7 Pairs of Room Shoes

These little room shoes or house shoes are based on a Japanese pattern and tradition. For indoor wear, they are really fun and kind of like dress-up shoes for around the house! Finishing them all almost lead me to cancel the Trunk Show but I made it, they're done and ready to go! And I probably won't be making them again...!

Update from the Wishfactory

Click on that photo right away to take yourself to Tara's sneak peak at what she's been working on for the Trunk Show - so amazing!!
This little mama bird has obviously been collecting nest materials from the floor of my sewing room!

Can you tell what these are?

Another big batch of somethings for the Trunk Show - stylish Bike Cuffs, for saving your stylish flare jeans while riding around town! Fastened with velcro they've been working great for me for the past year. Come get them on Sunday at the Chocolate Claim - 10am til 4pm!

Seriously Folks

How can I possibly sell this cutie? I think I should post a tutorial on how to build these snap coin purses as they are tedious and there don't seem to be many tutorials out there on them. U-Handblog has a tutorial that I loosely follow. Click on the photo to go to my flickr for pictures of the others so far. There's a paint-by-number one that I also love...

Mini Messenger Bag - fresh batch for the Trunk Show

I started a little collection of vintage pot holders this winter while on vacation in Portland, Oregon. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with them but they are so pretty, so much work went into them (double thickness crocheted) and I doubt that anyone will use them as potholders anymore. In fact I wonder if these were ever used, they're in such great shape - the owners probably couldn't bear to pick up the overflowing crock of baked beans with them. At Christmas I designed a mini-messenger bag that completely sold out. This batch with potholder embellishment turned out really nice, almost like a big flower on each flap. For more photos click on the photo to go to my flickr site.

Q&A's with Spring Trunk Show Participant Emily Woodruffe

The Spring Trunk Sale happens on Sunday, April 26th, from 10 to 4pm at the Chocolate Claim. Local artists and designers will show up with a trunk full of handmade, creative works you will love. This is part six of a six part series of interviews from the Trunk Sale vendors.

Describe your medium – what will you show up with in your trunk?
My medium is stoneware pottery. Functional works with a playful twist.

What do you enjoy about pottery?
I enjoy the meditative nature of throwing on the wheel, and as much as I hate to admit it, the symmetry of it all. I also enjoy the surprises of opening the kiln to see what has worked, and not so fondly...what hasn't.

Do you have a favorite tool, tip or skill that’s made things work better for you?
Right now my favorite tools are some old rusty nails and nuts and bolts to make impressions in the clay.

What do you listen to while making?
I usually listen to CBC. For no other reason than my hands are too dirty to think about changing CD's or anything!

What are your favourite colours right now?
My favorite colors right now are earthy greens, metallic greys and turquoises.

What’s your website address?
No website as of yet...

Do you have a favourite blog or website?
www.etsy.com

Where else and when else can we find your work?
You can sometimes find some of my work at the Arts Underground on main street. Otherwise my home studio is the best bet. Best to call first.

Q&A's with Spring Trunk Show Participant Lara Melnik

The Spring Trunk Sale happens on Sunday, April 26th, from 10 to 4pm at the Chocolate Claim. Local artists and designers will show up with a trunk full of handmade, creative works you will love. This is part five of a six part series of interviews from the Trunk Sale vendors. (Lara is such a good friend, I just have to add that it's so nice to see her smiling face on my blog! See you soon Lare!).

Describe your medium – what will you show up with in your trunk?
Polymer Clay; small works of art and jewellery.

What do you enjoy about your work?
Blending blocks of clay into intricate patterns of flowers, shapes, bugs and words. It’s like magic and I never get tired of it.

Do you have a favorite tool, tip or skill that’s made things work better for you?
I use a hand-cranked pasta machine to blend the clay – that makes things better for me. I love my stylus tools – essentially a set of pokey sticks with balls on the end.

What do you listen to while making?
CBC or CKRW (the Captain) sometimes my iPod.

What are your favourite colours right now?
The rainbow.

What’s your website address?
www.laramelnik.com

Do you have a favourite blog or website?
http://polymerclaydaily.com/

Where else and when else can we find your work?
Jewellery at the Chocolate Claim during their business hours, year round. Arts Underground on main street for art work and some jewellery. Bean North Café on the hotsprings road for jewellery.

