I’ve been kind of off the grid lately, Lovers… I’ve got so much to say, but I think I’m realistic enough to know people don’t really read blogs, they just look at the pictures.

Making a lot of stuff for the shop. Running this little business is a lot harder than I thought it was going to be. I know, I know… that’s the stupidest thing ever to say, but it’s true. Anticipating people’s wants and needs and somehow magically fabric into products is a lot of work. I think I’m managing okay, but I feel guilty every day that I didn’t do more… More! More! More!

I’m also a little flummoxed about pricing. Not that I don’t know how it works (materials+time=price) but I tend to price things on what I think things are worth (reasonable/excessive+reasonable=price) and it’s really throwing me for a loop. Look at those little change purses. We sell them for five bucks a pop, they’re a cute little impulse buy, right? Well, turns out, it costs about 2.50 to make the little fuckers. The snaps are the real killer at .25-.50 a pop. That’s outrageous! I can’t seem to find them for much cheaper than .35 on the internet and that doesn’t even include shipping. This is the sort of thing I’m talking about, people, this is hard. Maybe not difficult, but maybe I mean hard to stomach.

I’m adding leashes to the mix this weekend. K and I had a little chat with some other owners and they assured me this was a good plan. This time though, we looked at the cost of making them before we priced. So we’ll try out materials +time=price and see how that goes. I don’t like taking a bath on the things I make, but sometimes my system works. Works for now, I guess.

That’s not to say it’s all bad… There are some definite perks to running a little shop. People are buying and wearing my dresses. Like, in public. During their real lives. I use my hands to painstakingly craft a thing and people use that thing. It’s probably the best feeling in the whole world. (Next to, ya know, dancing all night, screwing and eating expensive food… and I suppose parenting would be pretty cool too, if that’s your jam?)

So I am sewing. It’s just not glamorous pin-worthy, fabric-porn sewing. Hope you all are still loving life and making cool shit. XO!

Yesterday I did not work.

Tuesday I busted through a huge mess of vintage fabric and made some pocketbooks, change purses and a few tote bags… But Yesterday I decided not to work.

The Captain and I went on a little adventure into the woods to hunt for mushrooms. We took the dog and a couple bags and just walked around. Our friend has a cabin on Table Mtn and we heard reputable rumors there were copious morels to be had.

So with no camera, no phone and a belly full of cheese burger we walked.

We found them. We ended up with about a half a paper grocery bag full between the two of us. People keep asking if the big ones are okay to eat or if they taste different or whatever… they are and they don’t. The dog had a great hike, we had a great haul and all is well in the world.

Mushrooming pro tip: take extreme mosquito precautions… my back and arms look like I was caned for running away from the plantation.

Guess what guys! I cleaned my studio! Amazing, I know! It feels like I can think now! (Don’t judge, that is clean…)

I’m super inspired by Cath (Wombat Quilts) and her paper piecing monday… so I decided to buy 50 Fabulous Paper-Pieced Stars
and make some. I doubt I have the fortitude to make it a Monday thing, but one or two a week keep me from feeling like a huge quilt slacker. 

Been designing fabric. Obviously this isn’t a winner, but let’s not point fingers. (Actually, I am pointing fingers. Spoon flower kind of blows.) Here’s a sneak peak of some upcoming awesomeness.

I gotta be honest here… I am not a fan of Singers. (Cue the riot, but please refrain from smashing my car windows…) I think they’re cheap and bouncy and plastic-y and I hate the chunk noise they make when you adjust a setting.

But I am also a hypocrite. There are two machines I would be willing to add to my studio – a featherweight and a long arm. Complete oposites, I know.

When I saw this at a thrift store yesterday for 50% I couldn’t say no.

It’s a Singer 99 and quite the tiny little thing. I’m not an expert on Featherweight so my usual method of identifying them is just to give it a lift. If it feels light, I figure I’m good.

Turns out this bad boy is older than the FW. It’s a “compact” or “portable” machine, so it’s also really light. Never mind how much the silly bentwood case weighs.

The belt is shot, but they cost about three bucks, so that’s cool. It needs a deep cleaning and per usual, the interwebs know how to do it.

 Bobbin and casing. Check and check.

All in all, I’m quite pleased. I’ll clean, name and test out this little cutie. Happy Tuesday, Lovers!

I am pleased to annouce that I am a Pellon Designer! Woot!! Checkout the Pellon blog!

