Crocheted hip bag

A few weeks back at Bella Fiore I visited the booth of a vendor selling leather waist packs.  I'd seen people wearing them at festivals in the past, and I was super excited to see somewhere to buy one.  Well... that lasted until I found out they were $130 and up.  Then I saw this great felted peacock feather waist bag at another booth for half the price, but when I decided I wanted to splurge for it, another girl had already bought it.  I got home, surfed the web and bit, and (long story short) decided to try to just make my own with things I already had!

The belt and pockets were mostly made with a 25 cent skein of yarn I got garage sale-ing, accented with another yarn I already had, buttons, and felt/bead peacock feathers.

The main pocket is big (wallet-sized) and has a large feather on the front.  Perfect for carrying around money, an ID, etc.

I also put on two smaller pockets: one that would fit a camera and another for lip balm or something else small.  The whole thing ties on with longer crocheted pieces.

I can't wait to wear this to our next festival this summer!  It's practical, cute, and didn't cost me $130 to make!  Depending how the initial wearing goes, I'd like to make more similar bags to sell.  What do you think?  Would you wear a crocheted hip bag?

Bella Fiore

So, it's been nearly a month since we went to Bella Fiore, but here's how we spent our lovely long weekend:

1.  Napping!  I love napping at festivals so I can keep my energy up.  The first full day was pretty cold and gloomy, so I didn't mind curling up on a blanket with Mark for a few hours.

2.  Hydrating!  We brought LOTS of water with.  It's no fun to have a super hot day, no water, and super long lines at the vendors, so we made sure we had extra water with and carried it around at all times.

3.  Hanging out with our camp!  We had a big, fun group, and a view of the stage from our area, so we got to hang out there quite a bit. 

The whole group:

4. Um, music!  There were three stages to see, so we were bouncing around a lot, depending on who was playing. 

Our friend brought this little toy with that provided hours of entertainment for us and passers-by.

Big Gigantic

5.  Taking in the scenery.  It's such a lovely park, so it's fun to explore, even if you've been there lots of times, like I have.  You never know when there will be a perfect sunset or fire-spinning or just a great crowd vibe!

Not pictured:  the rain storms on the first and last night.  We'll just pretend our tent didn't flood and we weren't sleeping with damp bedding all weekend. 

Bella Fiore: what I bought.

So, this post will make it seem like all I did at Bella Fiore was shop, but I'm really just waiting on other people to post the pictures that I failed to take.  I did take some, but not nearly as many as I would have liked.  I danced and enjoyed some music, camped out while it rained, lounged in the sun, napped, socialized... pretty great weekend overall.  

1.  Sweater for Mark's new niece.  It's such great colors and covered in felt animals.
2.  Printed card by Phil Lewis.  I used to have a larger print of this and wanted to replace it, but it was sold out so I settled for this smaller version.
3.  Embroidered headband from the Chicken Thief.  This guy had the best merchandise ever and he picked it all himself.  He doesn't have an online presence and only does occasional festivals, but he is definitely worth checking out.
4.  Pins!  Mushrooms and Day of the Dead Storm Trooper.
5.  Purse, also from the Chicken Thief.  Great adjustable across-the-chest strap and detailed stitching.
6.  Yoda finger puppet... Chicken Thief again.
7.  Little stone dinosaur.  Had his twin a year ago, but broke it.  Looks like Little Foot.
8.  Peridot ring. You can't see it here, but it's the best.
9.  Printed disc from Phil Lewis.  For Mark.  To throw.

 Chicken Thief merch. 

Phil Lewis.

Dino and ring.  

And my Star Wars fare.

I really hope to post about the rest of the weekend soon!

A good chance of rain...

We leave for Bella Fiore today and I can't wait.  I've been going to Harmony Park (this lovely campground in the middle of nowhere) for years, but I haven't been to Bella since the first year it started, and this is it's 6th year!  I can't wait to see how the event has evolved...

Here are some of my favorite pictures at Harmony from the past, a few are from the first year of Bella: Bella Luna, 2007.

Fire dancers, Project Earth, 2009

Project Earth, 2009

Project Earth, 2010

Bella Luna, 2007

Project Earth, 2011

Bella Luna, 2007

And right about here began my love for Trampled by Turtles. I consider this proof of my undying affection for Dave Simonett.

Lake Geneva, Project Earth, 2009

Bella Luna, 2007

Project Earth, 2011

Pre-storm clouds, Project Earth, 2010

And, even though Mark and I have each been to Harmony Park many times (and even at the same festivals!), this will be our first time there together! So that's fun!

Nights in a tent

Back from another wonderful weekend at Harmony Park. Rain, mud, sun, music.



<3<3<3 Highlight!

Bought a few goodies from my favorite spot:





It's an art co-op in Eau Claire with an amazing selection of jewelry, clothing, glass, etc. They're at PE every year, and I usually buy at least one thing. Would love to go to the shop sometime when I'm in WI.


New purchase:


Nothing like a neat little leather cuff. Generally buy vintage leather only, but this was too sweet to resist. Also, a brown, jersey, wrap-around skirt with screen printed tree and birds. Picture to come!


Favorite older purchases from T.U.I.H.:





Now back, melting in my steamy sauna of an apartment. Can barely unpack.

Secret spaces

Spent a few hours at Hidden Falls today. One of my favorite spots around St. Paul. Especially now that I've found many little private beaches along the river.

I'm finishing up my personal website for another class, and I think it's turning out really well. I get lost for hours working on projects like this. Good, but dangerous.

Tonight, must prioritize and get packed for Project Earth. So ready to go home. <3