Sale, Sale, Sale

We're having a sale at Clover & Violet!  We've been working on some more new designs, but need to make some room on our shelves, so we're offering a 20% discount on all our premade items, except quilts.  So, stop on over to our shop and have a peek, prices like this won't last long!

Shopaholic: Mark Poulin Enamel Jewelry

When I searched for "raccoons" on Etsy, for a raccoon loving sister, I found Bandit. Not only did my sister love it, everyone else compliments her on it, and it does not go unnoticed. Mark Poulin Enamel Jewelry is also full of other cute little finds, like Rubber Ducky Your the One.... and Leaf Sketch Earrings, which are sure to bring a smile.

A Secret Garden

Once we've finally gotten past the winter cold and snow, Josiah and I like to walk our neighborhood and local trail almost every night (with the exceptions of nights like tonight - it is rainy and cold).  There is a little dead end street on our route, with a beautiful garden that is carefully groomed and complete with benches and a stream.  Even though the garden has "no trespassing" signs, the gentleman who owns it saw us one night and invited us to walk through it anytime.

The other night when we were out walking, he again invited us to walk through, and this time I snapped a few photos with my phone.  It is an amazing, green, serene place, filled with the sound of the stream and the gentle wind in the trees.  This is the dream, to have our own secret garden to escape to on a nice spring evening.  Maybe someday...

 

Baby Shower Vol. 6

Wonderland Bunting Pennant Flags - Vida Style $27
SWEET BABY ALICE....Wonderland collection - Jolie Berry $21.95
WONDERLAND TWEEDLE DUM PEASANT TOP - Ruffles 'n' Roses $20
Boutique Pillowcase dress - Prissy Piggies $22

And the Winner is...

Thank you to everyone who entered our Sweetness Jewelry giveaway! We've compiled a list of every entry, followers of our blogs, followers of Sweetness Jewelry's blog, and followers of Sweetness Jewelry on Twitter into an Excel sheet:

And then visited Random.org's integer genorator for the drawing:

 

So, congratulations Cindi!  We hope you enjoy your beautiful earrings from Sweetness Jewelry.  And thanks again to Kelly for the fabulous giveaway.  Check back soon for another fun interview and giveaway.

Memorial Day

Remembering all those who have sacrifieced everything for the freedom we have this Memorial Day.

Photo Courtesty of U.S. Army

In Flanders Fields

John McCrae, 1915

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

In Flanders Fields byWilly Werner

Ottawa, Canada

Thus far, our Memorial Day Weekend travels have taken us to the capital of our northern neighbor. It is odd to think that from our home in upstate New York, we are closer to the capital of Canada than that of the United States. Therefore, Josiah and I packed up a few things and took a day trip to Ottawa to make the most of such an opportunity. Ottawa was impressive. It is a bustling city full of beautiful architecture, a fabulous farmer's market, and busy streets. We had the extra advantage of going during a regular work day, and therefore avoiding weekend and holiday crowds.

Our primary photos were of Parliament Hill, which was magnificent. The stone structures were impressive, and we happened upon it right as their clock tower struck noon, and then chimed the tune "O Canada" and then "God Save the Queen" (at least, that is our best guess).

We also strolled around Major's Hill Park and admired the view and the tulips. Our final destination was a walk through ByWard Market and a gander at all the crafts and flowers of the farmer's market. Even though we just made a day trip of it, Ottawa was a memorable city, one that we may make the drive back to soon.

more photos on Flickr

Shopaholic: resolute twig books

time to make a quiche blank book

Resolute Twig Books has a fabulous unique assortment of blank books, lined journals, address books, photo albums, and more.  Her books are handmade and have a hard or semi-hard cover, come in a variety of colors, prints, and sizes, and have unique names too.  In addition, Susie has another shop, Resolute Twig, where she sells handmade jewelry.  If her jewelry matches the quality of her books, it must be astounding.  Below is a picture of the blank book we purchased, but since many of her books are one of a kind, we've included a few more photos of those available in her shop (traveling palm tree blank book and before this river becomes an ocean address book).

Behind the Scenes: Sweetness Jewelry

A few weeks ago I stumbled upon Sweetness Jewelry, and when I entered Kelly's Name Game on her blog.  Imagine my surprise when she sent me a message telling me she'd picked my name.  Well, after chatting with her a bit, I asked Kelly if she'd like to be interviewed, and she kindly agreed.  I browsed around her Etsy shop and blog and discovered that not only is Kelly a sweet and talented individual, she's a 13-year-old!  Talk about ambition.  So, without further ado, enjoy a peek into the life of a busy and talented young lady.

