tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-340400852024-03-18T02:15:51.556-07:00Fancy Tiger CraftsThis is the blog for Fancy Tiger, a crafting boutique in Denver CO!Fancy Tiger Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14091425686736813195noreply@blogger.comBlogger880125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34040085.post-79635071494665716172014-08-11T09:48:00.000-07:002014-08-11T09:48:24.010-07:00The Fancy Blog is Moving!We have moved! Join us on the fresh, new <a href="http://www.fancytigercrafts.com/blog">Fancy Tiger Crafts blog</a> at fancytigercrafts.com<br />
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We are working on a new site there, too, where you can browse and purchase all our lovely classes and modern craft supplies. All sorts of fun things are in the works. We hope to see you there!<br />
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♥Amber, Jaime & the Fancy gang.Fancy Tiger Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929459285152388512noreply@blogger.com376tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34040085.post-65969731795180768582014-08-08T07:26:00.000-07:002014-08-08T07:26:00.033-07:00Nordic Travel Companions' Knit-Along with Sleep Season Goods--amber<br />
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Our friend Megan makes stunning yarn.<br />
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Megan is the dyer and color magician behind Sleep Season Goods, one of our favorite local yarn dyeing companies. As we planned our trip to Estonia, some of our crafty Denver friends joined in on our international adventure. Megan, Alsn, and Jess traveled the whole trip with us, sharing the journey through the mossy lava fields of Iceland, the modern coffeehouses of Helsinki and the medieval streets of Estonia. Megan surprised our group with a special, five-of-a-kind, single edition colorway to knit with on our Nordic journey.<br />
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We all chose a few different patterns to knit with our single skein. Megan knit the slouchy Sockhead Hat, a simple hat with a ribbed brim that folds up and finishes with a stockinette stitch slouch. Perfect for a travel project!<br />
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Alsn took on the challenge of a Booknits lace shawl, the Mustardseed. She's pretty amazing and whipped this delicate shawl up by the time our trip was done. Impressive!<br />
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I have been wanting to make a Norby hat for some time and thought this was the perfect yarn choice for it. It was a fun stitch pattern, and simple enough to easily pick up for a bit in between learning all the other crafts at camp.<br />
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Jaime and Jess both liked Megan's choice, and they both knit-along with her, making the Sockhead Hat. Jess shortened her ribbing section so her brim is only one layer, and both versions turned out super cute!<br />
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We all love the deep teal grey color of our special yarn, and what a magical hand knit souvenir of our trip together!<br />
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Thanks Megan! We ♥ your yarn and your stinkin' cute face!<br />
Fancy Tiger Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929459285152388512noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34040085.post-72184995722509317902014-08-07T11:43:00.001-07:002014-08-07T12:15:06.976-07:00Estonian Adventures Part 9: Ribbon Plaiting, Bone Crafting and CeramicsIn addition to knitting, we were able to take other traditional crafts at craft camp such as ribbon plaiting, bone crafting, and ceramics. We are now really well-rounded crafters.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jaime's Handmade Goods | Amber's Handmade Goods</td></tr>
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<b>Jaime's Ribbon Plaiting Class</b></div>
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In Estonia, many of the traditional clothes are decorated with beautiful, hand woven ribbons. These are made from the same wool yarn that the knitting is done with and thus incorporate many of the same colors. I was able to take a ribbon plaiting class and learn some of the techniques from talented ribbon plaiting instructors, Mari and Helve.<br />
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We started easy and then worked on harder and harder ribbons as class progressed. I started out feeling pretty confident, but soon realized the amount of detail and work that goes into these. Basically you are creating plain weave or twill weave patterns by hand - without the aid of a shuttle or needle. It is slow going and you have to make sure your many pieces of yarn aren't getting tangled.<br />
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My biggest ribbon was only about 1/2" wide and 15 pieces of yarn across, so you can imagine what goes into the large plaited belts that can be up to 3" wide! This piece took me about 3 hours and is only 10" long. I gained a ton of respect for all the trims and belts that decorate many of the textiles works in Estonia.<br />
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<b>Amber's Ceramics Class</b></div>
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In high school I dabbled in ceramics, and I couldn't wait for the opportunity to try my hand at this craft again. I was intrigued by instructor, Kaie's, style of decorating the slab pottery with plants and herbs. </div>
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By pressing our collected plants into the wet clay, and then filling the resulting impression with dark glaze, a print of the plant appears. <br />
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I enjoyed going outside and finding some of my favorite, familiar wild plants growing so far from home. Shepherd's purse, clover, and yarrow were all abundant outside the pottery classroom and so I gathered them for my plant impressions. I also used a few strange Estonian plants I'd never seen before.</div>
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After I made my large coffee mug I couldn't resist making a tiny mug , perfect for a little sip of whiskey!</div>
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<b>Amber and Jaime's Bone Crafting Class</b></div>
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Jaime and I both signed up for bone carving class. What better place to learn the craft of bone carving than Estonia? </div>
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Our instructor, Monika, had beautiful examples to inspire us--bone tools and decorative objects that she had made. She gave us several options of things we could carve, needle cases, shawlpins, flutes, naalbinding needles....</div>
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Jaime and I both started by making a traditional needle case made by smoothing and decorating a hollow jaw bone. Inside, a piece of felt holds your sharp needles, and is attached to two pulls made of bone or teeth.</div>
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To decorate our bone objects, we carved designs into the smoothed surface. The circles are created with a special double pointed drill bit that Monika painstakingly adapts herself. To darken the bone etchings, beeswax is mixed with wood ash, softened with your hands and pressed into the carved design. You then scrape it gently off the surface so that it remains embeded in your design. </div>
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Next, I wanted to make myself a crochet hook. This was the most difficult object I carved. Monika brought out special bone just for this purpose. She explained that you want to use a type of bone that is less brittle. We used a hand saw to slice off a rough, long rectangle from a larger piece of bone, then sanded it until it was even and starting to get rounded. </div>
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Monika roughed out the shape of the hook in pencil and I used a file to slowly hollow out the hook. Finally, more sanding rounded everything out. It was a labor of love, but I adore my new handmade crochet hook. </div>
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Jaime and I really loved bone carving class, and we spent the rest of class making a pile of amazing bone naalbinding needles that we will finish sanding and shaping at home. At the end of class we were covered with bone dust and happy.<br />
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Craft camp was awesome! At the end of our week, some local reporters showed up to see our progress on learning traditional Estonian crafts. They were impressed at how far we had traveled to attend, and we made it into the local paper! We are now world-famous crafters!</div>
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We also each received a certificate for our achievements in Estonian handicrafts. Its official: we ♥ Estonian Handicrafts!<br />
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Check back tomorrow to see the final Estonia post--the results of the Sleep Season yarn knit-along that we and our travel companions, Jess, Alsn, and Megan, made while we were traveling together!</div>
Fancy Tiger Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929459285152388512noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34040085.post-36834341257048275142014-08-06T11:23:00.000-07:002014-08-06T11:23:00.327-07:00Estonian Adventures Part 8: Setomaa Field Trip--amber<br />
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My field trip was to travel to Setomaa, at the very southeastern most part of Estonia on the border of Russia and Latvia.<br />
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I was excited to experience not only the unique handicrafts of this region, but also learn about the food, music and way of living. We arrived and were welcomed by Evar and Ülle at the Setokunstiq Gallery. They told us about the history and traditions of the area.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Evar talks about Setu traditions</td></tr>
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Red, black and white are the predominant colors in Seto textiles. The hand work is incredibly detailed and precise. Although there is clearly a style to the crafts of this region, Ülle explained that no two pieces would be the same. It was a show of skill to make your embroidery have a different design than anyone else in the village.<br />
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She showed us examples of some of the crafts, and I was amazed at their style of embroidery stitching that is as neat and finished on the back as it is on the front. Incredible!<br />
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Evar, Ülle's husband is an artist. The gallery space was decorated in his handprinted wallpaper and painted floors.<br />
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He is also passionate about keeping some of the old craft traditions alive. Evar is currently honing his metalwork and etching skills. One of the traditional jewelry pieces in Setomaa is a large silver pendant that married women wore on their chest. They were engraved with magical symbols and used in many ceremonies. There are few examples of them left, and some have been cut up or melted to make modern jewelry. He has been working on making replicas that are true to the originals in style and quality.<br />
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At the gallery we couldn't believe it when we saw our mitten knitting friend, Külli, who we had met previously at the Tallinn Medieval Days. She is originally from the Seto region of Estonia and was thrilled to have found out we would taking a field trip in Seto, so she showed up with her goodies.<br />
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She not only brought her mittens, but also giant skeins of amazing Estonian yarn which is what she uses to knit the traditional mittens. I, of course, had to stock up on it!<br />
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After we left the gallery we headed to a nearby house for a Seto style meal.<br />
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We had delicious chilled soup made with spring onion greens, cabbage and sour cream, black bread, smoked local ham, cheese, honey, and baked porridges made of oats, barley, and rice. According to the Estonians, the Seto region is known for this lineup of food.<br />
