New Updates Coming Soon

It's only been a year! I guess it's time for a new blog post. Today I spent time working on a new skirt prototype. Its something very different than I've done in the past. A gathered waist skirt with a set on waistband and zipper...GASP! I know - a fitted skirt.

I am using up a pile of upcycled vintage, found, remnant and reclaimed fabrics to make these skirts. Each one will be different and one of a kind. These are made to be worn at the actual waistline (belly button area); and I think they are flirty and fun. This particular skirt is a 30 inch waist and 20 inches long.

What do you think?

Website!

Yes, you read that correctly....after securing my domain nearly a year ago I'm finally getting ready to launch my very own website. Sales will still run through www.thepainteddaisy.etsy.com but I will finally have a landing place for a gallery of my work, links to my etsy site, FB & blogger, upcoming events, lists of the brick & mortar shops that carry my goodies and a little information about me & my sewing business. Plus its very pretty :)

This has been a long process...I have a lot going on in my life and anything computer-related always falls to the bottom of the list. A very kind parent from my kids' swim club helped me finish this daunting project.

Soooooooo a big shout out THANK YOU to Justin Packard of Route 37 Design. He can be found at www.route37design.com.

Most of my friends know that I split my time between my own sewing business and working for an upholstery shop. Jason, the owner and master upholsterer, and I work together on a variety of different projects. The other guy in the photo on the far left is Brian - the resident lifter, delivery guy, deconstructor, mechanical parts guy and sometimes furniture refinisher. I sort of come and go from the shop as my schedule allows. For this reason I don't get involved in some of the really big projects anymore. Here's an example of a sofa I helped Jason with awhile back - it was custom built from the frame out. The customer brought in a photo of a sofa from a catalog. Jason customized it to her specifications, including a loose base cushion that could be flipped. Our finished product! The past two weeks I worked on a few smaller projects - here's one. A customer needed a lumbar pillow for their favorite chair. They brought in the seat cushion and I created this pillow out of a coordinating fabric we had leftover from a different project.

Here's another - new cushions for this glider rocker. Here's the project in process...


All that is left is inserting the seat cushion and replacing the fill for the back and adding button tufting. Jason will handle that for me....I won't be back in the shop until next week.
I'm excited about my next project - It's a set of cushions for a friend. Wait until you see the before & afters!

Working on updates for my blog...coming soon!

So where did 2011 go? So much for keeping up with the blog. I'm going to do better in 2012! Watch for updates soon.

Sharing the Sweater Love to Support Breast Cancer Research & Recovery

Recently a friend asked me if I would be interested in creating a sweater wrap to donate to a fundraiser silent auction. The event is By Women, For Women (http://www.bwfwgolf.com/) a local, annual women's golf event that raises money to assist in the battle against breast cancer. Of course I was thrilled to be asked and said YES!

The only request was it be a pink-themed sweater...so this past week I came up with the following creation:



I hope it gets lots of bids and the "winner" wears it proudly!

Patchwork is the *Word*

I am currently obsessed with patchwork! I think it is carrying over from all the reconstructed sweaters, scarves and arm warmers I've spent the past 10 months creating!

Here's a new patchwork Frances Skirt (so dubbed "Patchwork Fran") that I just debuted in my Etsy shop last week:





And an ugly pic of me wearing a red...



These were born out of my inability to throw out scraps. I had 4 60 gallon garbage bags FULL of scraps. So I sorted them, trimmed and starting sewing together yardage in color families. Dark red, bright red and cinnamon brown are done. Next up, peach/orange, blues and dark brown, to be followed by greens, golds, pink, fuschia and blacks.

I also have a dozen pieces of patched together scraps of cotton fabric. My mom is a very talented quilter and I give her my bags of sorted cotton scraps and she pieces them together into pleasing yardage for totes and bags. Those will be coming soon, as well as some simpler twill totes with tattered ruffles!

So much for keeping up with the blog....starting over!

So the first 5 months of 2011 have gone by in a blur. A blur of sweaters, sweater dust and upcycled sweater creations! Here's a very, very small sampling of what I've been up to:

A few weeks ago I finally pulled the plug on the sweater machine, in order to work on a few lighter weight, spring/summer creations. Since then I've been making skirts, vacuuming sweater dust and scheming new ideas and possibilities.

