Masquarade

Sorry, last week's posts got a little derailed. These last few weeks of August I always find get a little insane, between trying to fit in the last few days of daytrips and fun before school starts and trying to get everyone back into a normal routine so next week's return to school is as smooth as possible.

Anyhow, amongst all the insanity I've also had a great week at my shop. I started a new custom project just yesterday for some custom felt masks that I'm finding really fun. I have to say the reception to these masks has been excellent. My kids play with theirs almost everyday and they were even part of our own party loot bags.

These are the standard masks:

 



For this custom project I'm making the masks a little bigger to accomodate some embellishment and I think they are super cute for a fun mixed birthday party.

 

Happy Monday!

A little something new

All month I'm hoping to have new items in my shop each week. In my fantasy this really looks like 3-4 new items per week. Reality is a little more like 1-2 items. I'm ok with that, especially since its summer and the kids are home, the sun is shining and calling us outside. Here are a few of the new pieces listed this past week:

 

Rustic Burlap Grocery Bag Holders now available at Thread

 

Small Toy Storage Bag now available at Thread too

 

 

For the month of August I'm offering free shipping with the purchase of 2 or more items from the accessory section at Thread too, be sure to check it out!

Happy Monday!

Mixed Bag Friday - Gluten Free

I decided that Friday would be the catch all for all the randomness that is my life. Throughout the week there are so many things that catch my eye (nice way to say I spend to much time on Pinterest) and with a 3 year old and a 5 year old at home there is always something going on from crafts to new recipes.

This week I wanted to share some of what's been going on for us this summer. We've found my daughter to be gluten intolerant. I'm grateful that her symptoms have always been mild (bloating, gas and occasional tummy aches when it's been a very gluten-heavy day) and that we finally have it figured out, but I was really hoping this wouldn't be the case. We'd already restricted lactose for both children, not too bad but I swear more people invite us out for ice cream now than in the whole rest of my life put together. Now with the added gluten intolerance I dread eating out, going to birthday parties and pretty much every social outing (since with little kids it's always about food). That said I realise that there are lots of options and people are very willing to try to accommodate us, we pack a lot of food when we go anywhere now. I know this will get easier, but eight weeks in I find it completely overwhelming.

In preparation for school I've been combing Pinterest for collections of lunch-friendly, kid-friendly gluten free foods. Here are a few I've found that I like so far:

Gluten Free quiche, we've tried this recipe as both crustless (not a big hit) and a slightly modified version in a store bought gluten free crust (the clear winner).



Next up on my to try list is Gluten free Pierogies I know you are probably thinking that pierogies are not your typical lunch box fare but they were easily the most requested item of the previous school year.

And of course I need some sort of option for pizza day so we're going to try a cauliflower crust recipe. I don't dare send this one to school without a test run first!





Finally, because there is not enough going on in early September (heavy sarcasm here) I was reading the announcement of the themes for Project Run and Play and I am seriously trying to figure out if I can fit the sew along into my schedule...I need to sleep on it.

Have a great weekend!

A skirt from scraps

I will admit to being totally surprised by the summer Kids Clothing Week. I went looking for the dates but of course it was planned for the week we were away camping, not too conducive to sewing for an hour each day. To make matters worse, I only found the dates the week before the challenge was to start. So I decided I would just sew with what I had on hand and I would start early to that over the course of 3 weeks, in between summer activities I should cover the 7+ hours of sewing.

For my first project I pulled out some left over corduroy fabrics, I'd used the solid for a spring coat a year or so ago and the floral had been a dress the previous winter. Since I didn't have a lot of either fabric I had to hunt down a pattern with judicious fabric use. The winning pattern: The Milkmaid Skirt. I loved that it wasn't design to be flowy or twirly, since neither of those would work with the corduroy and I could blend the fabrics so I'd have enough.

 

 

 

I love the pocket detail:

 

 A little surprise inside the pocket:  

 

 And of course the back.

Overall I was very pleased with how the skirt turned out, it's practical for school this fall, it's something she really doesn't have much have for fall and best of all it's all made of scrap fabric making it an amazing deal!

Linking up at:

 

 

 

 

 

Into the deep end

So I have been furiously sewing items to stock up my etsy shops. Yes, I did pluralize that...the second shop is officially open. It's still a little light by way of products but this week I should get across that 8 item barrier (I think my first shop was stuck there for 3 months). I'm finding it really interesting to sew for the different shops, it's as if they pull from really different parts of my creative energy and I find it's really working from me. Now, depending on my mood, I sew for myself, my children, my adult shop or my children's shop and it's blowing my mind how much is being completed. I'm thrilled.

Here's a little peak at some of the new pieces I've completed:

 

Tote Bags now available at Thread

 

Soother Clips / Toy Tethers now available at Thread too

There is more to come, check back next Monday to see some new products featured. I'm also looking for feedback on what items you might like to see tutorials on, leave me a comment or email me at threadbykristen@gmail.com.

 

Linked up at: