we are one

[sent e-mail to sarah (at) crafthope (dot) com]

inspired by 'the kinks' song, strangers: ...strangers on this road we are on ... we are not two *we are one* ...

this seemed like the perfect contribution to craft for hope, reminding me that we are all one, as human beings in this universe. united in love. especially in times like this. a dear gift for your beloved this valentine's, with extra special significance.

this little pillow is constructed from 100% wool recycled/upcycled/reclaimed suit coat, and backed with 100% cotton recycled/upcycled/reclaimed light blue knit. a wool i-cord loop is attached for hanging - on the wall, or maybe next year's tree?

scented with soothing lavender essential oil.

the pillow is also stuffed with 100% wool recycled bits (from sweater clippings).

i am sorry to say that i cannot afford to offer international shipping on this because it is prohibitively expensive for me, but i will offer more 'we are one' hearts in my shop with international shipping, and all proceeds to haiti via 'partners in health'. blessings to you and yours.

-kendra
http://craftoriffic.blogspot.com/
http://byhandathome.etsy.com/

if you would like to donate an item, please follow this link for instructions.

if you are shopping, please visit the Craft Hope for Haiti Etsy shop, which benefits Doctors Without Borders.

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

lessons learned

the new year is a time a lot of us take stock of things, and think about the future. so what have i learned?

for starters, seam allowance. well not just seam allowance, but being a bit more liberal with my fabric. i have the great goal of conservation and re-use always in mind. thus, i tend to scrimp as much as possible. i've found this to be a point of contention again and again. as i continue to craft, i vow to be more daring. i will go ahead and cut into beautiful sweaters that i have imagined into fifteen different projects. i will not fret when they do not turn out as i have envisioned. if you have read the artist's way, you may remember one of the tenets that goes a little something like this: i am in charge of quantity, i leave quality up to the divine (god, goddess, luck, pure inspiration, whatever you believe). i intend to remind myself of this as often as possible, and just keep on truckin'. i will, of course, do my best on quality too. or re-do it fifteen times.

papa's gift from namasteworks.etsy.com at sunnyside craft fair.

here's another inspirational link, to elizabeth gilbert's talk on creativity and genius. or why we need to talk to fairies. i just loved it (thanks maesie and h2m!). our wishes and dreams for 2010 include: prosperity, creativity, and levity. the same and all the best to you!

hedgehog, snake, and broom

please forgive me for not posting in a while. i am no ball juggler, like my friend anne, over here. she is tempting me to try quilting - look at those beauties! in turn, i must tempt her with this link to quilting for peace. i think i found it through the book publisher's blog? looks pretty sweet.

somehow my computer, internet, and camera couldn't see to it last week. nor could i muster the courage for the battle. then when the toddler finds the power button, well, you get the idea. i did, however, make it to the last crafty wonderland (post pending) and get a lot of crafting done in the mean time! i am hoping to perfect it a bit then seriously whip out the hedgehogs and brooms. maybe snakes. (they're just so big - i think a couple house snakes is all that we need - one for our drafty door and one to play with.)

so, here are my things - all made from recycled sweaters. inspired by all of the incredible sweater recyclartists out there, but my own unique little guys. so please respect my seedling ventures a la creative commons licensure. i'll add it to the sidebar or something too. (do i need to do something else here, o you of experience?) i jumped in feet first! another reason for the blogging break, research!

and without further ado:

hedgehog - body, coat, nose, eyes, all recycled wools. it is worth having the hedgehog just to hear colden say it. hedgog, hedgehog. dog. hog. hotdog. it's a mouthful. here is the hedgehog; "sit on my lap."

above = evidence of terrible camera problems. new snake photo coming. i was trying to capture how taken sammy was all curled up in this snake with her entire body cozied up to it all splayed out. but at this point she was getting embarassed. my next shot is her stretching and leaving. felted sweater snake with button eyes and i-cord tongue, plus rattle-ish tail. he still needs stuffing and sewing.

action broom! the handle is pretty floppy, you see. i am thinking of stuffing the next one for more real-life broom-like-ness.

here is a better view, again, recycled wools - pants and various stages of felted sweaters.

i don't want to leave you hanging so before my next post, please take the opportunity to do some shopping for a worthy cause at wheels for henry. heard about this fundraiser at crafty wonderland. etsy sellers are contributing percentages (up to 100%!) of their sales thru oct. 31.

