my new Benzie Design wool felt color collection and giveaway winners

Image courtesy of Renae Bradley, Benzie Design

I once again have the pleasure of curating a guest collection of delicious wool felt colors at Benzie Design, this time to celebrate the debut of the Flora Needle Book pattern! The wools look so pretty all in a row, don't they? Go here to view the collection in her shop.

This collection is inspired by the colors that I used in the first needle book I made. It's also a versatile starter set to have, which features a modern palette. Here's a recent book I made in the same colors as that first book, only with the new pattern:

Once you try working with wool and wool blend felts, you may never go back to acrylic craft felts. Wool felts come in such a wider array of lovely colors (for instance, Benzie Design offers 80 different wool blend colors) and the texture and durability are exponentially better than acrylic. Not to mention you can actually iron wool felt and it won't melt.

Acrylic felt has its place in crafting, don't get me wrong. I've used it plenty of times for kids crafts or decorations. Can't beat the price. But for small, detailed work, a nice handmade gift, an heirloom doll, or any project that takes an investment of time or materials, you should step up to wool.

Image courtesy of Renae Bradley, Benzie Design

Ooh. A closeup of the collection. Good enough to eat!

And you could certainly mix and match this collection in different ways than I did. I can envision a maroon needle book with orange, blue and pink applique and pink pages. A blue book with maroon, yellow and orange applique and yellow pages. A green book with blue, yellow and soft green applique and yellow pages. All kinds of color combos in there. *eyes getting dreamy far away look*

*snapping back to blog* A great thing about making the needle books is they use relatively small amounts of felt, so you could get several books made out of one bundle of felt. This is why I keep a coke crate filled with tiny wool felt scraps. Even the smallest pieces are potential floral appliques.

OK! On to the needle book and pattern giveaway winners! The Grand Prize Winner (grand prize being the choice of one of four needle books made by me) goes to: (rustling fancy envelope)

Darcy of Modern Cozy! Congratulations, Darcy. I'll get it in the mail to you soon. BTW, loving that orange and blue mini quilt in your cupboard.

And, the winners of the two free Flora Needle Book patterns are... (fumbling envelope and microphone, laughing apologetically at co-announcer Aidan Turner. Wow, he looks dreamy in a tux, doesn't he?)

Nanou! (Bonjour, Nanou, can you contact me with your email address?)

aaaaand

Little Ella Lu! You have some pretty cute puddle jumpers there!

Thank you to everyone for your participation and for all the kind words posted about the pattern and the needle books!

Flora Needle Book pattern is in the shop! (And a giveaway to celebrate.)

At last, the Flora Needle Book pattern is finished and available as an instant download from both of my shops: Etsy and Craftsy. I hope you enjoy it!

The twelve-page pattern shows you how to easily make these wool felt needle books which feature:

• Colorful floral applique
• Hand embroidery
• Button/string closure
• Grosgrain ribbon spine
• Four felt pages to organize needles and pins
• Handy hanging loop
• Light coating of stiffener to give it a more body and durability

My technique combines both hand and machine sewing so the books come together with as little fuss as possible. I'm all about getting it done. I've made a large number of these needle books so I've included all my tips and tricks to make construction uh-oh free. See Etsy or Craftsy for more details and a materials list.

I'd like to thank my lovely and generous pattern testers, Marissa, Nancy and Stephanie for their timely and thorough work. They were a joy to collaborate with! Marissa and Stephanie plan to publish a pattern review soon, so I'll be posting those links for you when they are available. I won't steal their thunder now by showing their beautiful needle books!

There were so many who wanted to purchase a Flora Needle Book over the past few years, but so few hours in the day for me to make them. This pattern was the perfect solution. Plus it meant I got to draw a bunch of awesome diagrams. Y'all know how I love me some diagrams.

And they are so satisfying to make. I really love putting the rich hues of wool felt together, and then adding the contrasting colors of the embroidery, which gives it so much pop. And of course the small scale just adds to the charm. You know how I feel about little things. You can view an inspiration gallery of needle book color combinations I've used in this Flickr set.

Soooo to celebrate properly, I thought I'd give away a handmade needle book. How does that sound? Winner's choice of one of the four final samples I made for the pattern:

 This golden yellow number if you love warm fall hues. I surely do. It makes me feel all cozy.

 Look familiar? This color scheme is from the first needle book I made which has been pinned ever so many times.

 Turquoise and orange always make me feel happy. That button is from the vintage button jar at Stitch Lab in Austin. I miss that button jar. I stayed elbow deep in that thing for about thirty minutes.

This is one of my favorite color combos. I love the way the yellows, greens and blues pop on this charcoal gray felt.

