The Whimsy Patch

Stay Tuned!!!

I know that many of my regular blog attenders are probably curious about the current state of the Whimsy Patch.  I have not been able to post new work for quite a while and many of the creations made for Renegade--which will be soon appearing in my Etsy shop once they arrive back home---have not even had their stories posted.  (Renegade was much affected by the Hurricane Ike rains so much of my stock will be coming back to me!)  After completing the pieces for Renegade, I planned to get to work on a wholesale order and intersperse pieces made for my Etsy shop.  I decided to work in smaller batches so that I can post more often.  This plan did not work out quite so well!

First, my son started on a nap strike.  This lasted for a week and then Hurricane Ike hit Louisville, KY in the form of hurricane force winds wiping out power for some 300,000 Louisville homes--including mine.  Left without power and a sewing table, I was only able to work on the hand sewing for the pieces that had at least been machine stitched--not many since I had decided to work in smaller batches!  Fortunately, we were able to camp out in my in-laws living room for the week, but my toddler, even though very excited by this odd vacation of sorts, was completely thrown off by the lack of routine.  I had to nap with him every day and only had an hour or two to sew each night.  It was crazy!

Once back home, my toddler began crawling out of his crib.  Suddenly, I realized that his nap strike from two weeks ago had probably been because he had grown tired of the crib.  My dear brother handed down his son's Snoozer Cruiser big boy bed--too cute--and we were able to transition him into this bed.  Nevertheless, all of this took place in the midst of trying to dig out after the storm.  We had tons of cleaning to do and restocking of the refrigerator and pantries.  On the same day that he began crawling out of the crib, he also decided to spill and dump more food and other items than he had in all his toddler days leading up to this one.  Crazy, crazy!  A bit exasperated, I thought I might never get to my sewing again.

So last night, my husband and I prayed.  We prayed that I might be able to settle back into my routine and get to work again.  Today was a blessed day and we were able to get the house back to normal.  By God's grace, my son has settled into his big boy bed.  He loves it!  And I was able to finish some of my pieces.

All this said, I will start posting pieces to Etsy, Flickr and my blog starting tomorrow.  Some pieces that I post will be for the wholesale order I am working to complete and some pieces will be available in my Etsy shop.  Once my Renegade pieces get back, there will be many more!  I am very excited to be returning to the Whimsy Patch.  So stay tuned!

I promise... New Whimsy Patch residents are coming!

It seems as though I can never get new plushies on the market as quickly as I would like.  Granted, I am making a few dollies that are a little more detailed than other dollies I have made, but I really wish that they were ready.  Nevertheless, they are on the way and here is a glimpse of what is coming:

And here is a glimpse of the very worthwhile reason that I can never get too much sewing done on a given day:

I really can't complain:)

A Sneak Peak

I've been hard at work for the last several months now attempting to get my patterns developed and ready for softie creation.  My son has aquired quite the collection of softie prototypes in the process...  A few weeks ago, I decided that I was ready to start making softies for market.  I've found this transition bittersweet as I am aware that any softies I now create are intended for the purpose of placing them up for adoption.  So much love, care, time, and attention goes into the making of each softie that it can be hard to let them go.  Nevertheless, I never began this craft for the purpose of hording my creations.  The softies that I have sold and given away thus far went to homes of people I know, so this will be a new step for me.  All of this has been said in order to lay the groundwork for the presentation of the first few softies that will be up for sale on Etsy.  These softies serve as a sneak peak at my work, a glimpse into the Whimsy Patch.  The softies come from my original patterns, are made with the finest fabrics, involve machine stitching, handstitching, and embroidered embellishments.  All future softies that will be placed up for sale will come from my original patterns but will not be limited to the lines presented here.  My other original patterns include a giraffe, elephant, horse, pig, cat, standing deer, tree pincushion, toadstool with snail pincushion, bird, and owl.  I'm always in the process of creating a new pattern and prototype, so I'm sure the list will grow longer as the days pass.

