Wee Wonderfuls

I'm going to start with the giveaway

Bugs coming soon... Actually we're off to the library to get another bug book but I thought I'd get this up first. I am hoping to do some giveaways this Summer of old projects, craft supplies, just lots of miscellaneous stuff. I need to clear some space, mentally more than physically, so I can make some new things. I do not feel compelled to make new little pillows when I haven't even sewn up the last little pillows.

These guys I made years ago, years and years ago, when I first started blogging. They're scanned illustrations from a cute childrens book I thrifted printed out on iron-on transfer paper. Then I log cabin quilted them up into these little 8" square pillows. They'd be so cute in a nursery, or on a doll's bed. They'd make a cute new baby gift? Know any new babies? All they need is to be stuffed and sewn shut. Leave a comment if you're interested and I'll do a drawing later today or tomorrow.  

And here's a list of what's coming (this is to keep me on task)... pics of bugs, pics of my new project (jen, I'm gearing up!), list of books I've read this summer, all the new wee wonderfuls toys for sale and a pom pom necklace.

I'd show a picture of the pie, but it's gone

Did you know you can eat serviceberries? Also known as june berries or saskatoon berries. Well, you can! And that I have a serviceberry tree in my front yard? AND that saskatoon rhubarb pie is amazingly delicious?!

It's my new favorite berry.

We're eating off the land out here in the suburbs. It's like little house on the flippin prairie! Tomorrow... I'm gonna blog all about bugs. And give some stuff away, but not bugs.

Wee Wonderfuls toys are popping up!

When we launched the cottage industry licensing program for the Wee Wonderfuls patterns this is exactly what I was dreaming of... please meet the first Wee Wonderfuls toy up for sale.

Isn't she just beautiful! So so sweet. She's made by Sheila Fisher and is up in her etsy shop, sewfaithful, right now!

cause we need a little christmas

Ok, not really (at all!) but found this today at a garage sale. Love it and it's mismatched box.

tags!

And soon, toys!! I can't wait to start sharing the toys made by the new Wee Wonderfuls crew. Stay tuned!

old school poms

still just a caterpillar but might need some wings

these are the colors I used to stitch the book club kids

I took the photo with my phone. I was hoping to blog it from my iphone too so I didn't have to deal w the problems of no memory on the laptop and stinky boy always sitting at my desktop. But I can't figure it out. Can't blog from flickr anymore, not onto typepad at least. Can't upload pics to typepad from my phone. Am I missing something? This should be a one button deal, right??

cute cards

We had a flash back Friday yesterday. A few hours to kick around our old hometown, Oak Park, with just the boy. Such a fun afternoon (thanks Katie!) and we spent a lot of time playing what we miss/what we don't miss about living there. I'll tell you what I realized I miss a ton about living in Oak Park, being able to find a decent greeting card! I went nuts on a card display at the Magic Tree bookshop. And these were mostly just birthday cards. Good thing I didn't make it down the block to any of the other shops. I've decided though, I'm going to become one of those people who has a stash of great cards. They make me so happy!

clockwise from top left corner: Jillian Phillips/Lilla Rogers Studio 2011, Madison Park Greetings ** Suzy Ultman/Lilla Roger Studios 2010, Madison Park Greetings ** Jillian Phillips/Lilla Rogers Studio 2011, Madison Park Greetings ** Mique Moriuchi for Peacable Kingdom ** HsinPing Pan for Peacable Kingdom

first project of the Summer

Thanks to everyone who has bought a license so far. This is so fun for me. I've already seen some super cute toys and I can't wait to show them to you guys!

What else is new? Phoebe is FOUR! And just as cute as four can be. Here she is with her favorite present, a ukelele. So she can have a luau she says.

The only other new development around here is being on first week of Summer break. I don't really know what to say about Summer so far. Our weather has been crappy. Just like almost our whole Spring has been. It is quite an adjustment for Oscar after his first year of all day school. Day by day it's getting better but I'm exhausted. Our main occupation has been animal observance so far - butterfly house, zoo, tadpoles at the marsh, fish at the pet store. 

On the craft project scene, I was finally able to find a match for the fabric I used for the book club stitchettes. I've been halfass looking for months now and just found the right shade of ivory this week. Of course after stitching up this trial block I realized it has a satin finish. Can you tell it's shiny? I'm hoping I can just go with it. I'm itching to get this quilt made up finally. 

(oh, and someone asked about the floss colors. I'll take this to the store and match them up and post the DMC #s soon)

 

Now available: Wee Wonderfuls Cottage Industry Licenses

photo by Jen Gotch

Dolls to make for fun and profit! That's the title (with my exclamation point) of Edith Flack Ackley's 1938 book on doll making. I've always loved that. I hum that to myself while I'm working on my projects, making toys for fun and profit. Of course I came to the conclusion long ago, after many attempts that petered out, that sewing toys to sell wasn't for me and that's how I ended up in the pattern design business. Still I dream of a shop filled to the brim with my dolls, and I'm not giving up, but in the meantime I thought I'd give you all a chance to do it yourselves. We've had so many requests for a program like this and I'd be embarrassed to admit how long we've been planning to this. Thanks to those of you who I told this was in the works and have been waiting patiently! We're happy to finally be offering Wee Wonderfuls Cottage Industry Licenses.

Click through for the long of it, the short of it is - if you're a home sewer, entrepreneurial type you can now use any Wee Wonderfuls sewing pattern available (including patterns in the book!) to make toys to stock your etsy shop or your booth at the local craft fair or farmers market, etc etc. And we'll help promote your cute creations on the Wee Wonderfuls site. And that the licenses are *on sale* now until June 15th to kick things off!