* Thanks for participating! Comments for the giveaway are closed. *

Did you make your choice? If you live in North America, all you need to do for a chance to win is leave a comment on this post and make sure you have some contact information in your profile. I'll pick the winner by random number generator on Tuesday, June 18. My apologies to those who live on other continents! The shipping is just too dear and the reliability can be shaky. (I'm still trying to locate a doll that was lost in France.)

And I'll also choose two winners to receive the Flora Needle Book pattern. Of course, shipping is no issue there so that's open to everyone! Good luck to you.

MmmCrafts Basics Felt/PDF Pattern Winners!

 MmmCrafts Basics image by Renae Bradley of Benzie Bazaar

Wow, thanks for playing everyone! Now y'all got excited about that Benzie Bazaar felt. I don't blame you, it's great felt to work with. Soft, substantial, with gorgeous colors. I love it! I'm making some needle books with it over the long turkey weekend.

So congratulations to the totallycompletelyrandom winners:
Louise and Lisa! You two, check your inbox for my email and get back to me.

Funniest comment goes to pinksuedeshoe:
"I am such a sucker for felt... in every color. I'm off to check out her shop right now! Also, since most giveaway comments are totally boring, I just want to let you know that I am making three pies plus stuffing and stuffed mushrooms for Thanksgiving and I can't wait to eat them. Especially the pies. :) "

MmmPie. Thanks for the laugh, Pink. Many thanks to Renae Bradley for the fantastic giveaway of the Mmmcrafts Basics felt collections! (sound of raucous applause)

I wish you all a wonderful, peaceful weekend full of thankfulness and family, whether you have the official holiday or not. I'll see you guys next week.

MmmCrafts Basics felt collection! And a giveaway!

 photo by Renae Bradley, benziebazaar.etsy.com

(Thanks everyone! Comments are now closed!)

I was nicely invited by wool-blend felt purveyor, Renae Bradley, to curate a custom color selection for her etsy shop, Benzie Bazaar. I was very tempted to play and put together some pretty pretty colors just for the sake of color - which I love to do, people! However, it occurred to me that it would be much more practical to put together the ten felt colors I use the most in my patterns and projects. It's an array that would start anyone's felt stash off in the right direction. So here is my collection as photographed by Renae, MmmCrafts Basics, which can be found in the Guest Curator section of her shop.

image by Renae Bradley, benziebazaar.etsy.com

Benzie Bazaar offers 80 colors of beautiful wool-blend felts that are packaged with ever so much care. I know this for a fact because I've had some great experiences purchasing from her shop for my projects, and can say she is a swell person to boot! Not only that, she also offers international shipping, which is a lovely feature for all my readers outside the US who are having trouble finding a local source for wool felt.

As a nice holiday bonus, if you are one of the first nine to purchase the MmmCrafts Basics bundle from Renae, you'll also receive a coupon to my etsy shop for 10% off the price of any PDF pattern in my shop!

And did I mention the awesome giveaway? Two commenters will each win a combo prize pack:

The MmmCrafts Basics Color Collection
(ten 9x12 inch sheets of gorgeous wool-blend felt)

AND

One PDF pattern of your choice from my shop

To enter the giveaway, leave one comment on this blog post, and I'll randomly choose the two winners next Tuesday! Whoo! Giveaways are fun.

3D Frog, the shop, and a little giveaway

Thanks so much! Comments are closed for the giveaway!

The Frog In The Woods pattern PDF is done and in the shop! Yay! Go to the shop entry to get the details.


It makes a nice companion piece to the freebie Owl art tutorial, I think. Note: Unlike the owl, this new frog paper cut tutorial is not written or designed for kids. It is for crafty adults!

To celebrate finishing the tutorial (finally) and my country's birthday all at the same time, I'd like to have a little quickie giveaway over the weekend. Just leave me one comment to enter. Come Monday I'll give away two Frog In The Woods patterns to two commenters!

*Also, as a wee favor, if you subscribe to this blog via Google reader, let me know that in your comment. My feedburner count is constantly missing the Google reader subscribers and I'd like to know if you are, in fact, getting the feed. Thanks ahead of time!

*No more info needed! Mission accomplished. Almost all the comments so far are from GR and apparently it works just fine, despite appearances in feedburner. Thanks!

and the winners are...

And now, by random number generator, the winners of the Bib & Booties accessories patterns are:

1) acornmoon
2) derenda
3) annmarie

Congratulations! Happy bib, bootie and carrot making to you! I'll be emailing you soon with the pattern.

(If you would like to sew a bunny with a blanket also, that pattern is sold separately as the Baby Binky Bunny pattern, and is on sale through April 3 for 20% off the regular price.)

Thanks for participating, you sweet folks!

may I suggest a bunny? with accessories?

Just (barely) in time for Easter, here's Bib & Booties, a PDF accessories pattern designed to compliment the Baby Binky Bunny softie pattern.

