New to Etsy.com

I recently signed on to Etsy.com and today signed up to be a seller on the site. This website features hand-made items for sale so is a good place to post some of the things I have made. At the moment the listings I am putting up are for items I have made in the past. As I have been cleaning up and sorting through my sewing studio I have come across a lot of items I am ready to part with.

I have many boxes of things I made years ago for craft shows I used to participate in. When I quit doing those shows I just packed up the items that I still had left on hand. These dolls have been sitting here, boxed up in a box of favorite items to keep, for quite some time. I am afraid much of the other hand painted wood items may not be worth much now as that trend has pretty much gone by the wayside from what I can see. I may try to post some of those, but I think most of it may end up going to the second hand store for charity once I am all through with sorting it. My only other option if I cannot sell it on Etsy or Ebay is to give it away, give it to charity, or just toss it out. I've still got lots of boxes and stuff to go through, but decided it was time to start parting with some of it.


The cloth dolls I am now listing are some of the more interesting things I think should still be of interest for other cloth doll collectors. I have thought more than once about just boxing them back up to keep awhile longer, but I have to ask myself why keep it if I don't have room to have them out for display any longer. I have made so many things over the years I have run out of room for display, and would also like to free up some room from my storage area. I am interested in getting back into creating some new things, but feel I need to make room for more first.

I made the white doves as a counter to all the black of the blackbirds in the sunflowers. My sister lived in Iowa at the time I came up with these. We went to visit that summer and witnessed the floods covering and blocking our route to get to her house. We must have driven at least an hour and a half or more out of our way trying to find a road open to get through. The dove symbolizes hope in a stressful and challenging time or event.
The original poem I wrote myself and put on the hand-cut and hand-painted wooden cutout of the rainbow and cloud motif. The poem reads:

Noah & Co. stayed safe in the ark. . . and after the flood on a mountain did park. A rainbow set high in the cloud above - God's promise forever of His abiding love!

I wanted to write something fairly short that I could make fit on the small wooden cutouts while also covering the message of the story of Noah and the Ark and God's faithful promise of hope given with the rainbow. The back side of this small wooden cutout is dated 1994. It's hard to believe it was that long ago when I originally made these doves. I always liked these little doves. Actually I liked all these little dolls, must be why I kept them around for so long. But, it's now time to make room for more things to come.

I looked for dates on the other two dolls, but apparently didn't mark these. I'll sign them before I let them go. I remember I used to hand sign the backs of the heads or on the back side or the back of a leg. The dolls are meant to be used for collector items, not for children's play toys. The garments are sewn on and are not meant to be removeable. Some of the stitching and small parts just are not recommended for children's playthings.

My etsy shop can be found by clicking on the sidebar where indicated, or click here at reenie581.etsy.com to see these and other current items I am selling.

The Sewing Studio

I'm not quite as frazzled as this doll looks although I still have lots of work ahead of me to get truly organized. Work on organizing my Sewing Studio is progressing slowly. I seem to be working so slowly because I get sidetracked with other tasks. I did some straightening and organizing of other parts of our home the last few days. Those areas needed it, and I'm glad to have made so much progress elsewhere, but want to continue downstairs now. So this is my task today.

By the way, the doll is from an on-line class I took some time ago from Judi Ward. It is her "Whatever, Whatever" doll. She still needs a face. I have only pinned the head in place for now until I finish the face (in case I mess it up it will be easier to replace). The hair is from one of those scrunchies that was made up of synthetic 'hair' we used to sell at Claire's Boutique years ago when I used to manage one of those stores. I kind of like the 'all over' look of the hair like that. It looks like bed-head when I wake up in the morning. Right now she is just tucked away behind this older Compaq computer watching me as I compute and sew here in my studio. One day I want to set up a better display area for some of my dolls where they can be showcased with more flair. For now she's just a bit shy.

She's holding a stuffed heart filled with sewn-on glass buttons from my old button collection. Years ago I had a sewing machine that stitched out alphabet letters and I sewed up a bunch of fabric strips that said, "I Love Buttons." At that time I made up a lot of these hearts with old buttons and sold them through a craft sale (years ago when the kids were little).

I purchased some of those stiff boards to wrap fabric around similar to like it comes on boards at a fabric shop. The purchased fabric storage boards worked nicely, but seemed a bit expensive selling at $1.69 for each piece. It occurred to me to cut some foam core I had sitting around my studio to the same dimensions to use for this purpose. The foam core might not be acid free because foam core is made of paper card stock mounted to a rigid plastic foam core, but they are sturdy and serve the purpose well. I had a few pieces sitting around, then went out and got more at a discount store. I decided to wrap some of the larger cuts of yardage like a mini fabric store. It is easy to unwrap to cut off chunks of fabric when needed, and makes it super easy to store fabric while being able to see it all on the shelf. In typing this up and looking for links I see there is foam core available that is acid free. I'm sure the kind available at my local discount store is not this variety, but I'm still okay with it. They look so nice lined up on the shelf this way!

