Project Apron: Complete

Ok, here it is. I checked a personal project off my sewing wish list. It's not perfect...but that's mostly because I rushed through it trying to make it while Big K took a nap one afternoon. That, of course, led to a mistake, which ended up costing me time. The mistake was in the apron ties, a mis-measurement, if you must know. I had to improvise, as I was already piecing this apron together from scraps from my yoga mat bag I made last year. (I'm kinda sick of this fabric, now). If you check out the tutorial I used, you'll notice that I changed the pocket on mine to be bigger and divided. I also zig zagged some of the seams. I don't know why, but I am a sucker for the zig zag. Remember when I made the ribbon ties? Well, here they are. They are not quite wide enough for the 2 inch waistband, but they'll do. It's just for messy kitchen tasks, and I can make a new one when I truly get sick of this one. Anyways, I think it's pretty cute. It certainly keeps my sweaters dry when I recklessly splash water while enduring the drudgery of everyday chores washing dishes!

Apron. Check! Next up: Bean bag chairs!!

Embellished Ribbon Tutorial

I was making myself an apron the other day (using this easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy tutorial), and I goofed up while I was making the apron ties (ok, not so easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy).  I ruined the very last of the fabric I had, and so I improvised.  I figured I could raid my ribbon stash - I had to have something that would go.  And I did.  But who wants boring old brown?  Or boring old blue?  Not ME!  I decided to embellish my ribbon ties, and photographed the super easy steps (even easier than the easy apron tutorial!), so you could try it, too!

What you'll need:

7/8" grosgrain ribbon (or 1 1/2")
3/8" grosgrain ribbon (contrasting color) (or wider if you use 1 1/2" ribbon above)
coordinating thread
lighter


What you'll do:

1. Cut equal lengths of the two widths of ribbon


2. Heat seal the ribbon ends by (carefully) melting the ends near a lighter.  To do this, hold the cut end of ribbon parallel to the flame.  Get the ribbon near the flame, but not touching the flame.  The goal is to melt the ribbon end so it won't fray.  No need to start any fires!  (But if you do, extinguish it quickly with your tough, calloused, crafty fingers).  


3. Center the narrow ribbon on top, pin it in place, using several pins.
   
   
   
   
   
   
    
4. Set your zig zag for 6.5 mm with a stitch length of 4 mm.  You can tinker with this to get the look you want - just use a test strip of ribbon.  6.5 mm is just a bit narrower than the 3/8" ribbon.
   
   
5. If your sewing machine has a lock stitch option, now is the time to use it!  If not, just backstitch.  Center your ribbon in your sewing machine, and go!
   
   
   
   
   
6. Voila!  Ta da!  Yadda yadda yadda.

Tickled Pink Treasury

Miss B Accessories has been featured in several treasuries lately. This latest one is absolutely darling! Check out my favorite - the Felt Heart Banner/Garland. Thanks to Jill of Maisey's Daisey's for putting together another great collection.

'Just Tickled Pink' - by Maisey's Daisey's

Fun pink finds by the Etsy Kids Team

Valentine Blossom Band BlossomBand $15.00	Bodysuit - Mosaic Zinni... AlphabetCitySt... $18.00	Nursing Necklace / Teet... KangarooCare $14.00	Pink Flower Hat stewey75 $35.00
Eco dryer balls from Na... LaFiabaRussa $12.00	INVITATION - Modern Blo... PalmBeachParti... $10.00	Bright Pink and Red Blo... PosiesandPetal... $7.00	Baby Footies oKIDDo $10.00
Felt heart banner/ garl... LullabyMobiles $20.00	Adjustable Velcro Belt ... MissBaccessori... $13.00	Red wand - wood swirl d... 3PrincessesEng... $7.00	Valentine's Mini To... LittleLadyAcce... $22.00
White w/ Mini Pink Dots... PoppinDotsBout... $6.95	Crochet Baby Blanket Si... KingSoleil $50.00	Valentines Day- Hand St... eleanorestreas... $7.00	Pink Cashmere Catnip He... PeppermintPinw... $7.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Custom Orders

One of my favorite things about making children's accessories is custom orders. What started off as friends coming over to look through my ribbon stash has blossomed into a full-on custom order system, complete with ribbon sample charts and custom order forms! My creative process is fueled by the freedom I am granted by trusting customers. There is nothing more fun than collaborating with YOU to make that one-of-a-kind piece. Between my inventory of hundreds of ribbons and the thousands more available through my suppliers, I can come up with anything. I also do Gymboree Made-to-Match orders, so if you have Gymboree outfits, I can make accessories that match perfectly.

