drawstring studio

Oh Boy, I've Done It

2012-01-27T14:20:00.000-08:00

I've fallen into the trap that many of us do. I work from home, somedays after I take the kids to the sitter, some days after my husband comes home, but still pretty much working from home. I pretty much am living in "comfy" pants and shirts-yeah I've done it-I've gotten way too comfortable-or to be really honest just lazy! I really do believe that if you take the time to get ready and put something that you don't mind people seeing you in you feel better about yourself. Even if I only have 20 minutes to shower and get ready I can still slip on something normal to wear. It's really hard not to get sucked into the "I work from home" wardrobe...anyone else have this problem? SO to try and combat this I am now going to start participating in WIWW with The Pleated Poppy to try to force myself out of this funk! Feel free to join me if you want.

Also here's a pic from our much needed vacation last week....

It was incredibly amazing, relaxing and gorgeous....great time celebrating my dad's retirement with my parents, and brother and Sis-in-law and ofcourse my hubby

Peace

2012-01-16T12:41:00.000-08:00

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Blog World vs Real World

2012-01-14T19:28:00.000-08:00

UPDATE SUNDAY! I think this might make a bit more sense.

I've been sewing a lot today which is great because I love sewing and I'm finally getting caught up from being out sick the past few days. Sewing gives me time to think about things-my day, my goals, lots of things...well today I was thinking about the blogs I read and follow.

Do you ever find a blog that just resonates with you, you feel like if this person lived by you, you'd be BFFs-yup I used BFFs :), you're amazed at how similar you are and sometimes even strive to be like them....then there's that one post-the one that leaves you with your mouth hanging open....you think what-or you did what? Um no! It's funny how you think you can know all about someone from their blog and then you can suddenly see a post like that and it's kind of like a slap in the face-it makes you think about things. I think it's funny how we think we can know all about a person without sometimes ever having actually met them. Maybe that's just me but my heart always sinks just a little bit when this happens to me, when someone's not who I expected or made them to be in my mind. But then I pick myself up and decide if I still want to continue to read the blog-usually it s a resounding YES. I've found that if it's not something that I find totally immoral or hurts other people, I need to leave myself open to understanding other people's beliefs and morals. Plus it's not like the whole blog is centered around that whole aspect so I can live with a little bit of something I don't necessarily agree with-by reading it I find I might have more compassion or understanding of other. I mean don't get me wrong there have been some blogs where I just can't bring myself to read about their crafts or recipes anymore when I find the person themselves is hurtful to other people. But I also have found myself respecting someone for their deep beliefs and conviction in things. Anyone else ever have this kind of experience or is it just me?

In life I find that I tend to associate with people that believe the same things I do or gravitate towards the same ideals and morals, but as I grow into myself I've found that it s sometimes helpful to carry the company of people that view things differently and can broaden my thinking. That is if these people can have conversations about topics without hurt feelings, harsh words, or resentment. I also in turn in the blog world-find myself bookmarking or following blogs of people that have different but interesting ideas with the same guidelines as my real life friends. Do I give more lee-way to my blog "friends" than my real life?

It also makes me think about our Country today and how most people are hard set in politics either one party or another-I personally think it's starting to tear us apart and at the same time I really don't see it being resolved any time soon. Yet my husband has one friend that I really admire for being able to look past party lines and really look at the validity of what the candidates have to say, their plans, and ultimately make his decisions that way-I hope that someday I can do that-but sad to say I am currently stuck in my ways-so still part of the problem.

Ok so that was a lot of talk and no pics-sorry for that-I hope it all makes sense-it made sense in my head, but hey I'm on antibiotics, have had a lot of coffee today and generally just scatter-brained.

Desperate

2012-01-13T12:57:00.000-08:00

So I've missed about 3 days of sewing this week-due to this sickness-whatever it is achy, chills, fever, soar throat, headache thing I have(pretty much sure it's strep). Side note on that: learn from me-apparently the rapid strep test doesn't work until about 36 hours until you actually have symptoms-silly me I went right away and now have to wait until tomorrow for the culture to come back and then they'll give me antibiotics-so much for being pro-active.

Anyways so I am now WAY behind in sewing and started searching pinterest for some remedies-i guess I am now using pinterest as google in some ways. So I must have been delirious but I decided that this one remedy had to work....All I had to do was cut up an onion, rub it on my neck and then leave the onion in my bedroom by my bed. ARE YOU LAUGHING YET-because you should be! Yeah all that happened is I felt like I smelled like an onion pizza for some reason and my husband looked at me like I was crazy when he got home from plowing at 12am and saw that I had an onion next to the bed. My response when he asked why it was there "It's going to cure us!"

Well I guess I feel a bit better today-but definitely not worth it. I think I'll just wait for the antibiotics next time.

Hope that put a little smile on your face today and really I wouldn't normally try something like that-maybe it was the 3 ibuprofen I was taking about 4 times a day.

When You're Sick

2012-01-11T09:47:00.000-08:00

What do you crave when you're under the weather? Nothing, greasy food, mom's homemade soup? Nope not me-I have expensive "sick person" taste. I want the food from the great restaurants that are no where near my house and don't deliver, but there's always the pizza place down the street that has gourmet style pizza and delivers. I've been thinking about this today-because we all woke up under the weather-my husband has convinced me it's strep throat so I have a Drs appt in about an hour, but I was also thinking about dinner. I have absolutely no motivation to cook, let a lone even think of a meal idea, so now I am thinking about where we will order dinner from.

Somehow I think I associate this good food with automatically feeling better, or maybe it's my way of trying to pamper myself....heck I'm weird I know. Most people don't have a taste for anything while sick-nope I want Indian food. Yet is it a waste to spend the money on great food since we don't feel good, or is it money well spent in hopes that it will comfort us, give us a bit of time to relax and enjoy it.

image from http://katieblogs.com/2011/11/what-a-long-sick-trip-its-been/

Jury's still out on this one I guess.....I'll let you know tomorrow.

Time to Grow

2012-01-10T16:50:00.000-08:00

Source: etsy.com via Danielle on Pinterest

So it's time for this blog to grow a bit and I'm hoping that some of you can lend a hand with that!

I am looking for TWO, maybe THREE people to join my team-oh yeah and none of these people need to be local so this is open to everyone-I mean I wouldn't mind having someone local that I could have meetings with over coffee....

PERSON ONE: I'm looking for someone to take on the ad sponsorship duties-getting sponsors for this blog as well as finding potential blogs for Drawstring to advertise on. If you are interested-email me at drawstringstudioATgmailDOTcom, subject lines:sponsorship and include your experience, preferable if you have a blog that you have ad sponsors on, why you're interested in helping me, what's your fav blog post I've done, what blogs you read

PERSON TWO and maybe THREE: I am looking for someone to contribute posts to the blog. I'm getting busier and busier with orders and I unfortunately don't have time to post as much as I'd like but I still want to get some funny, informational and sometimes even random posts out there for everyone. You would be responsible for posting once a week. f you are interested-email me at drawstringstudioATgmailDOTcom, subject lines: contributor and include your experience, include your blog so that I can take a look at your style, why you're interested in helping me, what's your fav blog post I've done, what blogs you read, three ideas for future posts.

Sound like fun to anyone?!?!?!?! I promise I'm kinda fun to work with :)

Ok this is open until Jan 25th so have at it!

What a difference it makes

2012-01-06T19:20:00.000-08:00

So I haven't been posting too many projects on here lately mostly because I didn't have any camera except the one on my phone and as much as I wanted it to take great photos-it just didn't. I really realized this when I wanted to sponsor a certain blog and was told that I needed to work on my photo quality-small slap in the face yes-but much needed-YES!

I borrowed my mom's camera and finally took what I would call a decent pic of these curtains before I sent them out in the mail. I tried to stage this pic best I could in about 2 minutes but want to try to come up with a staged set up for curtains for the future-I'll add it to my to-do list.

I have a million other things running thru my mind right now that I'd like to get out there, but I think I'm too tired and it would just sound like gobbily-guck(yes it's a word.

The Only Way I Know How

2012-01-04T18:36:00.000-08:00

What's that giant thing you ask? Well that's the giant chalk calendar that I created today with Chalk Cloth, Teal Duct Tape and Chalk. We're trying to work on our budget and I just can't get a handle on the bills. I finally came up with this-I'm such a visual person and I'm super excited about this. It's going to be there out in the open for me to stare at every day and not be able to ignore anymore. I really don't care if anyone and everyone that comes over sees it-I mean I've never claimed to be a millionaire or anything and maybe putting it out there for everyone to see might make me deal with it. Plus I can actually see what's coming in and going out.Anyone else have any special ways that they deal with their financials?

