Herbst Handmade

HOLIDAY HAND SALVE!

2011-12-19T10:30:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend I attended a Hand Salve making workshop at our local community farm Veggielution. A simple recipe of beeswax, extra virgin olive oil, fragrant Calendula and California sage. The perfect treat for my overworked hands. Love, love!

Arquitectura y Diseño

2010-12-13T11:35:00.000-08:00

The husband, featured in Spain's "Arquitectura y Diseño" magazine. Nice one, Scot!
(Now ... if only I knew how to read Spanish)

And the winner is...

2010-12-13T09:08:00.000-08:00

Thanks for your wonderful comments on my URCHIN bowl giveaway post!

The winner is.... Thought & Found, who commented: "I don't really do anything particularly large to give back, but I do lots of little things. I give money to The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto (I was a patient once upon a time...), I always give to the Canadian Diabetes Association when they do a pick-up, and I have a bag of food waiting for my next trip to the supermarket, where I'll drop it in the bin for the local food bank. Every little bit counts!"

Nice work, and congratulations!

You can check out yummy fabrics and other goodies on her blog here: thought & found

Happy Monday everyone!

Thrifting Thursday

2010-12-09T14:11:00.000-08:00

Look what I scored at the thrift shop this morning:

This lamp is in excellent condition. And for $15, I just couldn't resist!
Anything new at your place?...

Giving back + Giveaway!

2010-12-06T15:36:00.000-08:00

Although we're all beyond busy during the Holidays, I think it's super-important to find time to give back to the community, pitch in and generally do good.

Here's what I've been up to :
-Last week I sewed labels on 20 cut-and-tied fleece blankets for Project Linus (and there were TONS more that others made and labeled - go PL 'Blanketeers'!)

-I helped load a big-rig with lots of bikes and helmets for a local non-profit called Turning Wheels for Kids (although I can't volunteer at their 'bike build' on Saturday now because DH has to go to Seattle. Boo.).

-And, I helped sort a mountain (no kidding) of toys for the group Toys for Tots.

All of this volunteering only took a couple of hours of my time, but was so fun and rewarding. In addition, I am making an effort to be more kind to my friends, family...and myself. I know I could do more to give back, but at least it's a start.

Sooo... In the spirit of the Season and inspiring others to "do good" I am thinking a giveaway is in order!

You could win one of my handmade, 100% wool felt 'Urchin' bowls (as pictured above in a lovely soft orange called "nectarine"--jingle bells NOT included)

THE DETAILS: Just leave a comment below telling me what you've done to give back, OR something nice you are planning to do, OR a link to your favorite charity or non-profit organization. Please be sure to leave your email address. I'll select a winner, at random, next Monday morning 12/13/2010. Do good ... and good luck!

P.S. If you're interested in making your own URCHIN bowls you can purchase the pattern here.
:-) Amy

Goodies for the Quilt Museum Shop

2010-12-02T13:34:00.000-08:00

Well, the bunny rattles that I made up for my Etsy shop just hopped over to the Gallery Store at the San Jose Museum of Quilts and textiles. And along the way, they grabbed a couple of new Matryoshka pillow doll friends.

I'm having fun using up of the fun fabric from my stash , ~~that has gotten out of control~~. I'm glad I was finally able to get it together to make for the Quilt Museum shop. South First Friday in downtown San Jose is tomorrow (Dec 3), and I hope they have a great turnout. If you're in San Jose the Quilt Museum (and shop) are definitely worth checking out.

Now, off to start sewing labels on the 20 fleece blankets that I picked up this morning from our Project Linus chapter. (20 doesn't sound like much,... but you should see this bag of blankets(!). Project Linus volunteers are amazing!).

Happy Thursday! ~Amy

GIVEAWAY on Facebook!

2010-11-20T07:30:00.000-08:00

We are trying to spread the word about our toy business, Kaiku Design.

Become a fan of Kaiku on facebook and tell me what you are thankful for on our contest post. You could win a set of my handmade designer felt URCHIN bowls. Although we only ship Kaiku products in the U.S. lower 48, I'll ship the bowls to you anywhere in the world. Pass it on!

URCHIN Felt Bowls

2010-11-18T13:20:00.000-08:00

I've been having fun with thick "designer" wool felt.

These bowls came to me after playing with paper shapes and structure. I'm calling them "URCHIN" bowls because, well, they remind me of sea urchin shells.

The bowls are simple to make. The thick wool felt has a sculptural quality and it feels great--soft and squishy. The best part is that the bowls are relatively unbreakable (an important feature around our house!).

Filled with your favorite sweets, I think these felt bowl sets would make fantastic Holiday party hostess gifts.
If you're interested in making your own I've posted the pattern for sale here in my shop. Cheers! ~Amy

**OH! I forgot to mention... become a fan of Kaiku Design on Facebook and you could WIN a set of my URCHIN bowls! Contest Nov 19-30th.**

Believe it or not.... sewing for my shop!

2010-11-10T19:55:00.000-08:00

A handful of scrappy bunny rattle toys for my Etsy shop!

A Waldorf Dolly

2010-10-11T13:38:00.000-07:00

I am so lucky that my little girl LOVES Waldorf dolls. Not that she wouldn't go for a plastic dolly, if given the chance mind you. But with all the bad news on plastics, I've been trying to steer clear of the ubiquitous PVC-made-in-china dolly types if possible.

