2013 Holiday Gift Guide: Fancy Staff Picks (Part 1)

Welcome to part one of our Fancy Staff Picks Gift Guide--where the crafty folks of Fancy Tiger share some their favorite gift ideas for holiday giving. If you are looking to find the perfect thing for the crocheter, sewist or knitter on your list, there is sure to be a great idea here!

Hi there! It's Caitlin, and at the top of my holiday wish list is Marion Madel's book The New Crochet. This book is beautifully photographed and is designed as a beginner's guide to learning crochet. It is jam-packed with modern designs so even a not-so-beginner will be excited by this gem! I'd love to stitch up the Hazelnut Scarf from Lesson 17, so some Chickadee yarn in Kittywake would be a great addition to the book.

Hello everyone! It's Erikia. One of my favorite things at the store right now is the book Clothing for Everyday Wear: Stylish Dress Book by Yoshiko Tsukiori. The book is full of simple and beautiful dress patterns. It' also includes a full set of patterns and instructions in English so it's super easy. To go along with this, I'd pair some Japanese fabrics from Nani Iro or Kokka. I feel like I could makeover my entire wardrobe armed with these two things!

Jaime here: I love the new Rhinebeck Sweater book from Ysolda Teague! The book contains 12 beautiful sweater patterns that feature many of the "farmy" yarns that we here at Fancy Tiger Crafts love so much. My ideal gift would be the book plus the yarn for one of the sweaters: Aunt Fred in Jill Draper's Mohonk yarn in the colors Greige and Terracotta

Kiyomi here--I'm super obsessed with all the amazing knit fabrics that are in the store. Not only do we have a range of designs and colors, but they're great for making something I call "The 30 Second Scarf" which are perfect for those last minute gifts. I would love this lush gray geo sweatshirt fleece to sewn up into Colette's new pattern, Walden. Natural antler toggle buttons would add a great detail to this coat. And, while I'm not a huge fan of the winter weather, this unisex coat will be perfect to snuggle into while waiting for the bus.

Hello! Fancy Katy here! I've been in love with Jane Richmond's Island collection since it first came out last year. The patterns are simple, yet refined, and work great for both solid and variegated yarns. I find the Renfrew Hat and Arbutus Cowl make awesome quick gifts! I have spent this year knitting several things out of the book, but I have yet to make Grace, the very lovely cardigan. One of my favorite yarns in the world is Madelinetosh Tosh Sock, and they just came out with a beautiful mint green colorway called Courbet's Green, so my perfect holiday gift this year would be enough skeins of that to make the cardigan!

Check back tomorrow for five more great gift ideas from the Fancy Tiger staff!

Erikia's Skirt Spectacular!

Hello! Erikia here, you may know that I love simplistic sewing and making up my own stuff. Well, I've been busy this summer sewing up a ton of easy skirts. Here's a look at a few I've made:

This lovely voile skirt was whipped up during a Fancy Tiger Crafts employee sewing night. The very talented Miranda taught us how to make circle skirts without a pattern in 2 hours! I loved it!

I saw a skirt similar to this online and fell in love with it. To make mine, I sketched out the pattern before starting. I already had measurements for a basic a-line skirt that fit me, so all I needed to do was calculate the measurements for the interior angles. It may look complicate, but honestly it was pretty easy. Little things that helped make this project effortless was layering the jersey cutting the front and back at the same time, using a quilting ruler and rotary cutter to cut the pieces and stitching it together with exposed seams. The best thing about this skirt was I made it out of a remnant, so it was super affordable!

Here's another simple a-line skirt with a little detail added to dress it up. I made a ruffle with coordinating fabric and edged it with matching crocheted trim. Adding the trim was the hardest part. I pinned it on, machine stitched it in place, put some fray check on the edges and hand-stitched the ends together. It was definitely worth it though because the trim is so cute.

This skirt is a favorite of mine! I drafted the pattern from a skirt I bought years ago. Gathering each tier of the skirt was the hardest part, but it gives the skirt amazing texture! I used a twin needle and stitched the fabric down flat with raw edges exposed. In addition to the skirt, I also made my tank top. This was another super easy project. It's based on a basic tank top and I stitched it together with a serger and left all other edges raw. It felt a little plain when I was finished, so I added the ruffle along the neckline, which was a leftover scrap.

Happy sewing!
Erikia

Me Made May 2013: Week 4

--amber 

We did it!! Me Made May was a month of handmade style around here and I'm so impressed with all the talented crafters that work at Fancy T!

Many new garments were made this month, and many projects are now in the works from all the inspiration we got from our fellow crafty peeps. Check out the full size pictures for the entire month on our Flickr page. Now, here is week four of May...

Row 1: Miranda-Burdastyle Theresa Dress  |  Amber-Colette Peony in Denyse Schmidt fabric  |  Allison-Aestlight shawl by Gudrun Johnston in Hot Pink Jade Sapphire Cashmere  |  Caitlin-Wiksten Tova  |  Amber-Deer and Doe Datura Tank  |  Allison-Circle Skirt of Miranda's design + Mobius Scarf  |  Jaime-Colette Violet and Coraline Cardigan by Ysolda  |  Miranda-Colette Macaron

Row 2: Jaime-Saple Dress by April Rhodes in Brussels Washer  |  Amber-Colette Laurel  |  Allison-Earth and Sky shawl by Stephen West in Madelintosh Light  |  Jaime-Cap Sleeve Lattice Top from Purlbee in Road to China Light  |  Miranda-Colette Macaron  |  Erikia-Rad Handmade Necklace Pendant  |  Emily-Guillemet Hat of her design and Nani Iro Skirt

Row 3: Amber-Colette Hazel Dress  |  Caitlin-Skirt of her own design  |  Miranda-Dirndl Dress in monster fabric  |  Allison-Mobius Scarf  |  Melissa-Colette Violet Blouse and Colette Iris Shorts  |  Caitlin-Simplicity Pattern Tank  |  Erikia-Skirt of her own design  |  Jaime-Painted Portrait blouse from Anna Maria Horner in Nanin Iro fabric

Row 4: Jaime-Wiksten Tank in Liberty Tana Lawn |  Melissa-Anna Maria Horner Painted Portrait with Anna Maria's fabric  |  Caitlin-Anna Maria Horner Socialite Top  |  Tina-Dress of her own design with Birdcages print  |  Amber-Wiksten Tank in organic Cotton Voile  |  Miranda- Circle skirt of her own design  |  Allison-Hendreary Hat by Ysolda

Row 5: Amber-Sailor Top of her own design + Laurelhurst Socks by Star Athena in Sweet Georgia sock yarn  |  Erikia-Tank of her own design made from her grandmother's tablecloth and neon bias tape  |  Jaime-Anna Maria Horner Socialite Dress in Heather Ross Fabric  |  Allison-Daybreak by Stephen West made with Zauberball Sock  |  Emily-Altered Colette Sorbetto in Martha Negley Feather fabric  |  Caitlin-Simplicity Pattern  |  Tina-Crocheted cowl and dress of her design  |  Jaime-Green Bee Amelia Dress Pattern  in Lotta Jansdotter fabric

Row 6: Tina-Dress of her design with Sarah Watson fabric  |  Jaime-Amy Butler Barcelona Skirt with Anna Maria Horner Volumes fabric  |  Katie-Necklace made from found object and crystal  |  Amber-Wiksten Tank with added sleeves in cute kitty fabric  |  Miranda-Dirndl Dress  |  Allison-Mobius Scarf  |  Amber-Megan Nielsen Kelly Skirt

I hope you enjoyed our crafty duds this month! Till next year, Me Made May! Thanks to Zoe of the blog  So, Zo...What Do You Know? for inspiring us with her challenge!

Me Made May 2013: Week 3

Week three of Me Made May is complete--we are in the home stretch now! Jaime and Amber saved up their newest, hot-off-the-sewing-machine items for this past week, since they were in Portland for Quilt Market. Remember, you can check out our Flickr page to see large size pictures of all our outfits. (Stay tuned, Quilt Market Report coming next week!)

Row 1: Emily-Guillemet Hat in Brooklyn Tweed Shelter, Gullfoss Vest in Imperial Stock Ranch Tracie + Colette Juniper Pants in Pickering tweed  |  Miranda-Dirndl dress in Ladybots print  |  Erikia-Wiksten Tank in Art Gallery Fabric  |  Allison-Colette Ginger Skirt in Summerville Fabric  |  Jaime-Amber's Sailor Top in Lecien Lawn  |  Caitlin-Anna Maria Horner Socialite Dress in Heather Ross fabric

Row 2: Amber-Colette Laurel in Cats in Baskets print  |  Allison-Marley's Ghost Knitted Scarf  |  Tina-Jumper of her own design  |  Emily-Colette Sorbetto Tank in Lecien Lawn  |  Miranda-Dirndl Dress in Sarah Watson fabric

Row 3: Caitlin-Tank drafted from a favorite shirt  |  Amber-Sew Liberated Esme in Lecien Lawn (new!)  |  Tina-Dress of her own design  |  Emily-Guillemet Hat, knitted tank of her own design in Sleep Season hand-dyed yarn, leather tote of her own design + Cal Patch Leggings  |  Allison-Colette Sorbetto Tank  |  Melissa-Wiksten Tank Dress

Row 4: Allison-Mobius Scarf in Liberty Tana Lawn  |  Caitlin-Anna Maria Horner Socialite Blouse  |  Jaime-Sew Liberated Esme in AMH Voile  |  Tina-Dress of her own design  |  Amber-Deer and Doe Datura Blouse in Nani Iro, Yuwa Lawn and Shot Cotton (new!)

Row 5: Jaime-Deer and Doe in Sara Watts fabric and Shot Cotton (new!)  |  Caitlin-Tilly and the Button's Miette Skirt  |  Amber-Wiksten Tova  |  Tina-Dress of her own design  |  Allison-Aline Skirt in Kokka Woodland Print

Row 6:  Allison-Colette Sorbetto Dress in Lizzy House fabric  |  Tina-Dress of her own design  |  Emily-modified Amy Butler Cabo Halter top  |  Caitlin-Anna Maria Horner Socialite Blouse  | Jaime-Dress made from pattern self-drafted in Cal Patch's Makerie Workshop (new!)

Hooray for May!

Me Made May 2013: Week One

Hip hip hooray for Me Made May! The Fancy folks are representin' with all their handmade things! We sure do have some talented and prolific crafters around here. It makes me want to make even more things!!

Here is the rundown on what we sported this week...
Row 1: Caitlin-Plaid Flannel Wiksten Tova Top  |  Erikia-Wiksten Tank in Lecien Floral  |  Jaime-Porticus Sweater  |  Miranda-Built By Wendy Dirndl Dress + Mara Shawl  |  Allison-Miranda's Circle Skirt in Anna Maria Horner rayon + Dandy Scarf in Edison Bulb Pashmina Worsted  |  Amber-Cria Cardigan in Imperial Stock Tracie + Aestlight Shawl in hand-dyed Icelandic Lace

Row 2: Emily-Roundabout Camisole and Cardigan of Emily's own design  |  Allison-Sencha Blouse in raindrop print  |  Miranda-Red Miz Mozelle Dress + handspun red garter stitch cowl  |  Caitlin-Self-drafted jersey skirt  |  Jaime-Sarah's Cowl sweatshirt  |  Tina-Bag, dress, and contrast-cowl jacket of Tina's own design

Row 3: Allison-Gyllis Shawl in Malabrigo Worsted + A-line Skirt  |  Amber-Peabody Sweater in Soft Donegal  |  Jaime-Painted Portrait Dress + Bad Oyster Shawl  |  Caitlin-Liberty Tana Lawn Socialite Top  |  Miranda-Sarah's Cowl T-Shirt + A-Line Skirt  |  Amber-Sarah's Cowl Sweatshirt  |  Katy-Brooklyn Tweed Eternity Scarf in Tosh DK Ginger

Row 4: Allison-Peony Dress  |  Jaime-Miz Mozelle in Tula Pink fabric  |  Katy-Wave Wristlet (Katy's own free pattern!) in Silky Wool  |  Miranda-Sparkly Sci-fi Built By Wendy Dirndl Dress  |  Allison-Colette Violet Blouse in bicycle fabrics  |  Amber-Ysolda Pockets and Ties skirt  |  Katy-Necklace made from rope and hex bolts

Row 5: Tina-Dress of Tina's own design  |  Emily-Colette Iris Shorts  |  Caitlin-Wiksten Tova in Lecien fabric  |  Katy-Headband of Katy's design made in Lizzy House Constellation fabric  |  Caitlin-Grainline Studio's Tiny Pocket Tank in Lecien Lawn + Tilly and the Button's Miette Skirt* (*Part of Caitlin's challenge was to make 1 handmade item a week, and this was her first make for week 1!)  |  Miranda-Brown Dirndl Dress, Drifting Cardigan in handpainted yarns + handknit socks

Row 6: Jaime-Xia (Summer) knit blouse  |  Erikia-Wiksten Tank Dress in Anna Maria Horner Rayon  |  Tina-Top and Skirt of Tina's own design  |  Katy-Necklace made from vintage domino  |  Amber-Darling Ranges Dress in Liberty Lifestyle fabric + Maenad Shawl in Anzula Sebastian Yarn  |  Erikia-Patricia Infinity Cowl made with Denyse Schmidt, Anna Maria Horner and Liberty fat quarters  |  Emily-Sorbetto Top and Emily's own Guillemet Hat pattern

Check back next week for even more handmade goodness!

Me Made May 2013 Challenge!

So, Zo...we Fancy Tigers are accepting your challenge!

We--Amber, Jaime and the rest of the Fancy Tiger Crafts crew--sign up as participants of Me-Made-May '13. We will document all of our handmadery weekly here on our blog at www.fanctiger.blogspot.com, hooray!

I, Jaime, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May '13. I endeavor to wear a different handmade outfit every day for the duration of May 2013.








I, Amber, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May '13. I endeavor to wear a different handmade outfit every day and make at least two new garments for the duration of May 2013

I, Allison, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May '13. I endeavor to wear at least one item of handmade clothing 5 days a week and make 2 new handmade things in May 2013.









I, Caitlin of Sparrows and Spools, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May '13. I endeavor to wear at least one item of handmade clothing 5 days a week and create 1 new item of clothing each week for the duration of May 2013.

I, Emily Platzer, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May '13. I endeavor to wear something handmade by me each day for the duration of May 2013. In addition, I endeavour to create four new handmade items for myself in May 2013.

I, Erikia, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May '13. I endeavor to wear tops and accessories I've made as often as I can for the month of May 2013.

I, Katy of ModularModular, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May '13. I endeavor to wear lovely handmade items each day for the duration of May 2013.

I, Melissa,sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May '13. I endeavor to wear a handmade item 4 days per week and to complete two sewn items and at least 1 knitted item for the duration of May 2013.

Hoo haa, here I go!

I, Miranda, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May '13. I endeavor to wear a different dress I've made each day AND wear one thing I've knitted, that I wear often or are from the back of the closet for the duration of May 2013








I, Tina also sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May 2013. I endeavor to wear dresses, outfits, and accessories made by me every day of May!

HALLA!







Here we go!

Erikia's Amazing Space Invaders Quilt

Hi! I'm Erikia and I'm the manager here at Fancy Tiger. When I first got into sewing years ago, quilting was one of my loves. I'm a make-it-up as I go kinda crafter and don't like following patterns, so quilting came easy to me. That's not to say all of my quilts have been perfect. I've learned a lot over the years and even learned a new technique with this quilt, but more on that later.

I made this quilt for my boyfriend because he needed a better blanket for his sofa. I wanted it to be uber cool, so I went on a search for edgy, modern quilts a la Boo Davis. When I came across some Space Invader designs, I knew I found the perfect pattern.

I started the quilt with a sketch based on some pixelated graphics of the aliens and went from there. I used a combination of 2x2 squares and strips with 1/4" seam allowance for the construction. Because the pattern is so graphic and the pieces were small, I wanted all my corners to lineup perfectly. I used a technique that I learned about in Tula Pink's book Quilts From The House of Tula Pink, where you nest your seams together. It worked like magic to keep the corners neat!

Once the quilt was done, I sent it off to Jason Spicknall of Secret Stash Quilting to do the quilting and it turned out amazing! Since finishing my quilt, I've decided that I need to make one for myself based on the Ms. Pac-Man game. Think how cute that'll be with colorful ghosts, fruits and of course Ms. Pac-Man with her adorable bow and girly red lips...

Fancy Tiger Folks' Crafty Holiday Gift Picks 2012! Part 1

Welcome to our Crafty Holiday Gift Picks for 2012!

We at Fancy Tiger Crafts spend the whole year surrounded by amazing craft supplies and inspiring customers. That means we spend a lot of time thinking up our dream projects. Here are some of the things we think would be a fantastic treat for your favorite crafter to find under the tree!

Hey! I'm Sarah, one of the new additions to the awesome Fancy Tiger staff. I love beautiful, simple Japanese sewing patterns and my most recent obsession is with 'I Am Cute Dresses'. All 25 patterns are super adorable and since they are a relaxed fit, there's no finicky fitting! Any of these designs would be lovely made from a Nani Iro double gauze, Lecien cotton or any other sweet Japanese print. I personally plan on making each one and wearing them with tights and boots all winter!

Miranda
Sometimes I stray into the worlds of fabric and fiber, but knitting will always be my true love. After knitting, sewing and stitching like crazy for gifts, I always love to dream up a gift to make for myself. The Fightin' Words fingerless mitts from local designer Annie Watts fit the bill perfectly. Their bold, graphic motifs look both fun to knit and to wear. I would make them in our hearty Elemental Affects fingering-weight Shetland wool yarn, which is perfect for colorwork. Plus, after all my projects are done, I always feel like a real superhero. POW! Happy holidays, everyone: may your stitches be even and may your points always match!

Hello! I'm Erikia and I'm the manager here at Fancy Tiger Crafts. Last month, we got shot cotton fabric back in the shop and I'm totally in love with it! If you're not familiar with shot cotton, it is a woven fabric with two different colors, one for the weft and one for the weave. This effect creates subtle shifts in color and adds incredible depth to an otherwise solid fabric. It's completely amazing!

I've been using the shot cotton on pretty much everything I've been sewing lately and would love to try it with English paper piecing to make a pillow case. If Santa brought me a little kit for this project, say a fat quarter bundle of shot cottons, 1 1/2" hexagon paper pieces, thread, beeswax, and sewing needles, I'd be one happy girl!

Well hello everyone! Melissa here. Now I know that we recently did a blog post about the Soft Donegal from Ireland, but I am so in love with it I just had to choose it for my holiday gift pick. It's so soft and the colors are so beautiful. Plus, I'm really getting into learning more about my Irish heritage.
I think the natural pairing with this luscious yarn is the book Contemporary Irish Knits by Carol Feller. When Carol was here earlier this year I fell for the Killybegs cardigan from this book. Carol was so nice and wonderful I couldn't help loving all her designs. I have been daydreaming about making this sweater in the Berry colorway since we got the Donegal in. This yarn and book would make a lovely gift for the knitter in your life. After all she/he should have something to knit for themselves after all that holiday knitting they did!

Allison
I hope that Meg's Sleep Season yarn will be in my stocking this year. Her hand dyed and handspun yarn comes in 100% merino, Superwash Bluefaced Leicester and a blend of Merino Cashmere and Nylon. Each skein has the most amazing colors. They are all around 400 yards making them a perfect choice for a Norby hat by Gudrun Johnston (like Jaime did with her skein) or a Little Colonnade shawl by Stephen West. Plus she's local so you can feel good that you are supporting an awesome local spinner/dyer. Yay! Happy knitting.

Amber here! I love me some tweedy goodness and natural yarns. I have been dreaming of making the Burr Jacket by Veronik Avery for Brooklyn Tweed. How amazing it would be to spin my own tweedy yarn out of this undyed, multicolor roving from local alpaca farm, Ancient Treasures Alpaca Ranch. 18 ounces would give me enough to spin up the yarn for a this cozy-dorable shawl collar cardigan...and an extra plus would be plenty of relaxing spinning and knitting time.