It's all about the bag!

This year was all about the bag... or in my case the Santa sack.  I had so much fun with these sacks.  I even made my son's first Santa sack.  A few years ago I started making small flannel sacks instead of wrapping our presents.  My family just loved them, each year I find new fun fabrics and create new bags for each member of my family.  I had thought that I would get them back the following year.  This has not happened.  My sister in law confided in me that she gives them as gifts to her friends, she loves them so much.  So I guess I will continue making these bags next year.  In fact I will feature all of these bags in my shop next year.  Take a peak at all of the custom orders from this year!  Be sure to order yours next year!

 From all of mine to you and yours. Merry Christmas!

Starting a new Tradition!

 

The week or so before Thanksgiving I was asked to make a custom Christmas Bag for a little girl. Her mother had seen my Reversible Santa Sack on Etsy, and wanted to make something special for her little one. After discussing fabric styles and sharing a few examples we decided on a style and I started sewing. I finished up yesterday and loved it so much, and have enough fabric leftover, that I have decided to add them to my shop selection this year. If you are interested in this or a similar item, check out the info on this Christmas Bag!


I think I will make Max his very own bag as well, one bag filled with all of his toys.  I think these are great addition to our family's  Holiday traditions.  Oh and as a bonus to me, I won't have to pick up a bunch or wrapping paper this year.
Maybe I'll make one for Charlie as well?

What ever happened to Thanksgiving?

I am usually that person who is first to comment on the Arrival of Seasonal Christmas items before Halloween.  Well I am not that bad; I did however skip Thanksgiving!

I have been hit with inspiration, funny how it happens.  Maybe it was all the mid day viewings of The Nightmare Before Christmas while sewing Halloween Costumes.

I am so excited to announce Christmas Items are now available in my shop.

I think the items I am most excited about feature this Candy Cane Fabric.   So, Monday I ran out of fleece after making some new hats, so I ran out to the store and found the striped candy cane fabric and I had the idea to make a twirly skirt.  I've never really made skirts before, since I have a boy.  I guess I tried to make a tutu skirt for my niece Lila, it isn't so much a tutu as a ballet wrap.  I didn't even think about gathering last time.  I'm not sure why these skirts became so important.  I guess I was ready to learn something new, and run with it.  I had the idea of little girls going out to sing Christmas Carols or Sit on Santa's lap. 

I love the movie All I Want for Christmas. For anyone not familiar with the movie is stars a little Thora Birch, she is such a lady, I envision this as she walks to Macy's to see Santa in her Patton leather shoes.  Well,  I absolutely love this selection.  That paired with Santa's Little Helper Costume, with Matching Santa Sack.

I love using our Santa Sack.  We travel from Connecticut to Maine to Iowa every Christmas and I always end up misplacing a present.  A few years ago I discovered a ripstop Santa sack for a dollar.  It was great!  It didn't last very long.  So I had the idea, so last year as I wrapped presents I threw them into the appropriate Families sack and no need to remember so I forgot about them.  When it was time to leave, we threw the sack in the backseat and drove away.  It's going to be fun this year, now that the kids in the family are a bit older, having the Santa Sack Magically appear under the tree on Christmas Morning.  Just like Santa left it for them.

So, I started with a drop waist Red Tutu, that turned into a Santa Costume.  Then I had the urge to make an Elf Costume.  So I made this reversible green with White polka dot wrap skirt, with Tulle/ Cotton.  

 I still have a few ideas, but it's time to move onto filling some orders.  I have a lot of knitting ahead of me this season.  Let's just say I'm getting behind.  Oh well, I love these projects and I'm pretty sure my nieces will be getting one or two skirts for Christmas this year. 

Don't worry about Max, he'll have plenty of presents, however the urge to throw a skirt on him to take pictures on a live body is huge.  Well, I'll see my nieces in the next few weeks so updated photos coming soon!

Check Back!

Back in Business!

This last week marked the end of the Arts & Ideas Festival and the Start of Summer Vacation.  This week started with a bang!  In one day I made a 4 layer cake filled with jam and frosting; closely followed by 3 hours in the studio.  Have I mentioned that I have a wonderful husband... who likes cake.

My niece Lila turns 2 in just a few days and I decided she needed a fun play skirt.  I started with 2 colors of tulle, light and dark pink then I added the ribbons.  I made it adjustable so she can wear it for years to come.  I have to say for my first attempt it turned out as well as I expected.  It was a surprisingly quick and enjoyable project.  I'm thinking of adding something like this to my website...

Moving on to... Babies!

About a month ago my cousin her second little boy, so I made him a tag blanket.  Every little boy needs monsters to love.

Speaking of Babies... A Friend of mine is expecting a second little girl any day now.  Her daughter just turned 3 and they were wonderful when I had Max.  So this new little girl will get her very own brand new unused burp cloths. 

This week my family and I have traveled to Maine to visit family. This week we are at "Camp", no Internet, unless I can get a bar on my phone here and there.  Today we decided to run some errands and stop at the http://www.mainegrind.com/.  This is quite an awesome place.  I get to sit in a wonderful sitting room, listening to great music, with my laptop and a Mixed Berry Smoothie while Charlie and Max run an errand. 

This weekend we have a birthday party then we travel to Islesboro, a small island off the coast near Camden.  I think a trip or two to the community center will be in order so I can use their WiFi to share the little things I'll make over the next few days to come.

My hands are working fast on new items for my Etsy Page... more items coming soon.  Don't forget to check the store this fall for a series of brand new items. 

