Wave Kaia

Makin' Stuff

2011-09-04T16:44:00.000-04:00

When summer time rolls around, it seems that I disappear from this space. Summer is too short for me, and it leaves me with little time for computers and updating. So having said that, I apologize for the absence. Despite neglecting my blog however, I have managed to create and craft often. As you know from previous posts, I've learned to crochet which is portable. I brought my crochet case and yarn with me on every car trip, camping trip and picnic at the park. Here are some of the fruits of my crochet labor.

a peek at my granny stripe blanket

I also managed to get a little bit of sewing in there too. I made a batch of little peasant dresses for The Extraordinary Baby Shoppe, and they've all sold but one - my favourite one to boot. These little cuties weren't quite ready in time for that batch, but I'll be adding to this collection for next year. I used a basic pillow case dress tutorial that I found on-line and unfortunately did not bookmark it and have forgotten where.

12 months

6 months

I sewed up a couple cell phone/iphone covers and I intend to make some more. I used this tutorial but omitted the ring.

These little legwarmers are being sent out in the mail this week to a dear friends daughters. She just gave birth to her second daughter and her first is almost 3. I can't wait to see how the leg warmers look on the baby. I used this pattern. Fall is just around the corner...

4T (photo won't flip for some reason)

3 months

And as if I didn't already have enough to keep me busy with sewing, crocheting, working full-time, photographing everything, I have fallen hard for embroidery.

This project tempts me. I recently bought a small piece of fabric from the same designer and it's too cute. Not sure what I'll do with it yet, but it's there in the back of my mind and when inspiration comes, I'll be ready.

Someday, I'll do what all of my crafting/blogging idols are doing and post a tour of my studio type of thing, but until then I'll leave you with a glimpse of my crafting space as it usually looks - a tad cluttered and a pinch messy.

Happy crafting. I'll try harder to pop in with updates more often.

Summer Time Rolls....

2011-07-28T17:52:00.000-04:00

Making new friends at the Lake

Is she really 4?

Water play

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My Gilligan... LOL

Colour

2011-06-27T15:48:00.002-04:00

These days I just feel like swimming in colour. I don't remember a time in my life when I've enjoyed colours as much as I do right now.

I've been finding clever ways of organizing all of my threads and bobbins. All that colour shouldn't be hidden in containers, no? It should be up on the wall and displayed as art!

The thread rack idea was taken from this tutorial on the Sugar Bee Crafts blog. Isn't that clever? The frame was a garbage day find. I was on my way home from dropping Aemilia off at daycare and saw it. Immediately I had this project in mind. It was a bit of a team effort, as Marco helped with the cutting of the pegboard and the sanding and gluing of the dowels. What a fun, inexpensive way to store/display/organize your thread spools.

Oh and the painting. I can see why kids want to cover themselves up with paint. This girl likes to get her hands right in there. How does that feel? Orangy?

To me, all of this colour is inspiring and it screams SUMMERTIME!!!

I'll have to remember to pack the paints for our camping trip in July. Unfortunately the threads will stay home, but I think I'll pack myself some spools of yarn and a few crochet hooks for that relaxing time after a swim.

I've recently acquired a new digital SLR camera. A gently used Nikon d70S that my good friend Anne of AMB Photo no longer needed. I know it came from a loving home. Anne shot my wedding actually. For years I've been shooting on a point and shoot, and have been able to capture amazing photos, but my first batch of photos from the Nikon were stunning in comparison. I have been trying to read up on how to get amazing shots, and have been playing around with editing software, but I think I need to get myself to a workshop in order to achieve better results. I have no aspirations of becoming a photographer, I just want to be able to document my life through photos, and perhaps put some shots in frames. There is no shortage of inspiration out there though. It seems that with the advances in tech with cameras and editing software's, professional quality is almost achievable. As if my hobby plate wasn't full enough already with sewing and crocheting... :)

What do you shoot with? What is your favourite lens? Do you bring your crochet needles with you when you go camping?

Sneak Peek

2011-06-15T16:21:00.000-04:00

New Pin Cushion

2011-06-13T15:54:00.000-04:00

Wow, I can't believe it's almost been a month since my last blog post. We've been outdoors enjoying what nature has to offer. We've been to a bike parade, a bike festival, a children's festival, the 'Beach at Meech', cycling in the Gatineau Park, Westfest, yard 'sailing', to name a few. Plus, I've been off of work due to rotating strikes going on across Canada (I'm a Letter Carrier by day). Since I'm still a casual, I'm at home and on the bench until my union and Canada Post come to some kind of agreement. So needless to say, I'm making the most of my time.

Playing at the 'Beach at Meech'

Walking the streets at Westfest

Yard 'Sailing'

Lemon Cake with cream cheese icing and toasted almonds for my birthday.

An accordionist at a Yard Sale. (For you mom ;) )

Bike Festival at City Hall.

Papa's on TV

Bike Parade

Special time with Aunt Carla and Sydney

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Victoria weekend fair

Tulip Festival

Spring haircut

And it amazes me just how much ice cream this kid can eat. We have a very healthy diet at home, so this is our big indulgence - from April to November.... lol

And this is only the beginning. I love summer!

So, back to the topic of having time on my hands, I've been productive on the crafting front. Today I got two projects that I had been thinking about for some time DONE.

Old pin cushion

New pincushion

Not that there was anything wrong with the old one, but I just wanted to look at something a little more colourful, and also I wanted something that would sit flat and not topple over all the time like the apple one does. I used two pieces of coordinating cotton 5" by 5", sewed them together right sides facing leaving a 2" opening for the stuffing. Then stuffed it with little bits of Polyfil at a time and stitched it up using a ladder stitch. Then using embroidery floss, I added the button and wrapping detail. Super simple. It took about 10 minutes to make, I'm not even kidding.

The second project is a new thread rack. I don't have any photos yet, but I will get some as soon as I hang it up on the wall. I used this tutorial from Sugar Bee Crafts. I bookmarked this project about a year ago. Yes, you should see how long my Tutorials To Do bookmark list is... Anyway, it was a fun project, not exactly instant gratification, but well worth the wait. I even involved the Mister cause I know he likes to use power tools, so I let him to the cutting of the peg board.

I'm off to get that thread rack on the wall so stay tuned. :)

It's Here

2011-05-14T01:31:00.000-04:00

Spring has sprung! It's finally here! I have a feeling though that we're in for a very unpredictable summer weather wise. It feels like we've been waiting for warm weather to grace us, and today we got some, but then the forecast threatens single digit temperatures are coming back to us next week.

I am feeling a surge of creativity these days. It's Spring after all. New life all around. Anticipation of the summer to come. Long days with lots of light.

Outdoors is where the fun takes place from now until the first snow... ;) I'm kidding since we do like winter too, but it's fun to insult winter now that it's over.

Time to plan out all of our adventures of the summer. I know we'll be spending a lot of time in 'the park'. We had a picnic dinner up there the other night and it was wonderful. It's so close to town but it might as well be in the middle of the wilderness for the feeling of calm and peace that it brings me. We all benefit from getting up there and out of the city. Nature is our playground.

Welcome Spring!

Weekend Fun Around Town

2011-04-17T15:03:00.000-04:00

We played tourist in our own city this weekend.

Watching the 'surfers' on the Ottawa River

Enjoying the Pho and good company

Strolling through the rain in China town

War Memorial

We went to the Chateau Laurier. We looked at the Locks where the Rideau Canal goes into the Ottawa River.

Looking down at the locks.

Then we went into the Rideau Centre and had some fun...

Add caption

Next was an outside view of our new Congress Centre that officially opened up this weekend.

The best pic of the day though was this one...

She was quite taken with Oscar. She sat with him and played the piano, and then hugged him goodbye.

I love Sundays.

Crochet Hook Case TUTORIAL

2011-04-11T17:30:00.000-04:00

I gave you a little sneak peek of my crochet hook case, and hesitated to show you the inside because like most things I make it evolved. I knew I wanted to make a few changes for the tute, but I couldn't wait to share a peek. I made a lot of changes from the first one. For example I decided no hand stitching for me. It took me so long to do that part, and I'm not very good at hand stitching so it kind of looked like a child did it.

I left them pretty basic, but the possibilities are endless and I'm sure your creative minds will guide you. Why not try some needle felting on the outside piece. Or just a plain button. Make more or fewer slots for your hooks, or eliminate the big pocket for the stitch guide. I thought about putting the letters that correspond to the hook sizes but couldn't figure out how to do that...

I used 100% wool felt for mine. I love the way it sews and it's very sturdy. I think it would also look cute to have some kind of printed cotton for the outer piece to add more contrast.

Materials need:

12" by 12" of felt for inside piece
12" by 6" of felt for outside piece
3/4" by 2 1/2" of felt for yarn needle pocket
1 button
hair elastic
coordinating thread
scissors
rotary cutter (pinking rotary cutter if you'd like that look for the outside piece)
crochet flower (my fave crochet flower tute can be found here on the Easy blog)
hooks and other crochet things to put inside :)

Let's get started!

The first thing to do is lay out the inside piece of felt. From the bottom right corner, measure up and mark with your chalk at 4". Fold it over.

4" up from bottom right corner

Next, fold the bottom half up at the 4" mark. Now determine where you'd like to place your yarn needle pocket. You will notice that mine is places a little too high. I get carried away when I craft and forgot to measure. It's not a big deal, but it would look better if the yarn needle didn't extend over the top of the panel. Anyway, so figure out where to put the pocket, pin and then sew it on.

Now time to get out your ruler and do a few calculations. (You won't need to if you're measurements are exactly like mine). If you are adding more slots, or making a larger 'big' pocket then you'll have to do some math. The first thing I do is place pins on either end at 1/4" which is what the seam allowance ill be once it's time to sew down. Then from the pin on the left I measure over 7.25" and put another pin. That will be the 'slot' section. The second section where the yarn needle pocket is will be the section for your stitch gauge and scissors. It ends up being 4.25". Now if you do the math it all adds up to 12 ". I love it! Who knew I was such a math geek???

Now we need to measure the slots. I made 10 slots that each measure 3/4". I took the ruler and pinned at each 3/4" in the slot section.

Then I made chalk lines down leaving 1" at the bottom without any stitching. (You don't want the stitching to show on the outside as the outside piece will be shorter )

Sew along the chalk lines. Do not sew the side seam yet.

10 lines sewn (the one on the far right is the divider between the slots and the pocket)

Fold down the top part at 1 1/2" and pin on both sides. Don't sew down the sides yet, but do sew down the 'edge of the slots' line to separate the slots from the pocket flap. (where the pin is in the photo) Go from edge up and sew .1/2" back and forth to secure it.

