sew lovely

MOVED

2010-12-13T20:08:00.001-08:00

Sew Lovely Handmade has moved to a new home. Now you can find all graphic design, crafting and everyday ramblings at www.hellokirsten.net

See you soon!

New Dress Pattern!

2010-11-11T20:48:00.000-08:00

I decided to try my hand at a sweet little reversible criss-cross dress for the Christmas craft fair this year. I found the pattern at a lovely shop on etsy called wink designs and am so happy to report that it made perfect sense, the pieces were drawn out accurately (have had some issues with pdf patterns in the past) and was so much fun to make. I appliqued some cut flowers to the front and left the edges raw to fray naturally for a soft look. The front main fabric is a linen cotton blend, and the inside is from the Heather Bailey Pop Garden collection. I'm really happy with the outcome.

I'm hoping to have eight of these dresses completed by the end of the month but we'll see. If I get half that amount, I'll be happy. So far, I've completed a dozen sock monkeys, made about two dozen pairs of earrings (they are so lovely) and am in the process of creating a pattern for the 'Bowen Bear'. I'm hoping to spend the upcoming week cutting and preparing so I can just dive in and start sewing by next weekend (oh please, please, please let this be the case).

Bowen Bear - The Stuffed Version.

2010-11-02T17:30:00.000-07:00

It turns out my good friend, Karen, is also doing an illustration of the Bowen Bear and seeing as our tables are right beside each other, I decided to forfeit my design for a card. Instead, I'm going to shrink them down and use them as labels for these cute little stuffed critters:

Still working out the details, but thought this little bear would make the CUTEST Bowen mascot. Now, I just need to actually make them...

Bowen Bear

2010-10-28T09:00:00.000-07:00

Every year, I design a christmas card for my family and send out to all our friends, family and colleagues. I have had a few requests from friends, to sell some of my card illustrations this year at the local craft fair. I wanted to come up with a 'Bowen 2010 Theme' and that's when I decided on the following:

This year was very exciting for Bowen Islanders as we had not one but TWO bears show up on our island. They were able to trap and re-locate one of our bears but the other one still remains roaming our isle. I thought it would be fun to do a series of the 'Bowen Bear'. Here's one idea - I may take the text off the front and put inside...or I may keep as a postcard...or both. Who knows...

Monkey Business

2010-10-23T09:52:00.000-07:00

I'm probably totally crazy for deciding to take this on, but, who knows when I'll have the chance to participate again in a craft fair. The christmas craft fair on Bowen is HUGE! It's a one day event with about a 100 vendors (just a guess). Last year, my table was not in the best location so this year, I made sure to have prime real estate. Last year, a lot of people recognized me from previous summer markets, when I would make and sell sock monkeys (I'm officially known as the sock monkey lady over here - could be worse), and were disappointed that I had dropped off the monkey making wagon. So, seeing as my time is tight with other deadlines, I have decided to focus on monkey making once again, and have a pretty good start on the assembly line. If time permits, I may try to add some pinafore dresses, journals and christmas cards.

Progress:

Pretty Little Invites

2010-10-13T08:02:00.000-07:00

Very good friends of ours just had their dreams come true...a baby came to join their family four weeks ago. They are enjoying the roller coaster of new parenthood and to help celebrate this beautiful addition, a couple friends and I are throwing a little Jack and Jill baby shower this weekend. I wanted to make some invitations and decided to use some supplies that I already had at home. I am very happy with the outcome.

I was inspired by all the pretty bunting flag patterns I've seen recently, and decided to use that simple repetitive shape in pretty, girly colours. To jazz up the back of the invite and to add some more thickness to the cardstock, I spray glued the invitations to two different scrapbook papers. Cut them out, then used my round corner punch to finish them off. The envelopes were looking a little blah, so I printed up some labels, glued them to the fronts and added a little butterfly accent with some of my scraps left from the card backs. Voila - pretty little invites for a pretty little girl.

All Work and No Play...

2010-10-05T08:04:00.000-07:00

Working . working . working....that seems to be my life right now! I have three exciting graphic design projects on my plate at the moment - one HUGE one, one medium one and one super duper fun one that I'm really excited to start. It's great to be using these skills again, but I really, really miss my crafting.

