Monogram – Pure & Style

I wanted to do a pouch with a monogram.  First, I was going to go super ornate.  Like early 19th century ornate with 25 swirls.  Then I thought about how many stitches that would take.  Naaaaaaaaa.  What about going back to basics?  I remember living in Germany, how you could find those super simple initials on vintage linens.  Kind of the equivalent of the summer camp stickers that you iron onto your kids clothes.  They just a made a quick initials on pillowcases to show who it belonged to as opposed to making a big fancy announcement.  Took me about 3 minutes.  Kinda like it.  Then made it into a little pouch.  Then kinda liked it a lot.

 

Itching to Stitch

Sometimes I am just sitting someplace and am just hankering to stitch.  Nothing huge, nothing to change the world –  just a little somethin somethin.  You know just sitting at the doctor’s office or just hanging outside with an ice tea.  What am I thinking here… just cut a couple of squares and embroider them down someplace or just stitch a tiny flower on the bottom of a pair of jeans…  So I thought wouldn’t it be nice to have a simple small  fold-up embroidery “ensemble.”  Going to keep one in my bag from now on.

This little figure is from an Etsy superstar – and I can not find her shop any more.  If I can dig it up, will share it.  Love her designs!

Postcard to Go

Am I still going on about printing photos on fabric?  I guess I am.  Just had to share this pouch that I finished for someone.  This way you don’t have to close your eyes to remember your favorite beach, you can just open up your bag.

Up – cycled camera Strap

I had a pile of tee  bright tee shirt scraps left over from other crafts.  The colors were too pretty to throw away so I had to hold onto them.  This is the perfect project from Spool and Spoon to put the little pile to use.  Everyone needs a camera strap – especially me!

Wear the one you love!

I always used to joke that Make and Mingle was based on fabric appliques. After all almost all of our drop in crafts and birthday parties involved some sort of f fabric applique.  We also loved printing photo of fabric sheets.  So that we would join the two only seemed obvious.  After making a large custom order for a customer I decided to list them on our shop.  Here is Truly proudly displaying the one that she loves.  They would be great for tote bags, pouches, tees etc.  I just love that it’s a great thing to do with all those photo on my phone.

Photo Fabulous

How many pictures do I have saved on iphoto?  Don’t even want to think about it.  What do I do with them?  Well, I neatly put them in folders on my computer.  I have been doing that for about 6 years straight. Why print when I can save?  That is why I love a project like this that gives me a bright modern way to display some of those hundreds (or thousands) of photos.  The first is a project from German Brigette, the one below is a project that I did a few months back and turned into a design box at the store and then now offer in our online shop.  What makes the whole thing possible is the fantastic printable fabric sheets.

I used a little reverse applique which is incredibly fun and simple to do.

 

 

 

Omniom Gatherum – Emporium of Craft in a Box

So, it does not take a genius to guess that I love to make things.  Really anything from wrapping a headband to spending the day sewing a tunic for the beach.  Did someone say beach?  Cause just the word beach makes me think of the roll-up towel and beach bag that I made last summer.  Yup, me likey to sew and create.  However, what I really love is the stuff that you use to actually make the things that I make.  Does that make sense?  What I’m getting at is that I am a junkie for sewing and craft supplies.  The other day I was going through all my items from the store and starting to color coordinate them.  What came together were these wonderful little “conglomerations” of supplies.  Everything from luscious felts to beads, ribbons, felt embellishments and both new and vintage fabrics.  I searched for a word and discovered this beauty……

 

Omniom Gatherum.  It means a mixture or medley of things or people.  Pretty much it.  Check em.  Available at our etsy shop.

Silk Screening from TV to Sofa

One of the things that I loved about Make and Mingle was the opportunity to meet ridiculously wonderful talented artists like Liz Squillace from Paradox Ink. When she came into a store in Fairfield to help with a class, she showed the girls how she made a screen from start to finish.  This particular image she got from watching TV!  Basically she paused a scene and took a picture and printed it out.  She showed us how to hand paint a screen to get the negative of an image.  After that she printed the screen on some vintage remnants.  There was one particular print that I had fallen in love with, and dear Liz was kind enough to give it to me.

Just now I got a chance to make something with it, with some vintage piping hanging around  the combo seemed like a no brainer.

The result is probably one of my all time favorite pillows.  Thanks Liz!

 

Truly – 22 Months

So as we closed our brick and mortar doors over the weekend, I had to do one final shop version of True holding up her age progression.  The little babe is 22 months!  What!?  We all know that she is on the wee size, although she makes up for her lack in stature in sass and style.  The girl has Make and Mingle literally running through her veins.  She came back to the store almost directly from the hospital at the tender age of 8 days.  Almost every customer has held her in her arms and the experience has added to quirky charm.  Thank you all for the hugs and smiles.