New in the Shop

Last week I got in an order of new fabric, and I'm so very much in love! This bird print -- Flight in Orchid, by Violet Craft is super sweet. 

The Kaufman Corduroy in Acorn Brown is even better than I imagined, and it pairs perfectly with the Wildwood Organic Forest Floor in Ivory

If I had to pick a favourite, it would be this navy blue floral print--Wildwood Midnight Flora. It's so magical! 

Doll-Face

In the near past, I've been working on a pattern for a cloth doll to add to my shop, and just before the weekend began, I totally nailed it! Needless to say, I spent a lot of time sewing dolls and painting faces over the last couple of days.

I've listed the first little batch in my shop, and I'm eager to start adding more. Now that I've got the initial pattern down, it should be relatively easy to make some variations (a single bun and a center part are next on the agenda!)

Pretty fly, right? So far, my fave is the orange-haired one.

New Bear Slippers! (And a Real Life Tree Planting Story from my Olden Days)

Bears have a special place in my heart, because they remind me of my time tree planting with my brother, Darren. Darren is younger than me by a few years, but he kind of became like an older sibling to me during our time tree planting together. By the time I hit the bush as a rookie planter, Darren was already a seasoned veteran. He taught me the ropes and looked out for me.

seedlings

One time, we were working on a block where there was already a forest (usually, you work on block of land where the trees have all been cut down). In this case, the majority of the trees were diseased and we were putting in seedlings so that there would be trees to take their place when they died. Or something like that.

normal cut block

We were all working separately on different portions of the block, when I started to see signs that a bear was somewhere nearish. Being as I was amongst fully grown trees, I couldn't actually see the bear, but I knew it was there. Somehow. I don't remember how. To be safe, I radioed my brother and he came over to work with me. I was maybe a little nervous or whatever, but working with my brother was pretty fun. And trying to keep up with him was challenging enough to mostly keep my mind off of large predators.

At one point, we came across some bear feces, and in order to see if it was fresh, Darren actually stuck his finger in it. Ahh! Smart and gross and--as it turns out--hilarious! Then he proceeded to tell me the direction that the bear was headed, based on the way that the excrement pinched off. I still don't know if he actually knew what he was talking about or if he was goofing around . . .

Oh, it was still warm, by the way: the turd. And it wasn't long before we were close enough to see the bear. Well, I could see the bear, but Darren wasn't wearing his glasses. What comes next is not my finest moment. The bear was close. Uncomfortably close. And while I'm pretty proud that I didn't soil myself, I wish I had not gone totally mute. Darren kept on planting--towards the bear. And I stood there silently pointing. And maybe making a few nervous sounds. Luckily, Darren either heard my nervous sounds or realized I had fallen a few steps behind him, and he turned around to see what was up. Still not talking, I did manage to point, wide-eyed, at the bear (who, by the way, looked a little sickly, which might explain why he didn't lope away, the way bears usually do). Squinting in the direction I was pointing, Darren's going "What? What? Oh!"

I don't remember what happened next. I guess Darren scared the bear off. We radioed the other planters on the block, and everything turned out A-Ok. Something about that little experience really solidified his role as big brother for me. Maybe it was him taking on the role of comforter and protector? Or the (possibly made-up) bear tracking knowledge? Now, whenever I see bears (in real life or in arts and crafts) I think of him and that first summer planting together.

my brother: ace bear tracker

Oh yeah, and I made these bear slippers:

For more bearaphernalia, check this out:

a DIY bear silhouette with magazine strips (in Spanish, but I think you'll get the idea from the pictures)

my all-time favorite bear print by dsudyka on etsy

this miniature bear crochet pattern by thetinytoybox

and a set of five coloring pages (including bears) by LilaRubyKingShop

Coolest By Far

Things are still running along at maximum busy-time in the shop, but I've managed to make something new and exciting. I've been thinking about cat slippers for some time now. My first year of university, I had a pair of slippers with a cat face on them, and even though I didn't even like cats at the time, they still made me feel all smiley on the inside. Through the years, I've become a cat fan in a big way (as evidenced here), so I figured it was high time I add a cat-inspired pair of slippers to the shop. My Molipop version is a distant relative of those first slippers, which were of the standard heel-less slip on variety, featuring a neon pink applique cat (I wish I had a picture!), but I think/hope they're kindred spirits.

Coming Soon to Molipop Comfort Accessorie on Etsy!