little birds handmade

avoir faim

I  was able to overcome my usual online-fabric-purchasing-paralysis last week and place an order on superbuzzy's super update (although Mariko is right in my neighborhood, so it hardly felt like an online purchase). Had to have the matroyshka fabric which went right into some patchwork coasters. I also brought home the Shinzi Katoh place mats in a couple styles. My kids are really thrilled with them and are learning to whine in French to boot!

I picked a busy week to return to blogging, but I'll be back with more soon...

I  was able to overcome my usual online-fabric-purchasing-paralysis last week and place an order on superbuzzy's super update (although Mariko is right in my neighborhood, so it hardly felt like an online purchase). Had to have the matroyshka fabric which went right into some patchwork coasters. I also brought home the Shinzi Katoh place mats in a couple styles. My kids are really thrilled with them and are learning to whine in French to boot!

I picked a busy week to return to blogging, but I'll be back with more soon...

t h a n k * y o u

I thought that maybe today I would have something profound to say about blogging, about my experience here at little birds, about the impact it has had on my life, about connections, about community, about appreciating everyday beauty, but I already feel myself going into the silence that has been a long time coming.

I will instead just say thank you. Thank you for visiting, for commenting, for encouraging me, for connecting with me. It's been a really nice ride. It has changed my life and pushed me in directions that I never expected. A true gift.  Thank you.

Take good care. I'll see you around.

xo,
steph

p.s.: my new home base is here: www.stephaniecongdonbarnes.com

I thought that maybe today I would have something profound to say about blogging, about my experience here at little birds, about the impact it has had on my life, about connections, about community, about appreciating everyday beauty, but I already feel myself going into the silence that has been a long time coming.

I will instead just say thank you. Thank you for visiting, for commenting, for encouraging me, for connecting with me. It's been a really nice ride. It has changed my life and pushed me in directions that I never expected. A true gift.  Thank you.

Take good care. I'll see you around.

xo,
steph

p.s.: my new home base is here: www.stephaniecongdonbarnes.com

hedgehog in the fog

hee.

This guy is made from linen and some of that fluffy alpaca from the chicks that I died brown.

Thank you for the good wishes and interest in the pattern book. My email inbox overfloweth. I will try to get back to everyone as soon as I can!

hee.

This guy is made from linen and some of that fluffy alpaca from the chicks that I died brown.

Thank you for the good wishes and interest in the pattern book. My email inbox overfloweth. I will try to get back to everyone as soon as I can!

things that grow

Today I'm bringing in some of the things that I've been working on to share with my daughter's classmates. We'll see how they stand up to the scrutiny of first and second graders.

I'm thinking of putting together a little pattern booklet of mushrooms, twigs, stumps, maybe pinecones (not for the impatient...I sew each of the little scales on by hand). Does this interest anyone? I would be putting it in my shop over the summer. I use a combination of hand and machine sewing on these.

Tomorrow, I hope to be back with a finished hedgehog (this has me inspired). Then Monday will be my farewell post...which has me full of mixed feelings. This post articulates my motivation for making the change pretty well, but I'll miss this place, and all of you, a lot.

Today I'm bringing in some of the things that I've been working on to share with my daughter's classmates. We'll see how they stand up to the scrutiny of first and second graders.

I'm thinking of putting together a little pattern booklet of mushrooms, twigs, stumps, maybe pinecones (not for the impatient...I sew each of the little scales on by hand). Does this interest anyone? I would be putting it in my shop over the summer. I use a combination of hand and machine sewing on these.

Tomorrow, I hope to be back with a finished hedgehog (this has me inspired). Then Monday will be my farewell post...which has me full of mixed feelings. This post articulates my motivation for making the change pretty well, but I'll miss this place, and all of you, a lot.

hatch

Feeling ready to hatch. Finishing up things for the show*. Entering my last week of this blog. Looking forward to a long weekend away with my sister, free from my everyday responsibilities and full of the silliness that usually ensues when we're together. Knowing, however, that I'll be ready to come back at the end of it. Thinking about swimming in my favorite river, about discovering wildflowers in the gorge, about berry season, about gin and tonics on the porch. Imagining life once my kids are out of school, contemplating having them never return. Feeling grateful. Trying to live life as slow as possible during a busy time.

* the opening is may 4th from 7-10 at doe for those of you who are asking.

Feeling ready to hatch. Finishing up things for the show*. Entering my last week of this blog. Looking forward to a long weekend away with my sister, free from my everyday responsibilities and full of the silliness that usually ensues when we're together. Knowing, however, that I'll be ready to come back at the end of it. Thinking about swimming in my favorite river, about discovering wildflowers in the gorge, about berry season, about gin and tonics on the porch. Imagining life once my kids are out of school, contemplating having them never return. Feeling grateful. Trying to live life as slow as possible during a busy time.

* the opening is may 4th from 7-10 at doe for those of you who are asking.

wise

I was trying to look up why owls have come to represent wisdom on Wikipedia, and I came across the movie Hedgehog in the Fog. Has anyone seen it? My library doesn't carry it, so I'll have to satisfy myself with YouTube.

