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14. November 2009
I have a little update for y’all. As I previously mentioned, I was recently hired for a position as a server in a new fine dining concept here in Jacksonville. Training began Wednesday, and we’ve been completely immersed in learning and training. I’m so excited about this new opportunity! It hasn’t left a lot of time for crafting recently, and I miss the sewing machine and the knitting needles. I do need to update my Etsy shop and at least renew some items to get a bit more visibility, as things have been pretty stagnant lately. Monday is my day off this week, and I’ll be ALL CAROUSEL all day! I have a large custom order to fill by the end of the week, and I also have a new idea for snap-on bows… now just to figure out how to use snaps! I’ve completed three knitted neckwarmers that I’m super excited about as well. I have three different styles, and these are actually perfect enough to list in the Etsy store! Another super exciting prospect is that my favorite fabric supplier, Fabric.com, has added a knitting and crocheting section. In addition to my frequent customer discounts, they carry my favorite bamboo circular needles! Oh to spend a day in the yarn store… Alas, I’m being called by a complex wine list and an array of French sauces that need to be studied. Until the next… 31. October 2009
Happy Halloween from the Princess and the Mouse! Gabi and Joshua had a great time trick-or-treating. This is a post-game picture, as the camera batteries were dead when Gabi still had curl in her hair! It was hot and humid, and Joshua was drenched by the time we got back to the house, but they were happy with their loot. And they had fun going around the neighborhood with their favorite playmate, the oldest daughter of our next-door-neighbors. Gabi was excited because she had her hair curled and she got to wear make-up for the first time. Joshua just wanted candy. I am thoroughly sick of the word candy, by the way. And, of course, afterward I, ahem, inspected everything. That is, I put all the crappy candy (sweet tarts, tootsie rolls, milk duds, lollipops and starburst) back in their bags and saved all the chocolate for mommy. Hey, I should get some benefit out of this crazy Halloween-ness, shouldn’t I? They’ve crashed now, from the sugar high. We’ll have a busy day tomorrow with church, a Sunday dinner of lasagna, and hopefully a little quiet sewing time for mommy. I’ve sketched out some pockets for the new knitting bag, but I haven’t committed yet. I want to get the measurements just right! p.s. Here’s my fabulous Halloween tip for all my mama friends: Go to Target (or Wal-Mart or wherever) on Nov. 1. Take your kids and let them pick out any Halloween costume they want for next year. You’ll save 50% or more — and they’ll be able to talk about how excited they are to wear the costume for 364 days!!!!!!! Just make sure you get a size or two bigger than they are now. Well, off to raid the candy jar. Until the next… 30. October 2009
I’ve been in a rut. A deep, muddy, sticky, bog of sameness. For a long while after I took all the Fiddlesticks stuff back up to South Carolina, I wasn’t feeling creative. I still had all these fabulous new fabrics, I still had a (new to me) sewing machine. I had started learning to knit, and I was busy finding ways to incorporate that new craft into the ‘Round the Carousel shop on Etsy. But each day after my return to Jacksonville, I would walk into the sewing room, look around, sigh, and leave… closing the door behind me. It just didn’t seem the same. All my neatly stacked drawers of Fiddlesticks fabric were gone. In their place was the antique sailor’s chest in which I keep my fabric. I still had a few baskets, and lots of boxes… but the creative vibe was gone. The energy was gone. (The sewing machine with the automatic thread-cutter was gone!) And everything wasn’t über-organized anymore. It was just… sitting there gathering dust. I used to do most of my sewing when I was supposed to be working on Fiddlesticks orders. I would go in the room because I had an obligation to make some bloomers or sippy cups — and then I would find myself happily sewing a handbag or a diaper changing pad. But I haven’t had any obligations in there the past few weeks. So I’ve been spending time knitting in the living room instead.
Doesn’t Joshua look adorable in the multi-colored hat? I originally made one for Gabi (from yarn that she chose all by herself) and then she and Joshua began fighting over the first hat, so I made him one, too. I’m really enjoying the quiet rhythm of the knitting needles. And it’s a craft that I can take places — and something I can do while I watch the kids play outside, or something to keep my hands occupied during commercials at the end of the evening. But, I originally started knitting as a companion craft. I figured I would sew during Joshua’s nap time, and knit in the evenings so I wouldn’t be holed up in the sewing room all day. This morning I realized that I was substituting. I don’t necessarily miss the embroidery business. After all, none of the products were really my idea. I enjoyed making personalized items, but that was my sister’s deal. I have created something of my own with the Carousel. I do miss the motivation that Fiddlesticks gave me. I had to check my email multiple times each day. I had to go in the sewing room, cut, interface, hoop and sew. I had to make sure everything went out in 24 hours. I had to keep up with postage and mailing supplies. But since ‘Round the Carousel hasn’t been particularly busy, I haven’t had to do any of that stuff. I’ve been mired down by my own inactivity. So what got me out of the chair? My knitting bag. I’ve been using the Autumn Floating Petals Tote as a knitting bag (I ordered some more of that fabric, so I’ll just whip up another one if someone orders it.) But there’s a serious problem. The pockets in that bag are NOT sufficient for a knitter’s needs.
