Friday, January 30, 2009

My own tiny little piece of fame...

http://www.geeksugar.com/2724845

I was cruising the interweb to see what other Space Invader knit hats are out there and my own head suddenly appeared on the screen, wearing one of my own knit hats. Very cool- even if the one person who has commented didn't like it. :)

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Yearning for Homemade

We went browsing in stores today; stores that don't carry food, yarn, or fabric. This is a rare occurrence anymore. Since Circuit City is closing we went and browsed to see if there were any good deals. So far, not so much, although people were snapping things up at 10-30% off. I went and browsed movies and CDs and realized that anything I wanted I could download or rent from Netflix.

The funniest part about this is that I now look at the packaging for anything I buy. Any hard copy of music/movies comes with a box...a box I don't use, even for storage. We just gave away literally hundreds of jewel cases from CDs we've had for many years and store in big binders. Bless Craigslist for having someone who could reuse them. Funnily enough, we rarely listen to the CDs themselves anymore now that we have digital copies.

So ends part one of the shopping saga - I don't like shopping any more because I will have to, as responsibly as possible, dispose of yet another box of some kind.

We next went to Target while we waited for the movie to start (BTW- Quantum of Solace is an excellent Bond movie, with enough chases, crashes and intrigue for the most enthusiastic spy fan). As we walked by the children's section, a dress caught my eye. It was made of a simple checked cotton weave fabric, cut as a simple sack dress, a ruffle at the neck its only ornamentation. A yard of fabric and a couple of hours and any competent amateur seamstress could make it. And make it better - the cheapest fabric store fabric would feel higher quality, the checks would be matched at the seams, but Target is selling not just a dress. They are selling the idea of simplicity. They are marketing the warm feeling of homemade - indifferently made commercial products mimicking "homespun" through inferior products. I find it incredibly ironic that any craftswoman who takes any pride in her work would never settle for the shoddy workmanship that marks such products. Clearly, most people have forgotten (or never knew) what homemade really looked like.

It is for this reason that I've become enamored with Etsy. After opening my shop there about a month ago, I've religiously trolled the "Alchemy" portion of the site, bidding to make handmade items that people request. These people are looking for the high quality that marks truly handmade goods. They're seeking relationships. They want to talk directly to the person that sewed their little girl's new dress or knit their new sweater. I'm sure that most other sellers feel the same way I do- when we sell something there it is as personal as making a gift for a loved one. When that is the standard, only our best work will do.

That is truly handmade. I hope that those who see the ghost echo of it on Target's racks will think about what they are truly seeking when their eyes wander to that little dress. I hope they will then walk out of the store and go to the local craft fair or onto Etsy or, better yet, pull out the sewing machine and return to truly handmade.

And so ends my latest rant. :)

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Bella Mittens

The mittens in progress...

The yarn they are being knit in, Blue Magic by Lamb's Pride Bulky.

Sunday, January 4, 2009

My Banner

I know it's not much, just some clip art with some text, but I'm still proud of it.

And now, after Q got done with it. Of course, much better and more stylish...and, most importantly, the right size!
Now, in context, http://moderncrafter.etsy.com

Friday, January 2, 2009

The Final Totes (for a while at least)


So, I got quite ambitious with the last set - six petals! another circle (after I swore never again)! I think they turned out rather well. I really like the color combination, although I never expected dusty rose and tan to work together.