Ms. Craftypants

I’m so excited that the Supremes are singing in the background.  Be sure to come out and enjoy the festivities if you are anywhere near San Mateo next weekend, May 30th and 31st.  You will not be disappointed.  I’ll be there along with my bestie My Imaginary Boyfriend and a host of other fabulous DoItYourselfers.  Want more info?  Check out these great sites for details and more specifics about tons o’ makers and crafters and crafty-makers in your area: www.makerfaire.com - you can also sign up to be a volunteer (as they are still needed) by going here: http://makerfaire.com/bayarea/2009/volunteer/ 

The Blog extraordinaire about our lovely artisans can be found here: Baz Biz Blog Vendor Interviews  and of course a photo album of the wonderful things you can find next weekend is here at the Bazaar Bizarre Gallery.  Be sure to join us and get creatin’ your own crazy goods soon.

Did I mention the raffle?  All kind of killer goods could be yours for a mere dollar purchase of the magical raffle ticket.  There is really only one word that comes to mind when trying to describe next weekend’s Maker Faire: AWESOME!

Changing Pad that holds it all!
This has been my life saver in tiny restaurants all over San Francisco. Quick snap closure creates an easy one-handed opening for this diaper pad. The bright colors make it easy to find in your giant bag. I also like that I can just grab this clutch for quick trips without needing to lug my bigger bag into public restrooms. Two pockets for your diapers and wipes. Oilcloth fabric makes any clean up easy as can be. Plus the contrasting colors mean you never have to guess which side is up and which goes down.  Loads of colors to choose from.  Let me know if you’d like a specific color combo and I’d be happy to make it for you.  Just shoot me an email here.
Try it and you’ll love it!
Measures 13″ x 30″ open and 6 1/2″ x 10″ closed.

I finally finished my stack of patchwork blankies for the little ones.  They make the perfect shower gift (I know, I got one for my baby shower).  Just bring it to the shower and let everyone write their own sentiments on the blocks to make an instant and unique treasure.  Or you can write down the baby’s birth stats and a fave quote - Dr. Seuss always comes to mind for me.  I love Where The Wild Things Are too butbe forewarned, you might be giving your kid ideas before they figure out how to be WILD on their own.

Personally I enjoy color mixing in patchwork blankets.  I don’t want anything too subtle (thankfully I’m almost never described as subtle) but too crazy and my eyes will ache.  Hopefully I’ve found the right mix here.  20 blankets and I like every single one of them (yep, even the pink ones).

I’m super excited to be part of the Maternity Exchange’s Birth & Baby Fair in San Francisco next month (May 3rd from 10a-3p).  For those of you who don’t know what that is, you have a chance to check them out this weekend for one of their awesome sales:

Maternity Xchange sale this weekend in San Francisco

Buy new & consignment maternity clothing for up to 75% off regular retail prices.
Saturday  & Sunday,
April 18th & 19th
11am to 4pm
@ The Bryant St. Sports Basement
1590 Bryant St., San Francisco
www.maternityxchange.com
510-814-1848
info@maternityxchange.com

Mention MsCraftypants sent you and you’ll get 10% off your purchase plus a FREE pass for two to the SF Birth & Baby Fair.

The Exchange is completely worth a double shot of baby goodness in the upcoming month - you don’t want to miss it.

And for those of you who read this far - comment on this post by April 30, 2008 and you’ll be entered in a drawing for a free Robot Baby Blanket by yours truly.  And who doesn’t love robots?

Good Luck!

MsCrafty

I finally finished Erika’s birthday present from last year and it is my favorite quilt by far!  Plus she loved it so mission accomplished all around.  I hate that it took me months of waiting to quilt my layers just because I was afraid of screwing it up.  I need more confidence in myself and I need to let myself screw up more - that is how we learn after all, right?  Thankfully there was no screwing up here.  Just a fab quilt for my bestie crafter gal Erika:) XOXOXO

My days of running to the post office and waiting in line for an hour or more are over!  That’s right, I was finally able to go online and have a package prepared for delivery and my own postal carrier picked it up the next day from my front door.  I love technology.  Plus it’s cheaper to pay for postage online.  You save 50 cents by printing it on your computer and then tape it to your package.  Add the fact that you can get free flat rate boxes for shipping and I am a very happy girl.  Oh happy day!

Thanks www.usps.com!

