In the Workroom Recap : Week 279

Countdown to One of a Kind Show: 10 days away! 

It was another speedy week but I got tons done which is good!

I started with printing, cutting and framing lots of illustrations/doodlings for the show.



Then, since I was in printing mode, I got my shopping bags ready for the show! These are little jobs I've been meaning to get around to and am happy to have had the push to get them done. Plus it was nice to have a little mini break from sewing work.

A really mini one though since then I was back to finishing up this big batch of little owls!



I did a quick table test next:


I already have a few changes in mind but it's pretty much ready to go! But there's still more to sew!

I worked on a few foxes next.





Then another doll!






Then I finally got around to drawing up my new tags for my art dolls! I'm really happy with how they turned out and now have a nice little pile of tagged dolls.





And I will be starting this next week off with making another one to add to the group!



Well, wish me luck with the last week before the show! See you next weekend!

In the Workroom Recap : Week 278

Hey guys! Only two weeks until the One of a Kind Show! I promise I'll stop talking about it once it's over but until then - I am all OOAK all the time!

I've been slowly chipping away at the to-do list and getting excited to get the show started. It doesn't feel quite yet like Spring is close and show season is starting but I think a couple more weeks and a little less slush on the ground will help.

This week started with finishing up the Owl Baby pins.



And getting the last coat on to the display trunk as I waited for the lining to arrive in the mail.



I was also pretty excited to see the photos One of a Kind took of my dolls and even more excited to find them on the press release for the new Etsy section.




"Distinctly different" is a pretty awesome compliment I think! I hope to finish another doll or two before the show but we'll see!

But first I have to finish stocking up on everything else! I finished stuffing the Owl Mamas and started on a batch of kitties!



After the paint on the trunk was all dried, I finally figured out a way to hang the dolls in it. 



Then the lining arrived! Best mail day!



I was a bit nervous to cut in to it but after finishing up the kitties...I cut the lining pieces and finished the trunk finally!





Finished! This was my first sort of furniture refinishing project and I'm really happy with how it turned out! Having to get together a new show display with a deadline was just the motivation I needed to do it. 

Then I got to work on a big stack of little owls which I will be finishing up this week!



I will see you next week with hopefully a bunch more finished work! Bye for now, friends!

In the Workroom Recap : Week 277

Hey guys! That week went by so fast! I'm going to make this a quick update because there are now only three weeks left until One of a Kind show and I still have tons to do! Serious business!

I fiinished up half of the Owl Mamas I had been working on last week but of course ran out of stuffing so I'll be finishing the rest up this week.




I then decided to make another art doll to match my own kitty dress I made last week!





She'll be added to the group of girls that will be available at the show as well as in the online shop: needlings.etsy.com. Never trust anyone who doesn't like cats.



And now I'm working on this big bunch of Owl Baby Pins!



I sold one of these little guys off my coat when I was just visiting the show a few years ago so hopefully they do as well at the actual booth!

So that's it for the week! I'm hoping to be through another big chunk of work by the end of next week - see you then!

In the Workroom Recap : Week 276

Another week finished! It's now almost officially one month until the One of a Kind Show and I'm sticking pretty close to the schedule. So far so good! My goal is always to get ahead of my schedule so I can add more to it. Which I realize seems arbitrary because I am the one writing the schedule in the first place but I like to leave a little room for falling behind because life is busy and I can only do so much! Which is a lot!

I started the week with a stack of 20 bookmarks. So much handwork!



I was super happy to also notice this week that I was the "Artisan of the Week" on the One of a Kind website! As if I wasn't excited already!




Back to bookmarks! Which I finished before getting started on some display work which includes painting this old trunk a shiny white. Still in progress and waiting on lining but you'll see if finished in coming weeks I'm sure! And then it will be all Needlings filled for the show!




A few more coats to go! It's been fun having a different sort of job to work on in between sewing jobs. 

I also had another crafternoon with my fellow-maker friend Lisa! I whipped up another new Needlings fabric dress and we had a day of sewing, tea-drinking, chatting, and general fun stuff. And I managed to get some work done too, of course!





It's so fun to have some Needlings clothes to wear for shows now! I've added this kitty dress to the collection and I'm pretty happy about it - plus it matches my purple hair!

And now I'm working on a big batch of Owl Mamas! 



That's quite a stack! So I'll be hopefully finishing those up this week and continuing with the to-do list!

See you soon guys!

In (and out of) the Workroom Recap(s) : Week 272, 273, 274

Hi guys!

After a few weeks without a recap, I'm back! I was out of the workroom, as I mentioned last post, staying with my dad for the last bit of week 272, all of 273, and the first little bit of 274. It took me an additional week to get myself together as far as feeling organized enough to sit down for a blog post so here I am! Finally. It was a busy few weeks getting work together to sew while I was away and then trying to piece it all together when I got back. I guess you could say I've become pretty methodical with work now but I think everything is all back in order now so I feel relatively organized again - yay! (Don't laugh Mom)
But I did it. And I even managed to get some work done while I was away on the big restock order for Kid Icarus in Toronto that came in near the end of the week 272.  I had already started doing some prep work for some other stuff to take along with me for the week but I put that aside and brought a bunch of Littles with me instead which worked out great. Lots of handsewing kept me busy and when I returned, I had finished sewing 48 little faces. Not too bad!




(A few Instagram shots from the week at my dad's)



The week went by pretty fast and before I knew it I was back at home cleaning up my work table again and putting up my great grand father's clock that my dad gave me! It doesn't work but 10 is a good time I think.

And then...lots of little plush assembling. (with tea usually)






And there is still lots to go! Hopefully I will have all the Littles and then another bunch of keychains, cell sleeves, and a couple Owl Mamas ready to send off to Kid Icarus next week so I can get working on stock for the One of a Kind Show in Toronto in March! I'll also be working on some new display stuff in the coming weeks and hopefully staying on schedule.

Hope everyone is staying warm! See you next week this time.

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!