I have a page on my blog to display all of the ribbons I have available. Please note that I do not stock every solid, polka dot, or Swiss dot. I do have a lot of them, but not all. If you choose something that I don't have in stock, it typically takes an additional three days for me to get the ribbon. Because this has become such a big piece of my business, I had to come up with policies for custom orders:


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I love custom orders; they are the bulk of my business! Do you have an outfit that needs an accessory? You can send me a picture, or describe the colors to me, and I will create a one-of-a-kind accessory just for you! I make Gymboree made-to-match accessories, too! I can also substitute the clip type to accommodate different hair textures. I use snap clips, alligator clips, and French barrettes. I also make custom headbands and ponytail binders. Adjustable Velcro or D-ring belts can be made of any 7/8" ribbon, except satin ribbons.

Samples of the ribbons I have in-stock or available to order can be viewed here: http://missbaccessories.blogspot.com/p/available-ribbon-for-custom-orders.html

Please allow an additional 3-5 days for your custom order to ship. Out-of-stock ribbons require additional time for ordering.

There is a $10 minimum for all custom orders. This can include other items from my shop, even ready-to-ship accessories.

Send me a message if you would like to discuss a custom order. Here's a link to contact me: http://www.etsy.com/conversations/new?with_id=8606984

I look forward to working with you!

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New Year and New Projects

Here it is the 5th of January, and I am just beginning to recover from a long, busy holiday season that started somewhere near the middle of November. I'm grateful for the business, and feel so lucky to call doing what I love "work". I saw a big leap in traffic to my Etsy site, which has resulted in a lot of new customers. I'm not sure, but I think it might have something to do with this little baby: my adjustable buckle-free belt for kids. It debuted just before the holidays, and was very well-received.

While business was booming, I managed to host two sets of out-of-town guests and entertain my kids while they were on winter break for an entire month. Yes, you read that correctly. One. Whole. Month. In between custom orders, turkey dinners, and trips to the zoo, I started making a mental list of the projects I wanted to do just for me. Well, and my kids. And a friend or two. But none of it's for sale. Most of these come from tutorials I found online. There are so many amazing blogger-crafter super humans out there. I hope that's me someday! For now, this is all you get.

Well, here's my project wish list:

1. Beanbag chairs for Big K and Miss B. Made with this great Michael Miller tutorial.
2. Swaddling blankets
3. Pillow for Big K's crib (don't fret...he's old enough!)
4. An apron for me. I know. Easiest sewing project of all. Ever. Well, I happen to do the dishes about six times a day, and always splash myself. Now I'll have a cute apron to splash.
5. Fabric flowers

All projects are a go. I have all the fabric purchased for all the projects. In fact, Miss B hand-picked her own fabric for her beanbag chair. I used a lot of vetoes, since her favorite colors are pink, purple, glitter, and peace signs. We managed to finally agree on something. It's a pink flannel with purple glittery peace signs. Awesome. Big K's was easier since I didn't have to factor in his opinion. He's getting a retro stripe flannel. I just printed out the beanbag tutorial and cut out the pattern tonight. My apron is cut out...just need to sew it together. And the rest...well, I'll get to them. Now I just need to carve out a spec of time to complete them!

In addition to my personal projects, I am preparing Miss B Accessories for the change of seasons (Say what!? Winter hasn't even begun yet!). Watch for some cute Valentine's edition hair accessories! Soon after that, the spring line with fresh colors and designs!

What's on your project wish list?

The Turkey Day-Black Friday-Cyber Monday-Just Because It's November-Sale is HERE!

The Turkey Day-Black Friday-Cyber Monday-Just Because It's November-Sale is HERE!  Enter the coupon code SMBIZ20 when you buy something from my Etsy shop now through November 30th, and you'll save 20% on your purchase.  Even better - if you live in the Twin Cities, send me a message before you buy, and I will remove the shipping fee.

Thank you for being great fans and friends!  Feel free to share this with friends - but please ask them to "Like" my Facebook page.

