Bouncing Around My Room

Where did she go?

2010-08-18T10:01:00.002-05:00

I moved!!

Well, my blog at least........ http://agreenbanana.wordpress.com/

Come on by and find out what I have been doing.

here

movin' on

2010-07-10T14:16:00.002-05:00

It's true, I am movin' on.

Bigger and better things are great and all, but it means making changes.

I'm starting small and moving my blog to wordpress.

I look most forward to having my own website put together.

Wordpress will help with this.

So, kindly go to your blog feed thing-a-ma-jig and add

http://agreenbanana.wordpress.com

It will be better for everyone.

you'll get to stay close and grow with me at the same time!

http://agreenbanana.wordpress.com

Summer Sneak Peak

2010-07-08T13:39:00.006-05:00

When I ordered my bridal fabrics this past May, there was a slight meltdown around here. It turned out my fabric was out of stock for two months.

Rather than sulk, I took full advantage of this time, waiting patiently to make the most important dress of my life. I refitted my vintage bridal pattern, twice. I made a few bridesmaid mock ups, and then I created a few things for all of you

I can't believe I made this many pieces this summer! I will be back in full swing come October. Enjoy a little sneak peak of what is to come.

huggles!

Stealin' Time

2010-06-19T16:25:00.007-05:00

The natural beauty of the outdoors can be quite restorative. The peaceful flow of nature soothes and calms the mind.

We took a day trip to the forest this week.

Alabama is a beautiful state with so much wonder to discover.

This is the largest canyon east of the Mississippi River

Taking it all in.

Tiny Lizard King.

Passiflora, also known as Passion Flower, is probably my favourite type of wild flower, ever.

Bless up!

Nest Adornment Remix

2010-06-13T22:26:00.000-05:00

As a crafter, I keep just about everything. Every scrap of fabric has a purpose.

Years ago, I made a patchy pillow that was very well loved. So well loved, that one of my pups decided to nibble a little hole in it.

Rather than swim against the current of dog ownership, I remade my pillow case into a super snazzy wall hanging.

Check out the free motion embroidery!

I need to find just the right stick to display it.

What do you think?

click the links below to see full size images on flickr

1. close up of free motion embroidery, 2. pillow case before, 3. patchwork recon wall hanging, 4. patchwork wall hanging -- full monty

huggles!!

Dreaming in Water

2010-06-09T23:31:00.000-05:00

We had a massive thunder storm roll through here last night. Our neighbourhood looses power just about every time for at least an hour.

In the midst of the monsoon, I was preparing to paint our bathroom. Just as I had finished taping the trims, the power went out.

What is a girl to do with no power!? No sewing or wall painting.

I busted out my lonesome water colours and painted a lil sumpin' by candle light.

It is a scene of a dream, my man and I have for each other. We want to own land deep in Appalachia and build a yurt homestead.

Some day.

It's all about projecting your dreams.

Geometric Love

2010-06-03T11:31:00.000-05:00

The only math I enjoy is Geometry.

I use it often in my craft, whether it be pattern drafting, stitching, or appliqué.

There is geometric inspiration all around.

Cruising over the Tennessee River.....

......bouncing back to 'Bama.

Sneak peak

What inspires you?

huggles!

Crafting in my roots.

2010-05-30T10:05:00.000-05:00

I can't believe summer has finally arrived. I have had my head to the ground in preparation of my upcoming wedding.

I have been most busy altering a vintage bridal pattern for myself. That's right, I am making my wedding dress. And because I am little bit crazy, I am going to make my bridesmaids dresses as well.

I have big crafty shoes to fill.

mama and her girls

My mom made her dress when she married my dad. She also made her bridesmaids skirts. Throughout my childhood my mother was always making something or renovating some part of the house. I like to say she is the perfect combination of Martha Stewart and Bob Villa. She is Nancy, the maker of all things awesome. I mean she made me, right?

bride and maid of honour

My sister, mom, and step mom threw the sweetest birdal shower for me. My sister and mom painted poenies on martini glasses with some enamal paint for our party favours. It was so easy paint, bake, and sip. They also made a super tastey lunch complete with mimosas.

If you are wondering about my pretty dress here is the scoop.

I finally made myself a dress from one of my favourite designs. My heart skipped a beat when I saw this lonely yellow vintage bed sheet at the local resale shop. Isn't is dreamy? See the green and white tier of the ruffle. I had it leftover from a skirt I sold a few years ago. Hoarding validation.

huggles!

Crescent City Chronicles.

2010-05-05T23:23:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, I had an amazing trip to New Orleans with the love of my life. We partied down at Jazz Fest, celebrated my quarter century birthday, and fell in love with the city all over again.

We stayed at our favourite hotel, the historic French Market Inn. It has all of the Southern Charm and architecture you could ever want.

The one.

Here we are in front of the St.Louis Cathedral. We later had a magical meeting with a fellow artist for the first time in person. You can read all about it here.

Our first day of Jazz Fest started with Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers. Be jealous, Dad!

Our good friend Josh went with us for the festivities.

Widespread Panic was so rockin!

Check out the sweet tribute flag to Mikey Houser.

Say Cheese JB!

One pound of powdered sugar per beignet and steaming cafe au lait. Repeat.

Late night Toubab Krewe to kick off my birthday. Who doesn't love a birthday show?!

We boogied down in a super intimate small show.

The three of us enjoyed a gourmet four course lunch to do my birthday up right!

Our buddy Josh, took us on an amazing home tour in Uptown. I didn't snap a single picture, but c'est la vie.

We went to the awesome and psychedelic premier of Phish in 3D in uptown. Check it out if it's showing in your area!

Savouring our last night in the Crescent City, we let her lead us. We ended up on lower Decatur at this super fun Russian themed bar named Pravda.

"...To get her in a conversation, Drink a little red wine...." - Paul Simon

The court yard was complete with classy music and turtles.

This is the skirt I made to wear on my birthday. This vintage fabric brings tears to my eyes it's so awesome.

