fuzzy baby booties

seems like so many people i know are having babies these days... (i for one am not. been there, done that.) i thought a cute little craft this evening would be to make baby booties to adorn all those little tiny feet! the above picture was made using felt and some recycled blanket. very cute, but it got late and i didn't finish. i will complete mine tonight because i'm making this pair for someone in particular. come join us in making a pair!!!

as always, come get crafty from 6:30-8:30 at anomaly! i provide all you need to make your project, you just show up with 5 bucks, friends (if you'd like), and a cheerful attitude. see you this evening for some crafty goodness!

RE:Style old zippers have a new look!

I didn't have too much luck at the flea market today, but what i did get was well worth the trip! i scored a supa sweet shoe box FULL of vintage notions!

One of the many ideas on my "things to make" list happens to be a zipper flower. It was my lucky day because this box was FILLED with zippers! There's quite the assortment. Some fashioned from ivory cotton, yellowed with time and lined thick silver metal zipper teeth. Some are a deep purple and others olive green, or there's the skinny polyester ones circa 1970's and 3 are even still in the package! As if the 15 zippers wasn't enough of a treasure, the box also held 2 packages of unopened needles (just broke my last one on Friday night!), a bunch of ribbed poly cord perfect for handles for tote bags, a few yards of elastic, buttons galore, and other miscellaneous sewing trinkets. I'm not going to even tell you how much I paid for it. You wouldn't believe me anyway.

I have a tremendous appreciation for vintage packaging. A few of the buttons in my stash were still on the original cards. The back of one of the cards caught my eye.


Such a simple little sales pitch means so much more now that when it was printed. Women have really escaped the confines of being a housewife (although if you ARE a housewife and enjoy, there is nothing wrong with that either!) and have risen to great achievement. From being a doctor, supreme court justice, a senator, and even the proprietor of an independent shop, (wink, wink) women have much more credibility in this world than they used to!

That being said, there is part of me that's a little sad. About a month or so ago I was sitting outside the shop enjoying the weather and working on the handstiching of an owl pillow for RAM. 2 elderly ladies were walking past me and one stopped and asked what i was working on. I told her and she replied, "You just don't see that kind of handwork any more. It's so nice to see that." The making of things is quickly becoming a thing of the past. People are so busy with the chaos of life that it's easier to run to Target and pick up some mass produced item than to take the time to craft something by hand. We've got to keep crafting alive! Let's be inspired by ideas and techniques from generations before us and craft in a way that is modern, fun, functional, and of course, CUTE!

I digress... back to my project... I fashioned up a couple flowers this evening and this is what i came up with... Add a bobby pin or pin back and you've got yourself a cute little conversation piece!

Please join the crafty crew this Tuesday (and every Tuesday!) for Craftacular Tuesdays at Anomaly! As always, it's BYOB, $5 (includes supplies) and we looooove seeing new faces! Hope you can make it. Feel free to call 904-354-7002 if you have any questions!

xoxo.
emily

Don't forget your sewing machine...

Forgot to add this to the post for tonight's craft, but if you have a sewing machine please bring it. I only have one and depending on who shows, we will all be sharing that. Everyone shares nicely, thankfully, but it's still nice to have multiples to use if possible. Thank you so much and see you this evening!

this week we're taking it up a notch...

summer sewing spectacular project #3: an adorable little bag
a little more challenging than last week's... but i know you can do it!

craftacular tuesdays is so great. each week it gives me the chance to hang out with a diverse group of ladies AND gentlemen. it also forces me to try a new project and challenge myself each week. some weeks, i will admit, i may not give it 100% and the project doesn't turn out as i'd like. and yes, some weeks are better than others, but it's always something different and equally fun! last week's project was a hit! 15 people of all ages and skill levels came out to tackle sewing his/her own reusable sandwich wrapper!

since we're doing our summer sewing series, this week i thought we'd tackle a bag. it's a really simple pattern with a total of 3 pieces: a lining, outer fabric and braided handle. i fashioned it out of vintage fabric (of course!) and then added a fabric flower at the end to jazz mine up a but. we will be focusing more on the construction of the bag, but i had time to jazz mine up a bit with a vintage flower made out of the bag scraps. the options are endless as to the adornments you could add to give your purse more personality! this is the part where you can let your creativity run wild. and don't say you don't have any, i don't buy it.