Here are all the ways you can stay connected with me and my Miss B Accessories news:

• Facebook: missbaccessories
• Twitter: @miss_b_tweets
• Etsy: Missbaccessories.etsy.com
• Blog: Missbaccessories.blogspot.com

Small Business Saturday Promotion

I'm happy to participate in the American Express-sponsored "Small Business Saturday", a promotion to help small businesses kickoff the holiday shopping season with a bang.  Miss B Accessories will have a HUGE sale on Saturday, November 26th as part of this promotion.  The only way to get a discount is to "like" the Miss B Accessories Facebook page.  Become a fan, and you will have exclusive access to the first-of-its-kind sale at Miss B Accessories!

What came first?

While perusing the Halloween costume section at the Old Navy Outlet store last month, I came across the cutest chicken costume for Big K.  Buggy, meanwhile, spotted a flimsy, gauzy ladybug number that she wanted me to get her.  Uh, it could snow on Halloween...this is Minnesota.  Gauze is out.  Fleece is in.  I threw the chicken costume on the heap of clothes that were piled haphazardly on my umbrella stroller, and nudged Buggy over to the fleecy cupcake costumes.  There weren't any warm costumes that did it for her. 

Then, I had a brilliant idea...Brilliant!  If Big K is a chicken, then shouldn't Buggy be an egg?!  I told her we were answering the age-old question of who came first.  (The Egg!  Obvi.)  She readily agreed, and I began noodling on how, exactly, to make an egg costume.  Of course, I turned to the internet to find a good tutorial.  I found lots of how-to's for making a fried egg - cute, but not what I needed.  None for making a whole egg.  I decided I would buy my fabric first, stare at it for a while, and see if I could come up with something.  I started with 1 1/2 yards of 54" white fleece.  At the time, I didn't realize I purchased a perfect square of fabric, but when I spread it out and realized my unintentional genius, I was thrilled.  As I stared at the white, fluffy fabric spread out in front of my TV, I took pen to paper, and started sketching.  Then I remembered how, in grade school, whenever a flattened out picture of our round globe was displayed, it was like several ovals connected to one another.  That's it!  I needed panels to sew together.  How about four of them?  Then I could just fold my fabric, cut, sew, and done.  I sketched out the shape of my egg, did some measuring and some (gasp!) algebra, and recreated my drawing to scale on the fabric.

First, I drew the shape of the egg, then measured my drawing, transferred it to the fabric, sewed my oval panels together, added some Velcro, holes for arms, legs, and face, and voila! 

An egg was born!

Buttons

Hands down, one of my favorite materials to work with is buttons.  Most of the items in my Etsy shop are dressed with a button or two.  I love them for so many reasons.  1. Their versatility: they can convey a casual or dressy look, they can be used as a focal point or a detail.  2. Buttons are whimsical.  Who doesn't love whimsy?  3.  They beg to be stacked, and the colors played off of one another.  4.  They're cheap and easy to find.  5.  Buttons always add a finishing touch to any project.

 
I have bins and bags and boxes of buttons.  If you don't believe me, just ask my husband.  I don't know why, but he is not a button fan.  Unless they're on his shirt or pants.  Then he LOVES them.  Something to do with keeping his clothing fastened...  I digress.

I wanted to share a couple of quick ideas, and maybe some inspiration to find some buttons and make something cute!  The first thing I do with my buttons, is sort them by size and color.

I usually find my inspiration as I'm sorting new buttons or looking through my collection for something completely unrelated.  That's when I fill my work table with piles of inspiration... like this:

Once I've done that (completely abandoning my initial project at this point...) I search through my printer's drawer that houses all of my ribbon:

I find just the right ribbon to complement my buttons.  I like to use embroidery floss to give the buttons a finished look.  It's also handy for affixing buttons to one another.  Once they are sewn together, I line a 40mm snap clip with 5/8" ribbon (tutorial forthcoming), and glue the button to the clip.  Voila! 

Another super-easy project is to string buttons together using elasticized string, and make a unique necklace or bracelet.  It's a great project for kids - and you'll enjoy wearing it much more than a macaroni necklace!

Miss B Accessories Giveaway

I am proud to be a part of the Minnesota Etsy street team, HandmadeMN.  As part of this group, I was given the opportunity to participate in a blog giveaway!  There are many (low-committment) ways to enter to win one of my very favorite creations - the Purple Confetti Korker Pony.  All you have to do is go to the HandmadeMN site (http://etsymn.blogspot.com/2011/10/handmademn-giveaway-miss-b-accessories.html) and do one or more of the requirements to enter.  It's as easy as becoming my fan on Facebook, following me on Twitter or commenting on the post.  You can enter more than once to increase your chances for winning!  This is a great way to support local artists in your community and bring awareness to our online presence.  Don't forget to forward this to your friends who may not know about Miss B Accessories, or Tweet about it, or post on Facebook!  Thanks for your support!  I hope YOU win!  

