one more button for the road

this chickadee is on the wing yet again. no more posts until next week so i thought i'd leave you with something cute to look at. this print is a combo of red, pink and yellow flowers (the yellow didn't show up very well in the photo). big red buttonhead is enjoying her time in the sun, lazily hanging about on a breezy spring afternoon. here's to hoping that we can all find some time to be like her in the next couple of days. enjoy yourselves...

queen anne's button

so named because this print is reminiscent of queen anne's lace...and this bag is a member of the growing buttonhead family of bags. this one is the shyest of the family so far, with a muted color scheme on a a cream background. but she still has inherited all of the physical traits of the family -- from rounded corners to inner zipper pockets to sturdy, strong handles. and, of course, the signature button front and center.

hotter than a june bride

do you have plans saturday june 28? you do now. you'll be coming out to the crafty bastards arts and crafts fair at the pyramid arts center in silver spring, maryland. why? because your friends this chickadee and dandelion blu will be there presenting their precious handmade wares to the public. if you are from the dc area, you probably know that crafty bastards is a HUGE indie craft show put on by the washington city paper. so big, in fact, that this year they are having two shows...this inaugural silver spring show and the fifth anniversary district show in september. more information on the june show will be posted as the date draws near. right now, there's work to do!

fit to be tied

the fourth meeting of the chickadee quilt guild took place earlier this week. on the agenda was anchoring the fabric / batting / fabric sandwich together. the instructions called for ties made with embroidery floss. we had heard that this step was long and loathsome but it was a breeze...a cool country breeze. far from being fretful, the task turned out to be a lot of fun.

here is a shot from the work in progress:

chickadees about town

this chickadee flew the coop for a couple of days. soon i'll share some of my country adventures but first, some fun from my inbox! take a gander at this snippet from cyberspace that was here to greet me upon my return.

thanks to dandelion blu, my market mate, for bringing this to my attention. please stop by and see us for the beginning of the ballston arts + crafts market season on may 10th! we've been working hard to make pretty things just for you. check out the website for more information on the market and to read the article excerpted above.

buttonhead brigade

the buttonhead family of bags keeps growing! please welcome our newest addition. this bundle of joy sports the same dimensions as her predecessors (13" x 11" x 2") and the same curvy corners and cotton construction. i don't want to spoil the surprise but there are a few more on their way...look for them in the next couple of days. until then, feast your eyes on the features of this fabulous floral:

commonwealth crafters

this chickadee flew south on sunday to visit the spring bada-bing craft happening in richmond. the richmond craft mafia familia sure knows how to put on a show. they assembled a fine group of vendors in a great location. there was plenty to see and also plenty of room to wander about perusing various offerings. here are some super cute finds that i spied there:

figs and ginger


weehah! (greeting card)


red prairie press



the cupcake girls

by cary



tributary



made by tess

and there was so much more! my apologies to the other great vendors not featured above. see a complete list of them on the spring bada-bing website. hopefully you are inspired to get out there and support your local crafters and artisans. an amazing amount of creativity, skill and love lurk right outside your door and outside of the mainstream marketplace.

my little mermaid

in the spirit of spring and transformations, here is some makeover madness chickadee style:

before:



after:

the magical transformation was made when the treads of tilli tomas voile de la mer met up with the curve of this chickadee's crochet hook. the february installment from stitch dc's stash club, voile de la mer is composed of 70% silk and 30% seacell, a natural kelp fiber. the blue-green version of the variegated sea silk is called mermaid. a fitting nautical name with a nod to its kelp component. the pattern design, provided by the people at stitch dc, allows the fiber to float along in wonderful little waves. smooth sailing .

buttonheads

look out for lightenin' bolts! this chickadee's about to dabble in the seven deadly. there's been steady sinnin' around here since the buttoned-up blossom bag appeared on the scene. she's been hanging out with her curves and cuteness on display like some sort of tote bag temptress. as a consequence, this chickadee is puffed-up with pride in my sewing prowess. flushed with satisfaction from the first successful buttonhole and machine-sewn button, i confess there is lust in my heart for the button and the bag that it binds together. following the same formula but cut from a different cloth comes the second in what will eventually be a little line of buttoned, blossomed beauties.

this chickadee is a button glutton.

