Fancy Tiger Crafts

TNNA Report Winter 2012

2012-01-27T12:35:00.000-08:00

Amber, Jess and I just got back from Phoenix where we attended the Winter National Needle Arts trade show. This is where we get to see what's new and exciting in the yarn world and order new yarns, books, patterns and notions! We were really excited to go since we have lots more space now and can expand our yarn offerings! We will have lots of lovely new products coming into the shop over the next few months that we ordered - here is a small preview of some of the awesomeness to come...

We have been dreaming of the Fibre Company yarns for some time and as soon as we walked into their booth - and were greeted by the charming and adorable Courtney Kelley and Hannah Fettig - we knew it was the right company for us. Their gorgeous yarns are all spun and dyed in the U.S. They have designed fabulous patterns so you will have no problem finding something to knit with them. We picked out palettes of two yarns - the Road to China Light (a fingering weight alpaca/silk/cashmere/camel blend) and Terra (a worsted merino/silk/alpaca blend) and we ordered lots of their beautiful patterns. We also ordered Hannah Fettig's new book of patterns, Coastal Knits, that you will love!

Ysolda Teague was signing copies of her two new books, Whimsical Little Knits 3 and Saturday Treat. Jess and Ysolda were both sporting their new button hats (a pattern from WLK3) so it was a great photo-op moment! Both new books are on their way to the store and Ysolda will be treating us to a visit here at Fancy Tiger Crafts on February 17th to do a lecture and book signing!

One thing we knew we wanted to carry once we moved into our new store was the Schacht Cricket Loom. This affordable, table-top, rigid heddle loom is a great beginner loom and introduction to weaving - and made right in Boulder! We were able to try it out and we think you will love it! Look forward to its arrival in late spring and classes with Liz Gibson this summer.

It's always fun when we get to visit the Habu booth. We love them for their many interesting and unique yarns and picked up three new Habu yarns. We are super excited about this paper chenille yarn and the matching pattern by Cocoknits for little airplant pot holders. Perfection.

The most exciting thing that happened at TNNA was meeting with our favorite producer of heritage breed US yarns - Jeane deCoster, the woman behind Elemental Affects. We will be working with Jeane to develop her new US grown and milled 100% Romney yarn, our first private label yarn. We were able to decide on the palette to be dyed and we will be coming up with names and labels for the new yarn. It is a beautiful, hardy yarn that is everything we could have ever dreamed our first yarn would be. We can hardly wait to share all the details so stay tuned.

At the end of it all we couldn't resist getting our country on with Ysolda and Miriam Felton!

It's Time to Register for the Makerie Retreat!

2012-01-25T07:18:00.000-08:00

We can't wait for the second annual Makerie retreat April 19th-22nd!

Jaime and I had tons of fun last year setting up shop in Boulder for the weekend in our Fancy Tiger Crafts pop-up shop. We were also delighted to take classes from the adorable and talented textile designer Lizzy House. This year we'll to return to the Makerie and choose classes from instructors including Liesl Gibson, Jenny Doh, Allison Bozeman, Alexandra Cave, Marisa Anne and lots more.

The Makerie takes place at Chautauqua, at the base of the scenic Flatiron rock formations in Boulder. Classes are already filling up, so be sure to register right away if you want to claim a spot!

Better Know a Designer+Blog Giveaway: Jean Moss of Sweet Shawlettes!

2012-01-24T10:53:00.000-08:00

Today we are happy to welcome Jean Moss to our little corner of the internet! Jean is an amazing knitter and recently published a book of knitting patterns for sweet little shawls, aptly name Sweet Shawlettes. She also hosts knitting tours of York, Ireland and Morocco--we dream of joining her on one of her tours!

You can win a copy of her new book--see the details at the end of this post!

Jean Moss

Jean, tell us a little about how you learned to knit.

Originally I learned to knit before I went to school because I wanted to be like my beloved grandmother who spent hours teaching me. A fallow period ensued but my interest was rekindled in my teens when I started to make my own clothes. It was the swinging sixties and I loved what I was seeing on the street and in magazines, but had no way of achieving anything similar other than to pick up my needles again. From then on I was hooked.

It never occurred to me that I'd ever be able to make a living out of it, especially as I had no formal training in design, but after getting requests for sweaters I'd made for the kids, I decided that it might be a way of making some extra cash from home. No-one was more surprised than I was to find that very quickly I was presenting my designs to luminaries such as Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein and they were placing orders! It was a meteoric learning curve!

Vamp Boa from Sweet Shawlettes

I noticed you not only write books, you also host knitting tours. What are some of your favorite places to visit?

Our tours were born out of a desire to share some of my favourite places with other knitters. Back in 2000 I was invited to do a workshop at the Rowan Mill in Holmfirth to a group of lovely American visitors on a UK tour hosted by Vogue Knitting. My partner, Philip, and I were struck by the fact that their American guides were not familiar with deepest Yorkshire at all.

Reasoning we could do that, we launched our own programme of tours, initially in the UK, but now further afield to Morocco last year and Ireland this year. We only visit places we know well, so that we can offer our visitors a personal off-the-beaten-track experience. This was made possible in Morocco by the fact that we have a family member who has lived in Casablanca for many years.

Our aim is to offer the very best of the British knitting scene. Although knitting and yarn feature heavily in our tours, we also try to mix in beautiful gardens, great food, quirky people and places, and local musicians. The aim is to create a house party atmosphere, where our visitors can unwind with kindred spirits, rubbing shoulders with top designers like Alice Starmore, Sasha Kagan, Martin Storey, Erika Knight, Debbie Bliss, Sue Duckworth, Debbie Abrahams & Sarah Hatton.

Some of our people started a special Travellers with Jean Moss group on Ravelry, where you can speak with past and present participants and get their feedback. Friendships are made and cemented, and many come back year after year. This is why we’re constantly on the lookout for new locations. Morocco last year, Ireland this year, next year we're considering Amsterdam and the Peloponese in Greece - two other destinations we know and love.

Are your sweet shawlettes inspired by some of the places you've been?

Absolutely! Kardamili is named after one of our favourite villages in the Mani, Greece. In the Brontë fichu, I used a delicate fishtail lace pattern in recycled silk and cotton, as the texture and colours of the yarn remind me of the windswept crags and heather moors of Brontë’s Yorkshire home.

Bronte Fichu | Ceilidh Shawlette

Ceilidh is reminiscent of my Lancashire childhood, when I used to wear a red plaid kilt every winter, as well as my many visits to Edinburgh both independently and on our tours. There's also a wealth of inspiration in the old ganseys of the seafaring folk of the British Isles. Polperro is a contemporary take on these patterns and named for one of my favourite Cornish villages, latterly famous for its knitters.

Polperro Cape

Garland takes me straight to Venice, where I love to be at this time of year, as it's quiet, spooky and full of mystery and in the evenings there's the passeggiata – the free catwalk show that Italians excel at – glitz with style! I was once snowed in there in early February, the lagoon was frozen and the planes couldn't get in or out – heaven!

Sweet Shawlettes was wrapped up just before we left for Knit Morocco, so as I was still in the shawlette swing, I designed another shawlette on the tour. I would have loved to include it in the book, but sadly it was too late. However, subsequently I was asked by Taunton to gift a shawl to the upcoming Prayer Shawl Companion so I found a good home for it there. Morocco is a designers dream, complete sensory overload everywhere you look, and I love to think my pattern, Marrakech, captured a little piece of its magic.

Thanks Jean!

To win a copy of Jean's book, Sweet Shawlettes, leave us a comment by Friday, January 27th at 6pm MST telling us your favorite scenic place to take your knitting (or where you dream of going). Make sure to include your contact email. We will chose one winner randomly to receive a free copy of Sweet Shawlettes!

If you want to make sure to get your own copy, stop in and purchase the book at Fancy Tiger!

SWEET SHAWLETTES blog tour

Mon 2 Jan More Yarn Will Do The Trick – Jean Moss
Tues 3 Jan Wendy Knits - Wendy Johnson

Wed 4 Jan Knitgrrl - Shannon Okey

Thurs 5 Jan Yarnagogo – Rachael Herron

Fri 6 Jan The Knitter – Rosee Woodland

Sat 7 Jan Rhythm of the Needles – Joanne Conklin

Sun 8 Jan Knit Purl Gurl – Karrie Steinmetz

Mon 9 Jan CraftSanity – Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood

Tues 10 Jan Planet Purl – Beth Moriarty

Wed 11 Jan Sunset Cat – Stephannie Tallent

Thurs 12 Jan A Really Good Yarn – Julie Schilthuis

Fri 13 Jan knit 1 chicago – Lynn Coe

Sat 14 Jan Go Knit In Your Hat – Carol Sulcoski

Sun 15 Jan Redshirt Knitting – Erika Barcott

Mon 16 Jan In The Loop – Cheryl & Ellen

Tues 17 Jan WEBS – Kathy Elkins

Wed 18 Jan Zeneedle – Margene Smith

Thurs 19 Jan Knitspot – Anne Hanson

Fri 20 Jan Urban Yarns – Alexa Ludeman

Sat 21 Jan A Friend to knit with – Leslie Friend

Mon 23 Jan Tentenknits – Margaux Hufnagel

Tues 24 Jan Fancy Tiger Crafts – Amber Corcoran
Wed 25 Jan Chic Knits – Bonne Marie Burns
Thurs 26 Jan The Panopticon – Franklin Habit

Jaime's Brickroad Cowl

2012-01-19T07:51:00.000-08:00

Ever since we ordered the Madelinetosh Light yarn at the June TNNA, I have been dreaming of knitting up this cowl. The Brickroad Cowl pattern is a pattern by Madelinetosh that shows off the beauty of the fingering merino yarn perfectly. I cast on back in October and just finished it! (We were pretty busy over the holiday season moving the shop and all...)

I love this cowl! The pattern calls for two colors and I knew back in June that I wanted to use the neon Edison Bulb and subtle, creamy Antler for mine. The cowl is knit in the round, alternating the color pattern in the middle, and then seamed with a 3 needle bind off to finish. The result is a thick, double weight tube with a reversible color pattern. The color pattern is a simple slip knit pattern that is easy to memorize after a couple of rounds and makes for an easy and mindless knit. I love the way the cream color slightly subdues the neon.

Of course, since this is Madelinetosh Light it is super soft and the double layers make it wonderfully warm. You will probably be able to spot me from anywhere in this cowl, so be sure to say "hi" next time you see me in it!

Scrumptious Yarn by Fyberspates is Here!

2012-01-17T07:17:00.000-08:00

Beautiful, lustrous skeins of Scrumptious are here from Fyberspates! These 55% merino/45% silk blend yarns are little balls of luxury! We are totally digging the color palette--and guess what--some of the colors are designed by the darling Ysolda Teague!

Meet the yarns: Scrumptious Chunky is a silky single-ply...

...Scrumptious Lace is a delicate 2-ply lace--1000 meters (that's a kilometer!) of yarn to 100g--which means just one skein is plenty to make a gorgeous knitted lace shawl...

...and here is Scrumptious Aran, a shiny plied aran-weight yarn. I think it would make the prettiest cabled hat in town!

Better Know A Crafter: Melissa & Ting Lester

2012-01-12T07:48:00.000-08:00

Melissa is an amazing knitter and her daughter, Ting, is a totally adorable knitwear model. Ting is pretty proud of her knitting designer mom--she spun around the store showing us this tweedy sweater coat that her mom designed. So cute!

Melissa & Ting Lester

What do you do?

I work in Earth Science publishing but I would really love to be a knitwear designer! I love designing my own sweaters, but I can't seem to actually write down what I do...yet. I learned to knit when I was 16, but I only recently picked it up again when I found Ravelry.

Tell us about the two sweaters you've made!
I'm wearing Warriston by Kate Davies, which I just finished. It's made with 2 skeins of Cascade Eco+. I wear it just about every day. My daughter is wearing something I designed, Pipit Sweater Coat (free on Ravelry), made with Debbie Bliss Donegal Aran Tweed.

How did you learn to be such an amazing knitter?
My mom taught me to knit, her mom taught her. I went to boarding school, so I'd knit till I ran into a problem--like a dropped stitch--and I'd put it down until I went home for Thanksgiving or the next holiday. It was slow going.

What is your favorite animal?
Naked mole rat--I want to knit them sweaters!

Thanks Melissa and Ting! Happy knitting!

An Abundance of Locally Handspun Yarns!

2012-01-10T13:11:00.000-08:00

Local handspun yarns galore! We've just picked up yarns and roving by local handspinners and hand-dyers. We love the texture and colors that you just can't get any other way. Meet some of our local artisans and their yarns!

Eat Agar by local handspinner Desiree is a delicate single ply yarn that is just a little bit crazy, with its tweedy mix of fibers and colors, and a few perfectly placed lumps and bumps.