Which brings me to another little project I've had on the back burner for awhile now and would like to get up and going before Version 2.0 makes an appearance in March. It's a little project that encompasses my love of crafting, snail mail, children, moms, crafty folk and pretty packages. That's all I'll say for now, but I will leave you with this...

I've been creating some lovely graphics for the site, newsletter, packaging etc...what do you think so far?

Growing

2010-09-11T09:06:00.000-07:00

Another little bean will be joining our family in March 2011. I can't believe my little Logan is moving up the ranks to big brother status. He's pretty excited about this news and is already preparing for his new role. Man, I'm one lucky Mama!

Summer Highlights

2010-09-05T09:39:00.000-07:00

Well, September is upon us, the days are still sunny but with a definite crispness in the air and I'm looking forward to welcoming a new season. Funny, I know January is the beginning of the new year, but for some reason, September always seems more about fresh starts to me than the winter.

As I do every summer, I start to regret that I didn't do enough with Logan. Not enough beach visits, not enough walks, not enough swimming...and that is certainly true for this year. Not by choice, however, Logan has just really become a little home body and can get lost for hours in his own little imaginary world, playing with his dinosaurs (being a dinosaur) playing with is animals, cars etc. I've tried moving all these toys outside to show him how he can make them hide in the garden, the grass, behind big rocks...but slowly he moves them all back inside and continues his play.

So, to help ease my guiltiness that I've let this summer slip by without doing as much as I had hoped, I have picked out just a couple of my favourite highlights from the past two months (I guess is it is only eight weeks) and realize that we did pack quite a bit in. phew.

I never did make it to the market - too many other commitments, full days, and a broken sewing machine got in my way. I've decided to switch my focus this fall, to drumming up more design business and creating a series of Christmas cards to sell. But most of all, just focus on my family...it's been a busy year!

Lovely Hairpins

2010-07-29T09:11:00.000-07:00

Here's some sweet little hairpins I've been working on to match the dresses. I'll probably sell them as mis-matched pairs that work well together. So far, I've been making button hairpins, metal flowers and I have some gorgeous acrylic mum cabochons on the way. I'm having lots of fun!

Lovely Sparkles

2010-07-26T15:53:00.000-07:00

So apparently summer has taken over here and my posts are getting few and far between again...sorry. We just got back from a short road trip to Alberta to take Logan to Drumheller and the Calgary Zoo to see the dinosaur exhibits. He was totally in awe of the 86ft T-Rex that looms over Drumheller's main hub and the prehistoric exhibit at the Calgary Zoo was the icing on the cake. I'll post some pictures soon.

In the meantime, I have started making some little earrings and came up with a fun way to display them. I've taken double sided scrapbooking paper, rounded the corners and sewn a thin band of brown kraft paper, which I ran through my printer with my logo, and a brief description on the back. What do you think?

Dainty . Pretty . Sweet

2010-07-04T08:15:00.000-07:00

I seem to be very drawn these days to dainty, pretty, romantic jewelry. Soft aquas, pinks and yellows are catching my eye. I want to make some pretty little hairpins, necklaces and earrings to match my pillowcase dresses seeing as they also spark a vintage flair. Here's some beautiful inspiration I have found on Etsy:

1. Oh Hello Friend
2. Adorn You
3. Alona Freeman
4. Sparkle Peach

I have some pretty flower cabochons making there way from Germany and Japan to here (oh hurry up...I'm so excited!). I can't wait to start creating some little pieces. It will be a nice break from sewing.

The Short Version of the Long List

2010-07-02T14:56:00.000-07:00

It seems I have a lot on my plate at the moment. I am at the stage where each day blends into the next, and I am left with that sinking feeling that I have not accomplished anything on my To Do List. So I thought I'd start posting completed projects so I can look back at this blog and realize that I have actually been productive.

Our summer market has started, and I want to have a table as soon as possible. My list of items for sale are pillowcase dresses, superhero capes + headbands and vintage inspired children's jewelry. If I have time, I would also like to have some baby items: boo boo heat sacs (little owl stuffies filled with organic flax seed inside), soft wool balls and maybe some security blankies...not sure.

Here's some of the dresses. I have six completed, three just about there and three more to go. This week will be superhero capes and then on to the jewelry. Lots of work, but lots of fun too!