Our second day of attending Jazz Fest ended with Pearl Jam. It was incredible.

~~~~~

I feel so recharged and inspired after a little R & R. It is way too easy to let work, family, and all the other details of life distract you from stopping and smelling the roses.

Even if you can't get away on a vacation, remember to make time for yourself.

huggles!

Saved from the Trash #2

2010-04-20T20:20:00.000-05:00

Hot tea soothes my mind and tantalizes my palette.

I just restocked my nest with a bunch of new teas.

In my opinion, loose tea makes for a better tea experience than a disposable pre-measured sachet.

You don't have to take my word for it. Just ask this friend of mine, she makes some really cool reusable tea bags.

Whatever your day entails, I guarantee it will be better with a spot of tea.
........................

Now let's move on to the dumpster diving madness.

This is how I store my loose teas.

When ever we finish a nice jar of jam or salsa, I meticulously clean the jar and lid. That's right, I saved these innocent and useful jars from the trash. I don't usually fight the label, I'm not that tidy.

Check the spiddle of herbal orange spice tea. Embrace the clove overload!

I love having nice glass jars and tins in my pantry rather than boring wasteful boxes. It makes me feel connected to those of you awesome people who can and preserve your produce.

One thing that I can share about reusing jars is that they are not all created equal. Pickle and olive jar lids can be really tough to get rid of the vinegary smell. What's a crafter to do?!

Toss the lid out and embrace what you can do!

Bust out your hot glue gun and attach some schnazzy fabric. My pen cup is styin' in stripes. My bountiful bud vase is rockin' in some free motion quilting by yours truly.

.......

These red roses were saved from the trash for now.

My place of work replaces their flowers weekly. I generally deposit the old flowers straight into my compost heap. This past week's roses still had plenty of beauty to share before returning to the earth.

~huggles!~

Check it.

2010-04-15T13:39:00.000-05:00

I have a slurry of new stuff trickling into my etsy shop today.

huggles!

Stilts

2010-04-13T12:12:00.000-05:00

I use my stilts to get closer to the sun. I am an Icarus of sorts.

The sort that lathers on sunscreen, wears hats, and naps in the shade.

HA!

Enjoy a little haiku I wrote inspired by my wrap pants.

:::::
Silly girl am I!
Too short to model the pants
wears ugly high heels
:::::

huggles!

I believe.

2010-04-07T10:39:00.000-05:00

There are changes ahead.

Check out this mosaic. It was inspired by my April Team Challenge.

Click for flickr album.

My Etsy team is moving forward to share it's message with the world.

I am so pumped to be a part of it. Seriously, we have so many bad ass creative people working together. To find us, search Etsy for gypsydreamteam , we are all still in the process of updating with this tag so feel free to hit up the forum and check out our profile pages for shop links.

As many of you all know, I tend bar when I am not covered in thread and barefoot in my sewing studio. I have been at the restaurant way too much because we lost a team member. I am attempting to shift my balance, but my ducks are not yet in a row.

Needless to say, a girl's gotta create.

In my stolen moments I have managed to put together a few pretty spring diddys. I only have a sneak peak, but I am waiting for my next "day off" to have a major photoshoot.

huggles!

Saved from the Trash #1

2010-03-19T11:37:00.000-05:00

We are all about repurposing and reusing things to the maximum degree. If we acquire these things for free, it makes the crafting all the sweeter. Dumpster diving, anyone? Come 'on, you know have or at least considered it! This is the first in a new series of blog posts coming at you from us. We do a lot of crafting like this, so look out!

I scored this partition from work that was bound for the garbage. After a year of waiting for just the right inspiration, there was vast improvement. The collaboration between Miguel and I, made it better than I could have ever imagined.

Miguel removed all the slats with a hammer. We have those pieces stored away for a future project.

Then, he hung some of my vintage quited fabric tapestries in the windows. Each of these are suspended from a natural stick.

We placed the revamped awesomeness by our back door. It provides the perfect division in our living room. I think I may make more tapestries to rotate through the display.

huggles!

Inspiration

2010-03-11T12:37:00.000-06:00

I have been pulled away from my studio a lot lately. My daily walks with my pack helps to keep me grounded. Believe it or now, there is a wee mountain in the distance of this shot.

There is an entire field covered in these dry, lengthy grasses. Their rhythmic dance creates a gently symphony of wind and earth.

Here is the wolf man's crazy little brother.

Bringing inspiration to life is such a good time.

hugs,

Day by Day

2010-02-20T12:04:00.000-06:00

Winter is ticking along, and I find myself thinking about the warm times to come. My mind dances around the thought of spring colors and activities.

Spring weather makes the for the best crystal mining. This is a quartz speciman my Miguel mined Arkansas. If you have never gone crystal or fossil mining, you are missing out.

Even during the dormant months, the colors of nature are ever present. You just have to look a little harder for them. This evergreen bush only shares its crimson fruits in the winter, keeping the brightly hued wild birds fed and singing.

My hands have been nimble and warm in the studio. Currently, I am inspired by the sleeping spring flowers and grasses. Here is a sneak peak of some lovelies made with repurposed materials.

What excites you most about spring?

Everything I need.....

2010-02-09T16:55:00.000-06:00

Resale shops and thrift stores are truly an asset to society. This may come off as rather sarcastic, but they complete my life. *Tee-hee* These stores are generally ran in partnership with a specific charity; making the shopping experience all the more gratifying knowing the profits are going to those in need.

When I got my first job at the ripe age of 16, I wanted my money to go further. I worked in a coffee shop of the local mall. I saw first hand how fast money can be spent when items bought were brand new. And just like buying a brand new car, these things aren't new forever and are soon used.

Blessed with a set of wheels from my parents, my friends and I loved to scour resale shops for authentic vintage Tshirts after school. The irony was in the fact that stores like "Canadian Eagle" were selling vintage T's with new shirt prices. Needless to say, this store did not get very much of my hard earned money. The resale shops provided the exact same look that I was going for with out the mass consumer baggage.

The feeling I get when I enter a resale shop is full of happiness and anticipation. You never know what you are going to find, but often times you find exactly what you need...........

A few weeks ago, my trusty iron took it's final tumble from my ironing board. It had a great run being purchased brand new seven years ago. In fact, my mama bought it for my when I was moving into the dorms at SIUC. My iron was a good friend to me and my sewing machine. It was in that very dorm that my passion for sewing erupted and I began to sell my creations for profit.

I was sad to see my old friend go, but I knew I would find a new one in our local Salvation Army. In fact, I found this great digital iron that holds twice as much water for steaming. If any of you lovlies out there sew, you know how important this function is. Back to the iron, this beauty cost me all of $6.00 and heats up super quick with a beaping function to let me know when it's met my desired setting.

If you already know me, you know I have never had any formal sewing or fashion schooling. Yes, I graduated college with a bachelor's degree, but that's a story for an other day! I have been considering going back to school to study fashion, but I really don't want to go into debt for most likely two years of review. Being the bullheaded woman that I am, I refuse to never take the easy route. Thankfully, I am a Taurus through and through, enabling me to figure out almost any problem if left to my own devices. Where was I?

I have found that the best part of most thrift stores is the book section. There is a whole trove of wonder, inspiration, and information waiting to be taken into your mind. You just can't beat $1 a book and $.20 for a magazine. Even used book stores can't compete with those prices. With the horrible idea of going back to school floating around in my head, what did I find on the end of the corner book shelf in the Salvation Army?!

This book.
Sure, it's from 1983, but a lot of the principles of fashion remain unchanged over time. As I thumbed through this book, I squealed with delight and practically threw my crumbled dollar the clerk.

When you visit my etsy shop, you will, for the most part, see me modeling my handmade clothing. I have started to get the hang of this aspect of my little business. I yearned for some fun kicks to wear for my lil photo shoots. And although, many fellow vegetarians would scoff at the very idea of wearing leather, my heart soars when I see a beautiful piece of vintage leather attire. I get especially teary eyed, when I see hand stamped belts and purses :sigh: .

These cow girl boots called my name out loud. I mean, come on, they are GREEN!!! They were also a perfect fit to my tiny size seven feet. It was my destiny to find these boots. At the mere prices of $15, these were a steal to boot. Heehee, no pun intended.

Upon entering any thrift store, I practically run to the crafting section. There are always amazing fabrics that someone never got the chance to sew. In addition to the crafting area, I also raid the linens sections. I carefully examine and spread out bed sheets for inspection. I fondle and inspect the fabrics seeking any and all that tug at my heart strings. I can't even begin to tell you about the adrenaline rush I get when I find some extra special vintage fabric. I swear, there are fairies born somewhere in those moments.

I found these fabrics(and many more not pictured) at the local Humane Society thrift store. It feels good to help support all those furry and feathered babies that have no family. I also love that fact that there is usually at least one dog and cat roaming the store keeping the volunteers company. I spent a whooping $10 for around 20 yards of fabric. Whatta deal, right!?

My long term love affair with thrift stores is what helped to inspire my creations and in turn, my business. There are so many perfectly good materials that have yet to be used. The super low cost of these materials is passed to the patrons of my shop. I feel great knowing that the money I spend on materials goes to good causes and keeps the landfills a little less full.

What is your favorite thrift store find?

~hugs~

Whens Blogs Attack

2010-02-04T10:04:00.001-06:00

I don't know about all of you, but I love to read. I read anything from non-fiction books, the newspaper, crafting magazines, to even old reference books. I really can't read enough. My last name (but not for long *teehee) is actually Read. Let me tell you that it is a great source for many an elementary school joke.

My new favorite place to read is on the computer. I may be a little behind, but I have really gotten into reading blogs for cooking and crafting inspiration. Checking in with all of these blogs can be a daunting task with opening multiple tabs on your internet browser. Insert blog lovin' ; the best blog reader ever! It's super easy to check in with all of your writers with bloglovin' stacking your favorites together like the pages of a magazine.

That's my two cents about all that. I have included a link to follow me with bloglovin if you feel so inclined.

Follow my blog with bloglovin

~hugs~

Grow Slow

2010-01-24T13:17:00.000-06:00

Big things are in the works around here. I have a bunch of pretty patchwork goodness all stitched up. It has been a wet and rainy January. I can handle cold weather, but the fear of soggy hems and mud stains inhibit the taking of proper outdoor pictures of my clothing. At least, I got a few fun pictures of the sloppy, squishy rain.

Lately, it seems we know all too well that Mother Nature is an unstoppable force. There was a tornado that touched down in my town last week. It was surreal. Thankfully, my family and home are safe. You never think that a natural disaster could happen to you. My heart goes out to the people of Haiti and the uphill struggle they have ahead of all of them. I am touched by the amount of people all over the world doing their part to help with the relief. You can donate to the American Red Cross here.

On a lighter note, I really have been sewing up a storm.

Here is a sneak peak of my Faux-Back Mini Collection. The inspiration came from my new fondness for faux patchwork printed fabrics, especially the vintage sort.

In addition to my mini collection, I also have quite a few other creations to share. Here is a sneak peak of some skirts coming to an etsy shop near you.

The highlight of my year so far, is purchasing a domain name for my wee business. As of now, you can get to my etsy shop via www.agreenbanana.com. It is a huge deal and I could not be more excited for what the future holds.

Don't count on a shiny website any time soon, because Miguel and I are pretty green in the web design department (*teehee* -- pun intended). We grow slow around here, but I'm not complaining.

~hugs~

Easy Tea Pot Cozy

2010-01-06T23:29:00.000-06:00

I love hot tea. Green tea is my favorite, but I also love chamomile and earl grey. There are many health benefits associated with tea and the most note worthy being a boat load of antioxidants.

Being the cold natured lady that I am, I drink even more hot tea during the cold winter months. Much to my dismay, I have never had a tea pot cozy. I was watching Bed Knobs and Broom Sticks the other day and I loved Angela Lansbury's tea pot coozie. It was adorable, decked out in pom-poms, knitted, and way beyond my skill level. It resembled this lovely number I found on etsy.

Upon further research, I learned that the design is classically English. You can find a tutorial here.

As I sipped my cold tea, I dug through my scraps I found the hood to a sweater I felted for another sewing project. It looked so lonely, so tiny, and warm. That shrunked hood would never fit my head in a million years, but I did have something in the same shape as a head that needed warming.

Now it's tutorial time! The method I used is known as a pin and flip. I first saw this technique on a home decorating show where the decorators made their own slip covers for an unsightly couch.

Easy Tea Pot Cozy

You will need:
Felted wool or fleece**
Pins
Scissors
Sewing machine Or Hand sewing needle and thread,

**I used a hood, but you could cut a couple of oblong half circles of your felted material. To do this, I suggest turning your tea pot on its side and trace it's silhouette for the curves.

Drape the fabric over your tea pot with the right sides together. Pin and pinch the fabric fit with your straight pins with the pins going parallel to the seam.

Don't forget pin around your spout so you can pour your warm snuggled tea.

Slip off the fabric off the tea pot carefully so not to loose any pins. Trim the seam allowance pretty close to your pins. I recommend re-pinning the seam with the heads of the pins perpendicular to the seam. This will make it easier to pull them out as you sew. The thick wool fabric can make pins disappear into its fluff.

I used a tiny zig zag stitch with lots of back stitching at either end to secure the openings, but a whip stitch would work just fine if you are sewing my hand.

Flip the right side out and check the fit. Add another row of stitching if necessary. Trim around the spout to fit.

Ta da!

I made my cozy to fit my bigger tea pot, so it would fit my smaller with no problems.

If you make this project, feel free to email me your pictures so I can brag about your skills.

Hugs~

Handmade Gifting

2009-12-27T17:46:00.000-06:00

I consider myself a round peg. I like to make things complicated and detailed. Take this blog for instance. I haven't written a descent post in quite some time. Though, here I am about to lay down a massive post loaded with picture and links. Grab a beverage and get comfy.

Where was I? The winding roads I take throughout my crafting process gives life to the final product. It's as if one can feel the life and time that was put into an object. I think handmade is the original way of life, buying only what you can't make yourself. Making something, rather than buying something also gives me a great sense of accomplishment.

For the third year in a row, I have done a handmade Christmas. My family lives far away from me, which means I don't always make it home for the holidays. When I send a box of gifts to them, I want it to really count. I want to them to know that I think about and miss them often. I know they miss me, too. I feel that a little something made from my own two hands, helps us to be a little closer. I also recruited help from other crafters (all hail etsy!) to keep with my handmade theme. I am but one woman. hahaha!

These first round of pictures were crafted by yours truly.

Applique fun

mandala hoodie for the armanos (this is only one of them, some how i missed snappin' a pic of the other. boo.)

wall hanging for the hunter

festive repair job on my miguel's sweatpants

Cowl neck scarves
I chose the color palette and button to go with each lady's style

Soy wax candles
This was the first time Miguel and I ever made our own candles. It was super fun and easy. We scored fun ceramic vessels at the thrift store super cheap. My favorites were in hand thrown mugs.

Handmade Hippie Secret Santa gift I sent
I made this apron with vintage velours and blue scraps for Sarah of May's Playce

Repurposed "Classy Cozie" (pattern courtesy of fiber artist & friend The Peaceful Peacock)

Drink Coasters
I made these with repurposed vintage fabric from a family stool. One went to my mom and the other to my sister. This way they could have drinks together while being far away from each other.

Retro Apron
I made this sweet throw back apron for my future mother in law. It features lots of gathering in the front. I made my own bias trim and added a towel loop.

Dog Jacket
This gift was an impromptu for my buddy's dog who stayed with us over the Christmas holiday. I used repurposed fleece from a torn sweatshirt and vintage buttons along the belly closure. Isn't she precious?

These gifts were created by other etsy artists.

Hand turned wooden orb/marble stands by Wood Art and Steam Punk

Handmade natural and awesome deodorants by BathLife.

Hand printed T-shirt by dndteesandstrings

Hand thrown shave mug set & handmade soap by Soothing Suds

A beautiful hand spun & hand knit scarf by my dear Gypsy Road team leader The Peaceful Peacock

More Gypsy Road goodness
My favorite gift from Miguel was this amazing apron by my fellow Gypsy Road member Holly, of Holly Daze Creations. She does amazing applique work, not to mention her bad ass patchwork skills. You can find her etsy shop here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I look forward to the new year. I plan on setting realistic goals for myself. The most exciting thing about this year, is that my main squeeze and I are getting married in the fall. Planning our wedding is going to be the biggest crafting challenge I have ever done. I want lots of DIY and vintage inspired everything. It is a bit overwhelming to think about all of the details, but I have lots of people who want to help me plan it all out perfectly. Wish me luck!

~hugs~

Standing Strong

2009-11-17T22:33:00.000-06:00

Sometimes, I feel like my life is living me the same way a freighter rides the rails.

The feeling of vertigo bares it head while trying to balance a job and working from home

The creative juices flow, but have to be jarred for a later date

I have a sense of yearning to spin in circles until I am dizzy.

Focusing on bettering myself is hard when the outside world stretches you thin.

Drawing on my inner strength with patience for myself and others is no easy task.

All of these feelings remind me how important it is to take a few quiet moments of my day just for myself.

The big wheel is always turning. It will be ready for me to jump back on as soon as I've caught my breath.

Patience for Patchwork

2009-10-15T15:28:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone! I sure have been busy this fall. The frequent rain has kept me from the woods, but I can't complain because it's been a whirl wind of threads and inspiration in my world

As I told you all in my last post, I was up to my ears in scraps in the sewing studio. The life of a die hard pack rat permits me from throwing away many things, especially textiles. After a massive scrap color sorting session my vision came to me.

Patchwork is truly an age old tradition found in many cultures around the world. In the times of yesteryear, all people were frugal and resourceful out of necessity. Why would a woman get rid of a torn dress that could potentially become a quilt to warm her sleeping babes? My "Scrap Collection" is a tribute to our fore mothers and their humble creativity.

purple power!

moody blues

green dream

mellow yellow

I still have three more pieces I would like to finish before posting the collection on good ol' etsy. Until then, let me know what you think of what I've got far.

