ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

I still don't know what I was waiting for
And my time was running wild
A million dead-end streets
Every time I thought I'd got it made
It seemed the taste
was not so sweet
So I turned myself to face me
But I've never caught a glimpse
Of how the others must see the faker
I'm much too fast to take that test
Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes
(Turn and face the stranger)
Ch-ch-Changes
Don't want to be a richer man
Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes
(Turn and face the stranger)
Ch-ch-Changes
Just gonna have to be a different man
Time may change me
But I can't trace time
I watch the ripples change their size
But never leave the stream
Of warm impermanence and
So the days float through my eyes
But still the days seem the same
And these children that you spit on
As they try to change their worlds
Are immune to your consultations
They're quite aware
of what they're going through
Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes
(Turn and face the stranger)
Ch-ch-Changes
Don't tell them to grow up and out of it
Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes
(Turn and face the stranger)
Ch-ch-Changes
Where's your shame
You've left us up to our necks in it
Time may change me
But you can't trace time
Strange fascination, fascinating me
Changes are taking the pace
I'm going through
Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes
(Turn and face the stranger)
Ch-ch-Changes
Oh, look out you rock 'n rollers
Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes
(Turn and face the stranger)
Ch-ch-Changes
Pretty soon you're gonna get
a little older
Time may change me
But I can't trace time
I said that time may change me
But I can't trace time

oh David Bowie, your lyrics are streaming through my head this morning, one of those songs that i know i'll end up singing all day long.

changes, they're constant and hard to prepare for. there have been many of them in my life over the last year, some personal, some professional, some a little bit of both.

i guess the biggest one pertaining to this blog post is that the Quirky Forest has been on hiatus for some time.  i started in a new position at work last november, which significantly cut into my creative time. i was still able to work on small projects (mostly just special requests for people i know) but overall production was significantly decreased.

i had hoped to be able to get somewhat back on track this summer but in the early morning of June 14th (as some of you know) our home caught fire. damage from the flames was actually quite minimal, however the water damage to the house was significant. the firemen were able to save most of our belongings, however because of the smoke, ALL of my yarn and fabric stash was ruined and must be written off on the insurance claim. we spent almost 7 weeks living in a hotel before being able to finally move into a rental house a few weeks ago while my house is being remodeled. the contractors are giving an estimated time for completion as being sometime in january. i'm happy that the house will be even better when it's all finished (new interior walls, wiring, attic, roof... yay!) but this has left me, and in turn, the Quirky Forest, without a studio or most of my supplies.

sadly i will not be able to participate in Riot Rooster or the Grandin Village Holiday Arts show this fall. i will continue to pick up small projects until then (albeit only knitting and crocheting ones since my sewing machines are in a storage facility with the rest of our belongings).

thank you to everyone who has shown me and my family love and support during this tumultuous time. with patience and metta the Quirky Forest will hopefully be back up and creating new items in the spring!

x's and o's
manda

Cock a Doodle Who???

 

November brings with it many wonderful things.... leftover halloween candy, the sidewalks strewn with autumn's color palette in leaves, and of course RIOT ROOSTER INDIE CRAFT FAIR!!!!

oh how i look forward to this weekend the whole year, no other craft fair in roanoke has the same energy or sense of community and i'm so thankful to be a part of it again this year.

the hours are the same as last year:
Friday, November 16th, 5-9pm
Saturday, November 17th, 9-5pm

i wish i didn't have to miss the Grandin Village Children's Holiday Parade which is also on Saturday morning but i know my boys will be there, marching down Grandin and waving to all our friends and neighbors. if you see them, cheer them on for me!

copy/pasta from the Riot Rooster facebook page:

Riot Rooster unites local crafters and makers of handmade items, gadgets, foods, commodities, experiences, etc.