Our Island

2010-06-28T09:37:00.000-07:00

Sometimes living on an island can be great and sometimes a burden. On Friday, I had a dentist appointment in town, and as usual, tried to accomplish a million and one things in a short time frame. My husband called at 5:00 to let me know that the ferries were crazy - ahhhhh welcome summer! And of course, the question that seems to run through my head every now and again..."Why do I live on a big rock surrounded by water?!?" ARGH!!

Feeling this angst linger all day Saturday and again Sunday morning, we decided to get out of the house and go for a drive to Mt Gardener Dock and look what we stumbled upon.

Every year, a local diver named Adam, dives off the shores of our island, and brings to the surface many beautiful creatures for us to learn about, touch, hold and study. Watching Logan carefully pick up each starfish, feel the slimy texture of the sea cucumber and being adamant that we stay until the very end, to make sure all the creatures got back to their families safely, was a gentle reminder as to why we have chosen to raise our son in this environment.

Marine Treasures

2010-06-21T07:49:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago, I came across a posting on the Bowen Forum for a free rowboat. Our beautiful boat has been dry-docked for the last year or so, as moorage over here is way too expensive, as well, with all the things to do on our house, we weren't giving the boat the time and attention it needed. We've been looking for something little that we can tow behind our truck and just scoot around Indian Arm, Bowen or maybe even Pitt Lake.

For most people the free boat would look like a not so free trip to the dump yard...unless, of course, you're Geoff. He has spent the last two weekends fibre glassing, sanding, repairing the back end, painting the underside, re-configuring/welding our trailer into a boat trailer and purchasing a little motor to mount to the back. This work would have cost the average joe more than the boat is worth, however, having a handy husband certainly pays off in these situations as we're only into it by $300.00. Not bad, considering it will be a lovely sky blue with deep red pin striping around the bottom, oiled teak benches and shiny white interior once it's all finished. Will post pictures soon!

Well, that rather large introduction, brings me to the fun little find I had this weekend. While looking for parts for the boat at a second hand marine store, I stumbled upon a bin filled with used floats. I know...big deal right?!? I'm guessing they were used for crab traps, hence the bright paint, and each one has the licensing numbers etched into the foam. The weathered paint adds an amazing depth and texture, as well, the carved numbers gives it a real graphic feel. And the best part - they were each no more than $8.00/piece. So yes - very big deal (to me at least) as I think they are GORGEOUS!

We have a shelf that runs the perimeter of our living room and kitchen. I've been searching for a repetitive element to display along the shelf and I think this may be it!

Garden + Gnome pt.2

2010-06-18T21:02:00.000-07:00

Well, it looks as though the Gnome , which Logan has named 'Rock' has finished moving in. Over the last couple weeks, little tools, a table and plants have been appearing in his garden. We were waiting for his door to go in, and this morning there it was. He has finished moving. Welcome Rock!

We have also continued bringing up wheelbarrows of dirt and slowly building our garden. So far so good. AND we finally have grass - YAY! Everything is starting to take shape and fill in. Maybe that's why I'm popping Robaxacet like it's going out of style...

Mid-June!

2010-06-18T15:42:00.000-07:00

When did mid-June get here?!? I wish I could say we've been too busy outside enjoying the sunshine, but unfortunately, the summer has gotten off to a cool start. It seems we have sun one day and freezing cold rain the next. Well, hopefully things will stabilize in both the weather and my posting! So here's a little overview in photos of what we've been up to...

Logan visited the dentist for the first time. He was so excited and took the entire experience very seriously. He was a little nervous to be by himself on 'the Chair' so he lied on top of me. When the dentist came in, however, he decided to be a really brave boy and sat by himself. Even daddy dinosaur got his teeth checked!

Next up was a little day trip to Squamish. We looked for eagles in Brackendale but were unsuccessful. The highlight of the trip for Logan was the bear proof garbage cans. He was so impressed that they had special handles and was scared that at any minute a bear was going to come by with something to throw away. Cutie! We ended our visit at Shannon Falls and then found ourselves in a three hour ferry wait to get home. Why do we live on an island again?!?

Hooray the Coho Salmon Release! This is our second time attending this annual event. What a wonderful experience for Logan. This year they had a little 'fishing pool' for the kids to catch salmon. On the backside of the fish it let you know the lifespan of your catch.

This month has also been filled with a lot of gardening, allergies (me), a stiff neck (me) and a cold (me)!! Also, a lot of sewing, designing and a brand new HUGE project on my plate which I will talk about soon. Stay tuned...

Design on the Fly!!

