My favourite Easter items on Etsy

Soooooo many wonderful items to choose from on Etsy for Easter gifts, decorations, etc

Here are a few of my favourite eye catching items.....as always....in no particular order!!!  Actually....the order is the fastest that these shop keepers get back to me with permission  LOL

Check out these great shops.....they have wonderful hand made items for anytime of year, not just Easter.

The shop EggstrArt has an amazing collection of hand decorated eggs....this one is a Duck egg decorated with wax.  I can't get over the precise detail that seems to be absolutely flawless.  Worth starting a collection I would say.
 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/124964974/traditional-slavic-easter-egg-in-white?ref=shop_home_feat

Frost It Bakery have these adorable handmade cupcake toppers.  Whip up a batch of cupcakes and put these on top.....quick and easy and you'll look like a pro.  Check out their other items too for all kinds of celebrations.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/126243862/12-fondant-easter-cupcake-toppers-edible?ref=shop_home_active

Check out these beautiful Easter Cards from The Botanical Concept.  I love the classic simplicity of these beautiful cards....which can also be bought as art.  Have a look at the other amazing water colours in this shop.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/69251434/pack-of-six-easter-cards-grape-hyacinth?ref=shop_home_feat

Gotta feature some felted cuties.....and these are adorable.  A rabbit and a carrot to keep it company from Bondurant Mountain Art.....and I couldn't resist adding these adorable rabbits in crocheted racing carrot cars!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/123465488/easter-needle-felted-bunny-with-carrot-1?ref=shop_home_active

https://www.etsy.com/listing/125490707/needle-felted-easter-bunny-in-crocheted?ref=shop_home_active

These friendly little rabbits from Cuddle Wumkins are a perfect gift for any small child for Easter or any other time of year.  You can also personalize your rabbit and have a name embroidered on it.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/93154672/easter-bunny-custom

LOVE this cute little fella from Anabel Apple.  The shop has other wonderful stuffed items.....I'm rather fond of the owls too.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/127676912/felt-rabbit-decor-baby-nursery-easter?ref=shop_home_active

This listing is for a PDF pattern.....so it's a make it yourself item.  They are supposed to be super easy....if only I had more time I would LOVE to make some of these.  I like that you can totally tailor them to your decor.....there are so many amazing fabrics to choose from out there.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/122857886/simple-easter-eggs-sewing-pattern

Nicki's Cottage Attic makes these adorable baskets.  I love the simplicity of this design and choice of fabrics.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/127186724/pretty-childrens-girls-fabric-easter

Take a gander at this gorgeous table scape from Sweet Scarlet Designs.  It doesn't get more festive than this does it?  It's a PDF so you simply click and print this....not too late to get this one in time for Easter.

You can take a look at more detailed pictures of this beautiful table at Sweet Scarlet's Blog

http://sweetscarletdesigns.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/printable-easter-collection.html

https://www.etsy.com/listing/95085000/easter-printable-set-includes-cupcake

And as always I can't close without sharing my own Easter items.

   

https://www.etsy.com/shop/TextileTrolley

Happy Easter to all that celebrate......and remember, SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES!

Happy Passover (is that what you say?)

Happy Passover.....I'm having my home made Matzoh Ball Soup in a nod to the day (actually I just love Matzoh Ball Soup).

Gotta have fresh dill in the soup....I add chicken too for protein.  Recipe will follow in a later post

Well it's one holiday after the next around here isn't it?  Growing up in the Yorkshire Dales I didn't hear anything about Passover.  I can't say that I knew any Jewish families...and Judaism never came up in conversation.  I'm not sure what it's like over there now (should ask the family I suppose) but here in New Jersey it's a melting pot of every religion.

The little girl I take care of is Jewish but the school she attends educates her with every religion.  I think it's great to make children aware of all the different religions and holidays and how people celebrate.

We were talking about Passover and Easter last week and I told her I needed to make some Easter cards and we talked about different ideas for the cards (she's very artistic and creative).  Near the end of the conversation she turned to me and said
"I want to send Easter cards"
 ....bless her.....I told her that it probably wouldn't be appropriate to send them with her being Jewish 'an all but we could definitely do some Easter art and maybe dye some eggs too....that seemed to make her happy!  Crisis averted!

