Thrift Friday..

and coming tomorrow Fashion Saturday?
Yup, must be da holidays.
Not yet December and I am already behind.



All these guys have been gathered over the last few weeks. The tall german gentleman is a "smoker", you put an incense cone inside him and smoke comes out of his mouth.
Fun stuff! A toy and a bad example all rolled into one.

Sorry for this mini post:
I am cleaning up, so I can drag a poor innocent tree from it's home on the farm into a house that isn't too hairy to decorate. It would take a village to get this place clean.. but no joy.. It's only me... and this guy:



who isn't helping.

wip wednesday: wee wonderfuls playset

I made these from the wee wonderfuls' "handsewing is fun" card set.

I always have a pre-packed hand sewing project ready to go with me on trips, long and short.
This gang is going to be a present for my youngest niece who just turned one. The snail has velcro on his underside so he can come off his pull toy base.
What you need to make this sort of present in your spare time, is a traveling kit. Already packed and ready for action. I keep a felt animals kit and an embroidery kit packed at all times!

For felt animals include:

• precut felt from the patterns with the pattern pieces pinned to them
• sewing instructions
• embroidery floss (I like mine on cardboard bobbins on a key chain ring.)
• needlebook with pins and needles
• ziplock baggie with poly fil
• little beads
• matching thread
• pipecleaners and wirecutters (for long legged beasties, like deer.)
• bbs ( like for bb guns) to weigh down their butts.
• tiny sharp scissors

I keep all this in a small wicker suitcase but a cardboard suitcase is good too.

My favorite patterns are:

Futuregirl's Octophrost, Seahorse and cute sea creatures ( 5.00 and downloaded in no time)


The doggies from the Japanese craft book Mame Wanko


The gang above from Wee Wonderfuls

For great free patterns visit the Puchi Collective.
This is a modified lamb I made last year for a swap.

Tutorial Tuesday: How To Remove your Coat

Okay, Ladies:

Now that cold weather is here, we, here at Bitter Betty Industries, would just be heartbroken if you gals were just shedding those outer wear garments any old shulmpy way. We offer this handy tutorial from the Nurses Guide to Charm, which was loaned to BBI by the utterly charming Becktress.

Click on the image to enlarge and you will see how to remove your coat and have it neatly folded over your arm in 6 simple movements...This is, of course, assuming Prince Charming isn't there to assist you most Gallantly.
(Don't look at me sister, he doesn't live here.)

So, practice!
Because if you just dump that thing on the floor, I am telling your mother.

Here it Comes!!!

The Bitter Betty Industries Shop Is All New!!

All Domestic Shipping is FREE! and extra goody in all packages for the first 24 Hours!




and don't forget to go to Green Kitchen's New Shop too!!

(Tutorial Tuesday will be posted a bit later on today...)

Good Things Come to Those Who Wait

Due to generalized Holiday Over Ambition we (myself and the lovely Green Kitchen) need to do a one day postponement of the Etsy Shop Launch/Relaunch project to commence on Tuesday at 12:00 noon pst tomorrow..




There will be Birds! Utili-Obis! Jewelry! Handbags! Hurray!
And Michelle will have the most beautiful kanzashi brooches and hair ornaments!


Pre-shoppping opportunities available on Flickr here. (Updating throughout the day today..newer photos at the end of the set.)

And if you order from me: little gift with every package ordered in the first 24 hours.

Thanks a Zillion !!!

I was really thrilled to get an Honorable Mention in the Craft Magazine Apron Contest for the Utility Obi!! Thanks, Guys!!!



I have been working with my favorite partner in craft, Michelle from Green Kitchen, to launch the Utility obis into my Etsy shop... That is right! An actual update! And Michelle will be launching her shop for the first time.
She is responsible for this great photography! And that gorgeous kansashi. Thanks Michelle.

The Update will happen at 12 noon pst on Monday..

Want a partial preview? Check it Out Here.

I want to say thanks so much to Sonya for coming to see me at the show ( which i am still trying to dig out from.. Hence my Absence..) and say Thanks to Danielle for swapping with me there.. I will be featuring my new friend on a soon to be upcoming post on my favorite big kid toys.