She has a tiny little German Kathe Kruse Waldorf-style doll named "Friend" that she sleeps with and takes lots of places. She loves Friend so much, for her 2nd, I decided give Waldorf doll making a go.

I bought a Waldorf doll kit from Weir Crafts . It was fantastic! It only took me a few hours to make the doll (really, I made it the night before her b-day), and it turned out so cute. Sure, there are a few things I'll do differently next time, but over all I'm thrilled with how she turned out!

And of course, the best part is the little one loves her too! Forget plastic, there is just something so special about a cotton and wool handmade doll. :-)

Wonderland quilt for my Little one

2010-10-05T13:03:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to post this...

FINALLY finished a strip quilt for my littlest one. Made with two charm packs of Wonderland by Momo for Moda. It ended up being a bit smaller than a twin size, but just perfect for a two-year-old... and snuggling on the couch.

I didn't have any of the Wonderland fabric for the backing, so I added a Robert Kaufman print (I think I'm remembering that correctly), with a few blocks of the fabric on the top, to tie it all together.

I put a strip of the binding fabric across the backing, because I never could get the print to line up the way I wanted it. Also, I love the idea of a "reversible" quilt. :-)

Oh drat.

2010-04-15T14:56:00.000-07:00

Well, just an update to let you know that I didn't follow through with my plan to participate in the 100 km event ride with my friends. :-( It seems as though life had other plans for me that included a sickness called the "stomach flu", or "food poisoning" (??). I don't know. It was bad. REALLY, really bad. And on Saturday morning when I was supposed to be riding my bicycle I could hardly get out of bed.
The situation could've been much worse, but luckily (for me), the hub got back from his business trip just in time to take care of the kids. The bright side is that no one else seems to have gotten it. Of that I am truly thankful.

Getting ready to ride...

2010-04-07T14:05:00.000-07:00

OK, first off I've decided to stop beating myself up about taking long breaks from my blog and Etsy shop. My life with two little ones is still crazy and chaotic and challenging and wonderful and I'm doing the best I can. There. I feel better now! :-)

Lukily, I have been able to get some recent crafting in and that's tied to something exciting I'm doing this Saturday... I'm riding a metric century! Yep, 100km on my bike. The first time I've participated in a ride like this in at least seven years. It's part of my "2010 I'm not having any more kids and I'm ready to get my body back and be more like my old self" program. Woo hoo! Now, let's just hope I can still move on Sunday!

Here's the fun part...

I made a new handlebar bag for my bike! It's cordura and quilted cotton and I love, love how it turned out. (Lots of ideas after making this one).

There's even an optional shoulder strap so I can use it as a purse. The best part is that the stars were aligned and I already had ABSOLUTELY everything to make this bag in my stash. Isn't it great when that happens?

While on the subject of bicycles, I do want to mention "peopleforbikes.org" a nonprofit trying to collect a million signatures "to let policy makers, the media and the public know that bicycling is important and should be promoted." Your voice counts! Sign the pledge here.

Hope you're enjoying Spring! Ta for now...

Craft Hope for Haiti

2010-01-18T15:17:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Jennifer Casa for spreading the word about Craft Hope for Haiti.

I am donating this pleated purse to Craft Hope.
The lastest report is that Craft Hope has raised over $7000 in 48 hours with 100% of the profits going to Doctors without Borders in Haiti! Please visit http://www.crafthope.com/ to find out how you can help.

Knit a 'LOOP'!

2010-01-17T08:56:00.000-08:00

I've been meaning to post this for awhile...

... a knitted 'loop' baby toy! Made by fellow (super-talented) crafter Alli. So clever! Alli says that she followed my 'loop' baby toy crochet pattern, but used a set of size 6 DPNS to knit the toy instead of crocheting it. I LOVE it (and wondering why I didn't think of it ;-)). Check out her lovely blog at: "one pearl button". Thanks Alli!

There's still time to knit a cabled scarflette!

2009-12-19T11:41:00.000-08:00

I always tell myself that 'next year' I'll have all my Holiday gift-making done way in advance (um, I think I said "October" last year... HA!). Of course it never happens and I find myself scrambling to figure out what to make. Grrr.

Thankfully, this year the stars were aligned and I found a fun yarn on sale (LionBrand's Wool-ease Thick and Quick) and a great pattern for a lovely cabled neck warmer by Robyn Grauer here on Ravelry. The warmers use only one skein, knit up in an evening and, are super soft and warm. It was such a satisfying knit that I made four! I played around with cable patterns and colorways on each.