Pinkilicious handspun by Pink is a chunky single with a high twist, hand-dyed in super saturated colors.

Sleep Season Goods by Megan features hand-dyed sock yarns and handspun yarn from wool that Megan dyes herself in gorgeous colors. Hey handspinners, we also carry her roving for you to spin up too!

Stop by soon to see all these beauties for yourself!

Our New Home!

2012-01-05T11:06:00.000-08:00

It's official! We are all moved into Fancy Tiger Craft's new home at 59 Broadway! We rang in the new year surrounded by friends and family who graciously volunteered their time to help us move and we couldn't be more thankful.

We are so excited about our new space! If you haven't stopped by the new location yet, we'd love to see your pretty face and show you around! We are now located just one block north of our old shop on Broadway.

We now have two registers and two cutting tables for the utmost efficiency!

This giant community table and cozy faux fire will host knitting classes, crochet classes and community nights like Craft Night, Man Made, and Open Spin Night!

Colorful yarns galore to choose from! Eric Johnson, local illustrator and sign painter, hand painted these beautiful old-school "advertisements" throughout the store.

Cheery walls of fabric are here to greet you!

Our hand-spinning and felting supplies are now housed on the main floor for easy shopping.

Branwyn loves her new shop!

A New Year and New Echino!

2012-01-03T10:21:00.000-08:00

As you may know, we just moved into our brand new store and that means we have a ton of new fabric and yarn. There are so many new collections out, you should probably stop by asap! We are most excited about the new Echino collection of which we have every bolt available! Etsuko Furuya, the woman behind the Echino design is my favorite fabric designer and this collection does not disappoint.

The colors are the same bright colors we have all come to know and love with lots of fuchsia, yellow, black and aqua all on the 55% linen/45% cotton blend that is great and sturdy for bags, skirts, and even quilts! There are border prints of flower fields, a cheater cloth patchwork print, and cockatiel dots. Etsuko has added some new animals to her repertoire and this time we get to see zebras, okapi, and leopards.

Rejoice! Stay tuned to see and hear more about our brand new store!

Cat's Year Long Afghan Class is almost here!

2011-12-29T09:20:00.000-08:00

2011 was the first year that we offered Cat's afghan class and it was a total success! We are super excited to announce that the 2012 Afghan class is about to begin. This class is good for beginning crocheters and it is free! That's right - one year of amazing crochet and tunisian crochet instruction for free - you just have to purchase your yarn for the afghan here at Fancy Tiger Crafts to enroll.

Each month you will meet for a 2 hour class and Cat will show you a new stitch that you will use to make a new square for your afghan. By the end of the year, you will have 12 amazing and different squares to stitch together into a finished project. Don't worry - she'll show you that part too.

Stop by the store and we can help you pick out the perfect yarn for your afghan and get you all signed up. For more info on dates and times, click here.

Fancy Tiger Crafts is About to Get Even More Amazing!

2011-12-27T09:18:00.000-08:00

We are super excited about our upcoming move one block north to 59 Broadway. This has been in the works for over a year now and finally we will be able to share with you all of the awesomeness that is about to come! Our new location will be shared with our sister store, Fancy Tiger Clothing, as well as new-comer-to-South Broadway, Buffalo Exchange. Each store will have their own unique and beautiful space in the original Woolworth's building built in 1913. We have renovated the building (which had sat empty for 5 years) into a warm and welcoming space for our three creative and locally-owned businesses to flourish.

The new crafts space is 2 1/2 times as big as our current store! It will allow us to expand our offerings of your favorite crafts supplies (still sticking with our love of textile and fiber related crafts), but more importantly we want to offer you, our friends and patrons, a relaxing and community-oriented shopping experience. There will be more space for you to shop, the products will be easier to see and better displayed, and there will be a crafting area for hanging out and getting your craft on at all times of the day. Two registers and cutting tables will mean we can give you more attention and help with your purchases and less time waiting in line. Do you need to sit down while browsing books and patterns? No problem! Do you need to spread bolts of fabric out to plan your next quilt? No problem! Do you need a relaxing place to sit and knit on your lunch break? Come on over!

We will have 3 classrooms - 2 sewing studios and 1 knitting and crochet studio. The sewing studios are larger and located on the main level - the extra space will mean less waitlists and more class offerings. We will also be hosting tons of free community events and would love to work with your crafting group - things are already in the works for events with the Denver Handmade Alliance, Craftsy, and AIGA Craftworks!

Two more things: 1. there is a parking lot. 2. there is a fireplace

The big move will take place over the New Year's holiday - we will be closing the shop here at 1 S. Broadway on December 31st - look for us to reopen at 59 Broadway by January 4th. This is the last week to see us in our adorable and well-loved home at 1 S. Broadway, so stop by to say your goodbyes if your feeling a little sentimental!

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-25T08:12:00.000-08:00

All of us at Fancy Tiger Crafts are wishing you a magical holiday season filled with lots of crafty goodness. Thanks so much for your continued support!

Better Know A Crafter Holiday Edition: Milton!

2011-12-22T07:30:00.000-08:00

When adorable knitter, Milton, first showed us his plans for a hand knitted adult onesie, our crafty little minds were blown. We watched his progress with glee. (You might remember Milton as the winner of our daybreak knit-along.)

Our holiday dreams finally came true when we received photos of Milton in his completed hand knitted onesie, sharing his Christmas wish list with Santa Claus.

After knitting for only 2 years, Milton created this one of a kind garment as he went along without any pattern to go by. We think that's pretty amazing! It looks like about the coziest thing ever, too.

Nice work, Milton, we can't wait to see what you craft up next!

Betsy Made A Million Things This Year!

2011-12-20T07:44:00.000-08:00

Betsy is super crafty and we love having her working here at Fancy Tiger Crafts. She inspires us with her amazing and prolific crafty style and thought you might like to see what she's been up to this year!

Betsy

One of the best parts of working at Fancy Tiger Crafts is being surrounded by inspiration everyday. Between the incredible customer projects and all the new fun yarn and fabric, we all have a mental list of a million projects that we would like to do. If only there was the time! I have to say this year turned out to be quite productive and fun. Here are a few of my favorite projects.

In January, I started my very first sweater in the My Favorite Sweater class here at the store. I used the Cascade Eco Wool, so soft and lovely to work with, and turned it into a custom sweater that fits like a glove.

This little shawl was a stash buster that I started on a plane trip. The Mizutama Shawl pattern by Olga Jazzy had caught my eye with it's simple geometric lace work. It was a perfect intro to lace and the pattern can be done top down or bottom up. By making it bottom up I was able to bind off when I was done with my skein and call it good. The little felt flower hair pin is something I whipped up for our holiday party.

My favorite project this year is the whisper cardigan that I knitted in the Habu Silk Tweed. This light weight cardigan is perfect for the Denver weather and I absolutely love how the yarn knitted up!

Making the Whisper Cardigan got me hooked on Habu yarn and especially the patterns that are designed for it. I had been want to try the metal yarns they have and ended up pairing the Copper/Bamboo with some Alpaca lace that I had in my stash to make Kirsten Johnstone's Hakusa Scarf!

Since I started working at Fancy Tiger I had been watching fabric lines come in with the hope of finding the perfect inspiration for my first quilt. When French General's La Petite Ecole line came in I knew exactly what I had to do. Three charm packs, the adorable alphabet panel for the back and red stripes for the border and binding and I was set to go.

For my first quilt, I couldn't be happier about how this turned out. The charm packs made piecing so easy that the hardest part of the quilt top was deciding on the layout. Once I had it basted, Jessica Bridge, our quilting instructor at Fancy Tiger (and my personal Quilt Guru), talked me into getting creative with the quilting and I'm so glad that she did. The center of the quilt is a cross-hatch stitch, the white squares are a square spiral stitch, then there is a double echo stitch on the blue and grey, followed by 3 simple stripes through the reds. Doing all the extra quilting left me with a ton of knot to bury but it was completely worth it. I absolutely love this quilt and all that I put into it. But here is the secret, this baby is full of mistakes; squares that don't line up perfectly, quilted lines that look like drunk driving and even the binding has a few glitches if you look for them. But guess what? No one ever does.

I do love my quilt but I must say that my favorite sewn project of the year is my Button Flap Purse. It's been months now and I am still in love with it. The fabric is retro transistor radios from Melody Miller's Ruby Star Rising collection. I bought the fabric right away waiting for the right project and when we started carrying Jen Giddens' bag patterns, I knew had the winning combination with her Button Flap Purse.

This bag was a cinch to put together. I love how well the Echino dots work for the straps and an orange vintage Casein Button double as a radio dial for the snap. It is the perfect size to carry a book and the essentials.

Thanks Betsy!

Using Fabric Scraps Makes Things Cute!

2011-12-15T07:34:00.000-08:00

We love all kinds of crafts--including crafts of the food variety, like baking, cooking and preserving food! Jams, pickles, preserves, and sauces make great gifts. They are a functional handmade gift that captures a seasonal taste from the spring or summer and can show off the fruits of your garden!

I have a lot of peach jams and salsas I made this summer from height-of-the-season Colorado peaches. I can hardly wait to give these as gifts and I packaged them each with beautiful fabric from my scrap bin. A 6" x 6" square piece of fabric is all you need to make an adorable statement for your jam, jelly, or sauce. I tied the fabric on with some nettle yarn and little tags I printed up on kraft paper. Packaged food = done!

Amber and I also love to wild-craft herbs and food whenever we're out in nature. This summer when we went on separate camping/hiking trips to two different parts of Colorado, we were surprised that we both brought back wild-crafted rose hips! Rose hips are the vitamin-packed fruit of the rose plant. The mountains of Colorado have tons of wild roses growing, and late August is a great time to harvest these sweet little gems. Here is what we did with them - some delicious jelly!

Wildcrafted Rose Hip Jelly Recipe

We gathered our rose hips in the mountains, but you can easily urban forage these abundant fruits. Stay away from any roses that might have pesticides on them, though! The larger the rose hips, the better for jelly, as they will have more of the fruity flesh.

2 quarts rose hips
6 cups water
1 package or 1/4 cup of no-sugar pectin
3 1/2 cups sugar
cheesecloth
colander or strainer
canning jars with lids (enough for 4 - 5 cups of jelly)

Cut off the dried flower bits and the stem from rose hips and wash them.
Put rose hips in a large pot with water, cover and bring to a boil. Simmer for 1 to 1-1/2 hours until the fruits are easily mashed.
This is a good time to sterilize your jars and lids.
Once the rose hips are done mash them up really good. Let the mixture steep as it cools.
Place a strainer over a large bowl. Line the strainer with 4 layers of cheesecloth. This will keep the seeds out of your jelly, which is very important. The hairy seeds are irritating and would not be pleasant to eat. If any sneak into your jelly be sure to get them out.
Now strain your precious rose hip nectar! Use the back of a spoon to press most of the juice out. Once your cheesecloth gets pretty full you can wrap the hip remnants up in it and squeeze the remaining juice out with your hands.
You should have about 3 cups of juice. Add some water if you have less to make 3 cups.
Set out your sterile jars and prepare a water bath for processing.
Combine rose hip juice in a saucepan with pectin. Bring to a boil and add sugar. Bring to a hard boil for 1 minute. Pour into the sterile jars. Seal and process in water bath for 5 minutes.

Enjoy!

Crafting With Cat Hair is the Coolest! plus Cat-tastic Blog Giveaways!

2011-12-12T07:08:00.000-08:00

If there is one thing we've learned from living a crafty lifestyle, it's that cats and crafting go hand in hand. Crafters love cats and cats sure do love their crafters. (Deets on the giveaways at the end of the post!)

Egon is my very handsome and very hairy cat. Like many long haired cats, Egon has a tendency to shed giant tumbleweeds of soft fluffy down on a daily basis--something not every cat owner might appreciate. A handspinner or knitter, on the other hand, sees the lighter-than-air fluffballs floating by and thinks, "that's softer than angora, warmer than wool and it's from the tidiest animal I know!"

..and so after a recent cat-brushing sesh with Egon I sat down at my spinning wheel and spun up a peachy 2-ply fingering weight yarn from my beloved kitten. Then I began knitting a little friend for him.

Egon is a huge fan of his mini-self!

You can make one too! Look for our new Minikitti knitting pattern soon at Fancy Tiger. (Details at the bottom of this post on how you can win a copy now and be the first to knit it!)

If spinning and knitting aren't your forte, but you have feline friends, you will definitely want to pick up the new book, Crafting With Cat Hair. This amazing book covers the best ways to collect and prepare your cat's hair for awesome felting projects, like a felted cat cameo pin, or a miniature needlefelted kitty friend!

If you love cats as much as we do, leave a comment here by December 15th at 5pm PST and we will choose six winners at random to receive a free copy of the Minikitti knitting pattern and a cat-related prize (it won't be the Crafting with Cat Hair book, but it will be good) courtesy of Random House! Winners will be announced here on December 18th. Thanks for visiting!