Did you know Ipods get into a particular mood and will play the same artists or songs over and over?  As a result I have been listening to songs repeatedly the past week.  Not just any old tunes but songs from my past.  Music has the power to pull me back to a specific moment in time more so than any smell.  For instance when I hear Tom Petty’s Full Moon Fever album I am immediately transported back into Tom W’s converted garage where we’d jump around like spastic animals to Zombie Zoo.  Or when I hear King of Pain I’m reminded of Frank’s house on any of the many days where we’d skip school to hang out at his condo with Lisa.  Speaking of Lisa, the Rush Movie Soundtrack was her domain, driving around in my old VW listening to the same cassette over and over. 

I love music and what it can do for us, how it reminds us of our past and invokes pictures of our future: our hopes and fears.  That is why I’m always linking songs and quotes to my quilts and other projects.  Whenever I’m working on something new I think about what music it holds within.  Do the colors make me feel happy and refreshed or are the patterns somber and relaxing?  I guess I’ve always done this.  With every avenue of creativity I’ve pursued, music has always played a part.  So a toast to music and all it can do for our hearts and minds.  I love your notes and lyrics more than I can express; but thankfully you say it all for me, and then some.

I bought the below oval fabric and was just set on making robots out of it.  Trouble was, I didn’t know how I was going to do that - So I started out with a few different and much more complex options before settling on what you see here.  I think the overall feel of the robot assembly line is exactly what I wanted but in the end I had a hard time finding fabrics to go with my favorite Jetsons style 50’s retro print so the fabrics seem to wash  each other out a bit. 

 No worries, it still looks great in person and next time I’ll have more contrast between my robots and their conveyor belt.

Don’t you just love mobiles hanging over cribs with tiny fingers reaching up to them?  I do.  That’s why I’ve been a bit obsessed with mobiles  this past week.  I’ve finished two types so far and my hope is to have at least two more by the end of next week.  I plan to make them as optional DIY Kits to sell at my favorite craft fair.  Yep - make your own cute little mobiles with various themes: space, monkeys, robots, spring, not sure what I’ll end up with but I have a ton of ideas running around the inside of my head.  And they are pretty easy to make.  Sure they take time and creativity but the technical aspect of them is whatever you make it.  A simple circle, triangle and square can make a great mobile for your little one to interact with.  All you need is a sturdy ring to hang your objects from, some ribbon and you’re all set!

So here’s what I did:

3 balls of varying sizes in dark blue, light blue and green.  6 stars cut out of fleece and then overlaid with yellow cotton print and interfacing to give the stars stability.  Then the stars are slid onto one another like cardboard cutouts would be.  The result is crisp and funky at the same time.  Plus it offsets the softness of the planets that are otherwise fairly simple.  Hand sew the ribbons to each piece at desired lengths (varying for visual appeal) then choose 3 of the 6 ribbons - make those long enough to hang the entire mobile from.  If anyone wants a full pattern, just let me know and I’ll upload designs and instructions.  Other than that, let me know if you have any ideas or suggestions for me as I keep on my crazy mobile creations.  Cheers!

MsC

I’ve been sewing away these past few weeks in my newly restyled sewing room.  I just love having a space to work in again.  Once Griffin came along, my sewing room was out.  Now I have found a way to utilize our study without remodeling the whole room.  I just put two Costco tables in the center and raised them up to their work table height and I’m good to go.  The other easy part is taking everything down when we have company.  I fold up the tables and store everything in the closet.  Well almost everything.  I have a ton of fabric!

 

So enough of my gloating on my cool new workspace, here is what I’ve been cooking up in it:

 

I’ve made 4 diaper bags so far.  I just love the crisp styles of these prints and the utilitarian nature of the bags.  They work great and look good too.  I made one for myself along with a coordinating laptop sleeve so I can  take my little baby with me on trips both near and far.

I’m also starting some specialty bedding sets.  So far I’ve made a girlie set with flowers and handmade trim including a mobile, blanket and bumper.  Now I’m working on the spaceman side of things with rockets and alien ships - love it!

And of course like every other parent out there I have fallen in love with the ultra soft new fabrics for our little ones.  I’ve made a few simple blankets including some travel blankets to keep the kids soft and warm this rainy season.

I hope you like what you see here.  Feel free to drop me a line or make a comment on anything you see and as always my goods are available through my Etsy shop here: www.mscraftypants.etsy.com.

Cheers!

Ms. C