CRAFTIWOO!!!

I changed my mind....

2007-10-15T12:13:00.000-07:00

I really liked the colors I chose for the stocking before. I thought they were rich and warm and felt aelrly Christmas-y, and I really liked how much the white cat popped off of that dark background.

But I don't know. It just didn't seem like something for a little girl. So I revised it and this is what I'm sticking with!!

Friday Night Crafts....

2007-10-01T17:11:00.000-07:00

So, I went to a crazy crafting party at Sister Nancy's Friday night. Eeeeek. We made scary (not spooky--SCARY) ornaments.

Sister Nancy, Kym, Me. Getting crafty--woo!

I also got to talk to a bonafide quilter yesterday! She gave me some advice...

-Scraps.

I'm dreaming of a WOO Christmas...!

2007-10-01T10:20:00.000-07:00

Progress continues on the stocking. I was going to go to the fabric store to pick my fabrics for the stocking yesterday, but I became really unsure of myself and my ability to pick colors without seeing them put together in their final fashion. So I instead spent the afternoon on the computer, in Photoshop, putting to gether a color comp. I will now (or soon) go to the store and have this to refer to while I'm picking fabrics.

Forgive the messiness. I was only thinking of colors, not neatness.

I was constantly torn between needing to have a Christmas color scheme--- you know, red, white and green and very deep, rich colors--- and the knowledge that this is going to a little girl and wanting it to be bright and playful. The Christmas scheme won, but the little white kitty POPS so much, I think the cuteness is still strong enough for a little girl.

--oh, and that won't be the final font for the name.

Yep, I am Wooing it up in Mobile!

2007-09-27T17:30:00.000-07:00

Thought you'd seen the last of me, eh? No such luck.

Have I been crafty? Yup, but in my own small ways.

Over the past month I have crafted up several cover letters and resumes, a few angry letters to insurance companies, a few catch up emails, a new blog (scraptiwoo), a couple of decent dinners, and I spent a whole day on my ultra-cheesy and frighteningly inclusive scrapbooks (No, they are not all fancy with ribbons, stickers, bows, and pretty stationary--they are just chronological logs of all the CRAP I have saved over the years). Scary stuff from 3rd grade on.

I don't really understand my mom's sewing machine--it lacks the mad sewing skills of Lauren's, for sure--so I haven't really engaged in much craftiness, but I did find the nerve to make yet ANOTHER cheesy pillow:

This one, with all the Happy Homemakers on it, was for Boy Wonder. He has some crazy notion that I like to cook, clean, and sew, so I thought I'd make sure he always had some cute domesticated lady to snuggle up to when he wakes up from THAT dream.

I plan to make some pillowcases with all that awesome fabric this weekend, and eventually get back to that quilt!

I miss woo!

love,
Scraps

Woot am I getting myself into??

2007-09-17T16:35:00.000-07:00

I feel so alone!!! Scraps has moved away, and Square Deal is out of comission for the next few weekends! But I shall have to try to Woo on my own, since Christmas is coming up and this is going to be a VERY. BIG. JOB. See below...

This is the sketch for the stocking I'm going to do for my niece. She's only 2 and 1/2, but she has had a life long obsession with kitties. In fact, she knew my cat's name months before she knew mine. I plan to go completely overboard and do this all with a combo of applique and embroidery. Plus, it's like, over 22 inches long-- that's a lot of embroidery mileage. It's going to be a ton of work, but I figure it better be impressive if she's going to have it for the rest of her life.

Stay tuned for more!

Woo have we been??

2007-09-02T16:19:00.000-07:00

This weekend witnessed the resurrection of Craftiwoo, though we had suffered a great casualty. Alas, Scraps has left us. She has moved her Woo-ness to Mobile, Alabama to be with her nieces and neph-woos (see previous post.) We expect to see her posts in the future when she's finally settled in and gets back to being crafty.

However, Square Deal and I have decided to attempt to Woo on!!! On Sunday we regrouped and planned for the future, and we did so by visiting a fantastic local shop that features entirely hand-made art, jewelry, clothing and home accessories. Check out Handmade Galleries here at their web site, or go for a visit at their lovely, and surprisingly large shop in Sherman Oaks. It's pretty inspiring.

In other news, crafting goes on. I'm working on a rag doll I was comissioned for. Check it out on my other blog, here. And I'm starting a Christmas stocking for my two-and-a-half year old niece. Observe...

The pattern...

...the dummy, made with extra fabric that is not so X-massy...

... and the fabric I picked to eventually become the lining.

NEXT WEEK: Fabric shopping!! Square Deal is making a new purse!

