New Product: Vintage Tie Gadget/iPod Cases

Dad does NOT want another tie! He WANTS a gadget case MADE from a tie!

I finally found a use for the giant stash of vintage ties I have been saving. These fun little pouches are perfect for cell phones, iPods, and any other device that needs protecting. Each is lined with wool blend felt and closes with a flap.

New Products: Something for the Ladies

Here are a few pics of my new line of ladies skirts! I got bored with making straight panel skirts (not to mention finding copy cat sellers), so I put on my thinking cap and designed these fabulous skirts!

They twirl and sway a little like a square dancing skirt but are fabulously light and cool. Perfect for spring and summer. They are made from recycled jersey and T-shirts. Each one is guaranteed unique, as I do not follow a specific pattern (it's more of a process!) I pull together coordinating fabrics, and get to work. Each skirt is overlock serged for extra durability. My wide jersey fold over waistband allows you to wear your skirt up or down a few inches depending on your mood. It also allows for a wide range of fit, so if you plan to drop a few pounds over the summer, order a size or two smaller than you need and wear it as you lose weight!

Click here to order one of your own!

Welcome to Esty: Sandy Dyas Photography

I love this photo of Caroline flying through the air. Photo by Sandy Dyas

My first new Etsy shop to feature is a good friend of mine, Sandy Dyas. She is a fabulous photographer with a knack for catching reality at it's most sincere. I am positively smitten with her photo of her granddaughter bouncing on the bed in her supergirl outfit. I'll let her shop description tell the rest of her story.

Sandy Dyas Fine Art Photography

Welcome to My World. Indeed this world is rather strange, a bit unusual and beautiful too. I have had a camera in my hand since I was a young girl. Cameras make you pay attention to what is right in front of you. For years I used film and sometimes still do but I own several digital cameras now in addition to my old-school cameras.

Drawn to people and their environments - and especially natural light, I strive to create a collaborative and authentic portrait of the world we live in. I look for photographs in the constantly changing world that strike a note with me; images that contain reality and ambiguity. I use my camera as a way to see, to interact with the world and to remember.

Early in my career, I owned a small portraiture business in Bellevue, a small Iowa town near the Mississippi River. A dozen years later, I moved to Iowa City. I received my MFA in Intermedia (Performance Art & Video). My first book of photographs entitled Down to the River; Portraits of Iowa Musicians was published by the University of Iowa Press in June 2007.

My photographs have appeared in the New York Times, Glamour, Jane, Simon & Schuster, No Depression, Newsweek, Random House, RedHouse Records, Vogue and many more publications.

Photographs are printed on Fuji Lustre E Surface Photographic Paper unless otherwise noted.
All prints are on archival paper and printed at a excellent professional lab I am been using for many years. There are more options such as: Metallic Photographic Paper, Canvas on Masonite and more - Just Ask!

Most images can be printed at various sizes.

More about my work:
http://www.sandydyas.com
http://sandydyas.blogspot.com/


James and the Pronghorn. Photo by Sandy Dyas


Green Dress on Orange Wall. Photo by Sandy Dyas

Handmade Pretties in the Press: Design Sponge - July 13, 2009

I love seeing my work photographed in beautiful homes. This July 2009 feature of Shay Ometz' home shows my recycled sweater balls and my giant fleece ball.

My recycled sweater balls were initially designed as a toy, but so many of my customers tell me they are buying a set for their bed or their living room. As you can see from these photos, the results are stunning.


Recycled Sweater Balls as decorative throw pillow. Photo from Design Sponge


One of my giant fleece balls are peeking out of the bin under the table. I very much remember making this ball, so it is great to see it in it's home. Photo from Design Sponge.

Etsy Favorites: A Coincidence?

When I mark favorites, it is typically a random occurrence. I mark items I see on the front page, or items as they scroll through the recently listed items. Sometimes, if I am looking for something in particular, I will mark items I like so I can come back to them.

I love opening my favorites and finding mini accidentally curated collections of items. Here is what I found today.


Harold and Maude Paper Dolls by Little Grey Goose.



6 Tiny Portraits by Be Happy Now.


Love Bird Note Card by Fancy Me Flyin.


Fluffy Owl Yarn Wreath by Knock Knocking.