I did make a few modifications to Robyns pattern. Here's exactly what I did for the one in the pic:
1 skein LionBrand wool-ease Thick & Quick in Pumpkin
Size U.S. 13 knitting needles
Cast on 18 sts
Knit 4 rows
I used the "Cruller" cable pattern from LionBrand's online stitch library (a great resource). I put the cable pattern section in brackets [ ] below.
Row 1: K4, P2, [K2, P2, K2], P2, K4
Row 2: K3, P1, K2, [P2, K2, P2], K2, P1, K3
Row 3: K4, P2, [K2, P2, K2], P2, K4
Row 4: K3, P1, K2, [P2, K2, P2], K2, P1, K3
Row 5: K4, P2, [Sl 3 sts to cable needle and hold in back, K3, K3 sts from cable needle], P2, K4
Row 6: K3, P1, K2, [P6], K2, P1, K3
Row 7: K4, P2, [K6], P2, K4
Row 8: K3, P1, K2, [P6], K2, P1, K3
Row 9: K4, P2, [Sl 3 sts to cable needle and hold in back, K3, K3 sts from cable needle], P2, K4
Row 10: K3, P1, K2, [P6], K2, P1, K3
Row 11: K4, P2, [K2, P2, K2], P2, K4
Row 12: K3, P1, K2, [P2, K2, P2], K2, P1, K3
Repeat Rows 1-12 for pattern until piece reaches desired length (I think I did about 7 repeats)
Knit next two rows.
Next row (buttonholes): K2, YO, K2tog, K5, YO, K2tog, K4, YO, K2tog, K1
Knit next row. Bind off all stitches.

Wow, it looks complicated all typed out like that, but it really is very easy and once you get going it knits up super fast. Happy knitting! :-)

Golden

2009-12-04T14:43:00.000-08:00

Although the leaves are long gone in some parts of the country, here in California (in my neighborhood at least) the change is reaching it's peak. This is my favorite time of year... and this is the gorgeous golden mess that our Ginko trees left on the sidewalk in front of our house this week:

We also went gold inside as I gave the kids' art table a much needed refresh. Of course, in my excitement I neglected to take a "before" pic, but let me just tell you it was a mess. Left outside in the rain after a finger painting adventure.

The color was supposed to be orange (by request) but ended up way more golden (school bus) yellow. The seat covers are an asian-inspired patchwork print that I had in my fabric stash. It was a lot more work than I anticipated but I love how it came out.

Hoping things are "golden" in your life + have a fabulous weekend!

A sweater for sweetpea

2009-12-02T16:21:00.000-08:00

Just before Thanksgiving I finished this adorable sweater for my little sweetpea. The pattern is "Helena" from Knitty. I used Patons ultra soft Silk-Bamboo yarn. I think the colorway is "Plum".

The sweater is a pretty quick knit. I modified the pattern to have only four repeats on the lace. I also wanted a short-sleeve, because a.) I thought it would look really cute and b.) I was afraid I might run out of yarn. I also added vintage brass buttons, instead of ties.

The only bummer is that, in my inexperience, I picked up too few stitches along the front and neck, so it has a bit of a pucker. Drat! I might try blocking to see if I can get it to lay flatter. Otherwise, I'm thrilled with how it turned out!

Little Modern Movement

2009-11-30T15:54:00.000-08:00

My husband has designed a super mod collection of bent plywood toys. Our new business is called Kaiku and our site is FINALLY up! I'm not exactly sure how we got to this point, but let's just say with two little ones at home and a full-time day job, it's been a looong year.

The toys are made of bent plywood and have natural finishes. The "Pushpull" (above) is my favorite. Seriously cute.

My husband has worked so hard on this. Check out our site when you get a chance....

AND as a thank you to my readers, use Kaiku coupon code: "friendsfamily" for free shipping on any order! (Currently we're only shipping in the U.S.)

:-) Amy

Enjoying the Fall Weather

2009-10-08T15:25:00.000-07:00

Just enjoying some great Fall weather, hanging out with the kids and cruising around town on the Madsen!

Madsen Box Playhouse

2009-10-06T14:41:00.000-07:00

In case you were wondering ... Yes, the enormous box they use to ship the Madsen bike makes an excellent playhouse! :-)

So, we bought a Madsen kg271 Cargo Bike

2009-10-03T21:13:00.001-07:00

And here it is!...

Yes, that's me on our new Madsen Kg271 cargo bike. (If you're not familiar, see the Madsen site here). The bike is awesome so far (3 days). We were all able to go out this morning for a test ride with DH behind taking pics and making sure everything was going a-ok with the littles in the bucket.

I am so excited about this because up until now I've been walking the kids everywhere in my BOB duallie. And when I say WALKING and EVERYWHERE I mean... to and from preschool 2x/day, to the grocery store (with "miss A" kicking a gallon of milk the whole way home because there's nowhere to put groceries on the BOB), to the library, park, etc. and a 5 mile roundtrip to the Children's Museum about every other week. (Yes, I agree, a five mile trip deserves a bike!)

Not that I don't love walking, mind you, it's just so fun to ride a bike. And now that I can take the tots along with me it, well, it's just that much more fun! (BTW - miss A is only 12 months and I'm relieved to say she did great seatbelted in the Madsen bucket just like big bro!)

And, of course, after owning the Madsen for only a day I just couldn't wait to sew up an accessory for it... so I made up this soft cover for the bucket...

I first thought I'd make the cover out of a nice outdoor fabric, like Sunbrella. But then I found this buttery piece of heavyweight cotton twill in my fabric stash and I just couldn't resist. I love how it turned out! I'm sure it won't hold up as well as outdoor fabric, but now that I've made one, it'll be easy to whip up another should I fancy an upgrade down the line.