Nieces and NephWOOS

2007-07-08T12:18:00.000-07:00

Since I have been in Alabama visiting the nieces and nephews for the past few weeks there have been no formal Craftiwoo sessions. However, the Davis family got down and crafty anyway:

Above: My precious nieces Amy and Natalie have begun making quilts of their own!

Above: My dad tore out a kitchen wall and made an awe-inspiring pantry for my mom.

Above: Here is the inside of her new pantry. It is bigger than my kitchen. I am so jealous.

Above: My dad had to teach me how to use my mom's sewing machine. Here he is helping to sew the final stitches on the first pillow.

Above: Here I am after finishing all the pillows. We celebrated with fondue!

Above: Here is my mom showing her approval for one side of the pillows.

Above: Here is my mom showing the other side of the pillows. Not sure if she likes this side as much.

Above: Amy, Matt, and Natalie with their pillows.

Above: Allison, Emily, and Brian with their pillows.

Above: Allison and Emma hamming it up with their pillows.

Above: My brother-in-law, Sparky, stole Matt's pillow. I think he is mad that he did not get one.

Above: Amy is a little possessive/possessed.

Sew, as you can see, I had a fun Alabama vacation with my li'l preciouses. They even gave me some of their old shirts for the quilt (which I need to get back to work on now that I am home).

-Scraps

WOOpty doo!

2007-06-25T12:19:00.000-07:00

Sadly, yesterday was a wooless. However there is some woo to report!

Mother Earth has tackled another little animal pillow for yet another charity event. If you're interested in owning it, it will be available in a silent auction at Cartoon Network Studios in Burbank on June 30th. Starting bid will be 30 buckaroos. Proceeds go to Family Service Agency of Burbank.

And some new fabric has come in for Scraps. Check out what her future apron is going to be made of...

I thought it deserved a close up...

Gotta love the meticulous attention to detail on those hairy lower legs. Somebody had some fun designing this.

The Woo shall return next Sunday!

Woo Tang

2007-06-17T16:28:00.000-07:00

Sew today we made biographical pillows for my nieces and nephews. I call them biographical because we purchased fabrics that represent how I view these precious kids through my loving Auntie eye. They are unique, brilliant, lovely people--which is a hard thing to show in a tiny li'l pillow!

It's really very adorable and I can't wait to see their faces as I present these pillows to them...I am soooo gonna be the favorite aunt!

...Here are some pictures of the chosen fabrics (some are pretty hilarious)...

Scraps and Mother Earth Showing off the fabric...

Scraps and pillow fabric...

Scraps cuttin' up and Square Deal workin' da machine.

Mother Earth teaching us how to work her amazingly high tech machine.

Square Deal can sew!

Crafti-woes...

2007-06-10T14:58:00.000-07:00

Today the universe interfered with out crafty plans:

Scraps was suffering from a minor cold + major MED-head...
Square Deal stayed home to help the old man craft some furniture...
And Mother Earth just wanted to take a nap.

We did what we could: we ate brunch (as usual), cut some more quilt squares (it's a whole lotta work prepping for quilt-making), bought some amazing construction worker fabric online (for our future apron project), and M.E. started making her purse.

Then we had some more coffee and got ready to go to Jay and Susan's goodbye BBQ. Sigh.

Crafti-woe indeed.
-Scraps

Mother Earth with purse fabric....

Scraps making more squares. She is getting tired of cutting squares....

Mother Earth making initial cuts for her purse.

Scraps' med head up close.

wooin' on the weekdays

2007-06-09T11:49:00.001-07:00

I whipped this out in 2 days for a charity event in Burbank. Click on the pic to enlarge and gaze upon the meticulous hand stitching-- oooooOOOOOOOoooohhhh!!!

Scrappy Doooo

2007-06-04T19:15:00.000-07:00

I don't mean to get snippy or anything (ha ha--I kill me with the crafty puns), but come on, guys--you have to scroll ALL THE WAY DOWN! We added new photos, captions, posts, comments, etc.--ALL OVER the site. M'kay?

-Scraps

Scrap Happy

2007-06-03T18:11:00.001-07:00

Today we experienced a patchwork of events. We cut squares, bought patterns and ribbons, organized photo albums, ate tons of popcorn and candy, practiced our tap dancing skills, challenged each other's flexibility, and realized we did not have all the necessary materials to fully experience the joy of Lauren's magnificent high-tech sewing machine, YET. Thus, no actual sewing today, but the joy of Craftiwoo is with us nonetheless.

Scraps' photo albums of doom.

The fabric of our lives.

Mother Earth Cuttin' Up.

Spindale's Local Fabric Store.

Mother Earth and Scraps looking for patterns.

Craft Crap.

Mother Earth takin' care of bizness.

