you're invited! bucktown - booth 161 (lyndale & western)

Hooray, while tiny chumley sleeps peacefully at home, we've been scoring majorly with the discovery of Goodwill Outlets in Ohio and Indiana, finally arriving here in Chicago yesterday with enough time to take pictures of a few of Robin's hats. And so, an expanded peekypoo at some of the things we'll be unpacking early tomorrow morning at the Bucktown Arts Fest, as well as fabulous dyed silk scarves and quilted throws and inspired wall hangings. I'll even have a special few pupperina necklaces to show anyone who asks, and my trusty measuring tape will be close at hand for for my little four legged friends who might be intereested in orderin a little special sumptin, whether it be warm winter duds, a spiffy halloweenie dud, or a fantastic gift from Santa. So if you're in the Chicago area and have a few moments to spare this weekend, please do drop on by to say hello.

is this thing on?

i hear mom talking,
but she is not here at all.
i am so confused.

- baxter, 3.7 years old, on his first skype video chat with mom.








Whew! What a day yesterday, spent figuring out display (not as easy as it might sound) and then jamming - er, packing - everything up. But mission accomplished and today Robin and I are off on our great craft show adventure!

Some pics below of a few of goodies we're bringing to Bucktown, and keeping my fingers crossed that we'll have regular access to the internet these next few days, in which case I can also share pictures of Robin's absolutely fabulous hats. You really gotta see them to believe them! Allons-y!

get crafty: hat display

Today, a peek at some curious objects fresh from the foyer workshop. A vintage-meets-munchkinland mushroom forest to those of us who are three and a half apples high, or hat displays to those of us who are not quite so height challenged.

tiny detour

There's something to be said about being flexible, about sometimes diverting from common sense. If I had listened to my inner business brain and ignored my crafty fingers, I would have - totally should have - worked on making purses or serging cashmere scarves or tagged or done SOMETHING relevant to our upcoming show at Bucktown. I know, cuz I laid out all the things I've made yesterday night, and it's not nearly as much as I like to have.

"what's all the fuss?" my little boy sleepily asked late Saturday night as he stepped all over the goods I had put out. While my business brain furiously made a mental list of the artistic holes that needed to be filled, little kielbasa realized we would be in it for the long haul. "we both are gonna be so sleepy tomorrow", he sighed, and settled perpendicularly on an empty spot on the carpet in the hallway, turning himself into a slumbering doxie speedbump that was sure to do the job of waking him up when I tripped over him on the way to our bedroom.

We both awoke on Sunday morning with the full intention of following through with the plans we made the night before. Me, sewing, and Baxter, well, sleeping, because I kept him up so late. Except for the time he managed to spy a kitty in our backyard which caused momentary mayhem, Baxter otherwise did a fine job executing his snoozing plan. My plan to sew the day away? Totally out the window.

But had I listened to my business brain, my crafty fingers wouldn't have made all this. A couple of rings, a couple of pendants, and even a pin, things that I had started had started on my brief overnight stay with Robin a few weeks ago, that I have been itching to finish cuz I now can most definitely confirm that I am that person who gets her gratification from staring at the visually intriguing. Hopefully, the shoppers at Bucktown will be equally gratified by my digressions. :)

aw shucks

A happy new kitty perch for the little kielbasa, made in large part from scraps of wood and foam that have been sitting in our garage for years, and a wonderfully soft and rich textured orange chenille fabric that had been waiting for just this moment. A fine get crafty project for my brother and me to make for the little kielbasa, who knew the moment he saw it finished that it was his to enjoy.

all for me?, his little eyes twinkled as he hopped atop his new perch,aw shucks!

get busy: buried treasure snack bottle

So a few days ago, Baxter made short work of his inheritance from the boys, the beloved blue snack ball, and with little boy all still ants in his pants, I checked out some of the great leads for smart toys were sent to me. Pretty cool stuff that I totally want to pursue soon, but there's nothin like instant gratification on a hot summer day. Enter the buried treasure snack bottle. Free, cuz it once was full of yummy popcorn that we popped, and kinda green, cuz the bottle was on its way out to the recycle bin. And most importantly, available, so we wouldn't have to venture out in the heat or wait forever for today's entertainment.

