Second Saturday Giveaway: Win an Upcycled Necktie Pouch from Michelle of Aisle 3!

Posted by Crystal Pepperdine, Founder and Executive Director of Flint Handmade

For our April Second Saturday Giveaway, we are featuring Aisle 3 by Michelle Stolz!

This is Michelle in her dedicated craftroom, showing off the huge stash of thifted and vintage linens she has collected from thift stores and estate sales.

She recently sewed the curtains for her fabric closet from thrifted bedsheets.  Aren't you so envious of her 10 plastic bins each stuffed to the brim with its own color of fabrics???

This system makes is so easy for Michelle to coordinate her fabric colors when preparing projects.

The rest of Michelle's craftroom is just as bright and colorful and neat as her fabric closet.

I asked Michelle to describe her workspace:

"I always feel comfortable and creative when I'm in my space. It's semi organized, semi decorated, warm, bright and cheery."

It's so important to create in a space that is comfortable and inspiring and Michelle and lots of little trinkets and decorations around her room to spark her imagination.

Michelle uses fancy glass jars for her buttons and candy snacks.  An adorable blue deer vessel holds her scissors.

Colorful vintage cards line either side of a mirror.

A collection of animal figurines, wooden spools and tiny glass vases provide even more color and inspiration.

With fabric, buttons and spools adoring her workshops, it's clear that Michelle's crafts focus mainly on sewing. 

I asked her how she got into crafting:

"I feel like I've just always been involved in some sort of creative project since I was a kid.  I guess my mom probably had a lot of influence on me.  If she wasn't knitting, crocheting or sewing for us, she was doing it for or selling it to others.  She gave me my first sewing machine in 2003, I started Aisle 3 in 2004, and I did my first craft fair in 2005." 

As a matter of fact, Michelle keeps a framed photo of her table set up from that first craft fair in her workspace to remind her of her of just how far she has come with her sewing skills and Aisle 3 products.

I asked Michelle how she came up with the name Aisle 3:

"Aisle 3 is the aisle where I used to find all the good fabric and materials at one of my favorite old thrift stores.  I don't remember putting much thought into coming up with a name at the time.  "Aisle 3" sort of just happened, and has always just felt right. "

Of course, Michelle had to show me some fabric she had purchased in aisle 3:

This fun and funky black and yellow animal fabric was one of her favorite finds in aisle 3.  :)

In addition to her favorite fabric, I also wanted to know about her favorite craft tool:

"My favorite tool, by far, is a mini chopping block table that I use when attaching snaps.  Sure, it's more cute than useful.  But it brings back great memories of the day I came across it at an estate sale, and the sweet friend that I was with."

Michelle also looks for record albums at estate sales.  She has a record player just outside her craftroom. 

I asked her what she listens to or thinks about or watches while she crafts:

"I almost named my record player as my favorite tool, because it's almost impossible for me to sew without listening to music.  I listen to a variety of  music, from Patsy Cline to Those Poor Bastards, with some local favorites in between.  

In regards to what I think about while I work, here's a post from my blog about that: http://upcycleyourlifeonaisle3.blogspot.com/2010/07/craft-for-thought.html"



Finally, I asked Michelle about the projects that she would like to work on in the future:

"One of my goals this year is to use my embroidery machine and begin my new embroidery collection, which includes accessories embellished with vintage designs."

Until Michelle gets started on her embroidery projects, we are super excited about all of her clever creations made from neckties...

...including an Aisle 3 upcycled necktie pouch for our April Second Saturday Giveaway!

Scraps from two coordinating neckties (that Michelle used to make a billfold wallet) were sewn together and finished off with a snap to make this adorable little pouch!

For YOUR chance to win the Upcycled Necktie Pouch (valued at $12), just complete steps A and B:

A) Follow Flint Handmade via the blog, Twitter, Google Reader or whatever newfangled "following application" tickles your fancy. Or, if you don't do the whole following thing, email us at flinthandmade@hotmail.com and we will add you to our email list.

B) Leave us a comment in response to this blog post by 5pm on Saturday, April 16, 2011 answering the following 2 questions:

1) How do you follow us?

2) What other products would you like to see Michelle make out of neckties?

Please be sure to answer BOTH questions to qualify for the drawing.

The winner will be selected at random and posted on the blog within one week after the deadline. The winner will have 30 days to claim the prize.

We hope to hear from YOU and we hope you enjoyed our April Second Saturday Giveaway!
 
P.S. Are you wondering about the billfold wallet that was made from the same ties as the upcycled pouch in our giveaway?  Well, you are in luck!
 
Michelle is hosting her own giveaway on her Aisle 3 Blog for the coordinating billfold wallet!  Be sure to enter both giveaways!

WANNA KNOW MORE ABOUT AISLE 3?
Shop: http://www.aisle3.etsy.com/
Blog: http://www.upcycleyourlifeonaisle3.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/upcycleyourlife
Twitter: @upcycleyourlife