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Ülle explained that Seto people like to keep their meals simple, so there is more time for perfecting their handicraft skills.<br />
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The next stop was the Obinitsa Seto Museum. Here we were able to learn more about the life and crafts of the region. <br />
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Inside the museum were so many more amazing examples of Seto handcrafting skills...<br />
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...beautiful hand-plaited trims...<br />
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...and of course mittens upon mittens upon intricate colorwork mittens.<br />
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Our next stop was a recently renovated, historic Seto farm. The traditional farm was set up in a rectangle of buildings, with a home, grain storage, barn, and other buildings built around a courtyard, so that there was a private outdoor area for the family to gather, socialize and work.<br />
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The couple who renovated the farm bought the property and started work on it when it had begun to fall down, with leaking roof and drafty doors and windows. They painstakingly replaced wooden shingles and fixed it up keeping with traditional building methods. The farm is dotted with fruit trees and animals. The husband has also set up his own beer brewing area and shared some samples with us. The beer was a local style made with leftover black rye bread. It was dark, cloudy and delicious!<br />
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The day we visited, the farm was hosting an Estonian music camp for kids. There were children playing zithers and accordions and mandolins and dancing in the courtyard.<br />
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Intricate hand-plaited trims are a standard craft in the region, so it was no surprise when I saw the amazing braids all the girls had in their hair. Everything about the farm was so magical and I didn't want to leave!<br />
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Before we left to return to Olustvere, Ülle and a friend treated us to some traditional Seto singing. Enjoy!<br />
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Tomorrow--check back for more of the crafts we learned at Craft Camp!<br />
<br />Fancy Tiger Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929459285152388512noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34040085.post-6700049999599329542014-08-05T07:27:00.000-07:002014-08-05T12:52:18.248-07:00Estonian Adventures Part 7: Anu Raud and Hemitali<span style="font-size: x-small;">-jaime</span><br />
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Part of our Estonian Craft Camp week involved a field trip! There were several field trip options and Amber and I chose different towns to explore and we both have a lot to report on.<br />
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I went to the Hemitali Museum of Domestic Life and the house of textile artist Anu Raud.</div>
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Anu Raud is an Estonian textile artist legend. She has been making masterful folk art for decades and has also been a big collector of any and all textile artifacts of Estonia. She has written the knitting book "Pattern Puppets" which has patterns for traditional Estonian colorwork on stuffed animals and puppets (we now carry this inspiring book which is in English) </div>
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We started our day at the Hemitali Museum of Domestic Life which is housed in a preserved 1840's school house. This museum actually houses much of Anu Raud's personal collection which she has donated to the Estonian National Museum and is now collected and on display here at Hemitali. She met us here and took us on a tour, showing us some of her favorite artifacts.<br />
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It was almost too much. I couldn't believe the sheer amount of work housed here and the diversity in the Estonian handicrafts. From tapestry weaving, to embroidery, to crochet, to naalbinding, to ribbon plaiting, to sewing, and knitting, this place has it all.<br />
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We started with weavings and embroidered blankets. I especially loved this horse blanket that Anu said was a portrait of the owners' beloved pets. Anu talked about each item. She knew the history of each piece, as well as its use and often who made it. One beautiful embroidered blanket would have been used on Sundays to drape over the carriage horses' rears en route to church each week.<br />
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In addition to actual textile samples, there are a lot of written and painted documentation of the Estonian textile tradition at this house. Scholars can come and study pages and pages of diagrams, paintings and sample cards of various types of textiles from all regions of Estonia. Painting mittens was an early way of preserving the patterns as the actual mittens would usually disintegrate over time with use. Anu showed us many beautiful sample cards of Setomaa embroidery and textile work.</div>
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This was all just the downstairs of this tiny schoolhouse. Upstairs was another world of mind-blowing textile work. Upstairs we were able to put on white gloves and handle boxes upon boxes of artifacts. Knit gloves and mittens, sewn costumes, plaited ribbons...the list goes on.<br />
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I had just finished my plaited ribbon class at Craft Camp so I was especially taken with the variety and workmanship of these boxes and boxes of ribbons. These ribbons are all hand woven without any needles, shuttles or tools. Truly amazing. They were mostly used as belts, but also as trims to be sewn onto the hems of garments. </div>
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After our minds were completely saturated we went down the road to Anu Raud's house. Here we were able to see some of her contemporary work which was mostly weaving and tapestry wall hangings. Her studio and works were truly inspiring and you can see her appreciation of traditional textile motifs in her work. She also raises Estonian sheep in various natural colors. She uses the wool from her sheep to mill into yarn for her tapestries. </div>
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We had a nice time relaxing outside with her sweet sheep.<br />
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Next up: Amber's field trip to Setomaa</div>
Fancy Tiger Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929459285152388512noreply@blogger.com114tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34040085.post-42542223593897489022014-08-04T07:52:00.000-07:002014-08-04T07:52:00.366-07:00Estonian Adventures Part 6: Craft Camp! Estonian KnittingThe moment we've all been waiting for: Estonian Craft Camp. This is the whole reason for our adventures: a five day craft camp learning traditional handicrafts. <a href="http://www.kultuur.ut.ee/en/craft-camp">Estonian Craft Camp</a> takes place on the picturesque college campus at Olustvere in the countryside of Estonia. This was the first ever Estonian Craft Camp so we didn't know what to expect, but it went above and beyond any expectations. We were each able to take three classes on various traditional Estonian handicrafts. Amber and I each took different knitting classes and today we are here to report on our adventures in Estonian knitting.<br />
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<b><u>Jaime's Kihnu Wrist Warmers Class</u></b></div>
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I took a class from Riina Tomberg on traditional Estonian Wrist Warmers inspired by the Kihnu region of Estonia. Each county or region has its own particular styles, colors, and patterns in knitting that can help to differentiate them from one another. Our project was to make Kihnu-themed wrist warmer cuffs based on traditional cuffs of Estonian mittens. The cuffs often showed a variety of stitches and colors. Kihnu wrist-warmers were usually in white with indigo or black contrast and some also had a pop of red. We learned some new knitting techniques including the Estonian two-color braid cast on and cast off as well as how to make "vits" or the 2 color braids that often decorate the cuffs.<br />
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Riina had many pairs of mittens for us to get inspired by. In earlier times, there wouldn't be knitting patterns, but rather new patterns would be worked when someone saw what a neighbor or visitor had knit (this is another way that patterns would travel from region to region).<br />
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Riina taught us that one had to be able to look at and then knit what they saw rather than always working from a pattern.<br />
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For that reason, and to make the class more authentic, each student would write their own pattern by looking at various finished knits. I chose to incorporate some of the vits or braids as well as some colorwork and a small amount of lace. I did manage to finish my cuff, which was time-consuming on size 1.5mm dpn (US 000).<br />
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<b><u>Amber's Muhu Wrist Warmers Class</u></b><br />
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--amber</div>
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My mind was blown by instructor, Kristi Jõeste's Muhu-style wristwarmer class. Estonian knitting is so intense, but in the best way! Kristi is dedicated to keeping traditional techniques alive. She has researched thousands of mittens and gloves collected and preserved by the Estonian National Museum, and knitted perfect replicas of the most intricate historic pieces. Through this she has become one of Estonia's most well known knitters, and has developed her own modern patterns using traditional techniques and styles of the various regions. She brought a selection of traditional gloves for us to look at and they were so stunning!</div>
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In our class we learned to use the traditional techniques osed in these amazing pieces: the Estonian braided cast-on (with both one and two colors), the lateral braid, garter colorwork, and--most intense of all--knitting on tiny 1.25mm needles. That's a size US0000. Ouch. Literally, my arm was sore for the rest of the trip, but I was so addicted to Estonian knitting that I couldn't help but keep knitting.</div>
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Instead of a wristwarmer, I decided to continue with my knitting and I plan to knit my own Estonian style mittens.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTmY5bf8lhsXKlmHbmNDs2IM8qz_cfalbUrfC_Q9vI5ZNkLBRruEVaVGBGyRafGtICK6BimqD6wTowSaivfVeXupA37C5u9OIXVR4roQyewIPytZg5g7I3w3zHyXz8s4fdhyyKGA/s1600/ambers-muhu-mittens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTmY5bf8lhsXKlmHbmNDs2IM8qz_cfalbUrfC_Q9vI5ZNkLBRruEVaVGBGyRafGtICK6BimqD6wTowSaivfVeXupA37C5u9OIXVR4roQyewIPytZg5g7I3w3zHyXz8s4fdhyyKGA/s1600/ambers-muhu-mittens.jpg" height="317" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amber's Muhu style mitten</td></tr>
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In Kristi's class we also learned to knit the faux-entrelac cuff, which is very prevalent in Estonian mittens. It is surprisingly simple and, by striping your yarn in a special diagonal rib stitch, you end up with a beautiful checkerboard pattern. This pattern is typically used on mittens and gloves, but I imagine it could be a very cool sleeve finish for a sweater!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Malia's diagonal rib (faux entrelac) cuff</td></tr>
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Check in tomorrow for a Craft Camp field trip to visit artist Anu Raud!</div>