Thoughts to Lead me into the NewYear

2012-01-02T19:33:00.000-08:00

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A Homemade Holiday

2011-12-29T18:10:00.000-08:00

We tried to make this holiday as homemade as possibly and succeeded for the most part although I did get sucked into a few sales but I'd like to share a few handmade gifts some by me and some we bought made by others....

By me...
This year our budget was tight-I mean TIGHT and we had to cut down on gifts quite a bit and try to get somewhat creative. I made these for both E and P and they were a huge hit-I'm seriously even thinking about making one for myself-so comfortable! Plus they were pretty easy to make-I made one for my nephew in Nov for his birthday so I was able to whip them out somewhat quickly. Tutorial HERE

I also turned into a baker extraordinaire-well not really but I kind of felt like it after making homemade Dulce de Leche(from Elsie Marley) and these super yummy Hazelnut Nutella thumbprint cookies oh and nutella fudge-yeah I think I have a nutella addiction).

By others....

I was browsing etsy late one night and came across this awesome shirt-anyone that had met our son has probably heard him RAWR-it's his go to when he's being shy or nervous-yup he RAWRS instead of talking-too cute.

I also finally purchased a pair of these shoes for P that I've been eyeing up forever-they're super cute, made by someone local(bonus) and even stay on her feet

Hope everyone had a great holiday and didn't get what I am calling the "holiday hangover" like I did. Seriously I think I need to move somewhere warmer-I did up my Vitamin D though and it seems to help.

I did it!

2011-12-19T20:26:00.000-08:00

So everything came together for Saturday and our little girl had a great 1st birthday. The theme was colors of the rainbow and after about a 10 minute discussion between me and my husband-I can say we've figured out what color indigo is-crazy huh he works at a paint store and I have an interior design degree and neither one of us was quite sure what color indigo was :) The theme was built off of the shirt that I made for P with a "1" on it and it went from there- and our cupcakes were even yellow and choc with vanilla frosting and ROYGBIV shimmer dust-courtesy of big brother E. I wasn't crazy enough to try to do the rainbow layer cake-too much pressure. We kept things easy and ordered pizza for dinner but also kept it local and ordered from a great pizza place just down the street, Classic Slice, seriously if you ever are in Bay View, get some of their pizza, the chunky chicken is my fav. Anyways, it was a much more low key party than Ethan's first but it was spent with close family and we all had a great time(or atleast I think we did!) Oh and there's some random chocolate zebra print that I had that seemed to break up the craziness of all the colors.

I'll get into the tutorials for some of the crafts and why we ended up giving up on some and moving on to others, but thanks to everyone on here and FB for the support-gotta love all the crafty people out there :)

Can I do it?

2011-12-16T05:33:00.000-08:00

Two Days......

$20 in supplies......

1 husband whom I am now calling the "Crabby Crafter".......

and a lot of great ideas.........

Can I do it?

Can I pull together a FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY for my daughter in 2 days????? I don't think I would be able to function if I weren't a last minute person :) Plus for some reason it's incredibly hard for me to pick a theme and just go with it.

I still have orders to get out, Christmas presents to sew/make, some more ideas for Christmas presents that involve my husband and he's going to kill me and a First Birthday to celebrate-so exciting and I love every minute of it!

Check back Monday to see if my ideas turned into a great party-

Can you smell it?

2011-12-13T13:24:00.000-08:00

The Highlander Grogg we're brewing that is. I don't know why, but there's just something about the holidays that calls for some yummy Highlander Grogg coffee-if you're not familiar here's the description on the Berres Brothers website "Indulgently sweet, richly enticing...an explosion of caramel, butterscotch and hazelnut." YES! I wholeheatedly agree with the description. I have found that one of the perks from working at home is this coffee just steps away from me at all times-

I also tried out this recipe today that I found via pinterest and am loving them-I made them with carob chips instead of chocolate because they were on sale at our co-op and next time I think I'll add some craisins-but excellent non-the-less and paired with my coffee I'll be ready to work for hours now :)

I'm hoping to post this week about our plan for the holidays and less consumerism and more homemade

gifts and family memories.

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Not even THREE yet

2011-12-08T19:12:00.001-08:00

Our son doesn't turn 3 until March-yet today we were at a school tour and submitted an application for enrollment. Only a few months ago I would have thought this was crazy-that is until I started talking to people about schools. We live in a city that has a couple of different school options-we have chosen(for a variety of reasons, which I will share with you if you are interested-just email me) to send our son to a Montessori based program. There are two in our immediate area-one is a private charter school and the other part of the the public school system. We are applying to both and then weighing our options-both are hard to get into-so fingers are crossed!!!! We also know people that have children at both schools and love it.

The thing that came up today is the size of the school we toured. It was small. They like that they have a small school. I liked the school...but my husband brought up a good point. He went to a small school-now don't get me wrong-his experience was very different-he went to a Catholic school in a suburban neighborhood. He is lucky because he met some of his best friends there that he still talks to, but at the same time-he disliked that it was such a small school. Granted I think some of that may be the extreme lack of diversity there. Which in turn both schools in our area are more diverse. Other main issue for us is that 3k is not covered by the state at the Charter school-yeah it's expensive but is it worth it???????? Sidenote: we still need to tour the other school.

Ok sorry for my random babbling....just had to get it out of my head.

It's Been A While

2011-12-07T18:30:00.001-08:00

So after running into a customer at Target tonight I realized that I haven't blogged in quite awhile...so what have I been up to?
-I moved most of the inventory out of the store and instore my home office-my children have already invaded.

-Robyn from Ticklebugs moved in to the studio-seriously if you're in Milwaukee and are looking for a photographer-she's one of the best
-I've been working like crazy on curtain orders-I am beyond excited that this venture is going well so far-If you're interested in any-check me out HERE
-We're cleaning out the basement to make a sewing studio in the basement-I've been perusing Pinterest for some ideas-did I mention we're on a budget? You can follow me on Pinterest HERE

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-oh yeah and I turned 30-I am actually pretty ok with it-I've heard it hits some people hard but the way I look at it, my twenties were better than my teens so I can only imagine that my thirties will be better than my twenties.

Little thoughts for today

2011-11-08T04:24:00.000-08:00

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2011-11-07T07:28:00.001-08:00

4 Days.....that's how long I lasted on the cleanse. Yup I welcomed coffee back into my life-with pretty open arms too. I did realize a few things in those 4 days.....I already eat a lot of vegetables and not a large amount of dairy or meat so I think it may have been a bit easier on me than people that have those two categories as staples in their lives. I just didn't have it in me....I caved pretty quickly and I'm ok with that. I did learn to make a green smoothie that I enjoyed.....zucchini, banana, some coconut milk, greens and a stevia, I also picked up a great new snack rice cakes and hummus-loving it!

I have a busy work week ahead of me but am hopefully that I'll get a few crafty posts up this week.

Happy Monday morning to everyone

This Week

2011-11-04T05:33:00.000-07:00

A little recap on what I've been up to this week

The Cleanse: I've learned a few things these first few days of the cleanse.
- i LOVE coffee-yeah that might be my coffee addiction talking. I haven't given in yet-but I do stare longingly at it every morning and can't wait for the cleanse to be over so I can have a nice soy latte.
-i get very crabby when hungry and that combined with a crazy 2 year old has made for a few frustrating mornings.
-i am living vicariously through my children-i made them choc chip banana pancakes this morning-neither one was really too interested in them

Projects:
-i've been keeping busy with curtain orders. I love getting to see how all of them turn out and seeing how different they can all be. Working on some teal ones for a child's bedroom, a fun and funky Alexander Henry pattern for 4 panels, and a couple of others are on the shelf waiting for me.
-i haven't been quilting lately. I am SO behind in the quilting bee that i'm embarrassed. But I'm hoping to get those done and get started on Phin's bday quilt next week.
-i re-purposed this onesie and 4t dress into a dress for Phin for our family pics next week.
-i am continuously thinking of updates for our house, but without the money to follow through. My newest idea is to add a master bedroom upstairs over the kitchen(it would be perfect)

happy friday everyone!

Getting Ready for the BIG 3-0

2011-11-02T12:44:00.000-07:00

Yes that's right I'm turning 30 at the end of the month and I am doing a pretty non-traditional thing and am doing a 21-day cleanse leading up to my birthday. I want to start 30 out on the right foot and think that detoxing my body of coffee(yeah I 'm crazy) and everything else bad and hope it will give me a good start for my next year.

So I started today....not so bad yet but I won't bore you with the details. Maybe I'll do a weekly update.
If anyone's interested it's based on Crazy Sexy Diet by Kris Carr. So when I told my husband I wanted to do a cleanse for my birthday he thought I was crazy-if I were quicker-I would have said I wanted him to do the cleanse with me for my birthday....ahhhh too slow.

