Thank you!

Thanks to everyone who commented, the vertical banner it is. Now to grommet and figure out where to hang it. I'll be sure to take pictures of my tent for you all to see.

A New Banner!

I decided to invest in a new banner for my craft markets this season. I decided to use Vistaprint even though I've heard not the best things about their business cards. (Should you care to know about that, I swear by overnightprints.com for those.) So, I was pleasantly surprised when I unrolled the banners and both looked pretty good. Better yet I won't have to worry about my sign getting wet anymore. My previous sign was a thick white cardboard and was looking a little ratty.

But now, I need your help. I decided to do one vertical and one horizontal design to make sure that I had the look I wanted for the upcoming season. I'm not going to tell you which one I favor, and let you pick. Problem is, I can't decide which looks better. You know that feeling you get when you're too close to a design to properly assess it?? That's the way I feel.

Vertical Banner



Horizontal Banner



So, give me a hand by commenting, and I'll be forever grateful!!

From black-fly infested NH,
Melissa

Trip to Kyoto

Well, it's a long story. My husband and I were planning a trip to Rome for our 10th Anniversary, but the volcano in Iceland had a little something to say about that! So, without any kind of plan, we decided to head to Japan on a whim. Being a flight attendant has its advantages!

I speak some Japanese and lived there for awhile 20 odd years ago, so Japan is a pretty easy country for me to navigate. We decided on Kyoto because it is lovely this time of year, and there are a lot of historical sites to visit. As my husband aptly put it, "in Rome there are churches and ruins, in Kyoto, temples and gardens." He is quite right. We had a great trip, and it was wonderful for me to be able to practice my language skills. But the reason for this post is actually to show you my new Japanese pattern book!



I don't know why, but I've been hesitant to venture into the Japanese pattern books that are all over etsy. For one, they are a tad expensive, and even though I can read some Japanese, they still look a bit intimidating. Nevertheless, we found a bookstore on the main shopping street of Kyoto, Sanjo-dori. After asking one of the salespeople where to find the handmade sewing books, I found this little gem.



There are a number of adorable looking patterns, and to give you a sampling, here are a few of the patterns I am looking forward to trying. I think my favorite is this one with the ruffled top. I actually made a sundress that has this idea of the ruffling in the front, but I love it with the sleeves. I am thinking to use one of my new Amy Butler bolts with a coordinating solid top and ribbon.




I am grooving on these shorts too. Most kids love pockets, and these look like they would fit just about anything a little girl may want to put in them. Plus, they look ultra comfy! I have some french terry in all sorts of colors, and while it looks like they used a woven linen, I think I'll try them in knit. We'll see.



My big concern is with the sizing. I'm not intimidated with the centimeters, just worry that my all too American child (read: topping the growth charts) will be too large for the dimensions of the pattern. But...nothing to do but try. I can always adjust if necessary.

I'm hoping to have at least one of these dresses for my upcoming show at SOWA. Opening weekend is May 15th and 16th, and I'll be there with some old favorites and hopefully some new styles as well! And I'll let you know how my first foray into sewing Japan-style goes.

Back from a very short trip with very long flights, and glad to be home in New Hampshire,
Melissa

Finally...

Oh, I've been such a bad blogger. In my defense, I've been completely swamped, and other circumstances have prevented me from writing much in the last few weeks. BUT, I did want to give you all a peek at my brand new dress using Etsuko Furuya's to-die-for new fabric.



I combined it with a lavender linen and Kaffe's cocoa polka dots, and I love how it turned out. I had planned to do something else, but the other bolt from Kokka hasn't arrived yet.



And the other side has Amy Butler's love in navy, with mint and purple. Kinda different for me to have so many different colors playing a prominent role, but I think it works!





And it's so great to have two completely different dresses in one. I really like doing reversible styles because they are just so practical. The only thing I worry about when I combine fabrics that are so different are the trim colors. That is of course, the only thing you see from both sides, so they have to coordinate. But beyond that, I love combining totally color combinations in the same dress.

I'm trying to prepare for the cabin fever show in Boston, but not having too much success in the time department. Well, back to the sewing machine!

Happy Day from my home in NH
~Melissa

While the Cat is Away...

Well, you know the rest. Yesterday I was down in Concord NH, visiting my favorite quilt shop while my husband is out West, skiing and visiting friends. Peggy Anne's has a wonderful selection of the fabrics I love, and she was running an end of the bolt sale! You just had to purchase at least 5 yards, and it was 40% off! A total steal. So anyway, I got me some LOVE! Oh, it wasn't part of the sale of course, but I couldn't help myself.



Are you jealous? You should be...





HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL! Thanks for reading, commenting, and inspiring my creativity!

~Melissa
At home in New Hampshire

Invasion of the Purses

Well, it had to happen sometime. The mound of fabric pieces too small to make a dress with, but too big to just give up on, was growing larger by the day. If you sew clothing, you have some idea of the proportions of which I speak. We are talking a good shelf full of smaller pieces that weren't going away, but were cluttering up the view so to speak.



For my show a few weeks ago in Concord, NH, I decided that something had to be done. And it's always a good idea to offer a variety of price points so that people can commit to a little something instead of a big something. My solution to both challenges is the little purse, new to my shop.





These are so fun to put together and very easy to embellish. I try to pick out three coordinates; two for the purse itself and one for the handles. The trick is finding pieces of fabric that will all work together in the sizes I need. And of course I can't leave it just plain, so I decided to go through my vintage button collection and add to the fun little yo-yo's on one side.





Oh, I know I'm certainly not the first one to make a little girl purse, but watching my daughter pick one out for herself was tons of fun. So the only trick now is keeping them out of her sight just in case she decides to help herself to all the other lovely colors.

I may do a tutorial on this if anyone is interested, just comment and let me know. No advanced sewing skills required, I promise. And no piping this time...

~Kansas City, MO
Melissa

Free Shipping at little girl Pearl!

That's right, I just can't let this madness go without jumping in. I'll be offering free worldwide shipping on every in stock size in my shop through Monday.

In stock only, but there are plenty of styles from which to choose. Whew, re-editing all those listings was a bit of work I tell you! Here's the link.

Have a great weekend everyone, and happy shopping. I know for sure I will not be among you as this shopping weekend makes me a bit of a lunatic. Way too many people for me...

Still in Connecticut,
Melissa