Thanks, Sew Mama Sew, for coordinating Giveaway Day 2011!

And the winners are...

Amy

Susan

If you are a winner and you have not received an email from us, please send us an email with your mailing address so we can send you your prize! fancytiger@gmail.com

Holiday Handmade Memories 2011!

2011-12-09T15:37:00.000-08:00

We had tons of magical times at this year's Fancy Tiger Holiday Handmade craft fair! We hope you were able to join us for some amazing holiday shopping from local handcrafters. All the vendors blew us away with their lovely products and beautiful displays. We are constantly amazed with the amount of talent we have in our community!

We were thrilled to have a surprise visit from the rogue street band, Boba Fett and the Americans! To everyone's delight, they crashed the craft fair on Friday night and caused an impromptu dance party.

Also a new element this year was Yaggi Digital's Fancy Tiger Photo Booth. Vendors were photographed with their wares and shoppers with their purchases. Jaime, Krista and I had some fun getting photographed, too, with a fancy tiger! Click here to see all the photos from the Fancy Tiger Photo Booth.

Thanks to everyone who participated in, volunteered for and attended Holiday Handmade. It was amazing!

Better Know A Crafter: Allison Page

2011-12-06T07:46:00.000-08:00

Allison is just about the most adorable crafter we know. She recently moved back to Denver and has been crafting up a storm with her knitting and sewing ever since we met her. She recently picked up one of our cross-stitch iPhone cases and amazed us by creating her own magical unicorn design.

Allison Page

What makes you so crafty?

I'm a librarian but my #1 passion is crafting. I come from a long line of crafters--my mom and grandma are awesome. My fav craft is knitting. Thanks to Fancy Tiger I'm starting to sew!

Tell us about making your sweet unicorn phone case!
I made a cross-stitched iPhone case. I looked at a unicorn picture and just sketched it out on graph paper, it grew from there.

Allison's sweet unicorn design

How did you learn to do what you do?
I cross- stitched when I was younger. My mom bought me my first kit. When I saw these iPhone cases come out I knew I had to get stitchin' again.

What is your favorite animal?
Sloths and dogs.

Thanks Allison! Happy stitching and knitting!

Holiday Handmade Craft Fair this Friday & Saturday!!

2011-12-01T07:30:00.000-08:00

It's officially December and we can hardly wait--Holiday Handmade is almost here!

This Friday and Saturday, we at Fancy Tiger Crafts are pleased to present the 4th Annual Holiday Handmade alternative craft fair!

Holiday Handmade will feature 70 local crafters who are creating unique, quality work by hand and are on the forefront of Denver’s new wave of craft, and is the perfect venue to support local economy and buy handmade! Choose from locally handmade items such as needlefelted ornaments, handbound journals, jewelry, bloomers, terrariums, handsewn dog collars, and one-of-a-kind ceramics to name a few of the amazing products that will be offered. Some vendors include: Mr. Christmas, The Pin Pals, Darling Ruth, Mountain Girl Organics, Ash and Ore, Sweet Letterpress, Hip Violet, Swear Jar Designs, and Vital Industries. This year's Holiday Handmade has 30 brand new vendors! Sugar Bakeshop will be providing sweet treats and warm beverages again this year, and food trucks will be providing attendees with savory items right outside the venue. This event is not to be missed!

Clockwise from top left: Becky's Buttons & Things, Bussard Design Studio, Mr. Christmas, Mountain Girl Organics, Ekouture, Alex Watson Pottery--just a few of the amazing local vendors!

The Denver Handmade Alliance is sponsoring Fancy Tiger's Holiday Handmade again this year. The first 50 lucky people through the door both Friday and Saturday will receive a tote bag with goodies from local designers brought to you by the Denver Handmade Alliance.

Come prepared to find your favorite vendors and locate the ones you haven't seen before! Download and print your own Holiday Handmade Vendor Map right here!

See you soon!

Better Know A Crafter: Shannon Wiggins

2011-11-29T07:55:00.000-08:00

Whenever Shannon and Ezra come into the store we all squeal and gasp to see what adorable handmade things he is wearing. Shannon always keeps herself and Ezra decked out in fashionable sewn and knit garments. We think he is in the running for cutest kid in town--I mean, right?

Shannon Wiggins

Tell us about yourself--what kinds of crafts do you do?

I'm a stay at home mama. I have an online cloth diaper biz. I love to sew, knit, spin fiber and make dolls.

What have you been making?
Lots of knit and sewn items for my son. I knit sweaters & pants and sew apparel & diapers. I've also made a few Waldorf dolls.

How did you learn to do what you do?
I'm self taught!

What is your favorite animal?
Dogs fo' sho'!

Thanks Shannon! Happy crafting and we can't wait to see you guys again!

Staff Holiday Gift Picks: Part 2

2011-11-25T11:27:00.000-08:00

Welcome to part 2 of our 2011 Staff Holiday Gift Picks! By the way, tomorrow is Small Business Saturday, and we have something for you! Shoppers who stop in this Saturday the 26th to support local and spend $20 or more will receive a special little gift from Fancy Tiger Crafts. Hope to see you soon!

Now, here is the rest of the fancy gang sharing their favorite crafty items. Come by and see us for more great ideas!

Greetings! I'm Emily, and I teach advanced knitting, spinning and other more esoteric skills here at Fancy Tiger Crafts. I love constantly pushing my skills, and am often caught crafting in public. Knitting is definitely my first craft, but I love spinning, sewing, quilting, crochet, naalbinding, leatherwork, metalwork, beadwork, and whatever else I can get my hands into! I don't know if you all heard the news, but the fabulous Ysolda Teague was recently in town teaching classes here at Fancy Tiger Crafts. Her most recent book, Little Red in the City, is an amazingly complete guide to basic sweater design and beyond! It is a great book for those who just want to follow a pattern too, but beware, those treacherously delightful design chapters might suck you in sooner or later! My super-spectacular Holiday Gift suggestion would be to pair this book with a sweater's worth of yarn in something totally delicious like the all natural undyed heritage breed yarns from Blacker or the organic undyed New Mexican wool. So beautiful!

Liberty of London fabric is the most coveted fabric in the shop and makes an extra-special gift for your favorite seamstress or seamster. Getting a cut of Liberty fabric (or perhaps a collection of 3 different 1/2 yds?) is the perfect gift for the discerning fabric connoisseur. Liberty is so special that some people are too scared to cut into it or perhaps can't find the perfect project for it - this is why the new book "The Liberty Book of Home Sewing" would make an excellent companion gift. This new and beautiful book is chock full of projects perfect for showing off your Liberty. There are lots of projects for even small cuts or scraps of Liberty fabric so your special gift of Liberty will not go unused! We just received a new shipment so we have over 25 beautiful prints to choose from!

Of course, any knitter loves to receive yarn for their stash but if I could recommend one yarn to give as a gift this year it would any of the HABU metallic yarns. This yarn comes in either a silk stainless steel blend or copper bamboo. Both of which are so beautifully unique and can make a simple project extraordinary. I'm currently making a scarf with a copper bamboo edging and I'm in love with how it is turning out! Knitters also love new patterns and, fortunately, modern knit designer, Olga Jazzy, has a bit of a thing for Habu yarns. You can choose from a variety of her geometric inspired patterns or her incredible book, Ori Ami Knits.

Hello! My name is Melissa, I'm newish to working here at Fancy Tiger Crafts. Newish in that I briefly worked here last year and am back helping for this holiday season. I'm so excited, since I love Fancy Tiger as a customer and it is wonderful to be surrounded by creative, amazing people. My holiday suggestion would be the new book by Sarai Mitnick from Colette Patterns, The Colette Sewing Handbook. It is simply awesome with several cute patterns and a wealth of knowledge from fabric types to finishing techniques. One pattern I am super excited about is the Licorice dress and I think it would be perfect in our Joel Dewberry Heirloom voile, any of them, but the Paisley pattern in amber would be really fun. Plus this fabric is dreamy to touch and would give the perfect drape for this dress. So if you have a sewist in your life I would definitely pick up this book for them! See you in the store! Bye.

Hello! I'm Branwyn, the trusty shop dog! You may have given me a pat on the head or a treat before. For that, you are my friend for life. My gift recommendation is for the crafty dog lover, of whom I know quite a few. The Style Hounds sweater kits include organic wool yarn and a knitting pattern to make really classy dog sweaters, like cabled sweaters and houndstooth patterns and such. When we get blustery cold winter weather, I know from experience that pups can use a lovingly handcrafted sweater, too!

------------------
xoxo,
Fancy Tiger Crafts

Staff Holiday Gift Picks: Part 1

2011-11-24T07:02:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the 2011 gift picks from our fanciest of Fancy Tiger staff!

Being surrounded every day by the most amazing craft supplies of all time is pretty great, and it gives us a lot of time to think about our favorite items. Here is what we are dreaming of, and what might just be the perfect thing for someone crafty on your gift list...

Hey ya'll Jess here! After being out of the country for 8 months, it was such a delight coming back to my crafty land here at Fancy Tiger. I missed so many incredible new items! Throughout my travels I fell in love with the Korean craft scene. When the Neo Stitch cross stitch case for the Iphone 4 arrived from Korea, I got weak in the knees. My head was full of magical ideas--all of course inspired by adorable Asia--ranging from Hello Kitty to a heart filled love portrait of me and my boyfriend. This kit comes with a chart book, a needle, and thread! What more could you ask for?! I'll tell you what else you could ask for.... more thread! My Neo Stitch companion would be Anna Maria Horner's inspired palette of embroidery floss, which adds 12 more colors to work with. Way happy fun times ahead for me and making my phone a case full of love and joy. Annyeong hi gaseyo! (goodbye!)

Hi, it's Amber here! This winter I'm all about staying cozy. Sarah, one of the amazing Fancy Tiger instructors, keeps making the most cozy and fashionable tops from our eco-friendly jerseys. Two of the classes I'm itchin' to take are Sarah's Serger 101 and 201 classes! Covered are skills on the serger, plus, in the 201 class you get to make the most flattering and comfy sweatshirt of all time. A gift certificate for these sewing classes paired with a couple yards of our hemp/organic cotton jersey would be a pretty awesome treat for a sewer who wants to expand their sewing repertoire!

This Yule my heart belongs to me...and Tracie! Tracie is the name of a two ply, sport weight yarn by Imperial Stock Ranch. It is rustic enough to hold strong through years of tough winters, and soft enough to wear casually. Tracie is extremely beautiful, and has a lofty attitude. After much frustration trying to find the perfect sweater pattern for myself, I have been inspired by the great Ysolda Teague to design my own sweater. Tracie and I have learned that designing a sweater incorporates a lot of math, and planning. While we were squishing each other at Fancy Tiger, a good friend recommended the book Sweater Design In Plain English by Maggie Righetti. At a glance, Tracie and I were excited to see that somebody had spent time developing a step-by-step book about how to design an array of sweaters based on individual gauge and yarn choice. When I looked deeper into the book, I learned that it had much more information about techniques, taking proper measurements, yarn choice, color theory. Perfect! When I wake up on the day of this winter festival, I hope to find Tracie, in the colorways Canyon Shadow and Pearl Grey, resting next to the book Sweater Design In Plain English. We'll keep each other warm and cozy for years to come!

Hi everybody! I'm Amy and you know I love me some modern quilting! So when I saw this hot new quilt book, Modern Blocks, arrive this month, it was love at first sight. 99 killer blocks by some of my favorite modern quilt designers- it's seriously a slice of heaven. I'm drooling over the newspaper boat block on page 166, with Heather Ross mermaids swimming in the sea below- how rad is that?! I love how there's a fantastic range of skill level and style in this book- from a simple appliqued circle, to intricate paper pieced designs, there's something for everyone. I would love for Santa to leave this book under my tree, along with a delicious Tula Pink Prince Charming fat quarter bundle. 30 yummy fat quarters to quilt to my little heart's desire. The stack is so cute though, it might take me awhile to get the nerve to take off the ribbon!

Hello! I'm Tymla, I'm new to Fancy Tiger Crafts and I am super excited to be working in such a creative and fun environment! My first love is crochet, I can crochet with my eyes closed, but working here has given me a chance to expand my knowledge and skills in many other crafts. I am very focused on improving my knitting skills, there are so many beautiful knit patterns out there that I can't wait to make. This is why I really want Stephen West's third book, Westknits Book Three. My first knit project was the Daybreak pattern in his first book, which turned out great! Now I'm ready to make the Thendara pattern out of Book Three, it's a light weight, angular, striped scarf that I will wear with everything! I'm a big fan of clothing that I can throw in the washing machine with everything else, so I think Madeline Tosh DK in Olivia and Antler will be perfect. It will be super soft and warm. And don't forget your needles!!! Happy knitting!