Take your outer felt piece and lay it down in front of you. You can decide how much of the inner part shows by trimming down the outer piece. I wanted the purple to show when it was all closed. I used a pinking rotary cutter to get the fancy edge and I took 1/4" off from top and bottom.

Lay out your inside part facing down and place the outer part on top so the edges line up and it's centered from top to bottom. Now flip it all over and fold the pocket piece towards the middle, and then fold again. Your button and flower will go on the left hand side right in the middle. Make a little dot with a marker. Take the outer piece to the sewing machine and sew the button/flower on.

Now we need to sew in the elastic on the left hand side. Sandwich your elastic in between the fold of the inside piece and sew it down using a shorter stitch length. Go back and forth over it a few times to make sure it's secure. Aim for a 1/4 " seam allowance here. (mine was less)

Time to put it all together. Flip your inside piece over so it's facing down and place your outside piece over it like before. Your flower/button should be to the right of the piece. Double check to make sure the elastic and flower/button are lined up across properly. Pin down the seams on the sides. Remove the pins from the inside piece. Bring to sewing machine and sew down your side seams at 1/4" seam allowance. Start and stop on the outside piece.

Almost done. Now gather your various crochet tools and place them in their slots. Fold it up and VOILA! Your new tri-fold crochet hook case!!!

If you have any questions or comments please don't hesitate to contact me. You are welcome to upload photos to the Wave Kaia group on Flickr as well. Have fun, and happy crocheting!

Crochet Hook Case

2011-04-08T15:00:00.000-04:00

I have been envisioning this little case in my head ever since I started crocheting. Actually, that's not entirely true considering I only had but one lonely hook when I started. It wasn't soon after that first project though that I started making frequent trips to Michael's to pick up another size, oh, and some more yarn, and then another trip and another size..... you get it I'm sure.

With all of my new hooks I quickly learned that it would be convenient to have them all together, so I started looking for a crochet hook case tutorial. There are some lovely ones out there in blog land, but most of them are made with cotton and machine sewn. I had a different vision and so I came up with my own thing.

I have a huge stash of 100% wool felt that I thought would be perfect for this project. I was trying to make it as simple as possible ie no sewing - as in take a piece of felt and cut a few slits in it for the hooks, roll it up and put an elastic around it - but of course along the way there was some of this, "Some hand stitching would look fun here...", and some of this, "This crochet flower would make a great button..." The project evolved and I'm glad because I'm pretty happy with the end result.

I'm hiding the inside for now because I am preparing a tutorial to share with you. So, no peeking for now...

For now, I am going to sit down with my new hook case in one hand, and new book in the other... wait, I need more hands for the actual crocheting...

Stay tuned for the tute, AND for that giveaway that I mentioned a few posts ago.

Learning about Myself

2011-04-06T12:13:00.000-04:00

I love hats. Any kind of hat really. Toques, slouchy hats, brim hats, cycling caps...

I love bags. Have I been in denial all these years? I have too many to mention. In fact, I am in the process of revamping my craft space and there will be part of a wall dedicated to housing my bag addiction. The plus side of my bag addiction is that I'm a pretty simple gal with a pretty modest price limit. That's how I justify it I suppose.

(you see that little floral number on my right shoulder? remember it? well, I caved and it came to me all the way from Paris!!!! Happy Spring to me!)

Ikabags

I like to make things for no reason other than to, well, just make it. I can't even believe how many finished projects I have just sitting in a bin in my closet. Shameful really. I will try to give some of this stuff away this year.

Crochet Goodness

2011-03-31T10:23:00.001-04:00

I'm so glad I've finally taken the plunge and learned how to crochet. I think I hesitated cause of my tumultuous relationship with knitting, but crochet is nothing like knitting. It's really quite simple once you learn the basics, and with the Internet and YouTube you can have your own private lessons anytime you want.

I like crocheting because it's something I can take with me places unlike my sewing machine/cutting board... In fact, I made all of those flower above in the waiting room of an AppleTree Clinic last week which was soooo much more interesting than staring at the wall or watching the TV play the same ads on a loop.

I love shopping on Etsy for sewing patterns, fabrics and handmade items, and now I can add a new category... crochet patterns. There are so many beautiful patterns out there. One of my fave shops is Mamachee. I am blown away by how many patterns she has to offer. I have purchased two of her patterns so far and I will definitely be back for more. You can find her blog here.

Jack and Jill Beanie Crochet Pattern by Easy

Pineapple Coconut Slouchy Crochet Pattern by Gleeful Things

Elise Hat pattern by Easy

small crochet flower dress embellishments

Stay tuned! I am planning a giveaway.

Play Stroller Make-Over

2011-03-29T12:17:00.001-04:00

I was planning to turn this into a complete tutorial, but I skipped a bunch of steps along the way as far as the photos go. I seem to get too immersed in what I'm doing and forget to take the pics. Anyway, here is a simplified tutorial to make a play stroller cover go from looking like this:

to this:

Supplies

cotton fabric
bias tape
thread
grosgrain ribbon
scissors
pattern paper
pins

1. Remove old cover from the stroller to create the pattern. Lay the cover on top of pattern paper and trace around all the edges. This is a bit tricky as you have to lay flat as you roll and spread the curved pieces out. I realize that's not the greatest description, sorry. :) You will need to produce two pieces: the back; and the seat. To make them symmetrical, I folded them in half and cut the pattern piece out somewhere in between where it was marked.
2. Next, measure the straps and cut those out from your new fabric. Also, measure out 4 pieces of bias tape that will fit on both sides of the straps.
3. Using the seat pattern piece cut out a third piece that will go underneath (under the knees) where the cover will slide over the stroller. Also measure a piece of bias for the open edge. Attach it now.
4. With a contrasting bias colour, pin bias (unmeasured) to the larger back panel along the sides, not the bottom. Just cut when you're finished pinning.

5. You will need to pin your two pieces of grosgrain ribbon at the top corners. These will be slipped over the stroller handles to hang the cover. Also notice that the 'across' strap has been pinned in there as well.

If your cat is so inclined to help out, you may as well let him. Cause he won't listen to you anyway if you try to shoo him away.... That's Kittycat btw. :)

6. Next step requires more pinning. Pin the 'back' to the 'bottom' and baste them together with a very small seam allowance. What I did was I folded the seat piece to find the middle, and also did the same for the back piece and that is where I placed the first pin, and I kept going in either direction from there. It should work out that the bias tapes on the back piece will slightly overlap the bias on the underneath seat piece. Yes, pictures would help here I know... grrr.

7. Once they are joined, you can start pinning the bias tape around the underside of the seat so that no seams are showing. Make sure to tuck in the smaller of the straps into the top side of the seat piece. Sew it, and overlap the bias to complete it.

8. Slip it over the stroller handles first and then slide the seat part over the stroller pieces that stick out.

Now you can go and get your, I mean her doll ( lol, that was actually mine when I was a kid) and see if she's comfy cozy in her new seat.

Yep, she looks cozy!!! Oh, and she's wearing a little crochet beanie which was one of my first crochet projects.

So there you have it, play stroller make-over complete. I hope you are able to make a little bit of sense out of it. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email me and I'll be happy to help.

My next post will display some of my crochet projects that I've been working on and have completed.

Grab a Button!

2011-03-28T09:33:00.000-04:00

I've been wanting to do this now for quite some time, but considering how tech challenged I am I just kept avoiding it. BUT, I found a foolproof set of instructions c/o one of my fave bloggers, IndieTutes.

All I did was print out the html stuff so that I could go back and forth from my screen to the sheet to make sure everything was in order. The trick is to use a photo that is already published online somewhere. So here it is, and thank you Charity for linking to the tutorial. The only hard part is deciding which photos to use...

So please go to the sidebar on your right and grab the button, if you'd like.

I've been crocheting like a crazy lady these past couple of weeks, and I predict a new obsession coming on. The Mister said to me the other night, "Well, at least you've found something that you can do in your rocking chair when you're an old lady." um, thanks - I think. I don't even know which part of that bugs me more. The part about being an old lady in a rocker, or that he's associating my new hobby with being that old lady in the rocker. Anyway, it's fun and I like it, and it's pretty easy really.

Here's how it all started. I was reading this blog post and fell in love with the robin's egg blue hat on that adorable blue eyed babe. I thought, "Really, how hard can that be?" So I started googling 'crochet', and specifically trying to find a pattern for that type of beanie. And then I stumbled upon Easy Makes Me Happy, and that's when I got totally hooked!!! (ha ha ha I know) Tara has talent coming out of her ying yang! Her Etsy shop is jam packed with patterns, which are very easy to follow btw, even for beginner's like me. I purchased the Jack and Jill beanie pattern and have made 3 hats so far. Where are the pictures you ask? Right... I'll get on it. :)

So that's it in a nutshell. So thanks to Shannon from Luvinthemommyhood for the original inspiration, I am now obsessed with the art of crochet. It's all good! :)

I have a bazillion projects to finish up today plus I'm still waiting to get called into work. So I better get to it! Pics to come later.

Sweet Little Things That Make Me Smile

2011-03-24T15:02:00.001-04:00

I'm not entirely sure what I'm going to do with these sweet little things yet, but I am having so much fun making them.

I mean really, all of those happy colours just make my heart sing.

All are size 12 months...

I wish I had a little model to try them on. Any volunteers?

I think I'll list them in the shop.

Introducing my new fave accessory.

I've been stalking these little rachelf bags for a while now. The maker was actually a few tables away from me at Idle Hands, which is where I first discovered her stuff. I found myself in Flock the other day, and then the day after that, and finally on the third day I had to go back to give in to my obsession. I'm sure glad I did cause I wear it everywhere, all day.

It contains my lip balm, various cards I may need (license, bank, business cards), cell phone, and keys. Perfecto! The bag is unique as it can be worn several ways. I've been wearing it around my hips as a fanny pack. I'd like to think that it's way cooler than the 'fanny' pack you're imagining right now in your head. No, I 'd like to think it's a more modern fanny pack but inspired by it's ancestors from the 80's.

Well, off to sew some more. Happy sunshiny day!

Relief

2011-03-16T21:49:00.000-04:00

It's been hard reading and hearing about what's happening in Japan these days. My heart is feeling so squished. I really want to do something to help out, so I picked one of many relief funds to donate to.

Global Living is collecting donations for a Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund that they've set up. They collect the funds (their goal is 2 million) and then disperse it where needed at the source.