2010-05-25T20:50:00.000-07:00

I just found out there's a little techie tradeshow this weekend on Bowen to let people know what is available on the rock. I thought it might be worth my while to participate and rent a table - one small problem...I don't have anything to display. About six months ago, I decided to update my logo, which of course means, I have no business cards, postcards, portfolio is out of date...etc... So I spent the majority of yesterday and this morning while Logan was at school to design some collateral, presentation boards and ship off to the printers. It was such a whirlwind but I'm pretty happy with the outcome.

18" x 24" presentation board which will be printed and mounted on black foam core.

4" x 6" postcards double sided. Thumbnails of projects on front and information on the back.

New business cards. For now I'm just having them digitally printed, but in the near future, I think I'll have them screenprinted onto brown kraft cardstock.

Garden + Gnome

2010-05-21T16:22:00.000-07:00

We have been working non-stop this spring on our outdoor space. We've been building rock gardens, fencing, bringing up wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow of dirt, and clearing away the HUGE amount of fallen trees from when we cleared the property. Geoff just finished hauling out the last of the logs last weekend and, as a result, we have uncovered a lovely, somewhat flat, sunny space. How exciting!!

I noticed the other day, that at the base of one of our old cedars, there was the perfect little hidden spot for a gnome garden. Logan's imagination is amazing, and his fascination with little tiny 'things' (the baby from a stacking doll, tiny travel size toothpaste, little bottles of hand cream...) gave me the idea to create a little tiny gnome garden. I showed him the spot and told him if we cleaned it up a bit, maybe a garden gnome would find it, and start to set up house. We spent the rest of the afternoon on Wednesday, pulling weeds and clearing an area for the gnome. First thing yesterday morning he checked to see if the gnome had moved in...nothing yet. So well he was napping, I started to build the gnome garden. Take a look:

There's a little pond (a Becel container with gravel in the bottom) that has a lovely deck (tree bark) a little stone pathway to the front door, rock gardens and plants from around our property (mostly, we did buy a couple special ones as a housewarming gift). When Logan woke up, we went outside to play, and the first thing he wanted to check on was the gnome. All I can say is I wish I had my video camera...he FREAKED OUT! It was so cute!! I hadn't quite finished everything yet, so he helped me put together the finishing touches like adding larger rocks (because the gnome couldn't lift them) and we also gave him a little fence (popsicle sticks) to help keep out the Bowen Bear (yes, a bear has made it's way over here this week). I have ordered a lovely door for the gnome and little miniature table and chairs, wheelbarrow, gardening equipment and watering can. I'm going to put that all together when Logan is not around and can't wait for his reaction!! Here's what's happening on the rest of the property.

This is the area that was filled with fallen trees (I think there was about eight or nine that Geoff bucked up and hauled out). It's quite large and gets tons of sun.

This is one side of it (gnome garden on right) that we're going to make a nice little seating area. I'm thinking old bricks, with moss inbetween and maybe a brick fire pit.

And this is the other side where it starts to get a bit steep again. We're going to leave in the two large logs on the left, as they have created a nice retaining wall. We're thinking of putting in a little stream that cascades down into a pond as it's fairly level and an interesting shape. Pretty exciting!!

We're growing herbs. Apparently I'm really good at growing oregano.

Rock gardens, rock gardens and more rock gardens. Plus there's four more on the other side of the pathway. Then there's the entire backyard to do.

And a little memorial garden for Lucy (where I'm constantly finding sticks, feathers, seashells and rocks that Logan collects for her).

Well, there you have it. We still want to start some decking this summer, build a play structure for Logan, make some pathways....but it's a start!

Shop Update

2010-05-12T16:48:00.000-07:00

I am now offering FREE SHIPPING for all items in my shop . Can't go wrong with that!!

Bowen Island Market

2010-05-12T16:24:00.000-07:00

Exciting news alert - the Bowen Island Market is back this year and is going to be the best it has ever been! A group of fellow crafters, farmers and foodies got together last week, to brainstorm how to bring back the market and bring in the crowds that it so deserves. The market had started to get a little stale this past year or so with many long time crafty islanders moving off, or being fortunate enough for their 'hobby' to turn into a full time job, or (like my selfish self) going off and having babies. There's a lot of new talents over here, and we're making it our business to set forth and seek them out...so don't be shy!!

