a good news day!

i am just a few days shy of the time when, about two years ago, i started posting items to my etsy shop geschichtenvonkat. and as of last night, i just broke 200 sales! not too shabby, eh?!

i remember one summer night two years ago when my husband and i, then boyfriend, were at martin's tavern in georgetown (one of our favorite places to eat in dc and, incidentally, where jack proposed to jackie). it was that night that i first started talking about the possibility of opening up an etsy shop and i remember being so excited by the idea and coming home to start filling up a notebook with ideas and designs. hey, it may not be world peace or anything like that, but i'm feeling proud of myself for coming this far and sticking with it through the slow times and everything because it's been a wonderful outlet for me, has taught me a lot and, well, the income it brings in has certainly helped out in this past year of unemployment and general hard times.

and that's where the other good news comes in: when you go to see a show in Boston now, you'll be holding a playbill designed by none other than my husband! he just got hired today and will finally be working full-time again! what's more, i think he's really going to be fulfilled by this job which puts my heart at ease. god may not always answer prayers on our timelines but he sure as hell does answer them on his for which i am very very grateful, haha :D

i'd like to extend the good news to you as well so i'll busy myself coming up with a giveaway to have here on the blog in the very near future! any requests?

and the winner is....

dylan, from earthbound inspiration! congratulations! and yes, i'm totally going to plug her shop too because she is fairly new to etsy with some sweet designs for your little one. i'll be contacting you to arrange for free shipping of your loot!

BUT, don't stop reading now. this was such a small-time giveaway and i've decided that i really wanted everyone who took the time to comment and enter to win something. SO, even if you did not win the giveaway loot, as long as you entered you're still going to get a little matryoshka sachet in your mailbox, free shipping too! i can't always do this, but just this one time i think it's alright :D who's making the rules around here anyways?!

so if the above paragraph applies to you, could you just do a couple things for me in order to receive your sachet? first, go to my shop where you can see all the colors you have to choose from for a sachet in the indulge.retreat.care. section. second, email me at geschichtenvonkat [at] gmail [dot] com with your address, color choice, and the screenname you used to enter the giveaway. that's it! happy giveaway!


p.s. i can't forget to wish happy passover to all my jewish friends and readers....err, not sure if that is the correct turn of phrase? how about chag kashruth pesach! and my apologies...i found about a bajillion different spellings of that online.

my first attempt at pattern making

(fabric in background is from the My Folklore line printed by Lecien, Kaleidoscope in red and pink)

this is just a little project i've been trying to finish up in the past few days in time for easter as a present for my 1.5 year old niece. she is already very much into Angelina Ballerina as my sister and i were when we were young...so much so that my sister had a white pet rat which she named angelina...weird family, i know.


ANYWAYS, i know they don't read this blog so i can share this easter gift i got together for her without spoiling the surprise. I found the gently used board book on colors for just 1 cent(!) on amazon and the stuffed toy at IKEA in the kid's section for a couple bucks. as soon as i saw it, i knew it would be a perfect angelina doll and so i made the little pink skirt for it out of some extra pink satin i had in my stash, some elastic, and thread. i'm ridiculously proud of myself as it's my first, albeit very simple, attempt at pattern making (for clothes that is) and i even managed to get a few pleats in! it's the small things that keep one going, eh?

p.s. speaking of easter, did you see the amazing egg bouquets over on design sponge?!
p.p.s. did you enter the giveaway yet? tomorrow is the last day!

some things are just important. like linen.

(mmm...carbs, how i adore thee. and jadite too! you can find the jadite polka dot towel here.)

if i ever start using this blog as staging grounds for an attempted grab at political power or as a soapbox for maniacal religious rants, i trust you'll tell me to put a sock in it and to just knock it off right? but you'll humor me just a bit if i do go off on important things from time to time like the best cooking implements or the proper way to slip-stitch something into place, eh? because i'm kind of feeling a tirade on linen dishtowels coming on right about now...you know, the kind of subject one can really get passionate about and just sink your teeth into (yes i am being as cheeky as i can possibly manage).

so yeah, linen. you're excited right? a lot of people...ah, ok maybe just a smattering of concerned citizens...often ask why i use linen to make the dishtowels in my shop. if you're into cooking, you most likely already know the reasons, as there are many. the simple answer is that they're just better and no i'm not just being a little snot, although i am certainly capable of that! i'm sure you haven't noticed though.

first off, linen becomes more absorbant after every washing and it doesn't have all those fluffy particles that cling to all sorts of surfaces. for instance, if you're baking bread, you'll need a damp towel to place over the bowl as it rises and you don't want fluff sinking into that sticky dough. and whether you're just washing dishes or herbs and vegetables from the garden, you can avoid a lot of fluff and bacteria on your food by laying them on a clean linen towel to dry. there's a bit less bacteria because the larger weave of linen allows it to dry faster so that they don't get the gross smell other towels do so quickly (and the quicker bacteria build-up that goes along with it). This means less laundry, which means less work for you and an eco-friendly choice for the well-appointed kitchen!

