Goodbye dumpster fire, hello 2021!

 Let us forge ahead into this new year! We will never forget you, oh 'Year of the Dumpster Fire' (2020)

look at this cute little dumpster fire (from boxlunch.com)

It was a year of struggles, unknowns and so much more. As this year has begun and spring is arriving, most people feel a fresh start is in order. I will be adding and selling much more vintage items in my Etsy shop (you can visit my Etsy HERE). Many authentic items such as hats, scarves, soon to be listed clothing and much more! I have gathered these wonderful items over the past 3 years and am happy to offer them in my online shop. 

scarves bundle already listed!

red wool hat

real mink fur hat

Also now in my Etsy shop are N E W bundles! To make buying prices affordable for some items I have simply put a few in bundles. Bundles let you buy multiples at a discount and reduce shipping costs for you, the customer. I will be offering more bundles as the years goes forward ~ so visit my shop to stay up to date!

hearts wooden lollipops bundles

My newest sewing ventures have been a mix of several things. I am finishing a handmade kimono coat for my spouse. It was meant to be a gift but it's taken sometime to complete. I have made a lining and the outer coat along with a separate collar. It's been a little tricky as I used cotton for the outer coat and a jersey knit for the lining. I have been in the mood to sew some items I've just never made before. From aprons to new dresses, I have patterns galore to pick from! If you visit my Instagram (follow me HERE) you can see videos and updates on crafty projects. 

All in all 2021 is certainly feeling more leveled and less stressful. I hope everyone has been taking care of themselves, their health and reducing stress. Go for walks, enjoy quiet time reading, put on a funny show ~ do whatever helps you feel happy! Be sure to pop on over to my Etsy shop to make purchases or request custom orders. And if you want to interact try my Instagram page where I am on every few days each week. 

A FREE face mask pattern, Vintage, Ramadan greetings

Spring has arrived... sort of. The weather going from winter to spring was a real roller coaster this year. We had days of very warm weather and then it would snow over night! Flowers often felt so much stress fro this they didn't do so well. Some trees (like my weeping cherry blossom) bloomed very early. I still will decorate my tree for May Day coming up in the next week, even if the blossoms have already fallen off.

my Ostara decor this year was in egg shells 

daffodils in my yard

my cherry blossom tree (and my BerthaBee Photography) 

As we all have found, this year did not start smoothly. The global pandemic that is COVID-19 has taken hold of the entire nation. Places have had to close their doors for service temporarily to keep with state laws being enacted. I closed my online Etsy shop before Ostara (Easter) because our state began a stay-at-home order. I wasn't entirely sure if I'd be able to sell items during this time but it seems we can safely do so. I think in May I will re-open my shop because I have new items to offer. But for now to pass the time and help communities ~ I have a FREE face mask pattern for you!

just print this image OR draw it on paper for a pattern!

I have been sewing 2 styles of face masks: the above curved shape face mask and the folded (I call it accordion) face mask. The above pattern is fairly easy to copy by hand and cut out. The angled middle of the mask covers your nose. You can use just 2 cut pieces of fabric for it and I showed how to add the ear loops. If you can not fold under the edges to sew, you can use what is called bias tape. It is fabric and is pre-folded to cover raw edges and is very simple to work with and sew on. I did not feel it was right to sew and sell masks during such a health crisis. And many people can not spare the extra money to buy a mask, pay for shipping and wait for it's arrival. That's why I offer the above pattern, which - you can easily find similar and more variety of free patterns online too!

some folded style masks for family

As for my shop online, I will be offering a new section soon. It will include authentic, true vintage items for sale. I have several hats, some beautiful hand embroiderer aprons, some sewing patterns from the 1970s and 1980s and more! Here are just some of the hats (one being real fur) that I will be listing. All items will include shipping cost to make it easier for buyers & as always, they come from a smoke-free home.

a red wool hat that will be for sale

a stack of vintage hats!

And I also wanted to wish my many friends & followers who observe it, may you have a Happy Ramadan 🌙 Each year I love making greeting cards for some of my friends for Ramadan, so I hope to again send some out this year!

Ramadan Kareem! 

New look, new year!

Hello and welcome back to my blog! Notice anything new? It's the new and improved image and designs.

old logo

new logo

I felt since last year I wasn't up for writing much, I could resume it this year. I also plan on sharing more details about items for sale in my Etsy shop. I am expanding what is offered in my shop to include more upcycled clothing, customized orders and vintage finds. I have found beautiful vintage patterns over the past year and plan to sell several of them. I also happened upon some wonderful vintage clothing I'd like to sell. 

So while I get things set up and new listings available, be sure to visit what I currently offer in my shop. And if you enjoy social media come find me online with my Facebook page and Instagram pages!

May Day, new projects

Happy spring, May Day & Beltane! I know, they have come and passed already. But I am here to re-cap, update and share photos with you!

I again decorated my weeping cherry blossom tree with ribbons like a May pole! My tree has easily grown by 2"s already this year. I ended up with ribbon a tad too short then usual. But that's okay, I wrap and braid it around and tie it with a big bow.

I enjoyed my spring floral crown of faux pink roses and ribbons. I actually intend to make a (yet another) floral crown with some faux butterflies this year. I have some parts of it sitting in my craft room but I may need to match some new ribbon.

my decorated great-grandma's straw hat

my rose spring floral crown

I have also become busy with my resident seamstress work! About every 4 weeks or so I bring my sewing machine to my martial arts school. I sew what students bring for a good 2 1/2 hours but I also happily take home anything they drop off. I currently sew on patches, hemming and repairs. I enjoy helping them get their uniforms in tip top condition and personalized.

sewing on patches

my little online signage

I'm still busy on Instagram & Etsy. I recently opened a new Facebook page for my crafting, so do stop over. Visit the new page here: facebook CraftinessbyB

Eco-friendly Flannel Toner Pads

A new year calls for some new projects! Some I want to share and make are eco-friendly in nature. I want to have less wasteful items that I use daily in the home and even my beauty routine. Enter: re-useable toner pads.

What I used for these are flannel pieces, three layers total. This gives some thickness and any toner absorbed won't simply drip out of the fabric. You could also add a layer of another fabric if you want this to be thick and absorbent.

I decided to make my toner pads round, so I found a suitable circle shaped object and simply traced it. You can pin your layers together, with a traced shape, then cut! This will save you time and makes sure the shapes are all matching.

I made three rounds total, so see how I liked the size. You can make as many as you please or simply start with one and decide from there. Once you have the pieces cut, you should pin them together. You want any printed side facing IN, as after sewing, you TURN your shape inside out. 

As an added pretty detail I put a small ribbon loop. If you decide on something similar, be sure the loop end is facing inside, as shown above. This loop is also handy for later on: you can easily hang the toner pad up to dry! When you sew your toner pad be sure to leave about 1 inch that you do not sew, you need an area to turn this inside out. 

Once you turn the toner pad inside out, you can hand sew that small opening. I decided to add some decorative stitching on the edges of mine. If you machine has this feature be sure to test it on a scrap piece of fabric beforehand. That way you can decide how close to the edge a design will stitch.

my finished, re-useable toner pads

edge design and ribbon detailing

This is a nice DIY project for those wanting to try the fancy stitching on your machine. It's also a nice project if you want to introduce more washable, less wasteful, home and beauty items. Cotton pads and makeup wipes end up in landfills. If you want to aim to reduce waste you can easily introduce these into your home and routine. They offer a nice product that is less wasteful, washable, lasts years and you can customize them how you please. If you enjoy what I share and make be sure to visit my Etsy shop and Instagram.