The Artisans' Gift Fair

If you're in Toronto today trying to buy those last items on your holiday shopping list, come on down to The Artisans' Gift Fair at the Tranzac - admission is FREE!

Every year during the holiday season, The Artisans' Gift Fair hosts a fine collection of affordable, one-of-a-kind gift products. Vendors gather at the Tranzac, located in the Annex at Bloor and Brunswick, displaying quality, handcrafted gifts that range from funky contemporary to a sophisticated, classic style.

Whether you're buying for a friend or loved one, or buying for yourself, you're guaranteed to find a treasure.

Welcome to our booth

Stacey got up bright and early (after a late night putting the final touches on some Shoovelopes) and headed to the Vancouver Convention Centre this morning to get our booth set up for the first day of the Vancouver One of a Kind show. Take a look at her home away from home for the next few days…the UrbanStitch Inc. booth!

UrbanStitch Inc. Has Entered the Building!

Last night, Stacey spent the evening unloading all of our display materials into the Vancouver Convention Centre for this weekend’s One of a Kind Show. She got the display all set up and tested it out with a few ShoovelopesTM. We’ll let the display be a surprise but will say that we’re in good shape for the sale! Come on down this Thursday through Sunday to check out the ShoovelopeTM in person and make someone on your Christmas list very happy!

Show hours are as follows:

Thursday to Saturday 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Stacey (hearts) the Serger

Today I tried sewing with a serger. I have just 4 words for this experience...

I. Am. In. Love!!

The serging machine is Ah-Ma-Zing! 90 Shoovelopes stiched, zigg-zagged and trimmed all in one simple step. We calculated that I'd just increased my production at this one Shoovelope junction by 150%. Not bad eh?

Check out the picture of my workstation below and make sure to play a soundtrack of glorious music coming from the heavens above as you see the results of my new favourite machine...! (Mind the sewing guts on the floor - they really had to remain in the picture to get a real sense of things!)

The Countdown is REALLY On Now!

In exactly 7 days I will be prepping frantically for our first stint at the One Of A Kind Show in Vancouver. (YAY!!) For now I'm just frantically sewing sewing sewing!! It's exciting to prepare for such a big event. I see the ads on TV and it makes me sew a little faster, lol! Our dining room is a Shoovelope factory right now and we haven't eaten dinner on our dinner table in weeks. Before things got too crazy I did actually take a quick picture...

And here is our craft show sign made by Parfour Signs here in White Rock, BC. We stayed with simple black and white so that at the craft show the Shoovelopes can still take centre stage.

And now, back to sewing!!!

A Boot in the Ear

When my dad was younger, he lived with his older sister, her husband and kids - my aunt, uncle and cousins - for a short time. One evening, he was getting ready for a formal event and my cousin K was looking on as he talked with my aunt about pinning a boutonniere on. K said "yeah uncle Jamie, you NEED a boot in the ear!" Kids say the darnedest things!

The wedding craftiness continues so I thought I'd share my latest project...feather boutonnieres!

With the help of my friend, S, and my mom, we made 7 of these up at the cottage this past weekend. I kind of made it up as I went along but they all turned out really nicely. Another personal touch to our special day that I can check off the to-do list.

New Shoovelopes!

Here it is folks! ShoovelopesTM with Pockets for your keys, your cell or ID. It's a perfect addition to the Shoovelope design allowing you to travel light, but in style.

As promised, here is the finished Ballerina Pink ShoovelopeTM - So pretty! It brings me back to all my days in pink and black... *Jette, hop, pas de bourre!* (It took me forever to learn all those french words!)

And here is another fabric combination that I have fallen in love with. This is Speckled Tie Dye with a beautiful, light-weight denim. This one reminds me of my Art School days when all the clothes in my closet had splotches of paint on them! It was a grunge thing back then. But this ShoovelopeTM has the perfect combination of that artsy vibe done with a je ne se quo, chicness.

Now I'm off to sew some more (after the Spirit of the Sea Festival Parade at the beach that is!) Oh long weekends, how we love you...! I hope you -our stylish UrbanStitch fans- are enjoying your summer too!