Some Compassion this Halloween

2011-10-30T08:36:00.000-07:00

We had our neighborhood trick or treat last night and I was reflecting on it this morning and wanted to share the following thoughts...take it for whatever you will.....we live in the city and are near areas that are "not as fortunate" as us, I'm not going to say not as nice because I know a lot of those neighborhoods are very nice and people take a lot of pride keeping them up, but many of them do have less money than us. Because those neighborhoods did not have a trick or treat in the their area, they came to our neighborhood. The person I was a few years ago would have made comments about how rude it was and that no one should do that-But maybe it's having kids or having some financial pains myself, but I'm glad they came. I bet to some of those kids it made their week or even month and they may be talking about it for awhile. I know it was just candy, but they had so much fun and trick or treating is something that every kid should have the opportunity to do since it's not a matter of whether their parents can afford it or not. Do I wish I had handed out apples instead-heck yes-but could I afford to hand out over 100 organic apples-sadly no....but maybe next year.

So from my flock to yours....Happy Halloween!

101 Things to do with a Shower Curtain

2011-10-26T07:17:00.000-07:00

Ok well I really only have two other ideas for you but I was hoping this would spark some other ideas. I don't know why, but everytime I see a great shower curtain I think of what else I can use it for-I mean seriously how often do you change out your shower curtain...me not so often. Anyways, they really are versatile. I've used a pair of them for my son's room before as curtains-they are the perfect length for curtains, just can't use them as a rod pocket. then a few weeks ago I got into a mood to organize and I just kept moving this shower curtain from pile to pile.....then out of sheer laziness(how most of my ideas are born) I decided to put it on the spare bed to cover a tear on a comforter....and voila again it was the prefect size for a bedspread for a twin bed! so all in all i LOVE finding different uses for them. Anyone else do this or am I just crazy?

Time to get real

2011-10-24T06:32:00.000-07:00

So after I published my post last night and I was catching up on the blogs I read and there was one that really resonated....it was all about being real and admitting it when you're not ok(Thanks Courtney!) It really made my analyze my post and whether it was really how I felt. On the surface yeah it was what I wanted to put out there I mean who wants to read a blog about someone complaining? But honestly that's what real is sometimes and real life isn't always sunshine.

So this is how I really feel about the store closing. It sucks, it's embarrassing, I hate to give up on it, I wish we had the money to invest in it and hire employees, my family is so much more important to me and I will gladly give up the store if it means staying in our house and feeding our family, struggling with financial issues SUCKS but I'm learning it's part of our lives right now, I've met so many great people through the store that I hope they don't just disappear or think I'm a stalker for trying to contact them, a little part of me really hope that the store becomes something great after I leave, it melts my heart when my son tells me I can have some of the money in his piggy bank so I can keep the store......so that's how I'm feeling about it....for real.

Dear John....

2011-10-23T19:53:00.000-07:00

I don't know why but this title kept popping into my head when thinking about this post last week. It's not really a Dear John letter, but I feel that when you're sitting where ever you are sitting reading this you might have the same feelings that someone would have reading one of those letters.

If you haven't already seen it on Facebook, we have come to the decision to close the Brick and Mortar store. Unfortunately I'm going to join the sad bandwagon and blame it partially on the economy and the other part is personal. I will continue to sell via my Etsy store and locally to some of my fav people :) I'm also pretty excited to say that the custom curtain orders have been coming in pretty steadily through Etsy and Local customers. My plan is to continue to offer classes and craft nights and want to help keep the local crafting and sewing community growing. I've met SO many great people through the store and some of them are my closest friends now so I have nothings but happy memories, and although I'm saddened to be shifting gears, I'm excited to be able to keep on doing what I'm doing.

Maybe I'll even have more time to sew.....with two kids yeah right!

Switching Gears

2011-10-18T06:07:00.000-07:00

So I've come to the realization that the current blog format isn't working for me. I'm not always in a crafty mood or ordering fabric and yet I always have so much more to say but wasn't sure if it would be appropriate for this blog....so in turn I'm changing the plan for this blog...I'm going to start sharing more...all the crazy things I'm thinking, crazy things I'm working on and outrageous things I'm planning(my poor husband). Hope you stick around for the ride..............but no worries if you decide you're not in it for the long haul!

oh yeah and since I am posting about more now you can bet I'm be posting a lot more frequently.

Danielle

Baby Fever?

2011-10-06T13:22:00.000-07:00

Ok maybe I don't quite have baby fever but I do love making things for baby showers. I had a customer request some pillows and blanket in this great vintage looking fabric with baby/child related words all over it. Love how it turned out....maybe I can just call it baby shower fever :)

What is Success?

2011-09-28T07:46:00.000-07:00

I picked up this book at a local bookstore about a month or so ago on a whim and honestly I love it. I'm not usually much for inspirational sayings or verses but at the time I figured I needed to start looking to see the positive in situations and this book has helped along the way. I also enjoy this book because it is not religion based and therefore I feel it may appeal and reach more people. Yesterdays reading(which I read this morinng-a little behind here) was about success and it really resonated with me.

It started with this quote...."Try not to become a man of success. Rather become a man of value." Albert Einstein...and I'm sure he meant women too :)

Then it goes on .....the real heroes of our world are the soldiers, firefighters, police officers, businesspeople, teachers, parents, and others who safeguard or improve our communities everyday....

So true

$200? YES PLEASE

2011-09-27T15:22:00.000-07:00

So I'm been a little behind in my posts this week-big surprise I know....but I've been busy-it's a good busy though and I'm pretty happy about it so all is good. Since I need to share something this week I thought I'd share this AMAZING giveaway over at Tatertots & Jello(although even mentioning it will decrease my odds of winning-it's ok It's too great not to mention).

Giveaway Monday — $200 to Gussy Sews!!

Click http://tatertotsandjello.com/2011/09/giveaway-monday-200-to-gussy-sews.html to go to the giveaway enter(just promise me you'll buy me something pretty if you win-thanks!)

Fall Schedule is now up...

2011-09-23T12:53:00.000-07:00

So I finally put up the fall class schedule-thanks for hounding me about it everyone! I'm hoping to add more classes as the weeks go on, but this is the core set for now.

Sign Up Now to reserve your spot!

http://www.drawstringstudio.com/Classes.html

Have a great weekend everyone-I'll be spending time at the store, working on custom orders and enjoying the fall weather with the fam....oh and football to-can't forget the Pack.

Hmmm...What to do

2011-09-22T15:49:00.000-07:00

I had a customer order fabric from another seller and send it to me to have curtains made. The wrong fabric was sent but I've fallen in love with it and ended up purchasing it for the store....now what to do with it.....I've also been working on some other custom projects that are turning out great-I'm waiting until the customers get to see them first before posting.

Why I Shouldn't Play With Guns

2011-09-14T17:20:00.000-07:00

Glue guns that is...don't worry I don't touch the other kind either...certified tree hugger right here. Anyways, apparently a variety of custom commissions and cutting fat quarters for the Bash this weekend wasn't enough for me to do so I decided to start on another project as well. I'm totally into the fall spirit already-incase you haven't been reading my last few posts :) I wanted to whip up a new wreath for our door and at the same time make a few to take to the Bash with me. Well I have a few down and am working on a few more tomorrow, but my poor finger paid the price. Seriously why does hot glue have to be so hot! It was a fun project though and I got to break out some of the woolfelt.

Getting Ready for Fall

2011-09-13T11:16:00.000-07:00

Well in true Wisconsin fashion it went from 80+ degrees Monday to complete fall like weather yesterday and today. Honestly though you will not hear me complain-I LOOOOOOOVE fall, the weather, apple picking, pumpkins, leaves, windows open, hot coffee-yeah I'm a sucker for fall. I made a treasury yesterday with some etsy favs and it got me thinking that I think I might take up a new fall hobby....really like I need one, but this needlework/embroidery/whatever it is craze has me intrigued.

These are some of the projects I'm digging.....

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2011-09-13T07:53:00.000-07:00

Fall Feelings

Halloween Autumn Leaves Fa...
Raceytay
$37.50 USD
Thanksgiving Home Decor Fa...
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Lace Necklace FALL The Ann...
ruffledcloth...
$70.00 USD
New fall collection - twir...
GenerationsI...
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Fall dresses...Burnt Orang...
DyPeas
$28.00 USD
Felt Rosette Fall Wreath -...
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SweetDesigns...
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Autumn Love- Large Blossom...
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Infinity Scarf
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$22.00 USD

Ditching the Furniture Store Basic

2011-09-09T10:31:00.000-07:00

We purchased a new couch on an impulse around last Thanksgiving...we were in a hurry to meet people for dinner and Ethan was pretty much done with being there and then the salesman told me I had to pick pillow fabric...normally I'd love that but given the circumstances and the fabric choices I was a bit bummed. We picked this tree branch fabric because we like the print, but the material was horrible and when we got it home it just didn't fit. Well I finally got around to the pillows and went with a couple of Chevron fabrics that complement the other colors we have in the room. Funny how such a small change just brings a smile to my face.

