Exciting news

While I was up in Cleveland over the weekend I stopped by my favorite quilt shop to interview the owners for a story I'm shopping around to some quilt magazines. I had them take a look at the patterns I've developed, and they're interested in selling them in the store! They even said they'd like the prototypes of the projects so they could make a nice display and do it as a trunk show.

Not only will my patterns soon be for sale in a real store, they even liked them enough to give me $40 in free fabric to remake the sample for the basket case quilt. Hoorah! After six hours of work today, I've got all of the patterns printed and updated with their suggestions (such as incorporating my Nap Rating system into the packaging) and all of the prototypes packaged up to send up north. Now I just have to buckle down and remake the quilt. Anyone want to come help me pin 160 little pieces of flannel?

In the interest of cross-promotion, be sure to check out their site, or stop by if you happen to be near Olmsted Falls, OH. You can find them at http://www.abigayles.com/ .

Thanks, Deb and Nancy!

Another etsy shop I love

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=17579

How cute is the giant hamster? Really cute.
It's a 7-inch-tall hamster (that's the size of a soccer ball):

And the uber-cute (but much smaller) hedgehog:

And the "monster boss" pillow, complete with working pocket and buttons on the back:

Must ... not ... spend ... $60 ... on a huge hamster ...

Crawling out from under the crafting rock

I've been in the zone, trying to finish a sweater, so that I can move on to all the other projects that sound like much more fun than something crocheted out of chunky wool. That means I've been devoting all of my evenings (and some nap times, too) to yarn, not blogging, which is why I've been sort of quiet this week.

You can tell I'm Mama first, crafter second nowdays ... when Jason asked me how much longer before I'd be able to sew it together, I told him I'd probably be able to finish by the end of the next Baby Einstein video. I actually needed to use the special features on the DVD to drag it out long enough to finish, but I was pretty close.

So here it is:

And yes, that's my minty fresh bathroom, and yes, those are my pajama bottoms, which I didn't change out of until about 4:30 today ... now that's what I call a Good Day!!

On a technical note, I've been having some crochet gauge issues with the Happy Hooker patterns, so I took the time to make a guage swatch for this sweater before I started. I never do that. Figures that the time I check it, I was exactly on the money. Since all of my projects from the Happy Hooker book have been too small ... way, way too small ... and this pattern was from a different source, I'm starting to think that the folks at Stitch n Bitch crochet ridiculously loosely. My next two adult projects (that's projects for me, not the kid ... get your mind out of the gutter!) are from the Happy Hooker, so I'll let you know how many sizes of hook I have to go up to get the gauge right. I'm guessing at least two or three.

Oh, and here's how the challenge quilt is coming. I'm 3/8ths of the way done!

Actually, more than that, since I've finished one of the two fiendishly difficult blocks (see the overlapping stars in the bottom right corner? Had to paper piece the blue ones, then paper piece the pieced pieces into place exactly right so the points would line up ... and I got them right the first time, thank god). Hooray!

This is the first time that I've actually cared enough about a quilt to RESEW things that aren't exactly right. See how all the star points touch, and aren't cut off, and the folds that you can't see in the photo pretty much line up? That's because I've gone back and ripped out and redone at least one seam in every block, and usually sewn the block intersections at least 1 1/4 times each. And I've yet to curse at it ... not counting when I cut the fabric too small for the purple star, but that's allowable, as it means I'm going to have to order another piece of fabric to finish the quilt.

Check the shop for new patterns ... and I've got another one coming soon, as soon as I get off my butt and write it up.

New in the shop

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=5196880

Lazy Mama's Simple Snowflakes Table Runner, which takes those paper snowflakes you made as a kid and makes them look all fancy and quilted. Raw edge applique is very forgiving of mistakes, and the pattern is simple enough that you can finish it in a few hours. Check out the blue-and-white, use-all-winter color scheme, or get a jump on next year's holiday gifts by making one in red, green, or blue/silver.

This would be a great introduction to quilting for anyone with basic sewing skills, and it's interesting enough to keep even experienced quilters hooked. Lavishly illustrated directions, a full-sized template for the snowflakes - this pattern is a steal at only $5!

Possible collaboration with another etsy artist

I love the style of the stuff that lollipop art sells on etsy, and I thought it would be fun to try taking some of her images and making them into a quilt. Here's a prototype, hot off the sewing machine:


The images are printed on special fabric, then heat set to make them (sorta) washable. The quilt is machine pieced and machine quilted and is wall-hanging size (about 40" square, I think). And the coolest part is, it's a stash quilt - I didn't have to buy anything to make it! Sometimes that huge chest of leftover fabrics comes in handy, after all : )

I think it would be cool to make these and sell them together with the original art that's reproduced on the quilt - sort of a package deal, you know. I'll let you know how it goes.

Why, Lazy Mama, however do you get so much crafting done?

Baby Einstein videos and a wicked sense of determination to finish a sweater for myself before spring, that's how. And a willingness to "practice counting with my toddler" by reciting the crochet pattern aloud as I stitch.