GIVETHANKS! 10% Off Black Friday thru Sunday

Black Friday through Sunday I'm excited to offer 10% OFF when you use the promo code GIVETHANKS at checkout. Spread some love this holiday season and gift someone the unique gift of hand embroidered happiness. Perfect for the best friends, moms, relatives, and all the other loved ones in your life, including the kiddos. 

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all.

All my love, 

Jo

DECK THE HALLS - New Etsy Listing!

Bongiorno!  And Happiest of Pre-Holiday Celebrating.

Amidst a night spent in pet emergency with our little Trux (who is fine -- drooling excessively for no apparent reason, but fine), getting ready for the husband's birthday (today), and finishing up some last minute school work prior to our ventures East, this pillow appeared!   Having more time to add details and pour patient love into each new pillow over a whole week's time feels much less rushed and urgent than the first ten creations, which were done with care, mind you, but also an intense deadline.

I am excited about this one.

Check it out on Etsy.  DECK THEM HALLS.

And NEXT on the docket…look at those moose!

Happy Birthday to my one and only.  Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Love,

Jo

A Faux-Update with Squirrels.

I busted my sewing machine needle, as I may have mentioned in a previous post, so this week's edition of the next embroidered pillow is on hold until the fabric store opens today.  I'm a little excited about the pillow though, for whatever that's worth.

Since the un-ironed, front panel of an unfinished pillow isn't really worthy of pictures, despite my attempts, I set my camera down on this brisk, beautiful morning, made a fire, and was staring at our backyard pine trees letting the caffeine reach my fingertips, when, out of the corner of my eye, two squirrels leapt onto the porch.   It's been softly snowing all morning, and apparently, this either makes the squirrels jubilously energized, or they're working out a sordid love affair.  I can't say if the two are related, but I think the excitement of snow can make anything get a little zest-filled.  Vimmed and vigored, if you will.

Cuteness overload.

Happy Sunday, y'all.  Real pillow updates coming soon.

Jo

Givings of Gratitude.

Harmony.  It isn't illusive, or intangible, or unpractical, or a deserved myth granted to all the other people in the world.  Today, in this moment, I am living proof that the head, the heart, and the hands can work together to uncover the stuff planted in the dirt, that's cultivated through a little hard work and a lot of faith.  The substance that gives us light.

That was not always my belief.  In hindsight and through reflection, I might still awaken in a self-entitled haze, unhappy with the life I was carving out for myself, feeling out of control, and generally disheartened.  I might still think, day in and day out, that what I really want to do with my life hovers in the dark, dream phase of existence.

"Leap, and the net will appear.” 
― Julia Cameron, The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity

At the beginning of the week I wrote a 15 page lit review on the hazards of Zero Tolerance policies and the School to Prison Pipeline.  If you're interested try here, and here.  Despite the brain drain that followed, I was genuinely thrilled to research a topic for which I feel passionate, then word vomit onto paper.  After, I created a pillow, designed some things for the husband's birthday party, spent hours observing teachers in an elementary school, and tutored my little buddy in reading.

“Pray to catch the bus, then run as fast as you can.” 
― Julia Cameron, The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity

My sincere purpose for this post: I want to acknowledge how very grateful I am, and particularly, that I would not be in this mindset without some serious love, guidance, "You did what's?" and, "Good for you's!" from this wonder-filled support system comprised of relatives and people I get to call friends, but feel as though are family.  They push me, laugh at me, and try with me.  Without people from which I can learn, fail around, and crawl to for help, that much darker version of myself may still exist.

We walk together and through, and I Thank You.

And now!  A couple dear friends' pillows in their homes!  Giddiness.

Things to think on:
“No matter what your age or your life path, whether making art is your career or your hobby or your dream, it is not too late or too egotistical or too selfish or too silly to work on your creativity.” 
― Julia Cameron, The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity

“Serious art is born from serious play.” ― Julia Cameron, The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity

Happy Frizzle, 

Jo

Step by Step.

Don't you know I need you?  Anyone?