I'll be writing more about my experiences with the Madsen as time passes. In the meantime if you're interested in a couple of reviews by more experienced cyclists, there's a nice one here at A2W and another from Julian + family at Totcycle.

Happy riding!

New Ride

2009-09-28T16:06:00.001-07:00

It's been awhile since I've updated the ol' blog here...Lots going on in the Herbst household (more to come!), so I haven't had much time for crafting... I have, however, recently become bike-obsessed.

I really, really wanted to upgrade my rusty town bike with a new ride. So after searching craigslist for weeks I finally found this super-sweet Gary Fisher Simple City 3.

It's not the pretty, girly aqua women's bike that I first fell in love with, but hey, that's craigslist. I got a great deal, the bike is like new and it turns out that the men's larger frame fits me much better than the women's medium frame anyway. It is sooo fun to ride. Yea!

And I had a great time making the bike a little more girly by adding these awesome fun reflector stickers a brass bell and a side basket. Isn't it cute!? Now if I can only figure out how to get the kids on board...

Crochet Pattern - LOOP Baby Toy

2009-01-12T21:48:00.000-08:00

Now that my littlest is almost four months old, I've been working on some fun, grabby baby toys. This is a cute one that I'm calling "loop". I've sold a handful in the shop. They are super-easy to make, so I've decided to post a little tutorial so you can make them for the little one's in your life. Enjoy!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"LOOP" - A Baby Rattle Grab Toy
by Amy Herbst

MATERIALS NEEDED:
-3.25 mm crochet hook
-Worsted weight yarn of your choice (here I've used Patons Classic Wool)
-1 or 2 small jingle bells (they just need to be small enough to fit in the large tube)
-Stuffing material

INSTRUCTIONS:
- Starting with the first small outer ring, chain 6.
- Slip stitch in the first chain you made to form a ring.
Stuff the tube lightly as you work
- Make 1 single crochet in each single crochet around until you have a little tube measuring 6 inches long.

-Bring the two ends of your 6" tube together to form a ring, stitch closed.
Repeat above instructions to make a total of two small rings.

For the large inner ring:
- Chain 12 (or 14, depending on your tension)--you want it to be nice and tight
- Slip stitch in the first chain you made to form a ring.
Stuff the tube firmly as you work, adding in a small jingle bell or two
- Make 1 single crochet in each single crochet (changing colors as desired) until you have a tube measuring 10.5 inches long.

- Slide the two small rings onto the large tube.
- Bring the ends of the large tube together to form a ring and stitch closed.

TA-DA! Easy-peasy. You just made a "Loop" baby toy!

Wow, has it been a year (almost)?...

2008-12-11T09:50:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how time flies! It was almost a year ago that I called it quits on the ol' blog and took a much needed break from crafting.

Around the first of the year last year I got pregnant with our second. The second pregnacy, in some ways, was much more difficult than the first. I was just sooo tired all of the time. Growing a little person and chasing around a two-year-old at the same time is hard work! On September 22 we welcomed our new baby girl Aya Olive. :-)

Now that the baby is here I seem to have so much more energy (believe it or not!). I've found it difficult NOT to craft. So, among other things, I've been working hard to restock the shop .

I finally formatted my "Dot Dolly" pattern:

And a the little "Buzzy B. and Berry Bear" crochet pattern that I started working on eons ago:

I've also found myself recently addicted to knitting socks (something I thought I'd never have the patience for). Here's my third pair, in progress:

I just LOVE how those nifty stripes and patterns magically appear! And, surprise, this sock yarn is now available at Michael's.

Here's another tiny one that I made for Aya (below). Only it's too tiny for even her itty bitty foot, so I guess it's going on the Christmas tree!

If there's anyone still out there, I bid you a fond farewell...

2008-01-22T12:35:00.000-08:00

Hiya. Well, my "make break" has gone on a little longer than I had planned. And although I wish I could report that all this time I've been secretly working on lots of exciting new items for my shop, alas, no. I've been chasing my little guy around the house, going for long relaxing walks, enjoying the freash air, catching up on celebrity gossip, and getting snuggled into bed BEFORE 10 p.m.. It's been dreamy. So dreamy, in fact, that I've decided to call it quits on the old blog (not that I was ever that on top if it anyway).

I'll still be around though. I've got loads of fabric and materials out in the studio that need to be used up, so I'm going to work on a shop listing from time to time. If you have any questions for me, want to chat, or just say Hi, you can always shoot me a convo over on Etsy. :-)

Thanks for all the support over the past few months. I wish you all the best in 2008!!

~Amy

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

2007-12-19T09:32:00.000-08:00

Wowee, I can't believe that Christmas is fast approaching! The shop is now 99% closed (my emailable PDF crochet pattern is still available) and I have to tell you as much as I appreciate all of sales this season (THANK YOU!), it's such a relief to not have to go to the post office again for awhile!! :-)

I'm going to be taking a break from Herbst Handmade during and after the the Holidays.... I'm not sure when I'll return. I plan to keep blogging, but I imagine the shop won't be restocked for quite some time. I've got quite a few projects for myself and our house that have been on the back burner for way too long. Also, I've got a growing list of changes I'd like to make in the new year, which are inevitably going to affect the way I work. I think it's going to be good. I just need some time to sort it all out.

