what's the story, morning glory

i planted a bunch of seeds that my dad gave me ages ago. for a week now, i've been looking at little pots of dirt, but this morning, to my surprise, the morning glories sprouted!!

i'm certain that last night it was just dirt, and now it is this vital, growing seedling. amazing. i am still waiting for the sage and basil to sprout.

aren't they lovely!

ornithological ornaments

it is now mid-november and i have cut, sewn, and stuffed over a hundred little birds. now comes the time to turn them into ornithological ornaments.










ingredients: ribbon, wreaths, and pin cushion birds











these will be available online soon, and in person you can buy them at this year's Holiday Handmade Cavalcade on December 5th.


xoxo,
molly

goodnight felted birdfriends

sorry--couldn't resist one last triumphant post:

i am done cutting! don't they look like funny blue hamburgers, or little floating islands...something enticing and edible. now ready for step 5, but it'll have to wait until tomorrow...

saturday night craft session

i've been working all day on my pin cushion birds, and i'm still just in the cutting phase. i'm doing a bigger batch, like 3-4 times bigger, than i have done before. it is a phenomenal amount of work! i am sitting here, swimming in felt scraps, astonished at this mess of my own making.

of course, it is fun to be in full production mode. but it is also fun to take a break and exhaust you with the details. these birds are done in several phases:

step 1 was of course drawing each bird. my various field guides have come in very handy for this.

step 2 was silkscreening. this was my very first silkscreening endeavor. i printed on a bunch of fabric pieces, probably about 20 birds on each.

step 3 involves cutting each bird from the fabric. you can see i loosely follow the contour of the bird with the scissor, leaving a 1/2 inch or so around.

step 4 is to place the cut-out bird face down on felt and cut the felt to approximately the same size/shape.

step 5 has yet to come today, as i am still laboriously cutting each piece of felt, but it will be to sew the birds and felt together on the machine 3/4 of the way around. i leave a slight opening so i can stuff them.

step 6 is turning each bird/felt cut-out right-side-out.

step 7...STUFFING!

step 8 is sewing the little bird cushion closed--by hand. i have gotten quite quick at this step, thank goodness.

step 9 is sewing it to an elastic bracelet or turning it into an ornament for the holidays.

step 10 is to massage my hands, take a nap, and not think about this arduous process for another year or so ...

queen bee

molly shoelace products can now be found in queen bee in deansboro, ny. it is just about the cutest shop you'll ever find. on a country road outside of clinton, ny, susan castle--the queen bee herself--sells her jewelry along with other new york state artists' handmade goods. if you walk next door you'll find an equally charming shop called white's pottery, featuring clayware by her husband dean white.

both susan and dean have studied at munson williams proctor institute in utica, ny where i too took classes for years and have many a fond memory. if ever in the area, be sure to stop by queen bee!

i never saw a purple cow

my wedding cake card (purchase here) is featured in this treasure trove of purple etsy finds--thanks again muppetloon!

xoxo molly shoelace

Atlantic Antic: Sunday October 4th

rain or shine, i'll be setting up shop one week from today for the annual atlantic antic street fair. come stop by my tent located at 182 Atlantic Avenue (map) between Clinton and Court Streets (on the south side of the street).

i'll be selling with apparel designer Better Than Jam and jewelry innovator Allene La Spina.

See you there!!!

all pink treasury

my daydreaming greeting card was featured in this {NewNew} treasury on etsy. thanks to muppetloon who makes fun felted goods!

clay, wood & cotton

my pin cushion bracelets will now be sold in Beacon, NY's newest shop: Clay, Wood & Cotton. They are opening in the coming months! you can become a fan on facebook or even take the metronorth out of the city one day and enjoy the quaint town by shopping and checking out Dia and other galleries.


149 Main Street
Beacon, NY, 12508

things to do in los angeles

now, i haven't been to la in over 2 years (boo hoo!) but here are some things to look up and enjoy:

food
El Siete Mares--on Sunset Blvd. in Silver Lake. Order fish tacos and horchata and you will be very happy.
Cafe Tropical--on Sunset @ Silver Lake Blvd. Order guava cheese pie and cafe con leche. it's a cute neighborhood place. i used to go here all the time when i lived around the corner.
Mama's Hot Tamales--on 7th @ Alvarado just below McArthur Park. This place is awesome. You order tamales by region. Ask for extra cream and salsa. Their coffee is pretty good too as I recall. Order a bunch of different tamales and share!

Casa Bianca--Colorado Blvd in Eagle Rock. This is a cute place to get pizza and a carafe of wine. It is very homey and most people love it. (Sean grew up just up the street from here on Mt. Royal Drive--you can drive by his house and say hello to his 'rents!!)
Palms Thai Restaurant--5900 Hollywood Blvd. Thai food in LA is delicious and plentiful. This place has an Elvis impersonator, so it's really worth eating here!
Elf-- Sunset Blvd. in Echo Park. my friend Pam's ex-bf opened up this vegetarian/raw restaurant. it is super cute and yummy!
Diddy Reese--Westwood near UCLA. huge and amazing ice cream treats: your choice of ice cream sandwiched between your choice of cookies. umm, this place usually has a line, but it's worth it. they used to charge $1, but i heard the price went up to $1.50 or $2. still worth it...

shopping
St. Vincent's thrift Store--huge and gigantic. you have to feel like picking through. it's a fun place though and deals are to be had...a little hard to find, so click here for google map.
Korean Supermarket in the Koreatown Galleria--Olympic Blvd. @ Western. There's a parking garage in the back for your convenience. Go directly to the gigantic supermarket (i've never actually been to any other stores in the galleria). there are usually tons of free samples and awesomely exotic and interesting foods to purchase. it is always an exciting adventure at this market. be sure to get a warm fried bean ball for $1 at the bakery by the entrance...they are deeeelicious....

sightseeing
Forest Lawn Cemetary: Enter on Glendale Blvd. this is SO worth driving through. There are these big gawdy statues throughout the park, including a life-size David. it is really pretty and weird--very LA/Hollywood.
Definitely check out the museums: MOCA in downtown, LACMA in mid-Wilshire area, and Hammer in Westwood. Also, drive out to the Getty Museum. You can try to plan to be there around sunset, because the vista is amazing and the light is spectacular. It is a palatial museum--tacky and beautiful. you can take a monorail up too which is fun.
Egyptian Theater--this is a cool old hollywood theater from the 1920s. it is fun to check out old movies here. the architecture is awesome.
Griffith Park--hike to the hollywood sign. watch out for rattlesnakes. take pictures of the dinosaur aloe plants.
Echo Park Lake--have a picnic, rent a pedal boat and enjoy this cute park with lots of palm trees.
The Hollywood Hills--fun to drive around any area in the hills. The streets are narrow and winding and hilly and you can get great views and see varied architecture.
Point Dume--a gorgeous beach in Malibu area. It is a bit of a drive, but it's super pretty and if you go mid-week it shouldn't be too crowded. The waves can be really strong up there.


nightlife
The Roost: 3100 Los Feliz Blvd. dive bar with a popcorn maker. this is where sean and i met. they have a good jukebox. say 'hi' to the bartender, Sai.
The Red Lion--on Glendale Blvd in Silver Lake. German beer garden. You can order beers out of a giant boot and get potato pancakes and bratwurst.
The Dresden Room--there is this quirky and cute local celebrity piano duo named Marty & Elayne--check to see when they are playing. and order a martini to go along with it.
Places to check out shows: The Echo, Spaceland, SilverLake Lounge, and just check out the local listings for who's playing...

There are about a billion other things to do too...but this is what stands out in my head. Have fun!!!