Description:
RIOT ROOSTER is an Independent Craft Fair in Roanoke, VA.
NIGHTMARKET! FRI NOV 16, 5-9PM and ALL DAY! SAT NOV 17, 9-5pm

NO ADMISSION FEE, Family Friendly, Fun

Handmade, Upcycled, Recycled, Odd and Useful Gifts made for YOU by local crafters located at The h2o Heater, 813 5th Street SW 24016 in the historic Old Southwest Neighborhood.

-Red Rooster Coffee Roasters: Organic and Fair Trade Coffee
-Tasting by Foggy Ridge Cider
-Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef Project, you can learn to crochet and contribute to this collaborative exhibit.

featuring also:

funky upcycled wool hats, jackets, vests, sweaters from folkthreads . sock eye guys . adorable felties . surly girl bicycle inspired geekery . letterpress . handmade tutus . elegant green design . philosophy inc . root and bloom jewelry . hand built purses and bags . YUM spice blends . renegade printmakers LIVE on site screen printing . the quirky forest . handmade chocolates and fun surprises...

chevron maniac

i think i've become addicted... to chevrons!

no, not the gas company (cars and all things associated with them are definitely not one of my things), but rather the cute zig zags that i notice popping up all over the place. 

now, i've always had a obsession with colorful ric-rac. i mean who can resist it's cute factor? there are several spools in a basket just waiting for the perfect project to come along, just haven't found one yet that meets all my crafty dreams... anyways, that's a different tangent, back to the other chevrons that have caught my eye recently.

i started a quilt a while back but didn't like how my first attempt at piecing them came together, so it's nicely packed away in a drawer with some other woulda-coulda projects, maybe i'll dig it out and have another go at it if i find the time. sewing has taken a backseat though lately, other than a few of the up-cycled t-shirt skirts i knocked out over the summer. i find that til i get everything out and lay it in nice organized piles, it doesn't exactly leave me much time to do the actual sewing part. so, i end up spending more time with yarn and needles or hook in hand. the portability factor is key, plus it's nice and quiet which my scattered brain needs after a day of listening to the kids yammer away and the dog's incessant barking at people on the sidewalk  ;)

(just joking kiddos, i'm in no rush for you all to turn into sulky teens that don't speak and instead communicate via text messages!)

ok, back to the chevrons... so i finished a colorful baby blanket last week that i had actually started waaaaaay back in February with some yarn that Ash picked out. the kid was dead-set that he wanted a little snuggly blanket for his birthday in March, then when i was over halfway done with it, he of course decided that instead he wanted a superhero cape. (insert facepalm). not exactly surprising for a 5 yr old boy and so i set the blankie aside and sewed a striped cape instead. then 2 weeks ago while i was cleaning up the studio, low and behold i found the forgotten work-in-progress and pulled it out. the deliciously soft cashmere and merino blend yarn was exactly what my soul needed and the easy repetition of the crochet pattern helped calm me at the end of our hectic back to school preparations. if there's one thing i love about crochet it's how fast it works up in pattern... and holy cow, it's so nice to finish projects when most of the work has already been done! here's pic of it folded:

debbie bliss baby cashmerino blanket in rainbow chevron stripes

well, after that i thought "damn, i really like this. i want something for ME!"  of course i could have probably found something in my stash to use but i really kinda needed some retail yarn therapy and quickly made a bee-line to my local yarn shop.  oh so many colors, i had a hard time narrowing down the choices but finally picked out some Mandarin Petit cotton in a light robin's egg blue and a pale lime green.  chaining 37 stitches on a size B hook, i then began the familiar pattern. currently i'm about not quite halfway done with it, here's a couple of pix to show the progress so far:

why not a close-up too?

did i mention that i've also noticed quite a few chevron friendship bracelets lately? i knew they'd come back eventually! well, of course i had to break out the embroidery floss and a get a quick refresher from the latest issue of Mollie Makes magazine but once i did the first one, it was like riding my old purple banana-seat bike with the white plastic basket on the front. (man, do i wish i knew what happened to that bike....) haven't taken any pictures of the bracelets but rest assured they are zig-zaggy  and rainbow (shocking, i know)

still haven't gotten around to taking some good shots of the knitted headbands i alluded to in my last blog post but i'm hoping to get some later this week and update.