We're heading to Ohio for Christmas so the next few days will be filled with last-minute planning, packing and all of the dread that goes along with traveling with a one-year-old during the Holidays. :-P (!)

I wish you all a wonderful, fun -filled Christmas!!!

BTW - The cute ornament at the top of this posting is a gift from my friend and fellow Etsian at Gemmielou. Thanks Gemmie!

Arggh!

2007-12-07T10:52:00.000-08:00

So last night I sat down to crochet a little peppermint-striped Holiday monkey (in the shop today). Once I saw how the wide red and white stripes looked I thought.. "hmm,... sailor monkey?..." and then, of course, he just had to have an eyepatch! ;P

If you have my monkey + bear crochet pattern and you want to make a pirate version (and who wouldn't?), here's what I did:

Crocheted eyepatch to fit Lil' Monkey or Bitty Bear:
Using 3.50mm hook, with black yarn, chain 4
Row 1: Starting in 2nd ch from hook, sc 3 across
Row 2: Turn, skip first st, sc in next 2 sts
Row 3: Turn, skip first st, sc in next st. Bind off, leaving a length of yarn for sewing eypatch onto face.

Sew on eyepatch at the point in the pattern when you are sewing/embroidering the rest of the face/features.

Pirate monkey! :-)

Cuppy Cakes!

2007-12-05T14:51:00.000-08:00

With a one-year-old, my husband and I are finding that everything we say lately ends in a "y" or "ie" (doggie, birdie, fishy, blankie...etc.) hence the term "cuppy cakes"... It just sounds CUTE doesn't it? :)

And they ARE (cute, that is)! This is a little wool cupcake ornament I made as a thank-you gift for my neighbors.

If you do a Google search for "crochet cupcake pattern" you'll find quite a few different patterns. For mine, I just used the same basic formula that I came up with for the little gingerbread house and added frosting instead of a roof.
I used a 3.50mm hook and only increased rounds to a max of 30 stitches for the base and the frosting. You could probably do the same with any of the free cupcake patterns out there to make a mini ornament size like mine. :-)

Hope you're all having a great week!

Nothing much new...

2007-12-03T12:45:00.001-08:00

Another busy weekend!

I don't have much to report today, 'cept that Kai is getting sick and I'm trying not to. :-(

Sorry for being so boring...I'm hoping to have something more to share by mid week!

FINALLY...A New Pattern AND My First Giveaway!

2007-11-27T00:26:00.001-08:00

I've been trying to find time to work on this crochet pattern for awhile now... well, It's FINALLY in my shop today! Now you can crochet your own Lil' Monkey and Bitty Bear rattle toys. They work up quickly (really!) and are easy enough for a beginner (and hey, I'm always here to help!) These would make supercute stocking stuffers for the little ones in your life.

AND, as a thank you to my blog readers...my first giveaway..YAY!
To the first 3 folks who comment, I'll send you your choice of the monkey or the bear pattern FREE. Just let me know in the comments below!

Happy crocheting! :-)

Addicted... ?

2007-11-15T09:18:00.000-08:00

I think I might be addicted to crochet...

A little wool gingerbread house for the tree! Pattern from my imagination. I can invision a whole wooly gingerbread village, can't you?.... (gee, I guess I'd better get to work!)

OH! Also, a new monkey rattle in the shop today! :)

b l u e

2007-11-14T09:37:00.000-08:00

If you're just checking in on me this week and wondering what the 'color' posts are about, I'm participating in JCHandmade's "week in color" challenge. :)
Today's color is "blue". I have this blue button on my corkboard, and with the Holidays approaching I thought it would be a great opportunity to share with you one of my favorite organizations--- Project Linus.

From thier website the Project Linus mission is "...to provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade blankets and afghans, lovingly created by volunteer “blanketeers”."

I have been a "Project Linus Blanketeer" for the past 5 years. I love that they only accept HANDMADE blankets. Over the years our chapter has received wonderful (and sometimes heartbreaking) letters from children (and parents of the children) who receive our blankets.

If you are not familiar with Project Linus please do look it up! If you are in the U.S. there is likely a chapter in your area. Even if you don't have time to make a blanket, most chapters GLADLY accept yarn, fabric and supplies (crochet hooks, etc) for making blankets.

I LOVE volunteering! If I had the means to volunteer full-time I probably would :). I hope this post about Project Linus will at least inspire a few of you out there to get involved. If you're already involved with a wonderful volunteer organization, write about it on your blog and let me know! I would love to see what you're up to. :)

g r e y

2007-11-13T14:43:00.000-08:00

I've been dying for an excuse to take a pic of this door in downtown San Jose! I snapped this shot on our walk back from the post office today... :)

o r a n g e

2007-11-12T15:14:00.000-08:00

Two posts in one day? I know it's unlike me, but I forgot to mention that I bought a new camera over the weekend.... so I decided to join in JCasa's week in color challenge. Here's my pic of the day.... :)

I just couldn't resist ...

2007-11-08T10:43:00.000-08:00

A new pair of studio slippers! (Nick and Nora, $12.99 at Target. -- Ginny I thought of you when I spotted these :))

AND, while on the subject of monkies.... I had a request this week for a mini monkey baby rattle. Because of the whole 'new to crochet' thing I struggled with it a bit but finally got him to turn out right (I think). Isn't he cute?!
Hope you are all having a wonderful and productive week!