I've also been restocking all the neglected shops that have so graciously carried my handmade clothing for the past 18 months. So far, I've stocked/restocked Glitter Workshop, Wholly Craft and a new shop, D.I.Y. Studio & Gifts. Coming shortly will be stock for Anthology, and two additional new shops, Weathered Goods and Modern Mercantile. I added links (if available) to these cool shopping destinations in the sidebar to the right.

Other shop updates include the sad news that Jack 'N Jill in Helena, Montana is closing at the end of May because the owner's spouse has taken a job out of state, and recently Dainty Daisies in Oshkosh, Wisconsin has downsized to a smaller studio and is only taking consignment on a very limited basis. You will be able to find The Painted Daisy products there the month of October - I will be the guest gallery artist for that month!

Let's see...other news....2011 SHOW SCHEDULE!

July 9 - Contructor Fair, NW Chicago Suburbs (Fitzgeralds, Berwyn, IL 10-6)
http://www.constructorcraftfair.com/

July 24th - Summer Craftacular, Madison, WI (East Side Club 10-5)
www.glitterworkshop.com/craftacular

T.B.A. September - Annual Trunk Show, Lexington KY

October 1st - Gallery Walk, Dainty Daisies, Oshkosh, WI (6-9pm)
http://www.daintydaisies.com/

and hopefully...

November 19th - Handmade for the Holidays, Oshkosh, WI
www.daintydaisies.com/handmadefortheholidays.html

December 3rd - Holiday Craftacular, Madison, WI

Keep an eye on my blog for updates about my upcoming shows, new products, tidbits and non-sensical trivia about my sewing, family and life in-general!

Latest Special Projects - Week 4 2011 (a little late)

So I'm still not caught up on posts yet, but I'm still only one week behind...so that's good, right?

Anyway...I've been very busy with special projects, in between getting ready for a great little Valentine Trunk Show (www.glitterworkshop.com/craftacular) on February 6. For all you Madison-area fans you can hit the show early (starts at 10:00am) and still have plenty of time to get your party on for the Packers later that day!

A lovely Holiday Craftacular customer placed a special order for a long, twirly, Katwise-esque sweater coat. She was gracious enough to wait until after the new year. We recently met a few times to measure, exchange ideas and she even provided a lot of the materials! Here are some pictures of the fabulous, decadent, wonderfully rich and unique results! (As always, I apologize in advance for my poor photography skills!)

I'm wrapping up a few more special projects this week, so more coming soon!

Special Project Fun! Week 2 2011

Well, week 2 of 2011 ended on Saturday...and its now Monday, so I'm 2 days behind already! I think I'll have to get working on the post for this week (3) right away so this year doesn't get away from me!

Week 2 was spent working on several projects. I narrowed down my ideas for spring and summer skirts, created patterns and began sewing prototypes. I thought I would have them done by now and ready to photograph and solicit feedback. But....it wasn't meant to be. I got sidelined by several special requests for custom sweaters. Here are some glimpses of a few that I turned out last week.

The first is a super colorful compilation of aqua/teal, red, orange and some crazy color argyle with black. This was created for a new artists friend, Kim Geiser. I highly recommend you check out her blog at http://www.persimmonsgal54220.blogspot.com/ as well as her Etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/persimmonsgal . She wanted a bright, colorful, long, wrap cardigan...it goes out in the mail tomorrow. I hope she loves it!

The next two lovelies were created for a high school friend I recently got reaquainted with, via the products I sell at a great shop in Madison, WI http://anthology.typepad.com/. Alyssa wanted to "remake" a few of the sweaters she already owned, and these are the results! The Cowl Tunic on the left was a much plainer turtleneck sweater in its former life... I added the flow-y brown and multicolor bands at the neck for the cowl and spliced in some color at the midsection. The other is a great "katwise-esque" sweater coat made from two sweater dusters my friend already owned + some scraps of multi-color sweater knit I had leftover from another project. I left the neckline and sleeve cuffs alone because the fraggle trim was already super cool.

The last project was a custom creation for a repeat customer who is also a patron of an eclectic clothing/vintage/handmade shop in Appleton, WI http://www.daintydaisies.blogspot.com/. Kelly wanted a super colorful, bright, crazy color combo, long tie front cardigan. After emailing a palette of sweaters/scraps we came up with this rambunctious combination of bright orange bodice with splashes of yellow, kelly green, red, lavender, fuschia, black and that awesome argyle made its first appearance in this sweater. Kelly received her sweater last week and I'm hoping to receive some fan pics soon!

