Photo Challenge

Before.

And After.
I can't see a huge improvement. I think I need to reread the directions...
To play along with the learning-to-use-one's-camera-properly-for-blog-worthy-photos, go to Quilt Otaku.

Cute craftiness

My crafty mom knit this sweater!

And then I made the matching pants.

:)
Also coming soon to show off are the other three pairs of pants I've finished this week.

Old stuff I made

Back when I was still pregnant (hence my utter lack of a waist in this photo), I made this quilt for Orion for his bed. He is really into B0b the Builder and fascinated by tools. The fabric is a panel I found and the borders are coordinating prints. It's from The Whimsical Workshop.

And this is the quilt I made from the batik swap. Amazing that it's finally finished.

A better shot of the color.

And here both of the quilts are being used. You can just barely see the red polka dots peeking from under the batik quilt. The red dots are the back of the tools quilt. Orion was so exhausted that while playing a "hibernating bear", he actually fell asleep! That's our laundry basket he's using as a "cave".
:)

I do still sew

A gift for the next baby!

My friend loved it, which I loved!

I always try to choose backing fabric that makes grass stains impervious. The front of this one was purple batik and flowered flannel. The batik helped to lighten up what would have otherwise been a pretty heavy blankie for a Spring baby.

Zipper-Do-Dah

image by http://www.allproducts.com

The upcoming Zipper Clinic still has three spaces in it!

Do zippers still give you nightmares? Leave you in a cold sweat?

Call Bolt at 503-287-2658 (BOLT) to sign up for the class!

Class will be held on Sunday February 15th, 4:30pm-6:30pm. The $27 fee includes two zippers, fabric to sew the zippers into, and a handout with pictures that will lead you through putting zippers in, once you are at home and on your own!

In class you will install two zippers. The first is a lapped zipper, similar in concept to the fly on a pair of pants, but well suited to side zippers in skirts as well as pillows and a number of other applications. The second zipper is a centered zipper, perfect for zippers that are on bags or in the center back of a skirt or dress. Both zipper styles are very handy to have perfected and once you learn the tricks, you'll be sewing zippers into everything!

Hope to see you in class!

New Classes at Bolt!!!

This just in!

The class list is up at Bolt! Call 503-287-2658 to sign up!

Cute Skirts $40

Sundays, 2/1 and 2/8, 4:30-6:30 pm

Zipper I Clinic $27 (incl. materials)

One Night--Sunday, 2/15, 4:30-6:30 pm

Learn to Sew: Farmers Market Tote $60

Sundays, 2/22, 3/1 and 3/8, 4:30-6:30 pm

Knit T-shirt $40

Sundays, 3/15 and 3/22, 4:30-6:30 pm

Amy Butler Birdie Sling Bag $40

Sundays, 3/29 and 4/5, 4:30-6:30 pm

There are also a lot of great looking classes by other teachers. Check them out!
And my calendar is getting booked up for private lessons, so book now to take advantage of the special!

New Year Deal

***Special deal***
4 hours of lessons in January for only $75!

Fine print: lessons must be taken in January. Book early for best availability.

Once February rolls around, I will resume teaching at Bolt
so book your private lessons now!

SAVE HANDMADE TOYS

Save Handmade Toys From the CPSIA

A Proposal From the handmadetoyalliance.org:

In 2007, large toy manufacturers who outsource their production to China and other developing countries violated the public's trust. They were selling toys with dangerously high lead content, toys with unsafe small parts, toys with improperly secured and easily swallowed small magnets, and toys made from chemicals that made kids sick. Almost every problem toy in 2007 was made in China.

The United States Congress rightly recognized that the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) lacked the authority and staffing to prevent dangerous toys from being imported into the US. So, they passed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) in August, 2008. Among other things, the CPSIA bans lead and phthalates in toys, mandates third-party testing and certification for all toys and requires toy makers to permanently label each toy with a date and batch number.