~~~~~~~big fluffy hugs!~~~~~~~~
*Brenna Banana

Come Along and Ride on a Scrap-tastic Voyage

2009-09-20T21:04:00.000-05:00

I've been feeling a little claustrophobic in my sewing room these days. I can never say no to fabric 'kick downs' or clothing people no longer wear. This has resulted in my sewing room being stuffed to the gills.

Such is the life of a pack-rat, but even more of an earth conscious crafter. There are SO many existing materials already made and ready for use.

I believe absolutely everything can be used again someday, whether it be packaging styrofoam or the thinnest scraps of fabric from my serger. I even fold up the wrapping paper from the gifts I have received.

I try to stay organized, I really do. Nevertheless, I am an atypical Taurus and the definition of unorganized. Much to my dismay, this chaos I live, breathe, and create for myself can stifle my creativity and overstimulate me more than you can believe.

Every so often I have to force myself to resituate everything back into "order".

I started with my dresser that houses my fun smaller cuts of fabrics. I folded and color sorted every last piece.
scrap spaghetti

rainbow goodnessbrowns to whites

My sense of accomplishment did not last long.

that's right folks, it's a cube of scraps

I looked around my sewing room saw that I had three fruit boxes FULL of random scraps. I knew what I had to do. I dumped every single box on my floor to force myself to deal with it. I color sorted all the woven fabrics and threw all the jersey scraps into another box. I ended up with a giant garbage bag stuffed with tiny fabric scraps too small for sewing. Of course I am not going to just throw this stuff away. This has become my pillow stuffing source.

Ta da!
Fast forward to a couple days later,,,,,,

A couple of work buddies and I hung out and got crafty together. I packed up my back-up sewing machine and my good ole 'Rock Steady' with color sorted scraps in hand.

action shot

It was so much fun to share with them what I love. I taught them how to thread the machine and straight stitch. They patched up larger pieces to make a couple of throw pillows (stuffed with my aforementioned tiny scraps) , while my Miguel and I patched up smaller pieces. The patchwork will be used for a house warming present for a dear friend....more on that on a later day.

yay for sewing

they were totally feeling the creative rush

we did it!

success!

What have you done lately to tread lightly?

I'm still here

2009-09-06T19:16:00.000-05:00

I have been enjoying my summer to the maximum degree. You may think I am crazy, but I love summers in Alabama. They are hot and humid like you would not believe. I soak in the heat like a lizard, I was not meant to live in cold weather. I also love any reason to wear an insanely short skirt everyday. :-D

On a crafty note, I went through quite an ordeal of buying a new serger. I ran my Singer ProFinish into the ground and very quickly might I add. I fought tooth and nail replacing the ol' girl. My crafty support crew, also known as Gypsy Road, helped me realize that I deserved a more rugged machine.

As I said good bye to Bee-Bop (my old serger) a great weight was lifted from my creative spirit. You definetly get what you pay for when it comes to sergers. I dropped a pretty penny on a JUKI Pearl and let me tell you all; I am in love with a serger. Her name is Penny and she purs like a kitten. The sweetest part about the youngn' in my sewing studio is that there is a little mechanism that threads the lower looper. It's like magic.

I have been super inspired and motived. I even moved around every piece of furniture in my studio. It's amazing what a little rearranging does for your mind.

Mama dress

My newest design was inspired my friend who has recently become a mommy. She wanted a custom dress to flatter her figure. I also thought about how a mama's dress needs to be accessible to her mommy parts.....hence the Mama dress was created. A cross over bodice that features elastic beneath bust for comfort. There will many more of this style to come. I have already had several custom inquiries. yay!

hops thriving

I am officially a part of the facebook community.....(myspace --shmyspace pfft over it! )......you can join my fan page here to hear about my adventures and see fun pictures.

Also, if you have purchased something from my lil ol etsy shop I would LOVE if you would submit a pic of you rockin' my wears.....

~~big hugs and smiles~~

B

Happy and Classy

2009-07-30T16:31:00.000-05:00

the power tie

I made embellished baby jumpsuits for my boss's baby shower....here is a pic of him rockin' one them.

My cousin's baby shower is this sunday and is too far to hutsle up there for one day. I sent something up to her, but I neglected to take a picture of what I made. Everyone will have to wait and see what I made. Someday I will have a picture when her little man starts wearing his special something.

Cheap Thrills

2009-07-22T17:05:00.000-05:00

I went to an estate sale the other day. You never know what you are going to stumble upon at these things.

I wonder what the sale of my estate will consist of.....

Hopefully there won't be a bunch of unused craft supplies. I hate to leave things unfinished.....even though these are usually what I look for. Nothing makes me happier than an uncut pattern or unopened package of elastic. Nevertheless, I try to buy as few new supply items as possible.

Don't get me wrong I love all the fancy designer prints available in fabric shops, though most of the time the price deters me from purchases. Using eco friendly upcycled fabrics allows me to keep my prices low for my customers.

I try to find the style in textiles that are already made......my favorite finds include vintage (or just plain pretty) bed sheets, corduroy pants, table clothes, and anything made of knit fabric.

Back to my estate sale visit....I didn't find any craft supplies this time. I did find some awesome functional pottery.

I was pretty excited about the earthy brown tea pot. I scored a his and hers set of mugs that remind me of beehives. These mugs are huge and will be great for cold nights and chamomile tea.

The coolest score has to be the tiny "pitchers". I found out that they were made by a local potter and worth about alot more than what I paid for them. Antique Road Show here I come! Anyway, I think they may be nasal cleansing pots....or nettie pots. Mine will be used to refill my steam iron with water. Yay!

While bumming around my neighborhood I stopped at a farmer's little stand on the side of the road. I grabbed some of the prettiest yellow squash I've ever seen. I couldn't resist the peaches either. I will probably make a vegan potato salad with the tender red potatoes. The cucumber will be eaten raw. Miguel made a batch of garlic and dill pickles with our last local cucumbers.

estate sale fun $5 + home grown local produce $5 = summer time fun, priceless

Get outside and enjoy the warm season!

<3
Banana

Phamily Fun

2009-07-16T10:42:00.000-05:00

Our town has free concerts in the park on Monday nights. We decided (more like Miguel tore me away from my sewing machines tee-hee) to take the dogs and soak up some tunes........

I've got several new items that need to be photographed and such.

In other news, I just go a new adjustable dress form. Yay!

Ramble On PaRt Two

2009-06-25T20:11:00.000-05:00

So I've been busy sewing and neglecting the second post of my adventures.......but here it is as promised. Grab a cup of iced tea and bounce through my journey with me. :-*

Banana Bouncing through the forest

I think my favorite part of seeing live music is all the memories of of old friends and moments we shared over the same music that flood my mind{{{.....Does that makes sense?}}}

My friends near and far who have shared moments of time with me are forever etched in my mind. I am grateful to think of our time together and dance in their honor.

