Kid's Clothing Week - Winter

 

 

 

I can't wait. After wrapping up a recent trip to the fabric store with my youngest I have a nice list of projects that will be perfect to start next week!

 

After months without requests the "can you make me" requests have started again. It's been a hard balance, when I started sewing it was intended to be for the kids, home made costumes maybe a party dress or two, a cute bow tie. Then it turned into a business and this year with the etsy shops being busier than ever the pleasure sewing the "we can make anything" fun that I used to have with the kids has fallen by the wayside. But it's back, I'm working on my first tutorial (which I hope to post early next month), I'm making new products for the shops and I have the beginning of a KCW Challenge list. Time to charge up the camera and make sure I'm stocked up on thread!

 

My sewing list:

 

pajama's (his & hers)

spring dress

light weight vest

Jake vest for the dress up box

 

I've started the week with more ambitious lists, but here's hoping a few season's of experience will have given me a more realistic goal!

 

Happy sewing!





Happy New Year!

Well December seemed to hit like a sledgehammer this year. I was caught flat footed by a huge volume of holiday orders which was fantastic but absolutely resulted in a drop everything and sew like the wind kind of month. Needless to say all the niceties of the holidays, the decorating, the baking, the wrapping tended to be last minute and done without the pleasure I find usually find in it. That said, the pressure on sewing got my creative fires fueled and I have lots of new ideas I hope to bring to life over the next few months.

In the meantime I'm happy to let you all know about a sale I have going on now:

 

Wishing you a Happy New Year!

Black Friday - Cyber Monday Sale!

I am so excited to be able to put my shops on sale this year! Everything in both shops, custom order or ready-made is eligible for savings.

Use the coupon code THANKS2013 at either shop and save 10% on all purchases made November 29-December 2.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Here come the Holidays! Part 2

It's been a hectic weekend, perfect follow up to last week and probably indicative of the weeks to come. Busy is good, right? I am the kids of person who fails at boredom, I can't handle it, if it gets quiet I start building to do lists and planning projects. That said, you'd think my house was decorated and my laundry didn't pile up but that's where it all breaks down for me, because I like doing fun stuff, things I want to do, not necessarily all those things that need to be done. As I was preparing for a craft show last month slowly working through the list of projects I had planned to bring with me a friend suggested baby doll carriers. Since I had a lot of things on my list already it seemed like a perfect opportunity to find a pattern and knock out a couple of doll carriers to take with me to the show. Well I was torn between some of the patterns I found on Pinterest, I liked the Oliver & S version but I didn't have time to order it so lo and behold I drew my own version based on the Oliver & S style, with a few modifications based on how my kids favourite creatures fit.

They weren't a fast seller at the craft show, in part I think because they were and unexpected challenge to display but since then they have started to move on Etsy and I'm thinking for any gifts you need to send oversea's they can't be beat because they are lightweight and pack flat.

Here are a few of the style's available, of course I have a few more fabrics in the works...maybe in time for my next craft show. :)

Now I just have to decide on which fabrics to use for my own kids Christmas presents this year!

Here come the Holidays! Part 1

Wow! There is nothing like one of those weeks where you are flat out busy, laid up with the flu and swimming in projects to remind you that the holiday's are just around the corner. This has been that week for me. Somehow I've managed to recover from the flu and still produce some great new items in time for the holidays. If you're looking for some fun stocking stuffers or some teachers gifts check out the new tea wallets on the site, there are new ones coming (as in I have them made just need to catch up on my photography!)

Tomorrow I will be featuring some of the kids products I have available and be sure to stop by Wednesday for details on our holiday weekend promotions!