Her closing statement of the conversation was "Why are Christmas and Easter so much more fun than Hanukkah and Passover"?   The thought had often crossed my own mind.  I think the reality is that Judaism keep to the faith...no embellishments, no side stories or characters....when you think about it what has a jolly old man in a red suit and bunnies, chicks and eggs got to do with religion?  Although it's all a belief system, I guess I believe in Santa and the Easter Bunny   :o)  In my opinion I think Christianity invented some side stories to keep the religion part more interesting.....and it worked!

O.K.  I better step out of this, I'm not intending on starting a religious debate by myself.

So if you celebrate Passover today....I hope it's a good one....and me?
I'm happy celebrating a day off and eating my soup!

What to do with scrap fabric!

At what point do you throw away your fabric?  I've heard some people keep nothing smaller than enough to cover a button, and some nothing smaller than a fat quarter WHAT????  I know...insane!

Now I know I'm a Yorkshire lass.....well known for being.....shall I say 'savvy' with money!!!!  I tend to hold on to every scrap....even an inch by inch square....there has to be a use!!!

Well this week I came across a great idea for scrap fabric.  I knew I'd find a way to use those teeny tiny scraps.

BUNTING TAGS!

The scraps of fabric I used for this project are even smaller than the ones I use for my bunting card on sale in my Etsy shop because the fabric on the card is bent in half to encase the twine.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/120576568/bunting-happy-birthday-card?

Soooooo easy to make!!!!

Here's what you will need                       

Gift tags (mine were 2" x 4")
Scraps of fabric
Baker's twine, string or ribbon
Scissors
A little glue
Sewing machine

I usually cut strips of fabric first to make sure the bunting are all the same height.  Then snip small triangles.  I do realize that flowery fabric when cut does not produce chevron triangles but this is a case of "here's one I made earlier"

Arrange your bunting so it fits on your tag and then glue it down, this will help when stitching it later.  I used this Martha Stewart glue because it has the tiniest tip at the end so I didn't have puddles of glue leaking out the side of my flags

Simply stitch through the tag and fabric....no back stitch needed, add your twine, ribbon etc and you're done

And here's some I made earlier

I'm sure if you don't have a sewing machine one could accomplish a similar effect with hand stitching.  I'd make sure I somehow secured both ends though as hand stitching isn't quite as small or as strong as the machine stitching.

Happy crafting.

My favourite Passover items on Etsy

With Passover just around the corner I thought I would have a browse around Etsy for some cool finds!  Not a huge amount of choice out there for a fun Passover but these items definitely stood out!  So without further ado here they are......and as always....in no particular order!

Check out Lenny Mud Shop.  Not only do they have this hilarious plate but you have to go and take a look at their Lionel Richie "Hello" collection too....very clever!  And if you're anything like me you'll be singing "Macho Macho Man" all day long now!  

Or should I say "All Night Long"!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/126230906/matzoh-matzah-plate-judaica-for-passover

This is a ceramic Seder plate from Rachel van der Pol.  These are great to keep year after year, Rachel said she made a set for her mother last year and she was so happy to never have to shop for the pesky items again.....made me smile because it can be a hunt sometimes.  Great for children to gently play with too.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/125664475/ceramic-seder-plate-foods-for-passover

How cute is this for a babies first Passover?  Mushietushie definitely put a fun, creative spin on things with this Matzoh onesie made from organic cotton!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/15817243/babys-first-passover-organic-cotton

And to decorate your walls for Passover?  My Bonnie Designs have created this beautiful, colourful alphabet print.  This would be great in a classroom or Sunday school room also.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/26922189/aleph-bet-hebrew-alphabet-star-of-david?

I'm not sure if Jewish play kits come any cuter than this one by 

Dressy Dolls Company.