Making new friends : a true tale from the checkout line at Michael's

2007-11-06T00:24:00.000-08:00

It's still hard for me to believe that I was standing in line at Michael's last week when a gal in front of me turned to me and said:
Her: Hi,.... excuse me, ...are you Amy?
Me: Yes. (look of surprise)
Her: I recognize you from your.... BLOG
Me: !!!!!(look of surprise AND confusion, I mean how many people read this really?)
Her: I'm Gemmielou from Etsy.
Me: OMG! You're kidding....

Gemmie and I convo'd about 6 months ago when she first setup her cute shop on Etsy so I knew she lived in San Jose, but we had never met in person. I should probably add that the population of San Jose is about 975,000 people, so the odds of ending up in line behind her at the craft store----pretty slim. Seriously, is that RANDOM or what?!?! What if I had not put those pics of myself on my blog?? I would have stood in line right behind my fellow Etsian without a clue! This totally blows me away.

AND to top it all off, much like myself, Gemmie has an adorable little boy! We had our first playdate with the boys today! And I'm hoping we have many more. Wow. I am so thankful to be a part of such an awesome crafting community and thrilled to have a new crafty friend in 'real life'. :-)

BTW - The adorable handpainted girls at the top of this post are from her shop. SO cute! :)

Home again...

2007-10-24T09:03:00.000-07:00

We're back from our trip to Chicago! We had a fun time hanging out with family and checking out the city.

While we were there I just couldn't resist picking up these handknit finger puppets from Ten Thousand Villages in Evanston.
Oh!... and last night I finished up the 'odd bird' that I started to crochet last week before we left.Thanks to all of the practice I've had making Ana's amis I was able to take a sketch from my sketchbook and turn it into a real toy! I can't believe I just picked up crochet a few weeks ago. What fun! Thanks for all of the advice and encouragement. I cannot believe October is already coming to a close! So many things to do and so little time!........

The lineup...

2007-10-15T14:51:00.000-07:00

If you've wondered why I haven't listed any new sewn items in my shop lately... well... it's because I am currently addicted to amigurumi! I know I'll have to put down the crochet hook and get back to sewing soon, but I mean, look how CUTE!

These are all for my little guy. He seems especially fond of the bunny and the frog,... but the lion is my favorite. :)
I bought yarn for the little lion (Patons Shetland Chunky), but the others were all made from leftovers. There is something so satisfying about making something so cute with materials I have on hand.

The patterns are, of course, from Ana Paula's shop on Etsy. They are pretty easy to make and totally addicting (I couldn't resist buying the Pajama Bear pattern over the weekend)! I'm starting to understand how it works and am hoping to make some of my own original crocheted toys sometime soon. Otherwise, I'm planning to get back to the sewing machine next week when we return from our trip to Chicago... stay tuned! :)

More free patterns.....

2007-10-03T15:14:00.000-07:00

Here's a great link to more FREE amigurumi patterns on the Web. (Mainly crochet patterns but a few knit as well) :)

Smiffy

2007-09-30T10:19:00.000-07:00

Well, here he is! My first Amigurumi (and my first crochet project!). I used some scraps of Lion's "WoolEase" yarn (I like the yarn but had a TERRIBLE time with splitting) and a bit of hand-spun blue wool for his little sweater.
I think he turned out supercute. :-) Thanks SO MUCH to Ana Paula for posting this free pattern on her blog!

Amigrrrrrrr...

2007-09-26T15:27:00.000-07:00

I can't blog right now... too busy TRYING to learn how to crochet.... More to come (I hope!)....

Claudia

2007-09-21T15:40:00.000-07:00

This is Claudia: She's new!.. and will probably be in my shop on Monday. She is almost done but I have to finish stitching up her tummy and add a few other final touches.
Claudia is the first cat stuffie I've made AND the first time I've tried using safety-eyes (I usually make felt or embroidered eyes, like this). I kind of like these little cat eyes though. What do you think?...

I ♥ softies!

2007-09-13T10:22:00.000-07:00

I am addicted to softies right now. SOoo fun! I made this little sleeping elephant last week out of a scrap of Marimekko from my stash (I especially love the flower on her butt!).

I just wish I was better at pattern-making. I really want to make a few more 3-D toys (you know, so the elephant could actually stand..).

I was doing some internet research the other night and came across this. The cutest stuffed pig pattern.. with curly tail and all...FREE! I just love it. I am dying to make one of these for Kai. I'll keep you posted and PLEASE let me know if you make one too!

P.S. I just realized that I had my "comments" option turned off. Eek! They should be enabled now, so please do say "hi" if it strikes your fancy :)

Did you miss it?...

2007-09-12T19:40:00.000-07:00

I did too. Apparently this little guy (Morgen) made the front page of etsy today! I am flattered. Thanks for including my work in your fabulous treasury Earmark! :-)

folded

2007-09-07T12:23:00.000-07:00

I mentioned that my mom was visiting recently and re-folded all of my fabric (thanks mom!). My husband thought I should take a picture before I get the chance to undo all of her hard work (hey, I like to spread out so I can see what I'm working on... Is that so wrong?...)
I have a wall of shelves on the right side of my studio. Now that it's all organized I can clearly see that there's LOTS of room for more fabric!! Hmmm.... ;)

Happy Friday!