Happy Friday Everyone!

It's Back for Round Two

2011-09-08T15:52:00.000-07:00

TIME TO DESTASH!!!!!

image from quiltersbuzz.com

I finally have a date pinned down for the Craft Supply and Fabric Swap.....Sunday October 9th 3pm-5pm.

So here's what you need to do if you want to participate....bring in atleast one plastic grocery full bag of craft supplies and/or fabric by October 1st. If you are bringing multiple bags, please call to give me a heads up as I will need to quickly go thru the bags to make sure they are items that people will use. (don't worry almost everything brought last October was useable!)

Just a friendly reminder:

Do Not Include: Dirty, Stained or damaged items, hazardous items etc. Please use your best judgement.

Light refreshments will be served. And just like last year...all leftover items will be donated.

For every bag you bring you will receive a ticket-bring the ticket to the swap to exchange for a bag to fill, you will get a bag for each ticket.

We had some great stuff last time and I can't wait to see what everyone brings this time.

Couple of new arrivals

2011-09-08T11:29:00.000-07:00

These just came in this past week...unfortunately you won't be able to see them in person today-as I had to close the store since the Dr confirmed this morning that all 4 of us have strep throat. I don't want to spread it to my customers since I basically touch/cut everything they buy, so I'll be back and ready to go tomorrow when the meds kick in.

Ramping Up Our Bathroom

2011-09-04T10:09:00.000-07:00

I'm been on a kick lately to want to keep working on our house...we're on a tight budget though so I'm having to be a bit creative and give items facelifts rather than renovate. Don't worry I won't be talking about all of our crazy and hopefully creative house projects-I'm actually working on a blog debut of Finishing Our Starter House, but I'll let you know when it's ready to go.

Anyways I digress....our downstairs bathroom. It's right off of the kitchen and is the bathroom that our friends and family use. When we moved in it had floral paneling-not wallpaper-paneling....so since we didn't have the budget to tear it down we did the next best thing...we painted it a chocolate brown. It kind of has an embossed look to it I guess. Anyways I'm trying to do one room at a time and since the bathroom is the smallest-it's first. Here's my plan....

Shower Curtain....Zippy by Premier Prints

Window treatment so cover up the wood blind that I got on sale from Target-totally too small but I was too stubborn to take it back....Robert Kaufman Print

Our Mirror...we just have an oval mirror there right now and am trying to decide if I want to find a oval picture frame and spray paint it or find some seashells or sand dollars or some little knick knacky thing and glue them onto a template to create a frame around the mirror. I'm a little worried about dust with option two-our house was built in 1890 and there is just always the presence of dust with a house that old.

Ok so those are my preliminary thoughts-now I've got to get to work and make some progress. Justin is taking the kids for a bit after I'm down with work so I plan on either working on the bathroom or making choc chip zucchini bread(we have two HUGE zucchinis from our CSA).

Also a big apology to anyone that's come in recently and left thinking I was on drugs....well I was on drugs...tons of cold medicine and I swear it made me loopy and nutso-hopefully this cold heads out of our house soon...really I'm not always that crazy :)

Labor Day Sale

2011-09-02T15:12:00.001-07:00

I can't own a store and not have a Labor Day Sale now can I-NOPE.

Labor Day Sale

Let ME work for YOU this Labor Day

Enjoy 20% off Selected Premier Prints Rod Pocket Curtain Pairs

HOW YOU ASK....

1. Find the listings on the MadeByDrawstring Etsy Shop for Labor Day Sale Curtains

HERE

2. Pick the fabric from one of the 10 fabrics

3. Buy them

Enjoy your weekend off-I'll be hard at work on the sewing machine.

Offer good Thru Sunday Sept 4th

Branching Out!

2011-09-01T10:49:00.000-07:00

So I've always done custom work when asked by customers but I am now excited to announce that I am now offering custom curtains and window treatments via MadeByDrawstring on Etsy. I will be adding more fabrics to the listings in the next few days but almost every fabric I have in the store can be requested for custom curtains. Pricing for 2- 42"x84" Rod Pocket Unlined Panels runs $50-$75. And as an introductory offer you can get 10% off with PROMO CODE "BRANCH".

I am truly excited to start bringing these made items to the shop-I love fabric and I love the way that curtains can totally transform a room. I've had so many people come into my shop and say "I love your fabrics and wish I sewed"....well not you don't have to...I'll do the work for you!

Thank you!

Taking a Break from Business

2011-08-31T11:11:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I got it in my head that I wanted to take the kids to feed the ducks-I remembered how I used to go to Greenfield Park when I was a kids and feed them with my parents and paternal grandparents. It was a great memory and lucky for me the biscuits I had made were perfect to feed the ducks. So I packed the kids up and we headed to Humboldt Park. At first when we got to the pond, there were no ducks in sight and I was really bummed...but those ducks know when there's food coming and in no time Ethan was having a blast. I did have to work with him to get him to break the biscuits apart and throw SMALL pieces, but it was so much fun. We went back later on our way to Chill on the Hill to feed them again with Justin.

I also had to throw in a pic of Phin in her bow(yeah it lasted about two whole minutes :)

Mochi Mochi Yum Yum-Yes Please

2011-08-30T18:44:00.000-07:00

I received a few lovely packages on my door today and thought I'd share some with you...

I also received in a notions order and the Riley Blake Prints I ordered. You can check those out HERE (the last 5-the others should be here Thursday)

Finished Product

2011-08-29T18:40:00.001-07:00

So this is the best pic of me wearing the dress I made-unfortunately we were in a bit of a time crunch to drop the kids off before the wedding so we forgot the camera-had the hubby take this with my phone...so sorry it's blurry :)

I learned a lot from this project...and yes ofcourse I'll share it with you.

-Always make a tester dress on something like this-I did that and it helped me adjust the pattern for fit

-I didn't use a pattern for this dress-sometimes it's best to pick a piece that you like and draft a pattern off it it.

-This was one of the first times I used elastic thread for the back to create a tight fit-I LOVE IT-really easy to work with and very useful to create fit.

-Line the dress-I was in a bit of a hurry and didn't want to take the time-ofcourse I had a heck of a time trying to find my slip the day of-but luckilly found one but still far from ideal.

-I need to adjust the fullness of the dress-yeah I kinda look preggo(I AM NOT), but I think that sometimes just goes along with my body type(AKA chubby).

All in all it was a great learning experience and I was proud to say that I made my dress when people mentioned that they liked it.

Overwhelmed

2011-08-22T05:30:00.000-07:00

I am officially overwhelmed by the amount of things we have. I really wish I could be someone that is a total minimalist and doesn't have a bunch of "stuff" hanging around their house, but it just hasn't happened in my last 29 years of life. I think it's even gotten worse now that we have two kids and a house, not an apt. It really is amazing all of the things that we think we need, but then never use-plus my husband and I are both impulse shoppers so that doesn't help much! Now don't get me wrong, our house is still clean it just makes me feel unorganized sometimes.

So does anyone have any good websites that I can look at to, I guess, "declutter", simplify, or just plain get rid of stuff? I already have bags ready to go to the thrift store, but I'm so bad about actually getting the bags from the house, to the car, and ultimately dropped off.

I need some organizational help please!

On another note, I had a very very productive weekend at the store and with sewing-I'll post pics on Wed.

So that's my random Monday morning, Sesame Street is on, and I have a few minutes to get my thoughts out Post.

Get over it

2011-08-18T11:00:00.000-07:00

So you know how I said I was in a funk yesterday...well I let myself sulk and be in that funk for awhile-I even blamed it on the fact that I need to stop drinking coffee(yeah I really only have 1 or 2 cups a day, prob should give it up but not the issue). Then I came into the store today and basically wanted to just slap myself and say "Get Over It". I realized that I was in a funk because I was being really negative in my personal life-I have a friend that's been really getting to me lately and I've been voicing my opinion about it to others in a negative way and have finally realized that because I let that get to me, it was like a big negative bomb that began to hit the rest of my life. Negativity and/or jealousy is like cancer...it spreads quickly and kills everything in it's path-so I'm over it and moving on.

So to recap...I am going to continue to enjoy my iced soy lattes from Anodyne and am going to get back to crafting!

Here are some of the great new fabrics that I was imagining projects for today....