Anyways.....

Going on a three day leg of Phish was so amazingly fun. Miguel and I saw friends that we had not seen in years......not to mention gettin' down and dirty with the phamour phour.

When ever we have long distances to travel we try to break up the drive. We've found it makes for a much more enjoyable and restful trip.

On the way to Noblesville, Indiana we camped in a sweet State Forest in Southern Indiana to break up the drive up north. It was such peaceful way to begin out lil journey. We and enjoyed one of the trails and saw ToNs of wild mushrooms

trumpet-ly awesome-ness

This one reminded us of sea coral

Miggy fossil hunting

Before arriving at the Deer Creek venue we stopped at a few microbreweries within the town. Yum! We also had a chance to vend before the show on Shakedown....I really need to invest in a Canopy......it was flaming hot. Nevertheless, we took care of business and had a good pre-show time.

happy mama to be rockin the Jedi Mama dress

my lil spot

Anyways, the coolest part about hanging out was I saw a beautiful young lady who had purchased a dress I made and sold on ebay a few years ago. I did a double take when I first walked by her! We exchanged hugs and kisses. She continued to say that it was her favorite dress and she looks for my stuff on ebay. { Now that I am on etsy I forget to post something over there in ebay-land just for meare exposure purposes......**note to self :D }

The first set was really rockin with Moma Dance, Fluffhead, and Ocelot really tickling my pickle. In between the sets there was a CRAZY lightning storm. It was the gnarliest lightning I had ever seen, very ominous. It delayed the second set substantially and they actually let people go to their cars (we didn't go) for re-entry after the storm.

After much anticipation the show started up again. Drowned was a really exciting as well a Possum. 2001 was such a crowd pleaser. It felt good to soak up all that uplifting energy.

06/19/09 Verizon Wireless Music Center (formerly Deer Creek) - Noblesville, IN

1: Backwards Down the Number Line, AC/DC Bag, Limb By Limb, The Moma Dance, Water In The Sky, Split Open and Melt, Lawn Boy, The Wedge, Stealing Time From The Faulty Plan, The Connection*, Ocelot, Fluffhead

2**: A Song I Heard The Ocean Sing -> Drowned -> Twist, Let Me Lie, Tweezer -> 2001 > Suzy Greenberg > Possum

E: Sleeping Monkey > Tweezer Reprise

Somehow, like crazy people, after the show Miguel and I made how way to a suburb of Chicago. It was a challenging situation because getting out the parking lot took 2 hours. It almost broke me, for serious. I don't know what the deal was, but it seemed like every line we were in didn't move. AnYwAys, these things happen what everyone wants to leave at the same time.

Needless to say we made it safely to Chicago and set out for the sweetest lake house ever. It was right on the lake front, super spacious with beds galore, and very homey. A friend of mine said it would make a great "hippie fall out shelter" because of the seemingly unlimited amount of space..... :-D

All of our time in Wisconsin was SO cherished because we spent time with a very dear friend who we had not seet in four years......I realized that is way too freggin' long to be without each other........

Hanging out with old friends is such an amazing feeling because you pick up right where you left off.

It was SO uplifting and I promised myself never too let that much time come between us again.....

06/20/09 Alpine Valley Music Theatre - East Troy, WI
1: Punch You in the Eye, Runaway Jim, Stash, Ya Mar, Bathtub Gin, Kill Devil Falls, Train Song, Farmhouse, Sparkle, Run Like An Antelope

2: Waves > Sample In A Jar, Maze, Makisupa Policeman > Ghost -> The Lizards, You Enjoy Myself* -> NICU > Prince Caspian -> Waste > Fire

E: Character Zero
My fav's of the night incluses Ya Mar (shout outs and mad love Ashley and Too-La), Sample in a jar, Ghost (I love you Becca!), Lizards, Waste (my sweet Mig), and Prince Caspian.

we had to go for a dip in the cool WI lake to cool off, though the "hot" weather there was a far cry from the southern heat in full swing now

"Let's do dis!!!"

Miguel caught my off gaurd here making pretty eyes at him early in the morning

This pic was bitter sweet....the last night of our "tour".....but geez I love these people!

This night Miguel, our old friend Cliff, and I broke away from our crew to get nice and close to the stage.....well not that close, but closer! We had ample dancin' grass that was flat enough so that you didn't twist you ankle. haha!

The show started with the band's children coming on stage in tribute to Father's Day.....I happily sent my Papa a text messge wishin' him a happy day. It was truely touching. Wolfman's brother was really fun, but Avenu Malkenu was freakin awesome! Trey was so funny when he sang in "just called my probation officer". That's right buddy! Keep your nose clean! ;-)

The second set really did it for me.Down with Disease, Velvet Sea (more mad love to Becca!), Reggae Woman (hooolllaa!), and Slave to the Traffic light.

06/21/09 Alpine Valley Music Theatre - East Troy, WI

1: Brother*, Wolfman's Brother, Funky Bitch** > The Divided Sky, Joy, Back On The Train, Taste, Poor Heart, The Horse > Silent in the Morning, The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday > Avenu Malkenu The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday^^, Time Turns Elastic

2: Crosseyed and Painless*** > Down With Disease > Bug > Piper^ -> Wading In The Velvet Sea, Boogie On Reggae Woman, Slave To The Traffic Light

E: Grind, Frankenstein^&^
The encore got crazy! You could feel the happy sadness of the crowd wanting more.....The end of the first leg of summer tour was an amazing ride.......For Frankenstein Trey busted out a 5-neck guitar and Page's cute lil self busted out a vintage keytar he scored from a vintage instrument store in my hometown St.Louis.

here's a carppy pic from the screen, but yo uget the idea

Miguel and I capped off our trip with an evening in Carbondale, Illinois. We hit up a favorite Pizza Place (holla Quatros) and bar (Yeah Tres Homebres). We even walked around our old campus.....More memories flooded my mind.

Miguel in front of his first Dorm....awwwww

The young woman I was and who I have become. It was really humbling to get back to the woods where Mike and I first began our jourey together.

awww

deep in thought on Thompson Lake

All in all, I couldn't be any more grateful for my safe and gratifying vacation experience. My heart and soul needed the freedom of the open road, if only for a lil while. My creativty is bursting my mind as I type this........

Thanks for reading about my trips and I hope that you find yourself on a journey soon!

so much love,

Big Thanks to Phish.net for setlists.....

My Summer Musical Adventures--- PaRt OnE

2009-06-24T09:24:00.000-05:00

Hey Everyone!

I just wanted to let all my love-ies out there that I am back safe and sound at my homestead for the summer. Ha, I'm home at least for now.....I wish so badly that I could go see more shows. Darn responsibilities! How cumbersome can it get?!

Grab a cup of something tastey and enjoy reading about my travels.

My lil three day run of Phish was so amazing and beautiful. I reconnected with tons of friends and soaked of the cool northerly winds.

Let's talk about Bonnaroo first.

My volunteer experience at Bonnaroo in Manchester, TN was really great. Although checking in took what seemed like ForEvEr and we had to share a car in with our friend because we were not issued a parking pass (it was actually pretty much a nightmare, but I'm tryn' to be postive).

I refused to let those minor glitchs ruin my festival phun. Our volunteer duties consisted of getting cars checked into the grounds. It was as if we were the greeters of the festival. I loved chattin' people up and asking where they were from and what bands they were going to see. One pretty cool thing about volunteering was that we received meal tokens for each shift we works. There were TONS of vegetarian and not food vendors to choose from.

meal token

Our campsite was about a mile from Centeroo, but I didn't care. We were at a cul-de-sac of the campgrounds and had quiet neighbors. I love primitive camping, especially cookin' dinner for all my homies. I could camp all time if I had too. Though in all honesty and truth I need power because it's a necessary componant to sew, serge, iron, and communicate with all my clients.

view from campsite

rockin the Potomac -Nanner fusion

Miguel and I jam packed our schedules so that we were cutting concerts in half to see more music. We seriously danced until our legs were sore.

I was really impressed with the amenities that were becoming permanent sctructures within the festival grounds, especially the wells in Centeroo to refill your water vessels with. We also learned that all food vendors were required to use compostable cups, plate, and cutlery.

wells with faucets all the way around

recycle, compost,landfill

One thing to keep in mind about this festival is that it was scorching HOT. I was reapplying sunscreen like it was my job. They reccommended drinking a gallon of water minimum per person everyday. Though I can say that the heat let up at night so that you could get a good night's rest. I don't know about everyone else, but I need sleep especially after/before a day of groovin'.

Overall, I was stoked to rock out for TwO different nights of Phish while engulfed by even more music.

David Byrne was another amzing experience I had to keep pinching myself through. He is such a genious!! If you ever get the chance to see him live DO IT! Everything from the clothing to lights to dance moves is meticuously planned. It's really a great time.

encore de ballet tutus

I enjoyed Friday Phish alot. A few songs that I particularly enjoyed include The Divided Sky, Stash, Golgi Apparatus, Wading in the Velvet Sea, and let's not forget You Enjoy Myself into Wilson and back to YEM. It was creamy all around.

The weather {At NiGhT} was nice and cool and OpTiMum for gettin' down.

here I am rockin' my rookie hoop skillz.....those mamas behind me were AWESOME!

Saturday was bluegrass-o-rific for us. This is when the most concert boucing occured; all that music is overwhelming and amazing at the same time. Del McCoury was super enjoyable, especially their sweet guest appearances by the ever famous David Grisman and Jon Fishman.

David Grisman, Del McCoury Band, and Jon Fishman

I enjoyed Erika Badu's preformance, but more importantly the late night Nine Inch Nails was so pulsating and invigorating. I had never seen them live before and I realized what I was missing. Hopefully there will be some more U.S. shows in the near furture.

the happy couple kickin' it at the pagoda

Sunday was fun, too. I mean how can there ever be a bad day of a music festival?! It was not nearly as crowded because it was the last day of the events. We relaxed at the Sonic Stage, which entail 45 minute one set concerts. An artist I was excited to discover was Ben Solle, he has a really unique cello style that makes me wanna stitch something up. :P

my friend ashton and i rockin agreenbanana goodness

sunset while hustling back for dinner before phish

Sunday night's Phish show was phun. Bathtub Gin was especially dancy for me. Silent in the Morning rocked my soul while 'Antelope' bounced through my spirit.

