New Item

I started making something new that I am now selling in my Etsy shop. iPhone cases! Well, actually, this case will fit quite a few different devices. Check out my listings, if you are curious. I’ve had my own for a while, and decided to solidify a specific style to make and sell. The design I came up with has 2 pockets and is enclosed with a flap and vintage button. (By the way, I finally looked up how to sew a button hole. Turns out, the machine I use makes button hole sewing easier than I was instructed. All you do is choose the button hole setting, attach the correct foot, adjust for button size, and GO! It sews the whole button hole with a touch of a button! SO EXCITING!) The inner lining is a charcoal color felt. The pockets are deep enough for your ID, cards, and some cash. The second pocket can also be used for ear buds. Here’s the one I’ve been using!

Bloomington Handmade Market!

This Saturday we plan on going down to Bloomington for the Handmade Market. I can’t wait to see what they have! There will be over 40 local and regional artists, so there should be quite a range of different art. I only wish I had a million dollars to spend at this event!

If you get a chance come down! And if you do, go buy all of this girl’s stuff. She’s a sweety!

Here’s the info you need:

Saturday, November 21
from 10am-4pm
at the John Waldron Arts Center,
located at 4th and College in downtown Bloomington, IN

Or visit here for even more info! The website has a list of the vendors that will be there. Check them out!

Buy Handmade

I’m not sure if any of you are aware, but it’s already November! It seems like just last week all the leaves were green, we were thinking about mowing our yard, and plans for our weekends were to go swimming. Well now, the leaves are suddenly gone, the air is chilly, and Christmas is just around the corner.

With the holidays coming, this means most of us are doing more shopping. We, of course, haven’t started, but we are at least talking about it. So, while perusing the wonderful world of Etsy, I found quite a few things that would be great gifts. I put together a treasury of the highlights from my search to give you an idea of what really neat things you can find. My search was for Eco-Friendly items. Maybe this will get more people to consider buying green as well as handmade for the holidays.

And here we go!

Recycled Classic Tote

www.thecraftpantry.etsy.com

Mesh Produce Bags!

www.MissMotleys.etsy.com

Eco Cup Cozie

www.laurabucci.etsy.com

Recycled Collage Print

www.artandphilanthropy.etsy.com

Flattened Wine Bottle Serving Tray

www.dpholkdesigns.etsy.com

Paper or Plastic? No, Thank You.

www.zJayne.etsy.com

Sling #4

This is one of the core designs I plan to use for future slings. The stitching looks like a vine with leaves. I used this on the top of the pocket and on the sides and bottom of the sling. I placed the pocket off from the center on the tail. I stuck with the accordion fold for the shoulder. And, the length is around 75 inches; a medium size.

This sling is made from a Pistachio color pure softened linen with accenting thread in Sage. Yay!

The Ring Sling

My new sewing project that I am now in love with and want to make 10,000 more of is the ring sling. I needed wanted a new one, and decided to try making one for myself. After all, I can sew. So, I gave it a shot, and it’s actually a pretty fast and easy process. After the first successful sling, I made another. This one I made a little differently. The first one I made (mine) I doubled up the linen. My idea was to make a thicker sling for winter, but it turns out I don’t prefer thick to thin. The fabric gets bunched in the rings and doesn’t easily slide through when tightening. So, the next sling I made, for a friend, was just one layer. It turned out very nicely. Tonight, I finished my third, and it is gorgeous. I used a fancy stitch and added a pocket on the tail that was an old cloth napkin given to me from John’s Aunt. I’m really happy with it. But, I did find out that using a more intricate stitch takes quite a bit more time. The consistency among all three is using the accordion fold for the shoulder. I have one made by another lady with this fold, and I love it. It looks nice and distributes the weight evenly across the shoulder. Through trial and error I hope to figure out 3 core styles for my slings. When I get that figured out, I will be posting them in my Etsy shop and my website. I’d also like to look into selling them locally. I’m not sure which retail store I would go to, but I know I could try selling at the local CHOICES meetings.

Here are a few photos:

Mine

Up To My Ears

I’ve been pretty busy the last few weeks with orders, Jackson starting school, and the normal stuff that goes with parenting and home owning. Knitting leg warmers is what’s on my To Do list, and as these things get checked off of the list I get paid. So, I am trying to make knitting a “top” priority. Top meaning it falls after running after a crawling baby that is putting everything in his mouth, after sitting and helping Jackson with his new workbook, after meals are made and the kitchen is clean, BUT before so many other things. Knitting comes before painting my toe nails and mowing the yard. Pretty easy considering I never paint my toes. As for the grass … I’m pretty sure that is normally kicked off of the list and replaced with going to the park. So, unfortunately, the leg warmer output is slow going, but assuredly quality.

P.S. I made a cute little skirt for my friend’s daughter. She is now 1 year old!

Sweater Weather!

There was a tease of a season change that happened last week. Temperatures were in the seventies and the evenings were almost cool enough for a light sweater. From this I have gotten really excited that fall is on the way. With fall comes my desire to knit. I am working on two projects at the moment and finished one that will be a gift for a new mom at her baby shower. Jackson has been asking for his scarf from last year, so I decided to make him a nicer one. I’m also working on my second pair of baby leg warmers. My plan is to make a bunch of leg warmers to either post on my website or take to a local shop. Hopefully I can get a good amount of merch ready for holiday shopping. We shall see …

iphone case!

I just made this super sweet case for my iphone! I’ve been meaning to do it for a while because the case I got with the phone is horrible. It’s the rubbery material that keeps the phone safe if you drop it, but otherwise does nothing for me. You can’t hardly get your phone in or out of your pocket with that thing on. So, to avoid getting to much dirt into my phone, I made a cute little case to keep it safe!

I’m taking orders for phone cases, if you so desire!

Craft Show Was a Success!

Thank you to everyone that came to the INDIEana Handicraft Exchange! This event was wonderful. We met a lot of great patrons as well as vendors. Thank you to those that gave us compliments on our products, that was much appreciated!

You can get to my Etsy shop with the link on the right side margin or by the link below. Make sure to bookmark us and check back periodically–new inventory is on the way!!

www.mamakates.etsy.com

Time is flying

So, I’ve been busting my behind to get stuff ready for the upcoming craft show, and just remembered I will also be vending at a local baby fair. So, hopefully I will be ready for this baby fair. (Actually, it would be lovely if I weren’t ready for it because that would mean I sold out of my stuff at the craft show! Good problems to have.)

Anyway, this is my first effort to get the info out about the baby fair. It will be awesome! If you don’t believe me, check out the events and vendors in the day’s agenda.

If you are a parent, you should go!