scalloped sweetness

over the weekend this chickadee got a hankerin' for some good old fashioned down home fun. with no chickens to chase around the barnyard and no cows to tip in the meadow, what's a poor girl to do? thanks to the folks at the paisley pincushion, you can at least look the part. their scalloped apron pattern is indeed "reminiscent of the by-gone days" (the sales tag line that sold me). it was simple as pie to put together. the instructions were plain as day and i'm pleased as punch with the reversible results.

now if you'll excuse me, that pie needs to cool on the windowsill and i need to finish churning this butter before supper.

sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy

this cotton collar is cute, cozy and comfortable. it drapes just below the shoulders and the edges ripple slightly to provide a flouncy finish. it will go beautifully with that breezy spring dress that i've been dreaming about (but haven't found yet). the collar is knit with three skeins of shine worsted from knit picks. the pattern comes courtesy of scarf style and it is the first project that i've made out of the book. the designs range broadly from simple to sophisticated so there is a bit of something for everyone. this particular pattern employed the short row technique that seems to be popping up everywhere...from dishcloths to bold as love blankets... to make it my own i added some extra crochet around the outside and a bright white button closure (instead of the ties that the pattern calls for).

make it purple rain

this chickadee's latest creation has enough flash and fuchsia to make prince proud. no ruffles or leather, but plenty of purple power and pressed-in pleats. don't cry doves, we haven't gone crazy. inside this 16" x 13" conglomeration of gleam and gloss you'll find silky slip and zip pockets. up top, the magnetic closure will maintain the integrity of your lip gloss and hair spray whether you are motoring about on a motorcycle or shakin' in on stage.

cherry blossom cap

this chickadee is one lucky little bird. there is a cheery cherry tree just outside my front door and it has been hard at work being the most beautiful thing on the block. from its first pretty pink buds to its current crop of creamy blossoms, it has caught my eye and captured my imagination. as tribute to my fragrant friend, i found some fitting yarn in my stash and went to work crafting a cap to complement the current conditions.

this cap seems just right to combat the bit of chill that lingers on. the pinky coral and cream colors capture the spirit of the cherry blossoms and make good use of yarn that was otherwise laying idle. i have a heap of homespun yarn leftover from other projects and turned to lion brand's website for help. the all buttoned up cap pattern caught my eye and after several attempts at following the actual chart, i decided to only rely upon it lightly and modify it to suit my needs. the result is the brightly colored brimmed cap above, with a band of cream that wraps around the bottom providing contrast inside.

buttoned-up blossoms

this chickadee is particularly fond of the frolicksome floral flight of fancy you see here. a paneled parcel with blossoms a-plenty, she flaunts a button closure on her fancy front pocket. the blooms are accented by natural denim, which gives the 11" x 13" x 2" bag weight and shape. look inside and you'll find a zipper compartment complemented by a zig-zag stitch border. it was tempting to make this one a part of my private collection, but considering the first arts + craft market is may 10th, i reluctantly resisted.

the great space coaster

the dalai lama pronounced that the universe resides in a single atom. this chickadee brings you the universe in a single sling bag. no need to travel across the universe when you can have the mysteries of space across your shoulder.

look inside this 13" x 12" superstar and you'll find your stuff organized as if in orbit. no black holes here. instead, the outside boasts a large zipper compartment that is complemented by an internal slip pocket. the inside slip also provides a pencil protector. a magnetic clasp keeps it all together at the top. the handle is reinforced like the rest of the bag and it can be worn either over one shoulder or slung to the side.

this isn't rocket science...just another chickadee original.

adventures of a 60 lb. bicycle

lucky charmer

this latest chickadee creation accompanied me on the journey west and was a faithful companion and trusted tote. she was carried-on, biked about and slung over my shoulder almost the entire time. no task was too great for this 13" x 14" harborer of hearts and stars. armed with a large external zip pocket and a smaller contrasting internal one, she traveled well and saw to it that her cargo was well traveled. she even had a few friends along to help out with the smaller bits.

two cushioned companions sewn from the same stock complemented the arrangement in more ways that one. the soft and cozy camera pouch was an essential ingredient to the mix...keeping the shutter safe and sound and well within reach for snapshots. the 7" x 6 1/2" astro-pack displayed the best of both fabrics. for the most part, this proud partner was in charge of containing the crochet project that came in handy many times on the journey.