I need something that can hold a full-size knitting book, those tall, pointy needles, not to mention the yarn, the little stitch markers and the tapestry needles. No, this bag will not do at all. And so, today, I realized that the small problem with my knitting bag has inspired me! Hooray! I just needed a little push to go get started. Now, if y’all can excuse me, I’ve got a sewing room to reclaim and a knitter’s bag to make. I’ll see you back here tomorrow with pictures and fabulous new stories to tell! Until the next… 8. October 2009
Gabi and Joshua are also looking forward to the trip — each day for the last two weeks one of them has asked, “Do we go to Mutti and Vati’s house today?” (Mutti and Vati are my parents.) And every morning I’ve had two very disappointed faces when I’ve answered, “No, not today.” But the smiles this morning were worth all the frowns of the past few weeks! In honor of the trip, I made myself a mushroom bag. This is one of the awesome fabrics that I picked out from my last order. I’ve been saving it a while — and finally had to turn it into a cute little tote for me. It’s a new smaller size that will be available in the shop at the beginning of next week. (Measures about 10.5″ wide by 8″ tall with a 2″ depth.) Ahhhhh. There’s nothing that says happy days to me like some psychadelic mushrooms in orange, lime green, pink and purple. Good times. Until the next… 2. October 2009
A few months ago, I joined an Etsy team, the North Florida Craft Revolution. It took me a while to start participating in the forum topics, but I’ve really enjoyed a sense of community with some super fabulous artists and creative women. Recently I volunteered to be their blog editor. The team leader, Kelly, had so much on her plate, and no one else wanted to step forward. So, I threw my hat in the ring. Now here I am, the editor of two blogs! And, as I post each day over there about the products and treasuries of other members in the team, I’ll be certain to give you all some item spotlights from my fellow NFCR members! (Hey, after all, this blog can’t be just about me, now can it?) For information on joining this great Etsy team, please take a gander at the team blog and check out the requirements for membership. This really is a great group of women located all around Northern Florida! Until the next… 29. September 2009
After many, many, many months everything is right where it should be! And all is well here in Carousel Land. 27. September 2009
 Toile diaper changing pad and matching handmade toile diaper bag Remember that cute green toile diaper bag from the last post? Well, here’s the cute green toile diaper changing pad to go with it! When Gabi and Joshua were in diapers (oh yes, we are a DIAPER FREE household now!) I never found a diaper changing pad that I liked. Some were scratchy, some were too small, and some were — too hard to handle. I wanted to make a changing pad that would be adorable and convenient for the moms out there, and comfy for the kiddos! I tried a couple of different designs for the changing pads, but I figured that the roll-up kind was best for storing in the diaper bag. The grosgrain ribbon ties are securely fastened to the pad so it can stay rolled up until you’re ready to use! This one measure about 18″ wide and is 25″ long and is backed by the softest polyester minky/fluffy fabric EVER! The fabrics are pre-washed and shrunk, and the pad can be washed, as well! Everything’s double-stitched.  Green toile changing pad is backed by an incredibly soft n fluffy polyester fabric! The best thing about this changing pad is that it can double as a blanket in a pinch. I had a sample in the car with me the other week when we were on a long car ride. I had left Joshua’s blankie in the trunk, and he was ready to nap. I looked in the passenger seat and grabbed the changing pad. I unrolled it and tossed it to him — and he cuddled up nice and cozy for the remainder of the trip! I hope to offer a coordinating changing pad with each of my diaper bags. As my inventory grows, I’ll keep you updated on the progress of these pads. I’m also going to be offering them backed with a super-soft fleece! I’m thinking that another awesome idea would be to also offer a folding changing pad that has a pocket for a travel wipe case and a few diapers. I’ll have to work on a design for that! Until the next… 26. September 2009
