Hunny

If you visited us on "Suzy Day" then you had the chance to meet the 5ft tall-top-secret-doll. Suzy Ultman enlisted our help with for a very special project for Land of Nod's new popup shop in NYC.

This is Hunny.

WE were forced to be hush hush for a little while and couldn't post any of our photos of her until after the opening, but now we have the go ahead so here she is! Fun right?!

I blogged more about making Hunny + more photos over here.

Me, Hunny and Suzy :)

Oh and she made it into the video too!!!

The Land of Nod Toy Shop from The Land of Nod on Vimeo.

Suzy Snack Sacks and a VISIT!!!

Suzy Ultman will be visiting the shoppe this Saturday from 1-4PM. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet a local artist who's worked hard to get where she is and who's joyfulness and whimsy comes pouring through her craft. Suzy's work is unmistakably her own. She designs fabric for Robert Kaufman, has been published by Chronicle books, designed for Crate and Barrel and launched a very fun new line of dolls with Land of Nod!!

In preparation for her visit we've all been crafting fun little things using the fabric from her latest line, Handle with Care! 

You might remember the tea towels I made before her last visit.. Well, I once again wanted to make something useful for someone close so I decided to fashion Snack Sacks for my little girls lunches. We've really been trying to reduce our waist and also save a bit [$] and one idea we've embraced is skipping the zip-locks and using cloth pouches for snacks. We have a few already but it seems one (or all) of them is always in the wash cycle while I'm packing their lunches in the evening. Therefore I've been meaning to make more. 

SUZY SNACK SACKS!

They are very simple.... I start with 2 rectangles. I find starting with two 8"x14" rectangles (makes for a good sandwich size) or use two 6"x13" pieces (for smaller crackers and such). 

I sew the 2 pieces right sides together and leave a small opening for turning out. 

Once turned and pressed I attach my hook&loop (velcro) tape, 1/2" from the top edge on the lining side of the fabric and 1/2" from the bottom edge on the exterior side of the fabric. 
You could also use snaps or buttons if you prefer.. 

Next I fold the bottom up 5 1/2 - 6" ( matching up my velcro) press and pin.
Then I edge stitch from the bottom left corner across the left side over the top and down the right side finishing at the bottom right corner, back-tacking at the start and finish. 

The appliqués on the smaller pink sack were done using the same method as the tea towels in which I used wonder under to adhere them to the fabric before machine stitched around the raw edge!  

While I feel proud of their cuteness and can't wait to send them to school they'll be on display at the shoppe first. I had to hide them from my 5 year old or she'd want to use them right away. If I know her, once they're home she'll choose that pink one every time it's clean.

Finally, in case you didn't catch this info in our newsletter I've pasted it bellow... Note: the time is in-fact 1-4PM this Saturday! (not 3PM as I mistakenly announced in the newsletter). 

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SUZY ULTMAN Visits!! Saturday, October 20th from 1-4PM After placing our order for her latest line, Handle with Care, Anita and I delighted at the idea of having Suzy back to the shoppe, little did we know she was thinking the same and emailed us the very next day :) Truly serendipitous! And how lucky are we here in Columbus to have such a talented lady living right down the road!! If you haven't yet met the local designer Suzy Ultman, you really need to come! And if you have, well then you'll want to come again because not only is she lovely but she also brings adorable giveaways of her paper goods and we'll have several bundles of her new fabric line fresh for the winning!!! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Critters In the Cabin

I have had a great time this week working with our preview selection of Suzy Ultman's fabric Critter Community.  So I thought I would share an easy way to add a little kick to the log cabin block by setting it on point!

Begin by choosing a fabric for the center of your log cabin.  I choose a cute little hedgehog cut into a 2.5 inch square.  To the top of the square I added a strip of fabric using a 1/4 inch seam allowance {my fabric strips are random widths from 1.5 inches to about 2.5 inches}.

For my log cabin block, I am working counter clockwise adding strips to frame the center square.  So the next strip will be stitched to the left side of the center.....

           
Each time I add a strip, I simply trim it even with the edges of the square before adding the next strip.  It is a good idea to press each fabric before adding the next.

For this project I will use a 10.5 inch square up ruler to make the final cut on my block.  And since my block will be on point I need to over size the block.  So I simply continue adding strips until my log cabin is more than large enough for my square up ruler.  If you don't have a square up ruler you can use a piece of paper, posterboard or quilter's template plastic cut to the correct size.  Then place your acrylic ruler on top of your template and even with the edge - and cut!

   
I have placed my square up ruler on point.  Now I can trim around each side and the result will be a log cabin block set on point!  If you would like to make this even more fun, tilt the ruler a little and your block will be a bit wonky!

Easy and fun!

Happy Sewing!

mary    

P.S. Stay tuned for more projects using Suzy Ultman's new Critter Community and the fabric release date to come soon!

Suzy's New Critter Community!

Fabric Giveaway!

This Saturday, July 2nd

If you liked Suzy Ultman's Appleville then you're sure to adore what's coming next. Suzy's new line Critter Community has two, super cute panels picturing a mama and her baby deer, bright eyed owls, 3 little hedgehogs and all kinds of other Suzylike scenes as well as several coordinating character prints.

To spread the news of this fun new collection Robert Kaufman has sent us a generous sneak peak of these adorable new critters as well as some precious Critter Community and Applevile bundles to giveaway to several lucky Ultman fans. Stop in anytime this Saturday, July 2nd, to put your name in the pot and we'll draw the winners...

