Thursday's Pile

Well, I did manage to get 8 hours of sleep last night. My mom is taking away my sewing machine today at noon so I'll still have time to tag and pack everything before it gets too late. Then we'll be up @ 5:30 a.m. Saturday morning to get there and get set up. I'm excited. Its getting closer. I think I'll probably have a little downer on Sunday afternoon once it starts to wrap up. Its that same feeling you get on the last day of high school or on the drive away from your wedding reception. So much has been put into this event that has to end sometime and all of the sudden, you're sad that its over.
Here is my pile. I'm keeping it all out to remind myself that I do have a lot of stuff. I'm still working on one more project and then its time to spray paint my hanging stars and make my sign. You girls have been so encouraging in this process. Thank you for your sweet comments. I'll post again on Saturday evening with some pics of the booth. Yay!

Wednesday's done.

My mom is the best. She washed off and painted my doors today while I sewed. She watched Sebastian this afternoon and then again this evening so I could finish a few more oven mitts. She is on spring break and enjoying being away from her classroom. She invited me to go shopping with her and I had to take a raincheck. Talk about determination.
As long as I take a shower every day I'll manage to stay on this side of obsessive. I'm totally stressing out already and its not even down to the last 24 hours. I always put these incredibly unrealistic goals in my mind like I somehow have the power to stretch time. We'll see. I've got two days left and I still need to make a sign for myself and finish up the display details. I realized that I had been making left-handed oven mitts after I took this picture. I'm going to bed.

Tuesday

Today didn't feel as streamlined as Monday but there are still good things to show. I did get two floor mats finished and a ton of oven mitts cut out. I went to the hardware store to get some supplies for the door display. I got a fun card and felt pouch from Cammeron in Oklahoma. Thanks, Cammeron! I finished a project for the RVA blog. I went to the gym! I made lists. I put in an order for our kits. I got a video of Sebastian crawling for the first time! So, here's a peek. Thanks for all of the encouragement!

Sprint to the End

I have a hard time spacing out projects in order to get everything done without losing sleep. I know this about myself. When I was in kindergarten, my teacher told my mother that I needed a time frame to work or else I'd never finish anything. My mom repeated this to me in high school one late night as she helped me finish a report. I don't know if this is a self-fulfilling prophecy because I was labeled a procrastinator at a young age or if I'm just wired to be less organized and driven than some of my peers. I still manage to get an amazing amount done in the wee hours. I just trade in my sanity. My peace.

So, this week, with my deadline breathing down my neck, I'm going to try to make lists of projects that need to get done. I'm going to try not to test a new idea or recreate an old one. I'm going to use the fabric that I've got instead of rushing to the store for something that feels newer. I'm going to spend less time checking my e-mail and lurking on blogs. I'm going to be intentional with the time I have to myself when Sebastian is asleep. I'm going to need lots of music and lots of coffee.
It might get a little messy.

I plan on keeping a lens on it all and sharing the process. Thanks for stopping by.

Enjoy the weekend.
R, B & S

OK GO

Because seeing grown men do creative dancing on treadmills is definitely going to make your day.

Chocolate Winners!

Congrats! Thanks for posting and making a sick girl happy! If you three girls would send me your addresses via this e-mail address, I will get them in the mail very soon!

Shopping is fun again!

My new favorite Etsy.com store.

Weekend fun

Sebastian is such an easy little model to work with. He didn't even demand skipping naptime in his contract. All of this was shot while the boy was sick. We thought he was teething. Oops. He's feeling better but I think I've contracted the evil bug.
I love looking at the pics of Sebastian and Brett because we never get pics of the two of them and they are so sweet. Can you tell he loves to play with Dad?
Brett brought home a few boxes of Starbucks Valentine chocolate that had been marked out due to V-Day packaging. If you aren't scared of dark chocolate with a little caramel tucked inside, leave me a comment about your favorite new obsession and I'll do a random drawing Tuesday night and send three winners a box of yummies!
Thanks for looking!