next up, proper photos, a little embroidery, vintage swaps!, and the sewing room is coming along too!

finally

i think it was nearly a year ago that i promised to make these pants in exchange for those hooks. actually, there's another sweater. and more hooks, but i finally got part of my end of the bargain finished. here's hoping these little sweater pants fit shanoah. we love love love these hooks her papa keith made, and the rest of that sweater is bound for hot pads for mama tanyia. (check out their band, omiza river). the other sweater? we'll just have to see about that.

knittn' kitten finds

so, i finally made it out to knittn' kitten (no, i hadn't been - i know! i know!), and since i've heard that they are in need of customers, well, i went ahead and splurged a bit. i think you can see all the price tags and figure out that my splurge was still quite the bargain! i don't know what i will do with the yarn yet (except maybe go back for more), but i have something in mind for that suede cord. yep, mouse tails! maybe i ought to knit a cat with the yarn. you know, just so the kitten receives due respect.

my owl is almost done, i just need to finish the beak and eyes. that's what i had in mind for the buttons. even though they're recycled, i'm not sure i want plastic on my owl. i definitely don't want it going in you-know-who's mouth. so maybe the buttons will go on to something else...

as for the ribbon, well, it was too gorgeous to pass up! i don't know how i made it out of the vintage linens room without even a handkerchief! once i find my swap partner out, i'll definitely have to return!

little mouse

this qualifies as a completed project from the pile because i had a small mousie printout from long ago sitting on a stack of grey felted sweaters. i had a similar looking one from germany as a child - until my cat got it. naturally. this is one drawback to the toy intended for children (not cats). however, he still needs some work, so although this guy is finished, it's still on the to-do list. i think the next incarnation will include some actual wool felt ears (instead of crochet), and a slightly bigger, perhaps tapered, tail. i'm open to other suggestions. here he is hiding under an adorable church-rummage sale find (25 cents, i think).

play kitchen

i was inspired to do this one late evening after the boy was in bed, and marc was off doing something else. i actually remember seeing a woman selling similar (even cuter) play kitchens and fridges at the alberta last thursday event a long, long while ago. hers had little handles and faucets affixed. mine requires a little more imagination.

i even stitched up a little hand towel (it's hanging on the 'sink' area), and some impromptu pot holders (sitting on the 'stove'). i've since added some blue tissue paper to the sink, to give that watery feel, and i'm going to draw a little burner on that stovetop. i just need a few little pots and pans that will fit in there too!

dig the beer boxes? i have more from our move that i might experiment with (they are even labeled 'kitchen' with sharpie on the side). originally i was going to tape it all together, but i couldn't find the tape. lucky for me, because i sewed it instead and it's much nicer. i think it will hold up better too. the shelves do need reinforcement though, anything heavier and they would fall. i started a refrigerator box to go with, but so far it's, well, a box. yay recycling -> practical artful toys!

for the love of handwork

september is a wonderful month, isn't it? so many celebrations! this project was for one of my greatest handwork teachers thus far. i worked alongside her as an assistant and learned lots of essentials i didn't know before. pattern-reading, altering, creating, lots of handsewing stitches, how to really crochet shapes and hats, and how to teach these things too!

in other words, a tall order. she is expecting a baby girl (any day now they say), and red is her favorite color. this luxuriously soft cashmere sweater was destined for baby-wear, and i sewed the sleeves into pants in short order. i've kinda got that process down, but the sweater jacket was a little more challenging. i added some flowery vintage trim (25 cents at an estate sale) to cover my rough edges, and some sparkly buttons (also estate vintage) that looked similar to other things on ms. gloriana's wishlist.

i think it will probably fit a lot better at a year and a half than 0-3 m., but isn't it sweet? i intended to make a hat too, but ran out of time. i've had a lot of crafty deadlines lately, including an application for crafty wonderland (due today!), which we attended for the first(!) time on sunday. i can't believe i'd never gone. it was spectacular!!! and i'd love to share more about that too - but for now, i'll leave a little link to the things i submitted as part of my app, here at: byhandathome.com if you see something you like, let me know. i'm working on re-tooling my etsy shop and getting some things up there too. i'm happy to make things specifically to your liking, especially if you are a dear friend, which you probably are if you're reading this! and thank you for doing so, i appreciate it!