This year, we have three little rules: MAKE IT . BAKE IT . GROW IT

The last year that I was part of the market was in 2006. Here's some pictures of our table (me and my crafty friend, Karen of Bluebelle).

There is going to be a blog, promotional mailouts and some other fun tidbits to get this market started. So stay tuned...

TINY OASIS

2010-05-12T08:43:00.000-07:00

Good Morning Lovelies!! As I'm sure you can tell by the lack of posts this month, the weather has turned into glorious sun and I have found myself spending less times indoors and more out. I am attempting to tackle our 1/2 acre plot and am feeling incredibly overwhelmed. It seems that I've been raking, making rock gardens, shoveling and planting and barely making a dent. Oh well....baby steps.

During my morning visit to Etsy yesterday, I stumbled upon this article. I found it very inspiring and am thinking this may be how I start with my garden. A tiny oasis is better than no oasis at all!

Dinosaur Birthday Boy

2010-04-19T17:26:00.000-07:00

After weeks of planning and picking up bits and pieces on my trips to town, the dinosaur birthday party went off without a hitch last Saturday. We had dino crafts, dino games, dino fruit platter (mini watermelons cut open to resemble broken eggs on a bed of shredded craft paper with fruit spilling out) dino balloons, banners, napkins plates...and the list goes on. It was so much fun (and work) to put together but the end result was so fantastic and the little birthday boy was over the moon!

Dinosaur Presents

Dinosaur Hats made at the Dino Craft Station. Lots of fun stickers, pom poms, sparkles and colouring covered these cool party hats.

Prizes

The Dinosaur Party Table - complete with volcano, T-Rex and a tower of rocky, chocolatey, jurassic boulders with ferocious dinosaurs standing guard.

Jurassic Sandwiches

Dino Egg Nest

Cards for Cancer

2010-04-12T10:35:00.000-07:00

Machine sewn cards for my contribution to Cards for Cancer .

Brainstorming

2010-04-07T10:30:00.000-07:00

I just bought this book yesterday. There's a lot of great ideas on how to promote your craft company and make yourself noticed in the marketplace. One idea was a newsletter or a mail order. I have to admit, as you can probably tell, I'm finding it difficult to keep up with the Monthly Makes so maybe a tutorial could be part of a newsletter/mail order that is quarterly. I'm brainstorming aloud hear - would anyone be interested in signing up for a quarterly newsletter? Or perhaps for a small fee (to cover shipping) I could put together some super duper awesome quarterly mail orders that would include all kinds of fun treasures.

Hmmmmm...let me know.

ROOAARRRING Good Time!

2010-03-31T10:04:00.000-07:00

This year, Logan asked if he could have a couple friends to his birthday party. For birthday number one and two, it was just family (well not 'just'...there's quite a few of us). So for birthday number THREE (can't believe it) he is having four of his buddies + all his cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents. The party will clear out at 2:00 and then we'll continue the celebrations for the rest of the day with his family. The best of both worlds.

As you can see, there is a theme. I have some pretty great ideas for games and activities to do with Dinosaurs (I am really getting into this) and yesterday bought some prizes and all the insides for the treat bags...no wait, treat buckets! I picked up some great pails and shovels at Michaels to use as the bags (which I thought kinda went with the dinosaur theme...diggin' up bones, etc.) and found some great reptilian treats to go inside - SO EXCITED!! I can't wait - this is going to be the best birthday party ever!

The Modern Day Family Photo Album

2010-03-26T11:18:00.000-07:00

About a year ago, I discovered this great on-line bookmaking company called Blurb. I have used other companies in the past to have digital albums made, but never been very impressed with the quality. I am happy to say, that the quality of Blurb's paper, printing, binding is exceptional and the prices are fantastic. They have a free software that you can download that is easy to use, customizable with many layout options which is what I have used in the past. I have three albums (2007, 2008 + 2009) that I've been working on for months and months and was just about ready to send them in to be printed, when I discovered that you can also design your books in InDesign and upload a PDF. YAY!! Only problem though is that I cannot export the books I've already made...I have to start all over. NOT YAY! But at least this gives me the opportunity to use my design software, otherwise, I may forget (boy I was rusty). And, these albums will be with us forever, and eventually passed on through the generations, so I guess having to start over and make it perfect is not such a bad thing.

