Feature Friday

  • Meet Elsie

    ByHeather Bailey

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    Isaac and I fantasize about refurbishing and redecorationg an old Airstream trailer. When we head out on family campouts, we often stop at dealerships on the way to peek in the windows of old trailers. Then, as we drive along, we discuss exactly how we would overhaul them in structure, decor, functionality, etc. Isaac has even talked about outfitting an Airstream as an on-site office, parked inside the studio.

    ElsieTrailerT

    Isaac and I may not ever fit this fantasy into our real lives, but look who did! Monique Willms of Pocket Full of Whimsy recently completed a colorful trailer rehab using fabric from my Pop Garden collection.

    ElsieExterior470 Through brute-force labor, she and her husband tore apart a crusty old camper, then worked their magic to achieve cheerful results in turquoise and red — with pops of yellow.

    They named the camper Elsie and catalog her adventures with the family in a call-out section of Monique’s blog. I don’t see how those kiddos can have anything but happy family memories, touring around in such color. Who has ever seen such a collection of bright, ebullient blankets in one space!?

    MoniqueWillms

    I’m of the strong opinion that women should learn their power tools. Liberate yourself, ladies! Look what you can do.

    ElsieTrailer2T_300Atta girl, Monique, for tackling a project of this magnitude — and completing it. I can only imagine how much work this was.

    Give the girl some love.


  • Pretty Maids All in a Row

    ByHeather Bailey

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    Ravenhill1a

    Like
    so many others, I'm charmed by the bright colors and folky art of
    Russian dolls or matryoshka.  Over the last couple of years, demure
    little matryoshka have become a fierce trend in crafting and design. 
    Russian-doll jewelry, ornaments, beads, fabric, embroidery, and home
    decor can be spotted all over the internet and in stores.  (Fun links at the bottom of this post.)

    RussianDoll250brt Amidst the Russian bunch, the whimsical dolls of Emily Moss of
    Ravenhill stand out — playful stuffed matryoshka made with a variety
    of prints & details.

    Emily’s inspiration for creating these unique dolls was her “growing stack of
    beautiful fabrics and pretty ribbon," combined with her new-found
    enjoyment of embroidery.  As a result, each doll has her own personality. 

    I first spotted
    Emily's dolls in my Pop Garden & Bijoux Flickr group where she has
    uploaded a several cheery, floral ladies.  See a wide variety of fabric
    combinations in her Babushka Softies Flickr set as well.

    Ravenhillsze Emily’s
    dolls were not always exactly what she envisioned. Though the overall
    doll design appears simple, fine-tuning the shape & structure took time.  Emily went through several drafts to develop
    the dolls she makes today.

        “It took a lot of practice and experimentation
    with various tool and mediums… I have learned so much from this process
    and would encourage others not to give up when the first prototype is far from what was planned.
    Plow ahead and persevere.”

    Emily offers Matryoshka dolls in her Etsy store.  Or stop by her blog to see what’s new.

    More Russian doll links:

    *For more information about Feature Friday & the artists spotlighted, click here*

    Photography in this post courtesy of Emily Moss

  • Personalized Pillows

    ByHeather Bailey

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    Imagine coordinating all of your child’s bedroom pillows — with some personalization to boot.  With Bella Marie's personalized pillows, you can.

    MarleyBaby

    Seamstress and Etsy shop-owner, Marie Villa,
    loves personalized items, as do her children.  To Marie, her name
    pillows are "the perfect projects to make that not only coordinate with
    a room's colors, but also personalize it at the same time.”

    Marie used an assortment of Heather Bailey Freshcut fabrics for
    the “Emme Pillow” below. Other materials include a background fabric
    (Marie used a solid, pre-quilted fabric) Heat n' Bond™ Lite, stuffing,
    and lots of thread.

    Emme

    According
    to Marie, this is a simple design to make.  Each pillow takes about 2
    hours to complete. "The letters are the only thing that can get tricky
    – but with practice you can get them just right."

    MarleyBaby2Marie's pattern is from one of her favorite websites, www.youcanmakethis.com,
    for $6.95. However, if you don't have the skills nor the time to make
    your own customized pillows — but you love homemade, you’re in luck. 
    Marie will make a custom one for you.  Contact Marie through her Etsy
    shop, Bella Marie Designs, to place your custom order.  Keep in mind, longer names such as Savannah can be fit onto a slightly longer pillow.

    If you don’t have a little guy or girl in mind, Marie suggests a “Mom” pillow for mother’s day or a special “Grandma” pillow
    with grandchildren’s names hand-embroidered around the pillow's front. 
    For pillow inspiration, comb through Marie’s Flickr set here.

    Savannah

    *For more information about Feature Friday & the artists spotlighted, click here*

    Photography courtesy of Marie Villa.