Packaging With a Personal Touch

A couple days ago I shared the story of how Moonwood Farm was inspiring me to give my packaging a more personal touch. Today a customer purchased one of my Studio Mosaic skeins of yarn giving me the opportunity to try out my new design.

I've always used the sparkling green tissue and green paper to print off the invoice. The origami fold with my business card neatly tucked in is also part of my standard. What's new is the sachet of lavender (avert your eyes for one moment my sweet friend Jags {she's allergic to lavender}) which I rolled up to look like a little rosette. I hope some will make the connection between the rose shape and the name of my shop.

Then I tied it all together like a present using the yarn I made to match the fabric of the flower. I went one step farther when I was blocking this yarn, I scented it with a little lavender essential oil. The yarn really held on to the essence of the fragrance and smells amazing. (I'm now planning to make a few select yarns scented with essential oils. I'll keep them separate from the rest, but for me personally, I'd love to sit and crochet accompanied by the aromatic bouquet of lavender. Other scents too.)

So here is the present my customer will receive in the mail. I love that my origami fold not only provides a place for my business card, but also a little niche for my sachet. I also love the fact that handspun yarn is being packaged with handspun yarn. It just seems right.

Handspun Yarn ~ Studio Mosaic LIne

That's right. One's a skein. Two's a line! LOL! Here's my second Studio Mosaic Yarn. This one weighs 2oz and is more of a sport yarn. It measures a healthy 161 yards; enough to do a smaller project from start to finish!

Though I'm drawing from the same stash, each Studio Mosaic Yarn takes on it's own personality. They are all loaded with color, 8 to 10 shades, and though spun as evenly as I can, the different fibers will offer their own unique feel. Should make for an interesting creation!

Studio Mosaics ~ Handspun Yarn

Now that Victoria (my wheel) and I have become well acquainted, we have been spending some nice quality time together.

My other wheel being occupied, I needed to come up with projects for Victoria and I to do together. This resulted in me going through my studio and collecting every piece of roving surplus and making a nice big pile. I figured that an idea would come to me when I saw all the fiber together and it did! "I'll use it all!"

So I decided to make a multi-colored single taking advantage of all the colors and various fibers in my stash. While spinning, I came up with the name Studio Mosaic which seemed perfect since I was assembling small pieces of colored material from my studio.



So here is my first Studio Mosaic. I had so much fun making it, I've already got another one drying and a third in production. This one weighs 1.5 oz and measures 100 yds. It's a single and a little heavier than a sport and lighter than a worsted, so I think it would best be described as a light worsted.

This yarn is such a blend that I wasn't sure how it would feel, so I was really happy to have it turn out nice and soft. I guess I shouldn't be surprised since most of the fibers are soft, like Merino, Tussah Silk, Alpaca, Mohair. There are also a couple fibers with a little more texture like Romney, but the silky fibers seem to prevail.

I think this yarn will appeal to the fiber lovers out there. I hope they will enjoy encountering all of the different colors and textures as they work with my Studio Mosaic Yarn.

Merino Roving Color Blends

I've got a couple new color blends for you. This first one is so light and pretty, it was incredibly hard to do it justice in a picture. When it comes to photography, I'm still finding the light colors most challenging. (all tips welcome) The wild winds we're having this week aren't helping much either. Whining aside, I love this color! It's a blend of Silver and Turquoise and it's just so cool and cloud-like. I name my color blends after the colors that make them, but if I were going to give this one a nickname, it would be something like Blue Ice.



A lot less subtle, here's a blend of Brilliant Blue and Dark Grey. I'm so tempted to take over an ounce of this one just to see it spun. I think it will work up nicely and that blue is really going to pop. This one brings nautical themes to mind so maybe I should nickname it Cape Cod. What do you think?

The Victoria ~ A Folding Travel Wheel by Louet

A couple weeks ago I blogged about taking the plunge and buying a new travel wheel. After much consideration I chose the Victoria by Louet. In case this pic is driving you crazy, it's made in Holland. I'm already a Louet owner, my main wheel being their S10 DT, so I felt confident that I would like the Victoria.

For a week I anticipated it's arrival. I checked the tracking and watched as it departed New York and made its way across the country. When it finally made it to my doorstep, I was having such a busy day, I had to set it aside. Each time I walked past the box, I longed to stop and open it, but I wanted to wait until I had enough time to savor the experience. Late that night I managed to take it out of the box and assemble the few pieces. It was so well packaged and I just love the carrying case. My husband teased me as I adjusted the backpack straps as though I were getting ready to trek off then and there with my new toy.




