old to new!

Sorry for the silence on my end... I've been busy whipping up little baby items, especially made from recycled t-shirts. Knits were something my old machine just could not handle, but the new machine...well...she loves the knits. Here's a sampling:

The leggings were made with a pattern by made by rae, the hats were from PrudentBaby.com, the baprons are from Craftiness Is Not Optional, and the little tunic dresses are my invention....because we're having a little lady!





If you're interested in a turorial for the stripey dress, let me know!
Oh, and I finished the baby quilt, thanks in part to quilter's tape. Ever used it? Lovely stuff!

newness and news!

All kinds of exciting things happening here at the Carestio household. First, I took the plunge - FINALLY! - and bought a new sewing machine. Take a looksee at my new Babylock Elizabeth - it has all the features I've been wanting and, well, it's green! At this point, anything would have been an upgrade from my old (much-loved, trusty) Singer, and it is pretty magical!



It will come in VERY handy this year...in fact, I used it to finish up this quilt top that I started in December. It's an easy peasy little baby quilt, but I'm quite in love. Who is it for, you ask? A good question.... me! Well, not me exactly, but for my little bean! Billy and I are expecting a new little Carestio in early August! We are so excited and feeling so blessed and already feeling surrounded by love and support from our family and friends. Can't wait to start this next part of our journey together.... and Violet can't wait to be an aunty! Needless to say, you'll be seeing 100% more baby projects around here in the coming months. If you know of any good baby projects online, please feel free to pass it on!

sorta settled...

Wowza... what a May, June, and July! That's what moving will do - that, and prepping for a craft show. I apologize for the extended silence - life was absolutely swirling and demanded all of my attentions. I'm happy to report that we're getting settled into the new place here in West Asheville, we're loving it (!), we're enjoying the park and pool across the street, and the dogs are loving their new windows. The first space in the house to get settled was the craft room... the space used to be a part of the old front porch and it came with dark teal floors!
I love this little corner especially... it's just pretty dreamy. Still waiting to be pinched, but absolutely savoring the new space. More pics to come as the decorations go up. And as the IKEA furniture is completed - fun stuff!


Next up was the Big Crafty, Asheville's rockin craft show. I participated two years ago and remember learning all kinds of things that first time around... which I'm pretty sure I promptly forgot! It was a great show - soooo many talented folks in this area! - and I sold a handful of mushrooms and stitched things, including one little terrarium to a young gal who was there spending her allowance - love that! (But I didn't sell the green-framed birdies below - score! They're now on my wall at home!)

Okay, I do love the crazy pace of life at times, but I think (hear me, universe!) I'm ready for a little quiet-tude. I think that's when the real beauty of being in this place will start to sink in. I'm ready to get back into crafty mode too (especially since I'm behind on bird-a-month!), though a little break was nice. I keep thinking it's going to start feeling like summer someday soon... anyone else having that feeling?

bird-a-month: may (and more mushrooms!)

It's May, friends! Official start of the picnic season, one of my very favoritest things about summer, and a natural pick for this month's installment. The mini patchwork blanket was fun (but don't look too closely, mkay?), but the grass stitching is probably my favorite element. It was something I added at the last minute, after I thought I was done with this one. Does that ever happen to you? At any rate, I'm glad I added it.And, of course, more mushrooms, this time a little group shot. Fingers crossed that I actually get into the show/sale I'm prepping for, though I'm sure I can think of something to do with all these cuties if not...

And good news on the house hunt front... we'll know in a matter of two weeks whether or not we'll be moving into an absolutely dreamy spot here in Asheville, complete with a dedicated (and lovely) sewing spot for yours truly (which would make me a very happy - very lucky, very blessed - gal!). I'll keep you posted. And in the meantime, we'd appreciate any finger crossing you can spare!

mugs (and more mushrooms)

So I count May as the start of summer, even if it's not official. It's hot, I start plotting my hikes, canoe voyages, and tubing trips, and, of course, I get the thrifting bug. I set out today on an important mission... but of course found some goodies that had nothing to do with that! (Wish the decanter showed up better: there's a ship on the front!) Our cups and dishes and mugs are a grand assortment, and I kind of like it that way. These bad boys below were actually what I was looking for.... mugs and mugs and mugs. (Looove the deer!)
For what, you say? You should really know me better by now (this is, after all, post numero 101!!!)... when an obsession takes hold, it really takes hold! Here's what I had in mind... and I love the look! And I'm working on my own technique for the gills... i.e. cheating with dark strands of felt!

