Stencil Mania

We just got the coolest book in at the UCC, and of course, I had to buy one. It's called Stencil 101, and it's a collection of reusable stencils you can tear out and use on practically anything. If you've ever tried to cut your own stencils or buy them individually, you probably learned that a) cutting your own stencil is a huge pain and takes forever, and b) buying individual stencils can get pricey. That's why I was so excited about this book. All of the stencils are already cut out for you and you get a whopping twenty five of them.

It also includes the positive image of every stencil so that you could either shrink them or enlarge them and cut them out yourself if you want to (I see a bedroom mural in my future, if I ever get over how much I hate cutting my own stencils). 

So when I brought the book home, I decided to give it a quick test. This project was so fast and easy, I did it while I was boiling water for pasta.

I started with a blank paper lampshade.

I selected my stencil and taped it on with masking tape. Then I dabbed some white acrylic paint over the design. I wanted a color that would change a lot when the lamp was on versus off, and I thought white would do the trick.

When it was all painted I peeled it off and, voila, much cooler lampshade.

And when I turned it on, totally different. Kind of a watermark effect.

Some of the paint ended up oozing under the stencil because it was on a curved surface and it wasn't completely flat, which doesn't bother me that much, but next time I might try spraying the back of the stencil with a repositionable adhesive so that every part of the design is flush with the curve.

Now I'm looking around my apartment at everything I could stencil...kitchen cupboards next?

Two New Quilts on Etsy

Just listed two new quilts in my Etsy store: Honey Bear Baby Quilt No. 27 and Blue Sky Safari Baby Quilt No. 28. Check them out, tell your friends! :]

A Book and a Sock[ish]

A week ago all the employees of The UCC were lucky enough to go on a two night staff retreat in Laguna Beach compliments of our boss/owner Angharad. We spent a relaxing two and a half days learning, crafting, hanging out, and sipping some good wine. (No complaints here!)

One of the things we learned how to do was bookbinding. Everyone created their own blank book entirely from scratch. I had never really known or even considered all the steps involved in binding a book. It was a six hour process, and we were doing a simple method! It gave me a new perspective on how truly treasured books must have been before mass production.

We also learned to knit socks while we were there. Well...we started to learn. On one sock. On one cuff of one sock. I worked on mine fairly diligently for two and a half days, and left with just a cuff. It's the softest, prettiest heathered red alpaca yarn, and I fully intended on having a fluffy warm pair of alpaca socks at the end of the retreat. I didn't quite get there. It again made me think about how at one time the simplest items, things we take for granted every day, had to be individually, painstakingly created. 

Yesterday I bought a bag of socks at Walgreens because I was out of clean socks and I didn't have time to do my laundry. They are almost disposable now. Thank you for mass production, Industrial Revolution. Without it, I'd be very, very sockless. But I like learning how to make basic things. It gives me a sense of self sufficiency, and I have an irrational comfort in knowing that if I unexpectedly had to flee to the hills, I would at least be able to have socks on my feet. Or foot.

Knitted Microphone

Etsy, etsy, etsy. Here's a short break from all my etsy droning. 

My latest little project is a knitted microphone. A microphone is not close to the top of the list of things often knitted. In fact, it's probably not even near the top half. It's probably somewhere between cheeseburgers and grenades, though it's definitely higher than the human digestive tract or poop.

This microphone is for a friend's music video shoot. It was challenging to figure out since I'm not the most experienced knitter (I've been working on my first sock for the last three days and have little more than a cuff) but I think it turned out pretty ok. I ended up sewing it around a real microphone to give it the right shape and heft.

Hmm...knitted Rock Band, anyone?

Oriole Sachet

Today I was SO excited to discover a very happy email in my fox&hootie inbox.

The Mod Colonial baby quilt sold from my Etsy store!!!

This is my favorite quilt I've made so far. The Alexander Henry Birdseed fabric, the large oriole print in the center, is one of my most prized prints from my stash. 

I decided that for a little thank you, I would make a little lavender sachet out of it to include in the package with the quilt. Instead of doing a square, I thought it would be cool to sew around one of the birds in the pattern and make that the shape of the sachet. I had seen these adorable and easy little stuffed animals a little while ago, and they served as my inspiration.

All I did was fold the fabric in half, right sides together, and sew around one of the birds with about a .5" allowance. I cut it out, turned it inside out, filled it with lavender, then (slowly and carefully!) topstitched around the edge to close the opening and give it a nice finished look. It turned out so much cuter than a simple square, and it matches the quilt!

Maybe I should start selling these...

Etsy Add - Honey Bear Zippered Pouch

Finally, I have an item in my Etsy shop that isn't a quilt. It's a little zippered change pouch made with an Kokka fabric I absolutely LOVE, a vintagey cotton/linen blend covered with rows and rows of different honey jars and bottles. It's lined with yellow cotton and has a wristlet strap for easy grabbing and carrying. 

In other happy news, my quilts are now available to buy in two stores in the LA area. The first is The Urban Craft Center, the craft studio on Main St. in Santa Monica where I work (and where I got the delicious honey bear fabric!!). The second is European Equestrian, an upscale equestrian supply boutique in Malibu. Yes, both places are stores I either work in or used to work in. Purely coincidence...:]

The happy honey bears will be making an appearance on my next quilt. Check back for the post!

Mr. Ugly-Cat Update

About a month and a half ago, I made a toy for my cats. His name was Mr. Ugly-Cat, and he was full of catnip. Upon meeting Mr. Ugly-Cat, my cats Fox and Hootie were instantly transformed into pint sized lions. Their entire existence was suddenly consumed by the need to rip off all the features that had been lovingly sewn onto Mr. Ugly-Cat's face.

I wanted to give an update on Mr. Ugly-Cat's condition.

He has had a very rough go of it. 

Poor Mr. Ugly-Cat. He literally has a tooth hole in his forehead.

Latest Quilt on Etsy

My latest quilt is up in my Etsy store - Happy Camper Baby Quilt No.26. I made it with a Moda charm pack. I love those things - the fabric is already cut into five inch squares, so you pretty much just start sewing. This one is comprised of bright, vintage inspired fabrics that are reminiscent of carefree picnics and summer camping trips. You can't help but be happy when you look at it.