Here she is. Isn't she a cutie? ...Still, by that night, I was really too tired to take her for a spin. However, my sachet project that I started a couple days ago, gave me the perfect opportunity to try her out. I had two ounces of Corriedale dyed and ready to become a 2ply for me to use as ties for my sachets. It's just the sort of small task I needed to acquaint myself with this new wheel.

Let me tell you, it's a good thing I had a practice project because it took me some time to get used to the flyer driven, scotch tension wheel after my bobbin driven S10. I learned to spin on such a wheel, but it's been a long time. I was halfway through my second ounce before it began to feel comfortable again.









Here's a picture of my 2ply still on the niddy noddy. It's far from the best yarn I've ever produced, but it will do the job I require of it. On the right is an arial shot of the bobbin on the flyer. You see that slit in the middle of the bobbin? That must be a new design for Louet because the bobbins that came with my S10 a few years back had a lead attached.



I very much approve of this new way to attach a lead since within a week of purchasing my S10, my youngest son came along with a pair of scissors and cut the leads off my bobbins. (to him they looked like tags on new clothes that should be removed) I was very sad. So I doubt it was part of their consideration in the redesign, but these new bobbins are fabulously kid proof. Yea!

The picture on the right gives you a better look at the scotch tension. Once you get the hang of it, it gives you very nice control over your twist. And do you see that little leather strap sticking up off the main post? That's all you need to pick up this lightweight baby and carry her away.

Don't Forget Earth Hour ~ March 28, 8:30pm

8:30PM local time, wherever you live on planet earth. Saturday 28 March 2009

I've been planning on participating, but with my husband out of town and the kids, house and work distracting me, I almost forgot. Thank you agoodwitchtoo!

So pass the word. Blog, Facebook, Tweet!
...and get those candles ready!

Click on the image to join the movement and be counted.

Inspiration

Inspiration can come from almost anywhere or anything. There have been many different theories about inspiration throughout the centuries and creative people often have strong feelings about the concept itself. Some seek inspiration and feel lost without it while others avoid anything that may compromise the integrity of their original thought.

I think inspiration is very personal and whether it be a tiny spark or an explosion of energy, I relish the feeling of being inspired. I love that the word literally means "breathed upon". For me, it's a short stride from that notion to a larger connection to life itself. Inspiration... Breath...Life!

You may have guessed by now that I'm feeling inspired today. It came to me in the form of a small box from Moonwood Farm. I just made a trade with Moonwood; some of my Night Blue Soy for a couple ounces of Milk fiber also known as Latte Top. It wasn't the milk fiber that caused the stir, but this seller's creative packaging. She had included a couple surprise treats for me. There was a small sample of the wool batts she makes using my soy silk, a little hand knotted bracelet made partly from Alpaca fiber (no doubt from the Alpacas she raises) and a little sachet of lavender. What I really loved was the simplicity of the packaging and the homemade quality it possessed. I could picture the hands tying the twine around my little wool batt. I was touched.

I think that maybe part of the reason I was so struck is because I've been thinking about putting lavender sachets in with my sales. I think it would be nice to open the mailing envelope and be greeted by the lovely bouquet of lavender flowers. So here I've been thinking about it, but Moonwood Farm is already doing it.

So I want to thank my friend over at Moonwood for two things. First, for the motivation to just do what I've been planning on doing. More importantly, I want to thank her for inspiring me to give the idea my own personal touch. Before I was just planning to buy sachets and fill them with lavender. It would be nice, but it wouldn't say anything about me. I am a spinner and a dyer, so today I dyed my own fabric and wool. I'll put the lavender into squares of the silk and spin the wool to make ties. I'm feeling good about following through with an idea that I've been carrying around with me and even better about making it my own.

Inspiration. It's really about more than lavender sachets. I've been inspired to think about how I can make my business even more personal and connect to my buyers. I'm going to make this one of my goals for this year: Growing my business and keeping it personal.

Golden Ochre/Emerald Color Blend Merino

Good afternoon all! I managed to take some better pics of my newest color blend, Golden Ochre/Emerald Merino. Let me tell you it was not easy! It's like "We're not in Kansas anymore" windy around here today. It's insane! But nothing, I mean NOTHING, will divert this devoted fiber girl away from her mission! LOL!