So... Without further ado, here are the first softies that I will place up for sale on Etsy.  I will let you know when they arrive at my shop!

Say, "Hello!" to Polly

and Miss Josefina

Peaches the Whimsy Bear--best friend to Polly

and Fawn the Dainty, Sitting Whimsy Patch Deer.

They hope to find happy homes with some of you out in blogland!

The Fabric Addict Finds Her Outlet

For a while, I found my obsession growing.  I would visit a fabric shop and take home fat quarters or yardage, then stash it away for the quilts that I never made.  I would visit the homes of fellow fabric addicts and search the world of craft blogs finding myself coveting the stacks and stacks of limited run quilt fabrics and vintage finds.  One friend told me she wanted to show me her fabric.  She took me through her apartment to a recessed wall where a chest of drawers sat.  When she opened each drawer, she revealed what must have been a stash that cost her several thousands of dollars.  I caught myself drooling--fortunately not on her fabric...  Then after the birth of my first child, I was desperate to find a pick-up-and-put-down craft.  On a balmy spring evening, I had put my baby boy down for a nap when I decided to dust off my mother's old Kenmore sewing machine.  The sewing proved cumbersome at best, but I discovered that I was falling in love with sewing.  I had been sewing off and on since the age of eight, but I had assumed that I missed that window necessary to becoming a serious sewing crafter.  Rather than fumbling with the patterns that I tried, I achieved a level of success that others assumed to be of an experienced seamstress.  "How long have you been sewing," people would ask, surprised at my reply of, "only seriously for a few months."  I was thrilled to have found something that I loved to do and that could serve as an outlet for my creativity between breastfeeding, diaper changes, and housework.

Then I really discovered my passion.  One day, I tried my hand at sewing a softie, using a cat pattern that I found on the internet.  My first softie kitty from someone else's pattern turned out as a success.  Encouraged, I decided to try and create my own patterns.  Three attempts into my first giraffe pattern, I achieved success.   I found that not only did my toddler approve of my work, but so did family and friends.  I devoted myself fully to the craft of softie creation and developed pattern upon pattern.  As a lover of children's books, I found myself inspired by the story of The Whimsy Patch that was unfolding in my head...

A little girl named Josefina took a walk deep into the woods one evening.  She grew very sleepy as she traveled deeper and deeper into the forest.  Not sure if she could take many more steps, she decided to take a nap at the foot of a tree.  The roots of the tree seemed to invite her to snuggle down as she found the perfect spot to rest her head.  The breeze tickled her cheeks, lulling her to sleep.  After what must have been hours, Josefina opened her eyes.  Confused for a moment at what she was seeing, she rubbed her eyes and then rubbed her eyes again.  She thought, though she knew that she could not be right, that she could see whimsical fabric animals and dolls roaming about before her.  One particular animal, a candy spotted giraffe appeared to be approaching her.  Stepping forward gingerly, the giraffe gazed upon Josefina, cocking its head from side to side.  The giraffe seemed enamoured with what it saw.  Josefina, stunned by the appearance of the giraffe, barely noticed that her peachy complexion was morphing to muslin fabric.  Her tight covered legs were becoming calico doll legs.  Little by little, moment by moment, Josefina found herself conforming to the environment around her.  Within a short time, she had become a rather cunning dollie.  To be continued... 

Spurred on by my newly discovered passion, I created pattern after pattern as I saw the Whimsy Patch becoming a fully evolved world.  People began asking to purchase my softies and I took great joy in the smiles my softies were bringing when given as gifts at baby showers and birthday parties.  I now had something to do with my fabric addiction and a way to support my habbit!  Eventually, I realized that I wanted to take the next step of joining the online crafting community.  By the end of September, I hope to open my Etsy shop.  Between taking care of my toddler, my hubby and my home, I spend every extra moment I can find sewing and developing new patterns.  Check back in the coming days for glimpses of the first creatures and dollies that will be released on Etsy.  I hope you find something you might want to take home from the Whimsy Patch!