temporary wall decor

temporary, easily removable wall decor that i put up because i was tired of looking at a blank wall.  

supplies: 

two thumbtacks.one long piece of string.mini clothes pins.several of my spoonflower samples.

that's all! i may remove the fabric samples and replace them with cards i've received instead.  or add another layer underneath. or get bored of the whole thing and remove it entirely.  

kiwi bird parade baby outfit

whenever i receive a notification that more of my fabric has been sold, i am not only filled with joy, but also with curiosity.

who is this person?  what are they making? is it for themselves? is it a gift for someone else?

most of the time i am simply left wondering, until several months ago, i was sent this picture.
and look...

a little baby outfit.  what a fun idea to turn this fabric into a diaper cover.

thank you, melissa from australia for sending this picture, and so sorry it took me this long to post it!

lotus root fabric wall panel

i finally decorated the barren wall in my craft room with this:

here is a tutorial i wrote a while ago. i used a larger version of my lotus root fabric in orange (i made this panel with the hope that one day i will have white walls).

a couple notes...

no overlocking the edges this time... just tucked the fabric under for a neat seam.

the husband drilled a hole for hanging.

baby bibs are fun

our friends continue to reproduce, which means i continue to produce tiny cute baby things. for the last round of gifts, i decided to make baby bibs. they are fun to make, and there are multitudes of free patterns online.

birdsntrees

lotus root

 i don't remember where i got this one (sorry!), but here are a few patterns you could try:
http://www.poopockets.com/free/bibs/bibs.htm
http://www.mylifetime.com/lifestyle/home-crafts/craft-ideas/sewing/sewing-project-simple-bib
http://www.liaspace.com/2010/04/tutorial-babys-bibs.html
http://www.marthastewart.com/article/baby-bibs

mine are backed with a double layer of terry cloth for extra absorbancy (i heard a rumor that babies drool and spit up a lot) and have snap closures. the husband kindly helped out with attaching the snap closures, since i tend to hammer my fingers when i do it. the patterned fabrics are designed by me, and you can still win some fat quarters to make some of your own. a fat quarter can probably yield two or more.

one yard, one apron

spoonflower is currently running a contest for apron designs, where each design is a full pattern (instructions included) that fits onto one yard of fabric.  i love the idea of having a pattern printed directly onto the fabric- it's so clever!  it cuts down project time considerably when you don't have to be bothered by cutting out a pattern and tracing it onto fabric.  you could whip out one of these in no time, for about $20, for yourself or as a gift. below are a few of the ones that caught my eye.

a taste of spoonflower

last year i learned about spoonflower, a company that will print your designs onto fabric for you. i was very very excited about this, but as is normal with me, i simply didn't have the time to investigate more. so, i made a mental note, and filed it away for later. i found myself thinking about it again recently, and one evening, as i was busy dreaming about how delicious lotus root is and how it has been ages since i've had any, i was struck with some inspiration. i scribbled on a post-it note and the first draft of a new pattern was created. surprise, surprise, it was a drawing of a lotus root. soon after that, i created a digital image... and before i knew it, i had created a spoonflower account and ordered swatches of my pattern in three different color combinations. i waited semi-patiently, and a couple weeks later, my 8X8 inch swatches came in the mail.

i am quite pleased with the quality. the images are crisp and clear. the only issue i have is with the orange; it turned out a lot brighter than i had wanted, so i'm going to order another swatch (and perhaps a couple more color combinations). the other two color schemes, purple on lilac and green on light blue are available for purchase through spoonflower here. i also have a link on the side bar to the right. i am really looking forward to designing more fabric soon... but until then.... *clearlytangled runs off to buy more fabric to play with*