Day by day?  (Whitney. There it is.)

It's really difficult to concentrate with synthesizers.

Below is the process of pillow creating I follow.  I approach the task like I do most business in life: with abandon, gusto, inspiration, and...haphazard planning.  It works out decently for crafting and schoolwork, but I am one lousy cook without a recipe.

Step 1:  Abandon gets paired with inspiration, then coupled with gusto.  I first make a square on my sketch pad to mimic the pillow size, then come up with a sketch.  This next pattern focuses on embroidered Christmas lights strung between two reindeer antlers atop an appliqué forest background.  At this point I have a color scheme in mind.

Step 2:  I begin with the random, but purposeful, selection of material.  The back and front panel's material are chosen and cut first, then the pattern is snipped from various other patterned material.  I eyeball the size and dimensions for each shape, but generally reference the pattern to make sure I am staying on track.  Once the shapes for the pattern are cut out, I start pinning and trimming the material onto appliqué adhesive.  The pinned pieces are shown below.  Ironing fuses the material to the appliqué.

I then embark on the most satisfying part of the process, Step 3: peeling the paper backing from the adhesive.  It should be added to this list.  (You will not regret clicking that link as much as you may have the first two…)

Steps 4 thru 12 help the material picture come together, layer by layer.  I bet how I go about this process would drive the measurers-of-the-world crazy, but this works for me.  I don't measure, or try different patterns on top of one another, I just go for it.  If Mr. Lincoln cared about appliqué, I would probably have to offer an apology.  

Anyway.  

And there it is!  This pattern is now ready for embroidery, which will be particularly enjoyable due to the extra details of twinkle lights not made of material.  I tend to pick the thread colors ahead of time, then settle in to the long process of embroidery with Miles Davis and Joni Mitchell records, episodes of The Wire, or Jo-dog eye contact. Truckee always makes it weird.

Thanks for visiting.  I'm excited for this one.  The sun is officially up, it's time to wrastle this day.

Peace, love, (and planning),
Jo

Gracias, Merci, תודה, Danke, Thank You

Refreshing the Etsy shop was one of the highlights of my day yesterday as hours and numbers climbed. Well, that and SELLING MY FIRST FOUR PILLOWS!  It means that much more that I know where they are going and who will snuggle them, almost down to the exact locations. Thank you, dear friends, for caring, supporting, liking, and following. You mean the world to me.

In excited haste, I also thought it would be a terrific idea to start the diversification my product line to 1) sell items less pricey, and 2) get more traffic to the shop.  On the first day of sales, a note to future Jo, do not start making different items than already offered.  Plan?  Sure.  Execute?  Probably not.  Around 1 p.m. I started asking questions, which eventually, after running on adrenaline for hours and busting my sewing machine needle in half, led to a crash.  I came-to lying face down on the rug near the back door holding Truckee's paw like a lifeline.  

What was I thinking of selling?  Pardon the yellow, tabletop pictures, but you can kind of get the idea.  I've stored this project in my back pocket since I made a version for my house back in 2011.  It is not your traditional advent calendar offering a piece of candy each day that passes, it's glittery and adult-ish.  (Eh, hem.  Right?)

Each day you remove an ornament from the countdown and add it to a simple wreath.  As someone who thoroughly enjoys the satisfaction of a crossed-off list, this makes my insides happy.

It could be sold as a DIY kit, or pattern, or just a free suggestion, which is all it is at this point.  (Don't mention it.)

I have ideas and planning in the works for the pillows and some other thoughts up my sleeve:  kits, patterns, and cases alike.  

So again, I wanted to share the roller coaster of emotion of the first day (ha!), but most importantly, Thank You for your love.  I'm feeling it ten-fold these days and I am so grateful.

  

Lots and lots of love, 

Jo

OPENING DAY.

After 109 odd hours cutting, appliqué-ing, embroidering, sewing, stuffing, photographing, and promoting, it's opening day! I couldn't be more excited. Thanks for all your support!

Now on Etsy.