In the Workroom Recap : Week 271

Hi everyone!

Last week was an exciting news week for Needlings because I found out I will be participating in the One of a Kind Show in Toronto as a part of the new Etsy section! It's going to be a busy couple months getting ready for it but I am excited and looking forward to doing an exciting new show that boasts being the largest consumer crafts show in North America. AH! I just read that to include it here. It's so big, you guys!  



I'm sure I will update you as I go along! Super relaxed updates with no freaking out at all!

Before I got the news of the show, I finished another doll since I was kind of on a doll roll for a bit there.






Her hair is pretty crazy isn't it? Anyway, I got her up in the shop but took her, along with a few other of the new ones, out because I was asked by One of a Kind to send a few items in to them to have a little photoshoot to potentially be included in the show's web and print material.

I whipped up a few other owls and Needlings goodies and sent them on their way.



So off they all went! They'll be back after their exciting stay at the One of a Kind headquarters in Toronto.

I also found these little boxes this week and got to thinking about new display ideas for the show.  Notice I am pretty plum out of stock myself so you and I can both look forward to a few weeks of stocking up on goodies for the show!



I will be out of the workroom for all of next week starting on the 25th so there might be a bit of a hold on the workroom updates depending on how it goes. If you know me or have read for awhile then you know that my daddio has some health problems and because his wife will be out of town, I'll be staying with him in Binbrook (about a half an hour from me) to get him to and from his kidney dialysis and general taking care/hanging out stuff. I'm bringing along some handsewing work to keep on top of things of course but in general, it'll be a little slow on Needlings work for the week. 

See you soon, friends!

In the Workroom Recap : Week 270

A little late but I made it! Last week was a busy one for me with going in to Toronto for a couple days for some fun with friends reservations for fancy tea and some other friends and family obligations but I still managed to finish work on a few more dolls and some other cleanup/behind the scenes jobs in the workshop!

At the end of last week I had mentioned that I started work on a new "Secret Santa" sort of project for a fellow Plush Team member for the Mardi Gras themes swap and as luck would have it, she has already received it so I can share it with you guys this week!  My recipient was Amy of Squirrel Momma, so naturally I made her a little "Squirrel Momma goes to Mardi Gras," since I was feeling obviously very literal about things.



You can even read about her opening the box over at the Plush Team website, www.plushteam.com. I'm now waiting patiently for my secret santa gift! Who has my name?! It's all so exciting! Well, I was super duper early with mine because I happened to find some free time a month before the deadline but I will share it with you in a future week whenever it arrives!

I've been having lots of fun these last couple weeks making my crazy little dolls and taking a break from the usual stuff that keeps me so busy year round. I finished two more this week that are now available in the shop:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/119920537/tabitha-t-trollope-one-of-a-kind-kawaii" target="_blank">Tabitha T. Trollope






And https://www.etsy.com/listing/120229103/birdie-b-bloomfield-one-of-a-kind-kawaii" target="_blank">Birdie B. Bloomfield







Then I had to rearrange the "doll wall" of course, to make some room for the new girls!



I'm looking forward to adding some more and continuing work as usual!

See you all next week!

In the Workroom (and out) Recap : Week 268

And by when I said, "see you next week for the last post of 2012," what I really meant was see you next Wednesday for the first post of 2013! I'm a tricky one. I hope you all had a lovely time ringing in the new year!

I had a great last week of 2012 making another new skirt for myself and a few friend Xmas presents, a few more holiday get togethers with said friends and doing (a) little work in between it all. Obviously blogging was not one of those things but I'll get back in to the regular swing of things now that the holidays are over!

I did some work on the Homespun restock which is now all finished and headed out to Indiana!


Added pockets to an old skirt prototype.




And finished a few presents!



I made my lovely friend Lisa of Nerdbiskit a skirt to match her Nerdbiskit colours:




And we had a lovely friend time (and lunch) with Paula ofhttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Orange-Octopus/342295672462423?fref=ts" target="_blank">Orange Octopus at Earth To Table Bread Bar in Hamilton!

Smiles all around!