Brigid by Kelly Packer

Etsy Favorites: Red Bloom Muff of Fabulousness

Fabulous indeed! The photo is ALSO fabulous, the pale aqua walls against the brilliant red makes me want to start painting again. I absolutely LOVE the texture and color of this piece. Birdism obviously spent some serious love putting this muff together. Wouldn't this be amazing in a winter wedding?

Etsy Favorites: 4 Season Cone Gnomes from CutesyPoo

I don't know about you, but here in the land of the perpetual snow, I would like the spring gnome to start pulling his weight. These cute little guys arrive in the form of a .pdf file that you can print from home and assemble. At $1.99 I almost don't even have to think about it! Cutesypoo Toys also makes similar gnomes in fabric, pre-assembled.

I picture these up on a shelf in the girls' room or peek out from behind a plant. What about you?

Choosing a Pincushion

With the assortment of beautiful and unique pincushions available out there, how do you go about selecting one to fit your needs?

Start by determining where and how you will use your pincushion. Do you sew mostly on a machine? Or do you do mostly hand sewing?

Machine sewing typically requires a pincushion that can hold a lot of pins and that is weighted or somehow fixed to your workstation (so it won't slide as you slam your pins down into it). A broad stabbing surface makes it easier to hit the target.

I often have two pincushions in my machine sewing work areas, one where I pin my patterns and the other by the machine. As the pincushion near my cutting and pinning station empties, I swap it for the one that has filled up by the machine. I would beware of any pincushion made inside teacups or other breakable containers for next to the machine (how many times have I knocked my pincushion off as the fabric pulls through the machine). Some people find a small dish with a magnet attached to the bottom next to the machine is the most useful (again, how many of THESE have I knocked over...)

For hand sewing I prefer a smaller pincushion. I typically sew with just a few needles (between 3-5) and keep about five pins on hand in case I need them. The hand sewing station is where the cute little bottlecap pincushions, pincushions inside teacups, and other smaller pincushions are handy. I use one of my own wrapped wool pincushions because they sit nice and flat, are easy to stab, and the wool seems to keep my needles nice. While weighting may still be useful, I have found that I am not nearly as aggressive whilst stabbing as I am hand sewing. If you are a person who embroiders and prefers to keep several needles threaded at the same time, you may still opt for a larger flatter style pincushion.

Another consideration is if you store your pincushion or leave it out. If you need to pack your pincushion up inside your sewing basket, be sure to select one that is a suitable size, and has a firm grip on the pins and needles. Needle books are a great option for inside the sewing basket, as you may leave your needles threaded without getting the thread tangled inside the basket (simply hitch the thread around the needle after you have stuck it into the book).

Pincushions are the perfect gift for the crafty type. A great place to start looking is etsy.com

Here are a few of mine.




Wrapped Wool Pincushion by Handmade Pretties - This is a larger wrapped wool pincushion perfect for handsewing or embroidery. Eye catching and unique this beauty can double as art. Made from recycled wool.




Wrapped Wool Pincushion by Handmade Pretties - This is a smaller wrapped wool pincushion perfect for handsewing. Each one it unique.



Cutest Ever Kitty Pincushion by Handmade Pretties - Pick from several color options, or get one to match your own kitty. Can sit on its butt or belly, perfect for machine sewing station.



Patchwork Needlebook by Handmade Pretties - hold needles or pins on several pages a must for any sewing basket. Made from vintage quilt tops.



Wooly Block Pincushion with Vintage Buttons by Handmade Pretties - Gigantic. Perfect next to the machine, but cute on display. Features vintage buttons and recycled wool.



Here are a few of my favorite pincushion shops on etsy.com


Loose String



Small, Medium, and Large. All beautifully embroidered in a rainbow of colors. Loose String's pincushions would be a welcome addition to my sewing basket anyday.



Feltmates



Super darn cute. Too small for next to my machine, but cute enough to hang out with me in the living room to accept needles while I sew. Comes in several colors, and some of the birds have friends. Be sure to also check out the awesome measuring tapes Feltmates has to offer!



Catherinette



If you seriously *heart* sewing, here's your pincushion... One of several off the wall pincushions.

The Daily Pincushion



A great selection of darling hand embroidered pincushions big and small. Great gifts for the crafty person in your life.

For more wonderfully unique pincushions, check out etsy.com