Obessession! I love these fabrics that are hand printed and bird related. I found a new artist on Etsy, Cicada Studio (New York), who did the blue birds in the foreground. The middle fabric is from Pippijoe again, another Etsy artist from Australia. Printed on hemp and linen/cotton. Lovely. I can't wait to use them.

(For close ups, see my Flickr page)

Clothesline 2

I bought this amazing hemp/cotton hand printed fabric from an artist in Australia, Pippijoe on Etsy. I just love it. I already ordered more with a clothesline theme if you can believe it! I pre-washed them the other day and hung them out to dry. Almost didn't want to take them down, they made the yard look so pretty.

Clothesline

When I was really young, growing up in the Midwest in the 1960's, I remember having a clothesline in the yard and my mother hanging clothes to dry. Since that time, we always had and used a dryer. Clotheslines must have meant "can't afford a dryer" or something.

From 1995-1997 I lived in Tucson, Arizona with my aunt and uncle and my aunt dried her laundry in that hot desert sun. I loved it! Instead of hearing the dryer whirring, we stood out in the sun and listened to things like birds and dogs barking, kids playing. I loved it!

My yard in Colorado is landscaped. The clotheslines that every house used to have was cut down from my yard, the ends of the metal pipe were in my garden until a landscaping project removed the last sign of those times.

Yesterday, one of our first warm days here, I decided to resurrect the clothesline! Granted, it is not the most beautiful line but it works. I tried 3 loads of laundry yesterday in the sun. I like that it's up against the blooming lilacs, maybe it will make my sheets smell like lilac?

My husband is from Cuba. He said "Why are drying things like in Cuba?" hehehe

Aprons in Cuba

My Cuban husband visited Cuba in March. Before he left I made two aprons, one to give to his mother and one to give to his Madrina (Godmother)whom I have never met but have been corresponding with through letters.

His mother chose one and his Godmother chose this one. This week I received a note from her that said:





Thanks for your presents. I liked the apron very much because it is made with your hands. I wear the apron when I cook or wash the dishes. I will think of you when I wear it and always because you are my God-Daughter too.

Things like this just make me feel like life is worth living. I really hope I meet her one day. She is old, she was sick last year. There is a chance I won't ever meet her.

Needle Felting the Dog

My first attempt at needle felting my dog! Hm, it's a little hairy, but so is the dog! He is so unimpressed by my sculpting, darn. I used his fur for part of it, I washed it and carded it this summer.

Needle Felting

My first needle felting project. I took a class at Fancy Tiger here in Denver, I'm loving it!

Another Jewelry Roll

I have loved the Japanese fabrics since I first saw them on Etsy last year. I bought up a lot of fabric and am finally putting it to good use! A lot of what I have is heavier cotton canvas so it's perfect for things like this jewelry roll. Not to mention I get to also use wool felt which I just love. Both of these fabrics are so nice to work with, the perfect combination.



There more pictures, including the inside, on my Flickr page: LittleBitsysFlickr

Bling Roll

Another roll, I have to say it... I am on a roll! I love the combination of wool felt with other fabrics to make things like this. I'm working on jewelry rolls, here's one, labeled "bling":



Made with Lara Cameron's ginkgo fabric, 100% linen, love it, love it! Gorgeous green wool felt.

HAPPY EASTER, HAPPY SPRING

Fantastic Fabric

I made this pen roll for a co-worker who uses really nice pens. I was happy to have an excuse to use Hollabee's gorgeous hand printed linen fabric combined with felt on the interior to protect the pens and Japanese sewing tape.

Sassy Apron Swap - Finished the Chicks Apron

I finished my apron for the swap! I love this chicks fabric from Alexander Henry. The main apron is a pink cotton oxford.



More pics of this on my Flickr and also check the Sassy Apron Swap Flickr.

Fabric Eggs and Fluffy Chicks

I'm having way too much fun with the Easter theme! I don't have as much time as I'd like to sew right now so I manage to fit smaller projects like these. I love putting them all together for photographs:



QUICK Fabric Egg TUTORIAL
The idea of this is similar to making a papier mache pinata, which I did as a kid. We used strips of newspaper and glue over a balloon. The glue hardened and we popped the balloon, painted and decorated the outside and filled it with candy. Laying the strips over the egg is similar to laying the newspaper strips over the balloon. The fabric stiffener will make the fabric very hard. If you could find an egg shaped balloon, you could probably make a hollow egg using this technique!

