Spectator Sewing

We're back in full throttle sewing mode in preparation for some upcoming shows

(well, I am anyway. Amy never stopped.) I usually save work for after kid hours, but there are only so many hours in the night. So the challenge is now to find space to squeeze it in during the day, and as the kids grow and change, so must our methods.

Lately, Eden's taken to sitting with me at the machine, which I love. Mazzy only likes to sit with me when I'm knitting, so she colors or sings me songs on the piano. Sounds easy. Now fast forward 10 minutes and Mazzy's concocting something in the kitchen involving pickles and wheat germ. Like, alot of wheat germ. And Eden just broke the "don't touch the buttons" rule and we went from straight stitching to some sort of criss-cross seaming stitch.

Well, there goes that.

So I finally give in to the old tried-and-true way to get at least 10 more minutes out of them.

PINS!!! They're not just for grown-ups anymore!

What?! How bad could they really hurt themselves? They love it. Who am I to deprive them? I mean, I make them stay on the couch during pin time and they've both come up with some pretty cool pin art.

So, there's today's answer to the "How do they do it?" question.

Tomorrow's a whole new day.

Give it Away

give it away, give it away, now. (does that make you feel old, too?!)

Craftsbury Kids is having a giveaway contest, featuring the exclusive Partly Cloudy Tee.

The winner will receive all of this.

Click the collection for details on entering.

The contest ends October 13!!

Craftsbury Kids

DamestarBaby is among the ranks of the new "Meet the Artists" section on Craftsbury Kids!

A shop worth perusing if you haven't already. Not only for us, you should peep these dolls and puzzles! Plus, the Partly Cloudy Tee you see listed is an exclusive that's only available there, so click on over.

Without Further Ado

Click on over to our shop to check out our new Fall fashions!

I'm extra excited about our new pants, which take the name we almost named our business, Pocket Full of Rocks. But let me wax on for a minute: I get real satisfaction when we can convey a feeling or a place in time with an article of clothing. These pants, to me, are like a grainy old photo of a little ragamuffin with dirt on his face, scuffed leather shoes and a frog in his pocket.

Or, if you're short on costume ideas for Halloween, go with a little hobo. Add an old hat and a bag on a stick to our Pocket Full of Rocks pants and you're golden. We guarantee the pants will nab compliments and they can slide right into their regular wardrobe when trick or treating's done.

Don't say we never did anything for you.

a PEEK IN our WEEKEND

Friday night we got the first real rain of the season. Scarlett wanted to "soak it up like a tree" and I felt the same way so we went out for a late night horse ride. I know it looks like a pink bike but I assure you, its a horse named Sid.

Saturday A very special little boy we know turned the big 4. We went to his birthday up on the mountain. It was filled with friends, dogs, caramel apples, cake, cider, chili, baked potatoes, dirt, puddles, laughter and squealing.

The birthday boy trying out his new boots

Saturday evening I had the pleasure of babysitting Huck. Scarlett taught him about drumming on bowls. They really got into it. They managed to break two wooden spoons. We went on a late night family walk to get the baby to sleep. There's nothing I love more than strapping a baby on me and walking it to sleep. Thanks Kari for loaning me yours for the evening.

Sunday...well to be honest I sat around all day reading thedoctorwithin.com because thats good reading material to me. The whole family was L A Z Y. But that is what Sunday is all about.

Skirts!!!

are coming your way. I've been busy in the "studio" making our new skirts. They will make their debut at the farmers market on friday, and if they don't sell out I'll be listing them on etsy next week.

Also we've got new little boy pants in the works.

The Results Are In...

and none of our picks got picked. :(
No Etsy shopping spree for these gals. All those wishes will have to be relegated to some other special event, or some other magical influx of cash.

But we pride ourselves on our unique tastes and anti-mainstream style, so here we present our winners of the Etsy Handmade Kids Challenge.

Drum roll please...

In the Accessories category, 1st place (naturally) goes to the Cabbage Rose Cap. A close second goes to fairytalefibers for their little Adventure Hood.
Not only because the picture is awesome, but because this is like seven accessories in one. Click the cutie to check it out.

On to Furniture:

I chose, because it has that antiquey-type rag-tag beauty that I fall for every time, this childs chair by The Pink Chicken Trading Co.: Although if I were to buy one myself, I think I'd choose the rocking version. Perfect for the porch.

In the Eco-Friendly category, after our Jewel Beetle, which is quite possibly as eco-friendly as a shirt can be, I'd have voted for these shoes by frostingcouture which are now on sale!!

In Art, we'd have to be true to our school, as it were, and vote for Amy's fellow 1st grader, berkleyillustration's portraiture, which is witty and whimsical and worthy of at least $8.
Since I love me some themes, my pick for clothing comes very close to beating our own Hand-Stitched Guitar Tank, but even at second, it's probably my favorite article of children's clothing of all time, HarmonyWear's Lux Tux Dress.
Maybe someday I'll be able to execute half of those techniques with my sewing machine, but until then, hats off!!

In Toys, I liked the Nightmare Snatcher Journal

partly because it reminds me of the Muppet Show, and partly because it has the potential to save the day, er night, if you needed it.


In Home Decor, the only thing that moved me was inklore's description of the 1-2-3 growth chart.
I remember thinking the day I voted that it's shameful that I haven't marked my kids' height on anything since Mazzy was three and Eden has been standing, so this struck me as particularly useful.

Well, there they are. The real winners in my book. To see who really won, lucky bastards, click here.

And thank you to all 707 of you Etsians who voted for us. We love you, too.