Here's some of the layouts I've started designing for my 2010 Album. I wish there was a way that you could enlarge them as I have put a lot of little details on some the pages. Hmmm...if anyone knows how to do this in Blogger please let me know. thanks.

Hello...

2010-03-21T11:47:00.000-07:00

...okay, I can tell by my handy little counter in the side bar, that people are visiting me. I want to know who you are, where you're from, what you like...and so on. So please leave a comment and introduce yourself.

Little Worlds

2010-03-16T14:09:00.000-07:00

How much fun are these?!? Logan and I - okay more me than Logan - became addicted to making terrariums last spring. Unfortunately, they didn't do as well as I had hoped. So this time around, we decided to only use mosses and baby ferns, rather than all different kinds of plants. We also added little characters to our baby forests - our windowsill is lined with little worlds.

Better late than never...

2010-03-12T17:33:00.000-08:00

I know it's March not February but last month threw me for a bit of a loop. So there'll be two monthly makes in March. Here's a sneak peak of Februarys.

Genes.

2010-03-11T08:10:00.000-08:00

I constantly hear from friends, family and strangers "WOW, your little boy looks like you!" It's funny though, 'cause I look at him and think 'no he looks like Logan'. Every now and again, I'll catch a glimpse of myself, whether it be a funny facial expression, or a quirky habit that has been passed on, but never a real 'WOW' moment. Until the other day when I snapped this photo. I turned the camera around to review a couple pictures that I had been madly snapping and WHOA...look at that...he does belong to me!

Adams Road

2010-03-10T20:59:00.000-08:00

When we first decided to build on Adams Road, I have to admit, I was a little disappointed. Adams is located in the centre of the island and is the main road to get from the cove to the western points of Bowen. It's a busy street as far as island roads are concerned, and does not boast the ocean views as many other areas on the island do. Of course, with that being said, the price tag for those 'view' lots are probably more than our property and house combined and for our budget, Adams Road was a perfect fit.

Now that we have been in our new home for a little over a year, I am very happy to say, that I have discovered many lovely little hidden secrets on this road of ours. First off, almost every home along 'the ridge' has kids...lots and lots of kids. Secondly, there is an old logging road that runs behind the houses, that, hopefully, when Logan is older, will be a way of travel to and from his friends without having to navigate the main road. And third, we have discovered some great trail networks, that most islanders are not aware of, directly across the street from our house. And as if that isn't great enough, there is a small farm that has chickens, sheep, a donkey and a horse and a tiny bit further is another sheep farm and llamas!! This road of ours is definitely shaping up.

There's a gorgeous creek that runs through the trail with three bridges that cross at different sections. One area has a 'sandy' bank that we call our Forest Beach.

Image on left: salmon berry blooms. Spring is on it's way!

Goodbye

2010-03-04T13:22:00.000-08:00

My family, which includes my fur babies, is what makes me who I am. On Tuesday, I lost a member of my family - my sweet little kitty named Lucy. I wont' go into detail, but will just say that as far as we know, she was battling cancer. It is never nice to see a loved one waste away, and the helplessness you feel that you can't make it stop. We sent her in on Monday for more tests to try and find if there was anything more that we could do for her. It must have been too much for her little body as the following morning, she passed away in my arms.

I awoke yesterday with such a feeling of emptiness knowing that when I went downstairs she would be gone. The weather outside mimicked how I was feeling; like I was stuck in a thick, thick fog. I grabbed my camera and went for a walk with my son on our favourite trail. We took a break at the lookout point and we talked about Lucy. He doesn't seem to be angry that she's not here anymore (I was worried that he'd think I did something that took her away) but he does understand that what has happened is very sad and that I'm sad.

Rest in Peace sweet Lucy beneath the foxgloves and sweet woodruff. I love you more than words can express and miss with you with a deep, aching heart.

Olivia Monkey

2010-02-16T10:26:00.000-08:00

The first market I participated in on Bowen Island, I very quickly became known as the Sock Monkey Lady . Hmmmm...not the most flattering nickname, but I did sell every single monkey so I guess it works! I haven't made any of these little critters for ages, so decided to dig out the sock stash and get to work. I forgot how much fun it is to see their character come to life with every stitch. I've never attempted clothing for them in the past but decided this little one (whom I think I will name, Olivia) needed a little something something.

