as you wish

i hope you recognize the title of this blog from a very favorite book and movie, the princess bride. i wanted to make something for v-day, and then had this divine inspiration.

not only is it made from recycled wool, it is made from a recycled wool suitcoat, and the backside sports one of the suitcoat's pockets (and button)!!! clearly, this would be a brilliant way to give a gift of jewelry, poetry, little chocolates, or any other pocket-sized token. truly one of a kind.

i'm also making some littles. i think it was leftover christmas spirit that made me want to put a hanging loop on the top (wool yarn i-cord). wouldn't it be a sweet ornament? it is backed in 100% cotton denim, this one without pocket.

but the best part of this gift, i think, could be the presentation. how many times a day do we ask our loved ones to do something for us? a glass of water? change the laundry? let the dogs in? let's say your sweetie asks you to turn the lights on, and you pop out of bed, turn the lights on and hand him or her this precious gift, with the words 'as you wish'. nice, right? or, if he or she is not familiar with the princess bride i've made this one too:

it's in the denim, backed in light blue cotton knit (no pocket), reclaimed pants, both of them (100% cotton, of course). all are stuffed with 100% wool bits - recycled from sweater trimmings. more are coming, and possibly to be featured at some local craft happenings! i'll let you know! <3

birthdate embroidery

now in my shop, custom embroidery! i loved doing the wedding pieces for my newly-married friends this year, and thought a birth announcement embroidery would be just as sweet! i can't remember where i happened upon this cute fabric -goodwill or estate sale, but the little boy and girl figures begged for it! plus, it gives one the very real excuse of needing all the details before finishing up that baby gift.

i made this one shortly after our friends, the fortneys, welcomed graham into their lives. finn's birthday was not that long after, so i thought making matching birthday boys would be appropriate.

the pictures were taken before i had secured the fabric around the edge with stitches. i am also so very pleased that all the materials are reclaimed, recycled, or, as they say, 'upcycled'. there are a limited supply of these available since the fabric is also rescued, but there are plenty of little boys and girls now.

always, if you have an idea for a special birth embroidery or otherwise, don't hesitate to contact me at byhandathome (at) gmail.com. i especially love making things with the recipient in mind, so custom orders are a real pleasure for me. hope you enjoy these!

stockings

my own stocking growing up was handmade. not the sock itself, but the red felt that spelled out 'KENDRA', and i think the santa face (mom?). maybe it's the associated wonderful christmas memories, but i LOVE LOVE LOVE that stocking. and when my mom bought me a new one, i protested.

so, of course, i had to make stockings for our family. (the first two before the third had joined us.)

and, yes, they are wool sweaters! blanket stitched up with yarn and appliqued/embroidered with yarn and wool pieces. papa's is green with a burning fire on it, mine white with snowflakes, and then there is our little one with the night sky and stars.

this year i was asked to make stockings for our dear dear friends' children. of course i wanted them to be as special as could be, and i am still so honored to be their stocking-maker, i can't even say. i know what kinds of memories they are creating together, and to be a small part of that? well, it is truly a gift. so thank you, thank you, thank you. i loved making these, and they are full of warm and wonderful imaginings of loving family times. you know i will be thinking of you happily every christmas too.

they are similar to my childhood sock, red with white trim and the name on top. only these are sweater pieces, of course. the white part is from an alpaca sweater, making it extra furry on top, and then i embroidered owen and josephine in red cotton floss. i double-stitched them too - you never know how heavy your stocking may get.

see, i've been busy! more handmade goodness to share too, post-giving. lots of mistletoe and mice were presents for our family members, but some other little somethings too. i may be begging for pictures though, because down to the wire knitting jumped in the mail without a photo! have you used the u.s. postal online services? i have to give them a big thank you. these stockings were sent from portland on a thursday at 4 pm and arrived in seattle the next morning. wow!

hope you're reveling in handmade love! blessings!

sweater stuffs

i love re-crafting with sweaters. pretty much whenever there's a project, my first thought is: sweater! maybe not always wisely (case in point: knitting needle holder). but lately i've been finding sweaters that are really nice. this one i just started wearing out of necessity, and then couldn't give it up. it's a zip-up with a hood, and of course 100% wool (i avoid the blends). plus, a grand opportunity... on the inner arm; two small holes awaiting repair. i sewed around them with needle and thread - and then designed this woolly bear caterpillar (aka isabella moth)!

i've been wearing these next sweater sleeves with absolutely no finishing, though holes abound. in fact, they first became impromptu arm warmers because they already sported thumb-holes on each sleeve! finally, i finished the cut end and zig-zag stitched around those thumb-holes to finish them (plus sewed around some other tiny holes too). then i patched on this argyle diamond and sewed a strand of yarn across to complete the pattern! i am in love! more argyle patches to come? oh yes.

so as far as the shop update goes... oh boy. i was ready to go with these sweet mousies, but i received a couple signs that another rendition is needed (their ears need to be more secure - machine-stitched, i think). i'm open to suggestion - or if you're interested in testing one out, i'd be happy to send one your way too! i should mention they are stuffed with wool scrap, organic brown rice, and organic lavender. mmmmm!