From Scratch

These are a few pics of some pieces I made for a music festival a few years back. For two of these, I picked out some crazy big oversized t-shirts from the thrift store and just started nipping and tucking with the help of my model, whom my husband named, Willow. The white dress was made with a lot of patience and many try-ons. Its the one I'm wearing in our About photo on the RVA blog.
I've seen some beautiful tops at Urban Outfitters and on a few blogs that I'm tempted to replicate but Willow's base was lost in our latest move. I got so used to using Willow's measurements that I stopped trying patterns. Its similar to not wanting to learn to read music. It feels too technical. Someday, technical could take me places. For now, I'm going to stick with doing things the hard way.
Has anyone seen this movie lately? Its just starting at my house.

Getting ready for Big Hat Days Festival

I'm trying to set some goals for this festival over Easter weekend. It is a strange weekend to have a festival but I've decided to go ahead anyways. Its supposed to attract over 125,000 people. I've been tracking down old doors on Craigslist.org so I can hinge them together, add hooks and hang quilts. I've been trying out new products to see how time efficient they are. Its so hard to know what the market is sometimes. I'm selling some things there that I probably wouldn't at a music festival or anywhere in Seattle just because its a more conservative group.
If you have been to an indie show/craft fair/ bizarre lately and have any advice on what not to do, etc. please shoot me a comment.
I just got my business cards in this week and I love how they look. They are personalized for events like these as opposed to something Red Velvet would send out to those online. I found a designer on Etsy.com and she worked with me to get the colors just right. I love them. I think I might just keep them all.

Simple Pillowcase Tutorial

For a cute accent of color in your studio, bedroom or friend's apartment, follow the directions below.
For best results, and trust me I've learned the hard way, wash and iron your fabric before sewing.
Cut out 2 pieces of fabric that measure 12"x15'' for the back and one piece that measures 15"x15" for the front.
My pillowform measures 14"x14". ( If you use a 12"x12" pillow, cut out 2 pieces that measure 9"x13" and one that measures 13"x13".)
On one long side of your back piece, fold over 1/4" and again 1 1/2". Iron. Sew your hem. I used contrasting thread for interest. Repeat for your other back piece.
Lay your front fabric piece down with the right side up. Lay one of your back pieces down with the right side facing down. Put your other back piece down on top of it with the right side facing down so that the hemmed edges are overlapping.
Pin and sew all the way around. Trim your edges to about 1/4".
Turn inside out and iron.
Now you've got the option of adding buttons, yo-yo's or felt flowers.
If you're adventurous, you can add ribbon, make a patchwork, or embroider on the front piece before you sew it to the back pieces.
This one is for sale here.
I'd love to see what you make!

Make friends with our new blog site

Red Velvet Art's blog has relocated for some fabulous reasons. Read about the excitement here. Happy Monday!

Kiss him even if he's not Irish!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Little Boys Make Me Tired

I was inspired by this girl to write about my morning with my son. He woke up an hour early @ 6:20 a.m. and was cranky through breakfast and getting dressed. So, I did what any tired mom wants to do. I packed him up and we drove to Starbucks for a Grande, CAFFEINATED, Non-Fat Cinnamon Dolce Latte with no whip. Then we drove to the bagel shop and got a bagelwich. I was fresh out of bed, teeth brushed, hair pulled back in a messy do, bags under my eyes, wearing chapstick, mascara, long sleeves and jeans. Sebastian had only his t-shirt, shorts and a knit hat. He looked like he had dressed himself. This is what happens when you get me out of bed this early.
While we were standing in line, the man in front of us asked if Sebastian's hat was from Little Dreamers, the children's store that I had taken my quilts and pillows into the week before. I told him it was and he introduced himself as one of the owners. I declined to announce myself as the one whose goods he wasn't interested in. Later that day I went in to the store to pick my items up and saw him in the back. I don't think he recognized me without the bags under my eyes.