It got kinda weird for us though when Burce Springsteen came out for a few songs.....I know that he's Trey's hero, but Bruce doesn't really do it for me. We didn't even go see him (Bruce/a.k.a. The Boss) while were were at the festival. We actually spent a few hours picking up/out recycleables from campsites. They had this grear trading post where you could redeem points collected per bag of recycling. The crowd really enjoyed it, but I took a snack break. :p

Phish finished up with a fun Suzy Greenburg (sometimes I feel way to much like that lil mama) and Tweezer Reprise.

classic and necessary shot

I wasn't too sad that the festival was over because I knew I had alot more miles to travel, friends to see, and Phish concerts to rock to.

I have some good friends volunteering at Rothbury next week who volunteered with us. I am super interested to see how things compare.

All in all I can say that will DEFINETLY volunteer again for any festival.

hugs!

"When I think about you, I sew for myself"

2009-06-05T13:26:00.000-05:00

Haha I couldn't resist!

When I think about a festival(in this case Bonnaroo), I think about the chance to show off my skillz and network with other crafty mamas........ I try to gather all my favorite creations and make a few new ones to RePrEsEnT!!!!

I created and altered a few outfits for lil ol' me......

The first is a collaboration between my girl Justine and I......She custom made me a batik patch with "Lettuce Head" (yay for vegetarians!) on some her her KILLER green hand dyed fabric

I believe it's hemp, feel free to comment the correct fibers J-Bean.................

I've been on a mini skirt kick lately because the blazing Alabama heat is settling in around here. I paired the aformentioned fabric with some polyester stretchy dark green fabric.....stretchy fabrics are a must in mini skirts for maximum dancibility. :) The pocket consists of the batik patch. I can wear it to the front or back depending on what I feel like......

The next creation is a remix of an old creation. I took apart one of the first apron tops I made YeArs ago and made it SO much better......I had a pretty purple top that would never look right on me, so I salvaged the fabric........ The bodice design was inspired by Elyse of Elyse orginals and my fellow Gypsy Road member Cory........It features pleats under and across the bust for lots of support and style.

The "skirt" of the shirt was actually the entire previous shirt.....I just flipped it and did some tiny pleats under the bust. I also added a velcro pocket with a scrap of some adorable Holly Hobbie fabric.

Lastly, I resized and lowered the waist of some shorts that were a kick down from an old friend. I wore them around the house and the flowly rayon fabric was really comfortable, but they looked like Mom Jeans. Ha!

I added a fresh elastic waist, a hip pocket on either side and cuffs at the hem......The best part about these pants are the 9 stars I appliqued to the back leg. There was a stain and I decieded to get funky with covering it up. It turned out so cute, right?

I want to make a few more things, but we will have to see if time allows.

Much love to you all,

Banana

sun is shining weather is sweet

2009-05-30T12:30:00.000-05:00

bonnaroo is just around the corner........i can't wait to move my dancing feet

meanwhile, i finally updated my shop with a few summer-licious items

you guys like the mini skirts? i think i'm really gonna run with this idea.......they are fun to make and affordable enough for everyone to enjoy.

love and hugs

sewing

2009-05-27T23:28:00.000-05:00

sewing is the only thing keeping me from going crazy.......seriously.........i have been dealing with some not so fun stuff around here. being a grown up is often over rated. i feel like i took my responsability-free days for granted. i can't rewind time but a girl can dream, right?

with all of that being said i have been busy in the sewing room.......hopefully i'll have pictures and have posted new items in the next few days.

you can look for......

quite a few mini skirts

a smocked dress with a matching obi belt

Last Chance Last Dance

2009-05-02T21:16:00.000-05:00

Lucia and Pablo love smelling the sweet spring rain.

As many of you out there, I am a truely last minute kind of woman.....meaning....I will work and work until the last minute. I will procrastinate anything of remote importance to the last minute.....SO of couse I am going to craft to the last minute before my week long visit to Newport Beach, California.

I initially planned on making some mens cargo patchy shorts for the ol' etsy shop, but you know me....ever distractable and always multitasking......I almost finished them, but I decieded to stop and pack for my trip.

In between working on these pants I became insprired to update a hoodie I no longer wore.

I went to this phine university for two years before moving to Alabama.....This is where I met the love of my life....actually we met at a music festival four hours from the university....the rest is history. ;)

One of my dogs kindly chewed a hole near the wrist cuff, which was remedied by shortening both sleeves....no hem necessary because jersey knits rock!!

I added a nice chunky applique to the fron to cover the boring silk screen....I never played any sports at SIUC anways..... I used a jersey tank top for the floral print and scraps from previous applique projects (I don't throw anything aways, just ask Miguel....)

I like the way it turned out, very organic ya know? It was also a good way for my to further hone my applique skills.....I'm still pretty green in this area.

As requested by a few stitchn' bitches here is a pic of the swim suit I made for my trip. I did some elastic stitchin on the bodice for support and shape. I can wear it with the rouching in the front or back.

.....I'm too shy for a full out modeling session of this.....I'll take a pic on the beach once I have a lil liquid courage. tee hee ;P

Hugs and Love,

Banana

Spring Fever

2009-04-29T15:34:00.000-05:00

The warm weather makes my mind wander and shuffle around like the pollen in the air.

I am all too tempted to spend the little time I have before work hula hooping in the sun.......

I'm workin on a new swim suit for my ladies vaction next week.....

My mom, sister, aunt, and I are all flying out to Newport Beach, California for a lil fun and sun....... I'm such a crappy fly-er, but I am fully equipped with Dramamine and reading materials.

bigs hugs
Banana

Raging the Recon's

2009-04-23T13:09:00.000-05:00

Greetings all! I hope you are all enjoying spring as much as I am....April is such a great month. This is especially true because ends with my birthday on the 30th....

This past week I have been rampling through all of my cool printed clothes for reconstruction.....I think its funny how I can hold onto something for YeArS before I get the nerve to cut into it.....I have this fear of no turning back with my super sweet fabrics.

Nevertheless, I tell myself that I can always rip the seams out and start over......Oh man I think back to my Sewing class back in highschool....We had this special dressing room that my class converted and renamed the "seam ripping room". We had a nice lounge chair and everything for super CaReFuLL thread ripping......I am quite good a this now.....there is never a wasted shirt pocket on my watch ;)

I have quite a few items that are ready for pictures and posting, alas my work week has finally begun. I will be slingin' drinks and heady organic food for the next three nights.....

Meanwhile.....I would like everyone's input on one of my latests creations......

Behold..........

This hot lil number is made from upcycled super heady Star Wards bed sheets and an upcycled navy cotton T shirt.

I was thinkin about adding some sort of applique to the back of the top just below the neckline, but I haven't decided......

What do you think?

hugs!

Banana

I'm Engaged!

2009-04-13T12:58:00.001-05:00

Miguel proposed this past Saturday!

The ring is white gold with aqua marine and diamond.

He bought it from an artist on etsy, huzzah for handmade!.

I am officially engaged to be married. It hasn't really sunk in or changed anything at this point....we bought a house together last year. Even so, it's pretty exciting! We have absoltely no plans or a date yet.....that's going to be a huge planning task....we are just enjoying being engaged.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In other crafty news I went to a baby shower this weekend for a friend and of course I had to make something.....it's so much more sincere that some piece of crap from Taiwan...

Here's the gift all wrapped up from my stash of wrapping supplies that I reuse.....

I made three reversbile bibs with organic cotton quilt batting between the layers and there are rounded velco closures.

and.....flip!

all tagged up

**If anyone is interested in a tute or pattern, drop a line and I try to put something together**

They were a big hit, people were baffaled at the fact that I made them (well all except my friend the mama to-be).....its weird how some people still haven't (re-)embraced the handmade way......

I freakin thrive on the handmade movement and love sharing the resource etsy with everyone I meet.

hugs!

Banana

Bounce Back

2009-04-10T22:09:00.000-05:00

I fell into a sewing trance the last two days.

Oh how I missed the rabbit hole.

It's felt so great to listen to my machines hum.

Miguel and I had a major photoshoot..........I hope to add a boat load of items to the shop Monday April 20.......until then enjoy a little "tweezer"

I made reconstructed and repurposed two shirts and stitched up an entire dress......

Here is a sneak preview of the shirts.........

You'll have to wait on the dress......a hint is that it features a certain 'Sea Princess' I hold near and dear to my heart ......

love,

Banana

Melancholy Mama

2009-04-08T20:45:00.000-05:00

Hey Everyone. Here is a picture of my booth from over the weekend. The party flags were a big hit....and they totally brightened the space up (thanks for tip gypsy road mama's)

It was really fun having a legit spot to sling my wares. Overall it was a learning experience and a chance to network. I made more coin than I expected and I got rid of all of my business cards. I even met some cool local artisans.

The only downfall is that my digital camera is missing! I was pretty bummed, especially when I narrowed down the last place I saw it was when I went into work Saturday afternoon...... I don't know if it grew legs and walked out of my giant tote bag or what...... :( ARG!I don't want to accuse people because that's just not worth it, especially without proof. Besides, I am a firm believer in the Karmic cycle.

SO I'm going to cut my losses and apply the purchase of a new camera to my 2009 taxes.

I recently traded some clothing repairs for a giant bag of fun printed men's button down shirts and vintage linens(thanks Andrew!)...............I've got quite a few reconstructing styles I can't wait to try.

I will have more goodies in the etsy shop as soon as I can take some pictures.

<3

Banana

Wait and the Wind will Come

2009-03-31T11:31:00.000-05:00

That's what Miguel and I say about windsocks. Patience is a hard thing to come by around here though.

Check the wrap pants I made for myself to wear to the art show......

I usually use a knit stretchy material for the main fabric, but this time I used a polyester type linen woven fabric.

They turned out quite classy if I do say so myself......

Last night I set up my booth for the art show this weekend. Geez I wish I had another clothing rack. Mig claims he will build one for me with some scrap PVC pipe we have lying around, but I will believe it when I see it. :) Hopefully one of us can scrounge one from work to borrow........