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Fancy Tiger Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929459285152388512noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34040085.post-27209190318672468632014-08-01T07:47:00.000-07:002014-08-01T07:47:00.604-07:00Estonia Adventures Part 5: OrnaMENTAL ExhibitWhile we were in Tallinn there was an exhibit, <a href="http://www.folkart.ee/eng/projects/exibition-ornamental">ornaMENTAL</a>, that was curated in part by Monika the handspinner. It was amazing. Featuring the work of contemporary masters of crafts in Estonia, ornaMENTAL contained breathtaking works in weaving, embroidery, knitting, felting, crochet and sewing. I'm going to let these photos do the talking and leave you with these images for the weekend...<br />
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Next week: Estonian Craft Camp - finally!!Fancy Tiger Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929459285152388512noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34040085.post-90868633262295230752014-07-31T11:35:00.000-07:002014-07-31T11:35:29.862-07:00Estonia Adventures Part 4: Muhu IslandMuhu. This is the place that started our obsession with Estonian crafts and we couldn't bear to go all the way to Estonia without visiting this amazing island.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amber & Jaime in traditional Muhu dress</td></tr>
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It all started with a coffee table book that we carried here at Fancy Tiger Crafts that focused just on the handicrafts from this one island. Muhu style is known for its use of vibrant colors, particularly hot pink and super bright, saturated orange. All of Estonia uses these bright colors, but Muhu in particular embraces them to the max.<br />
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Like all of Estonia, knitting is big on Muhu, but embroidery is their most prevalent craft. In addition to using embroidery to decorate shoes and clothes, they make beautiful wedding blankets--large blankets that are usually made of dark fabric and then embroidered with flower motifs in bright colors. These blankets are truly stunning to see in person and the work that would go into them is staggering.<br />
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We took a day to explore this island which is a 2 hour drive and 20 minute ferry ride away from Tallinn. Muhu, like a lot of Estonia, is mostly rural with beautiful thatch-roof houses and a few windmills dotting the landscape. It is a surprisingly small island with few inhabitants - so it is amazing to think they created the extensive body of work that is featured in our coffee table book.<br />
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Of course we had to take an embroidery class while on Muhu. Our friend Malia of Penelope Crafts in Amsterdam set this up for us. It was amazing and difficult. I consider myself pretty adept at embroidery, but these ladies schooled us. I have a whole new level of appreciation for the intricate and often large-scale designs that decorate much of the textiles found on Muhu.<br />
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Our teacher, Tiina Saar, is a big name in contemporary Muhu embroidery, with her work currently showcased in the ornaMENTAL exhibition in Tallinn. She taught us a very traditional strawberry motif that we worked in bright colors on a black fabric. Adorable.<br />
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There was a bit of a communication barrier and it was hard at times to understand just what we were trying to do with our embroidery stitches. Also, Tiina is such a professional stitcher, her hands moving so swiftly that our eyes had a hard time keeping up. It took almost 2 of our 3 hours of class to finally grasp that the Muhu embroidery technique is couching! The long and purposefully uneven satin stitches are each tacked down with a tiny couching stitch. Once we grasped this concept our embroidery really began moving along. While it took us a while to catch onto this, we did impress Tiina with our proficiency at needle threading, so we weren't the worst students she had ever had.<br />
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After our embroidery class, we spent a bit of time exploring the island. Our exploration took us to Koguva, a wonderfully preserved village-turned outdoor museum. Thank god we went here because here we found the articles featured in our coffee table book and we were able to see them in person! Oh man are these beautiful. This is the work that inspired this trip and it was a truly amazing experience to get to see these exceptional examples of Muhu handicrafts in person.<br />
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Next up: the OrnaMENTAL exhibit in TallinnFancy Tiger Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929459285152388512noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34040085.post-25186904792384699952014-07-30T11:26:00.000-07:002014-07-30T11:37:37.596-07:00Estonia Adventures Part 3: Tallinn, EstoniaEstonia! The next 9 blog posts are going to be about Estonia. I know that sounds crazy, but the handicraft culture and traditions are so rich here, we just couldn't pair it down. Estonia is a magical place and we hope some of our adventurous blog readers might make it there someday if you haven't already been. Our first stop is the capitol city of Tallinn.<br />
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Tallinn is an extremely old city - first traces of human settlement date back over 5,000 years. It boasts a beautifully preserved medieval center which is known as Old Town and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We hardly left Old Town. It was so beautiful and there is so much to explore.<br />
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We had the pleasure of being in town for Tallinn's annual Medieval Days festival. As if Old Town isn't medieval enough as is, this festival brings local artisans and crafters to sell their work and includes events, demonstrations and more. We hit the market first and boy was it amazing!<br />
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Wandering through the booths we instantly saw and fell in love with Külli. She is the powerhouse knitter behind these amazing mittens. She uses traditional Estonian designs from around Estonia. Each village, island and region has its own patterns. She spoke English very well and was happy to tell us about each design's origins and myths (some are meant to bring protection or luck to the wearer). She even gave us some on-the-fly knitting tutorials for the unique faux-entrelac borders that are often used.<br />
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We each bought a pair of mittens and then went back the next day for more. They are just so beautiful! Picking out your pair is the hardest part and we spent a good hour or so talking to Külli, trying on mittens and obsessing over which were the perfect ones. Impossible. You, too, can obsess <a href="http://www.nordicknitters.com/contact">on her beautiful mittens here.</a><br />
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There is a section of booths at the medieval festival reserved for master craftsmen. Boy, did we get into trouble there. Let us introduce you to our new Latvian friend, Aija.<br />
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Aija makes amazing yarn. She travels around Latvia and Estonia to choose sheep fleeces to use from local farmers. She dyes the fleeces using locally sourced plant that she collects. She then hand spins these and finally, different colors are plied together to create a soft, loosely plied, naturally dyed yarn. We each bought copious amounts of this magical yarn, all of which are in natural hues of yellow and green.<br />
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Aija is also accomplished at the craft of naalbinding, an ancient form of making fabric with yarn and a large needle which pre-dates knitting. Aija sold her naalbinded hats and mittens that were made from her handspun yarn...swoon! If you're into historical reenactment, you need to go to Estonia right now and pick up everything that Aija makes.<br />
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We also met Monika. Monika makes lovely handspun yarns in a rainbow of colors and neutrals. She was on hand to give spinning demonstrations to the public. Monika had met our friend Malia of Penelope Crafts in Amderstam the year before, and helped put us in touch with some women on Muhu Island (check back for more on that tomorrow) to teach us embroidery. (Thank you, Monika!).<br />
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Handicrafts are ubiquitous in Tallinn. There are shops in old town selling Estonian knit items of all sorts, but one our favorite finds, <a href="http://naiiv.eu/index.php?id=44&L=1">Naiiv</a>, featured modern garment designs based on the traditional bright colorwork of Estonia. We knew we had arrived by the very cool yarn-bombed bike outside the door.<br />
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Naiiv designs leggings, sweaters, jackets and even backpacks with their colorful knit fabric. We wanted it all...<br />
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Thanks for being so magical, Tallinn!<br />
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Up Next: Embroidery class on Muhu IslandFancy Tiger Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929459285152388512noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34040085.post-61601059365139361642014-07-29T07:34:00.000-07:002014-07-29T07:34:00.469-07:00Estonia Adventures Part 2: FinlandWhen booking this trip, I learned that one of the more affordable ways to get to Estonia is by ferry from Helsinki, Finland. Reasonable Icelandair flights to Helsinki made this the best route for us and we couldn't resist spending a couple of days in a new city while we were travelling through.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In preparation for the ferry ride (since Megan had never been on a boat before!) we took this boat to a pizza restaurant in an island.</td></tr>
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Helsinki is a clean and modern port city, surrounded by water. It is known for its architecture and design and we were able to take in both of these things in our brief time.<br />
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Also, great coffee and food! We checked out many coffee shops and spent quite a bit of time knitting at these stops.</div>
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There are fantastic markets in Helsinki where one can shop for food and veggies alongside touristy items like reindeer hides and juniper wood utensils. We bought chanterelles and the most delicious strawberries!<br />
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We were thrilled to find a yarn vendor, <a href="http://www.riihivilla.com/">Riihivilla</a>, among these booths. He sold handknit items and kits for making mittens and things, as well as yarn made of local Finnsheep wool, naturally dyed in an amazing range of color. We, of course, were all swooning over this Finnsheep yarn and I'm sure we made his day!<br />
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The skeins came in both natural, un-dyed colors as well as naturally dyed colors. Again, these were dyed using the country's local dye-plants - in this case: mushrooms! Amber loves both yarn and mushrooms, so she couldn't resist these. Can you believe this amazing red comes from a mushroom?</div>
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Finnsheep come in a range of colors, like Icelandic and Shetland sheep, so of course I had to pick up some fingering weight un-dyed wool in two natural colors. Yummy!</div>
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After the markets, one more stop we had to make was at Finnish fabric designer and icon, Marimekko. Marimekko has been designing patterns since 1951.<br />
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Marimekko is responsible for many iconic pattern designs and no trip to Helsinki would be complete without a stop in one of their shops. They make and sell all sorts of goods printed with the classic designs including clothing, umbrellas, plates and wallets. What were we most excited about? The fabric! </div>
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The fabric came in various weights from home dec to woven cotton to lawn. Amber and I each bought a cut of fabric which we will covet for a while I'm sure before cutting into! I am absolutely in love with my black cat fabric since I have a kitty just like this at home. </div>