All of these changes will be fairly easy for large, multinational toy manufacturers to comply with. Large manufacturers who make thousands of units of each toy have very little incremental cost to pay for testing and updating their molds to include batch labels.
For small American, Canadian, and European toymakers, however, the costs of mandatory testing, to the tune of up to $4,000 per toy, will likely drive them out of business. And the handful of larger toy makers who still employ workers in the United States face increased costs to comply with the CPSIA, even though American-made toys had nothing to do with the toy safety problems of 2007. Toy makers won't be the only ones impacted by the CPSIA, the thousands of US businesses who offer clothing, jewelry and other gifts for children --in essence-- the entire children's industry will be as well.

The CPSIA simply forgot to exclude the class of toys that have earned and kept the public's trust. The result, unless the law is modified, is that handmade toys will no longer be legal in the US.

Thriving small businesses are crucial to the financial health of our nation. Let's amend the CPSIA so that all businesses large and small are able to comply and survive!

- Cecilia Leibovitz (Founder, CraftsburyKids.com)

Slowly.

Slowly, slowly, slowly said the Sloth.
And slowly I make my way with this blog, having just reached my 100th post in my last post. (And not even realizing it until today.)
And so I share:

In bold: Things I've done.
In italics: Things I want to do.
The rest: no thanks.

1. started your own blog (edited, thanks to Nancy's comment... I had some formatting issues last night when I finally got this posted...) :)

2. slept under the stars

3. played in a band

4. visited hawaii

5. watched a meteor shower

6. given more than you can afford to charity

7. been to disneyland/world

8. climbed a mountain

9. held a praying mantis

10. sang a solo

11. bungee jumped

12. visited paris

13. watched a lightning storm at sea

14. taught yourself an art from scratch

15. adopted a child

16. had food poisoning

17. walked to the top of the statue of liberty (huh? Can you even get inside?)

18. grown your own vegetables

19. seen the mona lisa in france

20. slept on an overnight train

21. had a pillow fight

22. hitch hiked

23. taken a sick day when you’re not ill

24. built a snow fort

25. held a lamb

26. gone skinny dipping

27. run a marathon

28. ridden a gondola in venice

29. seen a total eclipse

30. watched a sunrise or sunset

31. hit a home run

32. been on a cruise

33. seen niagara falls in person

34. visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. seen an amish community

36. taught yourself a new language

37. had enough money to be truly satisfied

38. seen the leaning tower of pisa in person

39. gone rock climbing

40. seen michelangelo's david in person

41. sung karaoke

42. seen old faithful geyser erupt

43. bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant

44. visited africa

45. walked on a beach by moonlight

46. been transported in an ambulance

47. had your portrait painted

48. gone deep sea fishing

49. seen the sistene chapel in person

50. been to the top of the eiffel tower in paris

51. gone scuba diving or snorkelling

52. kissed in the rain

53. played in the mud

54. gone to a drive-in theatre

55. been in a movie

56. visited the great wall of china

57. started a business

58. taken a martial arts class

59. visited russia

60. served at a soup kitchen

61. sold girl scout cookies.

62. gone whale watching

63. gotten flowers for no reason

64. donated blood

65. gone sky diving

66. visited a nazi concentration camp

67. bounced a cheque

68. flown in a helicopter

69. saved a favorite childhood toy

70. visited the lincoln memorial

71. eaten caviar

72. pieced a quilt

73. stood in times square

74. toured the everglades

75. been fired from a job

76. seen the changing of the guard in london

77. broken a bone

78. been on a speeding motorcycle

79. seen the grand canyon in person

80. published a book

81. visited the vatican

82. bought a brand new car

83. walked in jerusalem

84. had your picture in the newspaper

85. read the entire bible

86. visited the white house

87. killed and prepared an animal for eating

88. had chickenpox

89. saved someone’s life

90. sat on a jury

91. met someone famous

92. joined a book club

93. lost a loved one

94. had a baby

95. seen the alamo in person.

96. swum in the great salt lake.

97. been involved in a law suit

98. owned a cell phone

99. been stung by a bee

Stockings hung by the chimney with care

Finished just in time!
The pattern is my own design that I plan to get all written up. They are lined and have cotton batting as an underlining, which gives them a very soft feel. And they are ready for some loot!