This and that....

2007-09-06T12:53:00.000-07:00

So I thought I was going to be able to keep up with a post or two a week on my blog--but, alas, no. Oy. I do enjoy writing, but time always seems to slip away from me and I have to admit that my blog is probably at the bottom of my priority list. I'm not even sure if anyone reads this (If you do, I'd love to know!)....

Anyway, I promised a pic or two of my studio awhile back and here it is! Well, the outside anyway... My studio is in the backyard and is totally cute. My husband had been using it as his office when he was working from home and then it started to turn into "the room that collects things" (don't you hate that? Kinda like that 'junk drawer" in the kitchen..) I am going to take some pics inside for next time (I promise). Especially since my mom just came to visit (from NC) and folded ALL of my fabric. Seriously. :)

Oh, while my mom was here I was able to make some headway on a few projects. I don't know if you ever saw this little star toy set in my shop awhile back but I have a handful more coming next week (I just have to finish up the blankies)....

Sew Smart

2007-08-20T10:13:00.001-07:00

With a little one, these days our car is less than tidy. So I finally ordered an awesome (and oh-so-stylish!) car litter bag from super-crafty Allyson Hill. It's double lined with a removable garbage bag and adjustable strap (to fit on the back of the headrest or shifter knob). What a clever idea!

I'm back!.. sort of...

2007-08-15T16:13:00.000-07:00

Well, I locked my blog awhile back because I was just feeling overwhelmed and it bummed me out to see it just sitting there. I just needed to take a break and try and regroup. THANK YOU to those blog-readers out there who inquired about my absence.

So, here I am again. With Summer coming to an end and back-to-school excitment in the air, I am ready to get back to it... or at least to give it a go anyway. Fall is my absolute FAVORITE time of year (good thing my last name is "Herbst", eh?) and I have lots of plans for the shop and high hopes for Herbst Handmade in the coming months (I couldn't resist the alliteration :P).

So here's one thing I wanted to show you.. check out these new magnets I just made! You can't really tell by the pic, but they are nice and glossy (and supercute!:)). I am going to send them out as a little 'thank you' gift with every order. What do you think?...

How cute is this?

2007-06-20T16:44:00.000-07:00

Baby Herbst chillin' with "S.J. Sharkie".... One step closer to an NHL contract!.. ;)

BTW - Jenn, I am working on that "to-do" list...

I'm still crafting...

2007-06-18T09:50:00.000-07:00

I might not have updated my shop in awhile, but I've still been plenty busy. I said that I would show you the finished sock monkeys and here they are! (well two of them at least...). This was a custom order for a friend. (and the gardening apron worked out great, Jennifer. Thanks again for your help!)

Besides finishing up that custom order I have been doing a lot of sketching and experimenting. I wanted to wait to show you this but I LOVE it so much that I just have to share!
Well, what do you think?! Inspired by my little 'rag basket' experiment a few weeks ago, I made this sweet rag bag (I didn't weave this one, it's a re-purposed (new) rag rug). I am keeping it for myself because I just love it so much. It seems to go with EVERYTHING...And the flower is a removable brooch!... :)

I would love to make a few for the shop... But then again, I said that about the wristlets too. Oy. So many ideas, so little time!...

LOOK what I got!!!!

2007-06-15T16:16:00.000-07:00

A surprise shipment from my mom and grandma in NC!

WOW!! In addition to the buttons, the box is filled with zippers and a few old patterns and odds and ends. I'm going to have fun going through this tonight! .... :)

BTW - does anyone have any tips for cleaning the buttons? Just soap and warm water?...

A NEW addiction?...

2007-06-11T16:49:00.000-07:00

Well, I thought I had a problem with FABRIC and then they just had to go and open a Paper Source in San Jose.... Geeeeeeeez.... ;)

Monkeying around...

2007-06-05T15:33:00.001-07:00

I'm just cranking out a few sock monkeys (4) here! Scot (the husband) took the camera to work today so I'll have to wait and take a pic when they're all finished (this is one that I made awhile back). I'll have to admit, the sight of 4 sock monkey torsos, sans appendages, is kind of disturbing anyway ;) Hope you're having a productive day!.....

bEarVOLUTION

2007-06-03T14:24:00.000-07:00

I've been working on a bear design for awhile now...

The little Valentine bear (upper photo, far left) was one of my first, made from wool felt and 100% hand-stitched. I made a half-dozen or so of them for the museum store back in March. Totally cute, but boy were they time consuming!

I altered the pattern and tried moving to the sewing machine. My first attempt was "Samantha" (above). She was pretty cute, and ended up in a happy home, but was far more pig-like than bear (not that there's anything wrong with that ;))...

I tweaked the pattern a bit more and came up with the little blue-eyed bear (do you see the family resemblance?). The pattern is SUPER-basic, which is what I like about it. It totally reminds me of the rag dolls my great-grandmother made for me when I was little--just this blocky body and little stick-like arms and legs.

THEN.........

I'm not sure what came over me this weekend but I got my mind set on adding more tweaks to the bear pattern. I started with the last iteration (the blocky bear) and went from there....

and 'Fisk' was born!

