Sew What?

Hello again! How has everyone been? 

I know it has been quite a while since my last post... I just wanted to let you know that I haven't had a slack attack. Things have been hopping for The Unique Bird lately and I have been a busy little girly sewing, sewing, sewing...much to the chagrin of my 1982 Kenmore Ultra Stitch 12. As my little vintage sewing machine ch-chunks along, I feel it is sending me subliminal messages..."why don't you go and play on the computer and let me get some rest?". Sorry little Kenmore, we have miles to sew before we can sleep because there are some exciting things happening for The Unique Bird!

Sew, what is all the excitement about?

Our handmade wine bottle accessories have been at hit at Meza Wine Shop in Westerville, Ohio! 

Picture via Meza's Facebook Fan Page.

We have been creating a fresh new selection of our handmade upcycled sweater wine bottle cozies and Bloomin' Wine Bottle Stoppers (exclusively sold at Meza) that are perfect for Fall. Thanks Meza! Keep selling those delicious bottles of wine and we will keep those bottles dressed in the best handmade wine bottle wraps and sweater cozies from The Unique Bird.

Last weekend we were a vendor at the Fall Flea in the Short North, in Columbus, Ohio.

I was busily adding some new handmade vintage fabric home decor accents to spice up our selection for Fall and complement our assortment of vintage home decor.

Our booth at the Fall Flea October 2011.

We were so excited to feature a selection of  beautiful handmade feedsack handbags and totes from our talented friends at Objet Adapte, in our booth!

We also featured a selection of handcrafted crochet neck warmers and  bracelets from Mama Bird. Yes, my super talented mom crocheted these cozy accessories for our booth! I am thinking she needs to get a shop on etsy too.

Thanks so much to everyone that stopped by at the Fall Flea! 

If all of that isn't enough to get excited about...I am proud to announce....

drum roll please....

You can now find unique handmade vintage fabric pillows, 

One of my new vintage fabric throw pillow designs that is now available at Wholly Craft!

upcycled sweater wine bottle cozies 

and our signature handmade vintage fabric wine bottle wraps 

at Wholly Craft in Clintonville, Ohio!

Wholly Craft storefront photo via Craft Caucus.

And starting next Tuesday, 10/18/11, you will be able to buy a selection of our handmade vintage fabric pillows, 

vintage fabric appliqued garland

and unique vintage kitchen goodies 

at Celebrate Local, in Easton Town Center, in Columbus, Ohio.

Image via Celebrate Local.

Celebrate Local is a new seasonal shop at Easton Town Center that showcases the best of Ohio produced handmade and artisan goods. The Unique Bird is so thrilled to be a part of this new shop! 

I hope that if you live in Columbus, or if you are just visiting our fine city, you can stop into one of these awesome retail shops and take a peek at some of our unique handmade and vintage wares!

Sew, What's Next?

Well, in a few weeks we will be a vendor in the Grandview Holiday Bazaar.

It is bound to be one sweet shopping experience! 

The Holiday Bazaar takes place on Saturday, November 12th 2011 from 10 a.m to 3 p.m.

1240 Oakland Avenue, Grandview, Ohio 43212

I plan on sewing up some fantastic new vintage fabric goodies for this event to amaze and excite you. (fingers crossed)

Sew, now you are all caught up on some of the exciting happenings and opportunities that have come our way!

I have not forsaken my little blog...but I am going to warn you that over the next few weeks my posts may be a little bit spotty, as the sewing factory in my nest will be in full swing. 

I will try my best to post when I can and eventually I will get back on some sort of a schedule...but for right now I am just going to take my Dad's advice, "Just do the very best you can every day".

Thanks so much to my customers, readers, family and friends for your support and patience...The Unique Bird wouldn't be where it is today without all of you.

This Week in History - The Kid Gets Busted

September 23rd, 1875

Fantastic 1950's Wild West Outlaws printed fabric from ErikawithaK Vintage on etsy.

