a little last-minute valentine

these torchy little numbers - hey, it IS an Olympic year! - are a cinch
to make and easily reproduced for a crowd

my little boy and i were playing around the other day with colored cardstock and tissue paper, using it to make paper lanterns in honor of chinese new year, when i started thinking about Valentine's Day. 

lantern-making. and, no, those are not child-safe scissors.
we need to invest in some.

h isn't in school, yet, so we're not at the point where he needs to make valentines for all his classmates, but he does have some special friends and family it would be fun to celebrate this year. i got the idea to make treat cones out of the cardstock, with a tissue "flame." a home-printed tag completes the torch. the best part: all you need is a few supplies you're likely to have lying around.

supplies: heavyweight paper such as cardstock or leftover holiday cards, tissue paper squares
(approximately 6" x 6"), scissors, clear tape or glue, ribbon, hole punch, candy

to make the cones, cut the paper into rectangles - an 8.5" x 11" sheet cut into equal quadrants makes a perfect little cone, but 4" x 6" photos or 4" x 8" holiday cards work well, too. form each rectangle into a cone and secure with tape or strong glue, and decorate as you see fit - my kiddo went wild with the markers. 

this is a great way to repurpose your child's drawings

print and crop the tags, then punch a hole in the top corner of each. (click here to download and print your own "i hold a torch for you!" tags). tape a length of ribbon to the middle back of the cone and attach a tag. 

finally, fill with candy or other treats and top with the tissue paper square. (for these photos, i used hershey's kisses santa had brought us, but will invest in fair trade goodies for those we give away. click here to find out why.)

you can also use this technique to make easy little ornaments
out of last year's holiday cards to hang on this year's tree!

happy valentine's day!

Guest posting on baltimore etsy street team: My three things: Gifts for Boys to Inspire Craftin...

baltimore etsy street team: My three things: Gifts for Boys to Inspire Craftin...: I was reading one of two-year-old son’s favorite winter books, the truly lovely Shall I Knit You a Hat , by Kate Klise and M. Sarah Klise, t...

don't quit your day job(s)

one of the things about being a crafter is that you're often so busy making your stuff that you can't take time to learn new techniques. because i'm not doing any major holiday craft shows this year, thanks in part to the impending arrival of a new little one in january, i've been taking some time to hone my craft. i've started gretchen hirsch's craftsy course as a dressmaking refresher. i'm working with fabrics i haven't used since high school, to get reacquainted with sewing on satin and taffeta. and i made a pleated satchel at the request of my dear friend marigan, who has been so generous with her insane photography skills for my family.

making a bag tested all sorts of sewing limits for me, especially since i (a) didn't want to use a pattern, and (b) wanted it to be both functional and attractive. i based the look and functionality on tannei casey's pleated hobos, using the same IKEA fabric that she used in one i bought from her last year. marigan wanted slightly different detailing - a long strap and two shorter ones, instead of one long adjustable strap - so i tweaked my design to include those. the bag is faced and lined and includes a gusseted bottom, interior pockets, interior key hook, and a snap closure. my sewing machine wasn't quite up to sewing through many layers of heavy fabric, so the straps involve some serging that i wouldn't have otherwise chosen, but all in all i'm very happy and thrilled to have learned how to do things like gusseting. that said, i'm not going to be providing competition for tannei casey or my lovely beeps' peeps anytime soon - i'm happy sticking with non-handbag accessories and apparel in my little shop.

last minute excitement and a guest post

this just in: brita of beeps' peeps and i will be showing our stuff at the sublime, and astoundingly huge, Crafty Bastards show in dc next week. if you're anywhere near the district on october 1, stop by to see some of the nation's most talented craftspeople, and us, of course. we'll be at booth 101.

in other news, i had a guest post on the baltimore etsy street team's blog last week that i missed because we were in chattanooga celebrating my little one's second birthday. it's all about the podcasts i listen to while sewing, though since i wrote it, i've stumbled on so many more that i need to do a companion piece over here. anyway, check it out at http://baltimore-etsy.blogspot.com/2011/09/in-studio-with-beatrice-bird.html. (something is going on with BEST's blog coding, so it looks a little wonky, with apologies.)