We hope you are having a great holiday! Check back tomorrow for the rest of our gift picks--even shop dog Branwyn has something she thinks you will like!

Holiday Gift Guide!

2011-11-23T07:29:00.000-08:00

We've searched far and wide to bring you the best gifts for your favorite crafty person! We've got everyone on your list covered with an abundance of amazing, inspiring things.

Holiday Gifts Under $20

Holiday Gifts Under $20

So many amazing gifts under $20!

This 1) Handcrafters Hand Balm ($8) is a solid lotion made locally and in small batches by Olde Crone. 100% natural ingredients makes it a luscious and delicious treat for nimble hands--a perfect stocking stuffer! Every crafter can use more buttons in their stash, how about some 2) sustainable, fairly traded horn, bone or locally crafted stone buttons? ($6) Sewists will love to receive a 3) hand printed fat quarter by Sara Lee Parker ($18), we have lots to choose from! Knitters will squeal with glee when they receive a 4) Tiny Santa Kit with everything to make a teeny-tiny knit Santa that is about an 1" tall ($12). Young needlefelters will love a package of 5) "fairy wool". These packages of dyed wool roving come in 6 different color palettes. ($14.85) Our new 6) flower shawl pins are made from sustainably harvested rainforest woods and are dyed every color to match any knit or crocheted shawl ($14). 7) Locally handmade crochet hooks are the perfect gift for your favorite crocheter. Choose from lots of awesome crochet hook friends. ($18). 8) Fancy Tiger Needlefelting kits are great for kids and adults! Each kits contains everything you need to learn needlefelting and make 2 of the creature pictured. ($15)

Holiday Gifts Under $40

Holiday Gifts under $40

Some more great gifts: 1) 55 Christmas Balls to Knit is full of fun knit colorwork ornaments for the holiday tree! ($24.95) Fiber lovers will swoon over the new handspun, hand-dyed 2) 100% Angora yarn from Malabrigo. That's right...angora from Malabrigo!!! ($22) The 3) Lopapeysa DVD features Icelandic knitter, Ragga Eiríksdóttir, teaching everything you need to know to knit your own Icelandic Lopi sweater. ($30). The new 4) Burda Style Sewing Handbook is a great reference style book that also has amazing patterns - every sewist will want this! ($29.99). An adorable 5) Jelly Roll from Moda is a great gift for the quilter in your life. This is enough fabric to piece together a baby to throw sized quilt and they come in tons of different fabric collections ($35). We are so excited about the 6) Lorna's Laces Solemate Kits. Each kits contains one skein of Lorna's Laces Solemate (the sock yarn with the patented Outlast fiber from NASA to scientifically keep your feet the perfect temperature!), a jar of Heel Foot Cream, and some Soak wool wash ($40). No one can resist the cuteness of 7) Woolbuddy felting kits! ($24) Enormous 8) Tunisian Crochet Hooks ($40) are handcrafted by our dear friends at Knitting Iceland and are great for working up super quick scarves.

Extra Special Holiday Gifts!

Holiday Gifts over $40

For the crafter at the top of your list, here are some of the most coveted crafty items in all the land: 1) Knitter's Pride Interchangeable needle sets ($86) come with 9 sizes of needles and 4 cords--everything your favorite knitter needs for nearly any project! This year there were so many fabulous fabric collections released and although some of them are long gone, you can still find some of our favorites, like Anna Maria Horner's LouLouThi and Joel Dewberry's Heirloom in 2) fat quarter bundle collections ($56 - $136). Our most popular class series, 3) the Sewing Skills Series ($175) is finally back! This seven week long series is the perfect gift for the beginner sewist who would like to learn some professional techniques to further their sewing skills. The newest addition to Schacht's amazing family of spinning wheel is the 4) Sidekick ($785). It is the most modern and portable wheel we've ever seen and it spins as smooth as a dream. 5) Jade Sapphire 2-ply Cashmere ($49.50) is the most luxurious yarn--perfect for treating the knitter or crocheter in your life who deserves something really special.

Check back tomorrow for our super-duper Holiday staff picks and see what all the Fancy Tiger folks are dreaming of this holiday season!

Free Tutorial: Ysolda's Pocket & Ties Skirt!

2011-11-18T07:53:00.000-08:00

Jaime and I had tons of fun with Ysolda on her visit to Fancy Tiger!

As you might have guessed, we spent a lot of time knitting and discussing things yarn-related with the adorable Ms. Teague... but, you may not have guessed that we spent quite a bit of time discussing our mutual love of sewing. Not only is she a masterful knitter, Ysolda is an amazing sewist as well!

We spent some time in our sewing studio and before we knew it Ysolda had whipped up a cute skirt of her own invention. We were so enamored with it that we asked her to teach us her crazy amazing sewing ways. Now we'd like to share it with you!

Click below to download the tutorial!

We hope you enjoy stitching up this cute skirt as much as Ysolda, Jaime and I did. Be sure to share your finished skirts with us on our Facebook page so we can see all your sure-to-be-adorable results!

New Echo Fabrics by Lotta Jansdotter!

2011-11-16T10:07:00.000-08:00

Our little hearts skipped a beat when we opened up this box of Echo, Lotta Jansdotter's first collection of quilting cottons. Lotta has been printing and selling fabric in her Swedish homeland for some time, but we were unable to get our hands on it. Her first U.S. collection for Windham has the same bold pattern and design that we have come to know and love. Lotta has long been inspiring us with her fabric printing and sewing books and kits and now we are totally thrilled to be able to work with her beautiful designs on fabric.

We ordered the full collection so you can create the most amazing Lotta Jansdotter quilt, tie, dress, or bag of all time! Come by soon - these will go quick!

Yak Attack! An adventure with Ysolda to Bijou Basin

2011-11-14T07:40:00.000-08:00

Amber and I had many fun adventures with Ysolda while she was here. Our most magical day was spent out on the eastern plains on a visit to Bijou Basin Ranch. Carl gave us a very educational tour of the ranch and we met so many yaks! Tibetan yaks are large, kind animals who have a soft, downy undercoat that makes a high quality luxury yarn. The yaks are combed by hand once a year in the spring for their fiber and they get to spend the rest of their days just chillin' on some gorgeous prairie.

There were about a million baby yaks born this year on the ranch so there were lots of curious little faces to meet.

I fell in love with Onyx, the most beautiful and amazing yak of all time. Here we are getting to know each other better with a soft nose-kiss. Onyx was shy, but super sweet once he decided I was his new best friend. If anyone wants to get me a present, you could wrap Onyx in a bow and deliver him to my backyard.

There are about 20 yaks who live out on the ranch. Eileen and Carl use all of their fiber, but they also buy yak fiber from other yak owners around the world to use in their amazing yarns. You can purchase their yarns directly from the ranch here.

Of course, we couldn't resist a photo shoot what with all those cuddly yak faces and all that vast prairie. Thankfully, Ysolda brought plenty of hot knitwear to photograph and Amber and I were her happy and willing models.

On the way home, we stopped at another spectacular photo location, an old ghost town somewhere in the heart of Elbert county. I hope these photos turned out great. Maybe you will see us in an upcoming Ysolda book? Here's hoping!

Thanks for the fun times, Ysolda, Onyx, Carl and Bijou Basin!

Organic O-Wool from Tunney Wool Company

2011-11-10T09:46:00.001-08:00

Fancy Tiger Crafts has just received its first 100% organic wool yarn! We love the O-Wool Legacy DK for its softness, sturdiness, and sustainable mission. Jocelyn runs the Tunney Wool Company out of Pennsylvania and she has a passion for organic wool. Organic wool means a lot in terms of yarn production. It means happier, healthier sheep who are eating organic feed and are not being harmed with any synthetic medicines or chemical dips. You can learn more about organic wool practices and processes here. Jocelyn was sweet enough to send samples of our favorite O-Wool patterns so stop by the store soon to see and feel these beautiful garments in person.

Amber and I went on a photoshoot in all of our favorite South Broadway businesses to show you these awesome garments. Here I am wearing the Porticus in Jen's lovely shop, Hazel and Dewey, which showcases beautifully crafted housewares. I love this sweater and have already cast on to make my own. A simple stitch pattern at the yoke makes this turtleneck interesting and it is super comfy and flattering to wear.

Here is Amber modeling the Voussoir cardigan in our favorite home-away-from-Fancy-Tiger, Ironwood, where owners Ally and Jeff have the most amazing collection of objects: gemstones, animal skulls, strange houseplants, antiques and locally made furniture and art. This colorwork cardigan features a classic design with updated fit. We could spend hours in here, but for now we'll head down Broadway to...

...Illiterate Gallery, where curator Adam showcases the best art in all the land. It is the perfect place to wear the hip Houndstooth Bandana. This over-sized houndstooth bandana design uses a simple four row colorwork and it has ties at the end which are great for pin-free shawl-wearing action.

Here I am wearing the Montgolfier pullover in our new favorite bakery, Sugar Bakeshop. We especially love the homemade whoopie pies and pop tarts--today the pop tarts are filled with nutella! This sweater has a sugar-sweet lace yoke design and we love the bright cherry red.

Legwarmers are adorable and cozy, so you should probably make these Parapets right away! Amber is modeling them and the Assiniboine cowl in local apothecary Artemisia and Rue, purveyors of herbs, essential oils and delicious small batch chocolates and goodies. Artemisia and Rue is a fitting backdrop for these organic handknits.

We have a lovely palette of the Legacy DK available so you can make all of these amazing garments in your favorite color. There are also lots of free patterns that can be found on the O-wool website here.

Thanks, South Broadway!

Better Know A Crafter: Amanda Parkhurst-Strout

2011-11-08T07:39:00.000-08:00

Amanda recently joined us for our most recent Lost Crafts series installment, Naalbinding. This ancient Nordic craft is a method of making yarn into a warm, woolly fabric. It was the craft of the Vikings and pre-dates both knitting and crochet! Amanda is helping to keep this lost craft alive in a big way. She went home after being introduced to basic naalbinding and came back the following week with a hat she had made by figuring our how to do shaping on her own! We are pretty impressed with her craft prowess.

Amanda Parkhurst-Strout

Tell us about yourself and what makes you craft.

I enjoy quilting, embroidery and just recently started naalbinding. I love the texture of materials working with my hands and seeing an image in my head come to fruition.

How did you create your naalbinded hat?
This is my first hat ever--made from naalbinding. I just used the techniques I learned in class and my head as a pattern. I used Malabrigo worsted wool, which is a single ply, and a naalbinding needle.

I learned the craft in October at Fancy Tiger Crafts from Emily, who was fabulous and super patient with all my questions!

What is your favorite animal?
Butterflies and pigs.

Thanks Amanda! Happy naalbinding!

New Pollika Wool and Wope!

2011-11-03T07:19:00.000-07:00

New felting wools are here in a rainbow of magical colors. These little bundles of Dutch wool are wrapped in paper which is dyed to match the colorful wool inside--little bundles of woolly joy, they are!

And can it get any cuter? Why, yes it can. Also from Denmark, these portable little palettes of wool have their own adorable totes printed with fairies. These could be the perfect gift for your favorite young felting enthusiast.

Wool + Rope = Wope!

Wope is here in a gorgeous array of hues! This thick and sturdy yarn is amazing for making bright rugs, ottomans, purse handles, hot pads...we are way into Wope.

And now here is Joey Lawrence with a special shout out.

Better Know A Crafter: Zumi

2011-11-01T12:30:00.000-07:00

Zumi is just six and a half and already she is impressing us with her crafty designs. She was sweet enough to share her most recent--and first ever--one-of-a-kind felted book projects with us! We love it. Keep up the awesome work, Zumi!

Tell us about yourself.

What types of crafts do you do?

What makes you want to be crafty?

Tell us about what you've made.

Did you you use a pattern to make your book?

When did you learn to felt?

Tell us about the person who taught you to do what you do.

What is your favorite animal?

Thanks Zumi! Happy crafting!

Ysolda's Here!

2011-10-27T13:41:00.000-07:00

We are honored to be hosting Ysolda Teague for a weekend of knitting and fun times!

Join us tomorrow night to welcome Ysolda on her first visit to the beautiful Mile High City! We will be wooing her with locally crafted beer and your smiling faces. Bring your favorite Ysolda book for her to sign or pick up a copy of her new book, Little Red In The City. Ysolda brought samples of each of the sweaters from Little Red in various sizes for you to try on!

Ysolda Teague Meet n' Greet & Booksigning
Fancy Tiger Crafts

1 S Broadway

Friday, October 28th

7:00pm - 9:00pm

See you soon!

