Gypsa Darkest Pretty Blue Quilt

I love blankets. I love afghans, coverlets, throws, and comforters. I believe that you can never have too many of them. But most of all I love quilts.

The quilts in etsy shop gypsa are hand-dyed, hand-sewn, and one-of-a-kind. I want to cuddle under the beautiful Darkest Pretty Blue Queen Quilt on a cold winter's night.

Gypsa's lovely goods are created by several artistic families. The shop have been featured in Anthropologie and Apartment Therapy.

A twin version of the quilt is also available.

5 {DIY} Valentine's Day Inspirations

Nothing says "I < 3 You" like a handmade gift. Valentine's Day is days away, so here are five diy inspirations for last minute crafting.

52 Reasons Why I Love You via Little Grey Fox

Etched Valentine's Day Glass via Thistlewood Farm
 

Love Yarn Letters via My Sister's Suitcase 

Remember I Love You Hearts (guest blogged by I Go By Katie on Moorea Seal)

DIY Cross Stitch Heart Sweater via Uber Chic for Cheap

The best way to fight commercialism is to choose to celebrate Valentine's Day every day. You do not need a holiday to say "I love you."

Etsy Finds: Bulky Yarn Painted Blue

It was difficult to choose today's Etsy Finds. Much like brushing paint on paper, dyeing yarn takes an artist's touch. I focused on the color blue; those results were narrowed to ply. After making several reluctant cuts, I am quite pleased with this collection. The following seven yarns are soft and luxurious, bulky and blue.

Anduin River by chimera

Capricorn by SouthernMystic

May Handspun Yarn by fuzzyfibers1960

Murky Waters by Artemisia Ink 

Seasong by Bee's Knees Knitting

Denim by LadyRSanti

Ultra Violet by SheepingBeauty

Thrifty Finds: Eaton Community Hospice Thrift Shop

In my "New Yarn for the New Year" post, I mentioned I went thrift shopping. I have been waiting for a day off to check out the Eaton County Hospice Thrift Shop in Charlotte, MI. Drew from Twisted Stitches had mentioned it has a large craft supplies section.

I probably should have postponed the trip because of the snow. The roads were terrible. I saw one car had skidded down a ravine backwards. But I was pointed in the right direction and I did not want to turn around, so I kept going. I am glad I did.

I love doilies. I would like to crochet a doily one day. Meanwhile, I will be content to find heirloom crochet at thrift shops for $.75 (white) and $.25 (mustard).

I was super excited to find these hand-tatted earrings. What a treasure! I don't like gold, but tatting is a lost art. I could not believe they were priced $.25!

Even though I haven't learned how to crochet doilies, I like to pick up vintage thread for chance I might try it on whimsy.

I am love with these brass buttons. I plan to use them for bracelet closures.

Here is another craft I have been meaning to try. I had a weaving kit when I was a kid, but I don't know where it went. This kit did not come with the loops, but I am sure a craft store carries them. Or I might take some tights or nylons and make the loops myself. Another $.25 find!

I plan to make rugs with these sheets. The plum sheet on the bottom is king-sized!

I do not have plans for this vintage fabric yet, but I couldn't resist a red, white and blue theme.

I did not take pictures of a couple things: some jewel-toned felt, some more fabric and a vintage wool coat. The coat is currently in quarantine because it may have some moth damage. I am not sure what to do with it because there are two tiny holes on the back shoulder. Also, I bought two sweaters and some books at Goodwill.

I recommend the hospice thrift shop. All of the items were well-priced and all of the proceeds go toward running the hospice. 

Knitted Natural Gas Commercial

This natural gas commercial featuring knitting has been floating around the internet, but I think it's worth sharing to those who may not have seen it.

Fiber Nest Filler

As a crafter working with various fibers, I've accumulated unusable bits of ribbon, string and yarn that I cannot bear to throw away.

I put my fiber scraps and laundry lint in plastic fruit netting, and behold! nesting material for our neighborhood birds! Next time I might use a suet feeder.

Now I don't feel guilty for holding on to useless fibres and the spring birds will have warm nests for their chicks.

Unexpected Validation

Validation of the handmade comes at unexpected times. Last week, I was having black cloud morning. Every customer seemed to be in a foul mood and every cashier overly needy. After six years of mundane, often meaningless routine, sometimes I get bombarded with feelings of worthlessness and despair I will never move on.

After lunch, I went to talk to the scheduler because earlier that morning I realized I had 19 hours of vacation to take before September on top of the 40 hours I had already planned for August. She helped me work it out, and even more, helped lift my mood high above the black clouds for the day.

About a year ago, she had bought a bracelet from me for her special needs daughter. I had nearly forgotten about this since I have not sold much to my coworkers. The scheduler's daughter, I learned, has a problem with giving things away. She gave away a $300 necklace and $80 cash among other things without seeing anything wrong with it. The scheduler told me a girl at daycare tried to convince her daughter the bracelet I had made (and she wore every day) wasn't hers but the other girl's. She refused to give the girl the bracelet, telling her "no! My mom bought this for me from a girl at work."

When I heard this story, my heart melted. Here was a girl who gave away jewelry worth so much more, but she protected the valued, handmade bracelet--a bracelet I had made--without a second thought. I get little validation through my job--retail demands much from workers with the only return being a check every two weeks. With this bracelet I made over a year ago the return was more than the few dollars I charged for material and services.

As I work for release from retail, this story will remain with me, and I will remember this unexpected validation for years to come.

Sea Opal Bracelet, With Eyes Lifted $12.48

Featured Shops: Kronish Kraftwerks

Geeky meets playful at Kronish Kraftwerks, an etsy shop ran by Wondra. Kronish Kraftwerks features colorful macramé and memory wire jewelry, vintage books and craft supplies perfect for scrapbooking or ACEOs, and unique photos taken by Wondra.

In her own words, Wondra is "an American living in Wales with [her] husband, [their] two kittens, two dogs and three dragons."

Kronish Kraftwerks is currently offering free shipping on jewelry during the month of June, an incredible bargain considering she is shipping from the United Kingdom. Also, Wondra is open to "fair trades, reservations, personal orders and good ole fashioned bribery."

To learn more about Wondra and her adventures as an American living in Wales, check out Wondra's Journal, her twitter Witchybelle4u2 and her website Wondra's World (UK), which she has maintained since 1999.


Edit: Since the time of this feature, Wondra has divided her shop. Her vintage shop is Vanian Vintage.