and your bird can sing

i love it when a plan comes together...and this one came together beautifully. this bag is a lovely marriage of varied prints. three fabrics sing together in perfect harmony in this 17" x 13" composition. a three pocket trio hits the high notes up front, while the inner zip pocket keeps the percussion in check.

interfacing throughout the bag and the handles acts as the upright bass, sturdy and strong. there is even a fancy zig-zag arpeggio accenting the basic melody.

it should come as not surprise that this bird has flown...away for a special order.

update!! axis: bold as love blanket

whoa, far out dude. get hip to this new orange groove. can you dig it?

for the birds

here are the fabrics currently undergoing transformation. they are super fantastic!

well i'll be doggone

one lucky canine will soon be cloaked in camo...the sweater is finished and on it's way up to charm city! i won't yet reveal the recipient as i'd like it to be a special holiday surprise. i'm crossing my paws in the hopes that it fits. it has a delightful ribbed collar that folds down for fashion forward four-legged friends. and the same ribbing will help keep the "sleeves" snug against a dog's front legs. a smaller version is in the works for another little buddy of mine. these camouflage creations should keep the critters warm and help them to effortlessly blend into the terrain of the mean streets they patrol. it's a jungle out there!

i never promised you a rose garden

hooray for productivity! i'm pleased to introduce you to this lush garden gem.

she's super sturdy thanks to home decor-weight cotton construction. master and amateur gardeners alike will marvel at the 17" x 13" measurement. that's plenty of potting soil. plus, the front pockets have room for all sorts of tools, there are even small slip pockets perfect for pens and pencils. keep special seed packets safe and secure in the inside zip pocket (and check out the cool embroidery too).

your thumbs might turn green with envy when they find out that this beauty is a special order.

someone to watch over me

my friend lyla recently gave me a special gift, my very own cotton monster! this cute little guy was hand crafted by baltimore fiber artist jennifer strunge. her construction is amazing and her creativity seems limitless. it is such an inspirational and thoughtful present. pretty sweet gift sense especially considering that lyla is less than a year old. she's quite a baby.

my new friend has found a happy home amid the bobbins and threads of the sewing area. he'll join the neighboring squirrel figurines and smurfs as part of my good luck totem. i've not yet settled on a name but i'm thinking rockwell (as in somebody's watching me)

bustle in your hedgerow

work has commenced on a new commissioned bag! this fantastic fabric is snipped and ready to be sewn. it is from amy butler's nigella line and reminds me of a proper english garden. i'll be sipping tea and making double sure not to get my crumpet crumbs mixed up in the bits and bobs. cheerio.

man's best dressed friend

it has been a quiet week here at chickadee central. our friend bernie the bernette 65 is still down for the count. she's resting comfortably at the sewing machine hospital, awaiting surgery sometime next week. the whir of her miniature motor is dearly missed but there is comfort to be found in the constant clickety-clack of knitting needles.

when a little baltimore birdie informed me that one of my charm city canine friends was in need of a winter warmer, i picked up my knit-sticks and some cool camouflage yarn and got to work. (perhaps you remember my fondness for dogs in sweaters) here's a little snippet of the work in progress:

update! axis: bold as love blanket

i am pleased to report that progress has been made. one full color panel is complete! that's one down and four to go. it is coming along rather nicely and i enjoy working with the yarn (shine worsted from knit picks). it has a very smooth texture and nice weight. this blanket is going to be quite a snuggle bunny. check out the first panel and a detail of the scalloped edge:

thank you baltimore!

the first annual baltimore trunk show is history! it was a a great success as fun was had by our visitors and the vendors themselves. special thanks to dandelion blu for hosting the event in her palace on the lake. more thanks to my fellow vendors (kelly and tj, cara ober, elena volkova, and michael palaia) who displayed such dazzling treasures and showed off their tremendous creative talents. and of course, there is a special place in my heart for the friends of this chickadee who stopped by to show their support. i also enjoyed meeting and talking with some new friends of the chickadee and i look forward to hearing from you in the future.

oh happy day

the day of the much anticipated holiday trunk show has arrived! please stop by and say hello.

baja beach club bag

i know that the winter is just settling in, but i'm already thinking summer. why not? if i were a fashion designer i'd have models out catwalking to bananarama in my summer 2008 collection whilst huddling together for warmth backstage. with thoughts of heat-induced lethargy floating about in my head, i put together this carry-all, sure to score in summer or brighten up a dreary winter.

think of it as rainbow brite in a 15" x 15" functional, transportable form. pack this baby full of sunscreen, trashy mags and a beach towel...maybe a light snack and of course, something to keep you hydrated. snap it shut and hand it off to your cabana boy and it is time for fun in the sun!