Cat's Tunisian Baby Blanket

2011-10-26T07:52:00.000-07:00

Hello, Gentle Readers. This is Cat. Recently, I was commissioned to make a baby blanket for a friend. I have become completely obsessed with Tunisian Crochet, so a sampler blanket was an easy choice. Blue Sky Alpaca's Worsted 100% Organic Cotton Yarn is always my go-to for baby blankets. It's so soft and squishy! Perfect for baby's skin. I chose Dandelion, Wasabi, Thistle and Stone for the squares and Drift for the sashing (done with standard crochet).

Personalizing hand-made items always makes it extra special for the receiver. I like to embroider initials or crochet them right into the blanket. This simple embroidery stitch makes a big impact.

Tunisian Crochet (also known as Afghan Stitch, German Work, Russian Work, Shepard's Stitch and Railway Knitting) is so simple, fast and fun. It creates a thick, dense fabric that is perfect for blankets (Afghans!), scarves and sweaters. There are dozens and dozens of stitches, but you can easily make beautiful items (like this sampler blanket) by using combinations of just three simple stitches!

If you are interested in learning this wonderful craft look for classes on Fancy Tiger's upcoming Winter class schedule!

Amy Butler's Lark Collection is Here!

2011-10-25T07:03:00.000-07:00

New Lark fabrics by Amy Butler are here! We are seriously digging her fresh color palette--deep indigos with pops of coral and chartreuse. These bold, modern florals are available in quilting cottons, sateens and laminates.

Get in here and get sewing!

Sewing Summit Report: Amy, Christina & Sadie Visit Salt Lake

2011-10-20T07:51:00.000-07:00

Fancy Tigresses: Sadie, Amy & Christina

Amy:

What an amazing weekend at the Sewing Summit in Salt Lake! Imagine a 3 day slumber party with 200 of your favorite crafty, bloggy friends, sewing, knitting and gabbing 24/7...nothing short of euphoric. Us Fancy Tiger gals were out in full force, sewing and schmoozing it up with our favorite bloggers, authors, and designers. So many fabulous classes on everything from photography and publishing, to improv quilting and couture specialty seaming...

Amy with Amanda Jennings & Elena Roscoe of Breakfast for Dinner

One of my favorites was "Marvelous Minis" taught by the endlessly fun and whacky Amanda Jennings (aka HeyPorkchop!) of Ms McPorkchop Quilts and The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery. I was reluctant to sign up for this class at first because I didn't really "get" mini quilts. Like, what's the point? Wrong. Turns out they ROCK!!!

Adorable Mini-Quilts by Amanda Jennings

Mini quilts are a super fun way to get a quilting project done lickety split fast (think less than an hour), and they pack major punch - highlighting your absolute favorite fabrics and telling a story. Think wall art, snack mats, mug rugs, notebook covers, bags, pouches, trivets...just little bursts of happy scattered about your home. I was so inspired by Amanda's stunning collection (and enthusiasm!), that I whipped out a little improved mini of my own after class, and it's currently hanging on the wall behind my sewing machine, making me smile every time I sit down.

Amy's Mini-Quilt

Stitch up a modern little mini of your own in next month's Modern Tonal Quilt Class here at Fancy Tiger!

Sadie:

On October 6th, Christina Patzman and I boarded a plane headed for Salt Lake City and the first annual Sewing Summit. I was looking forward to getting away for a mini vacation, seeing Salt Lake City for the first time, and mingling with like-minded bloggers and sewing enthusiasts. The Sewing Summit was so much more!

The Sewing Summit creators Amy Eillis and Erin Singleton

First up was a bus tour of three fabric stores. Christina and I missed the bus because we were standing in line for a much-needed Starbucks. Lucky for us, some sweet crafty locals were willing to drive us to the first stop. We caught up to the party bus, full of fabric-crazed ladies ready to shop until they dropped. Let me say one word: swag. Each store had prizes and giveaways galore. I needed an extra carry-on for all the Sewing Summit swag and giveaways we received. I think I was most excited about the thread!

Saturday was a day full of classes and seminars. I was completely star struck when I got to meet Gretchen ("Gertie") from Gertie's Blog for Better Sewing and Sunni from A Fashionable Stitch.

Sadie and Sunni

Gertie led some amazing garment sewing classes like Garment Fabrics from Angora to Zibeline, Essential Hand Stitches for Garment Making, Tailoring by Hand 101 and Getting a Perfect Vintage Fit. One of my favorite classes was Photographing Your Creations that was led by Vanessa Christensen of V & Co. There was also a class about blogging and a panel discussion with published crafty authors Gretchen "Gertie" Hirsh, Bari J. and others.

I left Salt Lake and the summit feeling inspired and motivated to create, blog, and teach even more!

Christina & Sadie stitched up these cute coinpurses at the Sewing Summit.

Tosh Light, We Are Enamored With You.

2011-10-18T07:39:00.000-07:00

Let me just preface the following by saying that Madelinetosh's Tosh Merino Light is one photogenic yarn. Apologies for the image-heavy post, but I couldn't stop myself from documenting this yarn in detail and trying to capture all it's glowing-hued-glory.

Since unpacking it a few days ago, all of us at Fancy Tiger Crafts have been finding excuses to hold skeins and ponder projects of Tosh Light. If you come in to the shop we may drag you over to it on the yarn wall and show you our own favorite colors. I'm just warning you that we might gush about how pretty Tomato looks with Celadon, or how Antler and Edison Bulb are a perfect pair.

Scroll down to see brand new Madelinetosh patterns at the end of this post!

Lepidoptra

Fragrant | Corsage

Mulled Wine | Scarlet | Tomato

Chamomile | Edison Bulb | Maple Leaf

Olivia

Moss | Jade

Celadon | Well Water | Cousteau

Ink

Logwood | Flashdance

Dusk | Fawn | Antler

Antique Lace | Badlands

Twig

Hömin Shawl for Krista

2011-10-13T07:52:00.000-07:00

When one of our dearest friends, Krista, announced she was engaged, Amber and I knew we had to do something really crafty and special (we own a crafts store after all).

Krista Williams Peltzel teaches our ever popular Sewing Skills Series and last weekend she was married to an amazing fellow, Kit! The wedding took place on a beautiful farm in north Boulder. Fall officially arrived on the day of Krista's wedding, so it was a bit chilly, but we had just the solution for that: a handknit cashmere shawl.

A good friend, Chase, joined us to knit the shawl and the three of us chose an elegant yet modern Shetland Trader design, Hömin. In the traditional Shetland dialect, hömin means "evening twilight". This shawl has a traditionally styled lace edge and is long and just a bit narrow instead of being triangular. Krista chose Jade Sapphire's cashmere 2-ply in the color Thunderstorm. It was the perfect yarn for this project--soft, warm and special enough to go with a wedding dress.

Amber, Chase, and I all worked together to make this shawl and for weeks it was a knitting relay race--one of us knitting for a few days and then meeting up to pass it on to the next knitter. Luckily, we all have similar gauge! A handknit shawl like this is such a special gift for someone on their wedding day, each stitch infused with love. We were so happy to be able give this to Krista and she looked amazing!

What is more amazing than a handknit cashmere shawl? A hawk ring bearer! Thanks to the falconers at Hawkquest, Kit and Krista had some awesome falconry elements going on in their ceremony. Congratulations you two! We're so happy for you!

New Kokka Fabrics Galore!

2011-10-11T07:55:00.000-07:00

Jaime and I were inspired to drop everything and stitch up some new outfits, thanks to a tempting box of Kokka fabrics that just arrived! Japanese style must be all about photographic prints of woodland creatures and a love of eastern European folk style right now, and we are digging it.

Jaime

I chose this friendly animal print to make an adorable Barcelona skirt from. I love the photographic quality of the animals and mushrooms and was super excited to have new fall skirt!

The Barcelona Skirt pattern by Amy Butler is our number one selling pattern of all time - it is a classic design that flatters many body types and an easy-to-make pattern. Our A-Line Skirt Class is also a favorite and is a great choice if you would like some help making this skirt. I have made it so many times, I can whip one of these up in about a hour and a half, lined and all. I love it!

Amber

Colette's Macaron dress is a sewing pattern that I've been wanting to make for a while--when I saw this European folk inspired fabric form Kokka I knew I had to make an adorable little dress.

This was my first time making the Macaron, but I knew I would enjoy sewing it. Every Colette pattern I've made has worked out wonderfully. I paired the print with an Echino solid in teal, added a navy piping to the sleeve and placed the fancy red heart of this cute print right in the center of the bodice.

That's not all that was in this box of fabrics either, there are plenty more Kokka fabrics that are just waiting for someone to turn them into the cutest sewing projects of all time. What will you make...

...an owl oven mitt, a partridge pocketbook?

A babushka bookbag?

A rabbit romper? Perhaps a mushroom miniskirt?

Happy sewing!
♥ Amber & Jaime

Jaime's Icelandic Lopi Sweater

2011-10-06T08:06:00.000-07:00

About a year ago, Amber and I went on an epic knitting journey to Iceland. We were able to learn about the Icelandic knitting traditions, go on tons of magical Icelandic adventures and meet and make friends with many amazing knitters. Iceland has a rich knitting tradition and Icelanders take great pride in it. On our journey we picked out some Lopi yarn and started our Icelandic Lopi sweaters. We took classes with Ysolda Teague who helped us to write our own patterns perfectly suited to our body type as well as Ragga Eiriksdottir who taught us how to do the colorwork yoke.

I started my sweater on the plane back from Iceland and just finished it a few weeks ago. I absolutely love it! The fit is perfect thanks to the shaping techniques that Ysolda taught us in our class. Denverites, you are very lucky because Ysolda will be teaching a very similar class here at Fancy Tiger Crafts in just a few weeks! The colorwork pattern was designed by Ragga and is her Lopapeysa free pattern colorwork design.

I loved loved loved working with the Lopi yarn. Lopi yarn is made from Icelandic sheep which are a rare, dual-coated breed of sheep. Their dual coated wool makes for a super-sturdy, warm and weather-resistant wool. This yarn is a single-ply yarn and has great durability - it's amazing! It is coarser than our more refined Merino sheep, but this is perfect for a garment that will stand the test of time. This sweater will keep me cozy and warm for many many years to come.

My Icelandic Lopi sweater has a special place in my heart. When I wear it I am connected to a rich knitting tradition I am honored to have experienced. Thanks Iceland!

Mary Flanagan Woolens are Here!

2011-10-04T07:13:00.000-07:00

Mary Flanagan's 100% wool precuts are here! We are in love with the rich, hand-dyed hues. The felted twill won't ravel and has the beautiful, classic texture of woven wool.

Each package comes with six coordinating colors. They are fantastic for applique projects, or use them for woolly patchwork, handsewn toys or sewing projects!

Better Know A Crafter: Chase Gray

2011-09-29T07:21:00.000-07:00

Chase is an extraordinary knitter and is also one of our dearest friends. She has been inspiring us for years with epic projects. When we first met her she was knitting a pair of thigh-high black stockings with eyelet detailing and she is currently working on an intricately cabled afghan! We love her lacy kid mohair shawl and are honored to feature this sweet lady on our blog.

Chase Gray

Tell us about yourself and what makes you craft.

I am a nurse and I am dedicated to transforming healthcare in America. I spend my craft time mostly knitting and wet felting. For me there is serenity in creation.

Tell us about this beautiful lace shawl.
This is the Haruni knit lace shawl by Emily Ross. For those of you that are not familiar with Quenya (Tolkien’s elven language) Haruni means grandmother. A good friend had made this shawl and I was blown away with its intricate beauty and delicacy…but once I read about how Ms. Ross had come up with the name I was sold. The shawl was put together with Wagtail Mohair in Dark Olive. This was my first lace project and my recovery from lace will be few years as it induced tears and tear outs regularly.

When did you learn to knit?

When I was preparing to go into the Peace Corps everything I read said I needed a hobby so I taught myself how to knit. I ended up in Central Asia for those two years and they do amazing felt work throughout the region. I was inspired to begin doing my own once I had returned home.

What is your favorite animal?
The one that shares its horns or antlers and hide with me.

Thanks Chase! Happy knitting and felting!

New LouLouThi Needleworks!

2011-09-27T07:18:00.000-07:00

Anna Maria Horner's new Loulouthi Needleworks fabrics and embroidery supplies are here!

Anna Maria's needlework collection is gorgeously printed with colorful cross-stitch designs, and coordinates with her recently released LouLouThi collection. Hand-stitch over the designs for super handcraftiness, or just use this fabric as is for a modern folksy look!

We love the box sets of embroidery floss and perle cotton in palettes that coordinate with the entire LouLouThi line. Anna Maria, you are blowing our minds.