I still have quite a bit of fabric folded and stacked on my shelf, but the larger yardages of fabric are easier to work with when they are wrapped around these foam core boards.

In order to wrap the fabric around the boards (which measure 10" x 14") I took the 45" wide yardage that comes already folded in half, folded it in half again along its entire length. This way it fits the 10" x 14" board better for wrapping and is a manageable size to fit the shelf I store it on. This means there is an additional crease the length of the fabric, but I usually press my fabric as I cut and sew my quilts anyway. So far the additional crease has not posed a problem. I would love to have the big, long fabric boards from the fabric store, but do not have the proper space on my shelves to store fabric that way.

A close up of these fabric boards reveals the first in this row is one of the original corrugated plastic boards I purchased (with nice rounded corners). These are entirely made of plastic. The rest of the boards in this row are made of foam core that I cut to size myself. I am completely pleased with my own boards as a slightly less-expensive alternative to the purchased ones. I was able to cut four fabric boards from one large piece of foam core. I considered just using a couple layers of cardboard from salvaged boxes. The cardboard idea would have been cheaper, but it doesn't look as pretty as the white foam core boards, and cardboard is not acid-free either.

While sorting through my stuff I came across this box of strips I started sewing for a strip quilt. These were started before all the rage of the jelly roll quilts and all the new patterns and books we currently see available. I really like those jelly rolls that have 2 1/2" fabric pre-cut for quilts. It makes it so much easier to just get right to the sewing process.

These are some 2 1/2" fabric strips I currently have sitting on my cutting table. I decided I would cut up all my smaller scraps of fabric into this 2 1/2" jelly roll size strip. I love having pre-cut strips ready to sew when I want to just sit down for some sewing relaxation, some sewing therapy!

Out with the Old, In with the New

This photo shows a brand new flower that just popped open today on my peony bush - alongside evidence of a spent flower from last week's rain storm. I thought the image was fitting for my blog since I am working on clearing clutter and re-organizing the studio. Out with the old, and in with the new.

I spent some time this afternoon finishing the last of my flower planting in the garden. I got the last of them planted then wanted to cool off. It got hot outside in the garden. It feels good to be done. I had several packages of flower and vegetable seeds that I planted as well. Most of the seeds are supposed to come up in about a week. I can't wait to see what takes hold and grows.

These zinnias were starting to look a bit peaked and stressed since I didn't get them planted right away. A lot of watering and a few hours later they looked much better.

These are now housed in a very large outdoor pot by the patio. I still have lots of weeding to do by the patio. The bright daytime sun and warm weather limits how long I can stay outside - sunburn and all. Later in the evening I am bombarded by mosquitoes. The choice between the two? I'd take the sun and possible sunburn before the mosquitoes. The mosquito bites leave little red welts that stay for several days. I hate that itchy feeling.

It is hard to believe it's going to be the month of July in a couple days. The year seems to be absolutely flying by. One small tribute for this 4th of July holiday sits in my Sewing Studio. A small flag finds a home in among my collection of old wooden thread spools. It is displayed on a shelf in my studio right now. A larger flag we use outdoors still needs to go up. I will get that flying in the morning. We usually don't go overboard for most holidays around here. A few simple things usually do just fine. I think we'll probably be celebrating at least a few hours of the weekend out on the boat with a little fishing. It seems funny, but add a little summer-time sun, a pleasant breeze, an afternoon out on the water -- yep, sounds like a good way to celebrate to me. I know we've still got some fireworks left over from last year, so it's likely we'll take those along. There are usually a lot of people shooting fireworks out over the lake each year. That means we get to enjoy sending off a few of our own, but also get the benefit of viewing fireworks from the others out by the lake also.

Studio Re-Organization Progress So Far

I have been busy with the reorganization of the Sewing Studio this week. Here are a few photos showing some of the progress on that front. So far I am pleased with what has been accomplished, but I still have a huge stack of stuff to go through in the other room. The goal for this coming week is to try to get that stack of stuff whittled down to manageable groupings. I originally thought I would put a bunch of stuff in a yard sale, but I am dragging my feet on that idea. I don't really look forward to sitting around out in a yard sale. It just doesn't appeal to me. Maybe I'll divide what I don't want any longer into groups and sell it on-line.

This is another view of the organizing that is done so far. I labeled and sorted small bins with my ribbons, trims and various embellishments. I know I have more of this kind of stuff to sort through this next week. We'll see how much more shortly. Perhaps I'll have to part with some if I don't get it to fit where I want it to go. This shelf is essentially filled.

