Custom Sewing - Costumes

When I started offering custom sewing I did not specify a specific niche or item to potential clients, I left it completely open (excepting alterations - I do not alter clothing). I am so glad I left it open! I got an urgent call today from a new client needing help with a Jawa costume for his daughter. The Toys for Tots parade is this weekend and her costume is a must-have. So I pushed aside the craft fair work for a bit and started bringing her Jawa costume to life.

For those of you unfamiliar with Star Wars, this is a Jawa:

So now I have expanded my custom-costume sewing from lady bugs and turtles to Star Wars characters. How fun!

Handmade Holidays: Felt Food

In an effort to hold myself accountable I am sharing with you all my great big plans for this year's handmade holidays from my studio. I always have grand plans of starting early, and yet it ends up being the night before I need something and I'm scrambling to finish. Well - NO MORE - I will be prepared this year and I hope that you will be too!

Lil' Hoot is getting a kitchen this year for Christmas and needs some items to fill it up. I bought an assortment of dishes from a neighbor's garage sale but what good is a kitchen without any FOOD?! I have tons of felt scraps around from other holiday makings so I want to turn them into "food" for Lil' Hoot's kitchen. And there are some great patterns out there!

(Warning, some of these items look good enough to eat!)

Cake Anyone?

Lunch Time Fun Tutorial by Little Crickets Felt Fun

Ravioli, Farfalle & Marinara "Sauce"

From this Round Up of Free Tutorials from Ohdeedoh

Cinnamon Rolls

Play Food Round Up by Craftiness is Not Optional

And in the event that I (or you) do procrastinate too long...

other crafters can come to the rescue!

Breakfast by Felt Playground

Top Your Own Pizza by Kiddy Couture

Veteran's Day

Some days it's hard not to still be in uniform. It was an honor to serve.

To my friends who are currently deployed: Keep your heads down. We're praying for you.

Christmas is Coming!

From Trick or Treat to Christmas - I know, I know - but don't roll your eyes on me and click away just yet. I know Christmas gets overly commericialized and each year it seems to get worse, but for handmade artisans like me, we start talking to you about shopping early for a different reason. I need time to carefully and thoughtfully make personalized and custom gifts.

Christmas items are now starting to enter my shop - starting with Candy Cane inspired personalized Christmas stockings. From traditional red and white to funky, modern pink and purple - I combine eco-felt, rick rack, ribbon and embroidery for a one-of-a-kind personalized stocking.

Or create your own custom combination:
Stay tuned for all kinds of Christmas goodies - giveaways, discounts, gift ideas!

Trick or Treat

Better late than never, right? Well, as you know, I made a lady bug costume for Lil' Hoot, but...the day before Halloween we were wandering around the Cracker Barrel store and found the cutest little costume half off. I showed it to Big Hoot who absolutely insisted that it was perfect for Lil' Hoot. She was even happily wearing the hat to go with it (which was very short lived).

So later that day I was a bit mopey that my daughter wouldn't be wearing a single thing for Halloween that I had made, when it hit me - she didn't have a Trick or Treat bag! You have to have a place to stash you sweets, right? Of course!


I went to my closet and found the only black fabric I had available - black satin (ugh), reclaimed from an old bridesmaid's dress of mine. I jumped on my computer and whipped up a simple embroidery and this is the result...


It needs some cat ears to go with the tail but I just ran out of time. Next year hopefully I'll think of the bag sooner rather than later. In any event, it was just her size and perfect for storing her treats. She also found it handy for toting around other things...like little people, which if you think about the bag as being a cat...is kinda funny.