fabric Archives - Try Handmade

Bunnies by the dozen.

January 18, 2020 by Rebecca Hadfield 5 Comments

Bunnies, bunnies, bunnies! I can tell that we are getting close to Easter by the sudden explosion of the stuffed bunny population. It would seem, ahem, that they are multiplying like rabbits.

This week, I have assembled a herd (yes, a herd) of rabbits for your Easter cuddling pleasure. Some are cute, some are quirky, but all are quite clever and very eco-friendly. Enjoy!

Known for their prolific breeding and their propensity for giving birth to large (and in some cases multiple) litters in the spring, it’s no wonder that rabbits are symbols of fertility and of the season itself.

As far as its symbolic tie-in with Easter goes, mentions of the Easter Bunny begin to appear in publications from the 1600s; although it is safe to assume that the origins date back further than that – most likely to pre-Christian Pagans.

Legend has it that the Saxon goddess Oestra (from whom Easter is named) had a sacred rabbit companion and an association with another symbol of fertility, eggs. Considering that, it makes perfect sense that bunnies and eggs are so closely linked with each other at this time of year. (And now you know what to tell your children why bunnies bring Easter eggs, and not chickens. Or, perhaps it’s only my son who is bothered by this.)

Finally, if you will allow me to step up on my “Going Green” soapbox for just a moment, I do need to draw attention to the practice of giving live rabbits for Easter. Just like a dog or a cat, a rabbit is a house pet that requires plenty of care and attention over its 10+ life-span. Every year, once the post-Easter reality sets in, countless unwanted rabbits are set free or dropped at animal shelters. Unless you have given it very careful thought and are willing to make the commitment, I would strongly discourage giving a live bunny as an Easter gift. Instead, why not make someone’s day with a stuffed long-eared, puffy tailed friend from one of our featured sellers? Go on…hop to it!

Top photo: Beeper Bebe – recycled wool suiting & yarn
1. Beeper Bebe – recycled wool suiting & yarn
2. Blue Moon Rose – recycled cashmere & vintage dress
3. Buttercupbloom – cotton, velveteen & upcycled lambswool
4. Chunky Chooky – upcycled denim & batik
5. Second Seed in Stitches – upcycled sweaters & fabric
6. Freedom Rainbow – recycled merino wool
7. LuvKt – deconstructed/reconstructed merino sweater
8. Pouch – repurposed vintage fabric & chemical-free lavender
9. Sleepy King – recycled fabric
10. Woolcrazy – recycled angora wool
11. Protean’s Coffee Shop – felt & fleece
12. Sighfoo – recycled wool & bamboo fibre
Bottom photo: Canoo – recycled angora wool/cashmere

For more information on rabbits as house pets, visit The House Rabbit Society.

Raleigh, North Carolina, USA

December 26, 2019 by Tara Gentile 3 Comments

[hTara]

This week my tip came from Jean, from 3squares. Through twitter, Jean suggested her home town of Raleigh – and after one look at some of the shops, I was all too happy to oblige!

The necklace above is some of Jean’s handiwork. Her designs are inspired by another love in her life: food. This pendant is ceramic with kiwi-colored glaze. Her shop is very eclectic and, while that can sometimes be a bit distracting, her aesthetic is very consistent. She works in many media to create her jewelry, including metal, fabric, glass, and ceramics.

So then Jean suggested that I check out Allover Art.

And it was by sheer force of will that I did not buy these earrings right on the spot. Ruth Jones is the talent behind this fabulous shop! Each piece is a hand-painted little work of art. Ruth is also a more traditional fine artist but loves the idea of creating tiny pieces that people carry with them throughout the day instead of being hung on a wall to be admired at a distance.

Jogi Originals is a brand-new shop with loads of potential. I love how the details on this bag are delightly off-center! There are tucks in the body of the bag and, just above them, a bit of the lining fabric peeks out in its only little set of tucks.

Finally, I couldn’t resist the Xtreme poses that accompanied these hand printed yoga pants. Who doesn’t want to be comfy & pretty? Whether you wear these for their intended purpose or simple around the house, you’ll look great doing it. Find more limited-edition, screen-printed goodies at ahpeele.

LarimeLoom

October 25, 2019 by Erika Jurney 3 Comments

It’s been a couple of years since I last posted about LarimeLoom, so I thought I’d give an update: still awesome!

I’m Maria Lucia Squillari, I’m 23, I live in italy, and I’ve always loved sewing and crafting, of any kind… basket making, crochet, knitting, beadworking, sewing, spinning…. My etsy shop has become my full time job, and everything involved is done by me with some help form my family… My mother, Melissa, takes the photos. Me and my sister Lidia alternate in doing the modelling of the pieces, and she also helps a lot with packaging when I am in a pinch. Everything here I make myself, usually without patterns, so one or few of a kind… The design evolves from the fabric it’s self, from my mood, the weather, the particular idea I am developing at that moment.

Mademoiselle d'Ange

September 29, 2019 by Erika Jurney 1 Comment

Check out these sweet fabric pendants by Mademoiselle d’Ange.

I was unable to choose just a few, so you get to overdose on them!

As an artist, Mademoiselle d’Ange paints, sticks, cuts, sculpts. One day, seeing her grandmother, needlewoman of profession, and her mother, to handle the magic sewing machine, Mademoiselle decides to steal in the workshop of these Ladies some ends of cloth…an angel passes!

Little Blue Pretties

September 26, 2019 by Valerie Williams 4 Comments

When I came upon Maria’s booth at the Fenton Street Market, I nearly had chest pains. Her lovely little space was brimming with so much prettiness, I didn’t know where to look first! As a sewer, I am always drawn to lovely things made with fabric, and Maria’s creations were the prettiest fabric things I’d seen in a long time.

Maria makes a variety of jewelry and fashion accessories for her shop, called Little Blue Studio. She uses fabric, crystals, semi precious stones, wire, and even sea shells. Every item is a little bit different from the last, because she’s always looking for something new to make, and new ways to interpret old favorites.

In addition to her gorgeous flowers that become hair accessories, brooches, and necklaces, I was particularly impressed by her mermaid lures, jewelry pieces that are created from found sea shell fragments and pearls.

Not only did I find the concept of a mermaid lure undeniably seductive (like living in a fantasy novel!), I completely fell in love with her modern and unusual presentation of pearls. It’s so easy to dismiss pearls as old fashioned, but that would be impossible with Maria’s creations.

The imperfections in the found shell fragments are what inspire Maria to turn them into something gorgeous…to force viewers to see the beauty in something that was discarded and overlooked.

Maria comes from a family of makers. Sewing, cooking, gardening, carpentry, and many other creative pursuits made up her home life. Although she started her creative career as a painter, making jewelry became more practical as her family grew, and she needed to be more flexible with time. She was drawn to using fabric, because of her mother’s skill as a sewer, but is looking forward to incorporating more metalsmithing into her creations.

Maria’s favorite thing to make is always the item she’s working on at the moment! “When you make something, it carries an intangible to your customer,” she says. “The only way to do that, is to love what you are doing.” Maria believes that when you are no longer in love with the thing you are making, it’s time to move on.

You can find Maria’s work in her online shop, and visit her Facebook page to find out where to find her at local markets and craft shows.