I am making my own donation, but even better I am donating 100% of all sales from Wave Kaia to the fund until the shop is empty.

Please help spread the word.

Stuff I 'Dig'

2011-02-21T00:24:00.001-05:00

Etsy is just loaded with gorgeous things. Sometimes I find myself browsing aimlessly... I mean I'll go there to look up one thing, and then end up browsing and browsing until I've spent my life savings - in my mind that is. I hesitate a lot when it comes to the actual 'check-out', which is a damn good thing I reckon! Anyway, here are a few lovelies I've been stalking these past few days.

Ikabags

www.wavekaia.com

2011-02-09T11:39:00.000-05:00

I am really excited about this. I have purchased a URL for the blog. It'll take a few days for it to take effect, and once it's working you will be re-directed if using the old Blogger URL.

www.wavekaia.com

So simple. When I started the blog, I hadn't thought of the name for Wave Kaia yet, but once I chose thatwasseweasy I was stuck with it. I thought it was a clever name for a crafting blog, but there was not really any continuity between it and Wave Kaia.

After stalking the blogger domain availability on a daily basis for months but it being unavailable, today was the day it was available. Yahoo for me!

Easy Savings

2011-02-06T21:30:00.001-05:00

ING Direct has helped me save money to acquire past material possessions such as trips, computers, and a house down payment. I'm using it once again to save my coins for a new DSLR. This one, to be exact:

image source

ING offers an Automatic Savings Program, you determine how much comes out of your bank account, and how often. It's really a no brainer. I've set up an amount that hopefully I won't miss, and anticipate having a new camera in my hands by summertime. I am very stoked about that! I know it's not the fanciest camera on the planet, but it's a great starting point for me since it's been almost 10 years since I've used an SLR.

What type of camera do you use?

Infinity Scarf

2011-01-16T16:33:00.001-05:00

My new love, is...

The Infinity Scarf

(the mister is also a love, but not new... )

I used this quick and easy tutorial provided by Shannon from Luvinthemommyhood. I've been meaning to make this for a while now, and today I was afforded some time. Growth spurts = long naps... :)

I used stretch waffle knit for my scarf and because of the stripes, it was really easy to measure and line up seams and such. The only tricky part was getting the elastics sewn down, but it really wasn't that hard.

Shannon's blog is inspiring and full of great ideas. One of my favourite things about her blog is her Weekend Wishes series. Believe me, if you have not visited her blog before, be prepared to stay and hang out for a while. Heck, make yourself a cuppa and hunker down, you'll love it. Shannon is a fellow Canadian crafter living on Vancouver Island - no wonder she's so inspired and creative, she's surrounded by beauty.

There was some talk of perhaps a PDF being made for the ways this scarf can be worn. I'll keep an eye out for that. I love versatile clothing. Years ago I bought a couple 'scarves' from American Apparel that you could wrap around your torso in different ways to create t-shirts. I was always a bit self-conscious that it would come undone, but it looked cool. I've seen skirt/dress type things at Lululemon as well.

I made this scarf for myself, but I think it looks pretty good on the mister... what do you think? ;)

I hope you are all having a great weekend!

We (well, really ME) broke it...

2011-01-13T10:20:00.000-05:00

This was the last photo taken by our newish camera. Papa's camera actually. It was his Father's Day gift, and he barely got to use it cause I hogged it so much.

We were having a fun photo shoot,

and then I let Aemilia take some photos while I started preparing supper...

She was handing it over to me but I didn't have a firm hold of it, and she let go. It's quite bouncy that camera... lol. Anyway, the lens won't go back in and there are bits rattling inside. She's a goner.

So then I was faced with the challenge of gently sharing the news of the fate of the camera with it's owner. :( I was going to wait until after bedtime to do this, but a little someone decided to share the news at the supper table. Eek. That did not go over well, and for the rest of the evening Papa spent time with tiny screwdrivers and a foul mood. (not that I blame him) I got all defensive and told him not to get so upset about material things, but that material thing meant a lot to him since it was a Father's Day gift... I'm so insensitive sometimes.

Today, all is good. I'm looking for the receipt because there may be some warranty eligibility. At any rate, now this means I really have to start saving for the new camera I've been wanting for a long time. I'm saving for a DSLR. Not sure if it'll be a Nikon or a Canon yet. But I'll get there, in good time. In the meantime though, we will be resorting to our ancient Sony digital, which still takes ok photos, but when the flash is used it takes 30 seconds before you can shoot the next photo... as if I'm complaining, can you imagine resorting to film again and only getting 24 shots and maybe a few turn out?

What kind of cameras do you use? Any recommendations?

Just love

2011-01-10T22:12:00.000-05:00

I love that girl. After we hopped into bed tonight, but before reading the 'Snow Day' book, I expressed my gratitude to Aemilia. I thanked her for being her and for making me so happy. I also thanked her for not fighting with me today, and that I loved her so much I could eat her up.

She replied, " You put the joy and happiness in me Mommy."

Aaaaah . Still trying to recover from that one.... blissfully.... There is definitely no shortage of love over here. :) Can't she just stay like that forever?

Tradition of Resolution

2010-12-31T18:14:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!!!!!!!! My husband and I started a tradition many years ago on new year's eve. We sit down together and pull out 'the book'. In this book, we review what we wrote the previous year: what our goals were for the year we're saying goodbye to,as a couple and also individually. Then we proceed to write out what our goals are for the coming year. It's fun and disconcerting at the same time, to see what was accomplished and what was forgotten. This is our tradition though and we love it.

Another thing we do is we sit down and each with a fresh piece of paper write out all the stuff that we want to leave behind. Just all the stuff we want off our chest, anything, good or bad, but just stuff that we don't want anyone to know about. We then proceed to the backyard where we burn our pieces of papers full of secrets. It kind of sounds drastic now that I've typed it out, but really it's just really inexpensive therapy. Come to think of it, that shouldn't just be a new year's eve thing... ;)

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy whatever traditions you take part in, and may the new year bring peace and love!

Christmas

2010-12-28T10:38:00.000-05:00

Gesu Bambino is born

Where's Laura?

Flying a helicopter

"Lassie!!!!"

Thank you big turkey, you were yummy!!!

All full from Christmas goodness.

Merry Christmas!!!

2010-12-24T00:37:00.001-05:00

Warm wishes from us to all of you!!!! Hope you have a great few days with family and friends.

Something for the Dollies

2010-12-14T14:28:00.000-05:00

This post is much more uplifting than the previous one, I promise. (I hope I didn't lose any readers due to boredom...) ;)

I've been keeping myself busy by making diapers and dresses for some very special dollies! This is Arlene. She is my Cabbage Patch Kid that I got in the early 80's. I'm sure my mother had to elbow her way through the crowds to 'adopt' this special doll for me. I've loved her ever since, and now Aemilia is loving her too. Although it's funny, she seems to know that this is MY baby cause she'll give her to me and say, "She needs mamma milk now, feed her please." :)

Arlene

back

front


Doll cloth diapers

The diapers were made using the tutorial found here:

Baby Doll Diaper


Doll dress

The dresses were made by following the same instructions for making kids sized dresses, and coincidentally the pattern I bought from The Vines Branches actually comes with a doll sized pattern piece for sleeves and body. The only thing I don't like about the actual pattern is that it doesn't give measurements for the neck so there is some guess work involved there.

fabric flower detail

The diapers were 'test-played' by Aemilia and she approves, but apparently there isn't much absorbency because Arlene was having her diaper changed every 40 seconds or so. ;) Hopefully the dolly that they are intended for has more bladder control.

I didn't really do anything special for my Etsy shop for Christmas sales this year because I didn't want to be scrambling around up until the last minute possible getting packages mailed. I've focused more on getting things done closer to home. I'm happy about that because now I have a little more time to get some sewing done for the folks on my list. Now back to it...

On Being a Letter Carrier.

2010-12-10T21:19:00.001-05:00

First off, I should warn you that this post has nothing to do with crafting. It's my account of a recent incident that I felt compelled to write about, so it's ending up on my blog. It will give you a little insight into another part of my life though, in case you're interested.

I have been feeling quite tired and un-motivated as of late, and was kind of relieved when I got called into work with the Post on Wednesday. I hadn't really been making particularly good use of my time at home this week, a teeny bit of crafting and a whole lot of sulking (about not wanting to craft...). So going into work sounded like a great cure for that.

As a Letter Carrier, there are hours in a row where I go without any human interaction which for me is a great time to think about things. Sometimes I ponder those impossible to answer 'life' questions, sometimes I envision a new crafty idea, sometimes I look back on previous moments in my life. It's really quite relaxing and also one of the best highlights of my job.

So, with the good, must also come the bad right? Well, while the job allows for all of that reflection and day-dreaming, it's quite simple to lose focus on the task at hand. Sadly, that is what I did on Wednesday. To be fair it wasn't entirely my fault (but I'll get to that part in a minute). Wednesday, for the first time in my 2 years as a Letter Carrier (LC), I injured myself on the job. I haven't looked into all the stats, but I'm almost certain that every LC will have at least one injury during their career.

A very happy looking LC

So, what happened? I twisted my ankle between a walkway and a lawn. I knew when it happened that it wasn't broken since, after a minute of breathing deeply with my eyes closed, I was able to rotate and put pressure on it. I kept on with the route, and finished it all up without a twinge of pain. It wasn't until my workday was done, and I was indoors and 'thawing' out that I started to feel some tenderness. And of course, it started to swell, so I iced it a couple of times that evening and covered the ankle in Traumeel. I started contemplating what to do the following day. Should I go to work on it? Should I get it checked? Should I tell my supervisors and go through all of the paperwork? Or should I just ignore it and maybe it'll get better on it's own... but what if it doesn't?

Working a unionized job means that you have to protect yourself and your every move. Workers against supervisors, or Union against Corporation. Every man for himself, and if you miss any details then you're screwed. So I decided to go and claim it, JUST IN CASE the injury gets worse in the future or I re-injure the same ankle, then at least the initial incident will be documented. As a casual employee I am not eligible to claim anything (and not that I need to), but documentation is important.

On a day when I should have been resting at home with my foot up and with ice on it, I went into the station where I was working that day and told the supervisors what happened. That was followed by paperwork, a visit to my chiropractor to be treated and to have paperwork filled out, lots of photocopying, more icing (not the sweet kind), and a little bit of "Honey, I shouldn't be on my foot tonight, can you please do the dishes?". It turns out that it's a mild sprain (phew) and that I'll be able to work again starting next Wednesday. The Chiropractor cold lasered and then taped the ankle up with kinesio tape, and all is good. This morning, the swelling was gone. I still have limited range of motion from side to side, but no pain.