So Obviously... I have a lot to be Thankful for...
Thanks.. Happy Thanksgiving...
And I'll see ya'll Monday!

Thrift Thursday and Fashion Friday: The 70's sewing book

picture this in different colors.. and with toggles not ties

The pompom to end all pompommery

where can I get the fabric?

I can never pass up a sewing book at the thrift store.. The 70's were quite a time for the crafty
fashion set. Shall we quilt ourselves up a coat? Or make an Icelandic style cap?

Sorry I was late. Have to run to the show!

WIP Wednesday: Pre-Show Scramble

Oh. My. God.
What. A. Mess


C is 4 Craft
Downtown, Santa Cruz, CA.
Friday Night.
Cooper Street... across from Annie Glass.

I promise to only bring the good stuff and leave the mess at home.

Tutorial Tuesday: Felt Pom Flower and Cashmere Headband

yes.. same picture as Friday.. but with a tutorial after...

First the tutorial for the flower. I made a few into a cute garland.. because I love them.




These are fast fun and easy. I think they are cute as an ornament as well.

Cut a strip of felt.. Mine are about 3.5 x 12. I like a light bodied felt for this project.

Then cut into the felt like you are making a fringe, Make each cut 1.5 inches deep and about a quarter to half an inch wide.




Do this the whole 12 inch length of the strip, then turn it and do the same on the other side..
( if your scissors are nice and sharp, you can fold it in half and the process goes even faster.)

Now lay it out flat and roll it up length wise.




Tie around the center with thread or embroidery floss. Wrap it a few times and tie a nice hard knot.




Fluff it up. Use a 'pull and twist' motion if you get petal clumps.

Use your scissors to shape the ball. Cut deeper into the center to free up some of the 'petals' if you need to and trim the off any shaggy looking ends.



There you go.

Cashmere Headband:

The first one I made was from the turtleneck part which made it super simple.

I just cut it twice as wide as I wanted my finished head band.

Then I folded it so that the seam would run on the inside of the head band with the edges just over lapping. I sewed it together with a slip stitch... like you would use for a hem.



Make sure you don't pull your threads too tight. You need the headband to be stretchy.

I made another from the body of the sweater.

The process was a bit different. I cut a strip from the sweater; again I made it a bit wider than twice as wide as I wanted the headband to be.
I folded it in half with the right sides facing and I sewed a seam down the edges, pulling on the sweater so it was stretched and using the stretch stitch setting on my machine.

I then turned the tube inside out




and hand stitched the ends together starting from the inside to hide the stitches better, keeping the long seam on the inside of the headband.




Try it on and place the decoration where you like it in the mirror, then hand stitch in place. I stitched the fulled sweater leaves in place with a center seam only to give them a 3-D look.



it is so fast and simple..

Happy crafting.

PS: In case you never saw it there is a tutorial from last holiday season in keeping with my passion for pom poms.

Made It Myself Monday: That Woman Deserves a Medal

please click photo to enlarge... the details were a bit tricky to photograph

These are a couple of "medals" I made for Whip-Up's Whiplash. I made them based on a notion I have that the average woman is generally heroic... and often vastly under-celebrated.

I got the idea because I wanted to use ribbon in my textile jewelry experiment. I had already used antique lace in an earlier projects a couple of years ago.. and I love it, but Whiplash is really about trying something new.

These are made up of rescued ribbons, nearly antique watch cases, polymer clay, glitter and shrinky dinks. All stuff I had about the house. (I live in a house just crammed full of junque.)
Since one of the themes is textile inspired jewelry and the other is multi media I figure I am going to try and qualify on both counts!

I thought a lot about what women do that should earn them a medal:
industry, thrift, vision, courage, creativity, resourcefulness, tenacity, honor, loyalty and kindness.

And I thought about the celebrating the infamous:
reckless, libertine, brazen and bold.

There is something to honor in every woman. And she deserves a medal.