I realized I have alot more inventory than I previously thought. I was goin through everything for a final quality inspection... feeling a little down and unsure.... I don't know why. I will feel SO much better when this is all over.....

I also started figuring out my prices for this event. Its gonna be at the local art musem and they want a 25% donation per item sold. WOW right?! So I am readjusting all of my prices so that my time gets rewarded too.

I did some handsewing on a dear friend's jacket that needed mending. I don't know what it is about handsewing, but it's very relaxing. Its probably the quiet relfection that I needed.

Here is my donation piece for the show.......An upcycled fancy apron..... (*note my TV pal Bob Ross hee hee)

I used a super cute vintage pillow case, vintage buttery polyester knit, and a sage green scrap from my stash.......

It was a quick and gratifying project. I think I may have to whip up a few of these for the shop.....next week.

much love,

Banana

Look Ma! Nanner's got a new Banner

2009-03-29T14:30:00.000-05:00

Here is the new banner I made for my shop. I like to keep it simple, you guys likey?

I'm makin myself some wrap pants for the art show this weekend. I've got to represent my style!

Thursday night, April 2, I will be putting my etsy shop in vacation mode. All of my inventory {and then some} will be heading to the Art in Bloom in Huntsville, Alabama. So, if you have had your eye on something you'ld better grab it up. I hope to have a very successful vending expereince.

Here I am at the Loki Festival in North Carolina gettin' my sip on.

Hugs!

Banana

Weight of the World

2009-03-28T01:38:00.000-05:00

Get ready for a super long rant here. I feel the weight of the world on my shoulders tonight. I must vent...........

I just got off a super long night shift bartending (801 Franklin the best place for all natural and organic fine dining in Huntsville, AL). Needless to say, it was a long night and I definately earned my money tonight.

Miguel and our two dogs were waiting for me after my shift. We had a lovely spring night drive home together. Little to our dismay, our neighbors horendous four yappy "dogs" were on their screened in porch barking like there was no tomorrow. At 1 AM, I mean come on!

And let me tell you all, this is an all the time thing. I have to plan my hula hooping schedules for when I know they are going to be at work and their dogs are going to be inside. Also when there is a chance that our two dogs and their four dogs are out at the same time I bring mine in because all of the dogs just bark like hell at each other.

It is mind numbing.

I avoid interaction at all costs with these people. They obviously have no respecet for us or noise boundries (if that even makes sense). We even moved a log pile to separate our property and help absorb the sound.

When I came home all late night styley from work I generally expect a quiet entrance. When I realized what time it was and those dogs were out doin what they do, I almost lost it. Fear not I kept my composure I really did.

What I did do entailed a sassy walk to their front door and proceded to ring the doorbell. Then I knocked. I heard a stirring inside, I thought the door might open. BUT OH NO, he brought in the dogs at this point.

Then he came to the door.

"Hi, sorry to bother you, Do you think you could bring your dogs inside because they were barking and its really late? < : D CHHEEEEEEESE>

Guess what he said?!

"Oh they are in" (ARe you kidding me?!)

"Ok great thanks sorry to bother you. Have a good night!!"

"OK see ya"

It was so empowering to do it the right way.

Why did he have to lie?

Why couldn't he just apoligize and be honest?

People really test my ability to be a Peace Pilgrim.

love love

Meet Rowena

2009-03-26T00:11:00.000-05:00

Our new neighbor......... Rowena.......uh .....that's what I think her name would be if she told me.

.....these shots are about 50 feet up.........

The little hole is the door to her apartment.

I wish you all could watch her graceful moves and hear her beautious song.

---All photo credits to my main squeeze Miguel---

My art show is next weekend.

I need to put my nose to the grindstone and bust some moves.

I'm so intimated and I don't know why.

I am a successful artist damnit.

People appreciate my passion and style.

I feel fufilled and set afire by every single thing I make.

If only my nerves could get the message from my heart.

Banana

I can't get no satisfaction

2009-03-23T22:21:00.000-05:00

I started doin my taxes and WOW I underestimated how complicated Self Employment taxes can be when you have no idea what you are doing ...... It doesn't help that I am the least organized person I know......So I will let you know how all of that turns out. I just have to keep telling myself that it will be easier next year....

Does anyone have any tips for staying organized in terms of the business side of things.....?

I live and breathe sewing, but I could care less for the financial stuff. I would love to trade for everything, but trades don't pay the utlities or for the mortgage on our house. I suppose I should start with quarterly reports of my income, expenses, and so on. I am so green when it comes to that stuff........One my stitchn bitches (hahaha!) uses a notebook to record how much time she spent on each item. I should def do this.......I mean I have plenty of notebooks, but they are filled with sketches and doodles.

I managed to get my craft on today, in addition to family time, grocery shoppin, bank stop, and the aforementioned tax fun.

I made these super fun gaucho pants for yours truely it's been almost a year since I stitched myself something. My friend Tom gave me this fabric formerly known as curtains. :D It gave me a chance to work on my woven gaucho pattern.....These feature a drawstring waist and are extra wide leg. I see myself doin some serious hooping in these.

Bust a move.

I made these pants for the shop. I scored this super funky blue stretch fabric with viney-ness knit into the fabric. These are going to make some mama very happy. My little Lucia (loo-sha) liked these pants so much, she had to give me a pound during the photoshoot.

Last but not least, my favorite of the lot, olive green polyester stretch wrap pants with gorgeous vintage trim......This is the last of this particular fabric. Get it while you can. I have just enough for a custom applique I am going to offer in the listing once I get them in the shop.

I bought some vital wheat gluten at the health food store today. I am going to attempt my own seitan. I'm pretty stoked, I just started getting into the good ol'wheat meat. I SO over tofu right now because they do not offer recycling for the containers. I can not in good faith buy it, I mean there are only so many ways to reuse those awkward rectangle containers with no lid. You feel me? I will be sure to share my process and results.

Wish me luck and feel free to drop some wheat knowledge on me

your pal,

Banana

Feathered New Neighbors

2009-03-22T19:29:00.000-05:00

Spring is a glorious time in my yard. There are always different birds to watch. Our majestic oak tree has taken on some amazing tenants. There is a dead branch that is being occupied by a couple of red bellied wood peckers. I've yet to get a great action shot because of the height, but here is an image I found online.

Miguel and I have been watching the show while sipping green tea on the back patio. It seems as though the female (the smaller of the two) is preparing and hollowing out their branch/apartment. There is a perfect hole that looks like it was formed by the branch that used to be there. Every so often she will take a break from "hammering" and dump out the wood shavings. It is such a treat to see.

In terms of crafty-ness fear not y'all i have been a busy Banana.

...........Custom orders really get me motivated and make me feel so appreciated......

I finished up a pair of custom men's dance pance in a really fun textured fabric with deady bolt pocket applique work.

represent!!

....................................

I stitched up a women's custom skirt. My darling violetdream envisioned this style and I brought it to life. It was inspired by one of my personal skirts I used for modeling some of my phunky leg warmers......I love my serger's gathering stitch and all, but a handgathered and top stitched ruffle totally rocks! Wouldn't you agree?

I finished up a Diagonal Delight patchy set for my friend Ashton. It turned out so nicely. Alas, I didn't have time for a proper modeling session before I delivered it to her. Somehow, I managed to snap some pictures on my dressform in my backyard.

lil velcro stash pocket for keys and moo-lah.....

I've got some pants in the works; gauchos and wrap pants. I'm also tryin to develop a light weight shrug type thing for wearing with all of those lace tops and dressed we have. I don't know about you all, but my back gets cold sometimes.

Hugs!

~Banana

Bring on the Rain Bring on the Phunk

2009-03-14T15:18:00.000-05:00

I live in the Tennessee Valley Area. We are surrounded by the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. When it rains here the rainclouds get real comfy like and stay here for days. Some people don't care for the rain, but I love it! I love any excuse to stay home and sew. The rain makes my two doggies extra tired, so they leave me to my creating.

I made some eco friendly powdered laundry soap and I thought I would share it with all of you. I have saved lots of moolah doing this as well. I found this original recipe on craftster.org, but with further research this recipe is tried and true and has been used for years! The best part is that I bought all of these ingridents at my local grocery store. All you need is food processor or one of those old fashioned biscuit dough tools. ..............You will need

1 cup Borax: 20 mule team
1 cup Washing Soda (not baking soda!)
one mild bar of soap (in this batch I used Fels Naptha, but Ivory Soap works well as does a nice castille soap such as Dr.Bronners) chopped up

Blend all of this up until it is pretty "smooth" it should look like this.

To use in washing machine use 1-2 tablespoons dependin on how much of a Garbage Pail Kid you Are.......A lil bit of this works great for great for your unmentionables you handwash in the sink. ;)

In other crafty news I made an awesome vegtarian sanndwich stuffin! Most people have has tuna or chicken salad at some point in their life....even myself. Personaly its been a LONG time since I ate either......

Instead I used garbonza beans/chick peas.....I high reccommend starting with dry beans, they are so much tastier and not to mention easier on your grocery bill. All you have to do is soak them over night, change the water, bring to boil, and then put the lid on lower the heat to medium low and wait about......35 minutes.....

Then simply drain your beans and mash them until your preferred consistency. Add to taste any of the traditional "salad" fixins. I used mayonnaise (the real or vegan stuff will work fine here), dijon mustard, celery, kosher pickle, toasted nuts (i used walnuts), lemon juice or dash of white wine vinager, and salt/pepper. Voila!

Serve on starch of your choice and garnish as you please......
My etsy shop is hutsling and bustling.....I've got several custom orders in the works. Miguel made an awesome tourmaline hat pin....Check it out!
My loving Mate Miguel grows more and more as an artist everyday. It's a beautful thing to watch.......
In the next few days I will be adding the following to my shop.....

one yellow pixie skirt
one butterfly theme pixie skirt
one teenage mutant ninja tutle skirt
one jungle theme skirt
one deady pair of wrap pants
one swingtown blouse

hugs!
Banana

Boogie on Distractable Reggae Woman

2009-03-09T14:25:00.000-05:00

I have been fabric huntin' at my favorite thrift shops....and I know I said I was going to invest in sustainable fibers, but I freakin love using vintage bed linens. You can't find funky prints like that at the store, and the fact that the materials are being re-purposed is a sa-weet bonus.