The pattern shows you how to make these accessories:

1) embroidered felt bib with rick rack trim,
2) embroidered fabric bib with bias binding

3) bunny booties

4) carrot softies from either felt or fabric, with a ribbon
loop in the back so your bunny can hold it.

(If you would like to sew a bunny with a blanket also, that pattern is sold separately as the Baby Binky Bunny pattern, and can be found here.)

If you have the time and some fabric scraps that need a purpose, a Baby Binky Bunny with Bib & Booties accessories would make a sweet surprise in someone's Easter basket. To help you with that, the Baby Binky Bunny pattern is now 20% off through April 3.

And... to celebrate the release of Bib & Booties, I'll give away three accessories patterns to three random commenters on Wednesday the 17th! Just leave one comment, and be sure to include your email address.

And the winners are...

(rustling of envelopes)

Amy, who has made an Atlanta Braves themed Molly and would like to add a Mikey,

and

darlinroz, who's in it for the shoes. Darlinroz, I need your email address!

(falling confetti)

(pinwheeling spotlights)

Well, congratulations you two! I'll be emailing you the patterns soon.

A huge HUGE thank you to everyone who commented and also for your support in my shop for the patterns. It blew me away! Happy holiday crafting.

Don't forget the pattern sale is on through Monday, 20% off the regular price of Katy Kitty, Baby Binky Bunny and Mikey Monkey.

P.S. On a sad note (for me), I have injured my neck and time spent on the computer or sewing seems to aggravate it. SIGH. SIIIIIIIGHH. I'm praying for healing and patience. Until the neck is better, I won't be crafting or posting as often! I'm going to have to learn moderation, which is very difficult for me when it comes to Precious and crafting. I'll miss it, and I'll miss you.

Mikey Monkey, a sale and a giveaway

Wow, thanks everybody! Comments are now closed for the giveaway.

Mikey Monkey is now in the shop! Above is the first page of the 15-page boy-centric Mikey Monkey PDF pattern. It includes color pictures, step-by-step detailed instructions, a boatload of illustrated diagrams for each step, and of course, the pattern pieces. I've learned a few things since I wrote the Molly pattern, and I've made some adjustments here and there for easier assembly.

I hope this is in plenty of time for your Christmas makings. If you already have the Molly pattern but would love to make the boy version and these accessories without all the guess-work, then this pattern is for you!

Here is the basic Mikey, above.

He has two options for his Look. One is the more debonair tie/collar combo, paired with a jaunty newsboy hat, above.

The other fashion option is a striped t-shirt with a baseball cap, for the more casual monkey on-the-go.

Here's the back of the cap.

And included also with the pattern is a pirate play set, with pirate hat, sword and eye patch. Arrrr!

And of course, the tennis shoes. And if Molly wants to play, go ahead and let her! All Mikey's accessories fit her too.

To mark the debut of the Mikey pattern, I am also having my first ever sale at the shop. All my softie patterns will be 20% off until Monday the 23rd.

And oh, yes. I nearly forgot. I'd like to celebrate by giving away two Mikey patterns! If you are interested, leave ONE comment with your email address on this post. I'll be giving the patterns away via random number generator first thing on November 18th. See you back here then.

P.S. If your monkey makin' won't wait until Wednesday and you want to get started with the pattern, I can refund you the purchase price if you should be one of the lucky winners!

in which I choose a winner randomly and ramble on about crafting

Ok. I wanted to GIVE YOU ALL a Katy Kitty. I wish that were possible. I found your comments so inspiring and encouraging, to say the least. THANK YOU, to everyone.

After using a random integer generator, the new Katy Custodian is: MommytoAva.

Congratulations! Green Katy is all packed and ready to go to her new home. Molly and Red Katy will miss her. Please contact me within a week with your email address so I can get her to you.

On the subject of 'What got you into crafting' I'd like to join in by saying I owe all my craftiness to the creative women in my family from a couple of generations ago until now; and I'm happy to say it is carrying on through my nieces and hopefully my own daughters. The urge to make things just runs in my veins. That certainly sums it up. So, you could stop reading here. (The rest is just me going endlessly on and on and on.)

My sister, Leigh, sporting the scrap-pieced house robe made by our Mema, circa 1977

One of Mama Graham's quilts and my Raggedy Ann doll, made circa 1980

My dad's mom, Mema, who had no money, would piece together bathrobes from scraps and crocheted endless hats for gifts. I remember my Mama Graham (my mom's mom) giving us grandkids handmade Christmas gifts, like this Raggedy Ann. Which I am utterly, completely ashamed to say I thought was so lame at the time. Okay, I just cannot admit that without pausing to mentally smack myself upside the head. *WHACK*

I now treasure those things and those memories, and appreciate the time and love it took to make them, as well as their desire to give a little of themselves to me. Mama Graham's scrap quilts are beautiful and all done by hand, and I'm lucky enough to have a couple. She passed on her sewing talent to her two daughters, Violet and Jackie.

