A Crafts Room Reclaimed!

For a while now, I have been wanting to fix up my crafts room.  I have been perusing all of the studios/crafts rooms of everyone online while wishing I had a place like that.

The thing is, I do.  Or at least I did when we first moved into this house.

We bought the house in the spring of 2009, and I made sure that one of the rooms was designated for all of my crafting.  I even painted it a rather creatively inspiring shade of orange called "pumpkin pleasure"( we have a rather intense love of all things Halloween in my family).

{Thinking of taking down the doors and placing a desk or work table in the closet to increase work space}

  I hung some artwork on the wall (paintings by my grandmother and uncle), a shelf, and plopped in some furniture. 

That's right, "plopped".  I don't think I really knew how I wanted to use any of it, and what my main focus would be.  I love to paint, though I haven't done it in years, and I love drawing with oil sticks.  In recent years I have gotten into machine sewing.  I also started working with mosaics and jewelry making.  When you combine that with my love of crocheting, embroidery and handsewing, I really didn't know what kind of set up I should have.

 

For the most part I seem to work best in the living room on the couch with my family.  I don't really need a separate room to do that.  The problem is that my supplies have sort of exploded into the living room and taken over.  I would like to have a space that is specifically set up for all of my supplies so that they can finally be organized.  It would also be great to have a little space in there set up for me to create.  A place where I can craft with my daughter; where we can paint, color, and do all kinds of crafty things.  I would also love a comfy seat or rocking chair to crochet in on occasion.

The room is not very large though, and there is quite a bit in it already (besides the boxes and bags of storage items that took over).  Some furniture needs to go, and some needs to be brought in, but I am starting to visualize my perfect space.  I must have it done this year!

These are all my original before photos.  I don't dare share the photos of it now!  It has sadly become a storage unit.  Picture some furniture with about 20 boxes and bags full of clothes we no longer wear.

Hoping to have some after pictures very soon!

My Little Flower Girl

My gorgeous little girl (almost 2 now!) is going to be the flower girl in her uncle and auntie's wedding next week, and her dress just arrived.  So we decided to have a little fashion show to make sure it fits (yay, I don't have to alter a thing!) and to figure out what I am going to make to go in her hair.  I am thinking a crochet covered headband with fabric roses created from the remnants of the bridal party dresses.  I will also probably make her some hair bow clips, just in case she decides she will not keep a headband on that day(hard to predict the daily behaviour of a toddler, heehee).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From the back

 

 

 

 

 

 

Combing her hair ;-)

 

 

 

 

 

 

She loved the poofy skirts and ribbon!

 

 

 

 

I crocheted her a little cream colored alpaca shrug just in case it gets cool later (it is an evening wedding).  It is sooooo soft, and though it has a fairly open stitch and is very light, will be quite warm.

I have decided to make myself one as well.  Mine is in a orangey/brown (rust) color, and it won't be quite as cute.  I added a nice shell stitch edging around hers.  Mine will be a bit more open(stitch-wise), but we will kind of match;)

 

Well, back to work now.  I have many projects to finish in time for our trip, including:  my shrug, a portable dvd player holder(for the seat in the car), crayon rolls(for flower girl and ring bearer), a birthday present for my brother, a custom Red Riding Hood doll, hair accessories, my hubby's hat (promised to be done weeks ago, oops!), and the list goes on.

Enough procrastinating.  I am off!
But don't forget to head over to the giveaway and get your entries in!  Several can be done daily.  Giveaway ends in a week!

 



My First Pattern Test

 About a couple of weeks ago I got the chance to test a pattern for a fellow crocheter for the very first time.  Diane of Simply D'Best, put out a call for testers for her newest pattern, the Angelique Cloche (which is currently a part of our big 750 giveaway).  She does beautiful work, and I thought it would be a fun way to help out a fellow crocheter.

It is important to have patterns tested to make sure that they are easy to understand, without typos, and most importantly, that they turn out right.  I don't know how many of you have ever bought a pattern only to have it not work out right.  It's happened to me on several occasions and is a bit frustrating.

Well, this adorable hat was a lot of fun!  It worked up quickly, and it just so happened to go perfectly with a baby dress that I had made for a custom order. There are a couple of options for the edging, giving it a different look.  She has also added an adorable flower to the Angelique Cloche, and the possibilities for embellishments are endless.

She has graciously offered up this pattern as a prize for two lucky winners.  So please check out her page, and don't forget to enter for your chance to win this fabulous little hat pattern!

Giveaway Kick Off and New Ideas

Well the giveaway is off to an excellent start!  Welcome new fans, and thank you everyone for your support and participation in this event.
If this event does well enough, you can plan on several more taking place in the near future.
I look forward to hearing your comments and suggestions of items you would like to see in the future.  Several have already mentioned patterns.