Well May has been busy

 I have been so busy this month that I haven't had a chance to share all of my projects this month.  I had three Etsy Sales this month along with two orders from co-workers and 2 gifts.  Life is getting busy here at janiegirlcrafts.  I'm having a great time figureing out all these new projects.  It's a challenge balancing working part time in an office, janiegirlcrafts, and my family.

Things will slow down next month as I jump into working outside the home for June.  Make sure to check back!

It's a boy! Congrats!

A woman my mother works with just had a little boy.  This Burp Cloth Gift set with Matching Write Rattle was the perfect gift.  My mother wanted a genter neutral  set, even though she was certain her co-worker was having a boy.  She ordered this 3 Burp Cloth Set and Matching Rattle at the end of last month and 2 weeks ago a little boy arrived.  I hear mother and Son are doing well and the family is very happy.

  

 

Custom Orders Welcome!  New listings coming soon!
email: janiegirlcrafts@gmail.com

3 More Projects and 2 More Orders This Week

 I feel so accomplished, and it's only Tuesday! This weekend my wonderful husband took charge of baby Max along with the household chores which allowed me an afternoon in the Studio.  A few weeks ago my mom requested two custom block sets.  My mom has been looking for a set similar to the sets my brother and I had as children.  She requested colorful 3" square foam blocks.  She used to shove them into our diaper bags, I still have one.



Monday night my wonderful husband came home announcing the birth of a coworkers son.  He politely asked if I could make a gift set for the newborn baby and parents.  I had a great time whipping this set up.  I've had the Monster fabric since before Max was born and have been waiting to use it.  Unfortunately I have discovered that I am now out of yellow fabric.  I also became aware that my favorite two support fabrics, the blue filigree and the green polka-dots have dried up.  I only have a few small square pieces left.  I wonder what I can use them for next?  Any suggestions?
 Gift sets coming to ETSY this Summer! 

Easter is just around the corner and since I have been so busy making blocks for my niece and son, I figured I should make something for my other niece.  She came for a visit in February and I whipped up this hat, all except the ears.  She loved this hat and it was hard to get her to leave it.  So yesterday I added the bunny ears and this morning I mailed it.  I hope she loves it as much as she did before!  Some of you might be thinking; Silly Janie, don't you know it's spring and we don't need hats anymore?  Well my response is a girl always needs a hat... ad she lives in Maine!

This week I have had two orders for Gift Sets!  Hooray for babies!  One gender neutral set and one little girl set coming up.  Coming to ETSY soon.

3 Burp Cloths = $24.00

or

2 Burp Cloths & 1 Receiving Blanket + $30.00

email janiegirlcrafts@gmail.com or request custom item at http://www.janiegirlcrafts.etsy.com/

I've been Busy!

Boy oh Boy has janiegirlcrafts been busy this month! I can't believe it's been over a month since I last posted.  Here's to playing catch  up!  It's funny, last month I was able to catch up with family.  Max and I flew to Iowa.  Then Charlie, Max and I drove to Florida.  It was wonderful to catch up with family and get recharged for spring and orders!

My Mother commissioned these soft blocks for my Niece.  They are 3"x3" and super chewable. My brother and I had a set when we were little. I think these are a great addition to an Easter basket.

Since Easter is coming up I decided to make these Egg Rattles.  They are soft and squishy and great for little hands.

Lighted Paper Lantern Mobile



Alphabet Art

 I was very excited to have two requests from some good friends.  They decided to add Lighted Paper Lantern Mobiles and Alphabet Art to their little boy's room.  I had some fabric left over from a quilt set I made for their baby shower. So Fun!




The Mobiles and Alphabet Art are Available on my ETSY site.  Hopefully I'll get some more items up soon.  Thanks for checking in!  I just received another order for a Paper Lantern Mobile and I need to make another Block set... off I go!

Dot the Octopus, and Dot's Inspiration

Meet Dot the Octopus... I know Dot only has 4 arms...

I had so much fun creating this cute toy. Dot is about 9"x9"x9" and made from Felt. I was inspired to create Dot after making a larger Kraken for a friends daughter. I wanted to make something for their daughter's first birthday. So I found a pattern for this cute Kraken.

Max loved the larger one so much at the party that I might have to make him his own Dot the Octopus on the larger scale. This was my first toy and I have to say it was so much fun that I am now developing a few more toy animal patterns... next I think I might tackle a dinosaur... after I make Max his own Big Dot.

My Labels Arrived!

My Labels arrived this week! They are wonderful, and have already ended up on a few projects. Hopefully I'll have two new items listed on Etsy by the end of the weekend. I was sidetracked a little with Valentine's Day and Birthday presents, but I'm still working full speed ahead! Check back soon!

I Love Making Baby Sets

I had so much fun last week making a gift for a baby shower. Friends of ours are expecting their first child in just a few weeks and besides giving them whatever Max's outgrown, ie diapers, clothes, pacifiers etc, I decided to make them this little set.

The set Includes:

1- 30" x 36" cuddle quilt- cotton, flannel, chenille, and satin.

1- 30" x 36" oversized recieving Blanket

2- 12" x 18" Burp Cloths

I even had enough scrap left to make a tag blanket for the little one. Max just loves his; I like to make them out of high contrasting materials so that they have visual interest for the Little Ones. They also have a variety of textures, I have found that Max plays with his when we are in the car, it's a little treasure fro him to focus on.

I really love making these little sets. I think I have enough fabric to make 4-5 sets, hopefully I'll get started on those this week and I'll be abel to add them to my Etsy site.... COMING SOON.

I'm so excited!