Candy Cane Rain $23

1. You are a very ambitious young lady, how did you get started on Etsy?  My aunt Jenny and my aunt Laura got me hooked! Check out their awesome shops! Lickety Split and Laura Slocum... Painted

2. What do you do when you're not in school or making jewelry?  Well, I play basketball softball soccer and track and I also play the piano. I also like to play with my two dogs!

3. Where are some places you find inspiration?  My family is the first place I look. All of our memories... The 2nd place I look is school.

Quiet Pink $16

4. What do you most look forward to for summer break?  Having free time to do whatever I want! NO HOMEWORK!!!

5. What is your dream vacation?  Crusie around the world!

6. Do you collect anything?  Nope, I used to collect rocks, but now thats childish ;)

7. What is (one of) your most embarrassing moments?  Let me think.... Ohh when I peed myself in 2nd grade in music class. Everyone was staring and laughing while I was crying!!

Orange Swirl $12

8. What do you want to be when you grow up?  I want to help out the abused animals and set up a shelter. I really love animals and I hate to see them in pain.

9. What kinds of things to you shop for on Etsy?  Presents for my family and little knick knacks for myself.

10. Do you have a favorite purchase or two?  I have many favorites but these are awesome!!! Small Celadon Cup by Utilemud and Four Goat's Milk Soaps by Camsoaps

Black Marble $16

Now, since Kelly is so sweet, she agreed to do a giveaway for our blog as well!  One lucky winner will receive their choice of earrings from Kelly's shop.  All you have to do is visit her shop and come back here and tell us what your favorite piece is.  Make sure to leave either your e-mail address or Etsy name so that we can contact you.  In addition, you can earn extra entries by:

1. Following our blog
2. Following Sweetness Jewelry's  blog
3. Following Sweetness Jewelry on Twitter

Just make sure you let us know in your comment if you've earned any extra entries.  We will randomly draw the winner Tuesday, May 26th at 7 am (because Monday is Memorial Day).  Good luck!

Baby Shower Vol. 5

Elephants - seventytwostitches $30
Merle the Elephant Baby Toy/Rattle - baby bomb $16.50
Spotty and Stripy Elephant Baby Applique Onesies - tadpolecreations $24
Soft Green and Yellow Baby Card - Scrappinren Creations $3.00

the Jane bag

It's here, our newest design in our shop - the Jane bag. Inspired by Jane Austen era reproduction fabric, but shown here with some bright Charisma by Chez Moi. More fabrics coming soon.

Bookshelf: Hats Gloves Scarves

Hats Gloves Scarves: easy designer knits for family and friends by Louisa Harding

This book is full of great knit projects for the beginner.  The projects cover a range of skills including lace, shaping, and embellishing.  While it may seem like this is not the season to begin knitting cold weather accessories, the summer is a great time to work on such projects as they are small and portable, make great gifts, and this allows plenty of time to learn new techniques before the cold weather arrives.  In addition, the lacy scarves and hats could be knit out of a lightweight summer yarn, and would be perfect for any season.  Finally, knitting technique instructions are included, and with the easy to follow directions, this book is a new knitter's perfect companion.

Shop Evolution

Clover & Violet has been open as a baby shop for a month now. However, though our sewing, fabric shopping, and personal experiences, we've decided to expand our shop. Instead of a baby shop, we're going to offer a larger variety of items to see where our best fit is. Our first addition is going to be a line of bags, starting with the Jane bag.

Because of the custom nature of these bags, we will list a few, but welcome custom requests, and will work with you to find the fabric that best fits you.  So, here's a peek at the bag we're working on now, out of a variety of blues in Charisma by Chez Moi for Moda (fabrics on the left, style of bag on the right).  We're also waiting for some Wonderland by Momo for Moda fabric to arrive, for another Jane bag.  Smaller purses will be available within a couple weeks as well.  Please convo or e-mail us if you're interested before the listings appear in our shop or if you have a special request.

Jane bag in blue Charisma $65

Shopaholic: Lucky Bee Press

Letterpress Folding Card and Envelope Set of 3 - Blue Flowers and Twigs

Stationery makes great little gifts for co-workers, friends, or family, especially when you're on a budget.  The girls at Lucky Bee Press run a neat shop full of cute letterpress cards and tags.  I bought the first cards pictured for a co-worker last Christmas, just to let her know I appreciated her.  (Sadly, they don't have any of those cards in stock today, my other favorites are the Yarn Notecards and the Flower Notecards - also pictured.)  Not only are these cards simple and elegant, they are a fabulous price too, and come well packaged, ready for gifting.  Oh, and Amy, of Lucky Bee Press also has a separate shop with some great finds too at amyb13.

