petal pusher

meet the freshest flower tote in the bunch. this baby is bright and cheery, with exterior pockets galore and surprises inside. there are six exterior slip pockets (the reverse side is a mirror image) allowing ample room for various accessory bouquets. inside the 16" x 12" garden girl you'll find a zip pocket with attached key fob. rows of complementary stripes set off the floral motif both inside and out.

building blocks

this chickadee is back from las vegas with empty pockets and lungs full of second hand smoke. thanks to a canceled flight and many long hours both in the airport and on the plane, i managed to manufacture my own souvenirs. these four squares are forever reminders of a vegas vacation whose highlights include our hotel catching on fire and everyone returning with the flu. viva home!

if airline travel is in your future, allow me to suggest two tools that came in quite handy from taxi to landing and everywhere in between. the first, a book of 200 crochet block patterns. a great way to practice all sorts of stitch combinations. most blocks are 8" x 8" so they are small enough to work on your seat-back tray without spilling over onto the stranger next to you.

the second, an ingenious invention i like to refer to as the craft-saber. the folks at clover make knitting needles and crochet hooks with lit ends. great for times when the overhead light casts a glare onto the 2" x 2" teevee screen and obscures your vision of the fantastic in-flight programming...or when trying to be polite to a neighbor who is actually able to sleep on the plane. bless them.

beaded beanie

although the fingerless glove pattern was tempting, this chickadee decided to branch out. combing through all of my various patterns and books for inspiration, i happened upon a tiny treat...a coats and clark's learn to knit book published in 1968. my gramma passed along this treasure to me. with the knowledge that i gleaned in its pages (and a few liberties taken), i came up with this toasty topper:

p.s.  no more posts until monday...enjoy a relaxing weekend.  xo.

12 months of yarn madness!

a belated thank you to santa for enrolling this chickadee in stitch dc's first ever stash club! each month, my needles and i will anxiously await the delivery of a delicious skein of yarn and the pattern that accompanies it. the yarns are lovingly selected by stitch dc's owner, marie, who knits globally and locally with a whole lot of heart. december's selection has been patiently waiting for its debut, and it is a head turner...

this lovely yarn is from tilli tomas. one skein of aspen, 100% australian merino and one skein of mogul, the same merino with hand strung glass beads. here's a snapshot from the website that gives a little information about the company.

pay a visit to see their other beaded and bedazzled yarns. while there, check out the patterns section which showcases the work of various designers including justine moody. her la dolce vita fingerless glove was is featured project for december.

would you like fries with that?

like many other refined ladies, bernie enjoys a tasteful accessory. far from frivolous, the right go-with adds form and function. the sewing machine cover was lovely by itself, but lacked a few key pieces.

this snap pouch corrals various add-ons, much like a clutch full of lip gloss. it is padded to keep everyone safe for travel and slips nicely into any of the pockets on the cover. because who knows when that walking foot (or peppermint balm) will come in handy.

bernie's snips are like eyeglasses. best to keep them close at hand and comfortable. this pouch is also padded in case of accidental butterfinger attacks.

a nod to modesty

bernie (the bernette 65 sewing machine) spends most of her time hanging out naked. normally, this chickadee is pretty permissive with the help. recent circumstances, however, call for a change in policy. the plummeting temperatures have made bernie's spools shiver and her bobbins bobble. her zipper foot is frozen and her feed dogs are barking. to combat the cold, we worked together to fashion a new uniform for this chickadee's hardest worker. here is bernie modeling her new frock:

tapestry turned sewing machine cover...scarlet o'hara would be proud.

brownie baker

it has been a while since this chickadee assembled an apron. to right this wrong we cooked up our own recipe for this reversible wrap. it comes complete with a kangaroo pocket on one side and a joey on the other -- a little cute pocket for utensils or snacks...also perfect for baby kangaroos.

chocolate covered cheery

the blossom fabric collection continues to bloom here at chickadee central. behold this 16" x 12" brown beauty that boasts a border of birdie friends. cute little chirps not only comprise the handles and trim, they also make a neat nest inside. there they combine with complementary coral for three more generous slip pockets plus two slim ones perfect for pens and pencils. take a gander at this new feathered friend.

(note: interior picture was taken before pockets were made...)

snuggly snow blanket

earth angel

mother earth would be proud to have this beauty under her arm. it showcases some of the warmest of warm hues in the natural spectrum. right about now most of us could use a winter warmer. this 13" x 11" shapely sweetheart also comes with little reminders of the upcoming spring. dig the brown, be taken by the tranquility of the terra cotta. note the delicate accent of grassy green alongside the caribbean blue. this tote will transport all of your trappings, no matter what the season may be.

blossom dearie

here's a preview of things to come:

i fell in love with this fabric, the blossom collection from urban chicks for moda fabric. so in love that i panicked when yards of it started disappearing from supply store shelves. in the fabric world, prints come and go leaving you nothing to do but search in vain for them on ebay. with the inevitability of a total sell-out looming large, this chickadee had no choice but to act! and to buy quite a bit...including the fantastic fat quarter set pictured here. hopefully you, the reader, will love it too. heaven knows you'll be seeing quite a bit of each other soon...

love it

trash into treasure

a friend asked me to make her a bag with nothing but leftover yarn. who knew that these little scraps would pull together to make a sturdy, sunny tote. row after row of single crochet with snippet after snippet of cotton yarn...and voila!

proving once again that it's not over until the littlest ball of yarn sings.

isn't she lovely

look at maevis sporting her sweater! she looks warm and woolly and absolutely wonderful.

inquiring minds want to know...

...all about this chickadee!

check out my first ever interview on the dandelion blu blogsite. and while you are there, check out the rest of the blog for great handcrafted jewelery, informative writing and a boatload of inspiration.

thank you dandelion blu!

moshi moshi messenger bag

i love it when a plan comes together. and here's one that came together brilliantly! this bag is the result of sibling cooperation. yes! parents out there, it is possible that your adult children (who once could do nothing but insult and attempt to maim each other) can come together as friends and partners in design. my brother and i co-created this chickadee's first ever messenger bag. i was gracious enough to let him pick out the fabric. he was gracious enough to let me edit his original design into more of a "wish list." then we fell back into our old pattern where he went out to party with friends and i stayed home to do my homework. the homework paid off! i think that we aced the final exam.

this sturdy fella measures 14" x 11" and has plenty of storage options. there are two zip pockets and several slip pockets inside to accommodate the trappings of a global trekker / small town teacher. let's hope this design takes over japan like godzilla...in a kinder, more benevolent way...

update!!! axis: bold as love blanket

turn off your mind, relax and float downstream on the relaxing blue ripples of the latest addition to the psychedelic love snuggle. listen to the color of your dreams and imagine that love is all and love is everyone. this is the end of the beginning...

(thanks to the beatles for the lyrical inspiration)

valley of the dolls

here's the latest installment of the work in progress series. tune in later for scenes from the finished project...

welcome back bernie!

after some pokes and prods (sorry girl) bernie the trusty bernette 65 has returned to take her place as queen of the sewing cabinet. as you can imagine, there is much rejoicing here at chickadee central. all of the chickadees on chickadee street love to hear bernie go purr, hummm, purr. the happy sound of her motor running is accompanied by the pop of sparking wine corks and elton john's wickedly appropriate song of celebration, the bitch is back.