(my attempt at homemade pita bread, a recipe from the all powerful madhur jaffrey)

they can also be especially useful for making flatbread like pita because when you take these out of the oven you immediately wrap them in a towel which creates the steam that gives them their leathery look and feel. i made some pita bread recently which was surprisingly easy and would have been in a tight spot without the linen towels.

(by the by, i do not suggest making falafel or tahini sauce from scratch if you do not own a food processor
...very tasty but it definitely took some serious elbow grease!)

so have i converted you? or maybe just annoyed the h.e.double hockey sticks out of you?! i aim to please you know ;) if you have read this far, you should enter the giveaway i'm hosting this week...go on, you deserve it after that!

a giveaway for you

here it is! the giveaway loot! i kept it a bit simple since i'd like to be able to give away smaller amounts of things but more often. and more giveaways = more winners so that's good right?!

this giveaway includes:
—1 compress filled with organic flax seeds and scented with lilac essential oil
it fits perfectly over your eyes or forehead whether you have a headache or just want to relax and drift off into sleep! you can freeze them or heat them in the microwave for 1-3 minutes for muscle pain too.
—1 matryoshka doll sachet that is packed to the brim with fragrant organic lavender blossoms
this is completely hand sewn and slip-stitched shut so you have a nice clean seam. you can put this in your pillow, with guest linens, or even in your knitting bag to keep your yarn stash smelling lah-ver-ly!

so now, how do you enter to win this great loot for relaxing? i'm going to try and keep it simple this time, sooo...
—just leave a comment on this post telling me about your favorite way to relax and how to contact you should you win. no anonymous entries and just one entry per person please.



i'd love for one of the individuals who have left their wonderful comments or helped me reach 100 followers to win this so i am not going to be advertising this giveaway on etsy/facebook/twitter/etc. and i would please ask that no one else do so. I will open up future giveaways though to a wider audience, this one is just my way of saying thank you directly to YOU! Giveaway will close as of this coming saturday at noon (April 3rd, 12pm) so get those comments posted! i'll announce the winner on saturday evening and get in touch with you soon thereafter to arrange for (free!) shipping of your loot! good luck!
—

a very blustery day

(drawing by the one and only e.h. shepard for a.a. milne's original winnie the pooh books)

indeed it is a blustery and wet and cold day here. but actually i love days like these if you can manage to snuggle up somewhere with some blankets and tea and a bit of stitching while the wind howls and the house creaks. add that to the benefits of working from home category! and call me crazy, but getting cozy on such a day as this often is more likely to bring a smile to my face than a day full of sunshine.

i'm working on a couple pieces for a giveaway that i will announce as soon as i can photograph them! i'm not going to advertise this giveaway much as that way all you lovely followers who helped me reach 100 will have a better chance at winning, sounds good right?! I can't thank you enough, i love being able to put faces and profiles with the blog traffic reports that i get as it makes this a much more personal reading and writing experience.

off i go then, back to my stitching and i will see you back here with a giveaway soon!

p.s. gvk is has joined the rest of the human race and is now on facebook! you can visit gvk's page and become a fan here.

and the winner is...

lovely little deer—congratulations!!!

The giveaway prize includes "spring cleaning" inspired items: a matroishka lavender sachet as well as a charming laundry bag for delicates! These are both new items from geschichtenvonkat and you can find more of them coming to the shop soon!


Thank you to each and every one of you who entered my first giveaway and to those who spread the word on your own blogs; it was wonderful to read all your comments and helpful for me to get a good idea of what items you want to see more of! If you liked what you saw in this giveaway, be sure to keep following here on the blog (just scroll down to see the follow button on the right hand side) and the GVK shop for future freebies, you never know who the lucky winner will be!

back from the brink, back to the giveaway!

remember the mysterious flu symptoms i mentioned just a bit ago? Turns out it was not the flu at all but salmonella poisoning from some of the infamous tainted peanut butter!! It's been one of the strangest sicknesses i've ever had and i'm so glad to finally be on the mend. Aside from having to get an IV at the urgent care center and epic amounts of needles stuck into me for tests, i'll spare you the details as they aren't quite fit for publishing...just be wary of all those peanut products out there for the time being because salmonella poisoning is quite serious and i wouldn't want any of you to have to go through that experience!