I love the look of those Aunt Gracie 20s-30s reproduction fabric prints. I purchased this stack of this type of fabric to create a quilt. I want to start working on my idea for this quilt soon. It's been on my mind lately. So once all the sorting and organizing are complete I'll have that move higher up on my list of priorities. The folded fabric below the ribbon-tied stack is in this fabric category. That means there is quite a bit of fabric to work with. My idea involves digitizing some 20s-30s type applique designs using this fabric. I have not started digitizing any of the applique shapes that are in my head yet. I know there will be a butterfly, a flower, a Scottie dog among the designs. These are typical applique shapes for the period. I may have to do a little research to see what else was the rage at that time. I want my designs to fit the period, but be unique from other designs already being used for this type of quilt.

Sewing Studio

I'm working on clearing clutter and organizing the studio today. I was here for awhile yesterday starting some work on it, but ran out of steam before I got too far. Here are a few glimpses of what I am seeing: This golden chicken is something I made several years ago. I used it as a sample for a class I taught once. It was about using the decorative stitches available on our machines for a useful project - small, quick and easy to sew together with just a few seams.


These pics are just some of the current fabric stash. I have them stacked right now, somewhat by color. I am going to be working at cutting most of the fabrics into 2 1/2" strips for jelly roll quilts. I'm also planning to cut blocks in 3", 4", 5", 6" sizes. These work right for most quilts.

I have this stack of whites and off-whites to use for lights in quilts, and some to use for backgrounds for machine embroidery. This is pretty much my full stack of lights. Looking quickly through the stash I could probably use more lights to balance so much of the darks.

The third stack is a mix of black and white prints and some assorted colors. This grouping of color pieces are fairly small. They'll likely be cut to 2 1/2" strips as I get time. The scraps of plaid you see are already left overs from other projects. They are not very big, so I'll cut what I am able to from them and see how many blocks I come up with. Again, they will be 3", 4", 5" or 6" blocks.

Here's a look at how I have chosen to sort some of my smaller scraps. These are mostly odd-ball sized strips narrower than 2 1/2" but I hated to throw them out. They will make a String Quilt - a scrap quilt with randomly sewn narrow strips of fabric scraps. I recently saw some sites on the web that talked about Crumb Quilts. This is somewhat along the same idea, but crumb quilts use tiny pieces, not narrow strips. I had not heard this term before this week, but apparently I have been making Crumb Quilts for awhile not. I've got several blocks pieced like an old crazy quilt using up random small scrap pieces. I like the name Crumb Quilt.

Done with classes for the quarter

This photo is to symbolize my joy at being done with classes for the quarter. That means I can move on to working on some other things for awhile before I hit the books again. I'm happy and my sewing machine is happy!

First even planned is to spend some time with my husband in his boat fishing, then get back to organizing and straightening my sewing studio, combined with some much needed Sewing Therapy. That sewing therapy is going to seem like long anticipated relaxation. It'll be sewing retreat in my studio for the next several days! Yeah!

My hubby finished the deck and steps in the back - Yeah! The building inspector came today and it passed. Hubby planted some tomato plants in the garden and will put in some cucumbers tomorrow. My peonies have started blooming, the prairie roses took a beating in the thunderstorm that swept through here a few days ago. Life goes on, now I feel the relief of being able to enjoy it a bit better with no class requirements to stay up-to-date in.

I'm looking forward to working on my own website this summer. I've got to stay fresh and up to speed and continue to memorize the tags and other info while I wait for classes to start again in the fall. That will be another project to keep me busy.

Random Studio Photos

Okay, so I thought I'd get out my camera again to take some random Sewing Studio photos. These, in no particular order, are some of my interesting collection of "stuff".


My Designer 1 was purchased many years ago as my first embroidery machine. I have always enjoyed this machine. Even though I have a newer Pfaff model, this one is still a favorite of mine. If you have ever considered purchasing a sewing/embroidery machine I would definitely recommend this brand and model. Of course they have since made an update where the floppy disk drive is now replaced with a USB port for a memory stick. I decided not to have mine updated because I have so many designs on floppy and the slightly slower loading time doesn't bother me.


This is a purchase I made when I attended a Husqvarna Viking Convention for machine and software training some years ago. I managed to get it and a few other items in my luggage and it survived the airport attendant handling to grace my Sewing Studio wall. It had been stuck at the time shown in the picture for some time until tonight when I inserted a new battery. I have moved its location to another wall above my desk to hopefully help me better track my study time. It's happily ticking away as I blog!


