Estonia Adventures Part 4: Muhu Island

Muhu. This is the place that started our obsession with Estonian crafts and we couldn't bear to go all the way to Estonia without visiting this amazing island.

Amber & Jaime in traditional Muhu dress

It all started with a coffee table book that we carried here at Fancy Tiger Crafts that focused just on the handicrafts from this one island. Muhu style is known for its use of vibrant colors, particularly hot pink and super bright, saturated orange. All of Estonia uses these bright colors, but Muhu in particular embraces them to the max.

Like all of Estonia, knitting is big on Muhu, but embroidery is their most prevalent craft. In addition to using embroidery to decorate shoes and clothes, they make beautiful wedding blankets--large blankets that are usually made of dark fabric and then embroidered with flower motifs in bright colors. These blankets are truly stunning to see in person and the work that would go into them is staggering.

We took a day to explore this island which is a 2 hour drive and 20 minute ferry ride away from Tallinn. Muhu, like a lot of Estonia, is mostly rural with beautiful thatch-roof houses and a few windmills dotting the landscape. It is a surprisingly small island with few inhabitants - so it is amazing to think they created the extensive body of work that is featured in our coffee table book.

Of course we had to take an embroidery class while on Muhu. Our friend Malia of Penelope Crafts in Amsterdam set this up for us. It was amazing and difficult. I consider myself pretty adept at embroidery, but these ladies schooled us. I have a whole new level of appreciation for the intricate and often large-scale designs that decorate much of the textiles found on Muhu.

Our teacher, Tiina Saar, is a big name in contemporary Muhu embroidery, with her work currently showcased in the ornaMENTAL exhibition in Tallinn. She taught us a very traditional strawberry motif that we worked in bright colors on a black fabric. Adorable.

There was a bit of a communication barrier and it was hard at times to understand just what we were trying to do with our embroidery stitches. Also, Tiina is such a professional stitcher, her hands moving so swiftly that our eyes had a hard time keeping up. It took almost 2 of our 3 hours of class to finally grasp that the Muhu embroidery technique is couching! The long and purposefully uneven satin stitches are each tacked down with a tiny couching stitch. Once we grasped this concept our embroidery really began moving along. While it took us a while to catch onto this, we did impress Tiina with our proficiency at needle threading, so we weren't the worst students she had ever had.

After our embroidery class, we spent a bit of time exploring the island. Our exploration took us to Koguva, a wonderfully preserved village-turned outdoor museum. Thank god we went here because here we found the articles featured in our coffee table book and we were able to see them in person! Oh man are these beautiful. This is the work that inspired this trip and it was a truly amazing experience to get to see these exceptional examples of Muhu handicrafts in person.

Next up: the OrnaMENTAL exhibit in Tallinn

Meet the Designer: Lisa Solomon!

We are thrilled to host Bay Area designer Lisa Solomon for two classes at Fancy Tiger Crafts! Lisa is the author of Knot Thread Stitch which brings us a creative approach to thread and embroidery projects. As a mixed media artist, she embellishes her work with embroidery to add texture and depth. The root of her art is driven by her keen interest in hybridization. Mixing materials that normally would be considered wrong question the line between art and craft. We couldn't be happier that she is pushing this line. Lisa will be here teaching 2 classes at Fancy Tiger. Join us for her classes on June 7th and learn how to make an Embroidered Necklace from 10:30am-1:30pm or jump into her second class where you learn to make an Embroidered Portrait from a Photo from 2:30pm- 5:30pm. In the meantime, lets meet Lisa!

1) Tell us about yourself -  how did you get started? What is your background?
I’ve been making things for as long as I can remember. Not too long ago my mom and dad gave me a bunch of my school “reports” from elementary school and almost all of them said something along the lines of “wonderful art”. I didn’t really think of myself as particularly artistic or creative growing up though. And I didn’t really call myself an artist until I went to graduate school and got my MFA. It was actually in grad school that I taught myself to embroider and fell in love with it. My grandmother had taught me to crochet and knit and embroidery just seemed like a logical step. I really adore how it functions like drawing and painting simultaneously. You can create very fine or thick lines with it and you can also fill in spaces with color.

I grew up in Los Angeles, went to high school in California, and came up to the Bay Area to go to college [UC Berkeley and Mills] and basically have never left.

2) What are you most excited about creating right now? What projects or mediums?
I’m currently working on an exhibition that will open in November at Walter Maciel Gallery in Los Angeles. It’s a continuation of my exploration of the number 1000 – or Sen in Japanese. My mother is Japanese and so I often find myself researching that aspect of my heritage. The number 1000 is prevalent in Japanese culture. It’s often used as a symbol of luck or good fortune, often with a component of communal good will – think 1000 buddhas, 1000 cherry blossom trees [given to Washington DC after WWI], 1000 cranes…

I actually did a show with the same theme at Fouladi Projects last November. I had 45+ women from around the world help me make 1000 doilies [a prevalent motif in my work], 10 each in 100 colors. I displayed them on the wall in a modified rainbow order… this Fall I’ll be reconfiguring the piece at Walter’s space. Working with collaborators from all over the world was so inspiring and amazing I’m actually trying to do it again ;) ! I’m trying to get people to draw me doilies and make me small swatches with French Knots. I put a call out on my blog – if any of your readers are interested I definitely still need help!

So this summer I’ll be in the process of making a series of drawings that go with the doily piece. I’m doing more 1000 buddhas and cranes, and also 1000 samurais [I discovered there’s a 1000 samurai parade that happens every year]. These are colored pencil, ink, acrylic on Duralar with embroidered elements.

3) Is creating a daily thing for you? How do you find time? Do you create in a studio or at your home? Where do you feel most inspired?
I think creating is a daily thing for me. But it’s not momentous creating every day. It can be very small – even just thinking about something. I tend to use photography to document things that visually interest me through out the day, so instagram is a big fav of mine. I find that helps to keep my creativity active on a daily basis. In terms of finding time… I’ve become very good at making in small spurts. I used to need long chunks of the day to BE CREATIVE. But these days – especially after the birth of my daughter – I have found the means to be more portable and work in short spurts. I almost always have a bit of crochet, or my sketchbook, or my phone to take a photo handy. I work a lot in front of the TV at night. I do still set aside whole days to spend in my studio, but it isn’t as crucial as it used to be.

4) What is your favorite mythological animal?
I’m interested in tengu – a Japanese mythological creature.

5) If you could have any super power, what would it be?
Oh jeez. How to choose???? Flying? Invisibility? The ability to wave my hand and have everything be clean??

Thanks Lisa, we can't wait to embroider with you!

Fancy Tiger Crafts is coming at you with our Spring schedule!

Oh boy, do we have a fabulous spring schedule to share with you! We have added about a billion new classes for all your crafting needs. We are very excited to bring you a wide range of new classes for this Spring. Expand your skills and come get crafty with us! 

Fresh new sewing classes:

1) The unisex Cooper Bag by Walden 

2) Ruffled Jersey Skirt

3) Peter Pan Collar tee

4) Tablet case

5) Needle felting Flower Garland

6) Fancy Tiger's classic T- shirt 

7) A Pet Bed for your beloved kitty or pup

8) Make your own Undies

9) Polly Top from By Hand London

10) The Quillow (yes, its a quilt that folds into a pillow!)

11) Foldover Clutch

12) Kid's sewn Stuffie Cloud

13) Sailor top by Fancy Amber

14) Color Theory for crafters

15) Dolly the sewn doll

 

Next up, knitting and crochet classes:

1) February Lady Cardigan

2) Crochet Granny Squares by Tymla Welch

3) Color Affection by Veera Välimäki 

4) Howelsen Hill Hat by Sunne Meyer

In addition to our spring classes, we are so excited about the amazing guest teachers we have lined up to teach at Fancy Tiger this Spring!

First up is Cal Patch! She will be in town for the Makerie and is making a very special trip to Fancy Tiger Crafts to teach her Folk Dress. Sign up for both her workshops at the Makerie and at Fancy Tiger Crafts to receive a combined discount of $50!

Spend the weekend with LA's Christine Haynes, the designer of the popular Emery Dress, and all around great person. This intensive two day, 12-hour workshop will have you learning all of Christine's favorite tailoring tips for darts, bodice lining, invisible zippers, gathering, in-seam pockets and perfect hem. Sign up now for this sure-to-fill-up class in coming in April!

Check out these hand stitched goodies! Lisa Solomon, author of Knot Thread Stitch, will be here in late spring with her beautiful and modern embroidery skills. She will be teaching two classes. Embroidered Necklace walks you through making a one of a kind stitched pendant that you will turn into fantastic jewelry, and Embroidered Portrait will have you stitching up textural heirloom artwork from a drawing or photo.

Don't miss this schedule full of all the things! Just give us a call or drop by to reserve your spot!

Meet Lloyd, Neville and Francine!

Three new Fancy Tiger Stitchin' Kit friends are here for your hand-stitchin' enjoyment!

Lloyd is quite the dramatic pal, but you can choose his mood for him. Stitch a smile or a frown on Lloyd, but either way, he'll love you forever.

Francine is a magical unicorn companion, and is as pleasant as the day is long. Her sparkling golden horn is sure to bring magic into your life and decor.

Neville the Bear is friendlier than his toothy smile suggests, and he will be a loyal bear-friend to you or your favorite pal.

We hope you love our new Stitchin' Kits! Check out fancytiger.etsy.com for all our kits!

Learn it Up, Yo! The Fall Class Schedule is Here!

Our new class schedule is out and there are a million new things to learn and make!

We have a huge line-up of crafty classes, including these brand new projects:

Brand New Fall Classes!
1) Free Motion Quilting with Claudia Miller
2) Needlefelted Mice (kids or adults) or Needlefelted Turkeys with Wynne Reynolds
3) The Staple Dress from April Rhodes taught by Krystal Thomas
4) The Heirloom Tunisian Cowl by Cat Stolzenbach
5) Sonya Philip of 100 Acts of Sewing will be coming to town to teach a 2 day Dress-making Workshop!
6) Patchwork Napkins with Amy Gibson
7) Dia de los Muertos Embroidery with Lalania Simone
8) Kids Elephant Stuffie with Christina Patzman
9) Pattern from Existing Garment with Christina Patzman

There are also plenty of our recurring favorites on the schedule, like My Favorite Sweater, Serger 201: Jersey Skirt, Colette Laurel, Crochet 201: Hat, Spinning 101: Drop Spindle--be sure to check out the full craft class line-up on our website!

Happy crafting!

New Miniature Rhino Cross Stitch and Embroidery Kits!

-jaime

Jessica Marquez is the author of Stitched Gifts and the woman behind the company Miniature Rhino. We are thrilled to welcome her amazing embroidery kits to our line up of inspiring craft supplies!

My personal favorite are her zodiac sign kits. Each adorably packaged kit contains all you need to stitch up your star sign on blue fabric. Amber already stitched up her sign of Taurus (above) and it looks perfect!

We also stock these Miniature Rhino kits for an alphabet sampler and arrows. These make great gifts and are quick to stitch up. The wooden embroidery hoop also makes a great frame for instant wall art.

If you want to add a bit of handcrafted bling to your wardrobe, you should probably pick up a cross stitch pin kit. These kits include thread and instructions for stitching every letter of the alphabet as well as several other designs onto a wooden pin.

Jessica was kind enough to stitch up a "J" for me and i love it! Thanks, Jessica!

Spring Class Schedule is here!

We have just published our Spring class schedule - so many new things to learn and make!

We have lots of cute garment sewing classes: the Sorbetto Dress--a fun take on Colette's top pattern, a spring blouse by Heather Ross, and another great Colette pattern, Bloomers! Our very popular cowl sweatshirt is now on the schedule in a short-sleeved tee verion!

Cowl Tee  |  Sorbetto Dress  |  Spring Blouse

Bloomers!

More fun stitchin' projects--zig zag tea towels for the home, a crazy quilt sampler, and an easy pleated tote bag are all new for Spring!

Amy Gibson of Stitchery Dickory Dock is back with a great modern lap quilt - a Giant Ohio Star finished with ties.

For Crochet we are excited to have Tylma Welch of Lowbrow teaching an adorbzable crochet doily and Cat's monthly afghan squares are now open as individual classes.

Knitter's can delight in a class for Emily's new hat, the Guillemet or focused skills classes.

Needlefelting is here by popular demand, and this Spring you can make all kinds of adorable birdies!

We have tons of our popular stand-bys too, so be sure to check it out and call us to reserve your spot. Click here to download the pdf version of the Spring 2013 schedule.

Crewel Kits are Here from Custom House Needle Arts!

Kitschy-cute crewel embroidery is here! These kits from Custom House are printed on linen fabric with nostalgic illustrations of morel mushrooms, whales and all sorts of adorbzness. They come with a palette of wooly floss for you to stitch up these treasures!

Miranda has already stitched up most of her Violet Cortinarius and we can't wait to see what it looks like when she fills in those tiny Bird's Nest Mushrooms!

I plan on stitching up that Morel with ladybugs!

Better Know A Crafter: Calarri Cox

Calarri dropped by the store and was looking quite snazzy in a totally handmade ensemble! We are inspired by her Aurelia Cardigan which she made with soft organic jersey and a Joel Dewberry print--we will certainly be adding this Sew Liberated pattern to our must-sew for spring list.

Calarri Cox

 
Tell us about your crafty self.
I am a high school teacher. I love to be creative and make beautiful and fun things for my family. I like to make clothing for my daughter and myself.

Tell us about the handmade-ness you are wearing.
I made the Barcelona Skirt by Amy Butler with a few embellishments and the Aurelia Cardigan by Sew Liberated. I sew on my Bernina and I love it. I used an embroidery pattern from the book, Sublime Stitching: Embroidered Effects for the peacocks.

How did you learn to sew?
My grandmothers both sew (one professionally) and I learned what I know from my mother.

What is your favorite animal?
Dogs who like to cuddle.

Thanks Calarri! Happy stitchin'!

New LouLouThi Needleworks!

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.

Crafty Cambodia: The Travel Adventures of Jess

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!