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Next up: Tallinn, Estonia and the medieval festival!</div>
Fancy Tiger Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929459285152388512noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34040085.post-6057903032133167082014-07-28T07:30:00.000-07:002014-07-28T07:30:00.038-07:00Estonia Adventures Part 1: IcelandEarlier this month, Amber and I went on an epic adventure to Estonian Craft Camp. We will get to Craft Camp next week - which was life-altering - but first, a quick stop in Iceland en route to Finland en route to Estonia (thank you, Icelandair!).<br />
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Iceland is one of my favorite places. This was my third visit and even though it was for a mere 48 hours, we were able to experience new magical places and revisit some of our favorite stops. Iceland is a must-visit for any travel-loving, yarn aficionado. Their love of wool and knitting knows no bounds. Free range sheep dot every landscape and Lopi yarn can be purchased in even the smallest town's grocery market.<br />
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You know of our love of Lopi yarn - the Icelandic yarn made from Icelandic sheep's wool since we have made no fewer than 5 Lopi sweaters between Amber and I. The hardy Icelandic sheep that produce all this yarn are the only sheep to see in Iceland and they are everywhere. Farmers let them graze free during the spring - fall and then they gather and sort them every September to keep them safe during the harsh winter months.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFx4Mdzq85EfENFQcEEh-YY9LOHBxZIe2PCajlpWl1zmo-bNohvtPvzWCIoWBOgw3Sr0H5NvcvsqirJbAHhkDIhBDQKW7K6A2_XGmU74yhCn22CjTnA6Ls7WUTHZ_oMVa-rt3mkw/s1600/icelandic-sheep3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFx4Mdzq85EfENFQcEEh-YY9LOHBxZIe2PCajlpWl1zmo-bNohvtPvzWCIoWBOgw3Sr0H5NvcvsqirJbAHhkDIhBDQKW7K6A2_XGmU74yhCn22CjTnA6Ls7WUTHZ_oMVa-rt3mkw/s1600/icelandic-sheep3.jpg" height="400" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sheep with her babies on a picturesque fjord</td></tr>
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We hopped off our plane at 6am, rented a car and immediately headed up to the West Fjords - a 3 hour journey to a northern land of fjords. We stopped along the way to take in the elven magic of the moss covered lava fields at Glanni.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo3gm1R96nWTdfQp5By60EG1nT9wm23S7y8m0f1c2bDFDmBoENX5ZU-U9AAHas6jZw5Pm6J0PXKWyExzNEKmutKGJnLmKv3w86CB-1U5JvLHUC8M2JQ09YH1uQ2f-dPuXTOf6DiQ/s1600/glanni-lava-field.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo3gm1R96nWTdfQp5By60EG1nT9wm23S7y8m0f1c2bDFDmBoENX5ZU-U9AAHas6jZw5Pm6J0PXKWyExzNEKmutKGJnLmKv3w86CB-1U5JvLHUC8M2JQ09YH1uQ2f-dPuXTOf6DiQ/s1600/glanni-lava-field.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magical Moss covered Lava fields of Glanni</td></tr>
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Once we reached the West Fjords, we were greeted with the epic and otherworldly landscape of this remote part of Iceland. We spent a bit of time in Holmavik at the Museum of Witchcraft and Sorcery and then stayed the night in a picturesque B n' B in Bjarnarfjörður that had its own hot pots.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieXEZfVBop_Bm1skcgnDhdrUXUNDAS_GifGvJwIK-pQALulpgM-5QG9J9qG00KvkqwFmehepN9k_OPghqFU9UC8UTZsGTvBbb1xcloEWLvGuu_z8dcWJIzR6mDArlEiwmzRY0igg/s1600/sheep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieXEZfVBop_Bm1skcgnDhdrUXUNDAS_GifGvJwIK-pQALulpgM-5QG9J9qG00KvkqwFmehepN9k_OPghqFU9UC8UTZsGTvBbb1xcloEWLvGuu_z8dcWJIzR6mDArlEiwmzRY0igg/s1600/sheep.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sheep and carin</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcnehkS0RthxrlojR9AR2IQaX_bW0YBCW9XAy5OlCvxYxlhTFOAk-kt2isRCefp-mk9dGVll6EOsaqBvVC6KrQebeoQPa0QJwHX97D2UJ45vHVL_oYBW_1SY-Ivqp3pL-J2MuqLQ/s1600/amber-in-iceland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcnehkS0RthxrlojR9AR2IQaX_bW0YBCW9XAy5OlCvxYxlhTFOAk-kt2isRCefp-mk9dGVll6EOsaqBvVC6KrQebeoQPa0QJwHX97D2UJ45vHVL_oYBW_1SY-Ivqp3pL-J2MuqLQ/s1600/amber-in-iceland.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amber frolics in the West Fjords</td></tr>
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On our way back to Reykjavik the next day we stopped at one of our favorite places - the wool shop Ullarselið in Hvanneyri. This shop stocks the beautiful naturally-dyed Hespa yarns by Gudrun Bjarnadottir. We all purchased mass quantities of yarn at this, our first yarn-buying opportunity of the trip! The natural colors that Gudrun achieves using Icelandic mosses and lichens are irresistible. She combines these native dye plants with indigo and madder for more depth of color. The yarns are all Icelandic wool and all of us purchased the lace weight - perfect for shawls.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKk4AeYkEDbyN6E-HqZoFiY08DGn4wxCzf_tBQspvmKcwfSWVPpQ1Jh6xkyJc42IZxEroDNC1n56jhLsnwHiq2JCptCSzInOmN09fpS05yeYEyqUElrgKgz8ZkUpy4cP5lhyphenhyphen6Kfg/s1600/jaime-at-hespa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKk4AeYkEDbyN6E-HqZoFiY08DGn4wxCzf_tBQspvmKcwfSWVPpQ1Jh6xkyJc42IZxEroDNC1n56jhLsnwHiq2JCptCSzInOmN09fpS05yeYEyqUElrgKgz8ZkUpy4cP5lhyphenhyphen6Kfg/s1600/jaime-at-hespa.jpg" height="398" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jaime has some tough decisions to make...</td></tr>
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We ended our Iceland adventure with a late night dip in the Blue Lagoon in the midnight sun...so magical!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbiKkOvMUpgDG3wYydQ1fFPmNYNQFQCR4BgM8bKVBOXu-cCW5yMAL_YRhR9X9dO6K6Sdx5zsrVTcPLItBoKEI4X2nLiPjK5QXnFq0EJ5rBRz1DZem-eBK5M6d2_dxuxsaFP3lppA/s1600/blue-lagoon2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbiKkOvMUpgDG3wYydQ1fFPmNYNQFQCR4BgM8bKVBOXu-cCW5yMAL_YRhR9X9dO6K6Sdx5zsrVTcPLItBoKEI4X2nLiPjK5QXnFq0EJ5rBRz1DZem-eBK5M6d2_dxuxsaFP3lppA/s1600/blue-lagoon2.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">10pm in Iceland in July...so bright!</td></tr>
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Next up: Helsinki, Finland: Marimekko and Finnsheep woolFancy Tiger Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929459285152388512noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34040085.post-46641978582949964772014-07-25T07:53:00.000-07:002014-07-25T07:53:00.101-07:00Cricket is Here and We ♥ It!Cricket is here from Anzula!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHoYqYcRWoaPXLnPQmeuNhjBkdsSr3iQzHVJTsjtAIep0smXDQlFBL-SxPkQzUmektwhUUFOQfJyFLG5BLLnNsDhBhAYhY7FBJhwoa2J0sJISUmdf2o1kAV2bGlkFa5J29T6I6Ww/s1600/anzula-cricket-detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHoYqYcRWoaPXLnPQmeuNhjBkdsSr3iQzHVJTsjtAIep0smXDQlFBL-SxPkQzUmektwhUUFOQfJyFLG5BLLnNsDhBhAYhY7FBJhwoa2J0sJISUmdf2o1kAV2bGlkFa5J29T6I6Ww/s1600/anzula-cricket-detail.jpg" height="332" width="400" /></a></div>
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The blend of Merino/Cashmere/Nylon gives this hand-dyed DK beauty the softest, plushest feel and the enchanting color palette makes colorwork a great choice.<br />
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We fell in love with this sproingy soft DK weight yarn from Anzula after seeing Olgajazzy's Fractals hat pattern. <br />
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We have always loved the insane brights from Anzula. Olga uses them to their magical max by mixing these neon shades with delicate neutrals in this new hat pattern! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja781KtM96j5AYqXpMo0Ocr-ovDWtsUDqf_JvfDGPC1A3sh0YFnttQr2tyOl79laV7yt12RabUNr-GkNO_ls7oX25e0LaJu1d6xMZAcongioNkOUhnmhKbxWLAQteYL6ecmRZo2g/s1600/fractals2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja781KtM96j5AYqXpMo0Ocr-ovDWtsUDqf_JvfDGPC1A3sh0YFnttQr2tyOl79laV7yt12RabUNr-GkNO_ls7oX25e0LaJu1d6xMZAcongioNkOUhnmhKbxWLAQteYL6ecmRZo2g/s1600/fractals2.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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We ♥ this soft yarn so hard.<br />
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<br />Fancy Tiger Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929459285152388512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34040085.post-16747597397288455892014-07-23T07:39:00.000-07:002014-07-23T07:39:00.766-07:00Better Know A Crafter: Pink PitcherPink is old school Fancy T. She has been coming to our craft night since the beginning of time. She's also one of the fastest knitters we know--always the first to finish knit-alongs, and she won't follow a pattern to save her life. She gets the gist of a pattern and then makes it up as she goes. It always turns out magically awesome. Because of this, we weren't surprised to find out the epic dragon sweater she has been working on is a little of this pattern and a little of that...<br />
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<b>Pink Pitcher</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAAIufECGGFQenNNzRlFsxkPp3rV-irQn6ZxkhHTZv9a2SnTxREE4iuu6v398n4iuCd0jKX4OT9hz7OQpminJ0x3BwNazuwNnhhvOcRa5ayen3YSvobyufeqVoHHpdu6jlV6PYJQ/s1600/Pink+dragon+sweater1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAAIufECGGFQenNNzRlFsxkPp3rV-irQn6ZxkhHTZv9a2SnTxREE4iuu6v398n4iuCd0jKX4OT9hz7OQpminJ0x3BwNazuwNnhhvOcRa5ayen3YSvobyufeqVoHHpdu6jlV6PYJQ/s1600/Pink+dragon+sweater1.jpg" height="302" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;">How did you learn to knit?</span><br />
I learned to knit when I was six, but I never really got in to it until I was 16 or so. My mother originally taught me, but everything after basic knit stitch I learned from trial and error. Along the way I also learned to sew, crochet, spin, weave, felt...etc. I am a seamstress, making bags from recycled materials (<a href="http://www.pinkilicious.etsy.com/">www.pinkilicious.etsy.com</a>), so I knit to unwind from my other crafting.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrnMNhA3DjLSkiUqnkb25R0OVKdKirM76Rch45qn63mspwmYU9TrZAyjrL8PLLHneqV07ZZ4F3eIuLnGeREQXgp3lpVhn5DqGmBAtcCyudaRY_vKI8hk-LXpZU39TtDKCEYMJ_Ow/s1600/Pink+dragon+sweater5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrnMNhA3DjLSkiUqnkb25R0OVKdKirM76Rch45qn63mspwmYU9TrZAyjrL8PLLHneqV07ZZ4F3eIuLnGeREQXgp3lpVhn5DqGmBAtcCyudaRY_vKI8hk-LXpZU39TtDKCEYMJ_Ow/s1600/Pink+dragon+sweater5.jpg" height="400" width="376" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;">Tell us about your project. </span><br />
This project was inspired by a Ravelry find a friend forwarded to me: <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/betsala/9-viking-boat-jacket">Betsala's <i>Valhalla I Am Coming</i></a>, a much hipper version of the Norwegian pattern, <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/9-viking-boat-jacket">9 Viking Boat Jacket</a>. I loved the chart and it was nice to see it liberated from the original drop sleeves (I hate drop sleeves!). I found a colorwork yoke pattern <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/0611-1-pullover">0611-1 Pullover</a>, also entirely in Norwegian, that worked for the fingering weight yarn I used--Imperial Stock Ranch Tracie. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIMdYempCB1X8ZA71zF0cepwhApHxQZ7vBaqT8ARIgB5OEU1PT-1XNs4TEs8zjVoOhhU84Bz3QP3qjdS0GU4ejoHFwc-13F8zkLN2i7jcH9UE8_k-X2uwt00QIFBjOcmLOCRmSgw/s1600/Pink+dragon+sweater4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIMdYempCB1X8ZA71zF0cepwhApHxQZ7vBaqT8ARIgB5OEU1PT-1XNs4TEs8zjVoOhhU84Bz3QP3qjdS0GU4ejoHFwc-13F8zkLN2i7jcH9UE8_k-X2uwt00QIFBjOcmLOCRmSgw/s1600/Pink+dragon+sweater4.jpg" height="400" width="276" /></a></div>
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Fortunately, since I was only using the charts from these two, the language didn't matter. I also used an altered version of the Deathflake chart, a chart from a book I bought in Norway about "Lice-Pattern Sweaters", and then I made a chart of all 24 runes of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elder_Futhark">Elder Furthark</a>. </div>
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Basically, I stitched together a Frankenstein's Monster of awesome Norwegian designs.</div>
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<span style="color: #990000;">What inspired you to make this?</span><br />
Plunder. The promise of Plunder. (There may have been some drunken boasting as well, I don't recall clearly.)</div>