Shirts now too hole-y to play giant shirtball? Behold, the buried treasure snack bottle.

And yeah, it helps to keep the bottle top to make a hole in it later when more difficulty is inevitably required. And of course, chumley stays well supervised when messin with things like this. How could anybody not watch tiny boyfriend use his cute stubby paws?

giant

when i grow up, i will be as tall as the trees.

- baxter, currently measuring in at 4.5 apples high

get crafty: pupperina necklaces

Yippee! Just finished some happy etched & riveted copper doxie necklaces and posted them to Etsy, save for one that I personalized and hope to send soon to my nieceypoo as a belated birthday present. Metal has been an interesting medium to mess with. In some ways, easier than working with fabric, yet in other ways, a new challenge to explore.

It's all the same, however, to tiny chumley, who really just sees all my creative endeavors as time suckers that keep him from pursuing the paths that he'd like to explore. Eating, hunting, and playing. Not exactly new paths for this little boy, but ones that make him so endearingly doxie.

Really?, his eyes will speak when he finally got a chance to sniff over what I've been working on. These things aren't even edible. Let's go out n chase some squirrels instead, ok?

the dog, the stitch, and the wardrobe

There's a simple design philosophy out there that suggests looking into your closet for inspiration on how to decorate your home. Look into my closet, and I guess the rest of our house would have a decidedly unique, schizophrenic look. Sort of white wedding dress meets Kohls & Target basic tops meets thift store scores meets TJ Maxx bargains meets Ann Taylor & Banana Republic it-was-on-sale-and-it's-silk, meets Martin+Osa after christmas clearance meets stuff from the 80s and 90s that I no longer wear but hold on to for the day I need to cut them and use them in some wild project. Meets the hanging yardages of rich colored velvets from a millinery shop that was going out of business, meets the one vintage aqua kimono with gold threading that I didn't cut up from the box of old kimonos I got from Japan as a present from Big Boyfriend a few years ago, meets piles of bargain home dec and corduroy and yes even quilting fabric. Meets mauvy striped knockoff Kate Spade purse from Frisco Chinatown I bought in a moment of weakness, dresses and patent leather shoes in a variety of shapes for those just-in-case-i-need-it-and-i'll-never-be-able-to-find-it-then moments, sweaters from practically every decade since the 80s, and comfy cozy pajamas in a variety of weights and form factors.

You get the idea, and come to think of it, our house is decorated rather eclectically (though I drew the line at "wedding dress chic"), but really my point here is that despite all the stuff I have in our closet, I don't always seem to have something to wear. Like this summer, where I'm finally ready to let go of that surplice top look in favor of something more breezy and light, and, I'm sure to everyone's relief, less revealing.

Thankfully, I found an easy peasy Cynthia Rowley pattern from Simplicity that'll work really well for the hair up days of summer, that can either dress up or down depending on accessories and the fabric used. That can handle shorts or skirts or capris. And that will use up some of that fabric I've been collecting over the years. Win win all around, except for our poor overstuffed closet, and for tiny chumley, who thinks my time could be better spent rubbing his tummy and admiring his pinky pink ears.

optay ecretsay

dear diary,
guess what! i am spy! well, no not really. but i am involved in a special project for somebody and that's just like bein a spy, right? cept well, i'm not a spy. i'm just helpin and there's really no snoopin around at all. it is kind of disappointing cuz i really had high hopes when mom asked me if i wanted to help out with a special project. this is a prototype my mom made to see if her idea would work and this is me tryin it out. yeah, same as always, i know. but at least i got to learn a new secret language that nobody will be able to understand except for u know who. u know. the somebody this this project is for. i can't wait to talk to duk duk in my new language cuz boy won't he be confused!