The Spring Trunk Show, Sunday April 26th, 10 - 4pm

Q&A's with Spring Trunk Show Participant Tara Kolla-Hale

The Spring Trunk Sale happens on Sunday, April 26th, from 10 to 4pm at the Chocolate Claim. Local artists and designers will show up with a trunk full of handmade, creative works you will love. This is part four of a series of interviews from the Trunk Sale vendors.

Describe your medium – what will you show up with in your trunk?
pretty much anything that can be sewn or glued! I enjoy using felts, vintage fabrics and ephemera to create my pieces.

What do you enjoy about your folk art?
For me, it is almost more the thought processes thinking up each piece, and then when I realize that I can actually make it, what an awesome feeling!

Do you have a favorite tool, tip or skill that’s made things work better for you?
Spray glue, spray glue, spray glue! I wish I had found this stuff out years before! Also my mom's ancient Singer, fab tension.

What do you listen to while making?
Usually CBC, but if that gets too depressing then This american life.

What are your favourite colours right now?
Well since the other girls have already taken my two fave colour combos ( grrr) then I would have to say hot pink and grey will always be a classic combo.

What’s your website/etsy/flickr address?
flickr.com/photos/wishfactory and www.etsy.com/wishfactory.

Do you have a favourite blog or website?
Well of course georgiannacraft.blogspot.com I also love flickr and etsy to see other peoples creative ideas.

Where else and when else can we find your work?
Right now, I am also selling some pieces at the Greenhouse at Cliffside.
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Q&A's with Spring Trunk Show Participant Tara Dias

The Spring Trunk Sale happens on Sunday, April 26th, from 10 to 4pm at the Chocolate Claim. Local artists and designers will show up with a trunk full of handmade, creative works you will love. This is part three of a series of interviews from the Trunk Sale vendors.

Describe your medium – what will you show up with in your trunk?
My main medium is paper so in my trunk there will be a variety of paper goodies. Notebooks, journals, mini-albums, cut paper illustrations, etc...

What do you enjoy about paper crafting?
I like how versitile paper can be. And I love all the textures, colours and prints.

Do you have a favorite tool, tip or skill that’s made things work better for you?
Exacto-knives and good lighting.

What do you listen to while making?
Usually my 3 kids playing and my husband watching sports.

What are your favourite colours right now?
My fav colours right now are red and aqua as a pair.

What’s your website/etsy/flickr address?
darling.typepad.com and I have a group on facebook.

Do you have a favourite blog or website?
lmnop.com.au
ohdeedoh.com
www.etsy.com

Where else and when else can we find your work?
Right now, you can find my work on my website and I am trying do more craft shows throughout the year.

Q&A's with Spring Trunk Show Participant Michelle Easton

The Spring Trunk Sale happens on Sunday, April 26th, from 10 to 4pm at the Chocolate Claim. Local artists and designers will show up with a trunk full of handmade, creative works you will love. This is part two of a series of interviews from the Trunk Sale vendors.

Describe your medium – what will you show up with in your trunk?
Everyday Photographic Images on mailable cards, square mini cards, bookmarks and matted 5x7 images.

What do you enjoy about photography?
The creative process and challenge of trying to get what is in my head out on paper. Sometimes it's just about being able to capture, forever, a certain way something looked and felt.

Do you have a favorite tool, tip or skill that’s made things work better for you?
A tripod. Without mine nothing turns out exactly right.

What do you listen to while making?
My mind is buzzing with the process (both while shooting and processing)... I wouldn't notice music even if I put it on.

What are your favourite colours right now?
Vintage, washed out colours.

What’s your website/etsy/flickr address:
www.flickr.com/photos/crayonjazz

Q&A’s with Spring Trunk Show Participant Georgi Pearson (er, that's me!)

The Spring Trunk Sale happens on Sunday, April 26th, from 10 to 4pm at the Chocolate Claim. Local artists and designers will show up with a trunk full of handmade, creative works you will love. This is part one of a series of interviews from the Trunk Sale vendors.