And you'll never guess who I got to hang out with this weekend... photos coming soon!!!

mushrooms of a different kind!

I must be in a restless mood cause I am hopping around with the craftiness! That's what happens when you work on craft books... the latest bug I've caught is needle felting, inspired by the lovely Lisa Jordan over at Lil Fish Studios. Man, this lady is a crafty genius! I fell hard for her mushrooms (even bought some!) and then I had to try them for myself, which lead to an apple tree to a topiary... I'm officially hooked, even though it hurts to type because I accidentally "needle felted" my middle finger. No pain, no gain, I guess! Now what else to make in miniature...

birds of a different kind

Oh, the start of beach camping season - how I love thee! I spent last weekend camping in Edisto, SC, with my mom, her new pup (a cairn terrier named Paula Deen), my grandma, and my cousin and his fam (hi, Kate and Ned!). We had so much fun, especially decking out my mom's new camper with its requisite amount of mingos. Here's Ned with a small portion of the flock... right before the carnage started. And there's nothing like sharing some grand marnier with your soon-to-be-88-year-old grandma!

And nothing like doing a little cross-stitch in your tent! I saw this fabulous birdy (of course!) pattern in Alicia Paulson's new book Embroidery Companion (love it!) and I just couldn't help myself! Not that I need a new hobby OR more excuses to make bird-themed thingies... simply lovely, though, and portable too - loving doing a little stitching in bed at the end of a long day. I estimate I'll complete this pattern sometime in 2013 ;) so check back on my progress!

little springtime adventures

Sometimes I need a break from sewing flat decorative things... you know the feeling? The whole reason I got into sewing was to make clothing (back, oh, 15 years ago) but I haven't done much of that in a while. Until, that is, our good friends had little lady Sofi. Making kids clothes is so much fun... in about an hour and with about $3 worth of fabric, I whipped up these little cuties (using a pattern from Sew Tina!). Fun, non-commital, useful... lovely! A sew-errific Saturday was followed by a leisurely hike at Sam's Knob on Sunday (oh, Blue Ridge Parkway, I love thee!), with my little lady Violet. So nice to move and just breathe some fresh air! And get some much-needed exercise after lots and lots of sitting! That is a downside of this crafty life of ours...Violet went to the vet last week and she is absolutely tipping the scales at 51 pounds - yikes! Turns out those "growths" I was worried about are actually just love handles....

march showers, april mushrooms!

A case of art/craft imitating life? May be! I've been so enthralled with all the little mushrooms popping up here in WNC, especially the tasty kind (see my previous post!). This month's installment of bird-a-month was brought to you by morel power! Gosh, those little mushrooms are fun to make, especially when I should be doing other things like a zillion WIPs, walking the doggies, cleaning the house, and cooking food and stuff... oh, crafty distractions!

I couldn't help myself with the basket! Now to figure out where Mr. Birdy is headed next....

coming up mushrooms!

Everything is.... that is! And that's one of my favorite parts of early spring. I've been working on a little side series (for a show this July - fingers crossed!) with little hooped-up mushroom outcrops. These are so addictive - really the perfect thing for those little fusible backed scraps in my scrap basket. I've been painting the hoops... and, er, getting better as I practice.

Speaking of mushrooms, we have so many varieties of mushrooms here in western North Carolina! Imagine our surprise when we stumbled upon a crop of these tasty morels, growing in a random bit of mulch in our apartment complex! Guess what's for dinner? Yes, a bit alien looking, but so so tasty.

I'm loving this little mini theme - welcome to my new blog header! I stuck with the same one for so long, I'm really enjoying switching things up seasonally. Keeps it interesting! And I'm thinking a birdy might look right nice among those fungi...

birds and umbrellas!

