Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Finally 2011! Happy Welcomed New Year!



Happy New Year! I have long awaited the arrival of 2011! 2010 had presented many tough times for me personally which in turn effected my etsy shop. Due to many unforseen circumstances I was unable to take on much custom work, but the ones I was able to were very special and significant ones for me! Here is my last custom listing of 2010 which was literally an entire year in the making. My Noel Lap Quilt was indeed one of those once in a lifetime life altering experiences for me. I have taken the liberty of reprinting the listing for this very special quilt! No matter how many times I say thank you to the woman for whom it was made it will never be enough. She gave me a gift of love and hope that I will be eternally grateful!


The Noelle Lap Quilt Is a wonderful blend of 5 ½” squares of black, green and red polka dots, retro square dots, vintage Christmas ornament shapes, funky Christmas trees, and wonderfully warm Christmas phrases. These prints are a fantastic combination of Christmas memories past and a look forward to many memories made in your home!

It is approximately 48” x 54” The reverse side is a wonderfully soft red minky and in its own right, the back, is a fun simple square stitch pattern.
Here is the story behind your quilt:

Your quilt presented a large challenge to me, something I always enjoy, this is the first time I have attempted a quilt of this size, so when you contacted me to say you wanted a lap quilt in these lovely fabrics I jumped at the chance of this challenge. This past year 2010 has been filled with many for me personally.

I quickly sat down at my drafting table to draw a layout in the size you requested and then was able to see how much fabric I needed. I found the fabric and ordered it as I had told you. The day the fabric arrived was very joyous to me because I too have fallen in love with the Christmas fabrics in this color scheme.

I will tell you before I write my story that EVERY stitch in this quilt has been placed with love! This year I have lost most of my physical belongings and became very bitter when faced with this. Through no fault of my own....I have been through bankruptcy, foreclosure, and have lost my husband due to hardship and illness. After being at home with my children for the last four years I needed to quickly rely on my talents of an interior designer to make money in a very challenging financial time. I started my shop on Etsy, while looking for additional work, with fabric I uncovered in my attic…

For a while I couldn't in good conscience pick up your quilt to work on because I was so bitter and angry and didn’t feel it was right to send you something created in that manner. As my situation unfolded and I started to let go of my anger and open my heart to love, love of my children, love of family, love of friends, love of acquaintances and love of those who were strangers coming to my aid. As the love grew in my heart, my entire life began to change for the better. I was able to begin sewing again, able to move forward with my life and begin to repair the damage that had been done. The more I worked on your quilt the more things changed for me, not only in my heart but in my circumstances.

I have found steady work; I work three jobs, but can provide for my children, I have found a new place to live that is warm, safe and secure. I have also found strength in me that I never knew existed. With lots of love and laughter I have been able to endure and rise above. I have left my house and husband behind, all things that have proven to be a far more safe and loving environment for my girls and me.

I have found many different types of love in new friendships , a deeper love in those friendships and family bonds that already existed. I have become a far better, stronger and loving person all due to your commission of this quilt. I am deeply indebted to you for this wonderful challenge! Your quilt has been the glue that kept me bound, and has helped me grow to be so much more of a wonderful human being. So my heartfelt thanks to you for that.

I send you this quilt stitched with only love, I apologize that it has taken me so long to complete your project but wanted you to have this quilt of love. I wish you nothing but strength, warmth and love when you take this quilt into your home and hope that when you use it you are wrapped in love.

Merry Christmas with warmest regards and many thanks!


Thank you again to all my loyal customers of 2010 and to my friends and family who have given me their love and support through this most difficult year. Much love and thanks to you all!

Saturday, March 27, 2010

The Rickety Rackety Luckily here on my porch White Chair!!

So I am at the one year mark on etsy as I previously stated
in my last blog. I am so happy as to how far craftsbykj.etsy has come that I wanted to share the story of 'the rickety rackety luckily here on my porch white chair'. This chair has been featured in most of my etsy shots. It all started out with the picture taken by my dearest artistically inclined friend Moonflower who offered to help me get started on Etsy by taking a few pictures of my first postings for my shop. I explained to her I needed some props to place my quilts on and she said 'I have the perfect thing!' On her first photographic jaunt she brought in the back of her truck this fabulous chair!

She explained that this particular chair had such great character she thought it would be a great addition to my work, that it would enhance the photos by adding some shabby chic rustic charm. Boy was she right, so with that off she went clicking away styling quilts artfully hung over the side of the rickety rackety chair, carefully moving this chair as to not have it fall apart. It is not a chair to sit on, or to use to get anything out of the pantry, just a beautiful piece to be in photographs. If you pick it up wrong, the wrungs fall out the spindles shift, but you can tell this chair has seen a lot through all the years!
My first 'made it to front page' item the Addison Quilt was photographed on the cute little white chair in front of my barn (which is just one wind storm away from being a pile of reclaimed wood for sale) a most wondrous building also weather worn and torn but super fascinating. So I thought Hmmmmmmm... if this chair captures the eye, is it because of the perfectly worn off paint spots or that upon first glance you know it is unique with history.
So after the 'photo shoot' off went Moonflower with her truck and her trusty rickety chair in the back of her truck to head home and e-mail me the pictures she took. That was in the spring of 2009.

After this first session I became much stronger with my own photography skills, and took many shots of my own for listing. But at my request Moonflower came back again at the end of summer to get me set up for the release of the Autumn line. I mentioned to her how much I loved the photos of the white chair and she offered to bring it back and to my ABSOLUTE delight, she offered me the chair to keep.(Thank you Moonflower!!!) Wow! you could have told me I won the lottery because this chair has somehow stolen my heart. So for the Fall and Holiday season I continued to use this chair for pictures. I have had a blast trying to use multiple angles and put the chair in many different positions, but continue to come back to its upright spindle back. It photographs the best.

My little chair has sat out on my front porch all winter, it has been covered by many inches of snow, battered by Nor'Easters, heavy winds, hail and has seen much sunshine. Our last major rainstorm we were hit with about 4" of rain, our basement flooded, but my biggest horror was my little white chair fell over in the wind and took a pretty big hit, it is even more rickety now. I still love it and I will still use it, even if you are all tired of seeing it, I am smitten with my Rickety Rackety and luckily it is still here on my porch the mysterious White Chair!!












Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Time is my frenemy.....



So Happy New Year! Ok it's a bit delayed, but better late than never. Since December I have been sewing like a fiend and working two jobs, with two little girls in tow. It has been a very difficult balancing act, but one I am getting accustomed to.


Since I have last posted, here's what has happened: I have had many wonderful experiences on Etsy with sales, being chosen for treasuries and my latest was being chosen on March 9th for Etsy's Daily Finds: Spring Ahead! First and foremost Thank You to Christine for choosing my 'Is it Spring Yet?! Reversible Placemats'. I had a tremendous response from Etsy followers, many shop hearts and item hearts!


Today I officially hit 10,000 item views, I couldn't be more thrilled about all of this... I am just coming up on my one year anniversary of being on etsy! So MANY THANKS to all who have encouraged me to set up shop on Etsy, those who have taught me many valuable lessons on how to improve my sewing, my photography, and marketing strategies! Could not have done all this alone. A most important thank you to my customers who have made me feel very special about my products and have made wonderful suggestions on how to improve and other items I can sell. And Last of all but certainly not least to my family - Mom, Dad, and my girls for always helping with this Etsy venture. (How many 2 and 4 year olds do you know that are aware of what Etsy is, and consult with me on my work?)


So now here's what I am currently working on:

The long awaited Toddler size quilts have made it to my workshop table, I have spent the last month compiling, cutting and getting started on my 'Sweet Dreams' quilt line. They should debut by May 1st!


I am collaborating with a dear friend and most amazing artist to start a fabric line of our own, so as this progresses I will have updates on my blog, but we shall begin a blog of our own to keep you all updated and start the buzz..... It will be fantastic for us to work together again, something I have long awaited and much anticipated!


There is also a design firm in the works for Early Summer, with a most wonderful and equally talented group of women who are going full force to change the world one room at a time, again will also have bits of news posted on here as to how this all progresses..


As for my Etsy shop, I have been fully recharged, found my muse and here is something you can check back for from time to time, it all started with some yarn, found at a yard sale, so I will tackle knitting next!
As you can see my plate is full, yet I am fully happy to finally have the creative forces at work in all angles in my life. It all has come about by many angels at work and subtly showing me the path to take. As my strength, confidence, determination and creativity are at full force and raring to go, time is my frenemy...... that I am either embracing or battling each day to let out all of my artistic thoughts and turn them into endeavours!



Saturday, December 19, 2009

Twas a few days before Christmas

Twas a few days before Christmas and all through the
house mass chaos ensued!
Sewing like mad to meet all the orders due!

Four quilts on the table and fabric a strewn
Rolls of thread everywhere and pins on the floor.
When all of a sudden a knock at the door..

The children are running from room to room
helping Mommy get ready for her big deliveries.

I run to the door to see who it may be,
another customer asking what she could see.
Choosing from placemats, runners and splat mats,
She excitedly found what she was looking for!
With a smile on her face and her bag nice and full
She exclaimed with great joy I am ready now
to continue my wrapping and ready to give such
lovely presents that you carefully have made.

With a twinkle in her eye she went out the door
ran to her car and off she went.
Does she know how much her sale really meant?
This year she has helped me put food on my table
so for my girls there was soup in the ladle!

How much it has meant that my customers have helped
keep my house warm and presents under my tree.
My girls will know when they are older
how much we have tried
to make sure they never knew how tough times have gotten.
They will never know really how many times I have cried.
And then this year 2009 I turned it around with just a stitch and some fabric
with all things that have been hanging around in my attic.
Thank you all for your purchases, I have sewn with great care.
There is so much love put in them, and of course with great flare.
May next year bring good fortune and good health
and of course to you all the same plus great wealth!

Happy Christmas to you all, and to all a great New Year!!!

Monday, November 30, 2009

Happy Holidays!




Well the fall has slipped by and here we are into the Christmas shopping season I have been sewing like a mad woman, so much that my machine pooped out and I was down for a couple of weeks..... needless to say I had too much time on my hands and began to cut more and more projects for the Christmas season.


My girls and I had such fun digging through boxes of fabric, trying to decide which ones to use for runners, and placemats, splat mats and of course quilts. I did however lose some fabrics to dress up and princess capes.

The giggles and laughter from this was all so wonderful!


I was able to complete a few Christmas quilts, one still is on my 'workshop' aka dinning room table to be pinned and top stitched. The Christopher Quilt, the Noelle Quilt, the Nicholas and Faith Quilts all are so sweet and soft.


This time of year always brings unexpected guests at my home, (I am not kidding about this!!) The phone rings or a knock at the door comes... "Hi we're on our way out, was wondering if you have any placemats, or bottle bags, or splat mats, how about a runner that might match where I am going". True story I was at my mom's baking apple tarts for some friends and the doorbell rang, a friend of my mother's knew I was there and was ready to hit the road and needed a hostess gift! It is a wonderful thing to constantly have repeat customers not only does it make me feel good, to quote my Aunt Kathy "It does indeed show the quality and appeal of your items to have repeat customers" So very true!!

Also between the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade and cooking for Thanksgiving dinner I was sewing and listing all I could on etsy... still have more that will hopefully go up before the first week of December is out!

Placemats, Splat Mats, and Runners abound as well here and are ready for quick ship. You can always reach me for questions and comments. A Very Special THANK YOU Treacle and Ink at esty.com for including me in her treasury list of gifts, for my Candy Cane Hostess Set, very special indeed.