A Magical Menagerie of Handknits

2011-09-22T07:26:00.000-07:00

You may know that many of us over here at Fancy Tiger Crafts are obsessed with animals - especially those of the woodland variety. For this reason, there was a lot of squealing and sighing when we opened the box of patterns from Tiny Owl Knits. Stephanie Dosen is the mystical woman behind Tiny Owl Knits and we can't wait to knit up every one of her designs. From her "Fairy Castles" to her "Meow Mitts" to her "Fawn Poncho," all the Tiny Owl Knits patterns capture a special time of far-away-lands filled with unicorn breath and fairy dust.

Attracting a magical menagerie with our handknits

One of our favorite local crafters, Alicya Tebo, and I recently finished two of the TOK's patterns and we were so excited to wear them out for the first time. As soon as we donned our handknits and walked into the woods we were instantly surrounded by forest creatures. It was so magical!

Alicya's Deer Antler Hat

Alicya knit the Deer with Little Antlers hat and it is absolutely perfect! Deers were deluded by Alicya's deer hat and welcomed her as one of their own. We're really excited to see what happens when the glow-in-the-dark pink part of the ears lights up at night - just imagine what creature she will attract!

Jaime's Mr. Fox Stole

I made an adorable fox stole (this TOK pattern was published in Yarn Forward magazine and sadly we are not able to carry it at this time). Mr. Fox is brilliantly constructed to look like a real skinned fox stole. I have a secret love of taxidermy and fur, but am a vegetarian so it causes some issues for me. Mr. Fox is the perfect solution as it allows me to show off my love of dead animals and knitting! The forest foxes knew my stole was knit out of love and that no foxes were harmed in its making.

Mr. Fox in his natural habitat

Thanks Tiny Owl Knits for channeling the wonderful energy of the forest into your patterns. We can't wait to knit up some more!

New Isager Spinni Lace Yarn!

2011-09-20T07:41:00.000-07:00

Isager Spinni is a lace weight yarn for hardcore wool fans, which means we love it! This wonderfully sturdy wool is both delicate and strong, and will hold up beautifully to lots of wear. Isager is a Danish wool and is much like the Icelandic Lopi yarn which Jaime and I brought back from Iceland and have been knitting up into beautiful shawls.

This yarn gets the award for our favorite palette of woolly colors ever! We fell hard for this Danish wool and ordered it in every hue. Many of the colors are over-dyed onto natural heathered wool, creating muted, speckled hues that are just stunning!

Looking for a modern shawl to knit? The Fine Line is currently on our shelf and is chock full of amazing geometric shawls patterns written especially for Isager Spinni.

Amber's Maidenhair Dandy

2011-09-15T07:41:00.000-07:00

I am so inspired by all the indie knitting patterns we've picked up at the shop! One of my new favorite designers is Alexandra Tinsley of Dull Roar knitting patterns. I've just finished knitting her Dandy Scarf and it was a quick and satisfying knit.

After I fell for the dreamiest of dreamy yarns that is Handmaiden Maiden Hair, I was on the lookout for the perfect pattern to showcase it's sheen and drapiness. Dull Roar's Dandy Scarf was it! Alexandra's version is knit in 100% silk, and the Maiden Hair I used is a lovely alternative--shiny silk glowing through a magical halo of soft kid mohair.

I am in love with this scarf. It is sure to be a wardrobe staple for cool autumn days. One skein was all it took to make the Dandy, with plenty of yarn left over for the fanciful tassels.

New Fancy Tiger Patterns!

2011-09-12T07:21:00.000-07:00

Fancy Tiger Crafts patterns have just arrived from the printers!

The My Favorite Sweater knitting pattern and the Market Tote sewing pattern are both now available at our shop! You might recognize these two projects from their regular appearance on our class schedule. Both patterns were developed and have been taught many times here over the years.

We decided it was time to spread the crafty love beyond the walls of our classroom and have had both patterns professionally printed.

The easily constructed Market Tote was developed as a simple bag making class and can now be seen at many a farmer's market around town. Not only is it easy-peasy for beginner sewists--it can be a quick and rewarding project for more advanced stitchers! (Last minute gift project? Check.)

It is roomy enough to bring home all your market finds and the perfect showcase for beautiful, large scale prints from your favorite modern fabric designers.

The My Favorite Sweater pattern has been taught for many years with great results for all body types. The simple top-down raglan sweater is knit seamlessly in the round. Shaping and length are adapted according to your measurements for a perfect fit. The pattern booklet walks you through taking your own measurements and guides you as you create the sweater with the fit of your dreams!

Not in Denver?

Both the Market Tote and My Favorite Sweater are now available for purchase as PDFs in our Etsy store! You can also purchase and download our sweater pattern directly from Ravelry.

We hope to add many more crafty patterns to our roster, so stay tuned for more!

Cat's Rural Jardin Quilt

2011-09-08T07:33:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Cat, Gentle Readers. I recently finished this quilt, which I made for my mother. She and I share an obsession for French General fabrics, so this quilt was a delight to put together--although it was the most challenging quilting I had done at the time. I used one layer cake and multiple yards of various fabrics (all from the Rural Jardin collection) for the top, back and binding.

I used a heavy linen fabric (from the same collection) for the back, which gave the quilt a pleasing weight and sturdiness. For binding I chose a toile--not something I would normally do, but I loved the effect. I tried to quilt this on my Janome Threadbanger, but quickly realized that it was too big to handle myself and sent it off to be professionally quilted. The classic stipple was the perfect choice for this fabric and I couldn't have been more thrilled with the results.

I had never done sashing before and learned several hard piecing lessons. The biggest lesson overall was that no one except for me knows that it isn't "perfect" or didn't turn out exactly as I had planned. The quilt is beautiful and my mom loves it, which is ultimately the most important thing.

Hello Kitty is Here!

2011-09-06T10:03:00.000-07:00

The cutest kitty in all the land has just arrived! Little miss Hello Kitty and some of her adorable friends are featured on our newest prints from Japan. This mid-weight canvas is great for back-to-school bags or perhaps some super-sweet decorative throw pillows!

What can we say? It's fabric and it's Hello Kitty. The End.

Better Know A Crafter: Valerie Sutton

2011-09-01T07:22:00.000-07:00

Valerie is working on the cutest handmade wardrobe ever! She keeps coming into the shop and blowing us away with her crafty style. Recently she caught our eye in an adorable Anna Maria Horner Socialite Dress, which you may have seen when we shared it on our facebook page. Her newest creation is this organic cotton bicycle blouse. Valerie has not been sewing very long, but she is already seriously inspiring us.

Valerie Sutton

Tell us about what makes you crafty.

I'm an engineer by day and a sewist by night! I love to craft really unique things. Mostly I sew my own clothing and I also make jewelry.

Tell us about your bicycle blouse.
I made the Sencha blouse from Collete Patterns in a Birch Organics quilting fabric. It looks especially cute with a belt!

When did you learn to sew?

I took my first sewing class in June this summer! I learned right here at Fancy Tiger Crafts.

What is your favorite animal?
My 90 lb husky/lab, Sammie.

Thanks Valerie! Happy sewing!

Anzula Squishy is Here!

2011-08-30T07:33:00.000-07:00

Was there ever a more aptly named yarn than our newest yarn addition, Squishy? This sproingy soft sock yarn from Anzula is a luxurious blend of merino, cashmere and nylon, the most perfect of blends for special handknit socks.

The semisolid hues that Anzula is known for have a lovely depth of color, and would highlight fancy stitches like cables and lace beautifully. We think the perfect companion to this yarn is the recently published Cookie A book, Knit. Sock. Love.

You could knit the Stalagmite socks in Paradise...

Cookie A's Stalagmite Sock

...or the Ducky colorway would be perfect for the Stricken socks.

Cookie A's Stricken

We're super excited about carrying Anzula yarns and hope you love them as much as we do!

Emily's Prairie Rose Shawl

2011-08-25T08:37:00.000-07:00

I fell in love with the skein. You know how it is, that little panic attack when you walk away, thinking that someone might pick it up before you return, nervously glancing every now and then to see if it is still there. Love.

You might be thinking you have seen this image in this very blog. You have. In the Staff Holiday Gift Pics post. Not too long after that post went up, I knew I had to wind that skein. I had to have it! But what to make? I finally decided on a lace triangle shawl from the Knitter's Book of Wool by Clara Parkes, the Prairie Rose Shawl.

The Prairie Rose Shawl is not a mindless knit, but I took that project everywhere putting special time in it when I could. Sometimes when something wonderful would happen, I would quickly grab the project and knit a few stitches to capture that moment forever into the knitting. I would look back later in better light with a more lucid state of mind and gently coax mistakes out. There are some special times caught forever into this sweet angora shawl.

Heather Ross Far Far Away III Fabrics are Here!

2011-08-23T12:32:00.000-07:00

New Heather Ross fabrics are here and they are cute as can be!

We have been eagerly anticipating Far Far Away III and can't wait to get sewing with it. Our favorite new print, and we think our friendly Breyer horse agrees, is the little girls playing with toy ponies fabric! And how about a ukulele dress for fall?

Jaime's Sunshine Ruffle Scarf

2011-08-17T07:16:00.000-07:00

It is still midsummer and I am already inflicted with the fall knitting bug! I can't wait for fall weather and beautiful hand knits. I just whipped up this sunshine-yellow scarf in anticipation of cool, crisp days.

We recently received a ton of new knitting patterns so I have about a bajillion projects planned. One of the new designers is Grace Akhrem who has some great accessory patterns and I fell in love with this pattern for her ruffled "Seaweed Scarf." I picked up this amazing hand-dyed yellow yarn from Holiday Handmade vendor Murderous Honey and have been waiting for the perfect pattern for it.

The pattern and yarn were made for each other and they came together to make the most summer-tastic, sunshiny yellow, neck-wrapped-in-ruffly goodness of all time.

I knit this up in a week and it gave me the confidence to dive into my fall knitting! I am now working to finish my Iceland sweater before I start my other 3,000 planned projects - this was just the kick I needed to get back into my knitting.

This scarf is going to channel warm sun and farm fields bursting with crops when I don it in the cold gray months to come - I can hardly wait!

Two New Organic Fabric Lines!

2011-08-16T11:33:00.000-07:00

New Julia Rothman Miscellany organic fabrics are here! We love Julia's hand drawn illustrations and can't wait to make quilts and shirts and bags out of her fabric line from organic fabric company, Cloud 9. It's part of their price-sensitive collection, which means these prints are just a couple dollars more than our conventionally grown cotton fabrics. Come by soon if you would like some--they are flying out the door!

Storyboek, the newest organic collection from Birch Fabrics, is a sweet and imaginative collection inspired by childrens stories. The soft colors, adorable animals, 100% organic cotton and eco-friendly, low impact dyes make these fabrics the perfect choice for sewing projects for a special baby!

There are so many fantastic organic fabrics out now, and in order to make them easier to find we have rearranged things and dedicated a whole section of the store to organic cotton prints. Come by to see all the earth-friendly goodness!

Amber's Aestlight Shawl

2011-08-11T07:46:00.000-07:00

A souvenir from my Iceland trip last fall, this Loðband Einband (Icelandic laceweight) yarn is naturally dyed by botanist and native dye expert, Guðrún Bjarnadóttir. I love the colors--soft teals and pale yellow-green undertones, achieved by the use of reindeer moss and indigo.

I knew I had to find the perfect project for this special yarn and for months it sat in a stunning skein while I contemplated.

...And then I found another Gudrun with the answer! The Aestlight shawl by Gudrun Johnston is oh-so-pretty. It is knit with traditional Shetland lace techniques and is simple and fun to knit. I've just finished knitting it up in my Icelandic laceweight and I love it.

Now, if only I could wrap my self up in this woolly shawl and return for a visit to Iceland...or perhaps a trip to the Shetland Isles...

If you would like to make this shawl, but don't have a skein of Guðrún's Icelandic lace, you might come take a look at the new Isager Spinni, a similar Danish laceweight that we carry in the prettiest palette! Happy knitting!

New Handmaiden Maiden Hair and Fleece Artist Blue-Face Leicester Yarns!

2011-08-08T07:58:00.000-07:00

Luxuriously slinky new Maiden Hair yarn is here from Handmaiden! This Swiss silk and kid mohair blend is hand-dyed in lovely semi-solids and variegated hues. It has a magical sheen, with lustrous silk shimmering through a halo of dye-saturated mohair. I've already cast on for a Dandy Scarf in the Smoke colorway and am so enamored with this yarn and the way it is knitting up!

The folks from Handmaiden shared some of their snowy white silk cocoons with us at the trade show. Did you know that one little cocoon holds 1000 meter of silk thread?

Also new from our friends in Nova Scotia is the Fleece Artist Blue-Face Leicester fingering weight yarn. These massive skeins clock in at 125 grams and 550 yards! Wow! That's a ton of yarn. I've been dreaming of this yarn ever since I saw it in a yarn shop in Portland and am so excited to be carrying it here at Fancy Tiger Crafts.