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<span style="color: #990000;">Does your sweater transport you to other lands/dimensions when you wear it?</span><br />
I transport this sweater to other lands and times when *I* wear it! (But it keeps me mighty warm while I'm there.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLqLP0zt0VvyZgE3UjMf5qjJeTua-7deE_NB4m1N5zXQm8gfErTqwj0Tw9Lbs1oWnESut20birwJN347ypcYzK5RdCaVMkqEKeDRrxAYhL3DxoI6msD0TeOrxbjBLXtBooqAtBlQ/s1600/Pink+dragon+sweater3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLqLP0zt0VvyZgE3UjMf5qjJeTua-7deE_NB4m1N5zXQm8gfErTqwj0Tw9Lbs1oWnESut20birwJN347ypcYzK5RdCaVMkqEKeDRrxAYhL3DxoI6msD0TeOrxbjBLXtBooqAtBlQ/s1600/Pink+dragon+sweater3.jpg" height="400" width="342" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;">Did you put any protection spells on your sweater?</span><br />
I asked my homegirl Frigga to do me a solid and keep and eye on it. She's a spinner, she understands.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">What is your favorite viking weapon?</span><br />
My fist.</div>
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<span style="color: #990000;">OMG Pink, we love it. Thank you and happy knitting!</span></div>
Fancy Tiger Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929459285152388512noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34040085.post-5869273834929550542014-07-21T08:10:00.000-07:002014-07-21T09:16:53.413-07:00An Everyday Skirt for Everyday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Liesl Gibson wasn't messing around when she named this sewing pattern the "Everyday Skirt." I've made two already, and let me tell you, these babies have been in heavy rotation this summer. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpLP-14xs04S20TMEVNe9ewob-wvwY7HHWsCqTAZ_ESCJ9E2pKUWKYa31B-5LFpRNmPqX5-upLxRyQD5nBauhsdl1rjVApWaH5Dyr_c9afSHV-1m_MF-R1dZ_Wm5QqFBcdX_FdZQ/s1600/JaimeEverydayskirt10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpLP-14xs04S20TMEVNe9ewob-wvwY7HHWsCqTAZ_ESCJ9E2pKUWKYa31B-5LFpRNmPqX5-upLxRyQD5nBauhsdl1rjVApWaH5Dyr_c9afSHV-1m_MF-R1dZ_Wm5QqFBcdX_FdZQ/s1600/JaimeEverydayskirt10.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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<b>Jaime's Nani Iro Everyday Skirt</b></div>
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<i>Pattern:</i> Everyday Skirt by Liesl + Co.<br />
<i>Fabric:</i> Nani Iro canvas, 1 3/4 yds<br />
<i>Size Made:</i> small<br />
<i>Alterations:</i> none</blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuePaS8R9Qy9hUm8RPPbTBPcFD3QIWVGjacjA1gQSp0h7o543fsYKeeqTio2yHo-947lYi8uegPE-Asi_GNCIFS4JP3DoEvMBZhkww-u9Dw-mmK5yXBLPqz-VKWSF898pDYTaOSQ/s1600/JaimeEverydayskirt2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuePaS8R9Qy9hUm8RPPbTBPcFD3QIWVGjacjA1gQSp0h7o543fsYKeeqTio2yHo-947lYi8uegPE-Asi_GNCIFS4JP3DoEvMBZhkww-u9Dw-mmK5yXBLPqz-VKWSF898pDYTaOSQ/s1600/JaimeEverydayskirt2.jpg" height="340" width="400" /></a></div>
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Welcome to what is likely to be just the beginning of my new Nani Iro wardrobe. I just can't resist. She puts out just a few canvas prints each collection and they are perfect for skirts and bags or anything that needs more structure. This painterly ombre print was just calling my name in its gorgeous neutral palette. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEIU4K6tMXtQgtGlDQ-hGPR01v_g1F6mXWQb9b2hqAfC9acb9H2LlZPdhXzZYJ2Sb_V51XOIcHn9Af8xx4ZwzT4BSG99bdbA-wNwekAGVBv7wC_S_UijQd0oQG6x0ZCFTm1OWgdA/s1600/JaimeEverydayskirt3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEIU4K6tMXtQgtGlDQ-hGPR01v_g1F6mXWQb9b2hqAfC9acb9H2LlZPdhXzZYJ2Sb_V51XOIcHn9Af8xx4ZwzT4BSG99bdbA-wNwekAGVBv7wC_S_UijQd0oQG6x0ZCFTm1OWgdA/s1600/JaimeEverydayskirt3.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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The Everyday skirt features an elastic waistband on the back and some light gathering in the front. The sides are left un-gathered for a flattering fit on the hips. This is an easy pattern to fit - I found it ran just a touch big and sized down to a small from my waist measurement which put me in the medium size. The combination of an elastic waist and full hips makes it easy to adjust for size. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Nq_hFlI6kYAbZI4vkqyRglOQcYN0WSdXGCLOhWCle_IU0r08jlrt1bOqTy6_i2tmC7OBY62zuflSl__YZHah5gT5rhE3kJE7E0OJryfZaO1kx7FT00x6Exsq191k_RiOPHiqCQ/s1600/JaimeEverydayskirt9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Nq_hFlI6kYAbZI4vkqyRglOQcYN0WSdXGCLOhWCle_IU0r08jlrt1bOqTy6_i2tmC7OBY62zuflSl__YZHah5gT5rhE3kJE7E0OJryfZaO1kx7FT00x6Exsq191k_RiOPHiqCQ/s1600/JaimeEverydayskirt9.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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Pockets! You all know that pockets are the winning key to any wearable skirt. You're not going to be wearing a skirt Everyday without pockets. These ones are easy to put in and sit just off the side seam which incorporate them into the skirt design more. Nice one, Liesl.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjterMhAGhSLghA0yrTKD0OkRIyiuy9TICxD5v764KFcjnI0CfSm8KCf9lQtA9yDvlASw13I2xagaiQVgOfhXI1x5sw1fxMNpWyFg2AlxvhSX1RLgwy5F9iHKbMhPy5fc6A2XBPXQ/s1600/JaimeEverydayskirt4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjterMhAGhSLghA0yrTKD0OkRIyiuy9TICxD5v764KFcjnI0CfSm8KCf9lQtA9yDvlASw13I2xagaiQVgOfhXI1x5sw1fxMNpWyFg2AlxvhSX1RLgwy5F9iHKbMhPy5fc6A2XBPXQ/s1600/JaimeEverydayskirt4.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a></div>
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<b>Jaime's Brussels Washer Everyday Skirt</b></div>
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<i>Pattern:</i> Everyday Skirt by Liesl + Co.<br />
<i>Fabric:</i> Brussels washer in gray, 1 3/4 yds<br />
<i>Size Made:</i> small<br />
<i>Alterations:</i> none</blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCqWMsNIzL0w-Dae2ThUaziJC2lDVYRJgzv0BFZdoacLy-tvtDZa_GTi8aZ6ittYILGfHbMWcu0hYs2okbVEBH4UCPzN8xxzV0HGZs1I4bHwUi-EWhp6wTHCQsCryxCk2h5iPQFg/s1600/JaimeEverydayskirt8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCqWMsNIzL0w-Dae2ThUaziJC2lDVYRJgzv0BFZdoacLy-tvtDZa_GTi8aZ6ittYILGfHbMWcu0hYs2okbVEBH4UCPzN8xxzV0HGZs1I4bHwUi-EWhp6wTHCQsCryxCk2h5iPQFg/s1600/JaimeEverydayskirt8.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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Oh hey, Brussels Washer. I haven't sewn anything with you in at least a month and boy did I miss you. I love how light and drapey you are. You are so comfortable to wear it feels like I'm getting away with wearing pjs in public. I love that about you.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1SYcKxHUfnwqxPf3AbO6Eb0lpmtRfAdr2Yubbcbi2a2YvvdS0BngJ5yfnMxiIMKsrkvnBiftNE31R_-xvmnxOJs1mjzG9UKfJu2OWrYywOtz04Zs3wbTUqmRUd63i0PWsuTimLg/s1600/JaimeEverydayskirt5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1SYcKxHUfnwqxPf3AbO6Eb0lpmtRfAdr2Yubbcbi2a2YvvdS0BngJ5yfnMxiIMKsrkvnBiftNE31R_-xvmnxOJs1mjzG9UKfJu2OWrYywOtz04Zs3wbTUqmRUd63i0PWsuTimLg/s1600/JaimeEverydayskirt5.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a></div>
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You're perfect blend of linen with rayon means you are light and summery like linen, but without getting so wrinkly thanks to the addition of silky rayon. You are so nice to sew with and your pale gray color goes with almost everything. Is it too much if I wear you a few times a week?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5NQfvZH8_KL9UGZc8vwsxHlI9gOmYeF09rA0AINqTZ6JS3ZewZYrxjoBMTCy8kV1_4ZrBHhVA6WGxqRG9t_4tCRBBEL7ArQlghb-Ey6jnFoR2SDrjOuy8COUeT__kIsHWvnM1wQ/s1600/JaimeEverydayskirt6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5NQfvZH8_KL9UGZc8vwsxHlI9gOmYeF09rA0AINqTZ6JS3ZewZYrxjoBMTCy8kV1_4ZrBHhVA6WGxqRG9t_4tCRBBEL7ArQlghb-Ey6jnFoR2SDrjOuy8COUeT__kIsHWvnM1wQ/s1600/JaimeEverydayskirt6.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Oh, excuse me. You can pick up your own digital copy of the <i>Everyday Skirt</i> pattern <a href="http://oliverands.com/product/OLV-LC005ES-D.html">here</a>. If you need help, we are offering this as a class this summer. Check out the dates<a href="http://fancytiger.com/everydayskirt.html"> here</a> and call us to sign up! </div>
Fancy Tiger Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929459285152388512noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34040085.post-70303088686307410482014-07-18T07:30:00.000-07:002014-07-18T10:07:26.278-07:00Caitlin's Handmade Engagement Photo Dress! <div style="text-align: left;">
-Caitlin</div>
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When <span style="font-family: inherit;">my <span class="Latn headword" lang="fr" style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">fiancé</span> and I scheduled our engagement photos a while back, I dragged my feet a little on what to wear (and make), but finally decided on the Sureau dress by Deer and Doe. </span>I have always loved Deer & Doe's aesthetic and I am slowly working my way through the dress patterns. Eleanor's designs are so classic and flattering, and make me feel girly without feeling costume-y.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrAr3gA5yKocejY_BUVlgVNNXtId7taTxqsFCONh8b-L0tvve-8fn8D8_0SUBm33H1Hm4gXyx8Q_za879GW6lBYc-FXC4R46qYDlZ0abzJCWsnz9S9xw0XKRTdFnd7CNlB-PYXHA/s1600/Vannoy+Sliver+Engagement+Session+DeFiore+Photography-54+copy.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://defioreart.com/">DeFiore Photography</a></span></div>
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<i>Pattern</i>: Deer & Doe's Robe Sureau</div>
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<i style="font-style: italic;">Fabric</i><i>: </i>Blue polka dotted Lecien lawn</div>
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<i style="font-style: italic;">Size Made</i><i>: </i>46</div>
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<i style="font-style: italic;">Alterations</i><i>: </i> I made the waist a bit bigger and added a few cm to the skirt. I also shortened the sleeves.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiOmvIsfLTPTBp94pTQpo7Mzeekhr4_vEVF5ao2u6X370VRpW4KJJP6-0IAR9rJ3rfGBJPxbGQ561TH2AhYjV6C88a8Y37SzGTsI1LLZb3uGartDKco5NAeZlDm1XHCY9bvRt3Sw/s1600/Vannoy+Sliver+Engagement+Session+DeFiore+Photography-79.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiOmvIsfLTPTBp94pTQpo7Mzeekhr4_vEVF5ao2u6X370VRpW4KJJP6-0IAR9rJ3rfGBJPxbGQ561TH2AhYjV6C88a8Y37SzGTsI1LLZb3uGartDKco5NAeZlDm1XHCY9bvRt3Sw/s1600/Vannoy+Sliver+Engagement+Session+DeFiore+Photography-79.jpg" height="400" width="301" /></a></div>
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I didn't make a muslin, and decided to dive right in with alterations (no, I would not recommend this but I was on a time crunch!). I was really concerned the waist would be too snug, so I simply "let out" the darts on both the front and back bodice a little bit. They were in the exact same place, with the same bust point, but were just a bit skinnier than the pattern suggests. I've never done this kind of alteration before, but it totally worked! I added a few cm to the front and back skirt as well. In the end, it was actually a bit loose in the waist for my liking, but it's not too noticeable with a belt. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw8olftBzGFii5dm_DNOfTpfZuHbybAaJ-_UGsO6MDMHqLk5uAz5r7irpWILkgjdecb-Sy5-f3uAfXQ4z7x89wxoHMGMwzlNpjDQalnAbcM5poNG-KiTPmRh6G6tEQSqhzwWSmOg/s1600/Vannoy+Sliver+Engagement+Session+DeFiore+Photography-64.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw8olftBzGFii5dm_DNOfTpfZuHbybAaJ-_UGsO6MDMHqLk5uAz5r7irpWILkgjdecb-Sy5-f3uAfXQ4z7x89wxoHMGMwzlNpjDQalnAbcM5poNG-KiTPmRh6G6tEQSqhzwWSmOg/s1600/Vannoy+Sliver+Engagement+Session+DeFiore+Photography-64.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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Our lovely photos were taken by Danielle of <a href="http://defioreart.com/">DeFiore Photography</a>. She was amazing and totally embraced the crafty theme! Check back in a few months to see what I make for the big day!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXJ4ehlgTdwHLhzo3VkNcS1-xhWycbZuRq49hrzI5uh1wHYISH3VH8dEEBIL9h1zUNJIcGJU8cd8kRAL-wPxK-o60OoCpveWGhbM4Ya7KaHyYRK5qAiQgWmDwwdO4GBk_lmbTQ_A/s1600/Vannoy+Sliver+Engagement+Session+DeFiore+Photography-75.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXJ4ehlgTdwHLhzo3VkNcS1-xhWycbZuRq49hrzI5uh1wHYISH3VH8dEEBIL9h1zUNJIcGJU8cd8kRAL-wPxK-o60OoCpveWGhbM4Ya7KaHyYRK5qAiQgWmDwwdO4GBk_lmbTQ_A/s1600/Vannoy+Sliver+Engagement+Session+DeFiore+Photography-75.jpg" height="400" width="301" /></a></div>