Supplies:

1. Styrofoam eggs (mine are goose eggs, about 3" but you can try other sizes or use other eggs, wooden eggs would be good but they were expensive when I was looking)

2. "Stiffy" fabric stiffener (available at craft stores like Michaels, Hobby Lobby)

3. Applicator sponge or small paint brush (I had a problem with the bristles coming out of the brush and onto the eggs so I used a sponge applicator)

4. Cotton fabric cut into strips (I used Michael Miller "Dumb Dot" scraps in pink, aqua and blue. My strips were about 3/4" wide by about 4-5" long. This worked well for the egg size. A smaller egg might require shorter and more narrow strips and a larger egg might require longer strips.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Lay something down on the table where you work so you can be messy. I used wax paper. Don't use newspaper or anything that the print can come off of when wet.

Place a strip of fabric down on the table and cover it on both sides with the fabric stiffener using the sponge applicator (btw, this is messy, your hands will get sticky). I used a lot of the stiffener, the more the better to make it stay on the Styrofoam.

Place the fabric strip across the egg and smooth it down. Use more stiffener if needed. It might not stick to the styrofoam right away but once you get a few strips on, it will start to stick.

Continue wetting fabric and placing on the egg in a pattern so you completely cover the styrofoam.

When the egg is completely covered in fabric and you like the way it looks, sponge another layer of stiffener on it and smooth all the fabric down. Let dry on a surface that won't allow it to stick (wax paper worked great).

It will take awhile to dry, overnight is best.

Now you're finished! You can decorate it further if you want, I thought about making it sparkly with clear glitter or put rick rack around it, or other colors of fabric, possibilities are endless!

Chickies

For more pics, see my Flickr: Little Bitsys 2008

And check out the Chenille Chicks group on Flickr.

Vintage Apron Pattern

I've been wanting to buy a vintage pattern for aprons and found this one on eBay, I LOVE it! It is in perfect condition, never used, no tears or anything. It looks a little complex but I can tackle it, I think. I hope.

I love the mother/daughter theme.

Linen Tote - Kirin & Co Fabric

I LOVE Lara Cameron's fabrics and I have finally made another piece using this Riverside pattern in teal on natural linen:


I lined the bag using really nice Kona cotton fabric from a local craft store, Fancy Tiger:


It is listed in my Etsy shop but I am tempted to snatch it back for myself!

Poppytalk Handmade

Poppytalk is a great blog that recently added a handmade market to their repertoire. Little Bitsys is featured this month! Check it out here.

Spring Dresses and Dotted Aprons

I have had very little time to sew. It's taken me weeks to finish a few new Spring dresses in my shop, like this one


and have some aprons ready to sew I just need some time! If only I didn't love to sleep...

A few weeks ago I submitted an apron to Angry Chicken's Tie One On blog's polka dotted apron gallery and now it's up on Flickr, check it out, they are so wonderful! My Celebrity apron is there in the mob.

Then I read the blog further and the next theme for aprons is Havana Nights! My husband is from Cuba, we met there actually, in Havana. I am actually trying to finish up a couple of aprons that he can take to his mother and godmother when he makes his first visit back to visit in four years this month. I will blog about the aprons, hoping to get pictures of his mother wearing hers.

Here is one of the Spring or Easter dresses I just listed in my shop

Thinking Spring with Fantastic Fabrics

I am committing myself to start working through my fabric stash. I started last night with this dress using Kristen Doran's handprinted fabric on the top and Michael Miller's Garden Pindot in black and red on the skirt. When I put it all together, it didn't look right so I added the squares of Kristen's fabric along the seam line where the black and red fabrics connect. I've had this patchwork idea for awhile, just waiting to use it somewhere.

Dharma Trading

I was featured on the Dharma Trading site! This is a catalog I discovered in 1995, they sell tie-dye supplies, clothing blanks, inks, paints, PFD fabric, a treasure box for creative people like myself! Check them out.

One of my original concepts, hand painted cloth patches on hand-dyed clothing. Blanks and cloth from Dharma on a friend's kids several years ago: