smell the newness

I've set up my machine. I love her. I must give her a name.....

Did I tell you I bought her here? At Sewing World, where the customer service is amazing. Tell Teresa I sent you!
My favorite, I didn't know I needed/wanted/what I was missing things on this baby,
Variable speed: this baby can go really fast! It's great for straight sewing. like the curtains I have to sew this afternoon. Looking forward to that run it through without thinking.
Needle Position: you can end with the needle up or down. every time. Handy. it took a bit of an adjustment to wait for the needle to go back up. but I'm used to it now. I do need to work on sewing in a small circle. Now that the needle doesn't just stop, my circle is not even. Not sure how to go about this. When i really need it, guess I'll work on it then.
One touch button hole maker: need I say more? I haven't used it yet, but I'm sure I will.
Noise level: it is pretty quiet and smooth. nice for late night sewing. The kids room is directly below me with a grate in the floor.
Anything that will help with the noise level is a bonus for me/them.
A brute: Sewing thick mittens has not been a problem. Flows like butter. The arm can also lift higher for extra thick things. nice.
Auto Needle Threader: Yep, just pull over a little thingamabob and it threads for you. Now i don't have to bother with finding my glasses if it's a quick trip upstairs.
Warranty: There is a 2 year everything warranty. Then a 17 year warranty for something else. i have to check the fine print.
Classes: I get free classes for life! (a deal from the place where I got it. Probably not the case elsewhere) I will sure go a few times to see what other amazing stitches it has.
Stitches: blind hem, serging? really? maybe I can sell my serger? and a triple zig zag stitch. Auto bobbin tension. and it doesn't need oiling.

There ya go. A few things of note upon using it for 1 day.
Here's the 1st thing I made.


ooo, so complicated! :}

Cheers,
Amanda

peaceful wishes

With a little help from Stampin' Up stamps and some shipping tags, we made a batch of wishes for 2012.

After our traditional New Year's Raclette of course.

here's the back


This pile o spools and buttons came from a garland a la Martha Stewart. I love thrift shops!

Then we put the spools on. The buttons wouldn't go on with the thick string, so we left them off.

Then we hung them up with out snowflakes. It looks a bit messy, but the kids like to read them and find their wish. We left a few blank to add more when they come to us.

And many peaceful wishes to you for 2012. Thanks for joining me this past year(s) and hopefully more in 2012.
Cheers,
Amanda

Janome, I think I love you....

I just bought this!

janome
From Sewing World

Well, a few hours ago. I'm just getting around to getting over the butterflies to actually try it out. How exciting. It has all the things I've been wanting. I'll tell more later. must sew! Believe it or not, I have an order for 10 pairs of mittens!

Happy New year.
Amanda

cardinal ornaments

My Uncle gave me a few cardinal ornaments. The cardinal, as I may have mentioned before, is special to me. My grandmother made all of her children (7) and her grand children (maybe 15 or more at the time?) a tree skirt (will take a picture another time) with a cardinal on it. I have made a few exactly the same in my time. So here is an ornament with a cardinal on it.

And the birdhouse




and a little bunny in the snow.


Sorry, not much for talking at the moment. it makes me cough. :}
Cheers,
Amanda

Ontario Science Centre

Today, we went to the Ontario Science Centre It's only about 12 minutes from us and my uncle got us a membership for Christmas! I'm so happy. The kids are so happy. And we got free parking and IMAX movies. (My husband will have to take them to that. I would just throw up. Don't like all that stimulation)

So today was just a quick 2 hour visit to check in and take a venture around.
Here is a picture of Newfoundland. Where I'm from. The south West coast,(bottom left) is Port Aux Basques. You can see, there are a lot of mountains.

Neve was particularly enjoying this exhibit. Me too.



And this one was fun. I think this is her alter ego.


Normally, I wouldn't take my camera. Inside darkish places don't work for me. But I just took my new Prime telephoto macro lens. Nice. Clap Clap.
Yesterday, I spent the WHOLE day in my PJS and hardly got up. Just enough to put some laundry in. And I read a new book in 1.5 days. And I think I had 2 or 3 naps. Thankful that my family let me do such.

Maybe I'll feel like crafting soon.

Cheers,
Amanda

Happy Christmas!

Hope you had a kind of day you were hoping for. I did!
Here is the loot ready to go to the teachers at school. What else? mittens and roving angels!

I must have been a good girl this year. I got something I didn't even know I wanted. A new lens for the camera. A prime telephoto macro lens. it's beautiful. It does just what I want it to do. So now, I'll have some photos and posts for the blog in the long days of winter. Here's a sample:
Olives that Henry cured for the last 8 weeks.

A tree shot at my cousin's house. Only tree lights. no flash, etc. I'm so happy with my new lens.

Daddy has been acclaimed the best and resident face painter.

With one happy girl. This paint is by Snazaroo Awesome quality and it washes off very easily.


So now I get to relax for a few days. Have a few naps, eat a few cookies, have some Hot turkey sandwiches, cups of tea and just general slothiness before I feel like tackling my sewing room I still have more mittens to make for family and families of friends. then I will focus on some new ideas in my head.