Describe your medium – what will you show up with in your trunk?
I sew lots of stuff – bags, totes, purses, aprons, baby clothes and accessories, skirts and I’ve done a few wedding dresses – no bridezillas though! My trunk will have a variety of cotton and linen sewn goods, including belts, wrap skirts, wristlets, small clasp purses, hankies (remember those?) and possibly some up-cycled women’s p.j. pants made from vintage sheets – time permitting!

What do you enjoy about sewing?
Seeing the final product. In fact, I’m very guilty of sewing along like a maniac without checking my work, only to discover I’ve sewn something upside down or backwards. I also really enjoying giving what I make away – I have really appreciative friends and family.

Do you have a favorite tip or skill that’s made things work better for you?
I have a few tools that are handy – a pair of tailor’s scissors on an elastic around my neck at all times, a ruler along the front edge of my sewing table for quick and easy measuring, a 20 pound roll of 36” tracing paper for pattern making…

What do you listen to while making?
Unfortunately the hum of my industrial sewing machine is fairly good at drowning out Jian Ghomeshi. so often I listen to myself thinking - and cursing once in a while.

What are your favourite colours right now?
Brown and aqua.

Where else and when else can we find your work?
At Christmas time I’m easiest to find at the Littlest Art and Craft Fair and the Fireweed Community Market Society Christmas Sale. I have some canvas buckets at Knit Now on 3rd Avenue and sell out of my home downtown. The Spring Trunk Sale is a great non-Christmas opportunity to offer my sewn goods to the public.

Favourite blog/website: makesomething.ca

Skirts for the Spring Trunk Show, April 26th at the Chocolate Claim

For a better view see here.

Anna's Belt

My sister in law (that's fun to say, she's my first and only sister!) came back from holidays in Winnipeg last year with the cutest fabric belt. I've finally managed to find D-rings and try making some of my own Anna Belts. They're really nice, another great way to wear fun fabric patterns - a quest I'm always on. I just made one for our good friend DH for his birthday with faux bois fabric (I'll have to get a photo!). I'm making a bunch for the Spring Trunk Show which will now be on April 26th at the Chocolate Claim from 10am to 4pm - hope you can come!
I'll try to paraphrase how I made these - I did experiment with different widths until I got it right. Another thing to be aware of, if you're buying D-rings online (i.e. sight unseen), just wait 'til they arrive before cutting fabric! Different companies measure D-rings differently, some from the outside of the ring, and some from the inside. So here is my first mini-tutorial:
1. Fabric: Measure the inside of the D-ring, multiply this by 2 and add 1/2 an inch. That is the width of your strip of fabric when using 1/4 inch seam allowance, the length could be 45 to 48 inches, your choice. My D-ring was 1 3/4 inches, my fabric strip therefore was 4 inches.
2. Interfacing: Cut a piece of fusible interfacing - use the fusible fleece interfacing, a fairly stiff/thick interfacing that irons on. The width of mine was 1 and 5/8 inches; roughly an 1/8 inch narrower than the finished belt width. Cut it the same length as the belt fabric.
3. Ironing: Iron the fabric in half, lengthwise, wrong sides together. Open this fold and press a 1/2" hem at one end. Align the fusible interfacing, fusible side down along the crease lines at the end and along the length. Fold over the fabric, making a sandwich and press. Open up and press the long edge hem over the non-fusible side of the interfacing, should be a healthy 1/4 inch. Flip belt over and press the other long edge over the whole belt, then open up the belt and tuck the hem in and press one more time. (ok, sorry, I really should have some photos shouldn't I?!).
4. Sew across the hemmed edges starting at the belt end, turn and go down the long edge. Choose a matching thread colour if possible. The other end of the belt is raw edges.
5. Sew topstitching lines down the length of the belt 1/2 inch in from the edges or at whichever intervals you choose, I suppose you could even sew abstract wiggle lines up and down the belt... I'll have to try that!
6. Serge (or zig zag) the raw end of the belt, turn under 1/4 inch, thread D-rings and sew in D-rings, maybe with a 3/4 or 1 inch over lap of belt fabric. I try to sew as close to the D-rings as possible and then a second seam along the tab end so it doesn't stick up too much.
Finished!
Disclaimer - those width measurements may or may not work for you, I'm not a precision sewer like most quilter sewers out there are! And now that you've waded your way through that, here is a good tutorial for a similar belt.