Ready, Set, Latch - Prize Set

I was asked to supply a prize for the National Breastfeeding Challenge taking place on October 5th. It was funny how it played through my head, at first it was panic - I'm a new business, there's not a lot of room for giveaways....then I thought of all those lonely night feeds and I thought ABSOLUTELY! we should get a prize for breastfeeding! All those early, uncomfortable and even painful days, the "I feel like a cow" growth spurts, the mountain of laundry because you leak around the nursing pad...they deserve some recognition. I know we get those beautiful moments where baby is so peaceful and the world seems to quiet just so not to disturb their precious slumber and it's rewarding in itself. But I found myself doing this in recognition of the not so peaceful moments, the bouts of mastitis, the improper latch, the colicky baby where Mom's persevere to do the best they can.

That said, I still made something for baby because as a Mom I love cute stuff for my kids. It makes me happy and I hope this cuddly bathrobe makes another Mom happy too!

 



 

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Masquarade

Sorry, last week's posts got a little derailed. These last few weeks of August I always find get a little insane, between trying to fit in the last few days of daytrips and fun before school starts and trying to get everyone back into a normal routine so next week's return to school is as smooth as possible.

Anyhow, amongst all the insanity I've also had a great week at my shop. I started a new custom project just yesterday for some custom felt masks that I'm finding really fun. I have to say the reception to these masks has been excellent. My kids play with theirs almost everyday and they were even part of our own party loot bags.

These are the standard masks:

 



For this custom project I'm making the masks a little bigger to accomodate some embellishment and I think they are super cute for a fun mixed birthday party.

 

Happy Monday!

A little something new

All month I'm hoping to have new items in my shop each week. In my fantasy this really looks like 3-4 new items per week. Reality is a little more like 1-2 items. I'm ok with that, especially since its summer and the kids are home, the sun is shining and calling us outside. Here are a few of the new pieces listed this past week:

 

Rustic Burlap Grocery Bag Holders now available at Thread

 

Small Toy Storage Bag now available at Thread too

 

 

For the month of August I'm offering free shipping with the purchase of 2 or more items from the accessory section at Thread too, be sure to check it out!

Happy Monday!

Into the deep end

So I have been furiously sewing items to stock up my etsy shops. Yes, I did pluralize that...the second shop is officially open. It's still a little light by way of products but this week I should get across that 8 item barrier (I think my first shop was stuck there for 3 months). I'm finding it really interesting to sew for the different shops, it's as if they pull from really different parts of my creative energy and I find it's really working from me. Now, depending on my mood, I sew for myself, my children, my adult shop or my children's shop and it's blowing my mind how much is being completed. I'm thrilled.

Here's a little peak at some of the new pieces I've completed:

 

Tote Bags now available at Thread

 

Soother Clips / Toy Tethers now available at Thread too

There is more to come, check back next Monday to see some new products featured. I'm also looking for feedback on what items you might like to see tutorials on, leave me a comment or email me at threadbykristen@gmail.com.

 

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More Thread Please!

So KCW fell by the wayside a bit. That's not to say I didn't sew (I actually finished 3 skirts) but between a summer camping trip and a plethora of new projects I just can't seem to keep up with the blogging (or the housework, but that's really another story). You see I have an etsy shop, plus a few listings on a couple of other sites but over the past 18 months my product list has expanded from a couple of small kids products and bridal items to a really weird collection of pieces. Well maybe not weird but the business part of my brain really struggles with how etsy posts everything in chronological order instead of letting me group items. Yes, there is the ability to sort by section but it bothers me that I can't control the first impression of my shop.

In March when I first started planning this expanded product list I tossed the idea of a second shop around but I wasn't confident that I could keep both shops fully stocked. Instead I left everything in a single shop and hoped a full shop would make up for the hodge podge of items. Things still sold but it's been bothering me ever since. Then as I was browsing for supplies I came across some sites that were even more hodge podge than my own and much larger and I realised it's not the visual impact that's really the issue but somehow it's hard to have confidence when something looks unfocused.

So here I sit with a decision made, it's time for more Thread! I'm still playing with the name of the second shop, I want it to be related to Thread but today it's still a work in progress. In the meantime I'd love it if you would stop by my current shop for a look around!