Also just had to show you this great color palette that a customer of mine is using-love it! and no she's not using the chair-just what I had in store :)

WIP WED and a Funk

2011-08-17T14:48:00.000-07:00

So I haven't been posting too much lately-sorry! I've just got myself in some sort of funk and haven't been able to motivate myself to sit down and blog in an interesting way-maybe I'm just really ready for summer to be over and get to enjoy the fall weather-or I could just be stressed and have ADHD too-that's another explanation :)

So here's what I've been working on lately....our good friends are having a baby shortly and although I wasn't able to make it to the shower-I thought they would enjoy this sleep sack and changing pad. I love making changing pads, they're super easy, super convenient for parents and a great way to showcase some fun fabrics.

This other project was really doomed from the start. I didn't have my rotary cutter and mat so I cut the fabric the old fashioned way. Well I wasn't really paying attention or thinking I guess because I pieced all of the triangles with the black and white houndstooth on the wrong side...aurghhh I decided just to go with it and was pretty happy until I finished piecing it all together and realized I sewed that yellow triangle upside down-SERIOUSLY?!??! It's just one of those projects...I haven't decided if I'm going to rip out the seams on that one or just leave it as "homemade"....wonder how the back is going to turn out now.

I also worked on the pattern for this apron-it's reversible and a great design for men and women. I'm going to have a class or two for this during the fall. Which is another thing I really need to get going-I NEED to get the class schedule figured out for fall-really I just need to sit down and do it...maybe over coffee. Anyways, anyone have any ideas of classes they want to attend?

Linking up with Lee over at Freshly Pieced.

Ha...My Bad

2011-08-11T17:36:00.000-07:00

So to those of you that I've shown the "shorts" I made for my little guy and talked bad about the pattern...well I took another shot at it tonight and I must have just been having a bad day the first time I was trying to make these. So why didn't they turn out the first time?????? Yeah I sewed them upside down....I made the legs the crotch and therefore had no waste-HA! They look so much better now. I'll post a pic tomorrow.

A Million Different Directions

2011-08-11T15:53:00.001-07:00

I don't know if it's the fact that it's the end of summer, stress or finally an urge to finally get organized, whatever it is I think I'm finally realizing that life becomes a lot easier when you focus your energy and get organized. Now this pretty much goes against everything I've ever done in my life but I think simplifying my life will in turn make it....well simplified! Oh and organized. I've read Simplicity Parenting a couple of times now and always say that I'm going to follow through on many of the ideas on there...well I've taken toys into the basement but have had a hard time throwing them away, but am beginning to realize my son doesn't even miss them. Well you may be thinking "why is she telling me about this" and the answer is that I realize I have the same issue when it comes to fabric...I hold on to things forever! Hence the bins of fabric and scraps I have. I'm gong to TRY and use some of the concepts of the book, to clear out some of the clutter and pieces that I haven't been getting rid of but honestly won't use them in the near future.

Does anyone else have this issue? I can just picture myself on that Hoarders tv show in 10 years with a house full of fabric...oh I see it now....but at the same time I guess it's better to have a house full of fabric than a house full of cats or birds or something-although that would make better news....anyways just my random thought for the day...take it as you wish.

I'd like to introduce you to...

2011-08-10T10:56:00.000-07:00

some of my new friends...I can just tell we're going to be besties and work on so many projects together! Some of my other new friends have been delayed in their arrival but I hope they make it soon.

Enjoy.

Making Progress

2011-08-07T13:26:00.001-07:00

The top is starting to come together...just have to even out the sizes and then the final piecing will begin....

WIP WED

2011-08-03T16:22:00.000-07:00

So I'm a bit late on this entry today, but hey Wednesday isn't over yet! I started out strong on projects and then got sidetracked so I don't have too much to show today.....

I finished all of the small blocks for the Courtyard Maze quilt I'm working on and am now going to start the next phase this week. I finished 3 more blocks in the Farmer's Wife QAL-so slowly making progress :)

And then I also made some curtains for P's room HERE.

Linking up to Lee at Freshly Pieced!

In other news I'm still waiting for the Michael Miller to ship...fingers crossed for this week, I also ordered some FQs from Riley Blake and some new home dec fabrics from Premier Prints, oh and the Sock Monkey advent calendar fabric should be here Friday!!!!!

P's New Curtains

2011-07-30T11:53:00.000-07:00

So it took me 7 months but I finally have curtains up in P's room that I love....see I told you I already had a project done with these. I have quite a few ideas to finish up the decorating in the room loosely around the birdhouses-I don't want it to be a matchy matchy space so we'll see how that goes.

Have a good weekend and don't forget we're closed tomorrow!

Finally Here and I did it again...

2011-07-29T16:15:00.000-07:00

I've been waiting awhile for these fabrics to come in and it ended up being worth the wait...the minute I opened the box I measured out for a project that I had been waiting to do. I'll post a pic of the finished product tomorrow too-I'm not going to lie I may be a little obsessed with these

Oh and it's really a good thing that I don't have a larger space here, because believe it or not I rearranged again...well just some bookshelves moving there and a table here, but enough that I needed my husbands help(yes he was oh so excited to lend a hand).
Hopefully when we finally expand I get smart and put wheels on everything.

Really?

2011-07-29T11:18:00.000-07:00

Yes Really...I have something to admit....I love wearing leggings...I guess maybe I just need to admit that I've hit "that part of my life" or is there a "that part of my life"? Maybe I'm just realizing how comfortable they are....yeah that's what I'm going with...not the fact that it's just so easy to put on a dress and some leggings and be able to sit with one leg up and type(like I am now) and not have to worry about being ladylike. The great thing is that leggings were popular when I was a kid-granted slouch socks over them were also "the thing" and I don't plan on doing that again but you never say never right!

So today on Friday I'm going to say a big "THANK YOU" to the inventor of leggings...although I googled it and I couldn't find a person per se to thank, apparently there is quite an extensive history on leggings.

Pretty Awesome

2011-07-28T16:12:00.001-07:00

I love when things turn out...not perfect...but still pretty awesome

WIP Wednesday

2011-07-27T15:56:00.000-07:00

So I came across Lee and her blog Freshly Pieced recently and thought her WIP Wednesdays would be a great way to keep track of my projects...so without further ado this is what I've been working on....

The Farmer's Wife QAL...yeah I haven't made any progress on these, I just have 4 blocks done, but I really do plan to get caught up soon.

The Courtyard Maze quilt by Olive Tree Textiles. I wanted to try this out myself before ordering the patterns for the store and I have cut almost all of my fabric and have started piecing the basic blocks.

image from olive tree textiles

Kona solids challenge. Well I FINALLY went to one of the Milwaukee Quilt Guild meetings and I received a charm pack of Kona basics to do a project. This was a new concept to me since I usually work with lots of prints and very very few solids, but I've embraced it and am even excited about it. I played around pretty quickly and decided to do a spectrum quilt and came up with this quilt block(yeas I'm sure it's not original but hey I didn't use a pattern or look anywhere-ha it will probably be one of my next blocks I have to do for the Farmers Wife)

I also finished my block for Anna for the Drawstring VQB...it was fun, pretty simple and I enjoyed the color palette-

I also made a dress of of fat quarters for P, but it's hideous oh and I tried to make board shorts for E, but after much seam ripping, I finally got them together and yeah there is no way they are supposed to fit a two year old. disastrous :)

Anyways my blogging may be limited for awhile...our computer is having issues and I either have to type blind or hold the screen with one hand...we're sending it out to be fixed soon since I can't live like this anymore!

So go check out what everyone else is working on too! Freshly Pieced WIP Wednesday

I Just Can't Do It

2011-07-26T16:35:00.001-07:00

So I'm not going to lie-owning a fabric store has it's perks...I play around with a lot of fabric a lot of the time! I was pretty excited to start making clothes for my kids and even myself...well let me just say... I SUCK AT IT! Maybe I'll get enough courage to show some of my "what the heck was I thinking projects" maybe

I don't know what it is, but I've come to the conclusion that I'm sick or going "huh" and seam ripping and trying things on that don't fit-I have a weird body shape. So I'm going back to making what I love-interiors....quilts, blankets, pillows, curtains...all home dec items...I'm going to let over people make the children's cloths and I'll make the home dec :)

This made me think about how there are just so many different crafty things that are geared towards so many different people and that's part of what I really love about the handmade movement.

Ok so I'll be back tomorrow to show you some of things I've been working on this past week.

Just ordered

2011-07-22T09:16:00.000-07:00

Pretty excited to start carrying this new line...

