More Summer Sewing

My oldest and I were at Michael's the other day, stocking up on art and craft supplies for summertime. While I was picking up a few skeins of embroidery floss, she spotted these felt doll kits in a new area of the store that also had sheets of wool felt, felted wool, wool roving, and other felting supplies (and cute felt and embroidery kits!). Go Michaels!

Source Amazon

I had some coupons handy and had been eyeing similar kits online**, so it was hard to say no. She picked out the doll kit above for my middle daughter and the one below for herself.

Source Borders

I couldn't find the actual pictures on Michael's site, but as you can see, these kits are available elsewhere (Borders, even?!?). The felt already has holes punched making it easy for kids to sew themselves. Everything is included: needle, thread, beads, stuffing, etc. The girls both started them during their Sunday Sister Sewing Session last night.

**A few months ago, I had spotted these doll kits at one of my favorite online stores, Lark.

Source Lark

I'm glad I found them locally! I may go back with this week's coupon and pick up one more for my youngest. She obviously can't make it yet, but her sisters can.

The only drawback to these kits is that the felt they use is craft felt/acrylic (blah!). The girls noticed the difference right away. But then again, for $5 (with a coupon), I can't complain really. And they have something to work on for at least one more Sunday!

Keep your eye out for these kits if you have a daughter who likes to sew!

Fiber Treasures

I love to buy fabric and yarn in person. While I do my best to support local stores, I also can't resist purchasing fiber souvenirs whenever I'm on "vacation"... this includes seasonal pilgrimages to Hart's Fabrics in Santa Cruz and semi-frequent road trips down the coast to visit family in Southern California.

Unfortunately, one of the stores I often stop at on my trips to SoCal is about to close. So sad! Stopping there has been sort of a ritual over the years...I look forward to fabric and yarn and the girls look forward to walking over to Coffee, Bean and Tea Leaf for an ice-blended drink or hot chocolate, depending on the time of year.

My husband pointed out all the fabric and yarn stores that I buy from online (and how it's easier and sometimes cheaper to do so), but I tried my best to convey to him the importance of seeing and touching fabric in person. Everytime I venture into a store, I find fabric that I otherwise would have passed on if I had only seen it online. Likewise, there are sometimes prints that I'm happy I passed on (the scale or color or feel may not be as appealing in person).

Luckily, on our most recent trip down the coast a few weekends ago, I discovered a new-to-me (brick and mortar) fabric store, but one that I've bought plenty of fabric from online...

Um, anyone heard of FABRIC WORM?!?!

I guess I never paid much attention to the "Visit Our Store" part of their website.. Paso Robles is directly on our route down the 101! And it's actually a better 1/2 way point for us to stop, stretch, eat...and buy fabric! Awesome.

On my inaugural visit to Birch Fabrics/Fabric Worm, I purchased some of this lovely Japanese fabric that is destined to become a sewing machine cover for the sweet Bernina my mother just passed down to me (she bought herself a new, even fancier embroidery-does-everything machine). See, as I explained to my husband, now when I look at my machine with it's cover on, I'll remember the trip we took to celebrate my Grandmother's 90th birthday. My purchases are sentimental like that :).


Two road trips ago, on my last visit to the aforementioned store that's about to close, I bought a bunch of this Brown Sheep Burly Spun Yarn; it was on sale and I thought I'd use it for doll hair. But when I tested it out on a doll that I'm making, I not so sure it will work - the doll looks very washed out. Hmm. Maybe once I've finished embroidering her eyes/face, things will look better.

But...but, see if it does work, I'll think of that fabric store whenever I look at this new doll and her lovely hair. :-P

For now, the yarn is entertaining my youngest. We've never had a ball of yarn around here that comes close to the size of this one. And that's saying something!