Sewing, Knitting & Chicken Woes and Wonder

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Today is so special since it's my mom's birthday. Someone who means more to me than I ever express (not being a mushy person myself); my mom is more of an influence on me than even she probably knows!

Hence, why you are here... Today is also special since I, along with other wonderful designers, am a part of the Sew Red Blog Tour celebrating the book, Sew Red, by Laura Zander and featuring projects made by designers inside (including mine!). And my mom was a big reason why I participated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 My design is a Jewelry Case to hold your precious items when you travel-especially to keep your necklaces tangle-free! You can buy a kit to make one here (but you still need the book for the pattern and instructions). This design uses many unique notions and since you need only small amounts, the kit comes with the essentials at a wholesale price. You can buy it with or without the wonderful fabric designed by Rubydoor (Stacey Derome) on Spoonflower where you can design your own fabric too!

I will have a video tutorial on how to attach the zipper soon.

I would love to go on and on about all the aspects of being a part of this book (very flattered to be a part of it, very important cause, thrilled to even BE in a book, delighted to know Laura Zander, etc). But I think I'll leave with a photo of my favorite and essential sewing tools becasue I love seeing other people's (not pictured is my 4' x 8' table with full size rotary mat which I LOVE):

 From left to right: Chaco Liner (I've had mine for 15 years), small sharp scissors, awl (I use this like a pointy finger while binding but a seam ripper can work too), scissors for trimming. All waiting for me on my beloved Juki. And I still use a seam ripper too!

Today I am vending at Stitches West with my line of accessories for knitters and crocheters called Chicken Boots and I will have the pleasure of having Laura Zander sign copies of the book at my booth!

Thanks for stopping by. And feel free to share your favorite tools!

P.S. When I was learning to sew, my mom said, "Now Emy (that's what my family calls me), my favorite tool when I sew is the iron." My response: "Mine is the seam ripper." She gave me a look I'll never forget.

 

I Heart Sewing! And I Love Your Heart!

And I am part of a wonderful project using my sewing skills to LOVE YOUR HEART! Coming out in February is the beautiful new book, Sew Red by Laura Zander featuring tons of fun and cute projects by prominent designers in the sewing, quilting and knitting industries to raise awareness about heart disease- a very common ailment. One in Four women suffer from it!

And I'm one of the designers in the book! Can you believe it?! It is an honor and very exciting to boot. Laura Zander also wrote Knit Red-another lovely book that is beautiful and inspiring with tons of great projects to knit or crochet.

Here is a sneak peek of Sew Red:

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sew Red by Laura Zander, published by Sixth&Spring Books. Jewelry Case Photo by Marcus Tullis copyright © 2012 by Sixth&Spring Books/Soho Publishing. Used by permission. Jewelry Case by Saremy Duffy (me!).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Jewelry Case is designed for travel and meant to hold necklaces, earrings, and other small items. The necklace holder helps keep your valuable treasures tangle-free! The entire case zips shut to keep things secure tucked away. This pattern and instructions plus many others will be available in the book.

  You can also check out Stitch Red to learn more about the entire campaign. You know my little Red Owl Notions Case? It's for Stitch Red!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More to come on this exciting project! Sew Red is available February 5, 2013 and I will have fun things happening so keep an eye out!

Happy holidays!

This chick's been busy.

It has been a busy summer. From Stitches West in the Spring until now there hasn't been much time to rest....and all of it culminated in a big move for our family after my husband got a new job!

CHICKEN BOOTS now lives in Chico, Ca and Chico couldn't be more different than Blue Lake! We are enjoying it very much although there are still a few boxes lurking in corners. But what's my motto everyone? That's right! Chip away at it.

It is sandals and skirts weather every day here, my sweaters block overnight (it took a few days in Humboldt), and I had missed iced tea! I drink it every day now. Can you tell it wasn't very warm in Blue Lake? It was lovely and green though.

I guess now is the time to fess up: our chickens are still back at our old house. Yep, my chicken boots are not getting much use right now. But they we miss them and hope to find a way to bring them over in the next year. I think 4H is in my future.

I have been working though! And knitting! I finished two sweaters and finished a long anticipated design: Interchangeable Needle Case! I am also working on some crochet specific items as well as a long term project and a new website! It long past time to have one!

There are some great new fabrics coming out this month...Butterfly, Birds, Foxy and Night. Bees, Garden and Drops will stay in the line too! New clear Wristlets will be posting soon and the Pattern Holder is the top seller at the moment.

This weekend I am off to the Natural Fiber Fair in Arcata, Ca for some 'my ol' stomping grounds' fun! I had a great time last year and it was a well attended event. You know what I'm really looking forward to? The food. Yep. They have this lovely group of women who come and make a variety of dishes and all you hear in the dining area is folks marvelling over how yummy their lunch is. Seriously.

Hope to see you there!

And if not, check out our new Ravelry Group!! I am super excited about it!

Oh- And if you pick up the Fall 2012 Sockupied you'll see us in there too! Lots of exciting things happening around here! All thanks to you.

Until next time...happy knitting, crocheting and spinning-or drinking iced tea.

Keeping up!

The AAI students are plugging along...a few more than the rest of course! It's such a crucial time to encourage them to get started and in to a routine. The time flies! And I certainly don't want them getting discouraged. Renee and I met them at a local fabric store to help them pick fabric and patterns (and avert as many disastrous choices as possible down the line- yes, I know, that's for our benefit so we're not fixing a cocktail dress made in satin from a stretch pattern). Some of the chipper designers-Sophie, Treyce and Camille!

This is the time of year where I also start planning for the coming chicken season. My family and another raise 60 meat chickens in a free-range moveable pen (or tractor). It's a bit strange to some to mix being a designer and chicken farming but it's very grounding work!

We get the chicks on April 23rd and they will be mailed here to Blue Lake, CA from Pennsylvania from JM Hatchery .  It's funny to think of these little peeps all huddled together in a box on there way to us. I get a bit nervous during this time. In most cases, everything goes well and we don't lose a single chick. I have heard other horrible stories though. I have the 'bat cave' phone number for our local US Postal hub so I can go directly down anytime of day or night and pick them up. They are happy to give them to us as they make a racket- I am not the only one getting chicks. Working graveyard at postal sorting is hard enough without a thousand Peep! Peep!s going on.

That is a picture of last year's broilers in their pen soon after we put them in there.

 They are so cute! Our cat, Chihiro, is very interested. Once they get bigger though, he stays clear- I've even seen him running away from our laying hens.

This tractor has a few laying hen chicks in with the broilers. They are the darkest and lightest chicks.

I've also been EXTREMELY busy switching over from working on Master Pattern to my own line,  Chicken Boots. A lot of infra-structure was in place from doing it on the side as Saremy Designs but I am being more thorough with the development. Making sew-in labels and working on new designs (Jewelry Cases!).

My pal, Sunni from Yarn, and I will be going on a NorCal road trip visiting yarn stores between SF area and Eureka. I am excited to show my line of knitting needle cases, project bags, and wristlets! I thoroughly enjoy this and stand behind how functional these items are. I'll need another avenue for the jewelry cases and pocket buckets though!

How about a tutorial on making your own customized sew-in labels for all your creations?

Sounds good to me....stay tuned!