Tag: craft

12 Day of Crafting, Embroidery, Updates

The Lone Star Towel

lauraleeimhoff

A couple months ago I had posted a blog about all the things I was going to do during the Covid-19 lockdown, well… I’m on my way to completing that list and then some. Between moving, starting a farm, refinishing furniture, and thoroughly enjoying my life, I am still managing to get in some embroidery time.

IMG_3241Texas Towels

The most popular towel that I make is the Texas Towel. You know, the one with the outline of Texas with a heart where Austin is… yea, that one! Well, I have never experienced as much state pride anywhere as I have in Texas. I thought it would only be appropriate to continue to feed the beast so to speak. I’ve stitched up “The Lone Star State” Towel. It’s already in the shop ready to make it’s way to your kitchen.

Stay tuned because I have more Texas-themed towels in the works with bluebonnets, flowers, and more.

 

Embroidery, Mixed Media, Uncategorized

Embroidery with PRIDE

lauraleeimhoff

It’s JUNE! HAPPY PRIDE! I just wanted to give a big shout out to all of my amazing LBGQT friends. I will be celebrating and posting in support this month with several handmade and refinished pieces of furniture. Y’all be prepared for an explosion of color and inclusion!

I admit I’m kicking off my creative Pride designs with an item that I made a couple of years ago. I had stitched this PRIDE embroidered wall art for a friend and never shared it with y’all. So here it is, my embroidery for pride. Simple and understated, but I am still pretty excited about the ombre colored thread in rainbow order! 

A Little History

I always like knowing the actual history behind comparative months and days. While I’ve always celebrated my amazing friends during this time, I admittedly never knew the month’s history. Per the Library of Congress: 

“…Pride Month is currently celebrated each year in the month of June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan. The Stonewall Uprising was a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States.”

This is just a little snippet, but I’m glad I am able to support and celebrate my LBGQT friends. Although, it’s heartbreaking that these riots were going on in 1969 and LBGQT people are still struggling for equality today. I highly recommend doing some more reading on the history of Pride Month and all of the other things Pride Month stands for. Raise up your rainbows in solidarity and do your part to support the LBGQT community. 

HAPPY PRIDE, Y’ALL!

12 Day of Crafting, Embroidery, Updates

Keeping It Crafty

lauraleeimhoff

I thought about naming this blog post “Keeping it Crafty During COVID19” but honestly, I think I’m a little burnt out on seeing it COVID-19 in my newsfeed.  While I’m fully aware that this won’t be over anytime soon, I’ve got my ways of coping that don’t involve being glued to a computer screen.  For me, I do best when I stay busy.

I’m using this social distancing and self-isolation as a time to get work done, self reflect and really tackle that “someday I’ll do this” to-do list that I have been putting off for… forever.

This past weekend in the life of a crafter:

  1. Organized my craft shelf
  2. Prepped 20+ towels for embroidery
  3. Revived the “Can’t Touch This” Cactus Pattern
  4. Began embroidering a new patter: “The Lone Star State” Towel

Upcoming Projects:

  • Redoing taxes from previous years (yea, I know I’m torturing myself, but it’ll be worth it)
  • Doing this year’s taxes
  • Overhauling madebylauralee.com (if it’s the last thing I do, damn it!)
  • Somehow connecting with a few remaining Kickstarter Contributors that have not responded to any emails, updates, etc. to get them their incentives so I can sleep at night!

Other things I’ve been working on are making sure I keep my days are as structured as possible. For example, from 6 am to 7am, I enjoy my coffee, from 7-8 am I go for a walk and stretch, 9 am-3 PM it’s time for work.  I’m also making it a goal to reach out to one person that I haven’t spoken to in a while and actually call them!

These next few weeks will certainly be different, but we will get through!  Happy Self-Isolation, y’all!

 

Embroidery, Updates

Embroidery Festivities

lauraleeimhoff

I realized it’s been some time since I’ve posted anything from the Embroidery Department.  I didn’t want you think I had been neglecting it, as that certainly has not been the case.  In fact, I’ve been quite busy in preparation for the Annual Starving Artist Fair in San Antonio hosted by the Little Church of La Villita.

I start preparing for this two-day event the first of the year.  I have restocked my inventory of “I Heart Texas” Towels from the Christmas rush (thanks to the Austin 360 article) I am beginning to stock “Yellow Rose of Texas” Towels as well.  This year, I am excited to announce a new design of “Our Lady Guadalupe.” I’m envisioning this towel will come to life with vibrant colors.

It’s funny… I don’t think the majority of people realize all the work that goes into just one towel. People only think about the time it takes to stitch the design, which can sometimes take hours on its’ own.  I wash and dry all my towels before I embroider them, then there is time to create the patterns, transfer the design to the towel, stitching them, then washing, drying, and ironing again… It takes hours, even days to make just one towel. That is why hand embroidery is considered a lost art.

I, on the other hand, thoroughly enjoy the time it takes to produce one of these works of art.  Enjoyment through every stitch.  I will have the “Our Lady of Guadalupe” will be in the shop soon! Keep a look out… of course, I’ll probably post a blog when she’s ready.

Embroidery, Updates

Like A Boss

lauraleeimhoff

Back when I managed Opa Coffee & Wine Bar, I had my bad ass team, who no matter how tired, how hungover, how whatever they could be, showed up through thick and thin and owned it like a boss.  I’ve always seemed to surround myself with badasses.  In the music scene, the craft community, and, now, in my very own home, badasses.  I’m lucky to know such amazing people.