With all of the being said I can't seem to narrow my focus. I feel like i have to many ideas floating around that I can't seem to grasp a single one. I pull fabrics and coordinate colors and end with a bunch of different piles of fabric......I feel SO cat like when I do this. It's as if my next move should be to roll around and nap upon my fabric bounty. Meow!

Somehow I did manage to stitch up on skirt for my etsy shop. It is made of completely upcycled and vintage materials.....well all except the new high quality threads. This will be listed in the shop as soon as I get better pictures..... ;)

Last night I made some serious progress on a custom order for a friend here in Huntsville who is moving away soon. I am terrible with deadlines, so for once I am trying to get ahead......
It is inspired from a past piece I sold on etsy.....I call this design of skirt and apron "Diagonal Delight"
Here is what I have finished so far for Ashton......This "Diagonal Delight" will be in a lemon- lime flavor.
That's all for now friends, check my shop later this week for the Jungle Theme Skirt.............I see many more skirts in my future. ;)

Ride me High

2009-03-03T15:13:00.000-06:00

This week has started on such a high note! I listed a few items last night and I sold an item within hours of listing it. Take that ebay!!! You and your always increasing selling fees! You can't keep this artist down, high ya! I really love the wrap pants I have been cranking out. They are so comfy and effortlessly sexy, especially when your leg plays pee-ka-boo. They appear to be my current best seller.

I have been battling a nasty winter cold and have been rather unmotivated to get in my craft room the past few days. Alas, I could not stop my hands from creating something. I kept a knit, knit, knit, knitting, and finally patiently I finished my aforementioned new head adornment. I am pretty stoked about it over all. I only dropped one stitch one time and I went back to pick it up later because I knew I could hide it on the inside. It's simply a narrow tube with size 8 needles with no dye acrylic cheap-o yarn. Ha, actually it's a rectangle I garter stitched together...let's "knot" forget my rookie skillz. It is really comfy and supportive while holding my massive amount of hair. ;)

My etsy team's ( Gypsy Road) February Challenge was to "Pimp it up". I stepped up some higher quality photography. I took better pictures of a few items that had already been in my shop....including this lil number I almost didn't relist after modeling her again ......

Nevertheless, is awesome dress and obi belt sold within a few days of relisting with the better pictures. (I'll be shipping asap darlin'!). Thanks Julie for inspiring me to improve and become more professional. You are the best etsy team cap'in ever. :* I love a good challenge, don't you all?

On another high note, my serger Bee-bop is all fixed up and will be coming home with Miguel tonight! I'm going to tidy up my studio up for her arrival. I have a few ideas for some skirts that I will bounce out in the next few days.

Hugs everyone!
Banana

Bouncing Without my Serger

2009-03-01T20:11:00.000-06:00

I had to take Bee-Bop, my serger, to the repair shop last week. it felt so lonely without her....I have learned the importance of frequently changing the needles. I think that is what caused her to get out of alignment.....It felt good to figure out what went wrong though.

I thought I was going crazy, she would start to stitch alright and then she would just snag the inside needle thread in the stitch.......I hate when that happens! You ladies feel me?

Whenever things go wrong with Bee-Bop i like to second guess the fact that I did not pick her out. She was a gift from Miguel's parents for Christmas a few years ago....I dreamt about the day I was going to be able to go serger shopping. It's a weird feeling, but c'est la vie. Maybe someday, if necessary, I will upgrade to a 5-thread machine. For now, I will live in the moment and embrace Bee-Bop and all of her sensitivies. I am still very green to serger use......I will "be here now" and craft without her.....

Last week I mentioned a polyester palooza in my studio..... I have four new items that will be listed in my etsy shop soon. Meanwhile, enjoy some visual stimulation..... ;)

black stretch wrap pants

these have lots of movement in them so you can hoop, dance, and do your yoga poses as you please

neon flash dance stretch gaucho pants with pockets
i'm getting back to my ballet roots for my modeling sessions...it's all about the lines

this "perogative" top/skirt is a new design for me.
there is a lot of movement in it, while still being a sexy tube top or skirt

It's my prerogative
It's the way that I wanna live

I am still toiling away at the market bags I mentioned last week. All I have to do is a a fix the straps to each of the bags, then they are ready for Miguel's painting skillz. The only other sewing I feel like doing without my serger Bee-Bop is a few fabric tapestries......more on these in my next post

In other new, I have picked up my knitting needles this past week. It really soothes me, more than anything. I recently taught myself with a ThreadBanger video tutorial. I had made several attempts to learn years ago, but this time it finally came together for me.

I am working on a headband/dreadlock tube thing-y. Its my second knitting project ever. I will hopefully be finished with it in a few days. I still don't understand how I do it, but somehow the stitches flow from my fingers. I am still pretty slow at knitting, but it is improving my patience. Crocheting is the final frontier.....

A Bien Tot Mes Amis!
~Banana

classy baby tie

2009-02-22T20:41:00.001-06:00

i went to a baby shower for my boss and his wife today. being the crafty mama that i am (a procrastinating one at that!), i decided last night what to give.
i ran to the store and loaded up on a few essentials for any new baby ; bottle, rattle, washcloths, bib (i need to develop a pattern for one of these already... :-/ ), and two 3 packs of baby jumpsuits/ ones-ies. whatever they are calling them these days....

i knew mom and dad to be were having a boy.so i wanted a little something that would be a joke on a fancy outfit....i can't take full credit for the idea....i saw something like it on one of my never ending internet surfing endevours......{you feel me or what? ;) }

so i took the plain white jumpsuits and added a little tie applique to each. i used my fancy new polyester thread that my friend justine of potomac river goods recommended..... :) they turned out SO cute and were a real crowd pleaser.......i may have to create more in the future.

that's all for now y'all. i am maxing and relaxing preparing for a very busy day of sewing tomorrow.
warm hugs
banana

a warm week whilst in winter

2009-02-19T11:09:00.000-06:00

it has been a beautiful warm sunny week, despite the tornado warnings about 35 miles away. we went for a walk and felt the warm sun and winds collide. the energy was high. the clouds puffed up and and hurried along their way. thankfully, the turbulent weather never amounted to anything and it was a great show to see.

............here is a funny totally unrelated pic from the Loki Festival last October outside of Asheville, NC. It was a few weeks before Halloween, so some people dressed up. My leg warmers and skirt are by yours truly And the patchy apron top is by my buddy Becca. She used her mom's fly sewing machine to stitch on Widespread Panic on the front ~ so cute!. ..................... i have been busy developing patterns for some warm weather clothing. i don't know what all of you crafty mamas use for pattern paper, but in the past i have use newspaper. i really enjoyed using the line of symmetry between the large pages and the fact that i was reusing an other product. then one day i thought back to my childhood artistic days. my mom used to buy big rolls of butcher paper and we (four siblings total) would roll it out and go to town with markers and crayons. i found an unbleached version of this, a roll of unprinted newspaper. its a good weight paper, not so tissue like, and i can use whatever type of writing utensil successfully. sometimes i use pencils, crayons, markers, and pens one the paper.

when i mark on fabric i often use a sharpened piece of ivory soap. if i have a tiny area i will use the old fashioned tracing paper and a little wheel, but i hate use them for some reason...i like to have my heavy weight more durable mineral specimens, rocks, or crystals out when i am cutting fabric as well. they not only help me feel grounded, but they also help me weight fabric for optimum pinning accuracy. :) i use stainless steel shears and a rotary cutting wheel and mat for all of my cutting.
in terms of pattern storage my methods are all over the map.sometimes i roll of the pattern pieces all together and use a fabric scrap to tie it up. i know it sounds silly, but i like the tribal scroll feel of it. i also have quite a few patterns paper clipped together that are snuggling in the top of a bankers box. i have not pictured this because its a mess, believe me. i don't know why i set my self up for a scramble, my brain has a love-hate relationship with organization.

heather of magnolia skies has inspired me to get more organized. i picked up some zippered plastic bags for my vintage patterns to prevent any more damage or wear to the outer envelopes. i also plan on making little tags for the scrolls to be identifiable when they are all stacked up.

this week i dove into the stretchy polyester fabrics. i think so long as a garment has enough drape, polyester can be totally functional and comfortable. i can't resist them as a fabric; the stretch, the drape, the slinkly feel of the fabric...... here is a sneak peak of an item coming to an etsy shop near you ...........

in preparation for my art show in april, miguel and i are designing upcycled/recycled market bags. we initially collaborated on holiday gifts for the family. i rescued a large canvas umbrella shade from a broken umbrella. with a cut here and a stitch there and a paint paint paint unveils a sturdy unique canvas shopping bag and with a square bottom. miguel hand painted each one on one side with fabric grade paints in browns and greens. he even made the gift tags for them with some of my vintage ribbons....and here they are......

..........................................

The bags were a big hit and really fun to make. we cut out the main pieces for a bunch of market bags, but this time in different colors from my stash. Miguel developed the pattern for a wine bottle bag. These will probably have only one strap across the top. i can't wait to see how these turn out, i have a feeling they are going to be a big hit.

i have a few other crafty plans outside of the polyester relm this week. in fact, i plan on cutting into yet another coveted vintage piece of fabric. {what a rush, right?} here is a sneak preview of the fabric. please try not to drool on your keyboards.... ;)

tomorrow night i will shakin and bee boppin to keller williams in good ol' huntsville. its not often that we get good live music locally, so i've gotta enjoy it.
much love everyone!
~Banana

spread thin, but still productive

2009-02-15T19:14:00.000-06:00

I am so happy that Valentine's Day has come and past. My job was insanely crazy busy providing four courses of deliciousness to couples celebrating the holiday. I think that love should be constant and not shown through a designated day. I would feel like such a communist if I went out to Dinner with my man on Valentines Day.....Oh well its, over! Huzzah! :D

On to the craftiness.....
Somehow while working 40 hours last week, I managed to get a few things finished......
Here we have a jumper made from some amazing vintage taupe and tourmaline dark green wool. I washed (cold) and dried both wools to prevent any shrinking in the future. Dry cleaning sucks! It is so bad for the environment, besides people have been wearing wool fabrics LONG before dry cleaning was available. I appliqued a diamond on either mitered corner pocket.
"Queen of Diamonds Jumper"
I also made my first pair of gauchos from some stellar black printed vintage polyester jersey. I made them to go with an apron top I made last summer. The apron top features sweet eyelet white cotton fabric, and the aforementioned vintage jersey fabric. I originally made it to go with this wrap skirt with a detachable pocket, but I sold it separately on etsy a couple of weeks ago (thanks again Suzanne!).
Any who, back to the gauchoes....I made them with a nice wide waistband that can be worn up or folded down. This style waistband is SO hot right now. I look forward to trying it out more. I added some three inch eyelet trim to the hem.
I also finished up this great reconstructed shirt from a man's ginormous button down shirt. It is a peasant style blouse with elastic at the neckline and sleeves, which are raglan style. I also added a drawstring to gather just under the bust for a slimming fit. I even reused the breast pocket.