On September 23rd, 1875 the Kid got busted for the first time, Billy The Kid that is, aka William Henry McCarty. What did this infamous outlaw get busted for? Let's just say the crime wasn't quite as intriguing as one might imagine from such a notorious scallywag . The crime that landed the Kid in the clink was stealing...not money...not guns...not horses, but a basket of laundry. Now, any criminal with aspirations of being an unforgettable bad ass knows that you can't let a basket of laundry take you down. The Kid later busted out of jail and headed out to the Wild West where he would earn his stripes as an outlaw and murderer. Yeah, it may have been embarrassing to get busted for stealing a basket of laundry but trying to out do himself on his rap sheet by allegedly murdering twenty-one people...come on Billy, don't ya think you were over compensating just a bit?

For more information on Billy The Kid or this date in history check out this article on The History Channel website.

Thursday's Unique Picks - Quilt Impressive

"Woke up this mornin' feelin' fine..."

stepped outside and woah! (I know that isn't the way the song goes, but I am invoking artistic license)

 There was bit of a chill in the breeze today.

Where did the Summer go? I cannot believe that the official start of Fall is only about a week away. On September 23rd at 5:05 a.m., Autumn officially arrives (in case you want to set your alarm to celebrate). Guess that means it is time to put away the swim suits and bust out the long johns and dive under the blankets. I am all about keeping cozy.

One of my summer flea market scores, that has been added to my personal collection of vintage goodness! I can't believe I almost walked away from this pretty. My mom went back to the seller and wheeled and dealed to get this feedsack fabric quilt down to a price that I was happy with. I am not cheap, I am thrifty.

 I am quilt possibly one of the biggest fans of getting cozy under a quilt.

Sew in a very round about way, this lead me to this week's picks from etsy sellers. I decided to explore the wild world of quilts on etsy...but not necessarily the types that you can crawl under... 

It is quilt possible to get the cozy homespun charm of a quilt in all different types of materials besides fabrics. 

Paper

This beautiful handmade paper collage has been appliqued to hand quilted calico fabric from Kathryn Oaten on etsy. 

Pottery

Charming vintage mixing bowl with a fantastic quilt like texture from Bird In Hand's etsy shop

Glass

Handmade quilt inspired stained glass mosaic lamp from  Michelle Lisa Stained Glass Mosaics on etsy

Metal

Here is a twist on a decorative quilted throw. This sharp looking copper and brass handmade design is from Jay Lee Creations on etsy.

Wood

Handcrafted wooden bowl with an exquisite quilt like decoration created from various exotic wood by  tonyswoods on etsy.

I was quilt impressed by all of these unique finds on etsy. Just because dictionary.com  

defines the word:

Quilt: a coverlet for a bed, made of two layers of fabric with some soft substance, as wool or down, between them and stitched in patterns or tufted through all thickness in order to prevent the filling from shifting.

Doesn't mean that you can't redefine this traditional cozy homespun blanket in other fantastic materials!

This Week In History - Meat Uncle Sam

September 7th, 1813

Fantastic Patriotic Uncle Sam Graphic on the cover of this 1913 sheet music from Second Life Collectibles etsy shop. 

Have you ever wondered where the United Sates got the nickname "Uncle Sam"? Well, I am about to tell you. 

On September 7th 1813 the United Sates got its nickname, "Uncle Sam". The name is linked to a meat packer from Troy, New York, named Samuel Wilson. He provided barrels of beef to the U.S. Army during the War of 1812. Mr. Wilson stamped his big barrels of beef "U.S." for United Sates, but the soldiers referred to their beefy chow as "Uncle Sam". Just like today, the media was keen to pick up on a new catch phrase. Local newspapers picked up on this story and eventually "Uncle Sam" caught on and gained acceptance as a nickname for the U.S. Federal Government. 