My Aunt Violet started sewing at age 12, when baby sister Jackie arrived. She would go pick cotton in the fields, then use the money she earned to buy fabric in order to make dresses, bonnets and little outfits for my mom. At 84, Aunt Violet still sews handmade gifts like baby blankets and pillowcases, which we are so lucky to receive.

A few of the clothes sewn by my mom

My mom, Jackie, sewed gorgeous clothes for herself and all her little girls, of which I am the 5th. She also enjoyed making tablecloths for each season and holiday. She sewed in the evenings after we had gone to bed. I remember the beautiful purpleish-greyish velvet suit (wish I had a picture) she made my sister, Lita, for her high school senior portrait. I still can't believe I didn't seize the opportunity to learn to sew from her while I was still at home. *WHACK WHACK*

Of her five daughters, three of us were bitten hard by the crafting bug. The other two, Lita and Libby, not only avoided the bug, but actively tried to squish the bug with their shoe. But I know the crafting gene is in there somewhere, waiting until it is safe to come out. However, I must say despite not being crafters, they are all-around super swell and talented gals.

Just some of the numerous handmade necklaces my sister Lori has given me.

Of the bitten, my sister Lori started crafting as a kid, and has a talent for drawing, painting, handmade jewelry and who knows what else. I have a vivid memory of when I was four and was propped against the table in our finished basement in Maryland, watching her draw a picture of a jungle girl. It was a Pivotal Moment. I suddenly thought to myself, "Cool. I want to do that."

My sister Leigh made these baby quilts for my two girls,
with scriptures written in the squares by my nieces and nephews

My sister Leigh is now a phenomenal and prolific quilter and sewer and crafter of all things (as well as quilting teacher), who never goes anywhere without a work bag. She's tried every craft known to man since she was a wee tot. As a kid I vaguely remember her decoupaging with recycled greeting cards, making mounds of potholders, cross stitching, knitting scarves, crocheting, and making pottery. She's been a huge influence on my adult crafting life.

Me and Libby drawing with clay chunks on our driveway.
When you don't have chalk, you improvise.

For myself, it all started when I was very little with a desire to draw the perfect horse. I went through stacks of used typewriter paper my dad brought home from work. Somehow the quest to draw the perfect horse became a desire to draw everything. Perfectly. Then came the desire to make toys from paper. And modeling clay animals and space aliens. And pointless spoof comics inspired by Star Wars.

All this made a horrible mess, and eventually I was banished to the garage with (my first crafting studio!) a square of leftover carpet, a table and shelves. I spent hours at a time there, making jointed dolls and animals from paper, thread, and yarn, and furnishing a doll house with paper and cardboard furniture, complete with tiny cereal boxes (promotional ads included on the backs) filled with even tinier paper cereal.

As a teen I took pride in giving my family hand-drawn cards, emblazoned with my logo on the back (Larissa Cards, Inc. "When their very best isn't quite good enough"). Also I added fake UPC codes and exorbitant prices.

Photo by Danamania

After a few years of that, I went to college, purchased the requisite long, black trench coat and majored in graphic design. I was introduced to the Mac computer there. (I'm so old, the screen was maybe 6 inches square. And black and white. Seriously.) It was instant crazy love with that little thing.

After graduation, I worked as a graphic designer a few years in the field, then at home for myself. Then, two years ago I closed up my shop (mostly) in order to home school my girls. Somewhere in there I took up sewing. I am still compelled to create, and crafting is my creative outlet. I can't live without it. Or my Mac. Or coffee.

Then one day my bosom friend, Robyn, said, 'Hey, did you know there are a bunch of craft blogs online?'

Another one of those Pivotal Moments.

6 monthiversary. time for a giveaway!

(Thank you, everybody. Comments are now closed!)

Are you my mommy?

Whoohoo! Here's part of the fun stuff aforementioned. Time to celebrate six months of mmmcrafts. Leave me one comment and you could be the new owner of this Katy Kitty that I made with my own two little bony hands. While you are at it, tell me what got you into crafting. If you are into crafting, that is. Which you don't have to be. So, Lita and Libby, if you are reading this, you too are eligible.

I will choose the new Katy Custodian by using a random number generator on October the 6th.

Looking forward to your comments, and to the next six months of mmmcrafts.

P.S. I've been asked by some of y'all when the Katy Kitty pattern will be available, and my answer is, er...soon! Sorry for the delay! Hopefully I'll dig out from under some urgent stuff and be able to tackle finishing that in a week or so, in plenty of time to get kitties underway for Christmas.