 alright i guess that's enough rambling for today   :)

end of summer already?

the spawns started school last monday and last night was our final phish show of summer tour, guess that means its time to shift attention to fall.

i'm going to be working more during the week while the boys are away getting smarter... kinda different for me and although it's a good thing, it will unfortunately leave me less time to work in the studio. i never get much done during the summer months but often look forward september and october, those seem to be my most productive months. need to figure out a new plan, yikes!

the last few weeks i've been knitting head wraps. like a mini beehive, they're great for days when i just want to put my hair up and keep it off my face. the blue cashmere-merino one I wore all weekend was perfect :)

will post some pix when I get back home to give you all an idea of what to expect from the QF this fall.

summer! summer! summer!

is the chant around the house during this, the last week of school for the boys and my last week of daily quiet until the end of august. they're all ready for long lazy days of do-nothing-ness, while i frantically try to get as much done as i can before the inevitable chaos begins.

but summertime is a happy time for me too, it means hot days spent in the sun, warm evenings dancing to my favorite band, the adventure of driving to new cities and spending time with old friends. i love the unexpected patterns that naturally arise out of our days at home, spending time with the boys doing whatever we please, and forgetting what time it is. the first few weeks are always an adjustment, but once i give in to it and take a few deep breaths, i realize how sublime it all really is.

i've been playing around with my serger the lately and have found a fun way to piece together scraps of cotton fabric (think old and gently used t-shirts) to create striped skirts and dresses. they're so soft and comfortable, i could practically sleep in my favorite one, if the nights weren't already so hot.  

so, without further ado...... the Up-Cycled T-shirt collection:

Up-cycling

so, with Earth Day quickly approaching i've been thinking more about up-cycled craft projects. goodness knows i end up with a bunch of leftover bits and pieces from projects and being the kind of girl who hates to throw away a perfectly good   (insert whatever crafty thing here)   it stands to reason that i end up with quite the horde of what others may see as junk. so here's a few uber-quick crafts i've been working on lately:


Pretty Tin Cans
 
-a take on the old soup-can-turned-pencil-holder except i used the cans left over from those yummy pirouette stick thingies that pepperidge farms makes (the other brands give you different sizes for the cans which is also nice for variety)


ok, so first i covered them with a coat of white primer. then i spray painted the base of the cans and a little bit up the sides. next i cut out scrapbook paper to fit each can and used medium matte gel to adhere the paper to the cans. finished them up with a top coat of the medium matte gel to seal everything and give it a nice sheen.

a few of the finished canisters

  

Scrappy Fabric Wreaths


-next i came across some wicker wreaths that i must have bought for who-knows-what project in the past and thought, "now what can i do with these???" 

 i looked around the studio and found a bunch of material scraps leftover from dresses and small projects.  after trimming them up into nice and neat 1" strips, i then cut them to the desired lengths (about 15" for the larger one, and 11" for the smaller) i folded them in half and just did a simple slip knot type of thing around the wreath, letting the little ends fan out along the outside.

 

see, i always knew that it's not bad to be a pack-rat, hahaha

like wearing a rainbow around my neck

that's how i describe my new necklace. it's soft and colorful, all of my favorite shades and seems to match at least half my wardrobe. made from baby cash-merino wool, it's not only luxurious but also pretty and versatile. it can be worn long or doubled (as shown in photo) and is the perfect accessory for Spring :)


i really love the simplicity of the design and how light it feels against my skin. if i'm gonna wear a chain around my throat it may as well be one made from YARN!

plus it matches my favorite set of felt bracelets!
...and then i realized i can wear it as a pretty headband too, crazy!

now, of course i had to make some more of these as well as some in different colors and yarn blends and they are listed on my  Etsy Shop.