As LC's, we have to be super aware of our surroundings, in all conditions. My incident is a good example of this. You see, there is a dusting of snow on the ground, just enough to superficially hide things, but not enough to completely cover and cushion any obstacles. I am very diligent about holding railings, and lifting with my legs, and walking with caution when it's slippery. I did not see that there was a 2 inch drop from the walkway to the lawn, and that is how I twisted my ankle. I had only a small part of my heel on the walkway and the rest of the foot dropped onto the lawn with all of my weight with the ankle twisting. Easy as that, just a moment of not really paying close enough attention. I was reminded in that moment that it's extremely important to pay attention and be in the moment. So now, even though it's a minor injury, I am a statistic.

I am not sulking anymore, and I'm not seriously injured, so life is good at this moment. With only a couple of weeks left before Christmas though, I sure wish that this 'crafter's block' would end...

Idle Hands recap and Leading up to Christmas Craziness - Mini Panic Attacks and all...

2010-12-06T22:17:00.002-05:00

I've been meaning to post about Idle Hands, and how it all went. To put it simply, it was amazing. I found the perfect venue for my stuff. It was busy from open to close with a few lulls in between. I was running on good energy and sheer happiness that people were buying my stuff and showing interest, that by the end of the day when all was said and done I nearly collapsed. 7 hours is a long time when you don't have any relief. Note to self for next year: bring relief. That is of course if I am chosen again next year. I sure hope so. All of the hard work months leading up really paid off, and the response from customers has given me more confidence in what I'm doing.

full table in the morning

The only down side to the show actually was that I personally didn't have a chance to browse around much. I saw a few tables, but I didn't want to leave my friend at my table for too long on her own. I did have a chance to chat briefly with Haley from HaleyByHand.

photo from HaleyByHand on Etsy

She makes owl softies that are so exquisitely soft you will just want to cuddle it on the spot.

I bought a chunk of soap that smells like candy and I want to eat it from Ground Soap.

photo from Ground Soap website

And I tried to win a leather purse from rachel.f in the draw that was held to support Lady Evelyn Alternative School.

Seriously, it was really an honor to be amongst so many talented crafters, and so inspiring.

I was so inspired, but felt like I needed to sleep for a whole week afterwards. But now I am awake, and have even started crafting again, but the focus is on Christmas ornaments and decorations, and mostly made of paper headed for recycling. Aemilia is completely happy just cutting paper into a million pieces with her scissors, so this buys me time to make stuff. Not much time though, she's quick with those little scissors. lol Well, we've been having fun with it and are ramping up for what will be a really great Christmas with family and friends. It's not feeling crazy to me right now as I'm writing about it, but there are moments during the day when I have mini panic attacks at the thought of hosting Christmas at our house for the first time ever... OK, I shouldn't have just written that down... mini panic attack over here... ;)

I'm fine, and all will be fine. Who cares if the bird is a bit dry? They'll understand, right?

Just kidding!

Idle Hands

2010-11-27T23:20:00.000-05:00

It's here... it's finally here!!!! Idle Hands is from 10 -5 tomorrow, and I suggest you go earlier rather than later if you want choice pickings.

Hope to see some familiar faces there!

3 more days...

2010-11-25T12:05:00.000-05:00

6 More Crafting Days...

2010-11-21T22:55:00.002-05:00

Scoobs dress

2010-11-17T14:05:00.001-05:00

Scoobs dress size 4

back

size 5 trousers

back

roomy pockets

More goodies.

2010-11-15T13:07:00.001-05:00

wrist cuffs

wrist cuff

coffee cup sleeves


upcycled brooches

felt flower brooch

baby leggings with scrunched up 'legwarmers'

soft upcycled velour

All of these goodies, and more, will be coming with me to Idle Hands. Now, back to work.

Updated shop

2010-11-13T20:34:00.001-05:00

I've just added a few new caps to my shop.

XS made from upcycled wool skirt

XS made from upcycled trousers

XS made from an upcycled skirt

I should have more time this coming week to put more stuff in the shop. I have a stack of handmades ready for a photo shoot. Now if I could only bribe Emilia into actually participating in the photo shoot... any suggestions? I think those caps look better on actual children's heads than tin cans!!! LOL

It's been a productive day...

2010-11-10T16:21:00.000-05:00

I've been very busy at the machines today. Not only have I been sewing, but I prepared a tutorial, organized my studio, did laundry, corresponded, dropped my laptop and my camera within minutes of eachother. Yes, it's been a busy and productive day, but I think I need to get outside for some fresh air.

This is what I accomplished after all that hard work. Neither pieces are for the craft sale, but I know my girl is going to be thrilled when she sees her new Spider-Man dress.

front of dress

labels made with t-shirt scraps and iron-on transfer


back of dress

Emilia seems to only want to wear leggings these days, well, since she was 2 really... I only hope she'll wear these. You see, she's not crazy about flowers... great fabric choice then Mom!!! Ha! Ah well, I like making her things so if she hates them, then it's back to the drawing board I guess. Speaking of the drawing board, all is shut off and folded and put away for the day. Now for a cup of tea.

front view

side's are ruched to give them a scrunched up look


a blurry shot of the back

Very quick and simple Wrist Cuff tutorial

2010-11-10T13:33:00.002-05:00

I really like cuffs. I've never been one for dainty bracelets, even though I love the way they look on others, they just don't suit me. Cuffs are a bit more casual looking and they don't dangle around your wrist and 'clang' on things.

So, because I like them so much, I thought I'd share a tutorial with you. This is my version of a wrist cuff. Very simple. So let's get started.

Materials:

Any scraps that you have lying around. It really doesn't matter here, as long as you have about 8" long and 1.5 - 2" wide. It's entirely up to you how wide or long you want it. For this tutorial, I am using an 8" by 1.5" piece of cotton canvas with a fuzzy side - yes that's the technical term. :) My piece is from an upcycled skirt.
thread
velcro, buttons, snaps, ribbon... you chose how you'd like to close your cuff. I use snaps.
embelishments. Again, this is the fun part. I'm using little circles of wool felt, but you can use buttons, other scraps, even just a designs with stitching in different colours of thread.

So you ready? Step one would be to measure and cut out your scrap:

Step two - go to your serger and serge the edges. I keep my serger threaded with four different colours of thread for a bit of a fun look. If you don't have a serger you can set your sewing machine to a zig-zag stitch and go all the way around your rectangle. If you want to make sure the threads stay put, you can use some sort of adhesive for that, such as Dritz Fray Check. Another method would be to pull the ends through with tweezers so that is stays underneath the stitching.

Or, if you would like the edges to be more polished then you can use two pieces for your cuff, sew them together right sides together leaving about an inch opening on one of the longs sides. Turn, press and topstitch all the way around. This method will also give the cuff more structure.

Step three - figure out how you want to embellish your cuff. I usually sit at the desk and play around a bit until I like an arrangement and then I turn to the sewing machine and stitch them down.

Step four - Now that you're finished with all the sewing, it's time to apply your closure. Like I mentioned before I'm using a snap press. Velcro would be very easy to use as well, simply cut out a square from both the boy and girl parts and sew onto each end.

And there you have it. A very simple and inexpensive way to add a little punch of colour to your wrist.

a picture post

2010-11-08T22:52:00.001-05:00

There are days when I'm stopped in my tracks by the realization that my girl, that squishy little baby girl, is really growing up and becoming a big girl.

Complete with loads of will and character...

and tenderness...

and creativity and imagination...

Yes, it's both delightful and saddening to watch my little baby girl evolve into such an amazing person. I feel truly blessed to be able to do so.

New

2010-11-05T16:33:00.000-04:00

As Idle Hands approaches, my crafting attention span is wandering - no surprise there. I was selected to be a vendor based on the photographs of the Little Caps that I had submitted so that's what they're expecting me to be selling. I most certainly will be selling those little gems, but have been branching out and making all sorts of things.

Upcycling is my new way. My Little Caps are made with upcycled materials so I started thinking, "Why not try to make some old patterns with upcycled materials?"

So, I'll be bringing a more extensive line with me including 'old man pants', 'shirt-dresses', and for adults I'll have a few of the popular Little Caps in larger sizes, cup cozzy's, business card holders, and wrist cuffs. I will post photos in a couple of days. I've been busy sewing and haven't had a chance to stage a photo shoot yet.

I`m getting excited with a side of anxiety. I`m sure other crafter`s have the same feelings weeks before a show. (at least I hope so ...)

Have a great weekend!

Batman!

2010-10-28T11:49:00.000-04:00

Batman is ready for Halloween! Despite having a bunch of Batman garb such as a thermos and lunch box, AND t-shirt, Emilia has never watched a Batman movie or cartoon so I'm not really sure why she's so fascinated by this character. I passed this gene onto her I think. When the first Batman movie by Tim Burton came out in 1989 I went a bit fanatical. I had Batman shorts, a Batman wallet, a huge Batman poster in my room... can't believe I just admitted that. Anyway, as much as I'd like her to use imagination and come up with her own un-licensed or 'branded' characters, I can't really stop this train.

But with a Batman this cute... I'm not going to fight it.

I downloaded a colouring page of a batman mask to use as template for the mask. I made it out of eco felt - not the good wool stuff cause I thought that would be a bit itchy on her face. For the cape I used some shiny satin from the scrap bin at Fabricland. Not my fave material to work with, but it's done and she loves it. This was a very simple costume to make, and I think she'll get a lot of use out of it over the next few years. She dressed up today because there is a Halloween party at her daycare. She was so excited this morning when she found out she could wear it all day. She kept saying, "You mean it's Halloween today????" And I'd say, "It's not actually Halloween today, but you're having a Halloween party with your friends." Her, "You mean TODAY???? It's HALLOWEEN already????" sigh... some things you just can't explain to a 3 1/2 year old. I finally said, "YES, TODAY IS HALLOWEEN. It will also be Halloween on Sunday!" ;)

Happy Halloween!!!

MOO

2010-10-14T11:27:00.002-04:00

Great things are happening for Wave Kaia this fall. I now have a collection of LITTLE CAPS in this shop and they've been getting positive feedback.