Since I am an inquiring mind, I have to ponder, why is it that the U.S. Federal Government picked up the nickname "Uncle Sam"? The media could have spun it in another direction though...we could have been calling our meat "Uncle Sam". What if that old lady in the 1984 Wendy's commercials said, "Where's the Uncle Sam?"?  

For more information on this date in history check out this article on History Channel website.

Thursday's Unique Picks - You Say Tomato

Hello September! Welcome to my favorite month. 

Next week, I will be celebrating one of the things that makes this month so special to me...

Next Thursday, September 8th, the hubby and I will be celebrating our wedding anniversary.

Vintage 10 year anniversary cake topper from Antiques Galore Gal's etsy shop.

It isn't just any old anniversary, we are entering into the double digit phase. 

Ten years. Pretty sweet.

Then...

September 8th 2001.

Now...

Summer lovin' 2011.

What makes it work. Our love is like a song...

Ya know, the classic tune written in 1937, By George and Ira Gershwin.

I say fantastic. Screen printed and hand sewn tea towel from Bravura's etsy shop.

Upcycled cross stitch tote with a Karen Walker quote, "You say Potato, I say Vodka", by Stitch Please..Ikid609 on etsy.

"Potato, potahto, Tomato, tomahto, Let's call the whole thing off"

Wait...that sounds really bad. I don't mean, "let's call the whole thing off"...there are more words.

"But oh, if we call the whole thing off Then we must part
And oh, if we ever part, then that might break my heart..."

Told you. 

SO, all I am trying to say...is that the hubby and I could have our very own version of that tune. 

This week's unique picks highlight an eclectic mix of etsy finds to help me illustrate.

Adorable vintage mustard and relish jars from Whimsical Vintage on etsy.

On hot dogs (one of our favorite foods), I say mustard, You say ketchup.

Ha ha ha! Happy Guy Wine bottle rack designed and handmade by Knob Creek Metal Arts on etsy.

Adult beverages... I say wine, You say champagne...of beers (living the high life).

Salty 'n sweet is all the rage these days! Be on trend with this charm necklace from  pollyannacowgirl's etsy shop.

On Snacks...I say salty, You say sweet ( the same could be said for our personalities. He is the nice one).

Robot love. This wedding cake topper is handmade by Builder's Studio on etsy.

Movies...You say Sci Fi, I say Romantic Comedy.

1950's-1970's collection of Football and Baseball books from Sarahendipity on etsy.

On Sports...You say baseball AND football, I say,"OK I will watch sci fi, if you don't make me watch stupid football".

High quality organic catnip cassettes for your bad ass metal cat from too bad mice's etsy shop 

On Music...You say Metal, I say Please make it stop.

When you care enough to send the very best...choose this great greeting card from  Junkmail Greetings from CarolLeeDesigns on etsy.

We don't quite see eye to eye on every little thing...(even though my hubby is only about three and a half inches taller than me) but we seem to have made it work.

Sweet pint of an original pencil illustration by Le Petit Elephant on etsy.

Happy Anniversary (in no particular order) to my: CFO, copy editor, best pal, and my favorite person.
 Husband, I am talking about you.

Hope you enjoyed this weeks eclectic mix of unique finds from etsy sellers and my little love story! Please stop by next week for our new blog post feature, "This week in history". I promise the historic event will not be about my wedding.

This Week in History - Yer On

Drum roll please...

This week I am introducing a new post to my blog...Ta Da! You know, mix it up a bit.

I call it, "This Week in History". I bet no one has ever done that (please note the sarcasm in my typing).

This is just a little post with a nugget of history from a girly that loves finding out about historical events and not to mention my love for finding something fantastic from an esty seller to help me illustrate! 

Without further ado...

August, 26th 1939

Play Ball! This great vintage planter is from Old Comfort Shop on etsy.

The first televised Major League baseball game is broadcast. What teams played in this game? The Cincinnati Reds and the Brooklyn Dodgers. At that time, regular programing didn't really exist and not many people owned televisions. Only about 400 folks in the New York area were able to view this broadcast. It wasn't until 1946 when regular television broadcasting caught on and it wasn't until the mid 1950's that televisions became more common in U.S. households...