shhhhh... all is quiet in the forest

silence

i never realized how much i would miss it until i had kids and then for last 10 yrs, finding a moment of stillness was something that i mostly dreamed about... well, at least when i stole a minute to dream, which wasn't very often either. now that all the kids are in school i cherish my quiet time alone in the house and most days i don't even turn on my itunes, instead reveling in the absolute lack of noise. 

now, you may think that with all this quietness, i would be super productive, the soft whir of my sewing machine or click-clack of the knitting needles softly breaking the monotony but being alone in the house brings with it a new set of distrctions, i.e. all the things i should be doing but don't really feel like doing, otherwise known as housework.  the list is ridiculously long and i find it so daunting that i try to ignore most of it and only focus on the things that need my immediate attention for survival.

soooooo, i have found myself making lists and taping them up on the walls of the studio in an effort to be somewhat organized and i'm not talking about little post-it size notes, i mean big-freaking-couldn't-miss-seeing-them-even-with-my-eyes-closed lists. hopefully it will help me stay on track.

i have managed to get a few projects finished though, commissioned pieces for friends and a new baby present for my oldest friend in the whole world who i have literally known since we were babies. i've also been working on getting groups signed up for our Earth Day festival in April and trying to get to Happy Healthy Cooks class between taking the kids to the dr's for strep throat, enlarged tonsils, ear aches, intestinal viruses, and now a heart murmur. between the 3 of them, i think i've spent more time in waiting rooms the last month and a half than i have in the last year, good thing knitting is portable!


so, without further ado, a few pictures of some of those projects:
(drumroll not necessary)

me want worms

this little phishy hat went to a new phan in Florida :)

welcome Michael!

 present for baby Ella  :)

inspiration comes in many forms, this time it came from a beautiful pop-up book

full view of nona's basketweave blanket

the original Strega Nona book 

by Tomie dePaola

Strega Nona pop-up book

(simply gorgeous) 

2 little pairs of matching pants

ah! love those bummy ruffles!

knitted basket weave stitch for the main body with crochet edging

 now that those are all finished and sent off i can start working on Ashton's birthday blanket (his request). gotta love a kid that wants mommy to make him a blanket for his birthday rather than buy some plastic action figure!

love and hugs to all of you on this Valentine's Day :)
xoxoxoxoxoxo

Mushrooms & Beehives

so, i know it's cliche to say that you get inspired by nature, but sometimes you just can't get past the literal truth of it. this past week i've been deep in the Quirky Forest, exploring some of my favorite natural themes and celebrating the simple shapes that i find so beautiful and funky.

mushrooms!

they make me want to dance around amidst the trees and invite

some crazy little forest friends to come out and play. can also be hung on your holiday tree to bring some creativity to your favorite indoor greenery :)





beehives!





what a sweet way to keep long hair up and out of the way
without the icky "hat head syndrome" that you get
with most winter hats. also good for those with dreads.



the Funky Beehive can also be worn as a cowl around the
neck. it stretches up high enough to cover your
mouth and nose on chilly winter mornings too!

RIOT Rooster Indie Craft Fair

cock-a-doodle-doo!

calling all lovers of indie crafts!

Friday, November 18th and Saturday, November 19th brings a return of Roanoke's favorite indie craft fair @ the h2o heater, 813 5th St. SW (5-9 on friday, 9-5 on saturday)

featuring handmade, upcycled, recycled, odd & useful gifts!

Red Rooster Coffee Roasters (mmmmmm....)
Renegade Printmakers
and oh so many more awesome local artists

music by: Another Roadside Attraction

best of all, it's free to stop by, browse, mingle with cool people, and enjoy the talents of local folks. maybe you'll even get a few holiday presents purchased and help support our creative community :)

the Quirky Forest will have handmade quilted bags, handknit purses, cabled cowls, felt bracelets, funky felt rings, and some new items that i've been working on including: felt mushroom ornaments and fabric "pennant-style" banners/bunting, perfect for setting that party atmosphere or for hanging in a child's room!