Use it to tell the story of the 10 plagues and you can guarantee it will keep a children's attention.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/121477111/passover-story-set-the-complete-set

Rebecca Parmet Designs has these great zippered bags for Matzoh.....what family wouldn't love to use these?  They would be great as a hostess gift for Passover!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/120173386/passover-matzah-afikomen-zippered-bag

Bekas Gifts Galore have this adorable felt Seder plate....no worries about breaking this one when the children play with it.  It's bound to make the whole Seder way more interesting for children too!  A really great, colourful and educational item.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/125361156/passover-seder-felt-boardfree-shipping

I have to say...my favourite food of the Jewish religion has to be Matzo Ball Soup (followed closely by Latkes).  My bosses made me an honorary Jew because I usually make the soup (all from scratch) for their holidays....I could do with one of these adorable T-shirts!  I can think of a bunch of other people that would love this shirt too.  Good news Mrs. Meshugga makes them in ALL SIZES....even adult!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/118810346/official-matzo-ball-taster-shirt

I love this print by Jahna Vashti it reminds me of Jan Brett drawings.  Isn't it beautiful?  A 'last a lifetime' sort of print.  It comes in a greeting card version too.  Check out all the wonderful drawings at the shop.

 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/122083694/grizzly-bear-passover-art-hanukkah-rosh?

It may or not be too late to buy these in time for Passover....you'll have to contact the shop directly, there's  a link under each picture.  You can always buy them well in advance for next year!  If you do visit these shops and admire their items would you mind letting them know 'Textile Trolley' sent you their way!  Thank you.

Support Small Businesses

What to do with those Yo-Yo's!

So if you read my earlier post I showed you how to make fabric Yo-Yo's.

And if you need instructions on how to make the Yo-Yo's....click here http://textiletrolley.blogspot.com/2013/03/easy-sewing-project-how-to-make-yo-yo.html


As promised here are some more ideas on how to use your Yo-Yo's

Bookmarks!
I'll show you a tutorial to make the full bookmark in a later post.

Key Fobs!  Just fold a piece of thick grosgrain ribbon in half, insert a key ring and stitch together near the end.  Then insert it between your Yo-Yos before you stitch them all together.

Greetings cards.  I stuck this on with pretty strong glue that works for fabric and paper

Cluster them together to adorn a bag.  They would look great on an evening clutch to add some pop to your whole look

Perfect on a jean jacket solo or clustered together

The list goes on....here are a few other ideas that I didn't have time to put together...

-  String them together to make a garland to decorate a Christmas tree or your walls
-  Fabric art - use them as flowers on a canvas and decorate with leaves, stems etc
   similar to the card I made but on a larger scale....now that's a cheap way to add art to
   a room
-  attach to the top of a glass jar to make storage pretty...or cover a coffee tin with fabric
   and attach the Yo-Yo to the fabric
-  Small Yo-Yo's could cover the outside of a picture frame
-  Attach to a headband or barrette
-  Attach to a simple chain necklace, maybe 3 in a row hanging slightly to the side of
   centre.
-  Party up a simple pair of white sneakers (Children only please ;o)

Easy Sewing Project: How to make a Yo-Yo broach or pin.

O.K. so I just realized (after being in the country almost 19 years) that what I call a broach.....the Americans call a pin.  I mean I've heard the word pin being used before but to me a pin is something I use to sew with.

I was showing a friend the "broaches" I had made for the craft fair and he looked at me with a completely puzzled look and said "don't you mean a pin?  Actually no...I don't mean pin.....I mean broach or badge!  :o)

*pet peeve of mine....when someone tells me what I mean to say or how I should pronounce it....I mean really..... I'm an ENGLISH girl speaking the ENGLISH language!!!*  :o)

Anyway after that long winded intro. here's how I made these beautiful
Yo-Yo BROACHES!!!!!  ha ha ha

What you'll need

Extra firm Pellon (interfacing)
Scrap fabric
a few buttons
Broach/pin backs
Strong thread *important it's strong*
Scissors


First decide what size your broach will be.  You will need 2 different size circles.  I chose my supplement jar lid as the smaller template.  Draw around and cut out as many broaches as you would like to make.