it's hard to get a good visual of size in the image above, however i made it small. the actual purse pouch measures a little larger than 4x6 and a dainty ribbon (i used vintage lace. i'm in love vintage lace.) closure ties at the top to keep all your items tucked safely inside. this is the perfect size for just an evening with just a few necessities.


i know say this without it ever coming to fruition, but i am really hoping to get a tutorial together for this project. i took all the step by step pictures while i was putting the bag together AND they are already uploaded to my computer so here's hoping it will happen!


as always, craftacular tuesday is from 6:30-8:30. BYOB. 5 bucks*. i supply everything you need to make something super sweet!

looking forward to an evening with friends!

xxoo.
emily

*just had to mention that we are doing an amazing craft that my friend torrey told me about in a couple of weeks... her friend did it at a craft night in NYC... it was $65 for the class and $25 for supplies. i was floored! don't worry, you will never find those kind of prices at anomaly!

summer sewing spectacular project #2: sew a reusable sandwich wrapper

this tuesday we're stitching up some cuteness in the form of a ultra stylish yet practical wrapper to take a sandwich on the go, while being waste free at the same time! check out the impact you can have on making your lunch waste free here. just think how much trash is created every day during lunch time!

the pattern for this is very simple and perfect for sewing 101! we will be using vintage fabric for the outer layer and lining it with oilcloth or vinyl (i will have an assortment of choices!) of your choice. you will love this handy little thing! it will not only keep your bread fresh and be easy to wash/wipe off, but it's also great because when it opens up it turns into the perfect placemat. i already have one of these wraps for my son but am excited to have a second to put to use. i take my son to the zoo and beach weekly and we always take a picnic lunch. (jacksonville zoo = great, jacksonville zoo food choices for vegetarians = sucky) this will be perfect for our sandwiches or to stash the pita wedges for our hummus!

check out the finished product:

unbutton it, open the flap...

and behold, your tasty sandwich inside!
(in mine you'd find peanut butter and honey... yummm!)


as always, the craft is $5 and BYOB!

hope to see you tuesday, 6:30-8:30p.

*** if you have a sewing machine you can bring to share with the group, that would be great! thanks so much!

see you tuesday!
xxoo.
emily

**postscript... i will be ending craft night this week promptly at 8:30pm because i've got to rush out to a concert (JENNY LEWIS!!! yay!!!) at the beach. thanks for your understanding. feel free to caravan out with us. it's going to be a great show, i'm sure!

crafty owls are a hoot!

tonight is the first project in our summer sewing spectacular series!!! join us tonight to make a super adorable mini owl pillow. sorry for no picture, as my computer is still jacked up so I'm having to write this from my iPod. I wish I did have an image though because these are the cutest. hope to see you this evening...

as always we will be craftin' from 6:30-8:30! if you have a sewing machine and would like to bring it to hare that would be fabulous!

xxoo.
emily

the big winner, rosette earrings, technical difficulties and a special field trip

sadly my computer is officially out of commission. it really sucks because I have no extra funds right now to purchase a new one. i'm so sad about my computer and it doubley sucks because I'm posting this from my iPod touch so I have no way to post new pictures or link to anything. boohoo.

as promised the big winner of last weeks button contest is... Sarah, with the guesstimate of 497!!! the jar held a whopping 566 buttons and Brittany happened to be closest with the guess of 600, but submitted an answer after deadline. oops! so, congrats sarah!!!! I
please swing by anomaly anytime to claim your prize!

this week for craftacular Tuesdays we are mixing things up a bit! the craft of the night is short but sweet. we are making painted rosette earrings. then while our project is drying, we are going to take a short 10 minute walk to the cummer museum (its FREE on tuesday nights!) to check out an exhibit that any good crafter won't want to miss... the gee's bend quilt exhibit. these quilts are all handsewn by women of gee's bend, Alabama, dating back to slave times. they were pieced together with scraps and recycled fabrics and ijust can't wait to see them on display!

hope you can make it tomorrow night and stay tuned for a summer sewing spectacular announcement... our 4 week sewing series starts next tuesday night!!!

xoxo.
em