Summertime, and the Livin's Easy

Well, as Jen mentioned, it's been a busy couple of months at UrbanStitch Inc's new west coast location! We are enjoying our new neighbourhood, scouting out the farmers market, finding the best place for brunch and hanging out down at the beach. (West Coast life is awesome!) This weekend we're BBQ'ing at the beach with friends. Aaahh, summertime...

On the UrbanStitch Inc. front I found an amazing fabric store. We've been looking to make a line of Dance ShoovelopesTM for all the dancers who tote around their ballet slippers, pointe and tap shoes. Low and behold, I found the perfect pretty ballerina fabric at Save On Fabrics (6468 King George Blvd, in Surrey, BC) I recommend this store for it's excellent prices ($5-$7/metre on most cottons) and their huge selection. I must have been in there for two or three hours pulling bolts from the shelves, matching fabrics and basically poking my nose in every corner of the place!

Here are some of the fabrics I bought. Besides the Pretty Ballerina design, my favourite is the pumpkin polka dot matched with the dark denim. Very 50's Pin Up!

This is my stack ready to sew... I've pieced together all the handles, trims and pockets... Oh wait! Pockets! Yes, you asked, and we've answered. ShoovelopesTM are now available with a pocket inside. It is the perfect size for keys, ID, a lipstick or your cell phone. You may never need your purse again...! ;o)

Stay tuned to see a few of the finished ShoovelopesTM from this batch...!

Job hunting and wedding planning and renovations, oh my!

Hello friends! We at UrbanStitch Inc. have had a busy spring/early summer so we thought we'd take the time to update you.

First, both of us have started new day jobs within the last month and we're really excited about our respective opportunities.

Second, I have been busy wedding planning...and getting wedding crafty! I made a bunch of these pomander balls along with a few other decorative items.

As for invitations, I did a partial DIY project with the help of e.m. papers. Her designs are gorgeous and she was a pleasure to work with as she designed ours.

Finally, my fiance and I have also been busy with a home renovation - finishing the basement so we can have some extra living space. He calls it a man cave, I call it a den. We're still working on the decor but here's a look at the before and after shots!

The ShoovelopeTM...in store now!

(A.K.A. "The Big Reveal...Part 2")

We're pleased to announce the identity of the awesome Canadian company we developed a custom line of ShoovelopesTM for...it's Umbra! Check them out in-store now at the Umbra Concept Store in Toronto. And for those of you not in the Toronto area, you can pick one up through our online shop. Happy shopping!

This Just In...!

Hurray! We just got word that UrbanStitch Inc. has been accepted to the Vancouver One Of A Kind Show and Sale for December 2011!

(They like us, they really like us!!)

Needless to say, we're super excited to bring the ShoovelopeTM to the One Of A Kind craft show brand. Many Torontonians are already familiar with the One Of A Kind group of shows but if you haven't heard of this amazing artisan/craft show, you can read all about their shows here.

As always we are grateful for your support as fans and customers. In fact, pat yourself on the back right now because you've helped us get here! :o) Your continued support will help us bring ShoovelopeTM goodness to a whole new Canadian market. So tell all your friends and mark your calendars:

UrbanStitch Inc.

at the

Vancouver One Of A Kind Show and Sale

December 8-11, 2011

at the new

Vancouver Convention Centre

See you there!

The Big Reveal...

As you may know, UrbanStitch Inc. has been hard at work on a custom line of ShoovelopesTM for an awesome Canadian company. They will be in-store very soon (probably this week) but we wanted to give you a sneak peak before we ship them off...

Navy lightweight denim with hot pink and 

multi-coloured pin stripe interior fabric options.

Light grey denim with hot pink, bright orange and robin's 

egg blue/multi-coloured pin strip interior fabric options.

Once they're in store, we'll further reveal what the awesome Canadian company is and how you can get your hands on one of these ShoovelopesTM. They certainly scream "spring time!"

On the Edge of our Seats...

photo courtesy of Style at Home

Good news! We just received confirmation via email that our application to the Vancouver One of a Kind Show and Sale has been received.