I mentioned this Jeans Quilt in a previous blog earlier this month and also posted a link to the pattern I submitted to About.com some years ago. Here's a photo of some denim circles cut from recylced jeans, ready to sew. You can see the plastic coffee can lid on the rear left pile. It's the same one I've used for years. These will go to make a new car quilt I'll use later this fall when the weather turns cold again.


This orange banner was something given away at a Husqvarna Viking convention when they rolled out the new Viking Designer SE. The million machine march was a play on the slogan once used for the million man march several years ago. This was a fun convention, very lively as everyone in the audience had banners to wave, balloons with the Viking logo were released, bells to ring and whistles to blow at the new machine unveiling. Lots of excitement and lots of noise. I have wanted to sew a string of banners in this same size to decorate my Sewing Studio for quite some time. That's another idea on the back burner awaiting some free time.


I've seen weekly photos on some blogs that show "What's on my Desk" and thought I'd start one in a similar vein. This one will go up on Wednesdays - "What's on my Cutting Table". I want to try to do at least some sewing every week. So far that has been pretty minimal while I've been busy with my on-line classes.


Okay, while I'm at it, here's the answer to "What's on My Desk". As you can see I'm well equipped with iced tea and what's left of a frappacino while I was studying for classes. Here I had just opened my blog page to make this update. As soon as I'm done taking the "Blog Break" it's back to studying. Nose to the grindstone and all that.


I was looking on-line for some material for a class project and happened upon a news report about Starbucks changing their logo recently and how the logo change is stirring up controversy, apparently it's causing some uproar. This is a picture of a mini taste-testing cup when I tried a new flavor over the Christmas holiday last year. It is currently holding a batch of fortunes from fortune cookies consumed during a few Chinese food meals. I keep thinking I'll use them someday in a collage or in a fabric journal. Just another idea rolling around in the back of my mind.


Anyway, the controversial new logo design hasn't shown up in our local Barnes & Nobel Starbucks yet. I never paid that much attention to it before. It's interesting how one of my classes this week covers images used in advertizing and how they need to be chosen carefully so as not to offend various groups and those from different cultures. The article I read said Starbuck's sales have slumped considerably since gas prices have increased so much lately. They suggested this remake of the logo is an attempt to stir up interest and increase sales. Very interesting!

Color in my life

I love color in my life. This is a sampling of new thread racks I purchased recently. I managed to get these sorted at least - Yeah! I am making some progress on my sewing studio. You'll notice these are an assortment of brands, but I have the most of Madeira brand threads, probably because that is what we sold where I used to work. I like this brand. At some point when I run out of some of the others I'll probably end up switching to all Madeira.

It's a little thing to have these all sorted and lined up by color, but it makes me feel good to look at that wall of threads and see ORDER! I'll keep plugging away on more of this room little by little. I sneak in sorting and organizing mini sessions between other things (like waiting for my printer to finish a task, between taking the dogs for a walk and starting some homework, etc). I figure 5-10 minutes here and there will add up. Plus I can look at areas of the room and see progress. It gives me hope that this will eventually all get accomplished!

I took all three dogs out for a walk today. We did not get snow that was in the forecast. It hit a bit further north. We got a little rain scattered about. There was still a feel of dampness in the air. That along with the wind lead me to go back to wearing my wool jacket and leather gloves on our walk. Quite a lot of other dogs and their owners were hitting the sidewalks today as well. We came upon many and every single one of them Sugar and sometimes Sparky had to be vocal and bark at them. She needs to be socialized more to wean her away from that behavior. With all the barking and protesting she was doing it was not such a peaceful walk. I think they were as glad as I was to get out of the house. They seemed pleased with their outing. I'm walking them around ever larger areas as we go. I want to get them used to walking and work up to a good long walk by the middle of summer. It's a matter of pacing ourselves a bit now so they can build up their stamina, especially Sugar. She the oldest one and had been used to being stationary the most. Maybe by mid-summer she'll be used to walking as well as seeing other people and other dogs and cut out all the noise.

Clearing Clutter and Organizing

I've been away from my sewing studio for quite a while and it is in need of a lot of TLC. I've wanted to go through my huge collection of stuff for so long. Now is the time. I will have a bunch of things to get rid of once all the cleaning and sorting is complete.

Yesterday I spent most of the day clearing nearly everything out of the room so I could do some rearranging. Today was spent vacuuming then arranging the bigger items to fit my new floorplan.

The effect is to open up the space more, allow the light to shine more evenly around the room, and give me a chance to purge all the unused and unneeded stuff from the room. I am planning on putting some things up for sale on ebay once I've got the room finished. I have such an abundance of stuff -- it's been calling for a clean and purge for so long!

I've been taking photos along the way, so will post some within the next several days. I am really enjoying the openness now. I hate the idea of bringing back some of the stash -- I'm ready to let some of it go. I hope there are some willing souls out there looking for some bargains from the excess.