As promised, here's the March installment of my bird-a-month challenge. It has been so rainy in Asheville, and I've been seriously craving some bright colors - I think that happens every spring, with (always!) serious repercussions for my (growing!) fabric collection. I'm enjoying being able to focus on one single little project for the year (with plenty of other projects on the side, of course) and I'm liking how the project is shaping up... seems like each installment has its own distinct feel. I like to think that these birdies are all part of the same family, so not the same birdy every time. I've got some plans for the summer months - think crazy adventurous auntie birdy! It was nicer here this weekend, though...and just in time. The hubs and I are in house-hunting mode and I can't help but be on the lookout for the perfect crafting space! I don't need much - just a little space of my own. I think I'll know it when I find it!

crafting for good.... (and -mild amounts- of evil!)

Strange title, I know... but let me explain. The weather here in Asheville has been unseasonably warm and sunny, well, during the weekdays that is. The weekends, that's a different story, especially the last one - rain, rain, a little snow, and more rain. All that precipitation does make for good crafting weather, and I have been quite productive. Which brings me to the "good" part of my title. Our Asheville Modern Quilt Guild is creating a charity quilt. We're all string-piecing blocks like these:And now for the evil... my nearest and dearest friend is having her 30th birthday this Saturday. I simply couldn't let the glorious occasion pass without making something silly for her...and then requiring her to wear it...out on the town...all night long! If you can't dress your friends (or kids or dogs or spouses) in silly handmade stuff, who can you dress up? And in case you're wondering, her nickname is Tortilla Mae (long story!). Got my March birdy in the works... hope to share him with you soon!

2011: put a bird on it!

Anyone else loving Portlandia? I might have a different opinion of the show if I lived in Portland, but I think Asheville is actually a lot like the place. And, in general, I'm okay laughing with and at myself. My hands-down favorite clip has got to be "put a bird on it." I realize the irony here: who else could have timed the announcement of their year-long project so perfectly?!? Seriously... I'm taking 2011 and putting a bird on it!

And so without further ado, here's Mr. February. I made the heart the same way I used to make valentines: fold the thing in half and chop chop. And the bowtie, well, I thought it was just extra Bryce-like.

bird-a-month: january

Oh, birdy... my old friend! I was flipping through an old children's book the other day and those waves popped out at me: lovely, artful, and just a touch of menacing. I knew they'd find their way into one of my stitchies some day... and today was it! I'm contemplating a year-long project with these birdies - I'm planning one per month (that I can maybe turn into a calendar for next year?). Without further ado, meet January: dark, cold, and with storms looming.

For more in this series, check out: February, March, April (coming soon!)

doodle stitch purplework!

So...I couldn't resist temptation: I'm officially joining Aimee Ray's doodle stitch along. I needed an easy, low-commitment project for the start of the year... and I'm dedicated to getting comfortable using purple on a more regular basis. Good thing I happen to know lots of little ladies being born right around this time! (Here's a link to our little Flickr group if you'd like to play along!)

This project did get me thinking about some potential new years resolutions in regard to craftiness. I think I'd like to take on some kind of big project but I haven't yet settled on a theme. I've been thinking, too, that I should focus more on the process and the journey rather than the finished project, but that's darn hard to do. Or maybe the most important thing is that I put energy toward being creative on a regular basis...

last & first

Happy new year! Working in publishing is a strange thing... I keep thinking "only 2011?" That's what happens when you work so far in advance. I love this time of year: everyone posts their terrific mosaics of things made in the last year. So good to take a look back (and hard to do for folks who are in the midst of planning the next great quilty!) and to celebrate all that creativity. And with that in mind, here's a mini retrospective: my last creation of 2010 and my first of 2011!

Cheers to you for a happy, healthy, and amazingly creative 2011!

a green holiday!

It's December, the time of year when I remember that I should have started hand-making all my holiday gifts months ago. Same for you, you say? Well, I've decided that if I can't hand-make every gift, handmade wrapping is a good - and green! - alternative. I've posted a tutorial for this reusable felt (of course!) gift bag over at LarkCrafts.com (my day job!). We'll be posting all kinds of felt goodness over there throughout the month of December. And looking for other green wrapping ideas? Join forces with the Green Grocery Bag Challenge, a neat project in which folks are encouraged to make, give, and use cloth grocery bags as wrapping paper.