I had just enough choco-brown lightweight canvas (leftover from a gardening apron I made for a friend) for his face, arms and feet.

I gave him a snazzy shirt and a pair of denim dungarees. I used woolfelt for the extras (muzzle, and shirt collar) and finished the ensemble with a pair of little pearly buttons. I have a few more tweaks to the pattern, but I love how Fisk turned out!

Hmmm... Now he needs a sister, don't ya think? :)...

'Craft in America'

2007-05-30T22:56:00.000-07:00

Well, I just finished stitching up a couple of batches of (pretend) choco-chip cookies like the ones that were in my shop a week or so ago. I need to make up the plate-pouches, but that will have to wait until tomorrow.

I'm usually out in the studio (pics to come!) once the baby goes to bed, but I wanted to do a little handwork inside tonight so I could watch "Craft in America" on PBS. So inspiring. If you haven't seen the series PLEASE do look it up. WOW.

A Little Something for Me

2007-05-28T16:21:00.000-07:00

I had been meaning to make myself a wristlet clutch for the longest time and finally got around to it this weekend (my husband and son have recently discovered the joys of a looong wagon ride around the neighborhood :)). I'm contemplating making up a couple of these for my shop. I thought I'd give you a peak and see if anyone has any thoughts.

When I bought my machine (it's the Viking Scandanavia 200 - basic computerized- LOVE it!) a couple of months ago I picked up a little guide arm attachment to help with wide parallel stitching and diamond quilting.

This little elephant fabric just looked like it needed a little diamond quilting to me, so I thought I'd put the little arm to use (sorry for the blurry photo). It really works great. All you need to do is mark one 45-degree line...

and then use the guide arm to make the stitches whatever width apart you want (I think it goes up to 3" or so). I did the quilting lines about an inch apart...

I added a wrist handle, some metal hardware, a chocolate brown zipper, a little pink gingham check lining, and VIOLA!

I now have a cute wristlet clutch to toss in my backpack or grab for those quick trips to the bagel shop! :)

Just finished...

2007-05-19T16:02:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally finished that baby gift basket I mentioned last time. I thought you might like to take a look. The idea was to have sort of a "jungle theme" for a baby girl. I looked for some modern jungle-y prints (animals?) but absolutely could not find anything that I wanted to work with. There ended up being about 5 different fabrics in this set, but I think they all compliment each other nicely. I tried out some new things this time.... So, here's what's inside: 1 minky blanket, 1 cotton quilted reversible bib, 2 burps (made with DSQ diapers), a set of soft blocks (like the ones in my shop), a pair of woolfelt baby shoes with daisy applique and a little asleep/awake door hanger squeaky toy.

I'm not sure where I got the idea for the toy/door hanger, but I think it turned out really cute. On one side there is a little pink sleepy-faced flower and on the other side a little orange "awake" flower. It's just something cute to hang on the baby's door. I put a little clip on the hanger so you can take the toy off and let the baby play with it. There's also a little squeaker inside. :)

Introducing Purl!

2007-05-17T11:02:00.000-07:00

Well, if you missed Purl's (ever-so-quick) debut in my shop this morning, here she is! What a lovely little patchwork sea turtle. I just love how she turned out. She's now on her way to meet her brother Koa and I hope she'll make a couple of little girls happy :)...

"T" is for turtle

2007-05-16T17:01:00.000-07:00

Oy. Thus far, this has been such a crazy week! I have been finishing up a loosely "jungle-themed" baby gift basket for my friend Jane (pics to come) that seems to be taking me forever for some reason. SOOO many ideas, so little time, (and so easy to get sidetracked...:)). Not to mention there are more little teeth sprouting in Kai's mouth right now. Add that to the "but mommy why would I nap when I can STAND UP in my crib!?" moves he's been trying out lately and "naptime" has been a serious struggle. Ever have one of those days where you feel like you are running ALL day? Yeah. It's kinda been like that. Whew. :)

I have been making progress on some important projects though. You might have seen a little patchwork sea turtle named Koa in my shop awhile back. Koa is a very special (read: difficult for me to part with!) little turtle who went to live with a couple of sweet little girls (with a very talented mom). Apparently there's just not enough Koa to go around (see here), so I was asked to make a sibling for Koa. I don't have her finished or named yet, but here's a pic of Koa's sib in progress...

Up and r u n n i n g...

2007-05-14T15:55:00.000-07:00

Hi and welcome to my blog!

I have been contemplating getting setup here for awhile and after being inspired by so many crafty blogs out there I finally decided to jump in. Yikes! I hope I can keep up. For those of you who know me, you know that our son (Kai) has recently started CRAWLING. This is totally new territory for me. Gone are the days of plopping him down on a quilt on the studio floor while momma gets some time in on the sewing machine. Not that I'm complaining...after all he IS priority one...it's just that even though we anticipated this stage of his development I don't think we were as ready for the c o n s t a n t l y in motion thing as we thought we would be. :)

Needless to say, my crafty endeavors have been pushed a little further out on the back burner lately. I'd like to get several new items in my shop each week if I can. (So check in often!) I have a sketchbook full of ideas and projects and I am looking forward to working on some new items in the coming months! More to come...