stop by and say hi, i would love to see you :)

it's not about surviving the storm, but learning to dance in the rain

halloween is quickly approaching and as i sit here and type this i can see the material for the boys' costumes peeking at me from a pile of fabric. and yet, i can't seem to motivate myself to start them. i easily have at least a dozen excuses but really there's only one and it's been a tough week.

sunday was the 6th anniversary of Piper's birth and I'd like to say that it gets easier each year, but that would be a lie and there's no point in trying to fool myself or anyone else for that matter. the realization that this is simply what it is has hit me hard but i refuse to be knocked down.

i learned how to dance in the rain again a few yrs back but there are always spells where the storm seems relentless and i worry about being washed away, when song lyrics make me cry, and every little thing is a reminder of what could have been had she been born healthy.

but i need to be hopeful and feel brave, so i'm gonna put on my red cape, bake some cookies, and watch for the storm clouds.

ku-ku for cowls

ok, so it's officially fall and even though the days are still pretty warm, my mind can't help but happily drift towards the possibility of upcoming days of cool, crisp weather. autumn is absolutely my most favorite time of year (and not just because i'm a libra) and brings with it a return of some of my favorite things, namely, pumpkin gobs, halloween costumes, fleece jackets, hats, and of course the simplest of accessories, the scarf.

i eagerly waded into my wool stash a few weeks ago, pulling out merinos, cashmere-merino-silk blends, and of course big chunky skeins. once i had myself surrounded with all the lovely colors and textures i tried to figure out what i was going to make with them all. after searching through a bunch of old patterns books and looking on the web for new scarf patterns to try, i finally stumbled upon one for a mobius cowl. now, i had never made a cowl before and certainly never anything that was a mobius but i was intrigued by what seemed to be a complex creation and decided i needed to at least try it. after watching a few tutorials on youtube (search Cat Bordhi, you won't be disappointed) and grabbing some bulky Araucania Limari yarn, i dove in to the process!

this was the first one i made:



then i decided to try some contrast on the outside edges:



verdict: i like the mobius. when you first look at it, it's hard to tell where it begins and ends, but then, that's the whole point, huh?


after that, it seemed only natural to try some other patterns. playing around with a cabled vines stitch pattern that i've used in the past for hats and fingerless gloves, i make up some more cowls. grabbing the merino-cashmere-silk blends as well as some merino-cashmere skeins that i had been holding onto, a half dozen more cowls were created. i really love the way the cable pattern pops with these yarns.





sometimes though, the yarn needs to just speak for itself. this was the last one i made. jokingly referring to it as the "candyland" yarn that jumped into my hands from a display last week at Yarn Explosion, i literally had to have it. not sure i'll be able to part with this one, the colors are just soooo pretty!



final conclusion after 2 weeks of cowl making: i hope my scarves don't take it personally, but i have a new fall LOVE :)

Quirky Quilted Bags

no big surprise but i LOVE bright colors and bold fabrics. i get mesmerized by walls lined with patterned bolts of cotton and tend to lose a fair amount of time trying to decide which ones to buy. i've heard this is a fairly common problem amongst my fellow sewing enthusiasts, which makes me feel slightly better about the ever growing stash that fills the white cabinet in the studio. sometimes though, i have trouble finding just the right combination of both pattern and colorway and need to search the web for my heart's desire. there are plenty of lovely on-line shops to fill the void, with beautiful selections and comparable prices to the brick and mortar shops around town.

i was lucky enough to find all these showcased fabrics on ETSY, browsing through their site is always inspiring, and being able to easily compare prices from shop to shop is definitely a bonus. i miss being able to run my fingers across the bolts but it's equally exciting when the ordered goodies are dropped off in my mailbox!

these are a few of the bags that will be available at the Grandin Village Community Market, Arts and Music Day on October 1st. they're even more beautiful in person, and literally have so many pockets you'll never lose your keys, phone,or chapstick again! so if you're in the neighborhood pop on over and say hi from 9am - 1pm. facebook fans of the Quirky Forest automatically get 10% off any bag that day (yes, that includes the wool felted ones too).