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Jeanne Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01514986076950029268noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34040085.post-18340944369897393322014-07-16T09:00:00.000-07:002014-07-16T09:13:03.881-07:00Meet the Designer: Latifah Saafir!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Modern quilter Latfiah Saafir is teaching at Fancy Tiger! We are so excited to host her for her <a href="http://fancytiger.com/glamclam.html">Glam Clam</a> quilting class Sunday August 24th. Latfiah has an eye for color and design! Her mechanical engineer brain operates perfectly into the quilting world bringing us such stylish looking quilts. Let's meet Latfiah! </div>
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<span style="color: #e06666;">1) How did you get started in the quilting industry? What is your background?</span><br />
I am a Mechanical Engineer by training but, I’ve been sewing since I was a kid. I worked in technology for many years and when I got laid off decided to try my hand at making a living with the true love of my life - quilting.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72JQLPlhHX7BukAQI7ojFSWRv3PggQu0lunGgxIWDt2Jx3uvb6rRglCnMb5QNg1lzT4qCtwa5se9BmJy57NPsw63dcBvkIpJvurmzhdkT5zb8MB3M4se7g8O7o8xrxhtS0umR/s1600/Latifah+Saafir-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72JQLPlhHX7BukAQI7ojFSWRv3PggQu0lunGgxIWDt2Jx3uvb6rRglCnMb5QNg1lzT4qCtwa5se9BmJy57NPsw63dcBvkIpJvurmzhdkT5zb8MB3M4se7g8O7o8xrxhtS0umR/s1600/Latifah+Saafir-11.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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I actually started quilting in 2009 when I saw a quilt that a friend of mine made. Something about that quilt made something click in me and I decided not only could I quilt but that I needed to. Later that same year I co-founded the Modern Quilt Guild and it’s first chapter in Los Angeles with only one quilt under my belt. I have a tendency to dive in head first with things. Quilting has been my life ever since.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKTuuFclAeuN7-9yCJskm3wYvjcwCBN0G3WgPPyqIGfAgx6RiPx6zkQnoFPtQql5GBGhE6ZJiZiyKSBrk5rQPq5_N1icrtLPSIv-yGzjcA22Qt5o11pSoSxRTkjYoPecqJSUI/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKTuuFclAeuN7-9yCJskm3wYvjcwCBN0G3WgPPyqIGfAgx6RiPx6zkQnoFPtQql5GBGhE6ZJiZiyKSBrk5rQPq5_N1icrtLPSIv-yGzjcA22Qt5o11pSoSxRTkjYoPecqJSUI/s1600/1.jpg" height="400" width="336" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666;">2) What are you most excited about in quilting right now?</span><br />
As the generation of modern quilters becomes more competent in their technique, I’m looking forward to new innovations in quilting. I’m almost sure we’ll start to see some of this soon and bits and pieces are starting to filter through. Also, I’m very interested to see how modern quilting will grow over time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvCMq0lK1nAjuLBfttPhvs1KGU0VENiGcPiBz22RirTt_TMvi3k0aQByMLy0UNRjXN1SJJmSZFGjdQOWYVGYxZd3-GOVUAX-azPVymf_aQk7GzSquAxmF5WA5yKy3zbn02Bu_h/s1600/FRMQG+Class.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvCMq0lK1nAjuLBfttPhvs1KGU0VENiGcPiBz22RirTt_TMvi3k0aQByMLy0UNRjXN1SJJmSZFGjdQOWYVGYxZd3-GOVUAX-azPVymf_aQk7GzSquAxmF5WA5yKy3zbn02Bu_h/s1600/FRMQG+Class.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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I’m also excited about younger and younger people being interested in quilting and I’m dreaming of ways to introduce more of them to it in a way that is palatable and exciting to them.<br />
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<span style="color: #e06666;">3) What do you look for when you're fabric shopping?</span><br />
I’ve never thought about that because I guess I just know it when I see it! I guess I look for uniqueness, clean lines, and bold designs. Mostly I buy really great basics though. And I’m always on the search for the perfect solid color! There are never enough solids. I also love sophisticated whimsical novelty prints for all the baby quilts that I make.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBojY6Oj7av0bn0-BtflchM0l5Hd2KqiNzdfNI7idNu61QrIdDNUc-CQuSm7gkyd6wzBruNEM0f6ZS_0Cjn6oH-ifgtS_ifhEe8yFJw6Y-TzeSSAenqY8yUh7Df2YTvywDtw8I/s1600/TQE_7070.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBojY6Oj7av0bn0-BtflchM0l5Hd2KqiNzdfNI7idNu61QrIdDNUc-CQuSm7gkyd6wzBruNEM0f6ZS_0Cjn6oH-ifgtS_ifhEe8yFJw6Y-TzeSSAenqY8yUh7Df2YTvywDtw8I/s1600/TQE_7070.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666;">4) What is your favorite mythological animal?</span><br />
Ummm, does Tinker Bell count? Hehe. I know she’s not mythological or quite an animal but, I wasn’t much into cartoons as a kid and fell in love with Tink just a year or so ago. If I were a cartoon character that’s who I’d be. She captures the engineering and creative sides of me and she wears my favorite color!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis53SQxxjLf0DPfHDqi0VcJCAUMtO39xiz5KNM5IbQEcHRMTRjR2jHOhsfm8WGkeUMtOqfiVOg7m6CiWWfBHAyn18OoN86cE7504XqVs90xpIHMdb55_MA-2-_RRIZDAiOTJW6/s1600/Latifah+Saafir+-+Photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis53SQxxjLf0DPfHDqi0VcJCAUMtO39xiz5KNM5IbQEcHRMTRjR2jHOhsfm8WGkeUMtOqfiVOg7m6CiWWfBHAyn18OoN86cE7504XqVs90xpIHMdb55_MA-2-_RRIZDAiOTJW6/s1600/Latifah+Saafir+-+Photo.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666;">5) If you could have any super power, what would it be?</span><br />
I’m sure you have all guessed that my super power would be quilt related. My super power would be having my quilt tops quilted and bound with a wave of a wand. The wand is key. ☺ I actually like to take ownership of the whole quilt and so I don’t often send my quilts off to a long armer BUT, the most exciting part of the process is piecing and seeing the pattern come to life. Then I’m sorta done and have to force myself finish the quilt. ☺<br />
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Thanks Latifah! We can't wait to quilt magic with you! </div>
Jeanne Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01514986076950029268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34040085.post-74948438647509052062014-07-14T14:35:00.000-07:002014-07-14T14:35:28.631-07:00Hot Off the Press: Cotton + Steel! We are thrilled to bring you Cotton + Steel! The brain power behind this group is five brilliant designers including Melody Miller, Rashida Coleman-Hale, Alexia Abegg, Kim Kight, and Sarah Watts. This is the first release of their collaborative designs and we couldn't be more excited. Did I mention metallics?!? Cause that's happening! We have been sitting on the edge of our seats since seeing a preview at quilt market. We have the full line - all 100+ bolts of fabric just waiting to be made into amazing garments, quilts, bags and more.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidsQrR02XP_ZCw7CpWBHZ_BvPvtHRx-r72cHHW34Uw6vDTi0lNEaDVl1gKHBhIzLbsWqx2v8pavSFzPI6bF-oHX9LGuXx1EElfwbomF4Tj6Z6IakOZn0FnA8BCNb99MZ1A1dkK/s1600/August.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidsQrR02XP_ZCw7CpWBHZ_BvPvtHRx-r72cHHW34Uw6vDTi0lNEaDVl1gKHBhIzLbsWqx2v8pavSFzPI6bF-oHX9LGuXx1EElfwbomF4Tj6Z6IakOZn0FnA8BCNb99MZ1A1dkK/s1600/August.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>August</i> by Sarah Watts</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPj-65zauKZR0rCc_TWMZWP_FYdXSDchK2jqnZsZb5KnKgkrlGwYBCuoxufeNMjCgvqlveyZb6H2b_HYMIUKUux8t9MPkLfOCx2hn7BAs1H3E6MtQKOeXPY4r5DzVHz9puXb_m/s1600/Canvas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPj-65zauKZR0rCc_TWMZWP_FYdXSDchK2jqnZsZb5KnKgkrlGwYBCuoxufeNMjCgvqlveyZb6H2b_HYMIUKUux8t9MPkLfOCx2hn7BAs1H3E6MtQKOeXPY4r5DzVHz9puXb_m/s1600/Canvas.jpg" height="205" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Metallic Canvas?!?! I'm in! </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj0TE72YOArUkLjwMpkG9mJnYbcaA8hURpoUT6SMu7rAKEja9BNG13qr-hqn-P2XZq4sr39TVU6uUUH2u9AW43PQTMBkEL6kILKIwWLkvKyFq9W4OKhzVov-IzybE3aH5OBz6T/s1600/downloadLawn.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj0TE72YOArUkLjwMpkG9mJnYbcaA8hURpoUT6SMu7rAKEja9BNG13qr-hqn-P2XZq4sr39TVU6uUUH2u9AW43PQTMBkEL6kILKIwWLkvKyFq9W4OKhzVov-IzybE3aH5OBz6T/s1600/downloadLawn.jpeg" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LAWNS! </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjC34TnKwzIE_d2Nims4Ssw5EsWdSqt6Hloun0ChIoovl46xtc2xK26Sy8APrab6zJaE0sg4Uvp8QxVCz0qyUMjCPt23TPZjkaplMxuWiED0V17ooWyfUAatsMbTRNLJHr1yuR/s1600/Hatbox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjC34TnKwzIE_d2Nims4Ssw5EsWdSqt6Hloun0ChIoovl46xtc2xK26Sy8APrab6zJaE0sg4Uvp8QxVCz0qyUMjCPt23TPZjkaplMxuWiED0V17ooWyfUAatsMbTRNLJHr1yuR/s1600/Hatbox.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Hatbox</i> by Alexia Abegg</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisdBEJEqlACFUwZsVGujImqh53gr6MeWvBU6bs_ULaX2bBRNAvLA1scVoq7tBOPUyrmZXjh2yxmWbVULMlgeOzzxI40w2Se8ZszS4Ojp4YPWY0RbqU2ge6xolcdXuT2_kp3f3Q/s1600/Homeboy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisdBEJEqlACFUwZsVGujImqh53gr6MeWvBU6bs_ULaX2bBRNAvLA1scVoq7tBOPUyrmZXjh2yxmWbVULMlgeOzzxI40w2Se8ZszS4Ojp4YPWY0RbqU2ge6xolcdXuT2_kp3f3Q/s1600/Homeboy.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Homeboy</i> by Kimberly Kight</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDsKwxG0-cvlspGiLKQ6NZyO9DZ0081Ue5JYvpmlbkmHBKj9DG8KUf17dafkVlkq-bvokgIFLYAj_dFoCcF13MUADdASUdVJoWF4S4rgE61TBGjTcNpknJ_5N50gffJ7Y_rPOl/s1600/Moonlit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDsKwxG0-cvlspGiLKQ6NZyO9DZ0081Ue5JYvpmlbkmHBKj9DG8KUf17dafkVlkq-bvokgIFLYAj_dFoCcF13MUADdASUdVJoWF4S4rgE61TBGjTcNpknJ_5N50gffJ7Y_rPOl/s1600/Moonlit.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Moonlit</i> by Rashida Coleman-Hale</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-JUoYg9S5UUXd8OYsmCGa0CYP1m6eSzsSrr6K-T3SrqBLjR_6ny2Wt79xf94uF6ToXafJtkwmriLokCHDBFotaM54KOubO9tUNe555mQ2WbxAddgEos2ECFcEoZKNF6xclKS7/s1600/Mustang.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-JUoYg9S5UUXd8OYsmCGa0CYP1m6eSzsSrr6K-T3SrqBLjR_6ny2Wt79xf94uF6ToXafJtkwmriLokCHDBFotaM54KOubO9tUNe555mQ2WbxAddgEos2ECFcEoZKNF6xclKS7/s1600/Mustang.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Mustang</i> by Melody Miller</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3vKPse03F7HxVn0hAdw6CACJ9Cj6-Elmmvia2ZrEXtH6cYnSyUwN_PUMqIQOUDbdKVbyChBXoo4KF0JKve8lV4ezOsGa3Z8wEfWYx931kDugwPYDr0lhc0SqhErJpfQHMtokP/s1600/Basics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3vKPse03F7HxVn0hAdw6CACJ9Cj6-Elmmvia2ZrEXtH6cYnSyUwN_PUMqIQOUDbdKVbyChBXoo4KF0JKve8lV4ezOsGa3Z8wEfWYx931kDugwPYDr0lhc0SqhErJpfQHMtokP/s1600/Basics.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They got the basics covered too! With metallics!!</td></tr>
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Here is just a preview of the different prints, stop by the store to see ALL the wonderful colorways. Fat quarter bundles are available per designer and as a full collection. What will you make?! </div>
Jeanne Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01514986076950029268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34040085.post-78801047983308954602014-07-11T07:44:00.000-07:002014-07-11T07:44:00.190-07:00Amber's Weathered PulloverEvery time Jaime and I shop the yarn trade show for beautiful yarns to carry, we can't help but be inspired by the amazing designers we meet. This past TNNA we met designer Ann Weaver, who is so very cool--and ingenious! She was sporting her <i><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/weathered-pullover">Weathered Pullover</a></i> design, a colorblocked summer top with a sheer panel insert worked in Habu silk/stainless steel.<br />
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #575745; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, FreeMono, monospace; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.940000534057617px;">Pattern:</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #575745; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, FreeMono, monospace; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.940000534057617px;"> Weathered Pullover by Ann Weaver</span><br />