As many of my facebook fans know, I have been working on my first pattern to list.  I have several of my patterns written already, and I plan on typing them up and having them tested before release.  Hopefully my new toddler skirt/poncho will be typed and tested this week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I also have a diaper cover and matching hat set and a couple of dolls that I have been toying with.  If you have any suggestions or special requests on patterns or anything for that matter, please leave a comment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Last Call Vendors!

Happy Friday everyone!  The big giveaway celebration begins this Sunday!  Today is the last call for all vendors who want to participate.  If you want to add an item to the giveaway, I will need your info and a picture of the item by this evening.  Your item may be something you made, a pattern you designed, or a discount to your shop.  I will need a link to your page and a photo of the item, as well as shipping info if it applies.

 

 

I have at least one more item that I know of which will be added today.  That will put our count at 15 awesome prizes to give out!  The giveaway will run for a week and a half.  Plenty of time to get those entries in.  You will need to be a fan of my facebook page as well as a follower of this blog to enter.  There are many ways to earn more entries, as well as one or two that can be done each day.

I ask that all of my vendors are promoting this giveaway as much as possible.  Let's make this giveaway a success and have some fun too!  All vendors are welcome to enter for other vendor's items(excluding myself), so you are all welcome to join in the fun too!

My goal is to at least reach the big 750 by the end of the giveaway.  I am currently around 35 away!  Let's make it happen!
http://cavendishclassiccrafts.blogspot.com/


The Perfect Shoes

A while back I bought some adorable patriotic fabric with the intention of making some little 4th of July skirts.  I had some fabric in my stash (my mom's fabric actually) with stars and stripes, and I wanted to add to it a little with some new prints.  So I went to one of my favorite places to buy fabric, fabric.com, and picked up some Red, White & True Blue Girls Cream and some Red, White and Blue Regatta Navy.

 

I couldn't wait to make some cute little skirts.  I was on a major sewing kick at the time, and my favorite thing to sew was little skirts.  I had made quite a few for my daughter, which she loves (and looks adorable in if I do say so myself), so I wanted to make more to sell.

I made this skirt, currently listed in my etsy shop.

Then I decided I wanted to do something a little different.  I wanted to add to my daughter's summer wardrobe, and she now had more than enough skirts.  She didn't have many dresses though.  By this point I was delving back into my crochet full force and decided I would crochet a top and add a fabric bottom.  I started by making this one with granny squares.

The matching capped sleeve cardigan I had made for her for Easter.

 

 

 

Then I decided to do a cute patriotic nautical one because I had the perfect blue cotton yarn for it.

So I made a halter top that was adjustable in the back with ties (I make everything for her so that it can be worn for the longest amount of time possible) so that she will hopefully get at least a couple of years out of it.  The bottom was made with gathered fabric from my patriotic collection.

 

 

 

 

Not the best picture, but my model wouldn't stand still, heehee:)

 

 

 

The only problem now was shoes.  She had just outgrown her old shoes, and the two new pairs we had bought her would not go with this dress at all :(

I didn't have the money to be buying new shoes, but figured I would keep my eye out for a sale.

No such luck.
Then, while discussing shoes to match her flower girl dress (she will be in my brother's wedding) with my soon to be sister in law, I had mentioned she was now a 7, so she could find the right shoe.  Well she sent me shoes for the wedding, and an extra pair that she just thought was cute and had to get.
The PERFECT shoes!

 

I seriously could not have found a better pair of shoes to match the dress I made her!  I hadn't even described the dress to her.  It's funny how things work out like that.

Unfortunately the shoes for the wedding did not fit, but she found another pair that does, and my daughter loves them!
Both of the dresses I made, and the shoes, will be going with us to Rhode Island for the wedding next month, so there will be lots of pictures soon!

750 Fan Celebration Giveaway Entry Form

Hey everyone! Who wants to win some cool prizes for being such awesome fans?!  I have gathered a very talented group of vendors to bring you some amazing prizes!  And I will be adding new items through Friday!
This giveaway will run for a week and a half, starting on Sunday 8/26/12 and ending on 9/5/12. 
Just follow the easy peasy steps in the Rafflecopter form below.   The first two steps are mandatory, but just remember, in order to be eligible for a particular vendor's prize, you MUST like their page.  There are a couple of options for extra entries, as well as one that can be done once a day.

Winners will be contacted through email by me within 48 hours of the end of the giveaway.  I will also post them here on the blog in a separate post.  Winners will have 48 hours from time of email to contact the vendor whose prize they one, or they will forfeit that prize, and another winner will be drawn.  If I find out that the winner was not a fan of the page, or didn't follow the rules in any way, I will redraw.

So let's play fair and make this a fun giveaway!

Come back here on Sunday 8/26/12 when the form will open for the giveaway!
In the meantime, you could get a jump start by checking out the album on my facebook page,  heading over to like the pages of all participating vendors, and thank them for being a part of this fabulous giveaway!  You will need to be a fan and follower of this blog in order to enter.




a Rafflecopter giveaway