In other news, it will be my two year blogiversary this month.... wowzers! I actually spent a bit of time the other night looking over the last two years of posts. It was so nice to look back and realize what a neat slice of my creative life this blog has become. I'm not sure what I was aiming for back when I created this space in December 2008, but I think I've acheived that! And I thank everyone who has tagged along! Thanks for your encouragement after my creative false starts, your positive feedback, the sweet comments when I submit you to endless photos of the brindle squad... I'm pondering a fun thank you giveaway later in the month - be on the lookout!

more (and more) pluses

I think Quilt Market was just what I needed to get back in my sewing groove! I made the quilt top for this baby quilt in a flurry back in September and haven't had a chance to think about it since.... until now, of course, since we're headed for the baby shower tomorrow. I tried a few new things with this quilty - grid lines, sprinkled pluses, variegated thread - that I can already tell will be making a repeat appearance later. And I finally feel like I'm getting a bit better at binding (which is cute and stripey, though hard to tell in the photo) - major yay! I can't wait to give this quilty to the expectant couple (good, good friends of ours); so fulfilling to give a handmade something!

I always feel compelled to add a little sneaky sweetness...

Speaking of making and giving, we held a little scrappy pincushion swap in our Asheville Modern Quilt Guild. Since I'm (always!) in plus mode, I tried some easy peasy appliqued pluses on linen (with a felt base). Hope my partner likes it!

Still pondering a new sewing machine.... and open to input!

quilt market recap (etc.!)

Wowza! It's been a crazy couple of weeks! First, we went on vacation to the Outer Banks (complete with 2 dogs and the sewing machine and the disc catcher and countless other toys). That truly is a magical place! Then, back in Asheville and the office before heading to.... Houston! It's really hard to sum up the whole quilt market/festival in words, but I've managed somehow, over on the Lark Crafts blog. Click:

• Here (Read about Tina Givens' magical goose and my monoprinting experiments!)
  
• Here (Read about my sashiko class and creations - I'm totally addicted! Plus highlights from the Husband's Lounge!)
  
• Here (Read my recap with some images of my favorite quilts from the exhibit, definitely through the lens of a modern quilter.)
  
• Or here (For a chance to win 500 Art Quilts and Masters: Art Quilts, two fabulous gallery books! Apologies for the shameless plug!)

What an experience! And then, of course, there was the monumental, glorious, and glutinous HAUL! Click here for a more detailed explanation of my finds. Fancy threads (for said sashiko), an innumerable amount of fat quarters (such a weakness), and some lovely vintage fabrics.

It was such an overwhelming, inspiring, and exhausting experience - what a lucky gal I am! It was also exciting to be there as a representative of the next generation of quilters. And I got to meet some of my Flickr friends in person - another level of awesomeness! I must admit that there were times throughout the week when I felt a bit out of place, but in general, I was met with warmth and acceptance - and lots of folks who were interested in learning more about the Modern Quilt Guild! It was also wonderful to see so many women investing time, energy, and financial resources into their continued learning, their passion, and their creative outlet... really inspiring!

And, of course, I found myself skulking around the Bernina booth for far too long - which means I'm definitely in the mood for an upgrade...I can't wait for Cincinnati to roll around!

birds and plus signs - a love affair!

Someday I'll bring these two elements together in some glorious quilty (sorry, to-do list!) but I'm just still enjoying exploring. It's kind of nice to do something over and over again, exploring the same form again and again but trying new directions and ideas. I've been meaning to try this plus sign design for a while (ever since making this back in January), and thank goodness I have the perfect excuse now - a lovely little lady due in January 2011.

And then I made a little blackbirdy something for a birthday gift. I'm lovin the asterisk - speaking of future explorations. This was also a lovely experiment in hand stitching. Boy, when hand stitching doesn't totally annoy me, it's kinda nice. And hey, wait a minute: is that a plus sign? Way down there in the corner....