<i style="background-color: white; color: #575745; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, FreeMono, monospace; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.940000534057617px;">Yarn:</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #575745; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, FreeMono, monospace; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.940000534057617px;"> Fibre Co. Meadow in Black Adder (main color) and Habu A-20 silk/stainless in Brick (sheer panel)</span><br />
<i style="background-color: white; color: #575745; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, FreeMono, monospace; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.940000534057617px;">Size made: </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #575745; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, FreeMono, monospace; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.940000534057617px;">34</span><br />
<i style="background-color: white; color: #575745; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, FreeMono, monospace; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.940000534057617px;">Alterations:</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #575745; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, FreeMono, monospace; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16.940000534057617px;"> I shortened the pattern by a few inches and knit the wool section in a single color instead of colorblocking it.</span><br />
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I've long been intrigued by Habu silk/stainless yarn and I instantly fell in love with this pattern's use of such an interesting yarn. The stainless steel gives the thread-thin silk enough structure to hold its dimensions under the weight of the wool yarn beneath it, creating a transparent panel with a hint of sheer color. Hot!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmIKiIJw8aB2m9c5TFc1q4YD6XYgynfFTOv5VP77BjBxTVqBgvkJeReJIejvz40YdyC2UMCtAUHWwXtXiC_dJ31KWEfz2zF0i4-kuBfyEKcCZRr4eysV2zHZ24G6tYRFqo9Dfa1Q/s1600/AmberWeatheredpullover2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmIKiIJw8aB2m9c5TFc1q4YD6XYgynfFTOv5VP77BjBxTVqBgvkJeReJIejvz40YdyC2UMCtAUHWwXtXiC_dJ31KWEfz2zF0i4-kuBfyEKcCZRr4eysV2zHZ24G6tYRFqo9Dfa1Q/s1600/AmberWeatheredpullover2.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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An awesome thing about this top--you can wear the sheer panel to the front or back for a different look! I love wearing the panel to the back for a slightly more modest, but still very hot look. To accentuate your pretty shoulder blades, ya know.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBhkYtyPXIxkaxk9voqRoqFdK1IRgZQXf3vWlFNqMsAAEA8TfBfIwjwaRbSpHMrnOLx2Q-mPeUnLQiWQ_ZhAK6hZUQuXjzjaxf5r5AiIZzlELvrwPZHVic7wqUK7rIGFBsAi-9Yw/s1600/AmberWeatheredpullover4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBhkYtyPXIxkaxk9voqRoqFdK1IRgZQXf3vWlFNqMsAAEA8TfBfIwjwaRbSpHMrnOLx2Q-mPeUnLQiWQ_ZhAK6hZUQuXjzjaxf5r5AiIZzlELvrwPZHVic7wqUK7rIGFBsAi-9Yw/s1600/AmberWeatheredpullover4.jpg" height="640" width="481" /></a></div>
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The main yarn called for in the <i>Weathered Pullover</i> is a light fingering merino/silk blend. I immediately knew the perfect substitution would be <i>Meadow</i> from The Fibre Co. This dreamy yarn is a blend of merino, llama, silk and linen. It's the perfect weight and has a beautiful rustic heathered look while still being ultra soft against the skin for easy wearability.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjftFONZwWUDJ2wO0lcHAg-KVbA439YJXiBAmIxwhDT5Uz9giE-_jA7b6ZeqHLtYf5NzEdbs5tWz-XWMTxBzdd9sTQ9YrXvCM8Z8jlZLwEL4e5apB4KK-Mh5gJ_ZomwGwIaSFeL6w/s1600/AmberWeatheredpullover1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjftFONZwWUDJ2wO0lcHAg-KVbA439YJXiBAmIxwhDT5Uz9giE-_jA7b6ZeqHLtYf5NzEdbs5tWz-XWMTxBzdd9sTQ9YrXvCM8Z8jlZLwEL4e5apB4KK-Mh5gJ_ZomwGwIaSFeL6w/s1600/AmberWeatheredpullover1.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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I chose to knit the wool part of my pullover entirely in the color Black Adder, instead colorblocking with multiple colors as the pattern is written. I kept some of the colorblock idea, going with a pop of brick red for my Habu yarn. The top is finished off with a very cute moss stitch shoulder detail. I love it <i>so much</i>, the way this thing turned out!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMWdEiCidRA3LtUSj8PySxYGyeO2S6mIPbOPL2RfzMw18tBNJS3kINHAo35WHwIAFnA7oOhna3Nzfam4CV6NwXitypeWZlB6b08yClEw4TBQobhAvT8XcUJB3ouwB5TMzrSqnu_w/s1600/AmberWeatheredpullover3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMWdEiCidRA3LtUSj8PySxYGyeO2S6mIPbOPL2RfzMw18tBNJS3kINHAo35WHwIAFnA7oOhna3Nzfam4CV6NwXitypeWZlB6b08yClEw4TBQobhAvT8XcUJB3ouwB5TMzrSqnu_w/s1600/AmberWeatheredpullover3.jpg" height="640" width="476" /></a></div>
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And to bring this happy knitting story to a close, this is the first handknit woolen item I've made that makes me feel like a real hot lady. Well done, Ann...well done.Fancy Tiger Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929459285152388512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34040085.post-64248342764514086682014-07-09T07:30:00.000-07:002014-07-09T07:30:00.651-07:00Lumpy Space! Stephen West KAL<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Every summer Stephen West has a shawl KAL and I love joining in the fun! This year, instead of it being a mystery, it was for your choice of one of 3 different designs - each very Westknits-esque. I chose to make the Lumpy Space pattern - I love the elongated shape of this shawl and I couldn't resist the stripes!</div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Pattern:</i> Lumpy Space by Stephen West<br />
<i>Yarns:</i> a = Orkney Angora dk in neon peach, b = Lopi Einband in pale beige, c = Madelinetosh Dandelion in Nectar, d = Jill Draper Nimbus in Shell<br />
<i>Size made:</i> one size<br />
<i>Alterations:</i> none, although I ran out of my Nimbus yarn so I had to end a few rows early </blockquote>
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Lumpy Space uses four yarns. I decided to use up some stash yarns so I incorporated a couple of yarns I had picked up on my travels, making this an extra special shawl. The neon orange angora yarn was from Scotland and the Lopi laceweight was, of course, from Iceland. The Madelinetosh Dandelion was leftover from my recent Vasa tee and I just couldn't resist using some luxurious Jill Draper Nimbus - a laceweight blend of angora and silk.<br />
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In true Westknits fashion, I did some experimenting with various fiber types and weights. For the inner shape of orange and cream - it was a blend of super-soft angora mixed with super-tough lopi. I held the lopi laceweight double to keep up with the dk weight of the angora. The outer stripes are a mix of soft merino/linen and more angora. Here again, I held the laceweight Nimbus double to work better with the Dandelion and to add more angora halo!<br />
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I love the shape and size of this shawl. It can be wrapped around several times for extra neck-coziness and it is in-between a scarf and shawl shape - my favorite. I ran out of Nimbus towards the end so I'm short just a couple of stripes, but it is still a great size. I'll admit, I was cursing this pattern during the picot bind off of over 800 stitches, but I'm so glad I persevered! The contrast picot edge give the shawl an adorable frame that really takes it over the top.<br />
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Thanks, Stephen for another fun knit! Be sure to stop by the store today from 12 - 1:30 to meet Mr. West in person and see even more of his awesome designs.Fancy Tiger Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929459285152388512noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34040085.post-68607222708755099512014-07-07T08:00:00.000-07:002014-07-07T08:00:00.318-07:00Stephen West and Steven Be are coming to Fancy Tiger! <div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9XuDd3PF9HT4lYkd9g5FYUBLmCCKCQDpQp9sXZYh_gqBWTioHovbkrzSFL6qzbxEonkct9Z7Z4Vb805j_wQu5_VacL9_eFIzxLLfCvnd6Iyc7DEjzQUXzgZjniPVoqKdULlIP4Q/s1600/Steph(v)ens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9XuDd3PF9HT4lYkd9g5FYUBLmCCKCQDpQp9sXZYh_gqBWTioHovbkrzSFL6qzbxEonkct9Z7Z4Vb805j_wQu5_VacL9_eFIzxLLfCvnd6Iyc7DEjzQUXzgZjniPVoqKdULlIP4Q/s1600/Steph(v)ens.jpg" height="400" width="258" /></a></div>
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Stephen West and Steven Be are embarking on a 12 stop tour in July and we are thrilled to be their Colorado home for 2 days. This magical team of knitting and design inspiration will bring an amazing breath of fun, injecting a new element of fashion, energy and creativity to you and your knitting! Both Steph(v)ens will be teaching 2 classes and hosting a trunkshow with yarns and patterns only available live at the event!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Dotted Rays Shawl - Photography & Makeup by Alexandra Feo</span></td></tr>
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July 8th from 6pm-9pm join the Steph(v)ens as they take you through StevenBe's Knit It In a Minute class! This class has no rules and will teach you how to bring the latest fashion trends for this fall right to your needles! There are still a few spaces available, call today to reserve your spot!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikL-pRVAhKnC3yjQ-CDsWAcn_ywM4Og4HfIBeyoiKUnXM6hLC7dLxvo6M37yg4j0bZKC0jQ9u5h7opwEV6LkBIwRZxnss9PgLz62rNm5KQeG1wfNf-OEOdmlI1ORNaC_-fKN4T9A/s1600/StevenBeAsAVerbWrap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikL-pRVAhKnC3yjQ-CDsWAcn_ywM4Og4HfIBeyoiKUnXM6hLC7dLxvo6M37yg4j0bZKC0jQ9u5h7opwEV6LkBIwRZxnss9PgLz62rNm5KQeG1wfNf-OEOdmlI1ORNaC_-fKN4T9A/s1600/StevenBeAsAVerbWrap.jpg" height="232" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Large Striped version of Welty - Photography & Makeup by Alexandra Feo</span></td></tr>
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July 9th from 6pm-9pm <i>Westknits Workshop </i>shows you simple techniques to encourage your creativity in the outcome of your shawl. Unfortunately, this class is already sold out.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Exclusive tour pattern:Welty! Free to students taking classes!</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> - Photography & Makeup by Alexandra Feo</span></td></tr>
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Wednesday July 9th come join us for their fabulous trunk show! From 12PM-1:30PM exclusive tour yarns and patterns will be available for purchase as well as super sweet tour t-shirts! The Stev(ph)ens will have over 40 samples on display to check out in person. Come meet the boys and check out their new designs!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Welted Slouch Hat - Photography & Makeup by Alexandra Feo</span></td></tr>
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See you there!!Fancy Tiger Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929459285152388512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34040085.post-44657744595334771742014-07-04T07:39:00.000-07:002014-07-04T07:39:00.549-07:00Jaime's Nani Iro Quilt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
On a recent trip to Pittsburgh for Quilt Market, Amber and I each came home with a 1/2 meter bundle of the newest Nani Iro double gauze collection. We had been coveting these types of bundles for years and finally took the plunge to owning them ourselves. There was only one thing to do with this: a Nani Iro double gauze quilt. </div>
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<b>Jaime's Nani Iro Quilt</b></div>
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<i>Pattern:</i> Self-designed Half Square Triangles<br />
<i>Fabric</i>: one 1/2 meter bundle of Nani Iro double gauze, 1 each of 20 prints<br />
<i>Size Made</i>: queen - 90" x 96"</blockquote>
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OMG these prints! Super subtle creams and whites, pops of neon and then saturated blues and teals! All with hints of metallic ink on yummy double gauze base fabric. Swoon! You really can't go wrong with this collection. Any way you dice it, a double gauze Nani Iro quilt is going to look stunning. I didn't want to break up the beautiful prints too much so I cut 10 1/2" squares as the base of my half-square triangles. Once I pieced these together, I laid them out in a random pattern - working to break up the saturated colors with the delicate creams. I think the result is amazing, I love this quilt.</div>
