Keeping the Holidays - well HAPPY!

I've been too focused on my sewing that I've forgotten my blogging! We are working hard this year to create a Holiday List to keep our customers Holidays - HAPPY! Keep watching - we'll be posting our Holiday Favorites over the next day or two. Have a favorite Wicked Stitches Gift? Let us know! We love to hear from all of you!

Warm regards, Nancy

What's your ultimate fall weekend?

Usually we spent at least one Sunday or Saturday picking apples or pumpkins during Fall. For us we have to get in the car and travel a bit to do it. We live in one of the five boroughs of NYC, we usually travel upstate for the day. The kids come kicking and screaming, wondering what they are missing by not being home. I'm always thinking, what I could have done in the house or at work....but it's my husband who demands our annual fall fest day, as I so sarcastically call it. A beautiful thought, and I am grateful for his insistence that we do this together. So today, we're off to pick a pumpkin and hopefully see some foliage.

We spent the day yesterday celebrating my Great Niece's First Birthday (no, I'm really not that old!), then we spent the evening with great frinds at our annual "Autumn dinner party." Today, is a beautiful day, the sun is shining, the Yankees won the first round of playoffs, and we have off tomorrow...this just may be my Ultimate Fall Weekend!

Tattoo Designs

Funny sometimes where you can get inspiration from. I would have thought that Tattoo designs would be the last place to look for inspiration. But, have to say that old saying; "don't judge a book by it's cover" can be applied here too. We created this particular heart design from a tattoo design we saw. We think it makes a really nice applique. It works on the back of thermal shirts that I made for my tween daughter and it works on a little girl knit hat.

Who Knew?

Tags for stuff

As a person who embroiders stuff for other people. One thing I've learned is that personalized items can be very helpful! To differentiate your items, or to make an ordinary thing more appealing.

One item that we love to make are vinyl tags. Tags for stuff, all sorts of stuff! It would be wonderful if everyone ordered tags from us and we could just design tags to match backpacks and lunch bags and music bags....etc....well you get the picture.

But, just because we have the tools to make these beautiful tags doesn't mean you can't do the same. It can be a fun thing to do with the kids. Felt is a great, durable fabric that can stand up to some abuse. It's also great to work with because you can glue it. You can cut out shapes with different color felt and glue them onto a larger base, place a ribbon behind the base piece and glue on a back. WaLa...a tag for your stuff! Start with a simple shape and add a cut out initial.

Here are some popular tags that we make.

Happy crafting,
Nancy

Back to school breakfast blues

The muffins were a success! The kids loved the Coffee Cake muffins hot out of the oven! The best part is that I froze the leftovers and heated them up this morning. Now I just have to figure out how to eliminate the white sugar and white flour and keep the taste.

Any tips?

Back to school breakfast blues

What does back to school mean to you? I think for most of us it's bittersweet. No more leisure time with the kids, back to the grind! Of course it's good and bad, as so many experiences are with kids. But, I digress. What I really wanted to share was my bright idea. I'm sure there are so many of you out there that will say; "is she kidding, I've been doing that for years"...but for you Johnny come latelies - here goes!

My kids are the worst breakfast eaters, but they love muffins and other time consuming baked goods. I really am trying my best to avoid processed food. So, I'm thinking I'll just make homemade muffins - yeah OK. Then I read Great Coffee Cakes, Sticky Buns, Muffins & More by Carole Walter. It does seem weird, but I actually read a lot of cookbooks. Anyway, she says that you can make the muffin batter and put it in the muffin pan overnight in the refrigerator. She said that for some muffins it helps to create that crown you see on the professional baked goods.

Today is Sunday, I'm going to prepare my muffin mix right now and put it in the fridge, I'll let you know how it goes!

Bride Gifts and Pre-Wedding Wear

For those of you who know, Wicked Stitches has been doing custom Bridal gifts for some time. Recently we got into the Bridal Sweatsuits and created a new website dedicated to these items. Check it out at www.InStyleBeforeTheAisle.com. We like to call it our beautiful sister site.

With the recent trend in sweatsuits for the bride and her wedding party, we decided to add our custom touch. We thought it would be nice to have two jackets with the pant instead of the usual jacket / pant set. Our jackets can be used before the aisle and after! One says "Soon to Be Mrs....." and the other states "Just Married" across the back! Always on white and written in Bridal Blue - of course.

We like to say Package, Package, Package and love to make things just so..... We place these beautiful Bride track suits inside a Bridal Blue suitcase with a personalized luggage tag. But that's not all, inside the suitcase is a card to be filled out by the bride which states her story. The suitcase becomes an heirloom for her wedding treasures......AWWWH.

We're nothing if not thoughtful gift makers!