I'm working on several more special orders over the next few weeks and will keep posting the results. I love to collaborate with customers to create something unique and "just right" for them.

Happy snow storm to everyone in the upper midwest today. Kids were off school anyway for MLK Day and I'm going to head out and snowblow...then back to the sewing machine.

Best Christmas Gift!

First, let me start by saying I have been horrible at keeping up with blog posts. That is all going to change in 2011! My New Years resolution is to post something interesting about my sewing business, the upholstery shop, my life or anything EVERY week in 2011! I will even label the posts 1 - 52 for each week.

With that said, let me end 2010 with a post about the awesome Christmas gift I got from my husband. In 1997 my great grandmother passed away and I had the privilege to assist in cleaning out her home. I came home with MANY fabric treasures, and a few other, non-textile related treasures. One of those being her cuckoo clock, which unfortunately had experienced an accident and was in a couple pieces and not working. My grandfather had purchased this for her in 1952.

I have been hauling that broken cuckoo clock around for 13 years! It has lived in his box in Madison, Dayton, Ohio and 2 houses in Stoughton. Dave dug it out and took it in to a clock restorer to be refurbished! Unfortunately it was not done in time for me to have the working clock on Christmas morning, but I got a few of repaired pieces in my present, with the rest to be done in the near future.

Now, the big question....where will I hang this heirloom...and will I torture my family with the hourly "cuckoo" noise that I love? Hmmmm, I'll report on that after it is hung and working :)

Best wishes in 2011 to all my followers. I appreciate each and every one of you!

Happy New Year!

Jenny

Summer Recap & Other Interesting Stuff

So...I can't believe I haven't posted on my blog since June! The past month I've been thinking about it, procrastinating, thinking more, putting it off, but now it's time.

Summer Recap

It was a CRAZY summer in my world! Lots of traveling, Kentucky, Tennessee, northern Wisconsin, Indiana, etc. Kids were involved in sports and other activities...but mostly *around* all the time which is great...but definitely cuts into my productive time. They make it very difficult for me to focus when it is 90 degrees outside and the pool or beach is calling their names! The flower beds were beautiful due to early heat and lots of rain and and my vegetable garden produced lots and lots of tomatoes, squash, lettuces, spinach, carrots and kohlrabi (Sofia's fav).

The Painted Daisy

Well, the above paragraph says a lot. I tried to keep up with shop inventory and my Etsy site...it was tough. Working on better planning for next summer! I am definitely scaling back on show participation as time moves forward. Being a one woman sweat shop only allows for so much production! The Summer Craftacular sponsored by Glitterworkshop was my only big summer show..and totally worth it! Great time, great shoppers and excellent venue. The Holiday Craftacular will also be held at the East Side Club, so watch for future posts with details.

Jenny, the Upholstery Seamstress

I realized recently that I rarely, if ever, talk about my other sewing *self*. I have been working at an upholstery shop (Depot Hill Furnishings) for more than 3 years! I sew lots and lots of pillows and cushions, as well as help with the cut and sewn parts of furniture re-uphostery or custom made pieces. My next post will focus on a great project we just completed at the shop, plus lots of fun pictures of me, my workspace and my posse!

Moving into Fall

I just returned from a great show in Kentucky the third weekend in September. My wonderful sister Janelle opened up her home once again to all her friends (and strangers that were garage sale-ing in the neighborhood) so I could have a very successful trunk show.

I will be participating in several shows this fall/holiday season:

Holiday Craftacular - December 11
www.glitterworkshop.com/craftacular

Handmade for the Holidays - November 20
www.daintydaisies.com/handmadefortheholidays

Holiday Open House - November 20
324 N. Monroe St, Stoughton, WI
9:00 - 4:00 pm
(I will not be there, but my wares will!)

AND I have pledged to keep my Etsy shop & stores that carry my products, stocked and selling through the busy holiday season. The many shows I attended last season kept me too busy and I really missed out!

Hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful fall weather~!

Fan Pictures!

Here a couple pics I recently received from a few of my favorite "little" fans! Aren't they all just the cutest?

Summer's here...Daisy Girl is busy!!

I've been sewing up a storm the past few weeks. Lots of custom orders and trying to refill inventory in the wonderful shops that carry my designs.

