Aaawwwwwww!

This photo from ericabarracaphtography.com deserves the biggest Aaawwwwwwww ever!





It is so sweet! This is the 6 pocket reversible diaper bag in Joel Dewberry Chestnut branches in eggplant. Perfect for any baby - and especially the furry ones!

Thank you Kelly for sending it to me and your cousin for allowing me to post it here. Very cool shot.

Christmas Tree Launch

My brother shared this with me - thought you might enjoy!

<a href="http://www.bing.com/videos/browse?mkt=en-us&vid=df5a084a-99c7-4d14-8927-d4c6d0027e72&from=en-us&fg=dest" target="_new" title="Christmas Tree Rocket">Video: Christmas Tree Rocket</a>

Cool Yule at the Telfair and Shopping Hand Made Locally at Wooden Sheep

Wooden Sheep is open for lots of local hand made holiday shopping.

They are located at 10 W. Liberty St. in downtown Savannah. They feature a wide variety of amazing local Savannah artists. Retrofied handbags as well as some of my pottery and screen printed fabrics are in the mix. Hope you like!

www.woodensheep.tumblr.com




Shopping locally in Savannah you can find retrofied bags at the Cool Yule hosted by the Telfair Museum this December 4th. 12 local artists ar participating, there is plenty for the kids to do and even a wrapping station.

Indie Designs: Etsy Inside Scoop on Kaboodle

Etsy and Kaboodle are teaming up - they included one of the deer antler bags in this one. Thanks!!

Indie Designs: Etsy Inside Scoop on Kaboodle

Bags at Plain Wayne and Jane, Spiders and a Bag Sighting in Savannah!!!

Secretly for the last two or so years I have been holding my breath waiting and waiting for that first bag sighting.

Low and behold it happened to me here in Savannah and on my daily stroll up Bull Street to the Post Office! It was fate. My bike was stolen a month or so ago and I haven't come across the right one to replace it so I have been hoofing it daily to the post.

This time wondering off my regular route I grabbed a coffee and a paper, read for a bit, stared off into space for more than a bit and then headed back down Bull Street to home. And there she was - a girl walking right at me with one of the original reversible hobos. She bought it in North Carolina at Light Years Boutique and somehow we managed to cross paths down here in Savannah - and on my favorite street no less. Yet another sign I moved to the right place.

By the way I secretly hold my breath waiting for signs I moved to the right place - and usually do not have to wait long for one here. Very creepy!


You can now find bags at Plain Wayne and Jane Boutique in Golden British Columbia - a very cool independently owned shop that carries all kinds of hand made and upcycled goodies. Something tells me they are a whole heck of a lot cooler than me!

Here is a link to their Facebook page - they are using a shot of one of the bags as their profile pic right now - too nice!

Plain Wayne and Jane Boutique


And for those spiders - here is some pottery I have been working on and really am kind of in love with so I thought I would share:





For more pottery shots on flickr...

The Roots....

A few weekends ago I biked the perimeter of Jekyll Island, Georgia with my sister and her husband. This is about a 20 mile ride along beach front, through shady passes along the salt marshes and past lots of historical sites.

Along the way we passed Driftwood Beach by the pier. Very cool. My mother said they called it The Roots growing up.

Simple Shift Dress No. 2

The promised shot of the dress actually on!

Can't say I enjoyed the whole process of posing in this dress - but Teeny made the shot and seems to be as equally alarmed at the whole thing as me! Not too sure how people do this for a living. Hopefully I will come across a really cool old dress form at the flea market one day.

Soon as my self esteem recovers from this one I will post some shots of the reversible shift dress that does not have the elastic waist.

Clay + Vintage Fabric Scraps = Happiness

Vintage feedsack charms make the best coffee cozies!











Fun buttons and thick thick jute twine hold these on the mug.

Simple Shift Dress No. 2...

Yes, there is a No. 1, I just have not ever posted photos of it. I was so inspired by this second version I thought I would share some shots of it. This amazing blue fabric with diagonal rows of dots was the inspiration for the changes in the pattern.

The Simple Shirt Dress No. 1 is a basic shift dress. No darts, gathering, or pleats. Simple, old timey and so cute. No. 2 I added an elastic waist to the dress. It sits high - on your natural waist and the top is blousey.

It rained cats and dogs here today, so I was not able to take any great outdoor shots, but will add some tomorrow during the day.







This is my first dress pattern - so I am sure you will be seeing lots of versions show up - I already want to make one with the natural waist about 3 inches higher - so the dress looks like a tank top with a gathered skirt.

retrofied fabrics...

Just printed some of my first fabrics for retrofied and thought I would share some of the art work. I tried this bird and Queen Ann's lace pattern in 3 colors and will be promptly sewing them into bags as soon as they arrive - should be about 3 weeks. Eeek - can't wait!