They anticipate that the jury will have reviewed it in time such that we find out if we've been accepted or not by the end of February. We'll keep you posted!

The Application's in the Mail

Today is a big day for UrbanStitch Inc. for two reasons:

1. We just completed our applicaton to the Vancouver One of a Kind Show and Sale and dropped it in the mail. Now we wait on the edge of our seats until sometime in early to mid-March to (hopefully) hear some good news. Fingers crossed!

UrbanStitch Inc's Vancouver OOAK Application

2. We just received our first order from the amazing Canadian company we mentioned last month. Now we're going to keep you on the edge of your seat as you wait to find out which company it is [insert pretend evil laugh here]. All will be revealed in early March.

A Space of Our Own

It's been a couple weeks since we last posted - time flies when you're putting together an application for the Vancouver 2011 One of a Kind Show...and doing other odds and sods!

Speaking of the application, one of the requirements is that artisans must share photos of where they make their wares. We've just taken our photos and thought you might like to see where the UrbanStitch Inc. magic happens.

Stacey's sewing space

Jen's home office/sewing space

(I clearly need some art on the walls -
the room is a work in progress)

Shop 'til You Drop

We've been busy as bees since getting back to the grind in 2011. You can see the fruits of our labour in our now stocked online shop.

Shop 'til you drop at www.etsy.com/shop/urbanstitch

PSSST! These make awesome Valentines gifts for that special someone, or for family and friends. We'll keep updating the shop with new products (including items from our men's line) as we make them so check the shop often for one (or two...or three...) that you absolutely must have.

Let us know what you think of the line so far. We always love hearing what fabrics, colours and styles you prefer.

New Style!

Jen and I have been trying some new styles and here's a preview...!

I've called this one "Grey Sportif."

It's made with a beautiful grey wool weave, nylon black straps and a funky silver ring accent.

This is a Ladies size Large (14" wide by 19.5" in length when laid out flat). It fits any shoe up to a size 9 ladies cross trainer or running shoe.

The lining is a bright, tomatoe red cotton print with white swirls and petit black daisies. The grey outer material has a factory-ironed, striped wave, giving it a subtle, soft texture.

So... what do you think...? (If you really like it you can find it for sale on our Etsy Shop!)

A Heavenly Dish

Stacey and I have a history of taking turns playing Martha Stewart and cooking fabulous meals to enjoy together. Now that we're on opposite sides of the country, this has become a bit of a challenge. I recently learned that my friend H has set a goal to become a better cook and has asked me to teach her what I know. This isn't a crafty related post but it does involve some artistic presentation so I thought I'd share.

As a full-time student, H is often pressed for time so we've been talking about how cooking good/healthy food doesn't have to be complicated. Earlier this week H and I figured out what menu we'd like to cook and then have our significant others join us to enjoy the fruits of our labour. Yesterday she came over and we set to work making:

- Parsnip and ginger soup

  (From Jamie's Food Revolution by Jamie Oliver);
- Cabbage, date and apple slaw 

  (From one of H's cookbooks - I can't recall the name);
- Sweet potato purée with goat cheese and truffle oil 

  (From Epicurious);
- Rosemary crusted pork tenderloin with red wine reduction
  (From HIREATH); and
- Meringue nests with yogurt and berries 

  (From one of H's cookbooks - I can't recall the name).

I'd never made meringue before but I knew it wasn't difficult. Luckily I had a piping tool laying around and was able to build it up like a little nest to fill with a dollop of yogurt and top with mixed berries.

The only clean plates I had left after our many courses of dinner was a set of Christmas plates. Appropriately, the plate exhibits how heavenly the dish was - delish!

Let us know if you have any great recipes you'd like to share - we're always looking for some to try out!

Look what I found!

Well looky here... I was playing around with my camera today and gosh! I'd forgotten about these pics we took at the craft show before Christmas.

I love this one with Jen in the background. :o)

Every time we would display a ShoovelopeTM on "Betsy's" shoulder or fill one with shoes to demonstrate how the ShoovelopeTM works, it would be snapped up by the next happy customer. So sure enough, just after this picture was taken, the bright 70's Orange Floral one on Betsy sold and so did the Motled Green with Stitched Flower...