Cut out the circles as accurately as possible

Cut a larger circle of fabric out.  When the fabric is folded in all around the sides it should reach the middle

A rough guide of what it should look like before you sew with the 2 different sizes

Note the HEAVY duty thread.  This is so when you stitch and gather up the fabric the thread won't snap when you gather.

Knot the end of your thread and then use a very small running stitch around the edge of the circle....I do as small as I can so that my gathers are small when I pull it all together

When you reach the knot pull the thread to gather it around the circle.  I put a couple of stitches through the gather at the end to keep it in place.

Build your Yo-Yo by placing the smaller one on top of the larger one and a button on top.  Make sure your button is large enough to cover the gathering edge underneath it.  Stitch together through all layers

Stitch the broach/pin backing on the back

And there you go....a cute embellishment to any outfit.  Pin 3 together on a T-shirt for a dramatic effect

Next week I'll show you some other ideas with these Yo-Yo's.

Yo...have a good weekend!

What not to wear and the morning routine!

At what age do you think it's appropriate to let children choose their own clothes to wear?  How many times do you let them change their mind about what to wear that day?  Do you make your children fold up their clothes and put them away if they change their mind?  Do you set their clothes out the night before?

I know that many parents struggle with a morning routine Monday through Friday....there's a lot to do to get out of the door in time for school and I know that those children without a school uniform can take up plenty of time just figuring out what to wear (especially the girls it seems).

Being a nanny for 20 years I have seen it all.  From the overbearing parent who has to match their children no matter what to the pushed around parent who can't seem to say no to their child and may go through multiple outfits in a morning before a decision has been made!

I think it's great to give children a choice but to keep it realistic to their age group.  For example take a 2 or 3 year old getting dressed for the day....there is simply too much choice when you say "what would you like to wear today" and give them their entire wardrobe to choose from....it's overwhelming to them. Too much choice, they wouldn't know where to start plus they're not able to gauge weather conditions and pick out appropriate clothes either.  You could find yourself arguing over Elmo shorts in the dead of winter.....which wouldn't be such a problem....if you lived in Australia.  You could also set yourself up for a major temper tantrum if you give them choice and then keep saying no when they pick inappropriate items.

For such a young age it is better to present them with a choice of 2 items....the blue shirt or the green shirt...you can pick out the rest of the clothing which not only helps confirm that you have the upper hand but also to hopefully guide them in putting together an outfit for later on when they have to do it themselves.

Getting dressed is a good conversation starter for a problem solving situation.  You could talk about the weather if it's hot or cold and what kind of clothing do they think would be appropriate for the day.  Maybe the night before check the weather forecast (cos that's always soooo reliable - insert sarcasm) and pick out the clothes for the next day.  Unless the weather has changed it's a good idea to stick to what you pulled out....it will make your morning routine a lot smoother.

Of course there will be the odd temper tantrum that will break out due to changes of mind.  Obviously no one wants to go through this situation but I see parents back down far too many times.  (I started writing about temper tantrums just now and then erased the whole thing....that topic is a post unto itself....more to come on this at a later date).

Maybe you don't encounter these problems in your household, lucky you!  In my career it's not unheard of for me to have arrived at work and come across a roomful of strewn clothes.  Usually girls deciding what to wear and going through a number of outfits before the most desirable one is found....I myself have done this many a time when going out for the night....and then you roll in at 2 a.m. and can't find your bed!  So you see, I can empathize. 

When this happens in a job situation I put all the clothes to one side on the bed or the chair and wait for the children to come home....then they have the delightful task of folding up all their clothes and putting them away....and just because a child is young it doesn't mean to say that they can't have a go....I'm not expecting neat folds just an attempt at a shape that might fit in the drawer....and I sit down with the children and teach them how to fold all their various clothes.  "I can't do it" doesn't fly with me!  Having gone through this experience a number of times it's amazing that when these children realize the clothes won't magically fold  and tuck themselves neatly in the drawer, this situation tends to happen less and less!

Unfortunately I have worked in very affluent households with a team of staff who's job it is to make sure there would be no such mess lying around....these children never really get to realize the responsibility of taking care of their clothes until much later on in life when they have to fend for themselves.