Supporting a Great Cause

2011-07-21T16:56:00.000-07:00

You may remember this quilt top from a few months ago-I had it made when the Shades of Grey Collection first came in. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it-just need it had to be something good. Well I found the perfect use....THIS EVENT-It's a Breast Cancer Fundraising Event. Usually with donations I submit a gift certificate-but this event was somewhat personal. I went to high school with Erin, the person organizing the event and walking in the Susan G. Komen 3 Day Walk. Erin is walking in memory of her mother who passed away this past year. I have many found memories of Erin's parents as well since we played soccer together and her parents were always at the games cheering. So I selected another one of my favorite patterns for the back and added some of the zig zags I was working on. I love how it turned out-even if I did finish it in the shop without A/C during the hottest days in WI-yes I now can say I work in a sweat shop.

Anyways-if you're in the area and can attend the event, or even if you're not you can still contribute via Tracey's Team.

Anyone Interested?

2011-07-21T05:05:00.000-07:00

So I think I'd like to organize a vintage sheet fat quarter swap! Thoughts, suggestions, anyone want to participate? Leave your comments below and I'll try to get organized quickly :)

Looking Ahead

2011-07-18T04:50:00.000-07:00

So Our doors have now been open for one full calendar year! I've learned a lot about a lot of things this first year and am happy to say that we plan on sticking around for awhile. I'm also collaborating with some talented people to work on some concepts for the upcoming year. Here's a sneak peak at some of the things coming your way:

-A monthly newsletter(with a coupon)

-Discount Club

-Offering more classes-soon you will be able to go on the website and suggest classes that interest you too

-Participating in more local events-we're having a booth at Bay View Bash and working on some other events too

-Another Craft Supply Swap-planning on setting up a concrete day soon :)

Also I'll be adding Michael Miller fabrics to the store soon...I'm pretty excited about that-honestly I've been putting it off since I think I'll want to make way too many projects with them.

Thanks again for a great first year

Getting Ready

2011-07-14T15:53:00.001-07:00

I can officially say that I am sick of cutting fabric-and I'm not even anywhere near done cutting Fat Quarters for Sundays Sale. Yup that's right Sundays Sale will focus on Fat Quarters-oh yeah and did I mention that they're only going to be $1.50(except for the organics).

Head on over we'll be here 11-4

Project for Kids

2011-07-12T08:43:00.000-07:00

I made this tent/teepee for my nephew's 2nd birthday earlier this month. It was surprisingly easy and the hardest part was finding enough space to lay out the fabric to cut the large pieces. I have the pattern available in the store if you're interested and the Home Dec fabric works great.
Also I'm going to apologize in advance if the posts are lacking this week-I'm gearing up for the Anniversary Sale this week and getting back into the swing of things after a weekend away. Why is it that you always feel refreshed getting away but there's always so many things to do when you get back-I found myself almost immediately thinking 'I need a vacation' Ha!

Ships Ahoy!

2011-07-08T10:33:00.001-07:00

I had a customer that was interested in home dec weight Nautical themed fabric....these are what I came up with-have a great weekend-jsut a reminder we're closed this weekend and our week of email only sales starts on Monday!

Pretty Darn Excited

2011-07-07T15:59:00.000-07:00

I received my Fall 2011 issue of Stitch today and I have to say it really has me yearning for Fall. The projects in here are great-I already have about 6 projects that I want to get started on right away.....not good. Especially since I'm already toying with the idea of joining another quilt-a-long after learning about it from a customer today. Really no idea why I'm even considering it since I have no time....yeah I'll probably do it anyways.

Anyways back to Stitch-if you want to take a sneak peak, go over HERE and take a look at what's in the fall issue.

Poetry Skirt by Katrin Vorbeck courtesy of Stitch Magazine

My first tutorial

2011-07-06T15:28:00.000-07:00

And it's not even fabric related!

So with summer finally here in WI my husband and I have rekindled our addiction with these iced coffee drinks...they're super easy to make at home and you can save yourself tons of money. I don't know why but I can never make a hot latte or whatnot at home like they do at the coffee shops...but this I can make!

So we brew our coffee(12 cups) at night and then put it in a pitcher and put it in the fridge over night-don't think this is really how you're supposed to make iced coffee but it works for us.

Get a nice tall glass out, put 3 ice cubes in it, take your chocolate syrup and drizzle it over the ice-prob about 2 tablespoons worth-more or less to your liking.

Then add about an inch or so of half and half(I prefer soy)

Last pour the iced coffee over it and it will mix together. Sit back and enjoy! Hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

I'm a Cheater

2011-07-02T13:18:00.000-07:00

So I decided that I wanted to join the Farmer's Wife Quilt-A-long over HERE. Basically you follow along in The Farmer's Wife Sample Quilt book and make 111 blocks-2 per week. Well the only downside to this is that the blocks are each just 6"x6"-talk about small pieces-then when talking with a customer yesterday I decided that I would make my blocks 12"x12" and just have a few quilts out of it. My purpose of participating is to learn how to do all of the quilt blocks and personally I think I will enjoy them more and they will fit into my personal style more if they are large. So yes you can call me a cheater I'm ok with it.

Also if you want to hop on the wagon and participate in the quilt-a-long I have the books avail in the store for purchase.

These are my first two blocks....I'm also a bit behind since the group is on week 5 I believe but I'll catch up soon!

Repurposing Old T-Shirts

2011-07-01T12:49:00.000-07:00

So for a variety of reasons...A. we're trying not to spend a lot of extra money B. I was getting rid of these and C. I love the Big Butt Baby Pants by Made by Rae I made these for E for the 4th of July.

I took a couple of old t shirts that were too big and cut them up and pieced them together. I cut off a few inches off of the pattern to make long shorts/high wader pants-which will be perfect for sleepwear after the 4th. Also I loved working with these because I was able to place the pattern so that the existing bottom hem of the t-shirts became the hem of the pants/shorts(whatever you want to call them)

Have a happy 4th of July!

Also if you haven't already(I know I sound like a broken record) I encourage you to sign up for our email list...with our ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY right around the corner-I'll be sending out specials to the email list that whole week.....YEAH!!!! You can sign up right over there on the upper right hand side-oh and make sure to complete step 2 of the process and acknowledge the email you get confirming subscription. I'm pretty excited about the week of giveaways myself

Getting All Festive

2011-06-30T11:43:00.000-07:00

I used this

to make this

I'm not much of a patriotic dresser...but maybe that's changing with age....I also made E a pair of shorts/pants that I'll be posting tomorrow using old t-shirts.

I am also posting quite a few patterns in the Etsy shop today-so take a gander

4th of July Etsy Treasury

2011-06-30T04:09:00.000-07:00

Wall Decals GEOMETRIC FIRE...
decalsmurals
$36.99 USD
Beloved
MagpiesShop
$20.00 USD
White Peace Signs hemp dog...
collarswithc...
$18.00 USD
Nina Dress - Patriotic / 4...
heybabystudi...
$36.00 USD
Puremodern Foursquare Neck...
marmar
$82.00 USD
Blueberry Cherry Garland -...
MadeMary
$26.00 USD
Free US Shipping--Decorati...
nenavon
$25.00 USD
NEW Patriotic Tie Collecti...
ChicCoutureB...
$15.50 USD
12 Hand Dyed Napkins - Red...
madeinthered...
$20.00 USD
Red, White, and Blue Roset...
tararosie
$17.00 USD
Modern granny square croch...
mostlyjonah
$50.00 USD
NEW Chenille Baby Bib - Pi...
babymomo
$8.00 USD
Cleo loves rio, in red dre...
Wildewear
$65.00 USD
The STOCKHOLM red ecru and...
ikabags
$59.00 USD
Carousel Dreaming - 20x30 ...
MommyMakes
$75.00 USD
Leather Bangles Red White ...
amyfine
$30.00 USD

Rainbow Stripes

2011-06-26T11:17:00.000-07:00

Looking for a fun easy project for the summer-you seriously could make 20 of these in a day...they're that easy. I choose a Free to Grow Organic Cotton stripe and paired it with a Cloud 9 dot. A little pleating, elastic and some hemming and you're done-I only wish P was a little older and could wear this!

Dress Pattern is from the One Yard Wonders book , available at the store.

Moda Bake Shop Project

2011-06-26T11:09:00.000-07:00

I've had people asking me what they can make with the Chalk Cloth that we carry...well I was searching thru the Moda Bake Shop yesterday for a quick project and came across this-Quilted Chalk Board....what a great way to use the Sherbet Pips Charm Packs we have in the store and the Chalk Cloth. I didn't make the back or the pockets yet but love it already-I think I may actually skip those or maybe even make a large pocket on the bottom.

I can envision doing this with a variety of other charm packs, make a kitchen themed one, boys room, girls room, classroom, etc. Yeah I'm excited! You can also get the supplies at the store for $12-includes 1 Sherbet Pips Charm Pack, 13x13 piece of Chalk Cloth. I also have Bella Solids and City Weekend Charm Packs if you prefer those instead.