In honor of my etsy team Gypsy Road's challenge of the month, I am not only blogging my processes, I am also stepping up my photography. I acquired some floresant lights that show the fabrics true to color. I have also been brushing up on photography basics. Most imporantly I am taking new pictures of some of the stock in my shop that don't give the garment justice at all {I have more of these right now then i like :( } . And as much as I loved taking pictures outside, the lighting is not always conduscive to a great photoshoot.
Here are two items I took entirely new pictures for their listings.
tank top dress with faux suede vintage pink jersey & calico

This week I plan on making more fabric tapestries for the art fair. I have a bunch of a ideas for appliques, BUT I can't start that until I load up on a bunch of different colored threads. I hate paying retail price for thread, but I don't have the patience to search online for the best deal.......

much love everyone,
Banana

its friday i'm in love

2009-02-06T10:30:00.000-06:00

Yes, I am in love with the idea of having a job to go to this evening. As I learn about all of the layoffs across the U.S. and even within my town of Huntsville, Alabama I am forever grateful. I can't imagine how I would get by without having a stable (somewhat) income. I work at this awesome restaurant and bar. 801 Franklin is the best job I have ever had. The staff is super small and kynd.
The best part about this place is that is is independently owned by this local hipster. The food we serve is for the most part free range, organic, and or local. Let me tell you, there aren't many people doing this in Alabama. I have learned SO much about wine and bar service since I have worked there. I can shake up a mean Manhattan ..... that is is you are a bourbon fan like me.... :)

With all this being said, I don't want to go into work tonight. I feel like just when I get my creative mumbo jumbo in the groove I have to go into work. Don't get me wrong I LOVE my job and I love taking care of people. It just seems like my creativity doesn't cooperate with the timimg. I would love to sew and create full time, but right now it just isn't in the cards. I look at where my "business" was years ago and my skills and clientel have bloomed tremendously! I know financially I don't have the business to support all of my needs...........maybe someday. I suppose most artists are masters of doing a million things at once. "Do you feeeeeeel like I do?"

Ok then! Enough rambling; on to the crafting......

This is what I have been workin on
In honor of my etsy team's challenge {GypsyRoad} "Taking care of number one" challenge I finished up a BUNCH of random things that needed some love in my studio.

1. I finally finished up the care package I was workin on for my Best-y and her little family. She and I went to high school together in St.Louis, MO. Now she and hers live in Gunnison, Colorado.

.....for baby bear.....a precious velour octopus made from vintage materials...it even has his initial on one of the feet like in Toy Story
2. for papa bear.....a handmade hankerchief with a little free motion embroidery.....I'm still figuring this process out, but it still sweet!

3. for mama bear.... a wrap skirt that i made from a dress she made years ago....does that make sense? lol

4. I fixed up a hole in some sweat pants and a sweater for Miguel......and of course a boring circle patch is too ordinary for us........by the way .....I LOVE patching up holes with jersey/knit fabric. It is So much easier.....I used the star patch method on several other things for him
5. after enough life with eternally cold hands...I took a bit of inspiration from the etsy world and made some lil hand warmers. They were made with fleece scraps from a custom scarf order and were super quick.
{doesn't Miss Lucia look beautiful in the morning sun?}
...............................................

Moving right along here people.....:D
As I mentioned before I am gearing up for an Art/craft show....
So i have been going through my vintage fabrics that I have been able to cut into because the awe inspiring prints.....and I made some eco friendly tapesteries (top 4 items). I made something like this years ago for a literacy project. There are three laters of fabric and all of the seams are tucked inside. I either machine or handquilted a bit on each to keep the layers together.....{MAD props to all of you hand quilters out there). There are loops at the top for a stick or dowl rod to slip through and a tiny space to put in a straighted wire coat hanger. This keeps the tapestry straight and pretty. Then you can hand it horizontally by the stick or you add ribbon and hang it. I will post an action shot soon, as well as many more tapestries.......

The bottom row entails some zippered pouches I made from my scrap bins. They are fully lined and one of a kind.

Much love,
Banana

warm wonder lusting

2009-02-02T18:46:00.000-06:00

so i am sure that many of you out there are yearning for warmer weather. my studio gets SO cold even compared to the rest of the house. i hate blasting my space heater, but a woman can't get any work done with a big sweatshirt on....
Anyways, i've been thinking about this summer and how amazing its going to be. It's going to be my second summer of the rest of my life. :D I graduated with my BS last spring (2008). Back to my point.....
I'm sure many of you are huge fans of live music, like me. You probably all know about the phabulous four getting back together; Phish. There were thousands of people who entered in the lottery to purchase tickets before they went on sale to the public. Somehow, I was lucky enough to receive tickets to Deer Creek and both Nights of Alpine Valley. I also recently found out Miguel and I have tickets to the added Knoxville show as well. It's quite exciting and I can't wait to see many of my friends who I have not seen in a long time along the way and at the shows....It's all of these warm thoughts i keep repeating to myself to keep myself productive, despite the cold winter weather......I may live in Alabama, but it does get cold! Perhaps I am a littel spoiled by the sweet southern winds.......
In my meet and greet post I forgot to introduce my friends
Beebop.....and.....Rock Steady (I was a total TMNT kid)
Mississippian Fossils Miquel mined locally
These are first of the stock I have created for my artist show in April; decorative flags. My etsy team over at Gypsy Road suggested these...... What do you all think? All but one of these were created from fabrics in my massive fabric stash-a-roo. I straight stitched around each of the flags to keep the fraying from getting out of control.

Here is my newest creation. I have had the dress finished for a while, but I had been waiting on my fusible bond. Its a simple little Deady bolt, but I think it makes the whole dress

much love, Banana
AgreenBanana

aint life grand

2009-01-28T00:21:00.000-06:00

it was a beautiful day. the sun was shining and the air was warm, both out of the ordinarily so. we played in the yard and soaked up the much needed vitamin D.
positivity is contagious.
enjoy a lil treat musical treat courtesy of good olde widespread panic......

much love
Banana

Let the Sun Shine

2009-01-26T23:40:00.000-06:00

I have a vending gig in April I need to start gearing up for.....I'm very excited. It will be with 19 other local all female artists in the area. It's going to be kinda nice creating things knowing I won't have to list on the internet. Don't get me wrong I do love modeling and picture editing, but sometimes it seems to take more time that it should.

This time its going to be quite different, making things without an immediate chance for sale. I feel like I am about to turn myself into a one woman sweat shop. I feel like it might suppress my creative flow, but there are ways to combat this. I like to pull out my favorite sing along music and blast it. I thoroughly enjoyed some live Bruce Hornsby today. I forgot how good it feels to sing out load; especially when no one is around.

It was pretty nice out today. Mike and I brushed the dogs in the sunshine. They needed it too, their thick coats are extra fluffy with us being right smack in the middle of winter. Here's a pic I snapped while the sun was shining. Mike and I picked this giant druzy(lots-o-tiny crystals) quartz on our last mining trip in South Carolina. The orange-y-ness is from the iron in the soils. There are chemicals we could use to remove it, but we like it natural.

I finished up the shirt to a winter outfit I had been working on.
Here is a sneak peak at the fabrics.....

charcoal gray corduroy salvaged from men's pants

amazing printed vintage twill

I am waiting for a BIG box of sewing supplies in the mail. I can't wait! I'm getting a spool rack for all of my thread amongst other things. I am most stoked about getting 10 yards of applique fusing. I have SO many ideas floating around that need to be brought to life.

hugs
Banana

meet and greet

2009-01-23T17:35:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone! Welcome my little corner of the vast unknown.

My name is Brenna, but I also go by Banana. This nickname was born out of introducing myself to new friends...."I'm Brenna; like Banana." My favorite color is green in all varieties. Hence AgreenBanana being my label of clothing and other unique wares. I am a Taurus in every sense of the word. Outside of sewing whenever I can, I love live music, the great outdoors, minerals, animals, and dancing. I recently got a custom made hula hoop from peacebird . Everyday I get a little bit better at it.......

This blog is dedicated to the creative processes and fun adventures I find while using vintage, upcycled and new fabrics. There is never a textile I can refuse, whether it be a gently used amazingly printed bed sheet, curtains, or old t-shirts. I have always thought that everything and everyone has a chance to start over. :D

My inspiration comes from alot of places. I particularly enjoy fashion from the 1960s and 1970s. I also feel like comfort and adjustable is very important for any garment. I have been sewing since way back when I was 16 years old in Sewing I at my all girl high school in St.Louis, MO. That's where I learned a lot of basic construction and pattern alerations. I have since then been self taught through trial error. I love vintage sewing patterns and love to update them with modern twists. I have been selling my wares for about 4 years consitently over the internet. I take my craft VERY seriously and expect everything I make to last a lifetime.My sewing equipment entails a Singer sewing machine & a Singer four thread serger.

In the future I look forward to creating more unique designs for all body types. I plan to hone my applique skills to bring my doodles to life. Sustainable fibers such a hemp, organic cotton, and soy will all be a part of my path. I also am excited to dable in dyeing fabric. I am a part of the BEST etsy team ever. It's a collective of the sweetest creative anf fly mama's ever. Come and visit all of us at Gypsy Road

Meanwhile....................here are a few of my favorite things

Pablo & Lucia"criss-cross!!"

azurite-malachite
blue and green perfection

"flip"

bright and funky vintage prints

come visit my etsy shop >>>> AgreenBanana <<<<