well, i hope u have a fun memorial day. mom and dad said something about puttin dogs on the grill and i sure hope they're not talkin about me or any of my friends! well, unless they want me to lick it clean. i would be happy to do that so long as the grill isn't hot. yum.

toodles!
b.

ps - ihay moamay! ommay oughtthay atthay isthay ightmay ebay evelopedday toinay ouryay deaiay orfay moamay's elmethay. atwhay oday ouyay inkthay?

downward dog

Tiny chumley has been a trooper this week, hanging tight in his blankie cave while my crafty hands made all sorts of things, and happily gobbling up treats for his modeling endeavors. Yesterday, I put the finishing touches on this, a special order yoga mat bag that might just well hold the little kielbasa. Alas, as much as I wanted to test my theory, Baxter's ears and eyes proclaimed, "Oh pleeeze no. Not in front of the squirrels." Pint sized pride, from our little downward dog.

science sunday

Hey, it's me, Baxter, your roving rover reporter reporting to you today from the back door of my home. What I'm really here to report about is on the deck, but mom says I have to report from here on account of the fact that they don't make rubber gloves and protective goggles and chemical safety suits in my size. You see, today I am reporting on my mom's metal etching project.

Now, there's a lot of science goin on that frankly, mom and I both find boring, so lemme just say that if you're ever visiting my house and you think we're serving cocktails outside in these nifty glass containers, think again. In fact, don't even try tasting or touching or even going near those glasses, which is why mom put that old strainer on top of everything. Yeah, I know, I thought I should say something in case you thought you were looking at another one of duk duk's contraptions.

Anyhow, the point of today's science experiment is to etch some cool patterns on a tiny brass disc that mom wants to put on annabelle's new dapper doxie dud. To be quite honest I didn't get to see how it was all done, cuz, well, hee, since I couldn't be out there where all the action was, I went to work on my tummy tan and kinda fell asleep.



But hey looky, by the time I woke up everything was done and I heard mom hammering away. Get a load of what I saw. Pretty cool, huh? I want mom to make me one that says "more rawhide, please".



Well, anyways, today is mother's day and I think I need to get started on making mom breakfast. Kibble pancakes! I know, it's gonna be so tasty! I've been saving some kibble all week so I would have enough. This is Baxter your roving rover reporter wishing you and yours a scientastic sunday and happy mother's day!! :)

dapper doxie duds : la mariposa rosa

i may be wearing
pink butterfly fairy duds,
but i can still chase you.

- Baxter, 3.3 years old, slightly bending the rules of haiku while responding to the squirrels laughing in his backyard.

Ever the intrigued hunter and multitasker, tiny chumley managed to snitch snippets of time to check out the squirrel scene between poses for my latest dapper doxie dud creation. This time, a pink and golden yellow damask harness to round out an order from precious annie, with removable and bendable beaded butterfly wings stitched with lace and iridescent threads. I can't wait to hear about annie's adventures as she flits about the flower garden in her new wings!




update 4/27/2010: Just wanted to post a pic of the "before", a picture of the suggested primary elements for this dud n wing combination that I temporarily posted on the sidebar for Annie's mom to consider a few weeks before the duds were completed.

dapper doxie duds: precious annie's viridian vernal vestment

cool teals, blues, and greens,
another dud for annie.
i like the quilting.

- baxter, 3.25 years old, on having acquired a modest appreciation for fashion details after modelling so many dapper doxie duds

Whee! The fabric I pieced the other day, now turned into another dapper doxie dud for precious Annie. This time Annie wanted something a little spring, in teals and greens and blues, so I made up this quilty wonder from scraps I had kept from a quilt I made for my niece a few years ago. Lined in soft light green jersey knit and embellished with an amazonite and iridescent blue bead dangle, this harness also incorporates velvets, hand dyed fabrics, and quilting cottons I got in Amish country as well as a bright green dragon brocade I scored in the garment district. An amazing tapestry of memories for an amazing little girl. Make room in your closet and get ready to flutter, Annie, another harness is in the works!