Finished Product

2011-06-24T10:50:00.000-07:00

Here's a pic of the tunic from last night, next time I'd tweak it a bit, make it longer, one size smaller and shorter sleeves(I have already made them shorter than the pattern-but maybe a bit more). My husband kept saying that he couldn't believe I made it-it's a good feeling to see my sewing skills improving :)

Also sidenote from the post yesterday about the financial planning/budgeting...we didn't buy into doing any program, we just got the book are are using it as a guideline...I personally don't see how buying into a financial "program" would make sense for some in a tough financial situation since they most likely don't have the money to spend on that in the first place. :)

Thursday Already?

2011-06-23T13:12:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the blog post neglect this week-I feel like our weather this week has been so crazy that it has me going crazy in a million different directions-I swear every time I have to go outside it pours, I get soaked and have to change what I'm wearing and then it's fine. I was drenched looking like a wet dog at the Dr's office for P's appt this week-I think they thought I was crazy...oh well!

So let's see what have I been working on this week? I've been doing a lot of shipping, a little sewing, a little website updating(very little) and a lot of budgeting. My husband and I actually got a babysitter on Monday so we could get everything together and go to a coffee shop and figure out our budget....ah being an adult sucks sometimes :) We are following the Dave Ramsey Get Out of Debt plan so we'll see how that goes-I'm happy for our decision but know it's going to be hard at times.

It feels a lot more like Spring around here rather than summer so I worked on this shirt yesterday and was able to get it finished today....it's this pattern....from Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross

Image from Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross

in this fabric....

I want to try it on and see how it looks before I take a pic....may even wear it tonight-I'm headed to a private Tim McGraw concert here in Milwaukee

Heading out in the mail

2011-06-18T13:12:00.000-07:00

Just a quick wash and this baby quilt will be headed out to it's new owner. The new owner is a little baby girl, but I wasn't sure if the momma was a 'pink person' so I didn't want to overwhelm her-she's also a pretty modern lady so I thought these new Monaluna patterns would be perfect and I paired them with a modern black and cream circle backing. The animals in the prints are too cute...fox and birds(sorry you prob can't see in this pic)

I love this color combination-a bit more orangey red with the blue-might make one for E & P....

For the Librarian

2011-06-17T11:17:00.000-07:00

I made this small quilt for a librarian we know that just retired-Congrats Marie! I love this books fabric and it's been a pretty big hit with customers too-plus I thought it would be a good little reminder of the past 25 years. I was originally going to make this larger, but when I was laying it out-the pattern just seemed to want to stop here-so I didn't force it. Love how it turned out and can't wait to get it in the mail today.

Also this is what the zig zag looks like after washing-I really love it-now if I only owned a serger :)

Have a great weekend and don't forget to call your dad and wish him a Happy Father's Day

My 2 Cents

2011-06-15T20:22:00.000-07:00

So I've been realizing more and more lately that I am so truly lucky to have the customers that I have. They keep my life interesting, share their projects and their lives with me and I feel as though many of them have become friends.

I also think that support is a two way street so I'd like to show some support for some of my great customers that have businesses of their own and continue to support me...take a gander

Robyn Vining Photography and Ticklebugs Photography

http://robynviningphotography.com/

Robyn takes some of the most amazing photos and is so extremely creative...She came up with this idea and took this pic of P for us(one of the many photos we fell in love with from that day)

Under the Apply Tree

http://www.undertheappletreeblog.com/

Courtney is a great resource is you're thinking about use cloth diapers or learning more about them. Wouldn't it be great if she opened a store selling cloth diapers in the area-just a little nudge from me :)

Mabel and Me

http://www.mabelandme.com/

Ok so I know I just talked about Emma and how great her items are, but seriously she makes the cutest dresses and most durable sandwich bags-E has not even been able to put a dent in the bag and that's pretty big if you know my 2 year old(or any for that matter)

Generations in Style and October Designs

http://www.etsy.com/shop/generationsinstyle & http://www.etsy.com/shop/octoberdesigns

Jenna and her mom Dawn are a great example of the idea that style is hereditary. They come in and work together to pick great fabrics and have such unique ideas of how to put everything together. Generations in Style features cute dresses and other baby items. I can't wait to start buying some for P. October Designs has graphic announcements geared towards adopted children-what a great idea!

Ok that's it for me tonight-tomorrow I'll be posting a project I whipped up today-just have to wash it first.

July Classes

2011-06-14T11:28:00.001-07:00

You can now sign up for July classes by calling the store at 414.482.7373 or emailing drawstringstudio[at]gmailDOTcom with your contact info and we will contact you for the class fee. All class fees are due in advance and non-refundable.

All classes are limited to 4 participants unless otherwise noted.

How to Choose Colors for Your Projects

Tuesday July 5 7:00-8:00pm

Instructor: Danielle Lussier

Description: Do you always have a difficult time trying to pick out coordinating fabrics for quilts and other projects. I'll discuss the common ways to pick fabrics and assist you with picking fabrics for your own projects.

Fee: $10-This class is open to 8 participants.

Quilting Block Basics

Mondays July 12, 19 7:00-9:30pm

Instructor: Elaine Wong Haselhuhn

Description: You will leave this two day class knowing how to create three different types of quilting blocks. Basket weave/rail fence, autumn hints, cups and saucers

Class participants must have working knowledge of their machines-one machine is avail for rental from the store for $10

Fee: $50 + supplies

Hostess Apron with Pocket

Thursday July 14 6:45-9:00pm

Instructor: Danielle Lussier

Description: You will leave this one day class with a finished product and a sense of accomplishment. This half apron is perfect for working on your sewing skills and learning a new project.

Class participants must have working knowledge of their machines-one machine is avail for rental from the store for $10

Fee: $15 + supplies

Baby Sling

Sunday July 17 1:00-3:00pm

Instructor: Sarah Rachelle

Description: You will leave this class with finished baby sling ready to use. Perfect project for beginners. Ring Sling Baby Sling.

Class participants must have working knowledge of their machines-one machine is avail for rental from the store for $10

Fee: $20 + supplies

Hostess Apron with Pocket

Sunday July 24 11:00-1:30 pm

Instructor: Danielle Lussier

Description: You will leave this one day class with a finished product and a sense of accomplishment. This half apron is perfect for working on your sewing skills and learning a new project.

Class participants must have working knowledge of their machines-one machine is avail for rental from the store for $10

Fee: $15 + supplies

Enjoy!

Magic and a Confession

2011-06-10T13:17:00.000-07:00

So it's not really true magic but I think it's pretty neat....I've always read about other people having idea boards and I've never really thought about doing one, but then I began to get frustrated with having to move my projects around when space ran low and I decided to jump on board. There are so many different ways to do this and different materials to use-some people use batting, insulation sheets, flannel or a few other things I can't think of off of the top of my head. I decided to use flannel because I'd be able to reuse it without having to worry too much about the size I cut-with batting I feel like you would have to work off of a standard quilt size to make it truly functional.

As you can see all you have to do is hang it and it's ready to go, the quilt squares "stick" to it and you can play around with the design and are able to step back and look at it from a distance-which is a big plus for me.

Ok on to the confession.....I think I'm a pink person! I know this isn't a bad thing so fellow pink people don't take offense but I've never seen myself as a "pink person". But along with owning this store comes the realization that I must be. I tend to order a lot of pink, I do projects in pink and am currently working on a grey and pink quilt-see above pink for the start of the quilt(oh and thanks to Kelly over at Project: Cottage for the inspiration to do a zig zag quilt. Yet however I don't dress in pink, don't really buy a lot of pink for my daughter and am not doing her room in pink-atleast that's not the plan right now, but I really don't have a plan for it. So yes I guess I now consider myself a "pink person" hmmmmmm......

Oh I almost forgot-have you ever dropped something on your toe and it hurt so bad that you thought you were going to throw up? If it's happened to you-you totally know what I mean-those of you that don't, I hope you never do. Yeah happened to me today-I bought this pegboard to hang patterns a new way and really didn't expect it to be that heavy when I dropped it-not fun.

Put a few great things together and look what you get

2011-06-09T10:47:00.000-07:00

Some Shades of Grey from Daisy Janie, a big print from Tina Givens and Ivory from Pure Organics along with the Atkinson Designs Urban Cabin pattern-all of which can be found in our store...oh and throw in an extremely talented seamstress-Elaine and this is what you get.....Thanks again Elaine-I love how it turned out!

In the mail today

2011-06-08T11:25:00.000-07:00

So ever since I had my shop featured on Heartsy I've been worried that I'd become addicted to it and start buying everything I saw...well I've held back a bit but I did purchase a few things and one of them came in the mail today. I think I'm going to have to work this into P's room design-that is if I can ever decide on a fabric for the curtains. It is from PennyWishes (found here) and it came super fast which is always key for me.