Also, Idle Hands is coming up and Wave Kaia has been chosen as a vendor for this event. So in light of this event I've been brainstorming ways to display the caps. I've been scouring the Internet and local businesses for Styrofoam head forms to display my hats on, but with no luck. Then, I came across this photo and I starting thinking that maybe I could make my own hat display. But, seeing as wood working is not my forte I enlisted the help of my in-laws, and they accepted the challenge whole heartedly to say the least. They told me to get to work on the hats, and they would get to work on the stands. How lucky am I?

So, the next challenge on my list was to come up with hang tags for each item made. I was thinking about using the new mini cards that I am waiting for from Moo, but there is too much information on them and not enough room for writing the item and price by hand. Then whadaya know, Moo sends their newsletter with a promo code for free shipping. I immediately went to their site and created my hang tags. Here is a sneak peak:

I will receive 20 cards of each, and on the other side of the card is just the basic info; name of company at the top and the Etsy address on the bottom, with a small image on the right.

While I was in the middle of writing about my Moo cards, the Letter Carrier came and dropped something in the mailbox so of course I wandered over to see what it was. To my surprise, there in the mailbox was my first Moo order, ALREADY!!!! I have to say, I'm in love with this company. Check them out:

It's a rainbow of goodness!!! And much quicker than they said. It was supposed to get to me November 1... very good service. I paid a little extra for the carrying case, but it's definitely worth it! They also included a few sample cards with discount codes for me to hand out. 15% off of your very first order. Anyone interested? The first person to reply to this post will be given one of these cards.

I must now get back to the sewing machine to finish up my order for Spoiled Sugar.

Felt Love

2010-10-05T13:33:00.002-04:00

I'm generally a busy person. Even if I'm not actually 'doing' something, the idea is occupying my mind. As my daughter put it the other day, "My head is popping a great idea!" I love that girl.

So this morning I put some of the ideas into action, and what do you know? More ideas abound. I love that. Sometimes you'll be all set to work on one thing, but another is born from that idea and so starts the ball rolling...

After finishing my 'batwing' top, I cleared my desk of all bits of things and fabric so that it would be fresh for the next project - whatever it may have been. Then I started playing around with my wool felt - purchased for flower embellishments for L I T T L E C A P S - but then it came to me: easy card holders. I've had these on my mind for a while now, and especially after ordering my new mini cards yesterday.

felt card sleeves

Very easy indeed. Wool felt is super easy to sew as there is no slipping. Fun to embellish with buttons, thread, felt, whatever. I know what everyone is getting for Christmas this year... :D

mini card sleeve

'gadget' case

And so it goes, I'm now addicted to yet another craft which will occupy my time for the next few days.

New Cards

2010-10-04T11:55:00.000-04:00

As I was perusing some of the many features on Etsy, I came across Moo in the 'Seller Deals' section. Etsy has partnered with several shipping and packaging companies to offer deals to sellers. So, I popped in to see what they had to offer.

It was business card eye candy. So many templates and sizes to chose from. I had been wanting new cards for a while now, since I changed my banner on Etsy. It's a more simple text only look now. I love that little waving 'kaia' logo, but I've branched out a bit more and am making products for boys, girls, women, men... I wanted the logo to be more inclusive. So here is a preview of what they will look like:

The front:

I ordered the rainbow set: 20 colours - 5 cards of each colour. I couldn't save an image of the other side, but it has all the necessary info as well as an image on the right hand side of Emilia wearing a Little Cap. I'm happy with the font, but have to admit I was torn because they don't offer the font that I've been using for all my banners and labels. I'm actually waiting to hear back from them to see if they are able to accommodate my font request. Even if they can't I am going ahead with these. The price is right.

What to do with the scraps?

2010-09-17T10:10:00.003-04:00

I really dislike wasting anything, bits of fabric especially. A few posts back I said I would share some ideas on what to do with scraps, so this post will be dedicated to that.

There are a million things you can make with scraps, but one of my favourite things to do with them is (~~put them in a bin and hide them~~...) make flowers. Flowers are great embellishments for headbands, bags, tops, skirts, pretty much anything really. Just the same way that real flowers can liven up a room, fabric flowers can add style to your clothing and accessories. Here are some projects.

Leigh Ann from Spincushion shared a tutorial for this Mother's Day Corsage.

This project was made using yardage, but I think it would be a great way to use selvages or the long bits of fabric left over from cutting out other pattern pieces. This tutorial comes from Contemporary Cloth and can be found here.

The best thing about re purposing old scraps to make flowers is the they don't have to look perfect. In fact I like the frayed look, it adds personality and character, don't you think?

I've been on a Little Cap making binge these last few days, but I am planning to prepare a little tutorial of my own to follow suit of using up scraps. So save your scraps, and check back next week for the details.

Leila & Ben Little Cap

2010-09-14T20:44:00.000-04:00

I've been at this sewing hobby for a couple of years now, and I've had a lot of fun crafting all sorts of things like dresses, pants, skirts, slings, bags, dolls, and so much more. But this little project has me all giddy beyond words.

I mean really, have you ever seen anything so adorable? (please humour me a little bit here... lol) It's not just that it's an adorable cap, but it was such a great pattern to follow, plus I followed a sew along for it as well. The Train To Crazy is a plethora of inspiration with links to all sorts of tutorials and wonderful blogs.

But let's get to the folks who created the pattern in the first place. Leila & Ben is a Canadian business based in Edmonton. They create patterns as well as handmade clothing and accessories which they sell in two seperate shops on Etsy. I'm so happy I stumbled across this pattern.

For the outside of the hat I used a pair of thrifted wool trousers from the Gap, and for the lining I used a thrifted pair of flannel pj's. The best part about this project is that Emilia actually loves it. BONUS!!! She's been kind of picky as of late with the stuff that she wears, so I'm really happy about it.

Can't wait to make a million more....

The Mad Crafter

2010-09-14T11:43:00.003-04:00

I'm sure I've mentioned this before in my ramblings, but this crazy crafting A.D.D. that I suffer from is driving me, well, CRAZY. I suppose there are worse things that could happen to me, but really. I find it so hard to stay on the same page (craft) for more than a day or two. Other crafters might know about this and how annoying it can be.

You see, I'll discover a new tutorial or pattern and fall in love with it. I start daydreaming about making a million things with it, but then after the first, sometimes second, my eye catches a new tutorial or pattern, and so the cycle continues.

As I write this I'm thinking to myself, "So what's the big deal? You like to craft and to try new things?" True, but for some reason I feel like I don't give each project enough time to sink in, or sometimes I don't even finish the project and then I'm left with a half finished project sitting in a pile somewhere in my sewing space. Or even a project idea swimming around in my head. This drives me nuts. I really like starting a new project on a clean slate and when bits of fabric are lying around -sometimes resembling some kind of natural disaster aftermath, I don't enjoy the next craft as much.

Luckily while I was surfing (for more projects) I found this idea on Living With Punks .

This 3 punked Mom has amazing ideas and her idea boards are just the icing on the cake. She talked about being a list person, which I am as well, and these boards got me all excited. I started to see some order in my dysfunctional crafting ways. She even put up a template of the sheet, so that should save me an hours time at the computer trying to figure out excel...

Until I accomplish this project however, I can still call myself The Mad Crafter. (apologies for not having enough skill to actually super impose the scissors without it looking like a two year old's scribble... )

Still Crazy about Raglans....

2010-09-04T09:36:00.000-04:00

...but I'm not crazy about the iron-on transfer so I've removed the graphic tee's from my shop. After one wash, they look faded and distressed. I had read really great reviews of that particular product so I really didn't expect that to happen. Oh, well I think I'm going to have to learn how to do real screen printing...

My pile of thrifted t-shirts has been piling up, so I went a little nuts with making leggings this week. I don't know about most 3 year olds, but mine only wants to wear clothing that has stretch so that she can easily put them on and take them off herself. No buttons, no zippers. So, leggings are her favourite article of clothing. They look great on their own with a top, but they look super cute underneath skirts, dresses, and tunic tops too.

One thrifted t-shirt makes one pair of leggings with extra material leftover for a headband? a ruffle detail? a wrist cuff? the possibilities are endless. My next post will be about projects you can do using thrifted t-shirts. But for now I'll leave you with some pics of leggings.

Crazy about raglans!

2010-08-26T10:49:00.000-04:00

Here are a few more pics of some raglans that I've been making. I love this style of shirt. The first few that I made were quite boxy, which is fine for boys, but I have added a bit of a curve to make the girl shirts more fitted.

Back to the sewing machine to make more. Perhaps I'll make one with The Smurfs?

:D

Barbapapa Nostaligia

2010-08-22T23:30:00.000-04:00

I don't really care what anyone says. The eighties rocked! A while back, Marco acquired the whole series of Barbapapa cartoons in Italian and so we sort of went through a bit of a phase. That phase however ignited my love of all things eighties. For example, Emilia has the most gorgeous wooden toys and handmade toys and such, but she also has not one, not two, not even three, but FOUR Cabbage Patch Kids. Ok, so two of them were mine, and two were given to her as gifts. And despite all of her amazing 'modern' toys I'm always drawn to these dolls. She also is very fond of my original soft ET doll.

I'm so happy that I saved these items from my childhood. I feel like I'm reliving my childhood right along with my own child.

I will be sprinkling the shop with more eighties inspired shirts for fall. I'd be happy to take requests of your favourite characters from your childhood.

Summer is rolling along...

2010-08-15T15:10:00.001-04:00

This really has been such a great summer. I can't believe how busy we've been. I've been working with the Post steadily, and when Emilia's caregiver is off we go camping. In fact we leave tomorrow for a week at Taylor Lake - our favourite spot. It's a small lake in the Gatineau Park, very close to Lac Phillipe. It's so quiet, and only tents are allowed, no RV's. We spent a week there in July, and we're going back for more. This time we are bringing the canoe, courtesy of my in-laws. I love going out on the water first thing in the morning.

Just about the only drawback to having such a fun and busy summer is that I'm realizing that my crafting and blogging are taking the backseat. Crafting has been a part of my everyday life for the last year, but now that I am working steadily I really don't have as much energy or time to put into it. I had anticipated this would happen when I started Wave Kaia and this blog, but I really didn't anticipate missing it as much as I do. I still have so many ideas floating around in my mind and I get antsy when I don't actually create new things. The irony of it all is that I'm getting more orders in this second year of being on etsy, and now of course I have less time.

I'm not planning on disappearing though. I'm just going to have to figure out how to divide my time a little better between work, mommy, and crafting (also work...). Also, a new chapter in my life is about to begin - as if I need to add more right? I have hired a personal trainer to come up with a plan for me to follow to help me get back to feeling like myself again. My gym membership at the Postal facility was only $80 for a year, so that's how I can justify having a trainer. I'm realy looking forward to this transition as I know it'll help with energy levels and an overall sense of well being.