on the other side of the coin...today is the last day of the giveaway! i'm going to get myself an early dinner (because i can eat some solid foods now, hooray!) and then start filling the hat with all of your names—I'll be back on the blog later tonight to announce the winner so stay tuned!!

where did she go?!

traveling distant lands? nope
working on new items for the shop? afraid not
running through a fury of errands and appointments? not quite

in reality, which is unfortunately where i live most days, i have been completely laid up with some dastardly infection of my digestive system and the doctors still haven't made a diagnosis. Tomorrow morning i will get to go back (can't you tell i'm giddy with anticipation...) to the urgent care facility for the second day in a row because it seems the doctors are finally convinced that something is actually amiss, d'oh! I guess that happens when a patient in disabling abdominal pain ends up having to call the after hours line at the after hours clinic to report that "just forcing fluids" didn't quite do the trick...it sounds like i am going to get the royal treatment now to try and find out just where and what this infection is.

i'm all for natural cures when possible, but i'm in so much pain every which way i turn that all i can focus on is getting through the night and being rewarded with mucho get-me-eating-again-drugs! i've got a huge hankering for cajun fries and a cheeseburger from a local fast food chain called Five Guys...it sounds glorious and horrific considering the state of my stomach right now but if you've ever had the supreme treat of eating there, you know just what i mean.

and on that random note i must get to bed. AND DON'T FORGET TO ENTER MY GIVEAWAY. BECAUSE IT'S PRETTY FREE STUFF FOR YOU! AND THAT'S ALMOST AS EXCITING AS TYPING EVERYTHING IN CAPS LOCK!

FIRST EVER GVK GIVEAWAY!

Finally, we are opening up our first ever giveaway! The winner will be receiving these "spring cleaning" inspired items: a matroishka lavender sachet as well as this charming laundry bag for delicates! These are both new items from geschichtenvonkat with more arriving in the shop soon. See the bottom of this post for details on the items and more photos.

The rules are pretty simple:
–To enter this giveaway go to my shop, then return here and leave a comment on this post about something you found, nothing more to it!
–On April 4th, I will be drawing a name from a hat (literally). After the name is drawn I will contact that person. However, if they do not respond within three days another name will be picked!!

Bonus ways to win:
–I will enter your name 2 extra times if you write about my shop and our giveaway on your own blog—just leave another comment on this post with the link to your post so I can easily find it.
–I will enter your name 5 extra times if you purchase something from my shop—again, just leave another comment on this post about what you got.


Item Details:


This laundry bag is made of muslin with a drawstring cord closure. The decorative fabric on the bottom is cotton and is quilted with a delicate top-stitch. The matroishka is a linoblock print which i carved after one of my own drawings. The print was then accented with some embroidery.

The laundry bag can be used to seperate delicates in the wash (cold, gentle cycle only) or stash your delicates and other odd n' ends in it for easy organizing during travel. You could even tie the cord around a hanger in your closet and use it to store scarves, sashes, and other accessories.
Size: app. 15 x 10 inches


The second item is this lavender sachet made with cotton and natural linen on the back. It is filled with a mix of organic lavender blossoms and a small amount of organic flax seed—just scrunch them with your hand to activate the oils after they've sat for a while. The sachet can freshen up your closet or dresser drawers and you can also put them in your pillowcase to help you relax as you fall asleep or place between guest towels and sheets to make them feel like royalty when they arrive!
Size: app. 5 inches tall

keeping up the pace

ooooo i am falling behind on my blogging...but i sure have caught up on busy work for the shop! i am doing a lot of experimenting with the new sewing machine—and i've already broken and replaced a needle on it which obviously shows i am doing some serious work here ;)

i've been drawing and carving new linoblocks, making a custom clutch for a friend, learning to felt (if you are a felter i now have a deep and lasting respect for your patience level), hand sewing more matroishka sachets, working on some new designs for pillows (i've been wanting to have them in the shop for some time now), and making masses of labels to use in upcoming projects so i don't have to stop each time i need one. phew!

i'll be keeping the pace up through the end of the week at least (with a short break to watch the last BSG episode on Friday, tear) so it might be a bit quiet round the blog for a couple days more...stay tuned though because i'll be opening up GVK's first ever give-away right here on the blog on March 21st!


p.s. speaking of BSG, i think what Edward James Olmos said at the UN had to be the coolest frakin' thing EVER.

my little matroishkas

o i love these dear little matroishka sachets that i just finished with. They are cut from a great print which i backed with linen and then stuffed full of some very fragrant lavender. There is only one in the shop for now as I am saving the one with the turquoise kerchief for GVK's Spring giveaway...i am going to pair it with a few other spring cleaning themed items and will open the giveaway up on the blog here March 20th! free stuff for you, yay!