Thank you all for your love and support during this fantastic and crazy time! Happy Shopping and Happy Holidays to all! May you all believe that Christmas miracles do come true... I have hope they will so very much this year!!!

Sunday, October 11, 2009

The Summer Flew By...

So it has been an amazing summer of sewing (caring for two little girls with swine flu, fifths disease and many other childhood ailments) and getting ready for the upcoming Holiday season. I have been sewing non-stop at night once my girls go to sleep since January.
I have explored all my secret stashes of fabric, to push my creativity along and have put together great prints to be used for my winter and spring releases. It was interesting and most cathartic to go through the bins of fabric that I have been collecting for some time and with a few trips to my all time favorite fabric shop about one and a half hours away from my home plus shopping on line I have some great color coordinated collaborations to put out for new girl quilts, although I am still searching for the perfect fabrics for those little boys. Suggestions are always welcomed from you my customers and followers!!! With my etsy shop http://www.craftsbykj.etsy.com/ I have met some most wonderful customers and suppliers, though many don't know it they have been my angels with their kind words, and of course with their support of my shop by purchasing my wares. I am very thankful to have had made some fantastic connections!! I am feverishly getting four Christmas quilts together to list and have made some changes of how I make my baby quilts. I am now placing my label on the back of the quilt which I stressed over and once I completed my first one, the 'Nathaniel Quilt' shown above I fell in love with this new design placement.

I have also made a reconnection with my dusty, neglected drafting board. I cleared and cleaned it off and sat down to my delight to many ideas that just began flowing from my pencil. It also has given me the proof I was searching for that my 'baby brain' is beginning to dissipate! All you mommies out there know what I am talking about!!

I have laid out a new size quilt for toddlers, slightly wider and longer than the baby size, which I will begin executing for my winter line. I also have plans for next Christmas for handmade ornaments. I am always looking for ways to use as many 'scraps' as I can since once I fall in love with a fabric I would like to use it to the end and not let it go to a landfill.

So here we go into fall a crafters dream, I will be out and about at a few craft shows and will list what I can on etsy.... keep an eye out!


And as always I will put out there... feel free to contact me with any requests or comments I love the feedback! Thank you all for your love and support!!






Thursday, June 18, 2009

Getting Started!

Hi to all! Welcome to my new world of Etsy, blogging, twitter, photographing, listing, posting, marketing..... Not to shabby for someone who has been a slight step behind in technology for a few years. I have been home with my two girls, a side step from career and life I never thought I would take. (But love every minute of it!)
I have been sewing for many years now for the fun of it, then started sewing for giving gifts, for friends, craft shows and now I decided it was time to get into something for me. I am an interior designer and have always kept my hand in it even on my 'maternity' leave. Taking on an occasional client. Now I feel I am ready to ditch the bottles and diapers as my children are doing and get my creative life back.

I have a shop on Etsy... http://craftsbykj.etsy.com/ I thought this blog might be a good start for all of you to see what I am working on and how I progress in the coming months and year. This week I really made a push to re-launch my shop and was greeted with lots of luck and excitement. I was able to work with a wonderful designer on Etsy (lolaness) to get my shop look exactly like I wanted, and my Addison quilt was featured on the front page! I have making and giving these quilts for over a year now to friends as shower gifts, and was truly happy with the comments from the Moms-to-be then and even now how they actually use the quilts and their babies love them.
It has been the kind of start to my re-launch that I really was looking for. I hope you continue to follow my progress and even offer feed back!
I will begin to search for the perfect fabrics for my baby quilts for Halloween and Christmas and all other Holidays in between. Please keep an eye out for 'teaser' photos of my Fall and Winter Lines. Somethings to look for are: Placemats, Ornaments and of course my best sellers the Cotton Print and Minky Quilts. I will be expanding the size of the quilts too, for pre-school age.
Thank you for all your support!