Appleville Season Preview

I received a call from Ali at Robert Kaufman Fabrics a few weeks ago. She had heard that we hosted Suzy Ultman as a guest fabric designer in our shoppe. She wondered if she could send us a bundle of Suzy's new collection, Appleville. FREE FABRIC!! Are you kidding me? Just tell me what I need to do. She asked if we would make up some samples with the fabric. We could pick the samples we wanted to make and then just post a blog in it. Sure, anything for free fabric!

Well, Emily, Janelle and Mary made samples. And they get the free fabric out of the deal, too. I had too much fun playing outside over the weekend and didn't get my sample done.

Here is a look at the fabric. I just adore it, so bright and fun.

I will be sharing the items that Janelle, Mary and Emily created over the next few days. They all turned out sweet. But how can you go wrong with great fabric and creative sewers?

First Emily....

Her fabric art piece in a hoop is so lovely and bright. The pony tail girl actually reminds me of Emily. I love all the stitching she did around the pieces. Maybe she will sell this to me.

Enjoy and look for Appleville to show up at Sew To Speak someday soon. Anita

Afternoon Tea with Suzy

It's always nice when two to-does can be accomplished at once!

A brief excerpt from my seemingly endless to do list =

To elaborate, two of the things I HAD to do this week were:
1. Introduce the adorable creations of Suzy Ultman, our next guest designer and announce her visit to the shoppe, coming up Saturday, March 12th.
2. Make an anniversary gift for a coffee loving couple, my brother-in-law and his wife.

So in the spirit of killing two birds with one stone, I've set out to check off these two to-does, with this one blog post!

First of all let me just start by telling you how adorable Suzy Ultman's fabrics, papers, softies and illustrations are! Her work is very popular in the paper and craft industry. In fact you may have seen it without even realizing it. Her creations have been published by Chronicle Books and her list of clients rang from Crate & Barrel to Oopsy Daisy and many more.

All 5 images above of Suzy Ultman's work are from http://www.lillarogers.com/artists/suzy-ultman.

Her first two fabric lines for Robert Kaufman are just the tip of the brilliant iceberg which is Suzy's portfolio. She is certainly one to keep an eye on, and I personally can't wait to see what her next fabric line brings!

Suzy Ultman will be at our shoppe Saturday, March 12th  from 2-4PM, for an afternoon visit and trunk show. She'll be bringing samples of her precious work, some great giveaways and a sneak preview of her upcoming fabric line.

Now for my second  P and the reason I can so perfectly combine these two tasks.
Suzy's current fabrics for Kaufman's Metro Cafe collection are all about coffee and there is certainly nothing better suited for my coffee obsessed relatives than these!

Suzy Ultman Tea Towels

For these fun and simple Suzy Ultman Tea Towels I used Robert Kaufman's Essex cotton linen blend, a 45% cotton and 55% linen cloth base and embellished them with raw edge appliqués, stitching and ruffles. The end result is a sweet set of unique towels that I really hope my relatives enjoy.

To make 2 towels you need:

2/3 yard of a cotton/linen cloth, toweling, woven, or twill

1/4 yard of Suzanne Ultman's Espresso Beans

1/4 yard of her Retro Mugs

and 1/4 yard of her Retro Perk

plus 1/4 yard "Wonder Under"
cream and brown thread
and a fabric marker or pencil

Prewash all fabrics (gentle cycle will help prevent fraying).

I made my towels one at a time so I have also written these instructions in the same manner, but for a set of two towels simple follow all instructions 2 times :)

First cut your main fabric (toweling or other) to be 19"x24". Next cut the Espresso Bean print to 36"x4", this will be the bottom ruffle of the towel.

Finish one 36" side of the Bean fabric by ironing down 1/2", reopen, fold raw edge into crease line then refold and iron flat, creating a 1/4" hem, edge-stitch, backstitching at beginning and end. This is now the bottom of the ruffle.

Next sew a gathering stitch along the top edge at 1/4" seam allowance.
Pull bobbin threads and gather until ruffle is 19 inches long.

Attach ruffle to towel with a french seam: Pin ruffle WRONG sides facing to towel material, sew with 1/4" seam allowance, trim to 1/8", iron seam allowance up and then fold ruffle over so that right sides are now facing, pin and sew, backstitching at beginning and end.

Iron ruffle down and seam allowance up toward toweling. Topstitch towel 1/4" above ruffle to keep seam allowance flat, backstitch at beginning and end. Then finish sides of towel the same way as ruffle botton; iron 1/2" to wrong side, unfold, fold raw edge into crease line then refold and iron flat, creating a 1/4" hem, edge-stitch hem in place, backstitching at beginning and end. Hem top of towel the same way.

Now for the fun part!

Cut your Wonder Under to the size of one or more mugs and iron to the wrong side of the Retro Mug fabric. Cut out mugs leaving about 1/16"-1/8" of white all around. Do the same for one or more of the Perkalators.

Play with your appliqué layout. Make some small markings were your mug and coffee pot will go, set them aside, then stitch freely back and forth in brown thread to create a faux bois like surface to rest your mugs on. Next remove the paper backing from your Wonder Undered mug and pot appliqués and replace them on towel, iron to glue in place and finish by stitching around each appliqué 2-3 times.

Voila!

Now have a cup of coffee and enjoy, or wrap them them up with a bag of good beans and gift them to someone who loves their joe.