Fashion Friday: Cashmere Headband

holiday gift ideas are sweeping the internets...
Here is one of mine:
Cashmere headband from lightly fulled (felted) sweater...
with felt pompom flower and felted leaf embellishment.

This is so lovely and comfy. It is pretty straight forward construction but let me know if a tutorial is needed. I made this from a bit of the turtleneck of a shrunken sweater, but the wide tops of sleeves might work equally well. It is just slip stitched together underneath and then the flower is stitched on. A wide one could make very sweet earwarmers! You could decorate with fabric yoyos or needle felted sweetness as well. I will be making more of these for certain.

because I took the pledge.
Handmade Holidays.
Best Get Crafting.

Edit: I will be posting the tutorial on Tuesday...For the flower and the headband.
Thanks for all the great feedback.
Have a great weekend !

Thrift Thursday: You Can't Always Get What You Want

Thanks for being supportive about my tantrum. You truly are beautiful and perfect.. And if you aren't happy right now..I bet you get there soon. I am better. I had to take a 24 hour blog break.
I went to bed early. I cleaned out my craft cave.. But now it's full and I still have 3 table tops of craft crap to re-insert. Oy. Too Much of a Good Thing. It is a good problem to have.

But Hey let's talk about the fact that I went to the thrift store for zippers this week and I found 7 of them. Item specific thrift? Yes, Virginia.. It can Happen for you.

Even when you are all whiney... the universe can provide.

Oh and I got this cute vintage sewing basket too. I think I will reinforce, clean, repair and outfit it with all manner of handmade and vintage-y notions and add it to my Etsy store. Maybe by Monday.

edit: make that next Monday!

We Now Interrupt Tutorial Tuesday... to Whine.

random cute mod smocked dress.. this not at all what is bugging me

I am in the ultimate craft crab tantrum. I think it is pre-show blues/ jitters. Aw hell, I dunno.
Anyway it is one of the moods I talked about on the Blog Laundry post. Crafty crossroads. I bought 5 magazines.. I have spent hours each day looking at all my blogs. I have ideas. I have WIPs. I have supplies EVERYWHERE. But since Saturday, I am just bugged.

I am crafting, but with malice. I am a cranky crafter. I growl at my family and sigh a lot and don't feel like making dinner.

Maybe it is too much left over candy or maybe it is that dark place I go to before every show. If it is that place: It is a very non-helpful place at a very non-helpful time. I have stuff to do, people!

Why do I go there? What do I need from the pit of self-pity? Why can't I just be beautiful, perfect and happy like the rest of the world?

You are all beautiful, perfect and happy, right?

Made it Myself Monday: Gnude Gnome

If a woolly needle felted gnome with a vague 'wee package' will make you feel oddly violated... please forgive me and quickly click on to the next new blog. I am gnot a gnome pervert, I was just needling away and this is just what kind of 'happened' and it made me laugh so here we are with full frontal gnome.




In truth this is more of a WIP post because, in the interest of common decency I will be providing him with some clothes before I put him up for sale at C is 4 Craft' show on the 16th. But if you come buy him, you can display him however you like.


If you enjoyed that silliness you simply can't miss The Naked Robot by Mimi K.
Oh, to have been the lucky soul to buy that wonderful doll..


PS You better head over to Knit Sonya's Blog for the Juiciest Give Away Ever... but be prepared to bare your crafty soul.

PPS Come and sew with me if you wanna: I am teaching a reversible wrap skirt class at Luminous Threads this Saturday.. It is a two Saturday Class: pattern drawing and cutting this week and sewing next week.. Very limited seating but call Amber ( 831-335-2621) if you want to sew one up for yourself.

Made it Myself Monday: Gnude Gnome

If a woolly needle felted gnome with a vague 'wee package' will make you feel oddly violated... please forgive me and quickly click on to the next new blog. I am gnot a gnome pervert, I was just needling away and this is just what kind of 'happened' and it made me laugh so here we are with full frontal gnome.




In truth this is more of a WIP post because, in the interest of common decency I will be providing him with some clothes before I put him up for sale at C is 4 Craft' show on the 16th. But if you come buy him, you can display him however you like.