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I made up this pattern, which is really just a random assortment of half square triangles (HST). I used the easy HST method of layering fabric squares, stitching them on the diagonal and then cutting them in half, creating two blocks each time I did this. This brilliant method means you don't have to stitch cut bias edges which could stretch. </div>
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For the back I simply pieced together my leftover strips from cutting my squares and combined these strips with a chambray voile. I used our thinnest weight cotton batting so this is the lightest, airiest, summery quilt of all time. Like all my queen-sized quilts, I had this one quilted professionally by Jason of Secret Stash Quilting. We just did a basic panto-gram design in a geometric triangles grid. The quilting echos the front of the quilt, but the light thread makes it disappear on most of the quilt top. I finished it with a bright teal shot cotton binding to frame the quilt and bring out the teals and bright blues of the Nani Iro.<br />
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We still have a few half-meter bundles left if you're dreaming of a Nani Iro quilt of your own. Trust me, you won't be disappointed!Fancy Tiger Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929459285152388512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34040085.post-37776711543197752572014-07-02T09:54:00.000-07:002014-07-02T14:08:51.336-07:00Indigo Dye Day: What We Made!As you know if you're a blog reader, we experimented with our staff last month and dyed some cloth and yarn with <a href="http://fancytiger.blogspot.com/2014/06/indigo-dye-day.html">natural indigo</a>. It was a blast and everyone ended up with beautiful goods to work with.<br />
We gave ourselves a month to whip up something special with our hand dyed goods! Check out our results!<br />
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I made a Camber Set top! I recently finished my Camber Set dress and I liked it so much, I thought I should try out the top version. I wanted a simple design to show off my fabric which is a shibori dyed cotton/silk blend. The silk is a protein fiber and it helped the fabric take the dye better so I got a beautiful hue of indigo on the exposed parts of the fabric. I accordion-folded and then tied my fabric to create this pattern. The silk also gives the top a bit more drape and flow than a 100% cotton would have which I love.</div>
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Allison made this adorable tank that she self-drafted the pattern for! It shows off her shibori dyed Kona great and we love the use of dark indigo thread and contrast stitching. Her shibori technique was to "crumple the fabric and then wrap it with string." It turned out great!<br />
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Katy makes project bags that we all use here at the shop and are available online <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/ModularModular">here</a>. She chose to dye up some cotton fabric to use for her project bags so they are extra-special. She dip-dyed them for a sweet <span style="font-family: inherit;">ombr<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">é</span></span> affect.<br />
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Nathalie dyed up some fingering weight yarn. She wound her yarn into a center pull ball, which made the yarn take on the outside of the call take more dye than the inside. The result is a beautiful yarn with an ombre effect in various shades of indigo. She already whipped up this Hitchhiker shawl - a great one-skein pattern for any sock yarn by Martina Behm.<br />
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Nathalie also dyed a t-shirt which turned out a perfect blue!</div>
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Jess chose to overdye some Nani Iro wata-gauze that was originally a pale, off-white. This flowy, lightweight double gauze is an even looser weave than traditional double gauze. The fabric took the dye great and she made a Nuance tee out of it - Nani Iro's pattern designed just for this fabric - so perfect!<br />
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Jess also dyed some Brown Sheep Burlyspun, super-bulky wool yarn and made a quick knitted cowl. She achieved this speckledy look by putting her yarn in the vat in a twisted skein!<br />
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Kiyomi made a quilt! They incorporated their indigo-dyed cotton fabric with other fabrics to piece together this awesome quilt top.<br />
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Kiyomi also dyed some rayon jersey, which was a real experiment as we didn't know how the rayon would take the dye. It did great! The color is muted because the vats were almost exhausted at this point, but they did get a subtle ombre effect which looks great in this simple tee.<br />
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Miranda was really experimental and dropped all sorts of things in the dye vat including ric rac and sheep locks. She used her indigo locks to make a magical blue unicorn with flowing mane...so cute!<br />
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Miranda also over-dyed some silk! As of now the hot fabric is being worn as a scarf, but soon it will hit the sewing machine! </div>
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Sunne used shibori dyeing techniques to dye this beautiful piece of fabric. She hand stitched this scarf together and embroidered to embellish the lovely finish of this dye! </div>
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Sunne is also working on her very own shawl pattern with the fingering weight yarn she dyed! </div>
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Nice work everyone!Fancy Tiger Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929459285152388512noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34040085.post-27518056913274196942014-06-30T11:13:00.000-07:002014-07-02T14:27:12.425-07:00Nani Iro has arrived! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Its happening again! Our sewing line up consists of the latest Nani Iro fabrics. Not only has Naomi Ito brought us a plethora of our favorite hand painted designs but this collection has such a range in fabric types. Offering high quality fabric in cotton sheeting, double gauze, canvas, and sateen! Think of all the magical things that can be made with such a variety! Many of these fabrics have silver copper and gold metallic tones...swoon... </div>
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To celebrate the latest collection of Nani Iro a group of talented women have declared June <a href="http://www.missmatatabi.com/?p=1287">Nani Iro month</a>! Check out all the amazing things that have been created by a number of bloggers, including <a href="http://lizzyhouse.com/">Lizzy House</a>! Thanks to <a href="http://www.missmatatabi.com/">Miss Matatabi</a> for the inspiring idea!</div>
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Don't worry we have half meter bundles too!<br />
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Check back in a few weeks to see the magic that Jaime and Amber have been crafting up with their Nani Iro bundles! </div>
Fancy Tiger Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929459285152388512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34040085.post-71816159876212509442014-06-27T07:30:00.000-07:002014-07-18T08:07:37.505-07:00Jaime's Camber Set Dress <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I'm slowly making my way through the Merchant & Mills catalog of sewing patterns. My newest sew is the Camber Set dress.</div>
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<i>Pattern:</i> Camber Set Dress by Merchant and Mills<br />
<i>Fabric:</i> 100% linen - 1.75 yds, Nani Iro brushed cotton - 1/2 yd<br />
<i>Size made:</i> UK 10<br />
<i>Alterations</i>: I switched up the neck finish so it has an exposed bias binding all the way around</blockquote>
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<span style="text-align: left;">This pattern is a gently shaped garment that can be either a dress or a shirt. It features set-in sleeves, bust darts and a slightly a-line shape. The garment is quick and simple to cut out and put together. I was worried about this color against my skin so I altered the pattern to add an exposed bias binding all the way around the neckline. This is an easy way to finish the neck and I had just enough Nani Iro brushed cotton leftover from another <a href="http://fancytiger.blogspot.com/2014/02/amber-jaimes-top-64-its-merchant-mills.html">Merchant & Mills sew</a> to make some bias tape for this. </span></div>
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I'm currently obsessed with this color: any form of muted pink or rosy taupe. The types of colors that are not unlike the color of my skin and may or may not be a good choice for me, but I couldn't resist it in a 100% linen. I thought a small bias binding would break up the color and add a nice border at the neck.<br />
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I've already sewn up another Camber in a shirt version that you'll get to see later on the blog. This pattern is nice causal look and I think I'll be coming back to it again and again.</div>
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<br />Fancy Tiger Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929459285152388512noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34040085.post-66272343239909801692014-06-25T07:30:00.000-07:002014-06-25T11:26:43.569-07:00Come Join Us for our 8 Year Anniversary Party! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Holy moly! Can you believe that Fancy Tiger Crafts is celebrating our 8 year anniversary this Saturday, June 28th? We can't begin to express our love and gratitude for our amazing customer support through the years. As always we have made up something special for you to celebrate 8 years of Fancy Tiger Crafts.</div>
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<li>free stickers and pins to everyone!</li>
<li>free gift bags to the first 100 people through the door filled with amazing goodies from our vendors!</li>
<li>free, brand new Fancy Tiger Crafts Knitting or Sewing kits with purchase over $20 (limit 1 per customer)</li>
<li>limited edition t-shirts available for purchase</li>
<li>free delicious pretzels in the shape of an 8 from local Bavarian pretzel master, Baker Street Pretzels, will be available from noon til they last</li>
<li>limited edition and numbered Fancy Tiger 8 Year anniversary sparkly sock yarn dyed by Sleep Season Goods will be available for purchase</li>
<li>high fives & funtimes!</li>
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Fancy schwag! Buttons and stickers are free just for stopping by!</div>
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You will have your choice of receiving a free Fancy Knitting Kit or Fancy Sewing Kit with your purchase of $20 or more, limit 1 per customer, please.<br />
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Super Fancy Sewing Kit packed with the essentials! We put together these adorable kits to giveaway free with $20 purchase. Limit 1 per customer, please.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Latest and greatest Fancy t-shirt! Wear your FTC pride with love! We have these locally printed by A Small Print Shop in a super-soft tee in ladies s - xxl and mens xs - xxl.</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The first 100 people through the door on Saturday get one of these sweet gift bags from our amazing vendors. They are filled with awesome books, patterns, yarn, kits, and fabric! For those of you willing to wait in line for one of these babies, you'll be happy to know that The Bumblebee food truck will be out front selling delicious pastries from 8am on.</span></span></div>
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We can't wait to celebrate with you! Stop by anytime Saturday June 28th 10am-7pm for funtimes!<br />
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xoxo</div>
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Amber, Jaime and the Tigresses!</div>
Fancy Tiger Craftshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929459285152388512noreply@blogger.com7