For more information on this date in history visit this article on The History Channel website.

Thursday's Unique Picks - Morning Mist

Hi all...it feels like it has been ages. How has everyone been? Don't fret, I didn't fall off a cliff, nor have I been slacking. I have been sewing my little fingers off.

One of my little projects. Wake up and smell the bloomin' bottle stoppers. Vintage fabric flower wine bottle stoppers from The Unique Bird available at Meza wine shop in Westerville, OH.

Oh yeah, I also was a vendor at a United Way fund raiser in New Albany, OH.

Now that we are all caught up, it is time to get back to picking out some great finds from etsy sellers.
 It is that time of year again...I can't believe the kiddos are already headed back to school!

One of my favorite toys growing up, The Fisher Price school house! Find this vintage treasure in This, That & Other Things etsy shop.

Uggggg, the anxiety of the start of the school year. I know it has been quite a long time since I have been in school, but I do feel for them. 

Brush up on your math skills with these great vintage text books from Recycling Tomorrow's etsy shop.

I was always a big fan of school in general, the learning and such...well, maybe not math and maybe not spelling, but I digress.
For me, the worst part about school, was the waking up in the morning.

Get some vintage Z's at Vintage Supply Co. on etsy.

I have never been an early bird, and I don't really like worms. This "waking up" thing  has never been my strong suit. My parents would beg me to get up in the morning. I would be awake but rarely coherent. I excel at fumbling around the house to get my act together, just to get out of the front door. It wasn't a phase, there are some things you just never grow out of.

Raise your hand if you are a morning person. Well, that is commendable.
I have never been an "up and at em'" girly.

You get the picture. This effing awesome cross stitch pattern can be found in Stitch Bitch Cove's etsy shop. 

Truthfully it isn't a matter of early or late, whenever I wake up there is a bit of an adjustment period that needs to take place in my brain.
Even though the hubby doesn't like to get up early, when he wakes up, he can function fully. It takes him all of fifteen to twenty minutes to dress, brush his teeth, and make his lunch, all while surfing on the mini computer (a.k.a. the iTouch). Boom. He is out the door.

This is certainly one of the coolest alarm clocks I have ever seen! This great find is from  nakeddecor on etsy.

I, on the other hand, need about fifteen to twenty minutes just to realize that I am no longer in bed, and that my eyes are open. From a very early age, I learned that I needed to complete everything that I would need to think about for the next morning, the night before.
Pick out clothes, shower, pack up any essentials I would need for the next day, etc. If I cannot pre-pack for the next day...it is essential to leave myself notes and strategically place them in front of the coffee maker.

Perk up with some magic morning elixir! This awesome vintage stove top percolator is from Vital Vintage on etsy.

While percolators brew up a mighty fine cup of joe, using such a device to brew up some magic morning elixir proves to be a bit too complicated for me. Percolators are for a.m. proficient folks. I have a programmable coffee maker. I just set it the night before and wake up to a fresh pot of coffee. Now, the only problem I am sure to have...locating my coffee mugs.

Why fumble around in your cabinets for coffee cups? A great vintage mug tree on your counter top may come in handy if you are frequently overcome by morning brain fogs. This brightly colored mug tree can be found in The Unique Bird's etsy shop.

Breakfast? O.k. so I can barely locate my coffee mugs, do you actually think I can handle making breakfast? 

Adorable upcycled slouchy Wheaties children's tee from Brava Boutique.

If I could only find the words to sum up my mornings...
"Only dull people are brilliant at breakfast" -Oscar Wilde.
p.s. Never expect me to compile meaningful phrases or utter words for that matter when I first wake up.

Hand stamped vintage spoon from Goozeberry Hill's etsy shop.

Weather you are an "up and at em'" person or plagued with "morning mist" in your brain, like I am, I hope that you liked these fantastic finds from etsy sellers.