project kibble tree: epilogue

dear diary,
well it has been three weeks since i started project kibble tree and even though my kibble tree never spouted, cuz, well, i ate the kibble, looky at all the grass i have! yesterday i snuck a nibble while mom wasn't looking and boy was it tasty. i like having my own garden and now when mom picks herbs from her pots, i can pick grass from mine. and u never know, my grass is tall enough now that maybe the easter bunny will leave me a little sumptin in a couple of days. well, that is if i don't chase him. guess i really should try and restrain myself just this once.

well, that is all for now. i hope u have a great weekend!

toodles!
b.

scenes from a sewing room

A tiny peek inside our day, a pictorial evolution of the work I am doing for an upcoming dapper doxie dud, compared and contrasted with the sleepy evolution of Baxter's day. Both of us happily engaged in our own endeavors, yet ever so mindful of each other's presence.

I didn't realize til after I snapped the center photo that Baxter was doing more than just sleeping while I sewed away. On his hind leg, a thread, evidence that my boy's migrating about had transformed him into an accidental and very oversized lint roller. Just another of the gajillion and one reasons why I love my innocent little boy.

baxter o'chumley

There was a wee doxie named Baxter O'Chumley,
Whose tummy did rumble, all noisy and grumbly.
Said he with dismay,
"No rawhide today?"
And looked at his humans, ever so humbly.

- baxter, 3.25 years old, quietly celebrating st.patrick's day due to the Great Rawhide Famine of 2010.

happy st.patrick's day! luv, b.

poster boy

Mondays are always the least chumley centric days, it seems, and the little kielbasa knows it. Maybe it's because I get up earlier than usual, or at least try to, and our morning spooning is cut short. Or that I actually make an effort to de-hag and smell nice. uh, better. uh, wait. well, you get the idea. But whatever it is, by the time I open our bedroom door on a Monday morning, my little friend knows that today is not his day. And so he wanders off, most times to the office to seek the company of his dad, whom he knows he can count on to be there while I am away.






I can only imagine that Monday comes nowadays as bit of a let down for tiny chumley, still fresh from the hubbub of the weekend, when the three of us typically go for long walkies or just veg in front of the TV, or go for ride-ys or meet new friends like Lulu or Charlie. Or doin crazy stuff, like posing for pictures to help me illustrate some of the finer points of the dapper doxie dud measuring and fitting process.


Fret not, tiny chumley, today is Tuesday and the day is yours again.

dapper doxie duds: precious annie

is that for annie?
okay i'll do it for her,
cuz i liked her treats.


- baxter, 3.25 years old, on how he came around to modeling annie's girly dapper doxie duds.

Christmas once again in kalyxcraftopia, the joy of finishing up a couple of dapper doxie dud harnesses for precious annie with a boy who was more than pleased to model them. First up, a wintry woolen in heathery browns and pinks, that I think will complement Annie's liver colored nose and dappled coat nicely. And a removable flower pin made of silk, freshwater pearls, and seed beads, to show off Annie's beautiful neck.



For Annie's second harness, a happy combination of dyed pink textured twill bound in navy denim, with button and box pleat detail on the back and a removable rose at the neck made from a length of vintage necktie. Everyday girly for year round doxie fun. Thanks Annie and Annie's mom for letting me have so much fun making your dapper doxie dudwear!

project kibble tree

dear diary,
so u know how i like to eat grass, especially in the spring? well, mom caught me eatin it the other day and thought i really shouldn't on account of the fertilizer n all so we planted a patch in my very own pot yesterday.

ooh, can u keep a secret by the way? you see, duk duk told me if i plant a piece of kibble then it will grow into tree and in the fall it will drop yummy kibble same as the acorn tree does in the backyard now. i'd be crazy not to try that, right? i sure hope everything comes up soon cuz for some reason i've been very hungry lately.

toodles,
b.