Enough to make me resurrect my abandoned hedgehog.

still small

the little bitty things i've been making will be part of a collaborative works (shadowboxes) with my sister. her anatomie show opened last night, and she's living it up in nyc. if you hurry, i think there's still some stuff left on the rare device site.

next week i'll be back with bigger things. have a super weekend.

the little bitty things i've been making will be part of a collaborative works (shadowboxes) with my sister. her anatomie show opened last night, and she's living it up in nyc. if you hurry, i think there's still some stuff left on the rare device site.

next week i'll be back with bigger things. have a super weekend.

little bits

I've had a lot of people email and ask if I will be taking down little birds handmade when I stop blogging at the end of the month. The answer is no. I don't know if I'll leave it up, y'know, forever, but I don't have immediate plans to make this blog or any of my previous blogs disappear. I feel like my posts are part of a greater, bigger linking conversation, and it doesn't feel right to go completely silent. So that's that.

People are also asking if I will still put things in my shop. The answer is, maybe. I've learned a lot about my own creativity and making things for sale this last year that I've been selling online. I've learned that no matter how much time that I carve out to dedicate to crafting things for sale, my body can only take so much of it. I've learned that I could try to sell things that require less detail and precision or that can be made in multiples, but that I quickly grow to resent it. Making little things is my one true life-long joy; I'm not willing to ever give it up. Making things expressly for sale, however, slowly erodes that joy. This is just my own experience and personal limitations; I greatly admire artists and crafters that can create prolifically. I just can't seem to make it work for me. As I said, I won't ever stop making things. I'm excited to create more installations like my sister and I are doing for Doe. I will, most likely, continue to add batches of things to the shop from time to time. The best way to know when I have things for sale is to sign up for my email list (email me at littlebirds {at} comcast {dot} net ). 

I so appreciate everyone's enthusiasm and interest. Really and truly, thank you. I wish it was possible for me to make each and everyone of you something, I do.

I've had a lot of people email and ask if I will be taking down little birds handmade when I stop blogging at the end of the month. The answer is no. I don't know if I'll leave it up, y'know, forever, but I don't have immediate plans to make this blog or any of my previous blogs disappear. I feel like my posts are part of a greater, bigger linking conversation, and it doesn't feel right to go completely silent. So that's that.

People are also asking if I will still put things in my shop. The answer is, maybe. I've learned a lot about my own creativity and making things for sale this last year that I've been selling online. I've learned that no matter how much time that I carve out to dedicate to crafting things for sale, my body can only take so much of it. I've learned that I could try to sell things that require less detail and precision or that can be made in multiples, but that I quickly grow to resent it. Making little things is my one true life-long joy; I'm not willing to ever give it up. Making things expressly for sale, however, slowly erodes that joy. This is just my own experience and personal limitations; I greatly admire artists and crafters that can create prolifically. I just can't seem to make it work for me. As I said, I won't ever stop making things. I'm excited to create more installations like my sister and I are doing for Doe. I will, most likely, continue to add batches of things to the shop from time to time. The best way to know when I have things for sale is to sign up for my email list (email me at littlebirds {at} comcast {dot} net ). 

I so appreciate everyone's enthusiasm and interest. Really and truly, thank you. I wish it was possible for me to make each and everyone of you something, I do.

another

So sad about the news from Virginia Tech yesterday. My heart really goes out to all who are affected.

So sad about the news from Virginia Tech yesterday. My heart really goes out to all who are affected.

respite

a good weekend.

science museum followed by cupcakes and oatmeal cookies at the bakery bar with our new-to-portland friends andrea, ava and ezra. dinner of the best pizza (worth the wait) at our neighborhood joint. a good housecleaning and decluttering. hosted eight wonderful women + one adorable baby for dinner/book club. finished off a bottle of wine with husband and a dvd of extras. cinnamon rolls and the sunday new york times. a family trip to the goodwill for a new stack of old books. a new bike for mia. a make your own sushi feast with good friends where the kids had their rolls delivered to them in a fort via a rope and pulley system (ain't that the life?). somewhere in there, time to make a mondo pinecone.

we are sleeping in a bit (figuratively!) at 3191 this week and will be back probably on wednesday.

happy monday.

a good weekend.

science museum followed by cupcakes and oatmeal cookies at the bakery bar with our new-to-portland friends andrea, ava and ezra. dinner of the best pizza (worth the wait) at our neighborhood joint. a good housecleaning and decluttering. hosted eight wonderful women + one adorable baby for dinner/book club. finished off a bottle of wine with husband and a dvd of extras. cinnamon rolls and the sunday new york times. a family trip to the goodwill for a new stack of old books. a new bike for mia. a make your own sushi feast with good friends where the kids had their rolls delivered to them in a fort via a rope and pulley system (ain't that the life?). somewhere in there, time to make a mondo pinecone.

we are sleeping in a bit (figuratively!) at 3191 this week and will be back probably on wednesday.

happy monday.