Have a good one!
Amanda

teen tulle

Knock, Knock....
Anybody there? thanks for coming back.
It's been a crazy few weeks and it's almost over! It's all been good. 5 craft fairs/shows and every one of them had crazed mitten wantin' moms. I stopped making mens and childrens and just made mom mitts. I must have made over 150 pairs and I still have about 20 to make before this week is over. I'm loving it. Sweater mittens rock! Oh, and the singing at private parties, malls, social clubs, corporate dos and general fa la la-ing where ever merriment is requested.

So today, I finished up another order for a tulle skirt for a pre-teen. After making this, I may make a few more.

One of the moms in our group used to make real tutus and dance costumes for shows/competitions. She showed me some tricks of the trade which has me excited to try more. Did you know it's a ll the rage right now? Tulle skirts over leggings. Where have I been?
Here's a look at the elastic with frill on top. nice eh?

Here's what it looks like inside....

And the 4 layers. I could have gone with the neon green. The black really tones it down. Maybe next time!


I'll take this time to wish you a Happy Christmas! I may get back here, who knows? I know I won't be sewing anything new until after Christmas. I have a few ideas I can't wait to try. If my camera cooperates, if the planets align and the sunlight is good... I'll take more pictures.

Cheers to you and yours.... I appreciate your coming here.
Amanda

bunch o monkeys

I made these cute little guys for the kids in my preschool music class. I love the arms and how they swing all over the place. The arms of the monkeys and the kids. It was a fun bunch. The magical age of 2, when they are coming into their own and getting a vocabulary. O how they grow from the beginning to the end of the 12 week session.

Remember the lion I gave out a few sessions ago?

Easy hand stitching and a bit of machine sewing.

What else have I been doing? Making a few more Maisies from the book More Softies Only a Mother Could Love.

And bit of singing. These costumes are exclusive to this particular mall. The large, huge, ginormous mall that doesn't look like a mall until you're halfway through it. Fun to sing though.


oh, and getting ready for a few shows this coming week. It's closer than I thought. boo.

Thanks for stopping by,
Amanda

Where will I be?

Hi there,
just a quick note:

I will be selling my wares at 3 locations this month.

If you're local, hope to see you there.

Equinox Holistic Alternative School Winter Solstice Dec. 11, 11-2 Children's Peace Theatre Taylor Creek Park-Dawes Road (complete address to follow later) My table will be there at 11, but I won't be there until 12:30.

Lazy Daisy Cafe Tuesday December 13th 6 - 8:30
local artists featured in the Holiday Arts & Crafts Gala . Tis the season to BUY LOCAL : )
Facebook Page

Dec. 20 9:30-12 Roden Parenting and Literacy Centre 151 Hiawatha.

If I can swing it, I'll be showing my new logo on a banner:


Thanks Charlotte! I love it!

Later,
Amanda

Christmas Ornaments-Das style

I had this great idea in my head to make white clay ornaments. I went on a hunt for white clay. Bought some, it was grey. it dried grey. I tried white sculpty, it's too soft and unforgiving of little prints and mistakes. So i sought out Das. Remember Das modelling clay? Bet you forgot about the smell!! Not so bad, it just brought me back to my childhood. SO, I bought white, opened it up, it was grey. I closed it up and sulked. Then I decided to take a little piece and let it dry. it dried white! Yippeeeeeee!!

After borrowing my friend's stash of cookie cutters, (thank goodness, I have no idea where mine are) I went to work with the addition of some stamping supplies.

I'm in love. And I've hardly made a dent to what's in my head and the endless possibilities and combinations of my tools.

Like, I'm going to add some rhinestones to the edges of the snow.

And I want to add glitter to some and use a glassy glaze on top of the glitter.

Just wondering though, should I put a glossy varnish on it? So it will catch the tree lights?


Have a good one!
Amanda

it's a cat

This belated birthday present for a 1 year old is from Betz White's Warm Fuzzies. Guess I'm really liking that book lately and the fact that I've been collecting 50-11 sweaters for the last month or so. It's just a little break from the mitten making.

It was easy to make, just a little confusion on the sewing the front to the back, but it won't be a bother next time. Kind of an
a-ha moment shall we say.

Here's another blurry picture. Of the mouth. I tell ya, this time of year, and maybe for the winter, my camera bites! I can't even get a decent picture unless the sun is shining. ugh. smile, breathe, think pretty, focused thoughts.

And the back of it. Yes, green is a strange colour for a cat, but it was workin' for me that day. All the colours and swatches came together. he's fancy.

And here is a request to be added to the post. Rafael is quite proud of his gnome friends and the big dipper in the sky. He wanted you to notice the big dipper. Do you notice?


thanks for stopping by
Amanda

mini cupcakes

Cupcakes anyone? Partially done cupcakes? they contain less calories!

These come from Betz White's book Warm Fuzzies. I made them tree ornament size and put a little needlefelted ball on top. The others will have beads instead.

I took all kinds of artsy fartsy pictures to show you, but my camera didn't cooperate. fuzzy..... grrr. I makes me crazy that camera.
Anyhow, it's that time of year, time to bury the fig tree. Fig trees cannot survive the Canadian Winter (as mild as it is in Toronto) so it is the custom to bury it. The root ball is small, so you dig it up and bury it a few feet in the soil. Then a layer of leaves to help insulate. Oh, the fig tree is in the burlap. And, I don't know what we'll do when it gets to big to bury in our little garden. Figure that out when we get there I suppose.

Have a good one,
Amanda