If you enjoyed that silliness you simply can't miss The Naked Robot by Mimi K.
Oh, to have been the lucky soul to buy that wonderful doll..


PS You better head over to Knit Sonya's Blog for the Juiciest Give Away Ever... but be prepared to bare your crafty soul.

PPS Come and sew with me if you wanna: I am teaching a reversible wrap skirt class at Luminous Threads this Saturday.. It is a two Saturday Class: pattern drawing and cutting this week and sewing next week.. Very limited seating but call Amber ( 831-335-2621) if you want to sew one up for yourself.

Fashion Friday Featuring: New Vintage Wardrobe Project#13

Hello! Lucky 13!
The Very First BB FF post!
And a green Refashion project to BOOT!

I am going to start with my sad picture of a houndstooth coat rescued from the donation pile on the back yard of the Green Kitchen.
Hmmm.... I wonder why she didn't want it?

On it's way to be recreated as:
Simplicity Pattern 7778, circa 1968:

Here is blurry dark picture of our forlorn coat, on the bedroom floor disassembled: Basically I took the coat apart at it's seams and darts and then laid the pattern over it. I had 3 jumper patterns to chose from and I used the one that fit the best.



And Here we go...

A Fashion Do?
I sure Do Hope So!!!





Okay: This last Photo is for The Clothes Horse who had asked in a previous post about the slip vs. no slip and wooly skirt/tights issue. While I personally do endorse the slip, you do run the risk of slip slippage. A "Glamour Don't' fo' shizzle. But notice how my skirt isn't hiked up due to static cling?.. It is a conundrum of epic proportions.



The favorite detail on this was that I did have to splice the front pieces of the coat together. I saved the pockets and sewed it wrong sides facing because the loose weave of the wool made lovely fringe... this saved me from hemming too!
Let's hear it for recycled wool!



My hat was made by the Lovely and Talented Kerry of Practically Necessary..

I encourage you fashionistas- especially who kindle to the passion for refashion, to mosey over to the Jungle Dream Pagoda where to kick off Fashion Friday, she is going to refashion a Ball Gown. She is asking for styling input.. But that must be for a lark... This woman certainly can put an ensemble together.

So, come along for the ride:
Fashion Friday: No Rules.. (but, probably your post should be about clothes or accessories.) Let us know where you are and we'll come check out your outfits.

Thrift Store Thursday: Must Have Been The Fabric Fairy!

Sometimes when you thrift shop you just hit the mixed blessing jackpot.

My stash is over flowing. Over Flowing! I have really been trying hard to practice sound accumulation practices and use what I have and stuff like that; but sometimes a girl "just has the eat the ice cream while it is on her plate"...

This week the ice cream was all over my plate.

4+ yards of dark red boucle woven WOOOL:
Jackie Kennedy Suit? Long Coat? Oh man...wool! $2.12.





Slightly faded but very nice super thick barkcloth- Purses or maybe a beautiful upholstered cushion for my chandelier embellished arbor garden bench next spring?: $1.86





5 or 6 yards(?!?) of the cosiest flannel for new pj's...This stuff is so thick and fluffy! $2.12





And this lovely heavy cotton print for a new dress...There is about 5 yards of extra wide fabric so this is going to be one Honey of a frock... The ultimate in frock-ulance: $2.62





Plus all these findings: .25 each


And a vintage edition of Poe..50 cents For my Halloween display on the cabinet:





But where to stash it all? Where is the storage Fairy, anyway?

WIP Wednesday: The Halloweenie Post

Well some hobgoblin chewed through our ethernet cable last night and I am late with my post.
I didn't spend much time or money on outfitting myself but I did make a new skirt for the occasion.

I wore it despite it still needing buttons (hence the WIP status) and I must say:

I love it. It has 132 inches of skirt, french seams, and colors that are so fun to wear it make me a bit giddy. Wish I would have cut the bottom contrasting hem on the bias.. but what's a ghoul to do? Modeled here with Spike Heels, and Vintage Apron for the Demon Donna of Reed Street costume..




And it matches my red glittery demon housewife horns.



Mua-ha-ha.