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.

the horror! the horror!

we've fallen on dark days here at chickadee central. our go-to player, our number one gun, our ace in the hole, the bernette 65 is on the disabled list...indefinitely.

thanks to our ultra-crafty offensive coordinator (aka: my mom), we have been able to recruit a back-up. nicknamed the iron horse, this sears classic is a work hardened veteran with a masterful zig-zag and plenty of rick-rack experience under its presser foot. however, the transition is tough and the going has been slow. i now truly appreciate modern luxuries like the drop in bobbin and the self threading needle.