Happy Halloween

I didn't mean to be gone for so long there. I wish I had more crafting to report but alas, not much crafting has been going on, at least not the Chet and Dot kind. I've made 3.8 million coasters though for Robot Candy. Ok maybe it's not in the millions but it sure feels like it. This time of year is so hard because Robot Candy demands so much of my time, but I really just want to sew.

We did have our annual cupcake decorating party last weekend, which was loads of fun. We kept it to a rather small group due to last year's complete lack of space and huge mess, but it was fun nonetheless. It's great to see what people come up with when seating in front of a tray of candies and frosting. I'm always impressed! Look at Kevin's Gene Simmons Kiss cupcake. This is about as much as I get into Halloween. I didn't celebrate it as a kid so it's never been a big deal, now Christmas, that's a big deal.

I did find a lovely melon colored wool blanket while thrifting last weekend which is what this little sweetie was made from.
So soft and melon-y!

Have a fun and safe Halloween and don't eat too much candy!

Autumn Happenings

My ghostly boo garland was featured on the Decor8 blog last week and I've been selling one after another since. They're fun and relaxing to make and it gives me a chance to do some hand sewing, which is always nice.

I'm working on a some trick or treat bags for the little ones. I hope to have them in the shop this weekend.

I'm still working my way through all of the apples and pears from the farms two weeks ago. So far, I've made apple butter, pear butter, and a dutch apple pie. There are still several pounds left and I'm really not sure what to make next. I thought about canning some apple pie filling, but I don't think I can can (ha!) one more jar. I might make apple dumplings, but that won't use up very many apples. Any ideas? I may need to turn to the leader for help.

Uh Oh

This morning I was contacted by a reader and loyal customer who let me know that someone seems to be copying my sweater softies. I always tend to give people the benefit of the doubt but when I saw this, my heart sank. I do appreciate that people like my creatures and in some cases believe that imitation is flattery, but not when the items are being sold on etsy nonetheless, the same venue I use to sell my own softies.

Imitation Owl Softie
The thing that really gets me with this is that the face is almost identical to my owls, right down to how I make the beak. Not to mention the use of ribbon. It's all so very frustrating as someone who makes their living from selling hand made goods. This is how I support my family. I have spoken to my lawyer friend who agrees that there is enough similarity to pursue some legal action. All of my work is under copyright and is therefore protected against blatant copying.

Genuine Owl Softie
For future reference, in case anyone is wondering, all of my items are original designs and are protected by all applicable copyrights.

On a more positive note, I made a couple more not so spooky ghosts for the shop.

Woolen Love Affair

I didn't think it was possible for me to love wool anymore than I already did but this past week I've fallen for it all over again. I picked up needle felting. I've been sick, and needle felting is the perfect craft for laying around in bed, watching tv. A couple of years ago I bought the supplies for it but didn't really get into it, until now.

I rely greatly upon subtlety in my creations. I prefer to use small bits of Japanese fabrics and pair them with rich, classic fabrics like linen and wool. I think it highlights the cuteness of the fabrics in a way that you don't get when you use them on their own. I feel that I do the same with my animals. I'm often amazed that it's possible to take a rectangle, tweak it a little bit and have it become an owl. It's the same with the needle felting. It's also surprising how quick needle felting is even though you are just poking wool with a small needle.

First Week

So remember how like an hour ago I was posting about it being the first week of September? Yeah, well somehow it's now a full month later.

We spent Sunday afternoon in Hood River picking apples and pears. We found a farm that was selling several varieties of apples and pears for 30 cents per pound! Considering you can't find an apple for under $1.50 per pound in Portland, those prices seem ludicrous. We got huge apples and tiny apples, red and green apples, apples for pies and apples for eating. Oh and the pears. This pear amazes me every time I look at it. I had no idea there was such a thing as a striped pear. It's huge too, quite possibly the largest pear I've ever seen.

I'll be doing some major canning this week. I love the idea of stocking up for the year and then going back to the farms and starting again. I always thought that canning was a huge undertaking. Mostly thanks to my mom, she makes it seem like digging trenches would be a picnic compared to canning. I don't know where she gets that. It takes some time, but it's definitely worth it and fun too. Plus, when you can your own foods, you always have a gift on hand.

We also visited an alpaca farm yesterday. I had no idea alpacas were so very soft. The fiber is amazing and spins the softest yarn. It was like cashmere. I fed this guy some alpaca pellets which he seemed to enjoy.

Here is a preview of the Halloween treat I referred to previously, a wooly Boo garland!
I'll be adding a couple to the shop this week. There are some crocheted acorns in the shop too.

Boo!

This wooly little ghost is one of a few that will be haunting my shop very soon. Along with some other spooky treats.

A couple of you have inquired about tomatillos. Well, they are sort of like tomatoes with a paper husk on the outside. They are mostly used for salsa verde which is what I'll be using them for. They have a really good flavor and are a little bit sticky when you peel off the husk.
They can be a bit hard to find but should be in any Mexican food market or tienda.

Thanks to those of you who voted in my poll. I have listed some prints without the frames since that's what the people want.

I'm off to IKEA. Yes, thank you, maybe I will move there.

Harvest

Hey everyone, look! My tomatillos are ripe. I really couldn't be more excited about these. They are not only delicious but beautiful.

I'm still getting tons of cherry tomatoes and a few regular tomatoes. And even a few strawberries. These berries are amazing. The plants produce fruit from June through October and are some of the best I've had. Big, perfectly shaped red berries perfect for munching on while picking walnuts off the ground. So. Many. Walnuts.

Here is a rather crummy picture of yesterday's walnut harvest

Happy October 1st

I found some lovely fabrics while out thrifting the other day. The one on top is some really nice wool that I think will become bunny stuffies. The bottom is about 2 yards of nice, grey linen that has already made it's way into all sorts of projects.
These messenger bags are some of those projects. I love the way the charcoal grey pairs with the brighter colors in the patchwork strips.

These are in the shop.

On another note, I'm pretty sure I will die if I don't get these and these. Have you seen the Martha Stewart (also referred to by me as the Leader), line at Macy's? It's all so beautiful. Better than that cheap garbage at Kmart. Just kidding, I have a lot of the Kmart stuff and I still like it. But Macy's now that's a real classy joint. I've had my eye on these sprinkles for a couple of months now, but just couldn't justify spending $20 on sanding sugar even if it is the most beautiful sanding sugar on earth. I see that they are on sale. I wonder if I should hold out for the Christmas baking delights that will surely not disappoint. I wonder why it took the Leader so long to start selling us craft supplies and cake sprinkles.

Ok, that's a good glimpse into the insanity I live with daily, happy October friends!