(Click on the photos for a better view, then click one more time for an even better look)







and this one is a pattern of red wing black birds.....




The red wing black bird was a pen and ink, the queen ann's lace was a drawing made with a Sharpie. I wanted a whole collage look, so layered them with some (hopefully) industrial aged looking backgrounds.

Fabric Worm is inviting you to get inspired!

Cynthia over at Fabric Worm - one of my all time fabric shops - has added a new get inspired section to her online fabric store. Which is an awesome way to show everyone what you are making with all this cool fabric.


By the way - I think I am very inspired by this new line of fabric - Rosemary Lavin Spa Quilt.

Just an afternoon at the library...

This makes me want to move to New York and proud to be an American all at the same time. The music makes it!



Silliness = lots of smiling strangers.

10,000 Hearts, an Interview, Reversible Dresses, and More Bags in Japan - Oh my!

Kind of feel like I have been running willy nilly down that yellow brick road when you are really supposed to skip! Been a little while since posting - but there is lots to share. Just hit 10,000 hearts over at Etsy - some time on Saturday - too cool! Definitely made my day.



Did an interview for Unofficial Etsy Featured Sellers - check it out here.

You can find all that info I know you have been hankering to know - like which ice cream I eat and what tunes are blaring while your bag are created. Hope you enjoy the read.


Sweet Birdie Boutique relocated to her hometown in Japan and reloaded with a variety of new bird bags - including 9 of the screen printed designs featuring my artwork that you see over at retrofied - I am too proud!!

I am rather obsessed with screen printing at the moment - especially on tea soaked fabrics! Sweet Birdie will be carrying all versions of the Coastal Bird Print bags as well as some of the Egret bags.









And finally - the infamous reversible dress! I will have to post pics of this during the week. I have it all ready to go and will eventually turn it into a pattern to sell. It is 100++ degrees in Savannah right now, which is kind of making me loathe to take any new photos outdoors. Just got excited and had to share though!

The Peanut Gallery at my photo studio....

... these guys are always distracting me at my fancy new photo studio in Savannah. (Ha - the fire escape I hope that never has to be used in the manner intended).


























The red bell pepper plant in the top right grew about 4 inches over the weekend! Can't wait to add one to an omlette.

Bag winner is... (and a skirt pattern....)

Stephanie from the blog Reasons to Gather!

There were lots of entries, so I used random.org again to choose one. Didn't have time to write names on slips of paper and go the old fashioned route.

Stephanie - email me at retrofiedshop@gmail.com with your mailing address and I will drop your bag in the mail.





Last summer I made about a zillion of these skirts, so I though I might try my hand at turning it into a nifty little PDF pattern to sell over at retrofied. I would a love a guinnea pig or two to try it out for free if anyone is interested.

I will take the first 3 emails over at retrofiedshop@gmail.com. Please - I have one request - only volunteer if you know you have time to make the skirt during the next 7 days. It takes 1 yard of fabric and approx. one hour. After the first one it should take you about 30 minutes to make one...

(The pattern is for any age from child to adult.)

Thanks!!

Coastal Georgia Bird Bag (Scroll down one post for the bag giveaway...)

Spent the weekend along the Sapelo River and got to take a few shots of a new bag. The print is my Coastal Bird Fabric - hand screened on an organic jute fabric I am secretly (ok, not so secretly) in love with. Espresso colored ink, fabric soaked in tea - yum!

Here are some shots along the Sapelo River and of the new bag that you will not see in the listing at Etsy. Click on the photos and they will enlarge... 10% of the proceeds from all bags in the Coastal Bird Print to the Blackbeard Island National Wildlife Refugee.

Bag Giveaway ...

Here is April's bag giveaway - decided to do the Duck Egg Hobo. Perfect for Spring!




This bag giveaway will run from April 1 - 15th. Just follow the blog, leave a comment below, or buy something in the shop from April 1 - 15th. I will be drawing from all three sources. Comments count as one, following one more, and each time you buy counts as one... so you have multiple entrees.

Thanks!

Sunrise on Haleakela in the Pacific Rim...

Haleakela is Maui's highest peak.



Sunrise over the summit of Haleakala volcano.



The park also cares for endangered species some of which exist nowhere else.


Took a bike ride down from the peak and out through Haleakela National Park... An easy 1.5 hour coast at about 30 mph - when I let go of the brakes that is!






2 t shirts, one fleece, one Windbreaker, gloves, a snow hat, and a wind suit paired with a smashing helmet that would have made Evil Knievel jealous definitely makes you feel invincible. Most of which were in the backpack by the time we reached the bottom.



Shot photos of each flower down the road. There are too many to show here!