Here are some pics of the skirts I shipped off to Michelle at Dainty Daisies today. Lots of 4 Panel skirts for little girls and a few for women too!

Thanks to all the Awesome Crafters...

Thanks so much to everyone that participated and assisted with the wonderful Syttende Mai Trunk Show I hosted May 15th. Here's an (overdue) recap:

The morning dawned sunny and pleasant with a dew-soaked lawn! The crafters started rolling in around 8:00am and we were all set up and ready to go for our first shoppers at 9:00am. Business was fairly steady, with a few busier spurts and despite the slight humidity and overcast skies that rolled in later, most of the artists were pleased with their sales.

It was wonderful to welcome new and repeat customers! I especially appreciate all the positive comments on my home. It is still very much a work in progress, but has come a LONG way from the dumpy, decrepit, eye sore two flat with 2800+ beer cans stored in the cellar!

I had one major lapse in hostess duties...I forgot to snap photos! Luckily, several of the artists were on top of that duty...so here are some photos I have *borrowed* to share with your here... (I won't ever make that mistake again!)

Whimsy House

Glitter Workshop

May 15th Spring Open House *Arts & Crafts* All the Information is HERE!

Visit historic Stoughton, WI during their famous Syttende Mai festivities, including this amazing showcase of handmade fine arts and crafts. More than a dozen different local artists will be represented!

Many other activities are happening in Stoughton (bring the family and stay for the day)...here's the link with the scoop: http://www.stoughtonwi.com/syttendemai.shtml

Unique, locally-made and eco-friendly items will include:
Jewelry
Metal Art
Bags/Totes
Clothing
Soaps
Geekery
Paintings
Fiber, Wood & Paper Art
Flower Planters...and MUCH MORE!

Artists:
Doghair Productions
Wisconsin Cowgirl
Leland Anderson Wood Products
Alyssa Henry Cigar Box Art
The Painted Daisy www.thepainteddaisy.etsy.com
Prettifications. by Cynthia www.prettifications.etsy.com
Whimsy House www.whimsyhouse.etsy.com
Space Oddities www.spaceoddities.etsy.com
Little Dandelion Studios www.littledande.etsy.com
The Glitter Workshop www.glitterworkshop.com
Storyline Design www.storylinedesign.etsy.com
The Little Red Ribbon www.thelittleredribbon.etsy.com
Inges Accents www.ingesaccents.etsy.com

Address & Map:

http://www.mapquest.com/mq/2-NuVGtNCrgFzLz2ps

702 Jackson Street-NW Corner of Jackson & Johnson Streets

We will have sandwich boards & signs directing you from Main Street!

Craftacular was great!

Had a great time at the Spring Fling Craftacular yesterday. Naomi of Glitter Workshop put on a fabulous show. I sold a bunch of adorable skirts for girls and an assortment of handbags. Big thanks to all the shoppers and other vendors that were also shoppers!

Met lots of new and super nice peeps. Sent skirts off to Oshkosh to be showcased at Dainty Daisies, owned by Michelle. (http://www.daintydaisies.com) I'll add her link - and a couple others to my sidebar.

Hope the rain this weekend leads to more flowers blooming next week!

Cheers :)

Spring Fling Craftacular in ONE WEEK!!

Yes, you see that correctly...The Painted Daisy is proud to be a sponsor of this very cool indie craft even!

Also, check out one of the other sponsors: Dainty Daisies...they will be the next fabulous shop to carry The Painted Daisy products. http://www.daintydaisies.com/

Lovely Lunch Sacks turned out.....well.....Lovely!

I'm so pleased with how these special-order lunch sacks turned out! Much bigger than the prototype, ha ha! Lined in PUL (a washable, coated fabric that is water resistant and flexible) with a velcro top closure and sassy little handle...it's more like carrying a little purse than a lunch sack!

My daughter is begging for one and I tried to bribe my son to carry one (not that I thought he would, but it was fun to try, he he) and I want one too! Maybe this will have to be come a regular Painted Daisy item in the future?

Lovely link to share :)

Anthology has a wonderful article about their new spring-y merchandise and feature another picture of my little skirts in their front window display!

Lovely store, lovely owners, lovely new items to inspire spring.

Check it out! Better yet, head downtown Madison to see the wonderfully whimsical store in person!

http://anthology.typepad.com/anthology/2010/04/the-flowers-that-bloom-in-the-spring.html