this tote bag of unusual size has a few added features so that smaller items don't go missing for days while you tunnel through the bag to find them. keep your keys close at hand with the attached key fob and pack your wallet friendly items in the 5 1/2" x 5" pouch that is also fastened to the pack. and don't forget that you can stow away your sea glass and any small items you find with your metal detector in the floating 3 1/2" x 4" baby pouch.

the sun will come out tomorrow...at the trunk show...

table for four

encourage your guests to eat their vegetables with this set of 12" x 16" placemats. use either the purple or tan side to complement your palate and cushion your plate. they are filled with soft batting that gives your cutlery a nice place to rest. and please, no crying over spilled milk. you can toss them in the washer and dryer and they will be like peas and carrots again.

see for yourself on sunday!

polka dotz

roll out the barrel for this classic polka princess. thanks to my buddy morgan, the genius behind pandahead, for mentioning the need for a chapstick pocket. that started the journey of these two dotted darlings and culminated in this multi-tasking portable pocket protector. you'll feel like dancing when you discover a place to store your cell phone, to stockpile your pens, to stash your wallet and to keep lip protection from being lost to the abyss of the bottom of the bag. you choose which side of this squeezebox gets to see the light of day as the 13" x 12" number is reversible. if you hug it just right, you can hear a chorus of accordions.

happy little animal friends!

puppies and kittens and deer, oh my! say hello to two super cute combinations of cotton and denim (which, technically, is also cotton). first up, the alphabet kitties tote:

hello kitties! this is a charming combination of two similar prints with a third providing complement to both. the lining and front pocket of the bag are made of a natural denim which, along with interfacing, provides good support without being too stiff. the bag measures 14" x 13" and has several comfortable nooks to store your cat nip. outside is an asymmetrical pocket duo. one pocket is just perfect for a cell phone, while the second, larger pocket holds itself together with a touch of velcro. the inside zip pocket will make you purr with delight.

hairball not included


hello dears! that's right, pink and purple, just like the sneakers that i wore in fifth grade (the best ever). i hope that you love this mix of darling deer and precious puppies as much as i do. i tried a new trick with the outside of the bag, using a complementary fabric to tie both sides together. inside you'll be delighted to find FIVE pockets of various size just waiting to be filled with the essentials of your woodland or domestic habitat. this 12 1/2" x 12 1/2" pet is no square peg. like its friend, the alphabet kitties tote, the dear deer puppies tote is lined with denim and interfaced.




we're all looking forward to seeing you on sunday!

phat quarters

here is another in our ongoing series of action shots! our aim is always to keep you, the reader, informed of the activities at chickadee central.

this pretty pile of prints probably looks peculiar to you at present. however, our agents are hard at work (in an undisclosed location between the key blvd and potomac park squirrel communities) and have already begun transforming these treats into to treasures to tote.

profile: kelly and tj!

this is fourth in a series of profiles of the artisans that will be at the holiday trunk show december 9th in baltimore.

kelly and tj are like the diy wonder twins. but these kids aren't wasting their powers by transforming into a bucket of water and an over-sized eagle. instead, they activate to form creative superheros. they have many crafts in their bag of tricks and will be showcasing their silk-screened tee shirts at the show on december 9th (now less than a week away!).

axis: bold as love blanket

an old roommate introduced me to this album and i love it. especially the title track with its lyrics that explore native american color theory.

My red is so confident that he flashes trophies of war,
and ribbons of euphoria
Orange is young, full of daring,
But very unsteady for the first go round
My yellow in this case is not so mellow
In fact I'm trying to say it's frightened like me
And all these emotions of mine keep holding me from
Giving my life to a rainbow like you

i was thinking about this song and knitting when these two images smashed together to form an idea! why not make a blanket inspired by the song? why not indeed. i'm pretty sure that it is going to take a while to finish so i'll update you as progress is made. let's start at the very beginning. it's a very good place to start:

lovely ladies

after averting a near crisis, this chickadee is back at it. it is all business around here for the next week while getting prepared for the trunk show on the 9th. with the help of some pinch hitters in the sewing machine department, i was able to finish these bags up over the weekend. they were a special request from a super awesome friend. she picked out the fabric and i did the rest. teamwork is fun work. take a look at our results:

these ladies measure 12" x 10" and have straps that are a bit shorter than the traditional tote, more of a handbag style. they are the same basic construction. both have the three slip pockets across the front of the bag, lined with coordinating fabric. they zip closed across the top and have an 8" x 6" zip pocket on the inside of the bag as well.

these were a special order and are not available for sale.