I'm Growing Roving in My Back Yard

I'm a fall baby, but there is just something I love about Spring. I used to think it was because I lived in VA where the winters can be pretty wet and gray. I used to plant pansies just to have a little color in my winter garden and feel a sense of gratitude towards the evergreen trees for their colorful comfort.

Now I live on the outskirts of Phoenix in what is called the Valley of the Sun. I can no longer complain about long gray winters, but I still feel such a happiness when Spring comes. I'm just goofy for this time of year I guess. I love the flowering fruit trees, the baby lizards bravely scaling the walls to feel the sun and the pairing birds looking for good nesting spots.


As if called outside, I find myself photographing my work in the grass. This week I took new pictures of my Designer Singles for which I already had perfectly good listings. I just couldn't resist finding a pristine patch of green and cradle my roving there as though it were a perfectly natural part of the landscape.

Yes, I'm growing roving. What does your Spring garden grow?

New Fibers at Wind Rose

Man I've been busy the last couple days! Last week I felt like the universe was torturing me because I was 5 sales away from 1,000 for the longest time. You can almost reach your goal... but not quite. Mean! Then, as it always goes, not only do I hit that coveted sales mark, but all my lovely customers appear at once and there's just no delegating in a sole proprietorship. Help! So for the last couple days, I've been working hard, trying to get some dyeing done while my plumber kept me guessing as to whether or not he'd have the water turned on. My plumber is a nice guy, but it seems to take him 2 or 3 trys to get the job done. Ack!

Though some of the dye work I was doing was custom, I never forget the rest of my shoppers over at Wind Rose Fiber Studio, so here are some new goodies:



Two new shades of Merino/Silk (50/50) in Crimson and Princely Purple.



Two new sparkling Firestar colors ~ Burnt Orange and Emerald Green.


While I was dyeing away, I decided to make a new Color Blend. This new combination is Golden Ochre and Emerald. I was losing the light a little by the time I took this picture, so I'll have to update it tomorrow.

In addition to these newbies, I've been restocking my Merino Skin Tone colors and have been listing some Soy Silk.

There's fiber all over the place around here!

Artists to Watch!

On this day of basking in the afterglow of 1,000 items sold, I'd like to draw your attention to two good friends of mine. They are far from new to the world of crafting, but they are both in the process of refashioning their Etsy shops and I predict that they are ones to watch!

I am the proud owner of these delightful daisies. You can find more exceptional earrings like these at SunFrog Originals which is also the current home of mimi originals, this break-out jewelry line.

As someone who has dabbled in making her own jewelry, I am so impressed by the quality of Mimi's work. Her hand crafted ear wires and seamlessly joined adornments make my smashed crimp beads look like child's play. When you've got, you've got it!

This is an artist that can quilt and sew and craft with an incredible eye for color and detail. I love my mimi originals and I'm on the lookout for what she'll do next!




I am pleased to call this next artist neighbor as well as friend. Her shop, The Pink Armadillo, displays her wonderful wire work. This bracelet she simply calls Arizona. An assemblage of turquoise and silver, this piece showcases the colors of our desert home.


These days Michele is very busy reorganizing her work into three Etsy stores. In addition to the Pink Armadillo, her work can also be found in Sew Tuni, home of her hand sewn creations and Urban Yarn Junkie where you'll find her knitted, crocheted and felted items.

As if that were not enough to keep one woman busy, she has also started up a blog which also goes by the name Urban Yarn Junkie. Pay a visit and you are welcomed by a striking picture of her hand painted yarn drying in the sun.

These Etsy Shops, created by two uniquely gifted women, are just building up steam. I for one can't wait to see them take off!

THANK YOU!

Last night Wind Rose Fiber Studio reached a major milestone, 1,000 items sold! This picture of a felted hair clip is the first thing I ever sold. It sold on Dec. 17, 2007, nine days after I opened my shop and the buyer was my big sister Judy.

Today I want to thank Judy and the rest of my family and everyone who has supported me along the way. Your encouragement has sustained me and made me feel like my dreams are possible. That's a gift I will cherish always and try to return in kind.

Thank you all so much!

Spinning Wheels and Electricity!

Mahatma Gandhi said, “In my dream, in my sleep, while eating, I think of the spinning wheel. The spinning wheel is my sword. To me it is the symbol of India’s liberty.”

These moving and prophetic words are coming to life in the form of the E-charkha.
Fascinated by a short mention in the latest issue of Spin-Off Magazine, I searched the web to learn more.