BEST for Breasts

i recently joined the baltimore etsy street team, aka BEST, and am already learning a lot about the business of crafting, both on etsy and locally. this month, BEST launched a new shop to benefit breast cancer patients. BEST for Breasts: A Titillating Fundraiser features pasties made by BEST members from a host of interesting materials, including ceramics, metals, and of course fabric.

err, what's a pasty, you say? nope, we're not talking edible treats here - some of the photos in the shop are NSFW. i had way too much fun making my contribution, even without trying them on. i used some of my favorite remnant fabric, stiff fusible interfacing, and tassels i made from embroidery floss:

all proceeds collected from the sale will be donated to the Red Devils, a maryland organization that funds services to improve the quality of life for breast cancer patients and their families. the BEST for Breasts shop is still being stocked, so check back often!

r + d

my crafting friends and i spend a lot of time discussing the joys of the research and development phase of things, versus the enervation caused by being in pure production mode. in other words, it's loads more fun to experiment with new designs than it is to make a bunch of things from a pattern you've already perfected.

before last month's date with the fenton street market, i noodled around with a design for a sash-waist wrap skirt. my noodling around yielded interesting results, but not much in the way of sellable items. the first, at top left, featured two asymmetrical pockets and would only fit the tiniest of women. for the second, top right and on etsy, i abandoned the pockets (i'll return to them when i have more time - nothing beats a hidden pocket, does it?). it was also size tiny but getting closer to what i wanted in terms of fit and function. the last one, below, hit all the style points i was looking for - and i decided to trade it with my sister in law for one of her lovely mei tai baby carriers.

so the good folks at fenton street didn't have much in the way of skirts to consider from me this time around, but i've just loaded up on gorgeous skirt fabrics and come august 27th, look out, silver spring! total skirtapalooza.

mama's day

having the best kind of mother's day weekend: a date-night dinner at dogwood (though we've previously had mixed results on ordering there, last night's was peerless); farmer's market, cooking, and gardening today; another dinner out tonight (this one en famille); and the delicious expectation of breakfast in bed tomorrow. hope everyone else is enjoying a similarly perfect-for-them weekend.

i don't expect much in the way of mother's day gifts, but i do like to give them. for my darling mama, i made a quick sash out of vintage madras and silver silk. it turned out so beautifully that i decided to offer it in the shop. thinking it will be terrific over a plain white t-shirt, or a simple cocktail shift.

for my mother-in-law, who is a true gift to all of us in her family, i made a funky little apron that was inspired by one she'd seen and loved of my sister-in-law's. this was a combined easter and mother's day present, hence the spring theme. now that i have a serger, i might actually think about making this again - hemming all those ruffles, while fun, was a bit on the time-intensive side.

happy mama's day!

taking this act on the road

Beeps Peeps, a little party, and i will all be heading to silver spring, md, this summer for fenton street market, an increasingly exciting artisan market held every saturday into november. look for us there on june 25 and august 27, and be sure to check out the other vendors each week by clicking on the "vendors" link at www.fentonstreetmarket.com.

had i but world enough, and time

i fear i jumped the gun. i launched {beatrice + the bird} this week with a respectable, if not voluminous, six items. three dresses; three aprons. obviously, i needed more inventory, but i was just so excited. and i have so many plans. and so much fabric (see left for some of the yummy stuff i'm looking forward to using). my shop would be to full capacity in no time.

right. apparently i forgot about how often life interferes with sewing. and about sales. those tend to deplete one's inventory, happily. so the shop is looking a bit sparse, but i'm frantically sewing to catch up. a sewing date with a little party yielded the little number below, which is almost complete. the photo doesn't do it justice - that fabric, Robert Kauffman's Carolina Evening chambray, is the most spectacular marine blue. it's so pretty, i'm thinking i might have to offer this dress with a bonus removable fabric corsage, and it will be the perfect dress to wear to a summer evening wedding.

