Crochet and Kitties!

Most crafty or handy people can probably attest to the fact that losing track of time while you're working with your hands can be a wonderfully meditative experience. I find actual relaxation/deep breathing meditation extremely difficult. I can't get past refocusing every 30 seconds as my mind bounces from task to task I need to get done that day. Crocheting is my substitute!

I really enjoy getting lost in counting stitches and letting my hands take over with muscle memory when I'm using a familiar pattern. I currently have a whole rainbow of colors in teeny tiny crochet thread sitting in a basket and I want to use them all!

Here are some of the crochet cuffs that I've been working on and plan to sell this Spring/Summer. The cuffs are crocheted out of cotton thread, treated with beeswax to maintain their shape, and close with two small snaps on the end.

I plan to use much more crochet in my wares over the next few months, including some fun trim on summery tops and applique pockets on bags. Coming soon!

Salvaged and Sewn's resident kitty, Maude, helped/hindered me in the 'studio' today. She's really into lace for Spring.

-Salvaged and Sewn

Back at it!

Hi Team!

It has been oh so long since I updated, I know! My sewing machine had to stay packed away for awhile while I worked at being a grown up with a 'real job'. The Royal Bison Art and Craft Fair has me breaking out my needle and thread to work on an application to sell my clothes at the Spring 2013 fair.  I'll be adding photos of my treasures each week for you to peruse, so keep checking back!

Here is a peek at today's project, a few new shirts! (apologies for the lack of a model, I wasn't into taking selfies, nor do I have a dress making form yet...*yet*).

Green, white and pink floral with lace insert.

Navy background with pink and yellow floral, white eyelet yoke.

Bright green with white polka dots, white eyelet yoke.

Thank you for taking a peek! Come back soon!

-Salvaged and Sewn

merci!

Thank you so much to everyone who came out to support the Royal Bison this past weekend! My first time out was a huge success thanks to you. I have so many ideas, I wish I didn't have to return to real life tomorrow!

Stay tuned here for updates on my latest crafty endeavours and the inevitable photos of Maude the cat.

xoxoxoxo
Kaitlin

Salvaged and Sewn...and bagpipes!

This past weekend I said au revoir to my dear friend Jenanne as she returned to Aberdeen for school. I gave her a "Quiver bag" to remember me by and today I received some lovely photos of the bag back from her. Check 'em out!

 The bottom half of the bag is treated with beeswax. This helps to keep the bag's form and gives it a lovely worn in look as seen above. The nice thing about the beeswax is you can spruce up the bag quick with a blowdryer and the fabric goes back to a uniform color!

This photo makes me want to move to Scotland and drink tea and wear big woolly sweaters! Jenanne assures me the bag is ergonomically sound when worn over one shoulder.

 The lining is tweed and has several compartments for little booklets and pens to write down your melancholic feelings as you wander the moors.

Thanks Jenanne!  <3 <3 <3


P.S. Jenanne is a crafty lady as well! Check out some of her jewellery pieces here. I own a few pieces and I always get compliments on them!

She is the slayer.

Rule #1 of blogging: never promise a post when you don't already have a draft written. Sorry it has taken me so long team! 

I have been having a sewing and Buffy the Vampire Slayer marathon this weekend! (Currently watching Season 2, the one about monsters on the swim team, IN CASE you were interested). The Royal Bison is less than a month away and I anticipate this is how I'll be spending my free time until then. It's a good life, I can't lie.

How about some updates on what I've been doing in the "studio"?

 These beauties are destined to be come the cutest little earrings you ever did see. They are tiny crocheted hearts made of cotton and treated with beeswax to firm them up.

They'll be on surgical steel posts so they'll be allergy friendly too! You'll probably want to collect all the colours.

I'm waiting for my photography assistant (who is currently on tour with Colleen Brown!) to come back and help take some better photos of this bag. I am pretty happy with it, and this doesn't exactly do it justice:

Introducing the Quiver bag! It features a beeswax treated bottom half and faux suede top half. It closes with a drawstring at the top that is attached to the strap. The bag is fully lined with a phone pocket and key loop on the inside. I have summer on the brain and think this bag will be perfect for those who like to bike in style, as it can be worn on one shoulder or across the chest.

That is all for now! Let me know what you think, or share some links to your crafty projects in the comments, (or leave some suggestions for what to have on in the studio when I run out of Buffy episodes...)

Hope you're all well and enjoying the spring!

xoxoxo

Kaitlin

better get sewin'

Oh hello!