Sneak Peek No. 7

In preparation for an expanded shop, we're adding a line of purses/bags, here's a sneak peek of our new tote-style bag out of the brilliant Soiree by Lila Tueller for Moda:

For the Guys: the traveler

American Bison Passsport Cover - Virginia Leather Shop $25

LAVA-Money Clip - Eternally Linked $42

Baby Shower Vol. 4

Baby Baby - green been designs $3.50
Boats Trains and Automobiles - Decadent Designs $3.00
Lil' Tweet Invitation - Twig & Thistle $9.99
celery green polka dot bunny - gracie girl notes $20.00

I ♥ Jane Austen (and purses)

I am a big fan of Jane Austen. Ever since I was a girl and was given Sense and Sensibility by a librarian, I have been in love. I've read all of her six major novels (and intend to read her other work, I'm just saving it for a rainy day) repeatedly. I've watched all the movies, and definitely have my favorites (A&E Emma, S&S, A&E Pride and Prejudice, and of course Persuasion). Not only do I love the stories, I love the movies because of the clothes! Wouldn't it be glorious to wear the hats from Emma?! Or how about the dresses? Okay, so maybe everyone isn't as crazy as I am, but this post is going somewhere.

While in a quilt shop with my mom, I found some adorable fabric that I had to have. I passed it up, but my mom took down the name - Hartfield by Barbara Brackman - would you believe it turned out to be named after the Hartfield - home of Emma Woodhouse? How, in hundreds of bolts, did I become attached to the Jane Austen era reproduction fabric? Just luck, I guess (or maybe I've watched the movies so many times I can spot it unknowingly?). Well, my mom, being so sweet, bought me the Hartfield Jelly Roll and two yards of the purple "Longbourne" (that I found at the quilt shop). It has been sitting on my shelf for over a month, just begging to be used. So, this weekend, inspired, I cut it up and made myself a new purse! It is lined with the Longbourne, has three pockets, and is fully reversible, with three pockets on the inside. Not wanting to waste a scrap, I made a business card holder, checkbook cover, and mini/traveling knitting roll as well - out of nine strips, meaning I still have thirty-one left!

To see more photos - visit our Flickr

Now for the question, do you think this would make a good diaper bag/large purse to add to our shop? Would it be better in a bigger or smaller size? Every one would be unique.

D.I.Y.: Scrappy Checkbook Cover

Since nearly everyone enjoys a "how-to", we thought we'd start a D.I.Y. column with some easier projects you can make at home. For starters, we've chosen a scrappy checkbook cover. Even though using a checkbook is becoming less common, that doesn't mean one should be stuck with the plastic cover that comes with the box of checks. Instead, use a few scraps of fabric, fusible interfacing, and muslin to create a cute cover for those seldom used checks. You will need:

• Several scraps of fabric 71/4" long to total 7 1/4" x 14" (we used 7 scraps 2 1/2" x 7 1/4")
• Muslin 7 1/4" x 14"
• Fusible Interfacing (light to medium) 7 1/4" x 14"
• Sewing Machine (you could hand sew, it would just be more work)
• Rotary cutter (scissors would also work, but are often less accurate)
• Ruler
• Rotary mat

Trim your scraps so they each measure 2 1/2" x 7 1/4" (since that is the size used in the photos, you can adjust if you use different sized scraps).

 

 

Sew the strips together in twos,

 

press the seams of the sewn strips all the same direction (left or right) and then pair the sewn sets and sew again,

 

continuing until all strips are sewn and fabric measures 7 1/4" x 14".

 

Trim muslin and fusible interfacing to same dimensions as pieced fabric.

 

Follow directions included with fusible interfacing and fuse it to the pieced fabric.

Place muslin against right side of pieced fabric.

 

Pin around all edges before sewing.

 

Sew around parameter of fabric 1/4" from edge, leaving an opening about 3" in the middle of one edge.

 

Clip corners near stitching before turning.

Carefully turn right side out.

Using a bone folder, scissors, or other pointy object, carefully turn corner points.

 

Press flat, turning under the edges of opening to match edge.

 

Sew 1/8" from edge around parameter of fabric.

 

Quilt as desired.  Here you see straight lines on the seams and then two straight lines on each strip.

 

Fold two short edges in so piece measures about 7" with a gap in the middle.

 

Stitch through all layers of fabric on two edges to form pockets.  The machine will not like sewing through all these layers, so take it slow and careful.

 

Now you should have a working checkbook cover.

If you have any questions, or if any segment is not clear, do not hesitate to e-mail us!  Enjoy.

Note:  This pattern is for personal use only, not for resale or commercial use.