fun and funky felt rings

oh felt, in your lovely hues and soft texture, how i do love you...

so, i've been collecting 100% wool felt for a few yrs. bits and pieces have been used in many different projects but i had quite the stash peeking out of a bin in the studio, waiting for just the right project to come along. imagine my excitement then when i came across the cutest pattern for flower rings in issue #3 of Mollie Makes magazine!

here's a couple of pictures of the rings i made in the last 2 days:




i've been experimenting with the pattern, changing the length of the center strips and design of the outer layers, tweaking it slightly for a few different looks. a couple of examples:




all together, i've made an even dozen so far but have a feeling that these might become addictive to make :)

A Little Bit Hippy?

why yes, i am, actually :)

although not a true hippy since i was born about 25 yrs too late to ever be considered as such, i do like the values and lifestyle associated with that genre. i guess that's why i'm so excited to announce that the Quirky Forest is being featured this month at Roanoke's own, A Little Bit Hippy, located in the upper level of Tower's shopping center.

i met Heidi, the new owner, when i wondered into the store one day last month looking for some yummy smelling perfume oil (mmmmm, coco mango is divine) and we got to chit-chatting. it's so nice to meet another kindred spirit out of the blue and her ideas for revamping the store are awesome. there's plenty of new merchandise but she's stayed true to the central theme that has permeated the store for the last 12 yrs.

so, if you get a chance, check out her blog and stop in the store to take a gander at not only her merchandise but mine too! highlighted items include dresses, quilted bags, as well as a few plushie "wishes" for the kid in all of us.

A Little Bit Hippy blog (where Heidi says some very kind things about my items) plus info about shop hours, her goals, and mission to move into the next generation :)

settling into new space

the last few weeks have been pretty crazy... kids finished another school year, did some traveling, and finally wrapped up the great house purge culminating in a yard sale and 2 very large loads of items taken to Goodwill. my husband joked that the house rose a few inches once it was all gone, hahaha.

i had a purpose though and goal in mind besides just getting rid of unwanted things, i was able to move my craft space (which was previously in a small room upstairs) down to what was our living room. this was a scary proposal to Mike and it took me a while to convince him that i needed a larger and more efficient space to work. at last he agreed and i set to work moving all of my craft supplies downstairs. we reworked the room upstairs to become a game/music space where the boys could practice guitar and piano or just hang out. so far the swap has been working out fantastic. i don't have any "before" pix but here's a few of the new and improved home of the Quirky Forest:






afterward: woo hoo! we took down the old ceiling fan over the weekend and put up some stylish track lighting instead. it's so much brighter and friendly :)

spinning round and round and round

i love dresses which is funny because i was never a big fan of them when i was little. always more of a shorts/jeans and t-shirts kind of kid and then later a grungie teen in early 90's i was disdainful towards the overly girlie concept of dresses in general. foolishly equating them with being an archaic tradition. i laugh when i think about that now as i spend most days in either a skirt or a dress, be it spring, summer, fall, or winter.

versatile, comfy, and cool, dresses are a staple of my wardrobe and i'm always in search of new ones to buy or make. generally speaking though, the style of dresses that i'm most drawn to are somewhat hard to find and many of the fabric choices leave me feeling... well blah. i need colors, bright, happy colors in easy to care for cotton, not synthetics that are too tight or unflattering.

so, when i found this awesome book of patterns called Sewing Clothes Kids Love and the corresponding web site and flickr group i was very excited. now of course, as the title suggests, it's a bunch of patterns for kids but with a few modifications i realized i could adapt it to fit me! hooray!

the following are my first attempt at making the Feliz Party Dress, i went with the beautiful Amy Butler Soul Blossoms line:

i'm currently cutting fabric to make a few more, mixing up some old and new material and using different designers. can't wait to twirl around all summer in these!