*Invented by R.S. Hiremath, "The e-charkha has impressed the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) and it will be formally launched nationwide by President Pratibha Patil on November 19.This is how it works: a maintenance-free lead acid battery fixed at the bottom of the charkha functions as an inverter, and the big wheel is connected to a generator. When the charkha is spun, the battery is charged, generating enough power to light up an LED bulb, or to play a small transistor radio."

The e-charkha generates 6-9 Watts of power. Two hours of spinning can generate enough power to run an LED light for up to 6 hours or power a radio. The e-charkhas are currently being given away by the Indian government program Funds for Regeneration of Traditional Industries. The E-charkha has the potential to be a significant source of energy for millions of struggling families in India.

**"Additionally, there seems to be some interest in building an infrastructure around the e-charkha, khadi (handspun cloth), and fashion industries with the appointment of a new chairperson of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission, Kumud Joshi. ‘Mission Khadi’, is another plan to support the industry by using khadi fabric in contemporary fashion design in conjunction with the National Institute of Fashion Technology."

Sources for this post:
*Reinventing the spinning wheel by, Esha Chatterjee
**Energy-Generating Spinning Wheel Provides Power for the Poor by, Daniel Flahiff

On My Wheel Today: Merino/Silk and Wensleydale

It wasn't easy, but I finally pulled myself away from Cafe Press. Too much fun, but now I'm back to what I love the most, spin spin spinning!

Here are the two fibers I'm working with. The Golden Brown is a Merino/Tussah Silk (80/20) blend and that brilliant Poppy color is Wensleydale. I bought the Wensleydale at the SW Fiber Festival last year, and I've just been waiting for and idea






to strike. The color is so awesome and that curl is to die for. I wanted to think of a yarn that would really show it off!

A couple weeks ago I was doing a custom dye job and I had a batch of brown come out a little uneven. I'm pretty particular about what goes in my shop and out to my customers, so I adopt all of the misfit roving. Personally, I don't mind a little variation in color. To me that just makes






it more interesting. So here was this beautiful new orphan yarn, so soft, just needing a place in this mixed up crazy world. Then I remembered my Poppy Wensleydale. Before I even put them together, I knew the match would work. I'm still just on my first ply, but I twisted some of the poppy up with the Golden Brown so you could see them together. Nice, yes?

So I'm going to make a 2ply of the Merino/Silk and work in the Wensleydale as I'm plying allowing the ends to be a little free to really show off that curl. I want that gorgeous Poppy color to pop!

Dyeus Interruptus

My plan was to dye Merino/Silk all week until halfway through my first day, my kitchen sink sprung a leak. After two days, it seems to be fixed, but I feel all thrown off my game. Without a working kitchen, I had to find other ways to entertain myself.

I ended up at Cafe Press. I've bought from the website before so I guess I'm on their email list. So prompted by little more than spam, I found myself making a little shop of Wind Rose Logo Products. They let you run a small store for free. I had fun taking my original Wind Rose Fiber Studio Art and making T-Shirts and Mugs. I'm expecting big money to start rolling in any day now! LOL!

... ahem, Since this is the only time anyone may ever see what I did, please forgive a little show and tell:



OK, Now back to business!

Emerald Green Merino/Silk ~ Just in time for St. Patty's Day!

Here's the first of the four shades of Merino/Silk (50/50) that I dyed yesterday. I knew I wanted to make an Emerald, partly because of St. Patrick's Day and partly because I knew Emerald would look great in this fiber. Of all the greens out there, Emerald is one where you can really detect the other colors working in the green. If you take a close look, you can see the yellow and blue coming through. I knew it would show nicely in this blend because of the way the two fibers absorb color. The wool really shows off one aspect of the green, while the Tussah Silk shows another. I love colors like this one that are anything but flat. They're so much more interesting to the eye.





I talked a lot about my Royal Turquoise yesterday, so here's the close-up I promised. I wasn't kidding when I said "close-up"! LOL! I know this is crazy close, but I want you to be able to get a good look at the silk mixed in with the wool. It's so pretty especially after it's dyed. The silk gets a little kink or curl and it adds a nice feel to the fiber. As a spinner, I love a fiber that is super soft, but still has a little texture to it. I hope the picture allows you to also see the wonderful shine that the silk adds. So pretty!









There were two other colors created yesterday as well. The yellow was dyed with Gold Ochre, but this fiber blend took the color so differently that I've decided to change the name. To me this color looks more like Daffodil, so that's it's new name. On the right is Gypsy Wine. This has to be one of my all time favorite colors and the funny thing is, I created it by accident. I was doing a custom dye job for someone and utterly failed in my first attempt at their chosen color, but this gorgeous wine was the result of my blunder. Best mistake I ever made!