I'm not trying to make it a punishment when I tell children to tidy up after themselves it's just a life lesson learned.  Someone takes time and trouble to launder, iron and fold their clothes and just a little respect needs to be reinforced at times.  So how do you handle these sort of situations in your house?  Or are you respected so deeply by your children that you're shaking your head wondering what on earth I'm talking about!  Just curious to know what everyone else goes through and how they handle it.

My Favourite St. Patrick's Day items on Etsy

So, growing up in England we didn't celebrate St. Patrick's Day AT ALL!  No mention of it!  So imagine my surprise when I move across the pond and find that it's one huge day of celebrating and drinking!  It was really, really surprising.  I think I live in an area here in the U.S. that's, shall we say...quite hard hit....by the celebrations though.

Anyway, realizing it's quite a big holiday, I scouted around Etsy for some fun finds.  So many talented people makes it hard to choose but here's just a few of my favourites....in no particular order.

Amedeos Bakery has a great selection of baked and sweet goods...some really unusual treats.  However these Irish Cream infused chocolate pretzel rods REALLY caught my eye.  YUMO!

 

 www.etsy.com/shop/AmedeosBakery

Couture Flower have these really fun mustache straws.....would be great fun for a party, especially if everyone has St. Patrick's Day hats on too.  Great photo prop also.  

 

www.etsy.com/shop/coutureflower 

 Anne Maddox Boutique makes these cute embellished T's that any girl would love, totally has that 'sparkle' effect.

 www.etsy.com/shop/AnneMaddoxBoutique

 Must Love Art Studio construct these really great 3D wall hangings.....awesome decorations that really pop and become a great holiday decoration to last for many years.  Love this one.

www.etsy.com/shop/MustLoveArtStudio 

Love the simplicity of this headband design from Dancing Daisy Boutique, I'm sure it would look really cute wrapped around a pony tail holder or your wrist too (on a bigger person).

www.etsy.com/shop/DancingDaisyBoutique

Spruce up your wee man with a tie on his onesie with these adorable designs from Smile Love Designs, bound to put a smile on any one's face.  This shop is also offering 10% off at the moment thru midnight Friday 8th March if you like the page on Facebook.  http://www.facebook.com/SmileLoveDesigns

www.etsy.com/shop/SmileLoveDesigns

This picture needs no words.....it speaks for itself!  But I do have to say how fantastic I think this photo is....great job!  There's not much cuter than this!  So...just to clear things up....it's the hat for sale at Dianirasoto....not the baby!!!!!   :o)

www.etsy.com/shop/dianirasoto

And here's another adorable hat....also available in adults sizes too!  Check out Textilesone other cute hats also.  Love the slouch beanie hats!

www.etsy.com/shop/Textilesone

Funny and cute maternity wear from DJammar Maternity is bound to put smiles on faces.

www.etsy.com/shop/DJammarMaternity

This card from Tyler's Workshop just makes me smile....the Leprechaun's making off with the pot of gold on the back of a rabbit  LOL.  If I sent St. Patrick's Day cards....I'd send this one.  Would be great in a frame too to decorate a nursery for any little one with Irish blood.

www.etsy.com/shop/tylersworkshop

Love these hair clips from Zinky Dinks.  They are just a subtle way of celebrating and giving a nod to St. Patrick's Day.

www.etsy.com/shop/zinkydinks

The more of these posts I put together and the more searches I do on Etsy the more I discover how much I love and admire felted wool artists.  I adore these little Pots of Gold and Leprechaun ornaments by Tretutu.  Check out this shop's other adorable items too.

www.etsy.com/shop/tretutu

And last but by no means least....here's a few St. Patrick's day items that I have for sale at my shop on Etsy, Textile Trolley.

www.etsy.com/listing/123976811/st-patricks-day-bunting-irish-flags?

www.etsy.com/listing/124385934/st-patricks-day-bib-shamrock-bib-chevron?

www.etsy.com/listing/124091196/happy-st-patricks-day-card-saint?

Thanks again to all the wonderful Etsy artisans that let me borrow their photo's and information for this post!

Support small business.