DIY project: wooden crate upcycle

This story starts like so many of my stories, someone was getting rid of this adorable little wooden box! Sure it's missing pieces, had paint spilled on it, and has a hole in the bottom... but that's not what I see. I see a bedside table with storage, a simple upholstered top in clean canvas with top stitched details, and nail head trim. Let's make that happen ;D

Post holiday regroup, and a look ahead!

This holiday season I found myself spending some much needed time with friends and family, even though that wasn't necessarily the plan. But now that the festivities are over, I'm back to work planning some great stuff for 2017!

2016 opener for the Brimfield antique and flea market!

I'm not much of an antique collector, but I love flea markets. If you've read my recent posts you know I'm always searching for some old worn out piece of furniture to restore. But there are so many awesome vintage items out there, that you don't even know what they could be until you find them (and I found a few treasures). In addition to all that, this show featured original art, sculpture, and crafts of really amazing quality! Of course, you can't buy everything... so I took my camera, and I've brought it all back here to you! OK, let's jump into my highlights and photos from the show ;D

Whether I'm painting, quilting, or spinning,  I'm always looking for inspiration... and here it is!
OK, so it's no secret that autumn is my favorite time of year... and mostly because the of the amazing show the garden puts on just as it nears the end.

This week was the first chance I had to catch it on camera. As I let the dogs out one morning, I noticed the sun coming through the red maple leaves which already have such a beautiful color palette of dark reds and purples. But when the sun comes through them you get a whole other experience of olives and golden tones.


Then there was the peppermint. It gets these cute purple flowers on the end of vine like stalks, which normally hold dark green leaves, but now are beginning to turn pink with touches of yellow!

  

The miniature pink roses are actually still in bloom, but have begun to show these pumpkin like "hips" that are perfectly suited for the season. This crazy ornamental grass just showed up in my garden this year(I think it blew in from the neighbors yard), but it's a great fit. And with it's purple plumes on blue-green stalks, it has a subtle cool palette that I can't resist!

 

Petra: the mummy

Adorable and undead, Petra was my surprise Halloween project last year... and now she's back, available as a pattern in my Halloween collection (etsy shop, ravelry shop, craftsy shop)! And by popular demand, she comes with instructions for both a knit version of her hair, and a crochet version! 
Are you making Petra?Join us on Ravelry: CALwithDawnToussaint

the creative process

Since I've been away for a while, I thought it was only fair to share what I've been up to... some of it anyway ;D
So as I work through my latest project, I'm going to bring you along. This project is a valentines bunny that I've envisioned in a classic, vintage, and even a little french inspired look. Rather than waiting until it's done, I thought I'd provide updates as I go... so let's get started!

1/22/2013: Sometimes I begin with a sketch, but this time I began with the wool. I had recently purchased a lot of random wool, and so I got in there to investigate. When I saw all the variation in color and texture I thought about a soft bunny, and the special nature of hand spun wool. What I always loved about hand spun is not when it's perfect, but when you can really tell that it's hand spun. The thicks and thin, and silky mixed with fluffy, what would make a better bunny. So I pull out the mix I think will embody those characteristics, weigh it up, and get carding. 

1/26/2013: Next step is spinning. I have a ladybug spinning wheel, and I have been known to lose myself spending a few hours spinning. But don't get me wrong, the repetitive motion can take it's toll and I've had to declare self imposed bans on spinning (and sometimes knitting and crocheting too) from time to time. In this case, I needed to spend a few hours to spin the single ply. And since I want to create a strong, quality item, I've decided to spin my singles thin and ply them together for a 2 ply wool. Once it's plied, I'll soak the yarn so it can bloom, and set the twist.

1/26/2013: While waiting for the yarn to dry, I can work on other things; like choosing fabrics and working out the dress pattern on paper. I usually work out as much as I can from existing or estimated measurements, and then make adjustments once the final doll is done. For this one I'm choosing some french prints in florals and toile, and rich rose and olive tones.

2/3/2013: With the yarn plied and set, it's time to get the hook out. I start by crocheting the ears and arms of my bunnies so that they're ready to attach when I need them. I'm really enjoying the way the variation in the yarn is working out, both in the color and the texture. 

2/7/2013: With the exception of the foot bottom, my bunny's all pieced together and ready for stuffing. I use a combination of bamboo and polyfil stuffing, and whatever yarn and fabric scraps I happen to have around. The polyfil gives the spongy quality, while the bamboo and scraps give the firmer texture you want in the bottom and feet. The stuffing tool is great for this type of work since I work the doll in one piece and stuff the entire body through the legs!

2/9/2013: And with my bunny stuffed, I'm ready to complete her feet. Usually I like to cap off the feet with a coordinated fabric to match the dress; but I'm loving the wool so much that I've decided to wet felt 2 small pieces and use them to create the soles of her feet. It's not too difficult, if you have some roving or carded fiber, just layer the fiber out in thin perpendicular layers. Use a spray bottle to wet it down with warm soapy water, then message it into a flat sheet of felt with a gloved hand or another smooth item (I sometimes use a smooth river rock). In the detail phase, I'll most likely embroider in some toes since her feet are a little bare.

2/14/2013: So from fluff to finished, here she is! I pieced the skirt together from 2 inch strips of that awesome moda fabric you saw in the beginning of the post, and then decided to make a dark burgundy ruffle trim to set it off. Serging and stitching all the edges as I went, I used the same burgundy for straps and the waist band that ties the back together in a bow. Then I picked out some gorgeous glass eyes in a rose tint, and set them over a camel colored felt. I embroidered her nose and freckles in a dark brown, and her knees and toes in the cream colored hand spun I used for the rest of her body.

You can check out some more pics in my etsy shop where she'll be listed for sale, so stop by and let me know what you think!

Thanks for following along ;D
Dawn.

Ami of the month: May

Bonjour Cosette!
She's this month's FO... featuring the most lovely handspun yarn I picked up at YarnParty2011 from Mid Valley Fibers. As a matter of fact it was the yarn that inspired the doll. I love this colorway called "Sunset over water", and I had a great time matching the fabrics in her apron skirt! To me she looks like blue skies and sunshine ;D
You can see more in my etsy shop!

I ♥ my LYS

I was fortunate enough to go on a few trips this year, and each trip had at least an afternoon set aside to find a local yarn shop. I'm always jealous of the selections they have since my area is strictly limited to "craft shop" yarn. I could spend hours just dreaming up what to make, but then my husband says "are you going to buy anything?"... Well, that's how I end up with a single skein of just about everything in the place!

I don't mind buying online, but I would love to have a great yarn shop around to get a real feel for what I'm buying, and that instant gratification!

Do you have a LYS that you love? Do you own LYS? I want to hear all about it!


Here are 2 of the shops I visited recently:
Newbury Yarns in Boston MA: http://newburyyarns.com/
Strands and stitches in Laguna Beach CA: http://www.strandsandstitches.com/