Everything Etsy's Moda May Fabric Giveaway

Hello, my name is Claudia and I am a Fabric-aholic. I love, love, love fabric. If I had a whole afternoon where I could do anything I wanted, I would probably spend it wandering around fabric shops. I have a somewhat insane fabric stash...

This is just my quilting cottons {blush} ... I have about 5 more of these big storage bins stashed in closets around the house with flannels, fleece, fancy fabrics ... I know, I have a problem, but I just love fabric. I love the possibilities it represents, the creativity, the potential. I have more fabric than I will probably ever use (realistically), but in my mind each piece is destined for greatness.

Even though I may not *need* more fabric, I always want more :) So I am entering into the weekly fabric giveaway being hosted by Everything Etsy this week and sponsored by the Fat Quarter Shop. They have such an amazing selection - it is crazy! I am not usually an online fabric buyer because I like to touch fabric before I buy it, but I am not going to turn down the chance for a $75 gift certificate either! Wish me luck!!

One of my favorite things...

I am a big fan of online shopping. I love the convenience - that I can search for what I want/need at any hour of the day from the privacy of my own home, but it is usually a very impersonal experience. I really enjoy the experience of shopping in small, independent, locally-owned shops that have lots of interesting little things, run by friendly shop keepers. So, for me, Etsy is a lovely combination of the conveniences of online shopping with a more personal shopping experience.

One of my favorite things is the attention to detail that most Etsians put into their packages. I get so excited when I receive one of my Etsy orders, not only because I am looking forward to the actual item that I ordered but because more often that not I've received these lovely little packages that were put together with thought and care. Shop owners often include little gifts too. Here is just a sample of some of the little goodies I've received in recent months.

Rachel from Whimsy Needles sent this fabulous little facial scrubbie when I ordered some acrylic dish scrubbies from her shop:

Andrea from Lindsay's Whimsies Tutus sent along this sweet little handwritten note and a couple of hairclips to start off my daughter's personalized bow holder that I ordered from her.

And Susan, a very warm and friendly shop owner and fellow North Carolinian, from Mulberry Patchworks sent along these cute notes and tags when I ordered a cute little piggy pendant from her. And , Pam from PK fabrics sent this super cute matchbook notepad when I ordered some gnome fabric from her shop.

I've always been a believer in the old saying that "it is the small things that matter." I appreciate it when a shop owner takes a few extra minutes to wrap my item with care and send along a small token of their appreciation for my business. This is something I really try to keep in mind when I am packaging up orders from my shops. I want my customers to know how much I appreciate their orders and that it means a lot to me that they support my work. So, here is a big thanks to all the wonderful Etsians that are working hard to add a personal touch to the world of online shopping!

Who are some of your favorite Etsy shop owners??

Fabric Paper Mache Eggs

I am not really a big fan of dyeing Easter eggs. Maybe it is because it is not something I grew up doing (I don't think I actually dyed my first egg until I was well into my 20s...) or maybe it is because pre-schooler + toddler + dye = colossal mess that I will spend days trying to clean up. And, plastic eggs are the bane of my existence for most of the year because they have a tendency to end up in halves all over the place, and they are really painful to step on. But, I do love the bright colors of Easter eggs and I love a good Easter egg hunt.

It was actually my hunt for a plastic egg alternative that led to the creation of the Treasure Eggs I sell in my Etsy shop, but those are fairly big and better suited for baskets than egg hunts. So, when I came across this post on the Moda Bake Shop for Bunny Eggs (fabric covered paper mache eggs) by Angela Yosten I was so excited - A project I could do with Miss M AND a solution to my plastic egg problem!

This is actually a fairly quick project, and another great one for using up fabric scraps. I went through my scrap bag and cut scraps into small pieces that were about 1" big for my daughter. For the eggs I worked on, I used some Moda Honeybun strips that I cut in half width-wise (so they were about .75" wide) and then cut those into strips that were about 2"long. I got out the Mod Podge, put down some protective coverings on our kitchen table and we were ready to go.

At first she was a little hesitant to get the glue on her hands, but after I assured her that it would wash off fairly easily she got into it a bit more.

She worked a lot faster than I did and got 4 done in the time it took me to do 2. Granted our styles were a little different...

And here are our finished products!

 Baby Sis woke up from her nap, so we had to wrap things up. But it was a fun, quick little project. I actually really enjoyed the process of making my eggs. I found it quite relaxing, and it gave me an idea for this month's EtsyKids Design Challenge ...

Miss M did say to me at the end that she needed more lessons because hers didn't look like mine. I told her we each have our own way of doing things, and that if she wants hers to look more like mine she has to be willing to get her hands a bit more dirty and sticky next time. She asked if she could just paint hers with paint instead of with fabric then.  Elbow deep in the mud or sand and she is happy as a clam, a little glue on the fingers though ... she is a funny kid.