I'll be listing these over at Wind Rose today and when I'm done I'll come back and give you the links. Have a great day. Eat, drink and live GREEN!

Sneak Peek! Lot's of Fiber Happening Here!

Hey, so check it out. I've got all kinds of stuff going on here today! (channelling Randy Jackson) Here's a sneak peek at the Merino/Silk (50/50) fresh from the kettle and drying out in the Arizona Sun. I had to go with an Emerald in honor of St. Patrick's Day. I threw in a couple of my personal favs, Gypsy Wine and Golden Ochre. I tried something a little different with the blue. I knew I wanted a blue shade and something bright for Spring and Summer, but I just wasn't in the mood for Sapphire, Turquoise or Sky Blue. I decided to mix a couple together and I'm calling this hue Royal Turquoise. You'll be able to see it better when I take a close-up tomorrow, but it turned out really nice. I love turquoise, but sometimes I think straight turquoise can be a little one dimensional and not really a good representation of the natural stone. I new the merino and the silk would take the color each in their own unique way and to give it even more depth, I added in some Royal Blue . It turned out really pretty. I can't wait for you to see it when it's dry.

While I was playing outside with my camera, I took a couple more pictures. I've always wanted to take a better shot of my Beaded Happy Green yarn. I knew it would look nice out in the grass on a sunny day. So here it is, appearing like a carefree little garden snake.





Last, but not least today, I finally finished spinning my hemp. It's not even listed at Wind Rose Art Yarn yet so this is really a sneak peek. So here it is, all 125 yards of Handspun Azalea Hemp.

So that's what's happening around here today. What's happening in your studio?

Dyeing Merino/Silk (50/50) Today!

I'm dyeing Four 4oz batches of this GORGEOUS roving. I haven't picked my colors yet, so if you would like to make a color request, there's still time!

This week is Merino/Silk (50/50) Blend Week at Wind Rose Fiber Studio. I'll be dyeing 2 to 3 pounds worth and up to 12 colors. I am always happy to entertain color requests. Are you looking for a Golden Ochre or an Earthen Rose? You name it and I'll do my best to dye it!

I'll be posting pictures as the colors dry with links to their new home at Wind Rose. I think I'll have to at least dye a Lucky Green!

Setting Goals for Myself

Ah, a quiet Sunday evening. The tranquility of this otherwise typical night is elevated by the fact that I just finished my taxes. Yes, my year end numbers have been crunched and calculated. I have to say, it wasn't a terrible way to spend the afternoon. I closed myself off in the bedroom. I had a drink, a snack, the TV playing a familiar, yet not distracting channel. The husband took charge of the kids. It was the longest period of uninterrupted peace I've had for some time.

I'm pleased that my little business managed to support itself this year. I guess we all measure success in our own way. For myself, I'm happy to have found a niche in this wonderful world of artisans. Though I love to create, I have found so much satisfaction is supplying other artists and crafters with hand dyed fibers and spun yarns. Sometimes I get to see what they are made into, but most of the time, I can only imagine what creations will come from the ounces of wool, soy silk, hemp, and bamboo I send through the mail. Selling is great, but the friends I've made along the way are the best!

I also look back on 2008 and think about what a good time I had doing what I do. I can't even begin to count the number of hours spent over pots of dye or sitting out in the sun teasing drying soy silk. It was also a year of firsts. I tutored myself through drawing and image programs and designed avatars and banners. I went from a so-so photographer to a much better one. I explored the world of felting by making felted sheets of fabric that I used in some of my work as well as felt beads and I even tried Nuno felting. I spun yarn with sea shells, fresh water pearls, semi-precious stones and ceramic beads. I began spinning with a Turkish Drop Spindle and fell in love with the ingenious design. I began this blog and now can't imagine life without blogging!

I entitled this post "Setting Goals for Myself" so I better get to it. The great thing about reviewing a year is that you get to see it from a new perspective. I definitely have a pattern of make money~buy fiber, make money~buy fiber, make money.... well you get the picture. It's a fun little see-saw and I've always loved see-saws, but I do want my business to mean something. So my plan for 2009 is to open savings accounts for my kids and feed into them whenever possible. We have already established college funds that we contribute to, but maybe Wind Rose will be able to provide something extra. Perhaps I'll be able to cover living expenses while they're away at school, or a down payment on a car. Wouldn't it be wonderful if my little business could help them get their start.