so much vintage goodness

i could literally have taken a roll of glamor shots of these hankies from my swap partner, maryellen. they are heaven, and i just love them. a shot of them yesterday on the line that does not do them justice, but i can't get a better.

and there's more. a stack of autumn-y prints that i have an idea for, a big bunch of ric rac i am dying to use, all atop this sweet swedish tablecloth that reminds us of our favorite swedish diner in chicago, svea. we will have many a brunch upon it.

here is a mess of most excellent buttons, resting on hankies amid the massive piles of embroidery floss she sent (most of it is not pictured. seriously massive.).

more fabric. i'm thinking these may become bags? though i do often end up using things for their intended purpose like that tablecloth up there. and those cowboy ranch curtains are purty sweet.

i am so grateful for maryellen's outrageous generosity. i had so much fun exchanging e-mails before our actual postal exchange! you can enjoy more of maryellen at her official site as well: http://www.maryellenhooper.com/

it's a bit embarrassing for me to be showing off like this. really, that's more good fortune than any one person could hope for. and then i ended up at a nearby estate sale and...

a little red tea embroidery on each corner of this towel

how could i resist the knitter? in a bonnet?!

i think this may be the most phenomenal needlework i own. cross-stitched tablecloth. ah!

party!

fingers crossed that this posts properly! i'm pre-writing and showing off my wedding gift for ben & lindsay, who just happen to be getting married on my *birthday*! best party ever? oh yeah. and i'll never forget their anniversary. luckily, with typing this up in advance, i can't get too sentimental. that and seeing as we leave for the airport at 4 am in a few hours - words fail me.

they made their invites with their silhouettes and the chicago skyline - i just traced it and embroidered it as best i could. i love you guys!!!

not-so-secret summer saling

i've just signed up for vintageswaps, and thought i'd better share here, just in case any of my vast audience of immediate family and longtime friends are interested. all you have to do to participate is e-mail heather {at} shivayanaturals.com with the following info:

Name

Mailing Address

email

blog/website (if you don't have one, no worries :))

Craft of choice (sewing, needlepoint, knitting, quilting, etc.)

If you are willing to ship internationally

i'm excited! i also have to confess that i've been finding some fabulous finds this summer, including the above linens and buttons and tins and more! i intend to share them by and by, especially if they make their way into, or onto? projects. for instance, buttons can be seen on byhandathome, gracing fingerless mitts and arm warmers. and all of my embroidery hoops have been coming from the estate sales. today i scored a whole slew of them for a dollar, and came away with a pretty little box i intended to put my needles in. however, colden fell for it too, so we may have to share. he liked the idea of putting needles in there, of course.

ray & michael

i had a few wild ideas for some handmade gifts for our friends' wedding. but true to my nature, i left the making of them until the last possible moment and crafted into the wee hours of the morning (just a few hours before we got to the airport). and marc even convinced me to take sewing along for the trip (but that is another project).

the first piece was inspired by another etsy seller (by way of janna) who makes cute little hearts with names in them for weddings. i personally don't dig hearts, so that was out. i actually went through tons and tons of ideas for other icons - i think i have 2 more canvases with drawings on each side AND many pages of notebook paper littered with designs. in the end, i went with some of my more abstract curliques (again with the curlies!). i love how it turned out:

i also glued a backing on, with some really old craft glue. so it isn't as nice as it could be. luckily, i have plans for another. at the wedding there were special kippahs for 'michael & ray's great adventure', and i can't pass up the opportunity to commemorate that, in the style they chose (complete with tree icon - i came close earlier with a leaf design! if only i had known!). so if you are a friend of ours getting married (*hint, hint*) and have an idea or icon - speak now or forever hold your peace or let me know later, cause i don't mind making lots of these. so fun! i'll take custom orders for your friends getting married too!

my other idea for a gift was a little out there, i realized, when i described it to anne. bendy pipe cleaner people wrapped in wool and needle-felted, with a super silky soft finishing layer of very special fiber. they are quite fabulous:

ray is one of my dearest oldest friends, and i actually hadn't met michael except through pictures. most of which were adorable photos of the two of them wrapped in each other's arms. after seeing those, i had to make these bendy people, who can spoon in as many ways as the real couple (a few wedding guests took care to point this out in a rather illustrative manner).

marc helped me lay the wool base on the pipe cleaners and needle felt it on a bit, then i took over shaping them more and finally wrapping with the extra special fiber. it is divine to the touch, and seemed just right for this endeavour (english spelling for ray). i bought it at the sock summit, entranced by its texture and the shop from which it came, a verb for keeping warm. here's the one. baby camel and silk tussah. *drool*

i was totally in love with all of the yarns and fibers from a verb for keeping warm because they are truly natural - dyed with nature. and there were lots of informative tidbits on history, how-to, and even dyestuff available. their logo is even curly! unfortunately, my budget was limited, so i will have to come back for some more fibery goodness another time.

oh, i didn't mention sock summit before? hmmm, sounds like another post...

happy wedding, michael & ray!