tiny production line

Tiny production of bunny, anchor, and leaf bibs to get ready for the Urban Craft Uprising in July.



Working with recycled fabrics, it is rare for me to have uniform sets of materials. I spent one session just cutting out fat stacks of the hemp/cotton knit scraps I bought from Intertwined Designs. Although the unique nature of the found materials is what keeps this interesting for me, it actually delights me to feel like a miniature factory once in a while. And by miniature I mean quantities in the dozen. So really, everything is still super special.

mama, is it awesome yet?

yes yes and yes.


taking dorky photos and babies are both excellent ice breakers when you are feeling nervous about meeting your favorite artists. so borrow a camera or a baby next time you might be meeting yours.


Nikki McClure is not only an amazing artist,but also an inspiration for me as a crafty mama. She cuts images from black paper with an exacto knife that reflect the seasons and values of northwest punk/hippy life:potlucks and dandilions, clothes lines and kale.Reading her board book Awake to Nap with Franklin has been a great encouragement to me lately.The almost alphabet book was created entirely during her sons naps.If she can do it,I can do it. One nap at a time I will sew.

So naturally I was super excited when Nikki came to The Paperdoll for a meet and greet with doughnuts on friday morning. She was signing her gorgeous new book Mama, Is It Summer Yet? I waited in line while she drew a moustache on the august picture of her 2010 calendar. It really did make the image look like erin and eric kissing in the pantry with mason jars. They talked about the intention to preserve fruit and how Nikki made that picture to remind herself to really do it this year.

When it was my turn I got all spazzy "uh,hi,uh,you're so great, can I take a photo?" for a moment and then we just fell in to chatting about Franklin and her being away from her boy for the first time and needing to get a cellphone and not really knowing how to turn it off when it rang and raking your neighbor's leaves and it was just so natural and good. The way you would want it to be when you meet your heroes and they are regular folks who have been doing their thing longer or with more focus and talent but aren't all egotistical or untouchable or reclusive tortured souls. Leaving the store I felt energized and motivated by the brief encounter. Thank you for your gifts, Nikki.

almost crafty

"There is no last minute anymore," I said to steeb this week as we looked at our schedules in preparation for the big family adventure to Portland for CRAFTY WONDERLAND. The "last minute" is now spoken for by breast feeding,diaper changes and the inevitable milk vomit down the front of the outfit. So I was already slowing down on my production,allowing time to pack and plan tomorrow before we hit the road friday. But even so,I must have been trying to do too much at once, running lists through my head while I tried to do some basic chores and entertain the baby,checking on dinner and thinking about what hand sewing I might do when the boy went to sleep. While washing dishes tonight I sliced my pinkie open on a broken juice glass. Stopped me instantly and brought me to the present. Broken glass always makes me sort of Buddist. What's done is done and now I just have to nurse my wound while finishing up the essentials for travel.Everything else just won't happen. And that's okay. I'm extra glad I got up early today to finish the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle hat...

thanks bellingham

Thanks to everyone who has come out to the farmers market even when the weather has been, well, typical northwest spring:rain, drizzle, hail, sprinkle, sunny, showers and even a rainbow. It is not an easy time to be a professional crafter and I am truly grateful for the opportunity to continue doing what I love. My biggest stress after this awesome month is how to make MORE for market with the baby in my life. And that my friends, is a very lucky kind of stress to be under right now.

The moth and squirrel family will be in Portland next weekend for


We will be back at the Bellingham Farmers Market the second week in may,just in time for some last minute Mothers Day shopping.