next on the list: a long-overdue order for my dear godmother, and then i'm going to play around with a couple of accessory ideas and see what sticks. yep, the shop is gonna be full in no time. i just need to stop sleeping.

introducing...

if there's been radio silence around last night's leftovers lately, it's because i've been sewing my fingers off to launch a new collection on etsy, {beatrice + the bird}. i'm excited and daunted to be going off on my own after coralilie folded. the collection focuses on a wraps-style tea dress in midweight cotton and upcycled jersey (read: ebay t-shirts), plus funky aprons with an obi-inspired sash. i might also make simple sashes for sale at craft shows - if i ever get my act together and apply for some of the juried shows around town. here's a sneak peak...

small things that make me absurdly happy (a tutorial)

i guess i should be pleased that little things can bring me such unabashed pleasure. like our faucet-mounted water filter. every time i don't have to reach into the fridge for the (usually empty) brita pitcher, i am happy all over again that i bit that bullet. the cushion covers that i made for our kitchen stools are another source of absurd delight. once again, cheap ikea cushions, recycled target curtains, and leftover sewing supplies provided the source materials. this was easily a fifteen-minute project.

Materials for one cushion cover

cushions or pillow inserts (mine were a dollar find at ikea)
four 18-24" lengths of ribbon, depending on stool
four buttons
two squares of fabric, each measuring 2" wider and longer than your cushion
scissors, thread, etc.

Step 1
measure your cushion, adding 2" into the width and length. cut your fabric accordingly.

Step 1 - measure and cut

Step 2
pin right sides together and sew along three sides. in this case, i used the existing hem on my recycled curtains for the fourth side. if your fabric is not already hemmed, you'll want to press the fourth side over by about a quarter inch.

Step 3

Step 3 - sew fourth seam

turn right side out, insert cushion into cover, and machine sew as close to the finished edge as possible.










Steps 4 and 5

Step 4 - add ties

Step 5 - add buttons

fold each length of ribbon in half, and attach to each corner with a machine stitch, as shown. add buttons, being careful to center and space them appropriately.







Step 6

a little more country, a lot more comfortable

tie cushions to your bracingly uncomfortable, industrial-chic kitchen stools. resume normal use.

cool but crazy uncomfortable

a love that dare not speak its name. or, the look for less.

i shouldn't be allowed to have throw pillows in my house. i clearly don't have what it takes to keep them looking presentable. see the picture at left for exhibit A. shortly after h was born, i pieced that pillow together from a bit of thomas paul fabric i had on hand, recycling some old roman shades from target for the welting and the back panel. it's been little more than a year, and it already looks like its been put through the wringer, including Unidentifiable Yellow Stains, courtesy of our dogs. i shudder to think.

anthro's briefly available reindeer pillow

the problem is, pillows are sort of great. they're like little art pieces for your furniture, and i can't stop myself from wanting to acquire more of them. when i saw anthropologie's blooming reindeer pillow in their winter catalog, i started salivating. so great, right? and both seasonally appropriate and non-holiday-specific. then, as is so often the case with anthro, i looked at the price tag and my mouth went dry. actually, $88 is pretty reasonable for them, but no doubt this piece was made by small children in malaysia, or some other reindeer-unfriendly locale. and i'm not really allowed to have throw pillows.

but i know a couple of lovelies who are, and i decided to make them my own version of the pillow as christmas gifts. using jason yenter's floragraphix iv fabric, left over from one of our love and rockets dresses, a $3.99 granat cushion from ikea, and a reindeer silhouette adapted from a google image search, i went to town.


this was my first experiment with hand appliqué; it's a little rustic, which was intentional, and i'm pretty happy with the results. looking forward to visiting my blooming reindeer in their new cribs next holiday season.

