She didn’t want the pocket type that most people have but instead wanted something similar to the laptop cover I made for myself. So I chose some nice, sturdy felt, constructed an iPad mockup out of layers of foam board and elastic, and went to work.

(Oooh, I really should get to those wrinkles! Pretend they’re not there, ok?)

I hate the beginning steps of cutting a project like this because I’m always worried I won’t get the measurements right and have to scrap the whole thing. Fortunately, when I finally stopped procrastinating and went for it, it all went according to plan.

The part I thought would be easy, however, did not go so well when my sewing machine started doing funny things. I experimented with tension and whatnot and couldn’t find a solution, so I ended up fixing the issue by hand. I was glad I could do that, but not so glad about how much extra work that was. Sigh. Isn’t this always how it goes?

Despite the extra labor, I’m really pleased with this piece. It has a nice, sturdy feel and, if I do say so myself, it looks pretty sharp.

I don’t have an iPad, but I think I might need to use the leftover felt to make a cover for my mockup, just so I can carry it around!

A good friend of mine is a portrait photographer, and this summer she took some new family photos for us. As partial payment, I made a couple of items at her request, the first of which was a kids’ play mailbox. It’s customized for their family, and yes, that’s a pug, the type of dog they have—and possibly my favorite part of this project.

It’s constructed of felt, plastic canvas, and embroidery thread and designed to be durable and squashable so that neither mailbox nor child gets hurt in the event of a tumble. (Some of you who’ve been stopping by here for a long time may recall I made similar items for my daughter. I can report that it’s held up to quite a beating from both kids.)

And, of course, there is also felt mail to go with the mailbox, drawn onto stiff felt with markers. I made three postcards, a letter, a birthday card, two envelopes, and a variety of stamps and labels customized for their family.

(As always, more photos on my flickr page.)

I really enjoyed the applique bit of this project, especially the challenge of cutting shapes that, put together, actually resembled a whole picture. I’m thinking I might need to start incorporating that into my embroidery designs some more….

I’ve finally finished the commission projects and am back to the Christmas gift list. I’m a little behind after all my June and July holiday-ing, but I’m hoping to get caught up quickly so I can give myself permission to do some fun and/or shop-related things again soon.

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On another note, a few of you asked about the dollhouse that appeared in a recent post. It is the Imaginarium brand. Unfortunately, it appears to have been a store exclusive (Toys ‘R’ Us) that’s no longer readily available, although I did find a few floating around on the Internet. (It’s cleverly called “natural wood dollhouse.” Furniture and dolls are included.)

If you’re just looking for the dolls, Tania posted about her methods of making her own here and included some links for purchasing the wooden doll bodies.

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Well, then, I’m off to do a little stamp carving. Happy weekend!

Habit is one of my favorite websites to visit. Something about the simple peeks into daily life inspires and refreshes me.

This month they’re inviting the rest of us to participate in a community Flickr pool. To play along, just upload a photo and a description (habit-style, 30 words or less) that’s a snapshot of your everyday.

I’ll be participating as I feel inspired. I’m looking forward to playing along, and I hope you’ll come join in!

We’re back from the beach, but in my head I’m still hearing the sound of the waves and feeling the sand under my toes. It was a good vacation, the best we’ve had in years. Now we’re easing back into regular life again.

I’ve got one large and a few small projects in the works, things I’m really enjoying. And I’m keeping the shop closed until I feel ready to really put some energy into bringing it back into shape.

The rhythm is going to be smooth and laid back this week. Later!

It’s the Cathdral Window pattern. I had a similar pincushion marked as a favorite on Etsy, and I asked her how difficult the origami-like technique was, just out of interest in the process. (Apparently it is easy but very time consuming.) Sneaky thing, she went and made one just for me!

She even went so far as to have her sister mail her feedsack reproduction fabrics because those are some of my favorites and she didn’t have any on hand. (That type of fabric is almost non-existent around here.)

Now aren’t I a lucky girl?

P.S. Don’t forget, there’s a sale going in the shop, too! Click for details!)

We’ve been busy doing important things like playing outside and making ice cream runs. The small to-do list (don’t we all have one of those constantly running in the background?) has built up rapidly due to low energy, but I’m eager to get it done so I can move on to more interesting things.

I’m going to focus on crossing a few things off of my list—putting sleeves on a birthday dress, doing those final few rows of a baby blanket, folding laundry—and take a little break from the Internets. I’ll have a post scheduled for Friday, one of my usual, easy Friday types, but I won’t really be back until Monday. Have a good week!

(P.S. Do you see that poor plant? I has been buried in mud and watered within an inch of its life over and over and over. Amazingly, it still appears to be growing some buds.)

I’ve stepped out for just a bit while I continue this major sewing tear I’ve been on all weekend. I think it’s best I remain hunched over my machine, squinting and pulling other equally intense and slightly unpleasant faces while I whip through one project after another with a zealous fury. I don’t know what’s gotten into me, but I’ll hopefully have a lot to show you when I’m finished. Back soon!

My grandma asked me if I’d like to go through her old yarn stash and take what I wanted. I don’t need a lot of “regular” yarn right now, have plenty of my own to use up, but I did come across quite a large supply of thin crochet cotton, such as is used for doilies or tatting. I could use this for so many different purposes (and I’ve been wanting to try my hand at tatting). So I scooped it up and took it home.

How’s that for a basket of cheer? I hope you’re able to find some rainbows in your Monday, too!