Lovely Little Elephant

2010-02-16T10:14:00.000-08:00

First off, I apologize to anyone that downloaded January's Monthly Make and got hung up on my typo on page 3 STEP TWO - it should have read 'right sides together' rather than 'wrong sides together'. Hope that didn't screw anyone up. I have fixed the typo and will re-load today. I am almost finished with February's craft so make sure to keep checking in (it's a fun one!!).

In the meantime, why not try making a little elephant using the same dimensions as the Lovely Little Owl.

FREE PATTERNS - YIPPEE!!

2010-02-02T17:42:00.000-08:00

A monthly pattern of my own creation - a gift from me to you. Don't forget to upload your finished project to the Sew Lovely Handmade Flickr Group

please click on image to download pattern + tutorial - enjoy!

LINKS

2010-02-02T14:46:00.000-08:00

There are so many amazing blogs out there that it sometimes becomes a little overwhelming. Here are just a few of my favourites:

SUPPLIERS

I'm going to try and update this on a monthly basis so check back often.

Getting Started

2010-01-31T22:51:00.000-08:00

So far I have two dress patterns figured out for this years market. Here's the first little lovely:

It's a simple 'pillowcase' style with a drawstring neck and matching decorative band on the bottom. The body is made from unbleached cotton and has a wonderful, organic look and feel. The second dress (which I may shorten to a shirt/tunic) is made from the same unbleached cotton and has a flirty little ruffle on the neckline and ties at each shoulder.

I am also expecting my fabric to arrive any day now. I decided to come up with four colour palettes to help keep consistency to the brand I am slowly starting to develop. Here they are:

Beautiful Bowen Island

2010-01-29T23:31:00.000-08:00

This little rock just off the coast of West Vancouver, British Columbia, is where I grew up. We moved from Bowen Island to Port Moody when I was twelve, and I knew that one day I would return to raise my own family. That is exactly what happened in May 2004. I commuted every day with my husband, and our dog, to Vancouver. This is how we met our core group of friends; our fellow commuters.

Evenings in the summers over here are lovely. The ocean has been warming up throughout the day to allow us evening swims up until 9:30 at night. Summer bed times are stretched a tad to allow us all to cool off before heading home.

Being a stay at home Mom on an island is fantastic (most of the time). Logan and I spend our days at the beach, going on nature walks, playing with friends and constantly discovering new little 'nooks' on our island.

The foliage on this island is lush for most of the year. This year in particular has been incredibly mild. My tulips and daffodils are already 8" high and my crocuses are in full bloom! The rain forest provides us with many amazing species of ferns, mosses, wild violets that cover the earth's floor in a kaleidescope of green. As well, there are several lakes, salmon bearing streams a fish hatchery, a lagoon and so many more beautiful places tucked into this hidden gem.

I haven't even touched on all the amazing restaurants , art galleries, shops, plays, festivals - that will have to wait for another post. This was just a sampling of the rock that I am proud to call my home.

CONTACT

2010-01-29T18:01:00.001-08:00

I love to hear from you, so please do not hesitate to drop me an e-mail.

sewlovely at studio947 dot com

Mailing Address:
RR1 AR39
Bowen Island . British Columbia . Canada
V0N 1G0

Don't forget to check in to see what's happening on my graphic design blog. www.studio947.blogspot.com.

ABOUT

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Please allow me to formally introduce myself. My name is Kirsten, and I am a full-time mother to a beautiful little blonde haired, blue eyed little boy, Logan age 2.5. He is the centre of my universe. I am also a wife, dog owner, cat owner and fish owner.

When not running after a toddler, or tripping over playmobile dinosaurs, I am a graphic designer for a little company I run called Studio 947 . Mostly printed material, with a bit of web design thrown in there for good measure. My design style is meticulous with an organic flair. I am very inspired by my surroundings. Whether it's walking through our island's lush rainforests or beachcombing on the seashore, my design and craft work soak up the world around me. I am blessed to be raising my son on one of the most beautiful places on earth.

This love of design, has blossomed into many other forms that appeal to both my meticulous side and organic. I LOVE creating with my hands, whether it's sewing, painting or accumulating bits and pieces to later turn into one of a kind collages. I can't get enough!

Now that my little bean is in pre-school two mornings a week, I have been able to re-connect with my old self, and bring in more design projects, as well as, delve back into my crafts that I have missed like crazy.

I am excited to see where this next chapter in my life leads. Please join me on this journey.

kirsten xo