We ate a lot of spectacular food in PDX. Monumental food.

First up was Slow Burger. We went to The Standard – which was a pretty hip little bar in it’s own right – but they didn’t have a hood and couldn’t cook real food. I feel like for six bucks an app, that shit better be cooked, right? Toaster ovens don’t cut it, this isn’t KC Mo. I digress. Slow Burger was pretty great. There were only a few things on the menu and the walls were lined with PBR (cha, right?) and apparently it’s owned by the same dude who owns a super hip bar called Slow Bar. Given how long it took to make two burgers (they’re not kidding, this grub is slow) I can only imagine what ordering a drink would be like.

“Where the fuck is my drink?”
“Oh, sorry m’am, we’re wringing the alcohol vapors out of a local hipster before we swish them in our house house hippy bitters…”

Next little gem was Frank’s Noodle House. While I want to make jokes about a Chinese dude named Frank, I can’t because the food was so damn good. The kimchee was the best I’ve ever had, the noodles were hand made and holy god the dumplings were orgasmic.

I will say though, the fried noodles were way better than the soup… not to say the soup was anything to sneeze at, just get the fried babies.

My Father’s Place was nearly impossible to find. I know that’s really dumb to say because it’s kind of in the middle of everything (everything being a string of cute bars, venues and other cool places to sip PBR and smoke American Spirits on the sidewalk) but it’s not labeled very well. It just says “diner” or “lounge” or something vague like that on the awning. It was fantastic. That burger had an egg in it. And ham. And all the other beasts of land and sea. It was like Noah’s Arc on a bun. My eggs Benny was pretty bangin’ too.

Plus, they have a photobooth.

The last place I want to encourage you to nom is a little African food truck at the PDX Saturday market. I didn’t get a picture because I was too busy explaining to a family where their shellshocked, peremed-up midwesty tween could get some white-people-friendly food. (The 80′s called, they want their xenophobia back…)

En fin, we did not get donuts. Both, yes both, Voodoo Donuts were packed. Like, lines around the block. I don’t care how cute your snacks are, there is no way I’m waiting in line for a zombie-shaped hunk of fried dough.

Oh Internets, QM was a crazy/scary/wonderful dream… I can’t even tell you how much fun I had!

The quilts were beautiful. I think this one is seriously monumental.

The booths + fabric were great. Alexander Henry’s booth was awesome. The dolls, the Ghastlies… winning, lots of winning.

Rashida Coleman Hale’s booth was also one of my favorites. Simple, classy, delicate. She’s super nice too, just in case you’re wondering.

Booth-y, booth-y, booth-y!

I fucked around with Jenny. She’s incredibly funny and nice and lovable!

I tried my best to freak her out…

Ha. I love her. I just want to put her in my furry bunny pocket and take her everywhere!

Can we talk for 30 seconds about how great and match-y the floors were? I want that hexie floor so bad it hurts! How, oh HOW do I get one of these?!

So much good food.

So much photobooth.

So much top-secret fun! Can’t wait to spill the beans!

Love these girls. (Rachael + Kelly)

And this girl. She’s so cute I wanna throw her girl into traffic! (Kat.)

Thanks, ladies, you made my weekend magical!

Oh, zombie dolls, I love you more than wor-

AAArgghh…

3/4 have arms and legs…

1/4 has nothing…

1/4 has a shirt….

1/4 is just always nakkey, so that’s taken care of.

You can’t really tell, but they’re all different shades of green which totally cracks me up!

My business cards arrived! I’m so excited to give them away!! There are a ton of them, so I figure I’m going to give them to everyone. Even people who don’t want them.

And here’s my freshly dyed bedhead. I’m pretty stoked that both Rachael and I are going to be rocking the Manic at QM!

I just have to show you guys this. My friend made it (and kind of gave it to me/I stole it) and I love it.

In other news, I started a pretty ambitious + out of left field project…

Quirky zombies! I’ve got four (well, three zombies and a skeleton) in the works and let me tell you – these babies are absolutely to die for! (Cha, I went there…) I was thinking about interfacing and remembered this old trick to interface your stuffies so they don’t get distorted and bloat-y when you stuff them… and it just kind of hit me – stuffed zombies! Quick u-turn to Joann’s for some green fabric and here I am. I figure I’ve got until Friday to finish these guys and one or two other little things and I can totally make four zombies in three days! Can’t wait to show you how cute they look when they’re finished!