 Green Toile Diaper Bag I’ve been developing the perfect pattern for my diaper bags for a while now. I’ve made so many different bags — designs from online tutorials, as well as purchased patterns. But none of the other designers really had that clean, uncluttered look that I was going for. So, with each new bag I made, I began to take notes. I wrote down the measurements for each cut piece. Made notations when I needed to make changes. I even carried a lot of bags that I didn’t list (and will never take pictures of and post on here!) I’ve finally decided on a size, shape and design that I LOVE for my large diaper bag. The finished size measures about 14″ wide by 10″ tall. They are 4″ deep and most have three pockets - two small 5 x 7″ pockets and one larger 8 x 7″ pocket. The straps are all 1″ wide and have a drop of 14 to 16″. The longer handles allow you to carry the bag over the shoulder.  Blue Toile Diaper Bag The bags that I’ve listed so far in this style include the green toile diaper bag, the blue toile diaper bag and the abstract bag. There are subtle differences in these bags — some have slightly different pockets or handle lengths. These difference occurred because I was running out of some of the fabrics and had to make adjustments. But now I have a fabric plan for cutting and layouts, and I know exactly how much of each fabric I’ll need when ordering more. You’ll see more listings featuring this style in different colors and designs in the coming weeks. I can also make a custom item for you! (psssst. Custom diaper bags cost the same as those listed in my Etsy store, so why not choose a fabric that you love?) I order most of my fabric from here, so take a gander at the home decor fabrics, and let your imagination rule! Once I have the fabric in stock, production takes about a day. Until the next… 23. September 2009
This morning I made this cute abstract print tote. I was understandably excited to get the pictures taken and get it listed. So, I pulled out my hand-me-down Canon Power Shot S1-IS. It’s an older digital, but it works perfectly for my purposes. (Thanks again, Mom and Dad!) Lately, the first shot or two have had this funny pink tinge to them. No big deal, right? Sure. Until every picture you take comes out like this:
Why did this have to happen today? So I took a deep breath and decided to check out and see how much a cheap digital cost. Rock bottom? $70. Mid-range? $150. The SLR I really want? $800. Okay, I’m not willing to compromise on quality for a purchase like this. This old Canon only has 3.2 Megapixel, but it takes awesome pictures! What to do? What to do? Well…
What I did was take every tiny screw out of the camera. All million of them. With the tiny screwdriver. (And yes, I took the batteries out first.) Then I pried apart the two halves. Apparently the Canon people didn’t really mean for consumers to do this. I figured this out because some of the parts are glued together. OOPS! At any rate, I pried the pieces apart far enough to blow in between. I’m a big fan of blowing on electronics to try to get them to work. Who knows? Maybe it’s just a little dust on a connection that’s making random lines appear in my pictures. After a few breaths, I stuck the batteries back in and gave the ole’ girl a test run. The result?  Kaleidoscope bag available now on Etsy! I’m back in business! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have about half a million tiny screws to put back into my camera and an Etsy listing to write. Until the next… 22. September 2009
 Mod Birdies Bag Today I was a busy, busy birdie. So busy, in fact, that I started this blog post a bit late, because I wanted to showcase my mod birdies bag. So, I uploaded the picture to the blog, and went searching around Etsy for the link to connect the picture. And I couldn’t find it. It was lost. It was gone? How did I lose a listing? Oh. Someone bought it. Someone bought it? SOMEONE BOUGHT IT!!!!!!!! Thank you (person who shall remain unnamed, but you know who you are.) I love you! I hope you give this bag a good home because I kept it offline for about two weeks because I tried to justify being able to keep it. And I looked at it there, lonely on the shelf. And I wanted it. But then I listed it. And now it’s yours! Strangely enough, I’m rather attached to this bag. (Could you tell?) I know, you say, I could just make another one. But I only bought 1 yard of the fabric. And now I have a lonely changing pad that needs a home. (It matched the bag.) But, since I’ve been doing a really, really awesome job of churning out the bags this week, I may be able to make a fabric order by the end of the week!!!! More mod birdies are definitely in my future! This was my first (real) bag sale. I’ve made so many of them. I’ve given them as gifts, and even made a few on commission from friends and family. But this is the first big bag I’ve sold on Etsy. And I’m so proud. It will be hard watching those little birdies leave the nest. But they’ll fly off to Virginia and be happy there. Funny, always thought birds went south for the winter. :+) Until the next… |
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This weekend the kids and I are headed back homeward (that’s South Carolina for all y’all who don’t already know.) I’ve been looking forward to this particular weekend for some time — it’ll be all three sisters together again! We’ll be in town to celebrate my nephew Carter’s 8th birthday.
