Craft-O-Matic craft show in The Loop!

Oh yeah, baby. It's almost time! Pinch your pennies and block out your calendar for Saturday, June 4 from 11 to 11. This is where the fun will be had.

Here's a little merchandise preview!

See you there!

Crafting with Purpose: Needles for Newborns

Extra! Extra!

South City Studio and Paste are teaming up for the fourth installment of Needles for Newborns to benefit Children's hospital. The goodies we make keep little preemie babies toasty at Children's hospital. Mark your calendar, right now! February 19th, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

FAQ

It's a noble cause and all, but why should I waste a precious Saturday when my life is already so busy?

• Babies. Teeny tiny babies who get chilly easily.
• Crafting with purpose feels really good! 
• It's a super-duper fun time. We are a diverse bunch of really interesting people!
• If you're rusty or just beginning, this is a great opportunity to pick up some skills. Sit near an experienced stitcher and watch 'em go. We're a generous bunch, you can ask questions, too.

Do I have to stay the whole time? Can I come late?
You don't have to stay the whole time by any means, drop in when it's convenient and stay for however long you'd like. Warning: You'll have such a good time, you won't want to go.

What should I bring?
A chair (just in case), a friend (if you can), a snack to share (we'll provide some snacks), and yarn/needles/hook.

Do I have to bring my own yarn? Can I buy yarn at Paste?
Most people bring their own or buy on arrival. We'll have some donated yarn up for grabs and there is a fantastic selection of really pretty yarn at very reasonable prices.

Can I donate yarn/supplies/food to the event? 
Heck, yes! We love that and thanks in advance for being such a generous soul. Snuggles from the babies.

What kind of yarn is best for babies?
Babies have really sensitive skin, cotton or acrylic is best. No wool.                                                    

I can't come, can I drop of things I make on my own? 
Of course! The babies don't mind one bit.

What are we going to make?
Hats, booties, and blankets.

Will you have patterns?
Yep, we'll have some. Please feel free to bring your favorite. There are scads for free on the internet if you don't have a favorite yet, just Google it -- free pattern knit crochet preemie baby. BAM! Zillions.

How big should a preemie hat be?
A very wise NICU worker told me think plum, tennis ball, orange. Yes, THAT tiny! Some of the preemie babies only weigh a couple pounds, so they're gosh darn tiny.

Is this a kid-friendly event? 
It breaks my heart to say this because we love the little people, but not really. A) A bunch of ladies cackling and stitching is pretty boring for the kiddos. B) The conversation tends to lean PG-13 and some of the adults like to consume adult-beverages. As a rule of thumb, I'd say it's probably too "educational" for anyone younger than 14.

I'm a dude, can I come?
Yes, please join us! Disclaimer: If you're planning to shop the crowd for single ladies, may I suggest match.com?
                                                  
Do I need to RSVP?
Probably not. If you are planning to bring a bus load of people, then, yes please, let's talk. Otherwise, no worries, just show up. Early and late tend to be the least busy times, mid-afternoon is the busiest.

November? Already!

Geez, time sure does fly. I can't believe we're already almost half way through November!!! That means the holidays are right around the corner and as usual I won't be getting much sleep. This weekend I'm doing a trunk show at Concordia Turners in south city from 9 - 3, then I'll be crafting 'round the clock until the first weekend in December when it's time for Big Ass Indie & Artropy (Dec 4 & 5). Somewhere in there I need to find some time to make gifts for my family. Anybody have an elf for hire?

Right now I'm feverishly working on finishing some felted coffee sweaters. Yes, sweaters for your coffee cup. They are made from upcycled wool sweaters and have needle felted designs. They're a great alternative to the disposable cardboard thingees - just toss it in your pocket or purse. Oh, bonus, they're way cuter and can also be used to keep your soda/water cup from sweating all over the place. Gotta love that! I've only stabbled myself with the felting needle 10 or 12 times so far. At lunch today, after I fed and trained my fake Facebook fishies, I did some work on these.



Oh! Oh! Oh! I got word today from my buddy Meg who works at St. Louis Children's Hospital that the babies are toasty warm with Needles for Newborn tiny hats! YAY!!!! Warm babies. Thanks again ladies!

Since Needles for Newborns was such a success, Paste and I are going to host another fun charity event for December, Crafting with Purpose. It will be the first in a (sort of) montly series of charity knit-along events. This time we're including scrapbookers and card makers too. The charity is The Haven of Grace, it's a shelter and rehabilitation center for homeless pregnant women and their children. It's a WONDERFUL organization. Join us Sunday, December 13, from 10 - 8 (Please RSVP to pastesoulard[at]gmail.com). We'll have some tasty snacks and lots of laughs. If you'd like to participate, but aren't particularly crafty, we'll always accept cash of course, but you can also donate supplies or bring a treat to keep the ladies energized - then hang out and play with us! Hope to see you there.

Later gators.

Thanks Ladies!

A big special thank you and a 1,000 hugs to the fabulous women who came out to support St. Louis Children's Hospital at the Needles for Newborns event. YOU ARE FABULOUS! I am truly touched by the time and care that was put in to the adorable hats, blankets, booties, mittens and gowns for the little peeps. Snaps to Nadines Gin Joint, Ferraro's Pizza, Carondolet Bakery, Soulard Coffee Garden and Johnny's for the generous donations of food that kept our tummies full and happy so we could stitch the night away. It was a pleasure to gather with all of you and I'm so excited to have made some new friends and catch up with old friends. Y'all are a hoot! If ya wanna see pics of all the sweet stuff that was made, click here.

Since Needles for Newborns was such a success we've decided to launch a sorta-monthly series of gatherings at Paste for charity called Crafting With Purpose and have Needles be the big annual event. The next event will be on December 13 from 10-8 and will benefit The Haven of Grace, a shelter and rehabilitation center for homeless pregnant women and their children. In addition to needle artists, we've decided to invite the scrappy/card making folks as well. When you're starting a new life, words of inspiration are important! I hope you will join us and bring your big hearts!

Lastly, a big gigantic thank you to my partner-in-crime, Katie of Paste in Soulard.

You are awesome (even if you can't tie your own knots)! Without you and your generous donations of space, time, organizational skills, supplies and snacks none of this would be possible! Thanks for letting me help! Love you bunches, ya big softie!

'Nuff of that mushy stuff, I gotta go start a Twitter fight with @Pastecrafts now.