Although I have finished a few projects lately, I just haven't had a chance to photograph them yet, so I will leave you with a few pics of the great summer we've been having.


Emilia at Meech Lake


"Don't let me fall in Mommy!!!!"

Having a snack at Champlain lookout.

Hot Diggety Dog!

2010-07-04T18:19:00.001-04:00

I'm having so much fun these days with 'upcycling' or refashioning as some people call it. It's so rewarding to watch a boring old t shirt transform into a cute little dress for a toddler.

I'm not completely convinced that it's more cost effective than buying yardage - one dress uses up a t shirt and a half and at our local thrift stores t shirts are about $3 each for the plain ones. A yard of fabric would most likely make 2, 3, or 4 t shirts even. BUT, it's all about recycling right now, and also mis-matching prints and patterns, that makes the final look more interesting.

Today's dress was a labour of love. I fiddled around with the sleeve template until I had an A-HA moment and it all clicked. Raglan sleeves are a different shape than regular t shirt sleeves, but now that I know this it'll be easier with the next one.

Well, here it is:

I had to bribe the Little with gum, and even then she gave me a hard time with modeling.

And an action shot:

I forgot to photograph the before shots of the t shirts. I love before and after shots. I'll try to remember next time.

I spent some time at the machines today because I'll be working all week with the Post.

Amore Italiano

2010-06-12T18:43:00.002-04:00

It's Italian week here, so to celebrate I made this dress for Emilia to prance around in with Italian pride.

Dana from Made, (I like to call her my idea woman) posted the pattern/tutorial this morning. It couldn't have come at a better time.

Also, the little one has been on a marathon nap this afternoon so I was able to complete the dress from beginning to end. Oh, I spoke too soon... I hear little footsteps...

Ciao for now.

Mango Time

2010-06-09T09:11:00.003-04:00

Every year around this time, this variety of mangos are in season but only for a couple of weeks. They come all the way from India and they are to die for.

I was first introduced to these mangos last year. Our neighbour, who is originally from India, buys a few cases every year and usually shares a few with us. After tasting this year's batch, I asked if she could order a case for us. It was seriously like tasting heaven! I'll go as far as saying that they are better than chocolate - and that's unheard of in my vocabulary.

So, for the next few days we will be savouring one of nature's most scrumptious delights.

Thank you Mother Nature.

Abigail Dress

2010-06-03T20:04:00.000-04:00

Patty Young is the designer behind ModKid. She designs quilting fabric, and patterns for clothing and bags and various home decor projects. I'm drawn to her fabrics for the vibrant colours and whimsical view of nature.

Don't those colours just pop right out at you??? This is her most recent collection, but all of her collections are amazing.

Her website is just loaded with inspiration. It's eye candy!!!

She just released two patterns that were created for knits specifically and I bought both: The Abigail Dress and The Maya Dress.

(Aren't those cute little models? They are her own children.)

I've already made one of each. Here is my version of The Abigail Dress...

...and The Maya Dress photos will have to wait since I've run out of daylight.

I'm really enjoying sewing with knits lately. Contrary to what people think, it's actually quite easy to sew with. The easiest knit would be interlock, and the more frustrating one jersey. But I've used them both and I've just become really good friends with pins. There's a whole lot of pinning going on in my sewing studio. I'm sure over time I'll need to pin less, but for now I'm happy to pin to achieve results.

So, until my attention is caught by something else -give me five minutes here :) - I'll be busy making these cute little dresses.

Wool Soaker

2010-05-28T13:32:00.003-04:00

This little soaker has got me all excited, and I don't even have a baby to put it on.

The sweater I used to make this soaker was from the Gap. It's 97% Lambs wool with a bit of Lycra to maintain shape I guess. I used a pattern which I found on-line here. Thank you Katrina.

I think I'm onto a new hobby - frequenting second hand stores and scouring the racks for wool. :) Wool is an amazing fibre to use for diaper covers. I know what you're thinking right now so here are some facts and characteristics of wool:

1. It breathable. This is important in diapering, especially overnight when you consider that your baby might be wearing the same diaper for up to 8 hours (night only).

2. It absorbs up to 30% of it's weight in liquid. Essentially what it would do overnight is draw moisture away from the diaper so that your babies bum isn't soaked all night. The wool will actually draw away from the cloth diaper and evaporate throughout the night.

3. It doesn't retain odor. Seriously.

4. It's anti-microbial which means it inhibits growth of bacteria.

5. If lanolized properly, it's waterproof.

Now, if you're not sold on wool by now then, well I don't know what else to say.

I would have to say that pretty much the only drawback to using wool - and it has nothing to do with it's performance - is that it requires more extensive care than plastic covers. You cannot simply throw your wool covers into the washing machine with the rest of your diapers and covers.

Here's how easy it really is though. Put tepid (not quite lukewarm) water into your sink and add some type of wool wash. I use Eucalan (Canadian made) in the Eucalyptus scent. So, put the Eucalan into the water and slightly agitate. Then put your wool in and gently squeeze it until it's saturated. Let it sit for 15 minutes. Drain your sink and gently squeeze out any excess water from the wool being careful not to ring it out. Then, lay it flat to dry. This last part can take up to two days depending on the climate it's in. Once it's washed, it'll need to be lanolized to make it waterproof but this would only need to be done once a month or on an 'as needed' basis.

Ready for the BUT? Despite the more labour intensive method needed to care for wool, it really only needs to be done once every week or 2 because of it's no odor retaining properties.

I'm sold! In fact, when Aemilia was a baby she was in wool most nights, and during the day as well, but I only had one wool cover so I saved it for night-time. As long as she had a nice thick layering of 'diaper' she would wake up and be virtually dry. There was definitely moisture in her diaper, but nothing compared to being in a plastic cover all night. Wool is amazing. Gosh, I feel like I'm on some kind of wool crusade. :)

I strongly urge parents who are using cloth diapers to give wool a try and you'll be amazed at the benefits it brings.

Freezer Paper Stenciling

2010-05-20T12:11:00.001-04:00

I tried something new last week: Freezer paper stenciling. I am in love with the finished product, but I have to admit it's a bit of work. You see, I'm not great with fine arts ie drawing, so that part of the process was a bit of a drag to me. And then you have to cut out the negative spaces with some kind of knife pen - again, not my forte. But once it's drawn and cut out, the fun begins. You simply iron the freezer paper onto the fabric to seal all the edges, and start painting. I chose a nice sunny day for this project so the paint dried quickly.

I made four dresses that day, I was really focused and on a roll I guess. Here they are:

Lotus Sundress size 4/5:

Tricycle Sundress size 2/3:

The Wave Kaia wrap dress size 12-18 mths:

I haven't photographed the 4th dress yet, but it's my favorite one so I'll get it up as soon as possible. I haven't decided on what colour to use for the straps yet.

About the photography, well let's just say I know it does nothing for the dresses. I use a 6 year old digital point and shoot and so photographing the clothes on actual children is close to impossible, so I make due with what I have and I know it's not great. I am currently in the market for a digital SLR and so the future looks good for better shots. This will help with the marketing. I tend to purchase things on Etsy if I've seen what it looks like on a body and not a hanger so this is what I am striving for.

That will be a future post: which camera is best for me?

I'm off to draw some more stencils...

Mother's Day

2010-05-07T15:45:00.001-04:00

It's Mother's Day in a couple of days so I thought I'd share some of the things that make me love being a mom.

Watching my girl be goofy, and kind of gross actually...

... but also wathching these moments of intrigue.

These moments are the ones that I never want to let go of...

...and sometimes these moments never seem to end.

Trying to get the girl to sit still and look normal in a photo...

...and watching her delight in doing her yoga before bed.

These are only a few of the moments of motherhood that I adore. It's an ever evolving job, but the mosts rewarding one as well. I wouldn't trade anything for what I have as that little face makes me so happy to see everyday.

Happy Mother's Day!

T-Shirt Skirt

2010-04-13T12:47:00.006-04:00

This:

Became this:

I can't wait to get this onto the little one to see how it fits. I used this tutorial by Epicurean Style.

I went thrifting this morning and ended up coming home with 21 previously loved articles of clothing to transform into newly loved play clothes. I'm addicted folks. I just wish my sewing room wasn't in the basement because it's really beautiful outside... There, I opened the window. Now I'm kind of outside, right?

What's your Purpose?

2010-04-12T14:26:00.004-04:00

Well, today mine was to 're'-purpose. As in take apart some used clothing and use the material to make something new. I'm basically copying the subject of my last post, but the finished product from this one has me all giddy.

If you haven't already checked out Made, than I suggest you go there now... actually after you read my blog... :) I was first introduced to refashioning old clothing by her tutorial The Shirt Dress. Such a clever way to use an old shirt from Dad's closet, or from a thrift store or garage sale. This tutorial is the one that today's project is based on. I'm progressing with my creative confidence and made little changes along the way. Instead of finishing the ribbing with serging and then sewing to the shirt necks and sleeves, I gave it a more finished look and sewed right sides together so that all the stitching is on the inside of the shirt.

I love lap tee's because of their ease of putting on over little heads. I often make the mistake of doing the little ones hair only to realize that I have to then dress her... with lap tees this is not a problem. ;)

One of these days I'll be organized enough to actually plan a blog post, and include before and after photos. This time I forgot to take the before photos of what the old clothing looked like. For the back of the shirt I used an Old Navy shirt that I've been holding onto for years because I love the embroidery that was on it.

I originally wanted to cut out the front piece of the shirt with the embroidery on it, but there were too many stains so I resorted to using the back only. I was going to stich the 'patches' to the finished product, but I kind of like the boyish blockiness of it the way it is. It's slighly flared though, and the arms are fitted so it's still feminine.

I can't wait to make more of these shirts. Maybe turn it into a dress with a tiered ruffled skirt like the one in this tute that I found this morning.

I can't wait to give this to the little one. I think she'll be happy that it's not a 'another dress'. And she loves seeing herself on her clothing...

I always feel good about re-using things, and doing it this way saves in a lot of ways. I plan to do much more of this sort of thing. Happy 're-purposing'.

Recon

2010-03-22T20:47:00.000-04:00

I made this:

From this:

Unfortunately this was the only photo that I took before the 'operation', but I think you get the idea anyway.