Blue Faced Leicester (BFL) Sheep are a longwool breed of sheep known for their light and super-soft wool. We can't get enough of it around here. Besides being one of the softest wools around, just look at this guy.

Happy knitting. Fall, here we come!

Crafty Cambodia: The Travel Adventures of Jess

2011-08-04T07:07:00.000-07:00

Greetings from The Kingdom of Cambodia! I know you all have been missing me pretty hard back in Denver, so I’m checking in! I am currently spreading crafty joy throughout Southeast Asia and I want to share my latest adventure.

Us and the kids

I spent the last 10 days volunteering at an NGO orphanage/school outside of Phnom Penh. Save Poor Children Of Asia Organization, (SCAO), offers an alternative to children who's families can no longer afford to have them live at home. Currently there are 17 children living at the center. The main focus of the organization is to help decrease the poverty levels in the countryside of Cambodia by education. The kids that live at the center, as well as about 300 local kids from the surrounding villages, attend the 4 free English classes offered Monday thru Saturday. A few of the kids come to more than one class a day. Volunteers mainly teach the English classes. My boyfriend and I both taught English everyday, but I had the joy of teaching my very own sewing class every afternoon to the kids at the center.

The machines

When I first arrived and walked by their sewing room while a class was going on, my heart just about melted. I have wanted to teach sewing/crochet this whole trip and now I get to! For 10 whole days! The items made in the sewing class are sold to volunteers who come through the center, and they sell a bunch!! So I came up with a few ideas that traveling volunteers might be interested in, and we got started ASAP.

Our sewing hut

The sewing room was in a little hut with a tin roof and 3 sewing machines to work with. And every one, a treadle machine! It was my first time getting to work with treadle machines...let me tell you, they take some getting used to. Usually I might call myself a wizard being able to fix any problem that might come up while sewing, but not on these bad boys. They have weird wires and knobs that I wouldn't know which way to twist or pull. I needed a lesson how to thread it properly, especially having the bobbin hidden under the machine. When I arrived, one of the volunteers' mothers was in town and jump started some great craft projects for the kids. The first couple days we made notebook covers and cute little purses to sell at the center. My star student was Lim, she was eager to learn the next project.

Srey Lim and Srey Jan

I decided that it was not only necessary to know sewing on a machine, but hand sewing! Hand sewing is such a great craft to learn, and its fun. Immediately I contacted Fancy Tiger, and the next day we were to make our own little Edmond the Owl.

Srey Lim learning blanket stitch

Now, you have to picture myself, and a few teenage Cambodian chicas, in a hot tin hut (about 110 degrees), scrummaging through their craft supplies for the perfect pieces to make little Edmond. There is no Fancy Tiger Crafts around these parts so we had to make due with what we had. We did however find some solid colored cotton fabric, enough scraps of fabric for the stuffing, a sewing needle, and luckily I had some left over embroidery floss. I taught the girls the blanket stitch and they were so excited (and good at it). When the boys caught wind of the owl making, I must have had 6-7 kids around the center making these little guys. They very much enjoyed embroidery, many of them wanted to write their names or SCAO on the stomach of the owl. SO CUTE!

Leap

He decided to embroider SCAO with an arrow pointing to it surrounded with hearts
TOO CUTE!

So, as many of you may know, I am what some may call a hook master. I LOVE crochet. I might bleed yarn that’s how hard I love it. I was eager to teach the kids some crochet. In Cambodia, there were bracelets being sold EVERYWHERE. I thought it would be nice to teach them how to make them. Mrs. Samith (the owner of SCAO's wife) and I headed to the local market to seek out crochet hooks and yarn. Crochet hooks that are available in other countries are a 100th of the size of ones we use on a regular basis in America. We got back from the market and I was immediately swarmed with kids ready to learn. Unfortunately we only had 3 hooks! I taught Mrs. Samith and 2 of the girls right away and they were…hooked ;) I think I must have taught crochet for about 6 hours that day. Everyday following, there was another kid who would come up to me and want to learn. I taught them a simple chain stitch and making them into bracelets was such an adorable idea! Especially for the little kids to accomplish a project after just learning. Needless to say my arms are flooded with bracelets! And my heart, filled with joy.

Srey Hoy, Srey Jan, and Nita learning crochet

Happy Srey Lat

The next project would be cute little camera cases. I love mine, and I know other travelers would pick them up in a heartbeat. I taught Lim a very simple way for having finished seams (thanks to sewing 101!) and she was excited because the project was easy to learn and well put together. We had to make due with the supplies they had in the sewing room; a rusty pair of scissors, a tape measure (no ruler), a table with a small space for cutting and one bag of fabric. Surprisingly it got us pretty far. It was difficult for the kids with small hands to do the cutting with over-sized rusty scissors. Measuring and cutting was a lesson of its own. As far as the buttonhole, since working on treadle machines, we hand stitched them. One of the girls has been fixing clothes for everyone at the center for years and she taught me a new stitch! It looks so perfect and…"button holey".

Lim, sewing master

The sewing classes were so rewarding, not only for them, but for me as well. Learning how to sew is something they can take with them into adult life. Especially in Cambodia where there is a huge market for handmade items.

Check out those scissors

Sharing is caring!

I had such an incredible time getting to know everyone at SCAO and being able to spread my love of craft to them. If you would like more info on SCAO check out their website, or fly to Phnom Penh and teach them your favorite craft!!

Love love!

Vote for Scrappy!

2011-08-02T07:27:00.000-07:00

Meet Scrappy, our patchwork pup! You can vote for Scrappy to win Mod Livin's Best in Show!

This cute little guy could even be yours--he will be part of the auction at the Best In Show event on August 13th to benefit the Foothills Animal Shelter. Please come join in the fun for a good cause!

Best In Show at Mod Livin'

Saturday, August 13th

6 - 9pm (auction at 8pm)

5327 E Colfax, Denver

A one-of-a-kind handcrafted pup, Scrappy is a sculpture by mid-century Finnish designer, Eero Aarnio, embellished by us at Fancy Tiger Crafts with modern prints and bright cotton embroidery floss. If you've been to Craft Night recently you may have seen Jaime and Amber (and Pink--thanks, Pink!) working on stitching him up in these colorful scraps of fabrics!

Before he left on his way to find a new home, Scrappy and our shop dog, Branwyn, had some time to play together in the park. Scrappy is leash trained and plays well with others.

Thanks for the fun times, Scrappy!

Denver County Fair This Weekend! Live Crafting Competitions and Debut of New Fabrics!

2011-07-27T07:36:00.000-07:00

The first ever Denver County Fair is this weekend!

Fancy Tiger Crafts is proud to be sponsoring the Crafts Pavilloin at the Denver County Fair! Come by the fair to visit our mini Fancy Tiger shop. We'll be hosting lots of fun activities, like live crafting challenges (the scoop on the challenges is at the end of this post)!

We are going to have a special treat for the folks who come out to shop our booth at the county fair! Four new fabric collections will be making their debut there. We are giddy about these fab new fabrics and we hope you are too! Check it out:

Joel Dewberry: Heirloom

Sarah Jane: Children at Play

Echino: Nico 2011

Paula Prass: Botanika

We'll also have on hand:

the new Schacht Sidekick spinning wheel for you to test drive!
luscious yarns including Spinni Isager, Knit Collage, Madelinetosh, and more!
Fancy Tiger kits for felting and embroidery!
handspinning fiber exploration kits!
new bolts of classic shirtings!

And now, here is the scoop on the crafting challenge--come by the stage in the Crafts Pavillion on Sunday and flaunt your skills--you just might go home with a blue ribbon!

Speed Spinning: Drop Spindle
Sunday, July 31st, 11am
Each participant can use their own drop spindle or one will be provided. Fancy Tiger will provide each participant with wool for spinning. Whoever spins the longest yarn in 10 minutes wins the challenge.

Live Crocheting Challenge
Sunday, July 31st, 12pm
Each participant will be given hook and yarn (provided by Fancy Tiger) and whoever crochets the most rows in 10 minutes wins. There will be multiple heats and a final round between the finalists.

Live Sewing Challenge
Sunday, July 31st, 1pm

This secret challenge will be revealed at the competition. We will provide sewing machines, notions and fabric and challenge participants' sewing prowess with an on-the-spot creation. Participants will be given 15 minutes to complete the task.

Live Speed Knitting
Sunday, July 31st, 2pm
Each participant will be given needles and yarn (provided by Fancy Tiger) and whoever knits the most rows in 10 minutes wins. There will be multiple heats and a final round between the finalists.

We'll see you this Thursday through Sunday for non-stop fair action!

Betsy and Jaime Made Sorbettos!

2011-07-25T07:35:00.000-07:00

Betsy's Sorbetto

I had been wanting to make a Colette pattern for my summer wardrobe but couldn't decide on the right one until I saw the Sorbetto Top pattern on Sarai Mitnick's blog. The vintage style with a simple pleat down the middle was just what I was looking for and with all the beautiful new voiles in the shop I had to make it right away. The best part about this pattern is that it is available as a free download! Thanks Colette!

This was my first time working with a pattern from Colette and now I am totally addicted. Her instructions are so clear and she kindly details any new techniques so there is never a question about how or what you are supposed to do next. I was able to finish this piece in just a few hours and wear it that night to a party. The fabric I used was my favorite print from Anna Maria Horner's Loulouthi voile, which feels so lovely on a hot day that I have already pick out some more voiles for my next Sorbetto.

Jaime's Sorbetto

You know how we are around here--one person makes something and starts wearing it around and soon we all have to have one. That's how it went with the Sorbetto Top. As soon as Betsy came in wearing her flattering new tank, I knew it would be my next pattern to sew up. I have been eying this print from Anna Maria Horner's new Loulouthi fabric collection and wasn't sure what to do with it so the Sorbetto top seemed like the perfect solution.

I made this top in one sitting at Craft Night in between talking and drinking a glass of wine - its so quick and easy! Just a few seams and you're done. Colette does give instructions for making your own bias tape (which would look amazing!), but we happened to have the perfect orange bias tape and I couldn't resist the instant gratification of using it.

Hooray! New sleeveless tops just in time for the hottest days of summer.

Better Know A Crafter: Karen Sobel

2011-07-21T10:48:00.000-07:00

Cute Aidez attack! Totally crafty Karen has been featured before on our blog for sewing and knitting, and we couldn't resist showing you what she's been up to recently. She just finished a beautiful Aidez cardigan knitted up in Cascade Eco+!

Tell us about what makes you crafty.

I knit and I'm learning to sew. Both give me a little burst of sanity.

Tell us about your lovely cabled cardigan.
It is the Aidez sweater, by Cirilia Rose. Amber knitted it and posted pictures a few months ago and I got inspired. It really was pretty easy, as long as I stayed patient. Plus, I'm a librarian...we love our cardigans!

How did you learn to knit?

My grandmother the basics of this and a lot of other things (canning, embroidery, baking...) as a kid. I put most of them down but am picking them up again in my 30s. Thanks, Grandma!

Is your favorite animal still a giraffe?
Yes!

Thanks Karen! Happy knitting!

New! Brooklyn Tweed Patterns by Jared Flood!

2011-07-19T13:01:00.000-07:00

We are excited to offer Brooklyn Tweed knitting patterns by Jared Flood! Jared's beautiful designs, with their classic style and woolly texture, are a constant inspiration to us.

The stunning Rock Island Shawl in the background was knit by our instructor, Sunne. Look for a class on the fall schedule!

Come by to check out the full line of Brooklyn Tweed patterns--we've even reorganized our knitting patterns display so that you can easily find your favorite knitting designers and peruse all of their patterns!

Fancy Tiger 5 Year Anniversary this Saturday!

2011-07-14T07:06:00.000-07:00

High five, we are five!!

We are super excited to be celebrating our five year anniversary this Saturday! Please join us for a day of festivities and free things, including:

Free high fives
Free fat quarter of super limited edition Fancy Tiger Crafts fabric with purchase
Free stickers
Treats
Champagne toast at 5pm

Amber, Jaime and the whole Fancy Tiger Crafts crew will be at the store wearing adorable handmade outfits that we've stitched up in our anniversary fabric, so stop by to to see what we've made and pick up your very own fat quarter!

We have had a blast sharing five fantastic years with you and look forward to serving your crafty needs for years to come. We couldn't have done it without your continued support and enthusiasm for crafting, so a big thanks to you, lovely friend!

...and here is a message from our friend, Gnomey.

Ysolda's Little Red In The City is here!

2011-07-12T09:01:00.000-07:00

We have never been so excited for a new book to arrive! Ysolda Teague's highly anticipated third book, Little Red In The City, is finally here!

Little Red in the City is a departure from Ysolda's previous books as it focuses entirely on sweater patterns, with seven sweet patterns from which to choose. Everything from vests to cardigans to pullovers is covered in Little Red, in yarn weights from fingering to aran. Patterns comes in a range of bust sizes from 28" to 60" and are sure to fit and flatter everyone! This is quite a hefty book--Ysolda treats us to an in-depth look at shaping techniques and body styles so you can customize each pattern for the perfect fit! We love that each of the garments is photographed on models of two different sizes, so you can get an idea of how the garment will look on real people.

Ysolda is sweet as pie and several weeks ago sent test copies of several patterns so we could knit up samples. Angelique, our super prolific speed knitter has already finished two of the sweaters from the book. The Laika sweater is darling knit up in this saturated mustard Heritage sock yarn. We chose fourteen bright red tagua nut buttons for the sweater closure.

Angelique also knit up the Cria cardigan in Lorna's Laces Honor in--guess what color--Ysolda's Red! This yarn is a gorgeous mix of alpaca and silk. The color is a subtle mix of warm and cool reds.

We love the classic and simple use of garter stitch at the top of this sweater. The Cria can be done with long sleeves that feature a buttoned cuff or in a puffy short sleeve version. We're sure you'll want to knit them both!

Come by the shop to check out Little Red in the City and our little Laika and Cria samples!

New Nani Iro Fabrics are Here!

2011-07-11T07:56:00.000-07:00

Naomi Ito, we've got a craft crush on you! Naomi's newest Nani Iro fabrics are pretty pretty pretty! The prints in this line evoke soft watercolor and bold oil brushstrokes.

These dreamy fabrics just got here and I couldn't help myself--I've already whipped up a Ginger skirt from this classy olive stripe. I love the hand-sketched lines and the crisp cotton/linen fabric.

Come by the shop to see them in person!

Jaime's Bastille Day Parfait Dress

2011-07-07T07:53:00.000-07:00

You might know that I love French culture. Bastille Day is coming up on July 14th so I was inspired to make an über-French dress to wear. I used the Parfait dress pattern by Colette Patterns and a lovely French General print for the dress.

Le résultat est absolument magnifique! J'aime ma nouvelle robe! Boutons en cuir ajouter un flair millésimée.

The print is amazing and features all sorts of interesting items identified in French, so I can work on my French vocabulary and learn new words every time I wear it.

C'est parfait!

The Schacht Sidekick is Here!

2011-07-04T07:13:00.000-07:00

Is it possible to fall in love with a spinning wheel? It sure feels like it when gazing upon the new Sidekick...

We just giddily unpacked the newest wheel from Schacht Spindle Company, our very favorite local spinning wheel crafters! This little spinning wheel is light and compact enough to sling over your shoulder and take on a stroll down to the park--which is just what I did to try it out for myself.

The Sidekick goes from a tidy little package to a super functional spinning wheel in seconds, with the use of quick releases just like you might find on your bicycle wheel.

Check out how sweet this is...

You just (1) unscrew and flip down the treadles, sliding and locking them into place with a quick release knob. Then (2) you attach the footmen to the treadles. (3) Open and raise the front and rear maidens by using the quick releases and (4) place the flyer (with bobbin and whorl) into the maidens. Close down your quick releases and you are ready for spinning!

Spinning on it is dreamy!

Some additional reasons we love the new Sidekick:

All the parts are thoughtfully stored on it so there are no important pieces on the loose. (The two whorls are screwed onto the side of the wheel for safe keeping and the flyer attaches to the bottom of a treadle when it is folded away.)
The drive wheel runs parallel to the treadle for super compact-ness.
Spinning on it is so smooth and quiet.
It's just so danged tiny and cute!

A whorl in it's place | One of the Sidekick's quick releases

Can you tell I've fallen hard for this little guy?

Amber and Jaime's Summertime Violet Shirts

2011-06-30T10:20:00.000-07:00

Summertime is here!! We love sewing in the summer. So many cute skirts, dresses and tops to make and wear while playing games in the park, riding bikes, or picnicking. We are really inspired by the newest shirt pattern from Colette, the Violet. It is a simple and stylish button-down blouse that can be made with short sleeves or a puffy 3/4 sleeve.

Jaime

I've already made two of these cute shirts--I love the Violet pattern so much! My first was made in a My Folklore print by Lecien. The sweet and small floral design and the burnt gold color give this blouse a vintage French feel. Slightly mismatched shell buttons add some unique character.

Once I knew I loved the fit of my first Violet top, I decided to splurge and make one out of a Liberty of London fabric. I've had my eye on this graphic print for a while and the lightweight lawn fabric is perfect for this shirt. Sweet little cream corozo flower buttons lend a feminine touch. I love it!

Amber

On a recent trip to Portland I visited the adorable fabric shop, Bolt. I had fun meeting Gina, the sweet shop owner, and spent the afternoon perusing their fabrics and seeing both familiar fabrics and fabrics that I hadn't seen before. I fell head over heels for this Yuwa print in coral, cream and blues--and when I brought it home decided it would make an adorable Violet.

My favorite thing about this button-down is the darling Peter Pan collar. I chose an ivory Kona cotton for the collar and skipped the interfacing--the quilting weight cotton is heavy enough that you don't need it. Seven sweet mother of pearl eyelet buttons finish it off adorably!

This light weight blouse is perfect for a day of croquet in the park!

We are winners!

New Tula Pink Prince Charming Fabrics!

2011-06-27T07:40:00.000-07:00

Ms. Pink did it again! Tula Pink's new Prince Charming fabric collection is incredible. We love her fresh color scheme and totally modern take on classic toiles and damasks. The collection includes quilting cottons, voiles and laminates, so anything you dream up--from summery voile garments to waterproof totes or bright quilts--anything can be made from these cute prints!

Better Know A Crafter: Mary (with special guests Ellie & Hadley)

2011-06-23T07:55:00.000-07:00

We gasped with delight when Mary walked in with this fresh-off-her-sewing-machine Liberty quilt. We love it to the max, and really, how could you go wrong with a sweet checkerboard of pretty Liberty prints on white?

Mary (with the adorable Ellie & Hadley)

What makes you such a crafty lady?

I am a pharmacist and I craft for fun.

What inspired you to make this Liberty quilt?
My husband heard me talking about Liberty fabric and he surprised me with some as a gift.

How did you learn to quilt?

I started quilting when I had my daughters. I took a 7th grade Home Ec class and then I asked a lot of questions of a coworker and fellow quilter.

What is your favorite animal?
Unicorn

Thanks Mary! Happy quilting!

TNNA Report: Columbus 2011

2011-06-20T07:16:00.000-07:00

We had a blast at the TNNA trade show in Columbus! We picked up exciting new things: yarns and patterns, buttons, books, spinning fibers and felt. It's going to be a fantastically inspiring fall around here!

Our vote for cutest booth of all time goes to Ysolda, who decked out her space with a tea party, treats and photo booth funtimes. We stopped for a refreshing cup of Earl Grey and got to try on knit samples and peruse copies of her soon-to-be-arriving book Little Red in the City. We think you are going to love this book. She really gets nerdy about knitting and in the most fabulous way.

Photobooth fun! Amber is wearing Ysolda's Chickadee, Jaime is in the Liesl and Ysolda in Melia

We asked you on Facebook which new sock yarn to pick up and folks chose Anzula! Here is the hottness that is Anzula Squishy. We love the super saturated colors of this semisolid hand-dyed merino/cashmere. Can you handle the fabulous throw that was in Anzula's booth? It reminds us of this one from the Purl Bee, which is also made out of Anzula Squishy...yum.

Hooray for 140 years of Imperial Stock Ranch! We have a major crush on this yarn company. At TNNA we raised a glass to celebrate their anniversary and got to indulge ourselves on chocolates. We picked up another yarn from their line, Tracie Sport. It is a fabulous tweedy sport weight yarn, made from 100% Columbia wool from the Imperial Stock Ranch in Oregon. Fantastic new patterns are on the way, too, including these knee-high socks!

Chocolates wrapped in the cutest Columbia sheep packaging...Happy 140th, Imperial Stock!

Ragga! We love this Icelandic knitting superstar! You may remember Ragga from our epic knitting trip to Iceland last fall. Ragga hosts amazing tours of Iceland (you should book one right now) and has recently published Knit Your Own Lopapeysa, a DVD tutorial on traditional Icelandic sweater knitting, which you can purchase at Fancy Tiger if you can't join her in Iceland. Ragga is sweet as pie and brought us presents--an awesome traditional Icelandic shawl book that I've been hankerin' for and some of the weird salty licorice candy Jaime got hooked on while visiting Iceland. Ragga, we love you.

We can't get enough of Knit Collage. Are these yarn wrapped twigs the cutest thing or what? FYI, new colors are coming this fall. Eeeeep.

Madelintosh! New patterns, new colors, new yarns are coming! Can we just say Edison Bulb might be the color you have dreams about...

We've got lots more surprises in store for fall, so stay tuned for exciting new things!

Better Know A Crafter: Rhiannon Sherman

2011-06-16T07:15:00.000-07:00

We love the quilt that Rhiannon brought by to show us. She just finished stitching up this pretty cross-stitched butterfly quilt and backed it with a bright orange sprout fabric. The detail of the front of her quilt is inspiring--we don't often see a quilt with this much intricate hand-stitching. Nice work, Rhiannon!

Rhiannon Sherman

Tell us about how you got to be so crafty.

My grandmother taught me how to do all different crafts. I still, after 20 years, enjoy it.

How did you make your butterfly quilt?
I used a cross stitch/quilting pattern.

What is your favorite animal?
Birds.

Thanks Rhiannon! Happy quilting

New Bling-tastic Stargazer Silk & Sequins Yarn by Knit Collage!

2011-06-14T07:41:00.000-07:00

We love the amazing-ness that is Knit Collage--a handspun art yarn company by Amy Small. We are enamored with her newest yarn, Stargazer Silk. This is a gorgeous 100% silk yarn beaded with brass sequins. That's right, folks, this bling is metal. No cheesy plastic sequins for this luscious yarn.

Stargazer Silk comes in 4 fancy colors - they are each beautiful on their own or will work together wonderfully. This is the perfect yarn for luxurious summer time projects - think drapey open shells to wear for an evening out or a light summertime scarf.

Better Know A Crafter: Marilyn Munsterman

2011-06-09T07:56:00.000-07:00

Marilyn recently picked up knitting after a 45 year hiatus. She amazed us with these fancy Victorian style fingerless gloves which she embellished by adding Zing String, a sparkly thread of beads and gemstones, into the lace cuff.

Marilyn Munsterman

1) Tell us about yourself, Marilyn.

I am a retired university librarian. I make handmade books filled with paintings, collages, etc. You can see my work here.

2) Tell us about the fancy fingerless gloves you've made.
I knitted Victorian fingerless gloves and added Zing String to embellish the lace cuffs.

3) How did you pick up your crafty skills?
I learned to knit at age 12 and continued until I was 25. I stopped knitting for 45 years and started again in late 2010.

4) What is your favorite animal?
Cats.

Thanks Marilyn! Happy knitting and bookmaking!

New! Avalon Organic Prints by Birch Fabrics!

2011-06-06T07:27:00.000-07:00

Avalon is here, the highly anticipated organic line from Birch Fabrics! Avalon features totally rad cruiser bicycles and birds perched atop bike seats and wheels.It is a light cotton organic fabric and is bright white with saturated color pops of summery teal, lime, cherry and grape. Yum.

We are super lucky--we entered to win this little quilt at the Birch Fabric booth at Quilt Market trade show and just found out we are the big winners! You can make your own cute bike quilt with just a yard each of the bicycle print and the birds and wheels print.

Better Know A Crafter: Mary Walker

2011-06-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

Mary is one of our most prolific crafty customers and I can't believe this is her first time on our blog! She is an amazing seamstress--she is always sporting the cutest handmade tops and making us swoon over her fabric choices. (You may have seen her Anna Tunic made from pretty Kokka fabric on our Facebook page.) Her projects are always inspiring. She came in recently with some fantastic scrap applique tea-towels. They are too cute! We'll just be digging through our scraps now...

Mary Walker

1) Tell us how you got to be so crafty.

I began with training in the fine arts--oil painting, etc--and ended up applying the creative process now to fabric. I still paint but I also now quilt, sew, craft, whatever...

2) How did you make your tea towels?
I used to make collages to hang on my wall and this reminds me so much of what I'm doing now with fabric scrap applique. There is also the "drawing" element--using the free motion setting to draw with thread. The tea towels were inspired by Anthropologie towels. I used a French General woven twill for the towel fabric.

Even the backs of these towels are fantastic!

3) How did you learn to sew?
My mother mostly taught me to sew. When I was 10, she sent my sister and I to the neighborhood sewing lady for lessons. I made a tennis dress and sewed a lot of clothes through the years. My mother made a lot of our formal dresses, three girls, for proms and even a few in college.

4) What is your favorite animal?
I love all animals but I'm partial to pups!

Thanks Mary! Happy stitching!