Every now and then though, in the midst of working two part time jobs, renovating rooms, building gardens, vacuuming up after three dogs, doing dishes, and building a business, feeling like I can’t keep up is definitely a cloud that follows me around.  Sometimes, we can’t do it all.  Sometimes, we can.

I always opt for the later of the two previous statements.  I can do it all. Sometimes it’s a matter of putting everything on hold, taking a nap, and regrouping.  Other times, it’s just powering through.  This week, I took a little time to embroider.  There is nothing like stopping to stitch “#girlboss” for a couple of hours…. talk about meditating on your intention. IMG_0972.jpg

We all need to take time to tell ourselves that we are a boss.  We can keep persisting.  We can follow and live our dreams.  With that, I hope you take time today remind yourself of the same.  The girl boss in me bows to the girl boss in you.  Have a great day!

 

custom, Embroidery, Uncategorized

Custom Embroidery? Coming Right Up!

lauraleeimhoff

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Every wonder what I’m up to when I’m not posting awesome things on Instagram, writing my blog, sanding in the studio, or at Barton Springs…. This is it.  I have been stitching up a storm on custom embroidery wall art.

I’m so grateful to have all these custom orders coming in. They continue to help me survive as an “old lady” embroidery artist.  It’s great.  My favorite part about custom orders is that they challenge me to think differently and keep working to create the perfect piece for a client.  Ok, the second best thing, is making someone happy.

Take a look at some of the things I’ve been working on.  If you need a custom piece of your own, let me know.  I’d be delighted to get working on one.

Contact me at lauralee@madebylauralee.com

 

Before & After, furniture, Uncategorized

Ready, Set…. Desk!

lauraleeimhoff

What a month!  From mid-June to today, I have had the most amount of custom work I have ever had!  I love it.  Nothing makes me happier.  I hope the custom orders just keep on coming. So tell all your friends!  (wink, wink, nudge, nudge)

That being said, I wanted to share with you a couple of the pieces of furniture that I have just wrapped up.  These pieces consisted of a desk and chair to match.

I was gifted this great little desk from someones garage and the chair was a curb side find.  I stripped them of their finish, sanded, sanded, and applied a white paint with my favorite walnut stain over it to give it that aged look.  It’s the perfect finish for the farmhouse that they will be calling home!

Not only are the desk and chair creating a fabulous new office space but the bookshelf from my previous post (Furniture for the Fight: May)  also made it’s way into the mix.  Check it out!

Desk Before
Desk Before
Desk after (not the best photo)
Desk & Bookshelf in new Home
Chair Before (left)
Chair After
Chair After Detail
Chair After Detail
Chair After Detail

If you are in the Austin area and are interested in having a piece of furniture that you already own refinished, please feel free to message me at lauralee@madebylauralee.com

Brand, Uncategorized

Out of My Comfort Zone

lauraleeimhoff

What have you done to get out of your comfort zone?  Going out on a Friday night (when you much rather be at home in your pjs eating pizza and drinking wine by yourself)?  Making the first move?  Skydiving?

Well, for me…. it’s something pretty crazy: Asking for help.

Sounds easy, right?

Wrong.

This is absolutely soul crushing for me.  I’ve always been able to take on anything: folding laundry, doing dishes, vacuuming for an entire household all at age twelve, doing the jobs of three different positions throughout my career while only getting paid for one, working 60 hours a week with a debilitating illness. Now at thirty years old, I’m getting over it.  I’m stepping out of my comfort zone and I am asking for help.  It is absolutely terrifying.

What’s all the build up?  What am I asking for?  Short answer: your money.  Long answer: I would like your help in helping me grow made by laura lee not just as a blog but as a brand and as a business.  Help me be the next Martha Stewart, minus the felony. Check out the Kickstarter video!  It’s beautiful and I am so proud.  I hope you will be just as proud as me to be apart of it.

HELP MADE BY LAURA LEE GROW!

IMG_5908

Embroidery, furniture

Spring is in Full Bloom

lauraleeimhoff

With Spring comes glorious blue skies, the occasional rainstorms, blossoming flowers, bustling farmers markets, and of course, allergies, like woah.  I’ve spent the last few days laid up in bed wishing I had the slightest urge to, at the very least, to work on some embroidery, but with a few attempts, I found it not possible.  I’m starting to come around thanks to truckloads of Zyrtec.

Ok, now that my “wah” fest is over, I wanted to share some new items that I’ve completed since the last blog post.  Most have been shared on instagram, but I’ve got a few that haven’t been yet. I’ve got new Easter themed embroidered wall art that I’m particularly pumped about.  I haven’t done anything for Easter since my Grandmother passed away.  She always had these gorgeous Easter baskets for us, we had egg hunts, and dying eggs!  I guess I have been feeling slightly reminiscent.  Below that, I’ve got a new veggie embroidered towel, a refinished chair, and my personal favorite, “I will resist.” wall art.

Stay crafty, ya’ll!

Embroidery, Uncategorized

Back to Embroidery

lauraleeimhoff

FullSizeRenderIt’s February 1st!  January flew by and it’s been since December I’ve posted anything about embroidery!  Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been doing plenty in preparation for the big craft fair in April.  I’ve designed a couple new napkin sets for the occasion based on feedback I had received during the holiday season.  Many people loved the idea of having a themed napkin set, but for the most part, people didn’t seem dedicated to the concept of having all four match or two pairs in a set.  IMG_3594

What could I do for a theme?  I started thinking about seasonal produce.  Citrus and root veggies immediately came to mind.

Citrus: lime, lemon, orange, and my favorite, grapefruit.

Root veggies: red beets, golden beets, radish, and turnips.

I’m in love with them, but what do you think?!