HandmadeMN Giveaway

I am happy to be a part of the collaborative community of HandmadeMN - an Etsy Street Team that I joined based on my geographic alignment.  I haven't been as active in it since having the baby (I know, what else is new?) but when I was active, I really loved bouncing ideas off of other members, getting my small business questions answered by peers, and getting encouragement and inspiration.  Now, I have been given the opportunity to do a blog giveaway!  Visit the HandmadeMN blog to find out more about this incredible community comprised of local artisans, and to enter for a chance to win one of my hair bows.  Please take a minute to check it out!  My giveaway is October 16th through 29th, but you can enter the current giveaway now!  Click here!


Also, if you want a fun way to spend a couple hours and pick up some one-of-a-kind gifts (you know, knock out that holiday shopping early!), check out the Fall Market at the Ballentine VFW (yep, the one where you sing your heart out on karaoke night.  Yeah, I thought I recognized you!)  Ok, so don't miss it.  Saturday, October 22nd, 10-5.  I'll be there!

Excuse #38

I haven't posted anything new on Etsy in a few days.  I haven't finished my tutorial.  I haven't made any new products.  Sheer laziness?  No.  Unmotivated?  No.  Uninspired?  Definitely not.  The reason is simple.  And sad, really.  My studio, my beautiful craft studio, a room all to myself where I can leave out all my projects and materials, and never worry about anyone complaining about the mess, is in the basement.  So?  Well, after a few heavy rains this past week, we recently discovered a drainage issue, and the ship, as they say, has taken on water.  Boo.  My craft studio was spared (thank goodness!).  But the room right in front of the studio had to have the carpet taken out and dried out, and all sorts of other fixes.  So, while there is no problem in my studio, I can't actually get in because the door is blocked by a big wad of carpeting.  The good news in all of this is 1) we found the source of water entry, and the fix is pretty easy.  And 2) I had my printers drawer and every spool of ribbon out of the studio before the leak occured, so I was able to finish my ribbon reorganization.  Now I just have to photograph the final product and write a bit about it!

Believe me, as soon as I can get back in my studio, I will!

Organization is key

In trying to come up with relevant and interesting topics to blog about, and potentially write tutorials about, I decided that ribbon-ry and hairbow-ery isn't where it's at. It isn't all that interesting or groundbreaking. And heck, let's face it...anything you want to know about making hair accessories can already be found online. It's where I learned all the basics.

I needed to find just the right thing to tutorialize, and by George, I think I found it! Creative organization! I was inspired by one of my recent projects to organize all five gazillion spools of ribbon that seemingly have no place in my craft studio. I am still in the process of this project, but wanted to give a heads up that a tutorial is forthcoming. I've been documenting my project with photos, and it's nearly ready to debut.

Here's a sneak peak...

I'm repurposing, upcycling, dumpster diving (or rather, saving something from the dumpster)...whatever yawannacallit...this:

 

To organize this:

 

The wheels are spinning, and I am coming up with other blog tutorial ideas that can transcend craft room organization, and just might inspire those just looking for interesting ways to use a space.

Until the next time... Craft on!

Tutorials

One thing I really love about blogs in the crafting community is the availability of high quality tutorials.  Don't get me wrong, I've run into my share of mediocre tutorials that leave out a lot of important details (or include blatent miscalculations), but for the most part, I've had great success using tutorials to learn new techniques or find inspiration for projects.

One of my new favorite websites is loaded with vintage patterns and sewing tutorials.  I gush over the patterns, and dream of having time to make my own piping.  Someday!  But for now, I visit Colette Patterns and find inspiration.  You should, too!

One of my visions for this blog is to offer high quality tutorials that will inspire the crafty-at-heart.  I hope to have my first tutorial  posted soon!

Grand Re-Opening

After having the baby, I took an extended hiatus from Miss B Accessories. I am really excited to fire up the ol' Etsy shop once again. I have a million design ideas in my head, and I am being very intentional about carving out studio time so I can create! I will be adding new inventory to my Etsy shop every day, so please check back frequently. Here's one of my latest creations, which I think is absolutely adorable: