So, basically, I'm the luckiest girl alive.

When hubby and I arrived home today from our trip to D.C. and Baltimore, there was a UPS label waiting for us. I figured it was yet again, another boring package from work. So I called UPS....and found out that it was actually from Purl Soho! Huh?? I didn't place an order....what could be the mix up? I waiting anxiously for UPS to return (psych, I actually tracked him down in our neighborhood - so I was a little excited, what can I say?).

When I tracked him down, I found out that it wasn't a mix up at all...it was pure Mason Dixon lovin'!!
Kay and Ann sent me a wonderful package full of 1/2 yard cotton fabric pieces of a bunch of different beautiful color combinations....I LOVE IT!! Some of them are from the Denyse Schmidt line of fabrics ~ I've been eyeing those puppies...but thought it was a luxury that was out of my reach. Thank you KAY and ANN your generosity is breath-taking!!!
Ahhh....feels good to be loved!

In other news....Extreme Craft highlighted this amazing project by artist Theresa Honeywell who created this knit motorcycle. It was on display at the Georgia Museum of Art. Her work explores the cool tough male world with her pieces like the knit tool belt, knit jackammer, as well as embroidery work of tattoo designs. Rock on sista!

Editor Bag by Roots - I think I may have just found my next all-in-one-good-for-style-and-business-travel-purse:

What do you think? Karissa is modeling it here and here. She pretty much makes everything look cute. Check out her Etsy shop...and her blog.

This is awesome! Check out this homage to the punk rock life of every knitter.

I added a new link to my sidebar...."It's Your Life Presents..." she has amazing Japanese inspired creations and you must take a peek!

I took this "quiz" (if you want to call it that). It's tough looking at yourself in such an honest mirror, but here it is...take it yourself if you dare. Seven Deadly Sins

Greed:	Very Low
Gluttony:	Low
Wrath:	Medium
Sloth:	Medium
Envy:	Very Low
Lust:	Very Low
Pride:	High

I just purchased the most beautiful print from an artist in Barcelona (gotta support my peeps!) named Alex Noriega. Check out his tutorial creating artwork using his style of painting. I'd like to try to illustrate my constant obsession....mass production....over consumption...over flowing landfills and polluted air and water ways = OUR DEMISE.

I found Alex via KnotWithoutMyKnitting which is a great blog with lots of fun finished projects in both knitting and sewing. Crafty girl that Caitlyn.

I'm still working on a pair of socks from my abuelita (direct translation is "little grandmother") and I've been held back quite a bit for the thought of wrestling with those dpns. So, I've committed myself to learning "magin loop", and I'm in the process of collecting websites that will teach me:
Unwind
Streets and YOs
Demo

Also, check out this gorgeous bag that Eunny made for BitterPurl:

damn this is place is cool. and i'm not just saying that because i'm with my hubby and i convinced him to go to stitch D.C. tomorrow!! (yeah baby!!). heard its the hottest place to hang out. today we went to tryst, the hippest, coolest place in adams morgan with the best sando's a girl could find.....eeemmm yum!

tonight we took the subway (which is UNBELIEVABLY sanitary and orderly - you can actually touch the polls in the train without feeling like your hand is going to curl up and fall off from all the disgusting germs growing off of it). equipped with our tour guide, george, we went to the area near howard for some AWESOME ethiopian food and dancing at dukem restaurant. if you've never tried ethiopian food (or have only had one bad experience with ethiopian food like i had) this is a perfect place to re-acquaint yourself with the tasty cuisine.
like any and all good tourists, we couldn't miss the opportunity to check out all the monuments at night...here are some (pretty lame, i know) pictures i grabbed with my camera phone:

and (as some would say) "warsh-ington" monument (my artist rendition of said monument):
in crafty news....i've totally obsessed with bags and sewing in general lately....some great finds in the blogosphere and beyond:

The Bag Blog and her tutorials and links.
Tote-Along

Tutorial for an invisible hem on a pair of jeans.

Thimble's patchwork wallets.

Bella Dia's tissue holder tutorial.

Hip to Piece Squares

SF Food Recommendations - Tablehopper

Crafty podcasts at CraftSanity and WhipUp.

I think I may have found an excellent Back Tack III pattern - Mini Moopy Bunny - designed by Moopy & Me!

Know...if only Beth would post a picture of the bag she made at house other day!

well...I'm back in San Francisco for the weekend. my trip to minny (minneapolis/st.paul for those of you who aren't in the "know" - just kidding, i overheard someone use that term....and shamelessly stole it).

my trip ROCKED. with lots of help from eireann, my virtual tour guide, i was able to hit up most of the hot spots. on my last day i went over to grand ave. in st. paul and stopped by the treadle yard goods where i picked up some (hard to find in S.F.) patterns by amy butler. how chic are these?:

her stuff is so fresh and happy.

i came across SCRAP when surfing the net the other night. it's a non-profit that recycles arts and crafts supplies. it's a great place to promote recycling....reusing...and reducing - you donate stuff you don't use anymore...pick up things you need to finish a project....AND take a workshop or two at a very low cost. don't live in the bay area? check to see if there's a similar organization in your hood!

NEXT STOP...WASHINGTON D.C. AND BALTIMORE....do you live there? do you spend a lot of time there? HELP ME FIGURE OUT WHERE TO GO:)

How is it that you can ask SIX different people the question: "Where can I go that is uniquely Minneapolis?" and they ALL send me to FRICKIN' STARBUCK'S???

Except for a trusty member of the crafting community..........go figure!

As you may have guessed....I'm in the beautiful TWIN CITIES right now. Feeling a little frustrated and discouraged, I contacted Eireann for some crafty guidance. Booooy was I glad I contacted her! Eireann sent me to...what shall I call it? Uuh, PARADISE. Ever heard of SR Harris Fabric "store"?


Well, its 30,000 square feet of discounted goodness! It's amazing....I really don't know how to describe it but, "WOW". Its a HUGE (picture Costco)....wall to wall...floor to ceiling....crowded aisle after aisle after bin of 50% off fabric!!


I bought zippers (.75 cents each) in every color imaginable.....4 foot barrels FULL of buttons .5 cents each....velcro...elastic....every trim imaginable....lace, $1 patterns...anything and everything you could possibly think of. This place alone is worth a trip to Minneapolis....I don't care if you live in Ohio or Belize.....you gotta check this place out!! Thanks Eireann!!

This weekend my mom, sister and I were at Stone Mountain and Daughter Fabric store. We came across this great bolt of dishcloth fabric. Can you believe that it was already pre-hemmed? So all you do is...cut...hem the ends....and decorate with some sassy embroidery!

Needlecrafter has free images that you can print out and trace onto a given dishcloth to beautify with some colorful stitches.

PatternBee has vintage patterns for sale and a couple nursery rhymes as for free downloads! Also check out there super cute vintage children's apron pattern.

Also...dont forget E-Bay - there are lots of people selling vintage patterns there!

And.....of course...can't talk about sassy embroidery without mentioning Sublime Stitching! How can you possibly live without Roller Derby and Scooter Babe designs?

Above is a shirt that I made for my best-friends birthday....I totally jumped on the stencil band wagon with this one.

I made the flowers using a stamp that I carved from little rubber chunks. So like now, I'm totally addicted to making stamps and got this cool little stamp making Japanese book ISBN 4-07-248881-X

I've been going nuts with my sewing machine lately and used a great online tutorial to make these little puppies:



Other great tutorials in the blogosphere:

Felt Cakes
(Photoshop) High contrast a photo to make a stencil.
School Bag made out of neckties.
Make your own lables.

So, what do you guys think of the new Spring Time blog look?

"You'd be surprised how much it costs to look this cheap! " - Dolly Parton
I know this is the 2nd time I'm posting about this...but I'm just so damn proud of it!

With help from Liz, I completed the Ballband Dishcloth from Mason Dixon Knitting using Peaches N' Cream and cotton chenille.

I added a backing from some cotton dishcloth type substance from the fabric store. The whole project cost like 0.14 cents, I swear, it was like the most low budget knitting project I've ever done. Sometimes I just want to laugh my ass off when non-knitters try to tell me that knitting is a way to "save money" by "making your own things". If only they knew the level of debt I'm in because of this little hobby of mine. Saving $$ is so far from anything related to knitting its not even funny. I'm like "yeah, if you consider making a scarf for like $90 'saving money', then yeah, I guess I'm saving $$. I mean I guess I could go out and buy a diamond encrusted angora scarf for $8 Million in which case $90 is a bargain, right?!".

Viva La Knit Picks!

Here we are folks in beautiful Napa Valley. I'm working right now....and although it's technically "work"...it's hard to feel that way with the surroundings....

In other news...this past weekend, we went to hear David Sedaris speak. He is easily one of the most brilliant, talented and inspiring men alive. I know that's quite a statement, but I really feel that way...and he's fu%#ing FUNNY!! Damn, that man can make me laugh.

Here's a paparazzi picture that I took of him with my phone standing a mere TWO feet away from him!!

I know that he doesn't like having his photograph taken, so I felt kinda bad exploiting him this way...but obviously not bad enough to actually stop, so I guess this makes me kind of a jerk.

Another funny thing that happened that night (besides everything that came out of David's mouth) occurred in the ladies restroom. I had to go into the bathroom several times to get this shot. I had to hide the fact that I was taking the picture every time someone came in. Even I would think it odd to walk in on someone taking pictures in the bathroom. But, I took one for the team, and I brought you this.

What this is folks, is the tampon machine in the bathroom at the theater. Now, I don't know about you ladies, but I'm sorry, I don't care how desperate I am for a tampon....I will NEVER ask the little 80 year old usher-man for a tampon. EVER. Would it have killed them to just place a few in a basket near the sink? Or, not even in a basket, just thrown on the wet counter top would have been better then having to ask an usher.

ooh, before I go, Check out this Japanese craft source!

And...of course....SIGN UP FOR THE MASON DIXON KAL!!