I used cotton ribbing for the neckline and sleeves. I used one of Aemilia's shirts that fits her now and traced onto the piece that I cut out of the shirt for the front and back as well as the sleeves. I've followed enough patterns and tutorials to have confidence enough to do this without one. Jersey knit is quite forgiving since it's stretchy so you don't notice the little imperfections as you would with a woven fabric. I haven't sewn with knit fabrics much but I think I've found a new love. I think I'll be heading off to the thrift store very soon to pick up some t-shirts for more recons. The ribbing was purchased at a local fabric store for $10/yard, I got a 1/2 yard and I figure I'll be able to do 8 recons with it. The selection was limited though, that purple being the ONLY choice, so I'm going to have to do some hunting on-line for a better selection.

And judging by the last photo I think Aemilia is happy with the new shirt, look how she's admiring herself in the mirror... on the kitchen table... yes, we're civilized.

Shopping Bags

2010-03-14T18:57:00.000-04:00

Today was the perfect day for sewing. We weren't very inspired to go outdoors because of the rain so we took a trip to IKEA for some ideas. We are planning to do a mini make-over to our living space. It's a pretty small space and we are trying to figure out what the best layouts would be. Our living room serves as the tv room, the family room, the reading room, the chilling out room. It's the only common room in the house so we have to be efficient with the space. For example, we don't want the tv to be the focus of the room as it would be in say a 'tv' room. So we need to get creative and plan the space. I'll save the pics for a later blog post when we actually figure the space out.

Rainy days this time of the year are almost welcome around here. The rain washes away all of the dirty snow that's leftover from the long winter. And it's an excuse to stay in and sew. The little one went down for a nap shortly after our outing, so I wandered down to my sewing space and went to work on some cloth shopping bags.

I took apart a store bought one to see how it was constructed and used it as a template. The store bought one is made out of nylon therefore it stuffs into a smaller sack and doesn't wrinkle as much than the cotton ones that I made. I had to make the stuff sack larger but not by much. This design is the same as a plastic shopping bag and is quite roomy.

I used a little piece of white rikrak to make a loop to hang the bag on a hook, or to a key chain. I keep these bags hanging at both doors in my house as a reminder everytime I leave the house. The best thing about them is that they are compact and fit into small bags or purses, unlike the plastic re-usables.

Well, I think I've found a new love. Making these bags is so simple and quick and a great way to use up my ever growing stash. Each bag is about a 1/2 yard so they're inexpensive to make too, probably less expensive than buying one in a store. Sorry about the photography, I need to devote a bit of time to learning how to showcase and photograph objects better.

Well, time to go shopping. Can you guess what I'll be bringing with me?

Learning to crochet.... a little.

2010-02-22T19:30:00.000-05:00

I really love this blog. Cassie always creates lovely crafts that are picture perfect, and her sense of humour keeps me reading post after post. She is starting a craft along type of thing this month called On The Edge . I've never tried to crochet before, but I don't think it's too hard so I'm going to attempt to follow along. I have so much spare time so I figured why not eh? Right.... Anyway, I am itching to craft again and so I'm determined to find SOME time, any, to commit to this. Really it's for my own sanity, I need something to get absorbed into for a few minutes a day and feel a sense of accomplishment when it's all done. So, I'll keep you posted on how it all goes. The best part of it is that I get to gather some new supplies ie crochet hooks and crochet thread... oh... I feel a new love coming on...

Shop on Vacation

2010-02-20T07:58:00.000-05:00

I've been meaning to write about this for a while now, but needless to say it's been hectic busy around here. I have temporarily closed Wave Kaia on Etsy until my work situation slows down with Canada Post. It's really tough to juggle two jobs, and raise an almost 3 year old all at the same time. When I'm not at work, I want my energies to be directed at the little one so that we can laugh and enjoy each other more.

When spring arrives, there will be less work for me delivering the mail because all the full timers will have taken their vacations and what not. That is when I will resume taking orders in my shop.

As I look out the window right now I see snow falling and it looks very wintery. Do we go skating on the Rideau Canal? Do we go swimming indoors? Do we go to the Museum of Nature? Decisions, decisions.

Happy Saturday everybody!

What's for dinner?

2010-01-26T19:23:00.000-05:00

This blog has been primarily about my crafting, but I wanted to talk a little about food. After all, who doesn't love food?

It's amazing how much we spend on groceries and there's only 3 of us. I just saw a blog post about a woman who created a menu for the whole year. Wowsers! I tried once to do that for a week, and well, let's just say it was easier to plan than to follow through. I did notice though that when I did the groceries for that week, there was significant savings compared to when I make multiple trips during the week for missing ingredients and such. There is always something that I see that I think we really need, or just simply see things that tantalize the taste buds and have to have it now, as a treat...

Menu planning is something that I am going to try to commit to, especially these days with both of us working. By the time we get home we don't have the time or energy to think up a dinner at the last minute. It would be so much easier to look at the 'menu calendar' to see what we'll be making. If the recipe requires an item from the freezer we'd mark it the day before as a reminder to pull it out of the freezer for tomorrow's recipe. Oooooh, I'm getting inspired as I write about this.

The only drawback to all of this for me is that my recipe inventory is limited and I'm always looking for quick, tasty, and balanced recipes. Any ideas?

In keeping with the theme of this post I would like to share one of my favourite winter recipes. It's called Lentil Dahl and it's from the Wild Rose Clinic's Herbal D-Tox recipe book.

2-4 servings

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 cup carrots, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp peeled ginger, minced
1-2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp cumin powder
2 1/2 cups vegetable stock or water
1 cup brown or green lentils, rinsed
1/4 tsp pepper
salt to taste

Saute onions, carrots, celery, garlic and ginger in oil, over medium heat for 3-5 minutes or until onions are soft.

Add curry and cumin and saute for 2 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid scorching the spices.

Stir in stock and lentils and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 45-50 minutes or until lentils are soft.

Add salt to taste if needed.

I usually serve this on basmati rice and with a garnish of plain yogurt with a dash of cumin in it. YUMMY!!!

It's A Matter of Time

2010-01-17T20:24:00.000-05:00

2010!!! Wow! A new decade to look forward to, and many new blog posts... hopefully. :)

I wish that I had more to blog about, but life seems to just consume me most of the time. I've been used to working from home for the last part of 2009, but now that winter has set itself in place here in the Nation's Capital the calls for work are ever increasing. I can expect to work steadily until March-ish. 3 cheers for being a Letter Carrier who's low on the totem pole, so to speak. Not that I don't love my job, but delivering mail in snowy, slushy, mashed potatoey snowy, windy, cold, and sometimes dark conditions can be totally exhausting!!!

I have been lucky to be assigned to the same station for weeks at a time which has been nice cause I'm getting to know people better. My supervisors brought me hot chocolate the other day and that really made my day. I love the job and I can't wait until it becomes more permanent and full-time and until I get my own route. I expect it'll take a few more years for that as I'm 80 on the long list of casuals waiting for a full time position. It's coming....

So since I've been working I haven't had any time for crafting at all. All of my energy is used up after working, cooking, playing and bathing and then I usually fall asleep with the little one. Plus I've been fighting off a cold that hit me just before Christmas. It just does not want to leave my system. Does anyone have a favourite remedy that they'd like to share? I did manage to squeeze in some time this evening not only for a bit of crafting, but for this blog too. I worked on some prefold diapers for a friend who is expecting #2 in February - I cut two inches off the length and then serged. Also working on a diaper bag for another friend also expecting #2. Using her existing wet bags (for storing soiled cloth diapers), I am making her a slipcover basically that the wetbags will snap into. I promise to post photos as soon as the project is finished.

Buon Anno!!!!

2010-01-01T14:30:00.000-05:00

This is a very short and sweet post wishing everyone a very happy new year! I will be back very soon with a long overdue update of our holidays.

Cape Mania.

2009-12-10T12:48:00.000-05:00

Wave Kaia has been doing very well this December which thrills me to bits because we will be donating 15% of all sales this month to Make A Wish to help bring a smile to the faces of little ones who are battling illness.

When I started Wave Kaia, I had no idea that what would become the most popular seller in the shop would be Superhero capes, but they most certainly are. The capes are completely customized, so it's a surprise for me when I receive an order to see what fabric combinations the customers have chosen. It's so much fun making these capes as I imagine the child playing with the finished product.

Here's to the Superheros, may you bring fun and playtime to kids everywhere.

Advent Calendar Idea

2009-12-08T11:18:00.000-05:00

I'm sure most people already have their advent calendars up, but we are just getting around to doing ours so this year we will be doing the 12 days 'til Christmas calendar. Different is good sometimes...

The inspiration behind this project came from this blog Fantastic Toys which I found on this blog 30 Days . I love those ornaments and they are so easy to make. I made a few with a ribbon loop for hanging and left a bit of an opening so that I could sneak in a few treats here and there.

These were made for Aemilia's friends so they have their intitials on them, but they can be decorated any which way. I love how colourful and personal they are. For the advent calendar I will use numbers to decorate them. I am also planning to make more of them for our tree and to give to friends and family as the token yearly ornament. I will decorate those and on one side embroider the year as well. Every year when we pull out the decorations I know I get nostalgic when I see ornaments from past years, there are so many memories attached.

I will be back soon with photos when the project is complete...

It's begining to feel a lot like Chritmas!

2009-12-08T10:59:00.000-05:00

There's snow on the ground, there are Chritmas lights up, and the smell of pine and cinnamon scented candles is in the air. I'm really starting to feel the Christmas spirit.

We went to our friends house on the weekend to make decorations for their tree, and what a tree it is. I think the angel is going to have a sore neck by the end of the holiday. Their tree is the fullest tree I've ever seen.

They had a great time getting the tree too. The place is called Thomas Tree Farm. You pick the tree while it's still in the ground, you cut it down yourself - don't forget your handsaw. Hayrides, cookies and hot chocolate, and tree shaking and wrapping are included in the experience. (I'd like to go visit this place myself.) Then for their wonderful tree we made decorations out of egg cartons, feathers, styrofoam balls, pipe cleaners, felt. The creative juices were flowing!

Following the crafting and pizza eating, we headed downtown to watch the Santa Claus Parade. It was at night this year which is a first. It was the perfect temperature - not too cold. I think the girls had fun regardless of what time of the day it was, but I think I prefer a daytime parade myself. The floats were creative. There were some marching bands, dance groups, active participation by some Ottawa cyclists to mention a few of the highlights.

The big highlight, of course, was Santa himself - although to tell you the truth I think Aemilia was more excited to see Spartacat (Ottawa Senators mascott). It was really fun to watch Aemilia and Abigail waving at all the floats and saying Merry Christmas over and over. We had a great time and it was fun for Aemilia to have one of her friends come along with us.