Guess what?!

It is official! I am going to be selling my wares May 5 & 6 at the Royal Bison! You can check out all the details and fantastic vendors here.

 Meanwhile Maude and I are hard at work in my workshop. I will have new tops and bags to show this week. For now here is a sneak peek at what is in store:

(p.s. lesson of the weekend: never get in the way of a quilting lady out for a deal...she will quilt you into oblivion. I had to fight to find these gems!)

I am in love with the pattern on this! Cute shirts and tunics are in the works!

The polka dots are sheer. I will be making tops from these!

I wish I could present this to you in smell-o-vision.

Another version of the crochet cuffs I've been working on. What do you think?

That is all for now folks! Stay tuned for completed projects and hopefully a jazzier new blog design (any helpers??)

-Kaitlin

savaged and sewn

I won't lie, I'm a little craft hungover after the weekend. It is so much fun to dream up designs and pick fabrics and just start cutting and sewing and when it works you feel like a million bucks and you're flying pretty high...and then you have to clean up.

Cleaning up sucks.

So instead I have elected to write a blog post introducing you to Salvaged and Sewn's own resident kitty.

This is Maude. Maudlin when she's sad. Maudite when she's bad. (and those are my amateur hour sewing supplies)

Maude's primary role is to laze about on top of the exact fabric/cutting board/utensil that I need to use.

I keep her around though because *sometimes* she lets me use her as a model. Isn't that a great color on her?

That is pretty much what you can expect from here on out...sewing and kitties.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Kaitlin

experiments in beeswax

I am currently taking applications for Salvaged and Sewn models. I will pay you in tacos and hugs.

If you can get past my inability to look "fierce" and "smize" here, you might notice my latest experiment with crochet and beeswax there on my wrist.

Finally in beeswax I have found the perfect medium to harden my crochet projects! No longer will I have to try to keep a straight face when I buy this product from the respectable looking ladies at the craft store:

...

Here is my beeswax and crochet cuff experiment up close:

(I'm pretty proud of it)

The cuff is super comfortable and pliable and the shape can easily be adjusted using a blow dryer or an iron and some parchment paper. 

Future plans include much thinner cuffs in different crochet motifs and possibly some chain and beeswaxed crochet necklaces.

I might just try dipping everything I can in beeswax...it smells so good!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Kaitlin

foxy tops

In addition to the bags I am submitting these fancy shirts as part of my Royal Bison application...you could have one for your very own!!

The shirts come in small/medium and medium/large (it is a very forgiving and flattering design!). I like to layer the sheers tops with camisoles underneath for *modesty* and often layer cardigans over top in the winter.

Please forgive the amateur hour modelling...I am definitely recruiting someone else to model next time...

PALE GREEN + SHEER POLKA DOTS

JERSEY + BEIGE + RUST

 BLUE + LACE

COMING SOON

• Long, fancier tunic style in navy slinky satin with a sheer panel
• More lace and crochet embellishments!

market bags

The Royal Bison is coming up and I am submitting an application!

I am an equal mixture of excited and anxious.  I like to wear this stuff...but will anybody else?

You tell me! Here are my hot off the sewing machine market bags. Perfect for filling up with veggies at the Old Strathcona Farmer's Market or sunscreen and kettle corn for Folk Fest.

The front panel of each bag is hand painted and then treated with beeswax (local! from the farmer's market!). The beeswax makes the fabric sturdy, water and dust proof and it smells fantastic!

Small Market Bag

The front of the bag is made with beeswax treated tweed and features a wheat and polka dot motif. There are pleats at the top to add structure

The back is made of rust colored denim (untreated) and features four pleats along the bottom

Oh hey here I am wearing it!

Large Market Bag

The front of the bag features beeswax treated tweed, hand painted with a polka dot motif (this bag will be featured on my arm around town this week...but I will make many many more!)

The front panel also features pleats for structure (and prettyness) and has a button and loop closure on the top!

The back is done in navy denim and features the same four pleats (which I will now call turtle shell pleats). The bag is fully lined in tan tweed. This is my favourite new tote bag pattern!  Oh hey here I am "modelling it" (embroidery hoop by the amazing Jenanne Ferguson)....

COMING SOON!

I have been working on a few more designs including more purse-like designs with pockets and pouches for your treasures inside the purse.

Also look for lace and crochet to be adorning a few market bags. Beeswax and crochet is so much fun, I will be playing with them a lot this week!

xoxoxoxoxo

Kaitlin