salt bottles

Here are some bottles I bought for my kitchen from the Object & Totem shop.  They're so tiny and cute lined up on my kitchen windowsill.  I filled them with different kinds of salt for easy access while cooking, which I've been doing a lot of lately.  (Loving this super healthy cookbook, which was a Christmas gift.)  Each bottle came in its own beautiful hand-dyed muslin pouch.

the crafter's guide to taking great photos

I just got my copy of The Crafter's Guide to Taking Great Photos in the mail!  Got an extra one too, for one of you.  This is the book that I wish was out there when I first started blogging and selling my handmade goods.  It would have made life so much easier.  There are some wonderful tips in here that I'm going to be using in the future, especially the advice about lighting.  Heidi Adnum, the author, does an incredible job of making the book beautiful and interesting while conveying useful technical information.  I pretty much devoured the book in one sitting.  It's a must-have for makers, bloggers, and sellers.

I feel so honored to be included in the book, and you can see a little section pictured above with an interview with me and some of my photos.  The book is chock-full of photographs and advice from some of my favorite makers as well.

If you'd like a chance at a free copy of the book, please leave a comment on this post.  What do you photograph most?  Do you feel like there's an area you want to learn more about?  I'll draw and announce a winner next Tuesday, Feb. 7.  So check back here then!  If your blog doesn't have an e-mail address listed or you don't have a blog, please leave your e-mail address in the comments.

palm springs

A little desert inspiration, photos from hiking in Palm Springs.  The scenic view was stunning, and I still miss those blue skies.

valentine dress

I'm restocking next Thursday for Valentine's Day shopping, and I made some limited edition tie-dye dresses.  I love to wear red on Valentine's Day, and I thought wine-colored would be less obvious but still quite festive.  They're the same as the Anna Dresses but in a gorgeous linen, which can be worn through the spring, summer and fall.

The shop has been restocked with sewing patterns, and next week I'll have more knitted accessories too--hats and mittens.

packing my bags

Joe needs a vacation sooo bad, so we're headed off to Palm Springs for some sun.  It's snowing heavily in Iowa right now, and while I kind of love it I'm looking forward to being warm.  We're renting a house with some friends and are planning a week of hiking, yoga, swimming, margaritas, massages and relaxation.  I'll be back here next week and am planning some Valentine's Day gifts for the shop.  In the meantime, if you follow me on Instagram (name wikstenmade) you can see my vacation pics as the week goes by.

anna in the house

I promised dresses this week but have been so busy with the sewing patterns that there hasn't been time.  However, I'm offering a made-to-order Anna Dress in the shop right now in size XS, S, or M.  I can ship by Tuesday with free domestic shipping.

shabd + ec + acne

Huge Shabd sale going on right here.  Love my Lichen Shoreline Dress, especially with the Erin Considine necklace and Acne cardigan.  When I first got this dress I spent thirty minutes in front of the mirror playing with all the fun ways you can wear it, and I think I came up with some new ones!  The perfect dress for a designer.

snow day

öljett hat

In the shop.  Made from warm and cozy, soft 100% organic merino.

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Sewing patterns have been restocked!  Look for Wiksten dresses and home items later in the week.

snöflinga hat

In the shop.  Lightweight, in super soft baby alpaca.  My favorite of the new hat designs.

christmas in iowa

our first tree

new hats

New knitted hats are coming to the shop next week!  We'll have more sewing patterns, dresses, and some new home products as well.

Stick around because I'll be posting my Christmas photos to the blog over the next few days.

ornament making

I was so excited on Tuesday night to be done with all my orders because I knew exactly what I was going to do with the free time, which I haven't had in a long while.  This season my shop has been too busy for me to be able to design any new ornaments.  So free at last, I settled in with glass of whiskey and got to some ornament making!  Not for the shop, just for fun.  

Handmade ornaments are my favorite gift to give loved ones.  I've been doing it since I was a kid, back when I used to also hand-paint my own wrapping paper.  It's a waste to give something you've worked hard on to someone who won't appreciate it, so my mom was usually the recipient of such gifts.  At this point she has too many to even know what to do with, so I'm grateful to now have a group of creative friends who appreciate stuff like this.

The owl ornament design came from this book, which I found at Jo-Ann's and loved.  The praying angel is just something I made up.  (See the back of the angel here.)  I've never done an angel before, but it reminds me of one my mom made that I loved as a child.  Hers was macaroni painted silver with glitter all over.

grey marled loop scarf

Merino + silk blend. Made from Fair Trade hand-dyed yarn.  The yarn is soft and non-itchy in a chunky-weight designed for optimal warmth.  In gorgeous pale grey and white marl, the perfect neutral to go with everything.  Made in a loop shape so the ends don't have to be tied.  Can be wrapped around twice for the perfect fit or left hanging loose.  In the shop now.  Free domestic shipping, order by Monday for delivery by Christmas.