Mother Earth measuring stuff, pt. 2.

Mother Earth sure does like measuring...

Square Deal makes her mark.

Mother Earth and Scraps reviewing the day's photos...

-Come on Get Crafty!

Sprout: The Featured Scrap of the Week

2007-05-27T19:05:00.000-07:00

Sewing the seeds of love...

I assume my mom collected labels from frozen vegetables for months to send away for that stupid sleeping bag. I probably begged and begged for it—I was a demanding child, of course. I honestly cannot remember actually getting Sprout—I just remember him always being there, and that, by high school, Sprout had become something more than just a sleeping bag to all of us. Sprout had come to symbolize all that was good in the world: warmth, comfort, happy childhood memories, and fiber.

All of my friends wanted a turn with Sprout. I had to learn to share him, and most of my friends even got at least one night alone with Sprout. Some became repeat customers—crashing on the couch with Sprout weekend after weekend—he became an addiction for them.

No one could resist Sprout. How could you? Some of them tried, but he beckoned with the promise of his warm, soft caress. Under Sprout one could watch a movie, nurse a hangover, play hide and seek from nieces and nephews, or sleep without a care in the world. Sprout got the job done.

But he did his job so well, and for so many people, that eventually Sprout began showing signs of exhaustion. He had been stretched too thin; Sprout was coming apart at the seams.

Scraps had a terrible choice to make: never again be enveloped in Sprout’s charms or rip him to shreds…

It hurt a bit, at first: slicing him open and choosing the best pieces while tossing the rest away like an empty bag of frozen vegetables.

Then Scraps remembered all those who Sprout had touched. She found a way to let Sprout love again…not only through his new role as a square in the quilt, but all over the world. So, Scraps saved every little piece to show the world that Sprout will love again!

Small yellow and green bits of love will soon begin sprouting up all over the world…in the meantime, enjoy watching the process as we turn this charming little sleeping bag into the tackiest, busiest, most original quilt known to man. Or woman. Duh.

Here are some lovers of Sprout:

Spanky Von Barks A Lot.

Ruby, my beloved high school pet.

Andrea and one of her famous cookies. ----->

Reznor.

I will scrap you silly!

2007-05-27T17:27:00.000-07:00

Here are a few bits and pieces to give you a taste of what's to come:

The orange/brown fabrics above are to "tie-in" the various squares for the Sentimental Quilt of Doom. It may be a bit loud.

The red/black fabrics above are to "tie-in" the various squares of the Punk Rock Quilt of Doom. It will feature shirts from shows and concerts and it will be perfect.

Giant Robots--aaaaah ah ah ah! This is from everyone's favorite Baltimore band.

Here we have a collage of some of my favorite squares so far--from both quilts. I kind of made this collage for Katie. I think she will cry when she sees it.

This is my ALL-TIME FAVORITE concert tee. I almost cried while cutting it up. I wore this until it was practically indecent it was so threadbare. So old, so loved. Second concert I ever attended--such a good time.

Mother Earth and Square Deal are ironing backing onto my oldest shirts to make them sturdier. They are amazingly crafty ladies.

Some were soooo hard to cut I had to take pictures of them first...okay, that happened with a lot of them...Scraps = saps.

Some bits of the Sentimental Quilt of Doom. Why would anyone want to remember working at Chi-Chi's???

HOLY CRAFT!

For the love of Sprout

2007-05-27T17:11:00.000-07:00

"Sprout" was a sleeping bag featuring the Green Giant character, Sprout. Scraps' earliest memory of Sprout was from when she was nine years old, and he has been with her for over 20 years since. So many, many people have had the pleasure of sleeping with Sprout (as he was the usual guest blanket) that he had become very threadbare.

Now he will be part of the quilt, and the very first craftiwoo.

Here Mother Earth begins the painful procedure as Scraps says her farewells.

One of the many Sprout squares.

The aftermath and carnage.

Please do not despair for Sprout, for he is going to a better place. His role as cuddly warm thing had been compromised, and he was unhappy put away in the linen closet. Someday soon, he will be keeping people toasty again.

We love you Sprout!

Get crafty, WOOOOOO!!!

2007-05-27T16:37:00.000-07:00

HI! We are...

Mother Earth

Square Deal

and Scraps

....and together we are CRAFTIWOO!!

About a month ago we decided to spend our Sundays being crafty. Our first craftiwoo is a quilt for Scraps. She has collected meaningful bits and pieces of shirts, blankets and other articles of clothing throughout her life (I'm not kidding- her whole life) and we're going to sew them all together to make a King size quilt. Ambitious, huh?

Sew tune in every Sunday for more thrilling CRAFTIWOO adventures!