And then the year was over! Just like that it ends and another one starts. I always thought it was kind of weird that we box them up like that. Every minute of the day things change and evolve so slowly. But I suppose you can hardly tell until the date changes and you have to get a new calendar. So 2013 it is! I'm looking forward to lots of exciting Needlings things this year and even more in the workroom photos! I'm excited to share these exciting things with you too. How exciting!

Anyway, goodbye 2012!


Hello 2013! See you this weekend! (I swear)

In the Workroom Recap : Week 269

Here I am, on the weekend as scheduled! 

And I sent off the box to Homespun in Indiana! Post holiday shopping restock has begun with hopefully some more new things in between. It should be a busy first few months of the year! I'm sure you'll hear all about it.



They should be on the shelves shortly, for any of you Indiana folks!

One of my goals for the new year is to concentrate more on my one of a kind dolls; to give myself a break from batches of the usual items and because they're fun!
I finished one up this week and have plans for more soon!



They usual start with a little detail idea, a fun fur hair colour, some fabric digging through and a little pencil sketch.



Sometimes they evolve a bit from the drawing as I start cutting and laying out pieces and all that but this one stayed pretty close to the first idea and I was pretty happy with how she turned out when she was all finished.



Violet V. Vandergast is the name of this little one. Because half the fun of doll-making is naming them weirdo names! She's up inhttps://www.etsy.com/listing/119439587/violet-v-vandergast-one-of-a-kind-kawaii" target="_blank">the shop and ready to go!



I wish I had that dress for myself...

Anyway, I started a top secret project at the end of the week for the Plush Team Secret Santa Swap. The Plush Team is a group of plush artists, myself included, that participate in group shows and challenges together including just for fun things like this swap. We do our swap after Christmas since it's usually a busy time for all of us SO I can't reveal the finished project until the recipient gets it in another month or so, but here's the start!
Oh, and the "theme" this year is Mardi Gras!



Almost finished now!  So that'll be finished up and on it's way out and I'll be back to work on more Needlings work!

See you next week, lovely friends!

In the Workroom Recap : Week 267

I'm here, guys! A few days late and all Christmassed out but ready to share week 267 with you. The days fly by this time of year with all the Christmas excitement going on but I didn't forget for long!

At the beginning of the week, I first got to work on a restock for Homespun in Indiana starting with a batch of phone sleeves. I'm happy they are selling so fast there so I won't complain about how many I've made recently!



I worked on some other things during the week like this little one-eyed kitty for someone who has a real missing eyed kitty of her own...



These cards and tags for wrapping up Christmas gifts and holiday orders...





And in addition to working on regular last minute holiday orders - I whipped up a new Christmas skirt for myself amidst family get togethers and Christmas goings-on.





I was pretty happy with how it turned out and even managed to finish those cell sleeves for Homespun!



I'll be spending the rest of the week finishing up a few more things for the Homespun restock in the workroom and doing a few more holiday hang-outs. This time of year is my favourite. No matter what is going on, I always find it a little easier to stay positive with the holiday cheer thing going on. I'm always happy to spend time with my family but it's always extra nice around Christmas time. This year was no different as far as that goes!

I hope you all enjoyed your Christmas or whatever holiday you do or don't celebrate this time of year! I am forever thankful for all of you who keep me busy filling orders and stocking up shops this time of year and all year round. Thank you so much! Holiday hugs all around!

See you on the weekend for the last post of 2012! 
!!

O Tannenbaum

Or "Oh Christmas Tree," if you like. One of my favourite parts of the season, going back to various tree farm visits where my brother and I would run around trying to find the tallest, chubbiest, best tree which my mom or dad would then cut down (because the choose a pre-cut one was never as exciting), I've always loved having a real tree in the house for the month.  It's a bit weird I think still, cutting down a tree and putting it up inside, but it smells nice and the family pets always seem to like it too.

This year, after a day off from Needlings sewing to make myself a new sort-of-gingerbread-man's-girlfriend skirt, I headed over to Bennett's Apple Farm in Ancaster and while we didn't cut it down ourselves, we did pick the chubbiest, best one/the one in front and brought it home to cover it in years of handmade ornament making and collecting - in addition to some old favourites, not before picking up some goodies and cider inside of course. Callie the pup enjoyed herself too/chased small prey then freaked out in the car.













I think we got a good one, don't you think?



Callie is totally in to it.