Winner, Winner, Winner

2011-06-08T10:49:00.001-07:00

Ok so here goes......our winner is................

Shanna!!!!!!

Shanna said...
Blogged about ya!

Shanna
http://queenofthecastles.com/?p=223

JUNE 6, 2011 3:56 PM

A big thanks to all that entered and as a thank you-get 15% off your next order-jsut email me for the code drawstringstudio[at]gmailDOTcom.

Thanks...Shanna send me an email too and we'll get the details figured out :)

Giveaway Extended!

2011-06-05T18:07:00.000-07:00

So I had a great weekend out in the sun with my family and I decided to extend the giveaway in case anyone else missed it because they were out enjoying the nice weather like I was. So if you haven't already entered go HERE for details. Deadline is now Tuesday at 9pm CST.

Dusty & Old becomes Green & Shiny

2011-06-04T09:15:00.000-07:00

I picked up this little rocking chair this past week on the same trip that I picked up the textiles-I had some green paint at the house that I was planning on using for another project but never got around to it. A few coats and this baby is as good as new and perfect for our family.

Giveaway Alert

2011-06-03T10:12:00.001-07:00

So if you already read my post from earlier this morning you're one step ahead, if not-go check it out now 'Super Secret Club'. So to kick off this new idea, I'd like to run a giveaway for a 6 month subscription to the Club(or you can put the credit towards a 12th month subscription). Only thing you need to pay for is the one time shipping charge of $10.00. Pretty great huh?

Well here's how you enter(post a comment with each way you have entered below-including your email address so I can contact you if you win)

1 entry-become a follower on the blog and comment on this post telling me what's your current favorite color to craft/sew with?

1 entry-become a fan on our Facebook page HERE

up to 3 additional entries-refer people over here-for every person that puts you down as a referral as a comment on this post.

2 entries-Do a posting about this giveaway and Drawstring Studio on your blog

Total max of 7 entries per person-contest ends Monday June 6th at 9am CST.

Super Secret Club

2011-06-03T05:41:00.000-07:00

***If you want to enter the Giveaway GO HERE***

Well not so much of a secret but it is definitely a super club. I just posted Yard of the Month listings on my Etsy shop, which can be found HERE. There are 6 month and 12 month subscriptions and currently I am offering them in the following categories: blues and greens, pinks and purples, and browns. I'll most likely be adding a Neutrals category and possibly a reds today. I'm so excited to pick out the first fabric to send-if you order by June 10th, you'll still get the June 1st shipment. Then all of the remaining shipments will be sent out on the 1st of each month.

Have a great weekend-we are hoping to finally get our garden planted before it's too late :)

Something Old and Something New Make Something New but not in Blue

2011-06-02T13:46:00.000-07:00

I was getting the itch to do a little repurposing today so I stopped at my local thrift store on the way to work and picked up some great textiles and linens oh and the cutest little rocking chair that I'm going to spray paint-score for me today!

Anyways I picked up a vintage pillowcase and since P is too small for a pillowcase dress, I decided to make a skirt out of it. I wanted to make the fewest alterations possible but the length of the skirt was just going to be too short for my taste plus it was pretty see-through. I paired it with the brown dot that I have in the store and I love it. The brown dot has a retro feel to me so I think they complement each other nicely. It's a double layer skirt and I hope the two layers show a little more when it's being worn.

I totally made it up as I went, which isn't always the best plan for me, but it worked out and I finished it really quickly. Might even do a tutorial on this one.

10 little facts

2011-06-01T11:12:00.000-07:00

So I thought it would be fun to share ten little facts about myself...

1. I hate maintenance....website maintenance, home maintenance, car maintenance, anything that involves having to continuously update or clean-hence why I am not a neat freak! This is something I realized lately-

2. I married my high school sweetheart-sappy I know-our parents still live about a mile away from each other-my brother also married someone he met in high school-yet neither one of us really keeps in touch with anyone else from there.

3. I recently became a Vegan, if you know me this isn't a big surprise-I've never really been a fan of meat or milk and therefore the only things I really miss are cheese and ice cream-both of which I can find in dairy free options.

4. I HATE hot weather-I hate being sweaty and gross-I would love it if it was between 60 and 75 degrees every day-I loved the weather in Seattle-it was almost perfect

5. I cut people off when talking to them-I don't mean to do it and it really annoys me

6. I love accessories-necklaces especially-I always stare at people's necklaces when talking to them-love to see what they are wearing and get ideas-I love scarves too!

7. I hate talking on the phone-it annoys me

8. I had a really hard time going back to work after E was born-I even ended up quitting my job and telling J I got laid off-he found out pretty quickly the really story-and he still loves me. All in all it was the best decision I ever made-just the wrong way to go about it.

9. I am a horrible lier-hence part of the reason J found out-that and we received no unemployment checks :)

10. I am saddened that people choose to judge others for the ways they live their lives without even knowing them-stereotyping is a horrible thing and we are all guilty of it at some point.

Ok so now you know a little about me-tell me a little about you.

Mabel and Me

2011-05-31T14:21:00.000-07:00

I hope you had a chance to take a look a the cute print that P was wearing yesterday....I had it made by Emma over at Mabel and Me. I loved the fabric and thought it would be perfect for summer and even great to wear on Memorial Day and 4th of July with adding a touch of our inner hippie spirit.

You have to check out the great items that are over at Mabel and Me. Not only does Emma make children's clothing, but she also creates other items such as awesome snack bags-we have two and I love the way she constructs them-they're so durable which is much needed with a two year old boy running around, bibs, burp cloths, placemats, crayon rolls, and much more.

Check out her website HERE.

Happy Memorial Day

2011-05-30T07:33:00.001-07:00

Check Back tomorrow to find out more about this cute Mabel and Me dress that P is wearing!

Some are here, some are coming

2011-05-28T11:34:00.000-07:00

These are now here.....

These are coming soon....

Call Me Crazy, Call Me Lazy, Call Me What You Want

2011-05-26T16:19:00.000-07:00

I've had this quilt pieced together for awhile now and Sat when a customer of mine came in and was putting together a few fabrics in here I became re-inspired to finish this. I love the combination of colors and patterns and the simplicity of the quilt. I did a simple quilting on it and am beginning to realize that I prefer straight lines and simple quilting on my pieces-I guess that means I have a style of quilting! Yeah for me.

Anyways I decided to zigzag stitch the edges together before binding and about halfway through I started to admire the zigzag and decided that I'm not going to bind it...not sure if this just makes me lazy, but I want to see how it washes and if I still like it....if not then I'll just add a binding. If I do like it...who knows maybe I'll just do all of my quilts this way.

Anyone else know of anyone that does this? Do you think I'm crazy????

Duvet or not to Duvet?

2011-05-26T14:52:00.000-07:00

When I first Saw this patten in the Daisy Janie collection I knew I wanted to showcase it in some sort of home dec application-at the time I was thinking curtains, but after thinking about it for a little bit-I decided it would be even better as a duvet cover. I've found duvet covers to be a great and fairly inexpensive way to change a room around without having to paint or do anything major.

This duvet came together fairly quickly and it's a pretty easy project-the only issue that I had is that it is a large amount of fabric to be working with so I learned it was best to pin, pin and pin some more to keep everything in place while sewing. I also decided that instead using buttons for the closure I'd experiment with snap twill tape-glad I did-LOVE it! Well except for trying to sew it on, but I think I prefer this to buttons and it gives you a better finished closure in my opinion(again take it with a grain of salt).

I've had this project finished for a couple of weeks, but have been waiting for some Monaluna fabric to come in to make pillows to go with it-but I couldn't wait any longer, so here you go!

Unfortunately the pic is a little blurry-I have my camera now, but the USB cord has disappeared-did I mention that my son has entered the hoarding phase of his life? I'll download a better pic when I find it.(I found the cord-yeah!!!!!)

My New Best Friend

2011-05-25T15:36:00.000-07:00

I've always been pretty bad at finishing quilts-I love putting together the fabric combinations and design but then I hate pinning and binding...hence why many of my quilts are unfinished.

I finally decided to try Basting Spray and I have now finished two quilts...well I still haven't bound one of them but hey it's a big step for me.

Here are my thoughts on basting spray for what it's worth...

-It's really good for beginner quilters or people that don't have a lot of patience to pin

-I always, ALWAYS find wrinkles and creases after the fact when I pin-I avoided this with spray basting because I could smooth it out

-they say is has no odor-well 'they' are lying, there is a smell to it-it's not necessarily overwhelming but it wasn't a pretty smell either

So far it has enough benefits for me to stick with it...has anyone else had any issues with it that I haven't discovered yet?