The Pretty Pink "Kira Clutch"

Since the first time I saw a felted handbag, I have been intrigued. I am a very novice knitter and not real saavy on following knitting patterns. I really need to take some lessons (I am in the process of finding a good instructor) and in the meantime I decided to just make something up. I have to say that this project was really easy and super rewarding.

First off what I did know is that when knitting a piece to be felted you use large needles and that your stitches need not be perfect. With that in mind, I went out and bought some really beautiful 100% wool yarn, some beautiful fabric that I thought would compliment the yarn, and size 15 knitting needles.
Next,I cast on enough stitches to equal 15" or so and knit a rectangle, 15"x23". I then found felting instructions (the easiest I could find) and felted my rectangle. When I figured it was done (when you couldn't see the stitches anymore) I rinsed the piece and rolled it up in a dry towel to get out the excess water. I then blocked the rectangle, on a dry towel using straight pins tokeep it in place while drying.
After the piece was completly dry, I laid the piece on the beautiful fabric and marked the shape of the rectangle plus 1". I then ironed the raw edge of the fabric unber in the shape of the rectangle. Note: the rectangle will not be perfect, that is what gives your clutch charm. I used a magnetic closure and applied it as per the package instructions. Next step is to hand blind stitch the fabric onto the felted piece, this will become your lining. After you finish fold your clutch and stitch the sides with the yarn used to knit the felted piece. You can also add a button or some other cool embellishment to the top of the closure.

I hope this wasn't too hard to follow, I will add illustrations at a later date.

Mindbites Baby Formula Contest

Hi again, I just want to let you all know that I am currently entered in a how to video contest. My video "How to make a princess or ballerina tutu" has over 50,000.00 views on YouTube and has helped many women make tutus for their little girls. I have entered this video in a contest and I need your votes. Here is the link http://www.mindbites.com/tags/the-baby-formula You can vote everyday until Nov 28Th. Thank you!!

Getting ready for the Indie Sacramento Craft Show

O.K., so I signed up to show my creations at the Indie Sacramento, I really wanted to be a part of this show, but I was turned down. I was really bummed and i come from a place that everything happens for a reason, so I graciously put my name on the waiting list. Not more than a few hours later there was a cancellation and I was in. The big challenge is that there is only three weeks to prepare for the show, so needless to say I have been very,very busy. I want to show you my daily progress and would love feedback on my creations. I promise to write everyday, if you promise to look, deal?, deal!

So I started this etsy store, way cool!

I was surfing one day and came across this awesome site etsy.com. I browsed through the site and came to the conclusion that this site is a great way for artists to make a living or some extra income and at the same time get their art out there into the world. I thought I would give it a try with some creations that ii already had in stock, so far I haven't sold anything but I have had a lot of views. This is great we'll see how it goes.

Cheers-Julie