I'm excited about my new goal. It has given me a fresh sense of purpose. It also comes with a perk. Now when the kids are whining because I'm having them help me package roving, I can remind them where some of the profits are going.

I Can't Wait For My New Travel Spinning Wheel!

I have wanted a travel spinning wheel for the longest time. The key word there is want. The truth is, it's not a necessity item. I could live without it. So I tried to be practical. I tried to content myself with drop spindles, but I can't help it. I still want a travel wheel.

So I went into the forums at Spin-Off Magazine to see what everyone's favorite travel wheel was. I figured the next best thing to having one, would be to talk about it and research it. My fellow spinners were wonderful and generous with their advice and I even discovered a couple travel models that I didn't know existed. I also discovered something else. Not everyone lets a little thing like necessity vs. want get in the way of their spinning wheel collection. I started to feel behind and a little ridiculous to only have one wheel in my house. After all, I'm a spinning enthusiast too!

I'm being a little silly with this post, but the truth is, I'm glad I waited. It's good not to get everything the second you want it. Waiting on buying a travel wheel has made me much better at drop spindle spinning than I ever was. I have such an appreciation for it now. The other cool thing is getting to anticipate something new. It's going to be that much more fun when I get my wheel because I've been looking forward to it for so long.

So the wheel above is the one I chose. It's called the Victoria and it's made by Louet. I'm a Louet girl. I love the modern design and the smooth action of their wheels. In addition to that, the Victoria has everything I want in a traveler. It comes with a case I can wear like a backpack. It weighs under 10 pounds. It's a double treadle which is what I prefer and comes with two extra bobbins. It's perfect.

Just today I was at the park spinning on my Louet S10 DT thinking how nice it will be to stop lugging this poor wheel around. I think I'm aging it before it's time by constantly throwing it in back of my car and taking it everywhere I go. Now my S10 will finally get to retire to my studio where It will still spin many skeins to come. From now on, Victoria and I will head out to the yard or off to the park. I love to spin outside! One thing is for sure, Victoria will be a very busy little wheel!

Hand Dyed Hemp Roving

I've got two darker shades of hemp today. On the left is Cherry Charcoal and on the right is Soft Black. My hemp section is filling up nicely at Wind Rose.

When I've finished my hemp, (I'm thinking about two more colors) I'll be moving on to silk and silk blends. So, what colors are you looking for this Spring?

Spinning Hemp Roving - Video

This video is for everyone out there thinking about spinning Hemp.

All About Hemp Roving - Video

For the past two weeks, I've been focusing a lot on Hemp at Wind Rose Fiber Studio. Mainly I've been dyeing hemp, but I have also been spinning hemp for Wind Rose Art Yarn. Since Hemp Roving is not the kind of thing you find at every corner craft store, I thought you might enjoy a closer look at this interesting fiber.

Custom Trampoline Cover

I'm changing it up today and posting a couple pics of a personal project. I'd hate for you to think that all this woman can do is dye roving! So how's this for a crazy project? We have a six foot diameter trampoline in our loft. It was purchased years ago when my kids were still toddlers. We managed to burst two "Jump-o-lines" (inflatable trampolines for kids) before I got wise and found this indestructible six foot tramp on the internet. It was obvious that we enjoyed jumping and on cold and rainy days, it was a wonderful way to get out our wiggles.

Years have gone by and the trampoline still gets jumped on everyday, but it's time for her to get a new look. The primary red mat that covers the springs is just a little too intense for our loft decor so I decided to make a slip cover. As far as sewing goes, I kind of know the basics. I can hem and mend seams, but the main reason I bought the simplest design sewing machine that Singer has to offer, was to make the linings for my handwoven purses. Beyond that, my machine hasn't seen too much action. To tell you the truth, I was a little afraid that the curvy shape of the trampoline mat might be more of a sewing challenge than I could handle.



That being said, I'm pretty happy with how my cover turned out. The color is perfect for our game room loft and the corduroy fabric should be sturdy enough to handle some abuse. As a final topper, I decided to sew beads around the bottom to hold the slip cover together. I was going to use snaps, but the beads are more fun. Elvis, one of the kitties we adopted from Kit Kat Rescue last year, thinks the beads are a fantastic idea. He's been keeping me company and taking every opportunity to pounce on the beads dangling from my sewing thread. I think sewing the beads on is going to take me a little while, especially with my special helper.