Off to the Fair

2009-11-27T14:52:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow I will be selling my wares at the Great River School Winter Fair. This school is an independent school whose focus is to engage children with the natural world. I am really looking forward to this fair. I've been interested in this Waldorf style teaching ever since Aemilia was a baby, so I hope to learn a little more about it.

Christmas is just around the corner and I'm starting to feel the pressure to get stuff done. I was contacted by my sister-in-law yesterday and we agreed not to exchange gifts this year. Kids are the exception, and we agreed that it would be something handmade. Yahoo to that! I also have a feeling that this year I will be getting called in to work a lot in December before Christmas, so the next few weeks are going to be busy juggling Wave Kaia, and Canada Post, and being a mommy and wife. Not that I'm complaining... I'm perfectly happy thank you very much!

Aemilia went to see Santa today with her grandparents. I got a report over the phone and was delighted by her enthusiasm. She was practically out of breath after telling me all about it. So glad she loved it.

"and then he said, "HO HO HO!", and I wasn't scared!!!"

Around the corner...

2009-11-15T10:32:00.000-05:00

You know when the Santa parades start that Christmas is just around the corner. Time to buckle down and tackle the to-do list. I am super busy this fall with crafts. I have been building up inventory for my shop and also to bring with me to two craft fairs. I am really excited about the craft fairs to see other crafters and to share stories and experiences, and also to learn a few things about how to spread the word about my Etsy shop
Wave Kaia. I have been working really hard on this venture and I would love for more people to know about it.

Stuff on my inventory list:
Karate Pants
Knee pad pants
Ruffler blouses and dresses
Peasant tops
Fabric and felt hair clips
Burp cloths
Play capes and crowns
Holiday Garlands

It's so easy to get overwhelmed though at this time of year because there are so many delicious ideas out there in blog land that tempt every crafter. I keep thinking I can do it all, but I really need to pace myself a bit and learn how to impose time management skills on myself. Here is a preview of some of the wonderful things on my to do list:

String of Lights Advent Calendar from this beautiful blog: Elsie Marley

I'm so glad I found this tutorial on this amazing blog: This Mama Makes Stuff

What a great way to recycle old t-shirts.

And, well, the list could go on and on... Thankful am I for all the generous bloggers out there who share their ideas and tutorials. I hope someday soon I'll be able to give back in some way, and post some tutorials with some of my own ideas. It's a lot of work though, I am bewildered how some of these people can do it all. ahem... time management perhaps...

Time to get to work...

Just Pictures

2009-10-26T13:28:00.001-04:00

This is what I've been up to lately...

I organized a sewing space complete with audio book playing in the background...

I folded and ironed many, many labels until my fingers were nearly burnt...

I spent a couple pennies on a new machine... again...

I transfered thread from one bobbin to another... on ALL my bobbins...

And then.... I actually sewed...

Burp cloths/Newborn Prefold diapers

Size 7 Knee Pad Pants Size 3 Knee Pad Pants

Size 2 Knee Pad Pants

Size 6-12 months Knee Pad Pants

Size 18-24 mths Knee Pad Pants
Size 0-6 mths Knee pad pants

Size 3 Ruffler Dress

Both size 2 Ruffler Dresses

Size 2 Ruffler Blouse

Size 2 Peasant top

Size 3 Ruffle Pants

Size 3 Karate Pants

Pleated Pillow Tutorial

2009-10-20T12:55:00.000-04:00

This is my first attempt at creating a tutorial, so I will try my best to make it easy to follow.

The size doesn't really matter so I won't give you dimensions for fabric requirements, the tutorial is more about how to make the pleats. This pleating method can be used to make pillows, blankets. It looks great on dresses and tops cause it adds texture - which would be great for baby play mats actually...

So here we go:

First cut out your strips of fabric. you will need about double in length of the pleated panel than you want the finished length to be. ie if you want your pillow to be 20" tall, then you'll need 40" in length. You do not need to do this with the straight fabric panels. Width is up to you.

Now with your middle panel (the longer one), fold the top end over 1" with wrong sides facing (WS).
Then flip the panel over and fold again right sides facing (RS) 1/2".
I suppose at this point you could also mark with pins or a marker where the folds are going, but that's too to organized for me... ;) So, I continue with this method of eye-balling and matching up the folds under the fabric:

Don't forget to iron after each fold. (photo blurry due to heavy steam)lol

When your pleated panel is complete, measure it out and then cut out your other two panels that will go on each side.

Take one of the panel and with RS facing, sew them together. Repeat with the other side.

When you've finished, turn your piece over and iron down towards the edges. Then do a topstitch down both sides.
Next, trim your piece to the dimensions that you want for your pillow, and also cut the back in the same dimensions. You can use the same fabric as the sides, or use any other coordinating fabric.

With RS facing, and starting 3/4 of the way down on one of the sides, sew all the way around your pillow until you're about 4" away from where you started. Backstitch at each end.

Pull the pillow through the opening so that the right sides are facing out. Use a chopstick to push the corners out so that they're nice and pointy. I used fibre fill because I had it on hand, but you can use anything as a stuffing: wool roving, recycle some old pillows for example.
When you've finished stuffing, you will close the opening using a hidden stitch.
Voila, there's your pillow. Now you have to find a place to put it, or designate a giftee.
This one found it's way to my favourite chair.

Let's help eachother out!!!

2009-10-16T13:53:00.000-04:00

There are so many wonderful people out there in internet land who are so eager to share advice and inspiration. While I was taking a break from sewing, I stumbled upon this great post about handmade businesses helping eachother in promotion. Basically you pick an item from the shop above you on the list and place it on your facebook page, twitter, or blog. I've chosen my blog because I am hoping to get more traffic coming through here quite frankly. I'm relatively new to the whole internet business and promoting game, and I really just want to be creating with my hands so I tend to slack in the computer part. I am going to make a better effort though, cause when I do, I find amazing ideas like this one. Here is a link to the gorgeous necklace that I chose. The etsy shop is called For You Creations:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=vl_other_1&listing_id=25015246

Now, I wonder what will be featured from my shop, and where... How mysterious.

Moving along

2009-10-13T15:35:00.000-04:00

Things are really coming together around here - well, in my basement actually. My labels have come in and I adore them. I am getting lots of use out of my new serger and have rearranged my workspace with a new-to-me L-shaped desk. I'm feeling much more efficient in the new space and I'm not tripping over the iron cord anymore... I have to admit though, still the odd curse word here and there... :)

Susie at http://extraordinarybabyshoppe.blogspot.com/ is hosting a giveaway for comments on gift suggestions for children. The prize is one of my Bamboline. So get on over there and comment because these dolls are one of a kind.

The ruffle pants in the photo are available on my Etsy page. www.wavekaia.etsy.com

Refreshed ETSY

2009-09-24T15:40:00.001-04:00

Summer is over, but Autumn is here. I've always loved the fall. Something comforting about bundling up in a sweater and kicking the leaves around. Autumn sun is so warm against the skin, but not sweltering. And it means switching up the wardrobe a bit which is always fun to do.

I've been quite busy making changes to my Etsy shop. (www.wavekaia.etsy.com) A good friend of mine created my logo and banner which makes the shop look professional...

I've placed some orders for new fabrics which should be arriving next week. When they arrive, I will get to work and start sewing up a storm. I'm transitioning to custom orders. I don't want to stock my basement with stuff anymore. I will make samples of each of my designs and photograph them and then offer the custom order form. I am really excited about this.

But the biggest and most thrilling news for me is my new addition to the family..... a brand new serger....

Introducing my new Janome 789D overlocker. I'm in love. This little machine cuts my procuction time almost in half. What a lifesaver. I have been wanting one of these machines since I started sewing, and now, lucky me, I have one.

The price was greatly reduced since they are bringing in the newer ones, so I really couldn't pass it up, and I know it'll pay itself off in no time. Optimism helps!

We've been paying a lot of attention to our cat lately. Sadly, our other cat Muscles passed away in August. We don't think Aemilia has caught on yet cause she still talks and sings about him. Anyway, Kittycat has been enjoying the attention, but I think he misses his wrestling buddy.

So long buddy! We will miss you!

Kittycat and Aemilia watching the rain.

The end of summer was busy. Some time was spent with cousins and Nonna and Nonna.

The proud NONNI and their girls.

If you've never been before, I highly recommend that you go check out ETSY. You'll be blown away by all the talent. I must warn you though, it is slightly addictive...

LP

Summer's almost over...

2009-08-22T21:51:00.000-04:00

Our latest adventures:

I really thought I'd have more time to blog, but things have been quite busy around here. I've been able to enjoy Aemilia's company a lot this summer since her caregiver has had some holiday time. We have so much fun together, our days usually consumed by going to the park, pool, splash pad, shopping... You know, things that moms and daughters do together. :)

Recently, as a family, we've been going to a new favourite beach spot to spend hot and muggy Saturdays. Constance Bay is about 40 minutes from our place, located on the Ottawa River. It's a cottagee kind of small town with a very nice, long beach with soft sand. The water never drops off so it's perfect for the little Miss. Wow, she loves swimming so much. She calls herself a little crocodile.

My crafting has taken the back seat this summer. When Aemilia is home with me there's no time for crafting, and I also got some work with Canada Post for a couple of weeks so that kept me busy too. All the inspiration and ideas are floating around in my head though, just waiting to be turned into something real.

I've also been slightly captivated by the series of books about vampires and werewolves... I really feel like a teeny bopper, but they're nailbitters for sure. It's my bedtime guilty pleasure reading. I am half way through the last book though, so this hostage situation will be over soon. I guess hubby is really the only person in my life who's noticed how fanatical I am over them. He's also the only one (until now I guess) who knows how often I have watched the first film... shame!!!! :)

Here's to wishing there was waaaay more time in a day.

Things we've been doing lately...

2009-06-17T09:07:00.000-04:00

We went to Westfest with Abigail and played with balloons.

We had gelato.

We ate happy banana pancakes.

We had popsicles with Adam (Aemilia's first boyfriend ;). Why do kids insist on wearing rubber boots on the hottest day of the year? Aemilia and Adam share the same birthday, Aemilia is 2 and Adam is 3. Everytime they see eachother which is everday, it's like a reunion with hugs and kisses. It's very sweet. And once all the hugging is done, they go straight to "This miiine!" "No, this miiiine." and so on.

And we tried to name all of the new Bamboline... so far they're all 'Baby'.

What a fun weekend we had!