Classroom Cutie: Custom Kid Gift

These fleece stockings were delivered to students filled with candies from teacher. 

Kids: Tooth Fairy Pillow

Well, I've been noodling the idea of a tooth fairy pillow for the shop for a while. I've tried big pockets and small pockets and everything in between. But finally I think I've found something I like. With these particular personalized pillows, there'll be no question in the Tooth Fairy's mind just who's tooth she's whisking away.


Bigger pocket to accommodate a letter to (or from) the tooth fairy and then whatever you happen to put the tooth in. What does one put a tooth in? Sandwich bag? Ewwwww. Anyway, each keepsake pillow is handmade with care, of course. Embroidered fabric pillow holds a child's tooth in the pocket while waiting for the Fairy's special delivery.


I hand embroidered this child's name on the pocket and also added the fairy (which loosely resembles the actual child) for displaying as a decorative pillow. This one is 12" square. And the back is an envelope back, completely removable and somewhat washable.


I'm not sure what I'll do for boy pillows. Requests? Ideas?

Felt Easter Chair Backers

So, I made a few of these -- along with every crafter on God's green Earth -- last Spring. They were promptly snatched up at a Spring show I had. But now, I'm thinking about doing another set and wanted to look back and see what I liked and didn't like.

I think I would prefer -- in my own home -- non-holiday specific bags. Not discreet bags for each holiday. Particularly for Easter, we do baskets. (But these bunnies are adorable -- and might find themselves in another project like a quilt.) I also think I'd prefer to line these with a simple cotton... just to improve the shape of the bag and to add more color.

I also am not sure about the buttons. But, I want to think through how a tie would work. Any suggestions out there? I could use any advice. I'm also wondering about size. This is a pretty big bag, could accomodate a large coloring book, plus crayons/markers/coloring pencils. And I'm not sure I want to encourage that much toy giving at every small holiday. (I'm a scrooge.)

A Little Preview: April 4

The rumors are true, I'm having a little show with a few of my artist friends on April 4. Here is a preview of some of the items I'm showing...

5 Strange Felt People

Have you ever had a project that almost made you quit your hobby? I did, and for some reason I kept picking it up, again and again, over the past five years. Maybe longer.
It all started with a trip to Mexico City. I was traveling with my mother, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law. My sister-in-law, who lived in Mexico City at the time, took us to some unique places to shop. One place in particular involved us following a guy in a pick-up truck through a fairly desert-ish countryside to his farm/hacienda. He was an artist and we were led to his upstairs studio (which looked like a cross between the attic and a hay loft) to view painted furniture. I knew I would not be traveling with a painted armoire or chest of drawers. But there were some little houses that caught my eye. My mother-in-law purchased four of them... one for each of her children's families. I had a crazy idea that I would sew individual dolls representing all the families. That was stupid.
Turns out, I hate sewing doll clothes. And so, it took me a very long time to finish these 5 strange felt people. My kids like them, but are really only mildly interested in them. Good thing I didn't get too serious about going China-free this Christmas. I would have had to make more than just strange felt guys.
Anyway, body forms were purchased at Zim's in Salt Lake City. Felt clothing was pieced together and embroidered. I took some direction from the patterns in a book about Wee Felt Folk. That might actually be the title.