productive procrastination

after seeing this on etsy yesterday, i thought, "hey, i've got some amazonite beads and some wire. maybe i can make that." so instead of working on the paper i have due tonight, this morning i made this. it needs work, but i think i'll give it to my mom as an engagement gift. yeah, i may be the world's worst procrastinator, but at least i get other things done, here at the Short Attention Span Theater (to use a marigan phrase).

stained glass at last

Stained Glass 004
Originally uploaded by na_praha.

this is the final product of my eight-week stained glass class. (i know d will be glad to have me stop saying that mellifluous phrase "stained glass class" over and over again. what can i say? i love a cheap rhyme.)

you can't tell very well in this image, but the frame is mostly a cloudy blue opaque glass, mixed with the deep blue and variegated blue green of the fan shape.

ok. i'm proud.

meet maybelle. and roy.

maybelle is a sock monkey i made this week for my friend macy. she has a little friend named roy, who is really more of a sock calf than a sock monkey, seeing as how he was made out of a square-toed little baby sock, so he has a funny little square head. also, he doesn't have a tail. not that that makes him any more bovine. his tail was, let us say, "problematic" and leave it at that.









maybelle and roy are the best of friends, perhaps because they both have no lips. maybelle does, however, have a dress with monkeys on it (made from the fabric leftover from my bridesmaid's dress for brita's wedding). her dress accomodates her rather long tail. d insisted on this when he saw her in her initial, tale-confined state.
tomorrow, maybelle and roy will go to macy's to celebrate her first birthday.

look what i done made

Painted Pottery 013
Originally uploaded by na_praha.

i'm unduly proud of this platter and four bowls i handpainted (using a technique cribbed from martha stewart, on ikea 365+ dishware) for our friends katy and brad, who got married in hawaii on new year's day. they're having a baby in october, so i figured it was time to get on the ball with a wedding gift. very fun. i have almost no faculty for painting and drawing, but little dots turned out not to be that difficult. now i want to paint everything that's not nailed down.

debacle

i've been feeling even more star-crossed this week than usual. the other night, for example, as i was heating up leftover turkey sloppy joes for dinner (heavy into the american comfort foods right now - last weekend it was glorified baked beans, this week the joes - both straight out of my grandmother's old crock-pot cookbook) i managed to spill absolutely everything before I could get it to the plate. sloppy joes on the counter. salad dressing in the crevice between the stove and the counter (yuck). grape tomatoes skidding across the floor. a real boon for bea. not so much for me.

so should i have been surprised when, upon leaving stained glass class last night, i got a message from my cousin t, with whom i'm supposed to meet up in the bahamas this weekend, saying that, while i was flying to freeport, the other three were flying to nassau? and the two were nowhere near each other? and i might have to fly between them? and that would cost loads and get me there very late at night? guess not.

needless to say, a breakdown ensued. spent almost two hours on the phone with orbitz and american airlines when i got home - during which time BOTH of our home phones went on the fritz in the middle of a transaction with the elusive customer service reps. and the upshot is $154 and i don't get to nassau until 10 pm (vs. mid-afternoon for everyone else - but to do that would have cost $400). so much for a quick, cheap getaway with the cousines.

and what's really weird is that i KNEW we were going to freeport. nassau was NEVER in my mind as our destination. and i was completely, expensively WRONG.

now, about that stained glass class. this was the first of 8, and as i told d, i'm definitely not a glass prodigy. last night we learned the basics of cutting the glass with a little tool that has a steel wheel at its tip and is completely awkward to hold and to use. we practiced cutting out basic-seeming shapes - leaves, fish, moons - with this implement, and the result, at least in my case, only vaguely resembled the original design. i'm told we'll get better. i'm told there are ways to smooth out all those jaggedy edges. most of all, i'm told i'll learn to respect the glass, without being afraid of being cut by it. because "the glass knows when you fear it." and all this time, i thought fear of flying glass shards was a smart instinct.