It was a fun couple of days!

A Pop of Colour

As Stacey mentioned a few posts ago, we're in talks with an amazing Canadian company about doing an exclusive line of ShoovelopesTM for them. My first task is to make some samples for them in fabrics that their customers will love.

Last night I met up with one of their designers to pick out fabric and we found some great stuff so I thought I'd give you a sneak peak! (You may want to put your sunglasses on...)

As you can see, there are some awesome pops of colour that will be great for spring. We'll keep you posted on if we'll be working with this company. In the meantime, keep your fingers crossed - it would be an incredible opportunity!

Bork, Bork, Bork!

If you're a fan of the Muppets, you know that "bork, bork, bork" is the Swedish Chef's favourite expression. What does this have to do with UrbanStitch Inc. and the ShoovelopeTM you ask? Let me tell you a funny story...

Yesterday I was looking at the traffic our blog has been receiving internationally and was excited to find out we have readers in Sweden!

I relayed this info to my boyfriend and he joked, "maybe it's Elin Nordegren...she's back in Sweden now." Then he changed his mind and decided it was the Swedish Chef and started talking in mock Swedish just like the Muppet himself (it was uncanny!). It went a little something like this "flugen oingey boingey Shoovelopey..." I think he should've been a Muppeteer.

Image courtesy of MuppetWiki

All jokes aside, whoever you are in Sweden, we love that you're interested in what we're up to and hope you keep readin'!

Our Customers Say Such Fabulous Things!

We just received a nice note from one of our pre-Christmas customers who gave a ShoovelopeTM to 3 people on her Christmas list...and kept one for herself.

The note was to thank UrbanStitch Inc. for providing great gift ideas and to let us know that they were well received on Christmas morning! Included in her note were some great comments from those she gave them to:

  "I had the best looking shoe bag for my New Year's Eve wedding"

  "What a great travel accessory - you think of the best gifts!"

  "I love my shoe bag - fancy!"

Awwww! It's always nice to receive great feedback from the fabulous people using our product.

Did you receive a ShoovelopeTM for Christmas? If so, let us know your thoughts!

Word is gettin around...!

We figure that over 100 ShoovelopesTM were given as gifts this Christmas. (Maybe you were one of the lucky ones...) The word is spreading! A witty friend of mine even wrote this on my facebook page the other day...

"1902 - A.F. Callahan invented windowed ENVELOPES. 1990 - The JACKALOPE appears on America's Funniest Home Video's. 2011 - One word, three syllables, SHOOVELOPES. (Patent pending, copyright of UrbanStitch Inc.)"

Made me giggle. :o)

And for those of you interested in HOW the ShoovelopeTM works, here are the instructions:

Welcome to 2011!

Well, welcome to the New Year folks! It's been a lovely holiday of family, friends, food and fun. And while we spent time away from the "serious work" of UrbanStitch Inc., we really couldn't stay away from crafting altogether... Jen made Bitters for her Sweetie so he can make delicious sour cherry and vanilla Manhattans. Tres chic and tres yum!

I sewed some Merry Christmas bunting for me and my sweetie to hang next year in our new apartment. (We haven't moved yet but soon!) I used Christmas fabric left over from last years craftiness and stitched and ironed the layers together. Each time we put it up we'll think of all the amazing things that happened in 2010. (Such as the year ShoovelopesTM were born!) That's the best thing about Christmas decorations -the memories that go along with them... 

It was a lovely holiday indeed...
But now the festive season has come to a close, so it's back to business for us at UrbanStitch Inc. Jen is looking after some small business banking things for us (how did I get so lucky to have a business partner who's so good at those things!) and I am ogling fabric stores online. I'm being very businesslike about it to help us find the best fabrics for Spring/Summer. I have even made a spreadsheet. (Although I must admit, it's a very colourful spreadsheet! lol)

But the most exciting thing for UrbanStitch Inc. is that there are plans for an exclusive, limited edition line of ShoovelopesTM for an amazing Canadian company. We are tickled but we can't tell you any more details -not yet! :o)