Pico Charlie Cole Blog

Personalized Organic Storage Bag

2011-07-05T09:56:00.000-07:00

My latest addition to the personalized portion of my website!
The organic cotton storage bag has been so popular. Now, you are able to add your little one's name under a design. I offer the Pico Hippo (shown), Malcolm the Monkey or Gary the Giraffe.
You can have so much fum with it.
The bag is embroidered in a chocolate brown thread.

If you are into a more classic look, our Monogrammed Organic Storage Bags are also available. Every letter is available along with an ampersand.

Personalize Baby Items for FREE

2011-06-23T16:55:00.000-07:00

Visit the Pico Baby section on our website, http://www.picocharliecole.com/, to see all the baby products that you can have personalized for FREE.

Everything from baby tees to blankies. Personalizing makes a gift that much more special.

Check out my new Etsy Shop

2011-06-23T16:23:00.000-07:00

http://www.picocharliecole.etsy.com/

I recently added products to Etsy. This site will be the first to feature all my new designs that roll off the lines. I better get designing :)

Boxing Days Sale

2010-12-23T21:12:00.000-08:00

Baby Hats

Our Big Boxing Days Sale

We are having two days of great savings!

50%-70% off all in stock merchadise.

Where:

Our Warehouse at 155 McIntosh Drive, Unit 9, Markahm, ON, L3R 0N6

Major intersection: Hwy 7 & Woodbine Avenue

Tel: 905.415.0433

When:

Tuesday December 28, 2010 10-5

Wednesday December 29, 2010 10-5

Toastmaster Moogie

2010-12-23T20:41:00.000-08:00

Moogie at a Toastmasters event.

Becoming the speaker and leader Moogie has always wanted to be.

Ready to join all the other well know Toastmasters alumni.

FREE One of a Kind Craft Show Tickets

2010-11-15T19:09:00.000-08:00

Left and Right Hand
Hand Towel Set

It's that time of year again. The One of a Kind Show is quickly approaching. We've got a handful of tickets to give away again. Interested?
To enter our ticket give-a-way, let us know your top 3 favourite retailers of 2010. Send your replies to picocharliecole@bellnet.ca

Moogie in Hong Kong Harbour

2010-11-13T16:19:00.000-08:00

Our Moogies have been travelling far and wide. This little guy showed up in Hong Kong Harbour. Keep sending us your Moogie encounters and travels.

Moogies! Moogies! Everywhere!

2010-10-04T14:40:00.000-07:00

Moogie goes to the Parliament.

Our most popular softie has taken the world by storm.

Moogies are mini security stuffed animals. No two are ever identical.

Thanks to Andrew for sharing this photo with us.

Please feel free to share with us your Moogie adventures at picocharliecole@bellnet.ca

The Art of Slip Covering

2010-08-04T20:19:00.000-07:00

Slip Covering can be as easy as one, two, three.

Well, maybe there are a few more steps involved. But, creating a slip cover can be broken down into a few simple steps.

I covered the above leather chair in jute (thought it would be a little different). At a later date, I'll recover it in Italian Linen (one of my favourite fabrics). So...lets start!

This chair required approximately 4 yards of fabric. Need a little help calculating how much fabric you might need for your piece of furniture? Just give us a call and we'd be glad to help.

1. Follow the lines of the furniture. I like to start with the outside of the back of a chair, followed by the inside back of the chair. Some people like to make a paper pattern first. I like to cut my fabric as I go. Cut your fabric 2" larger than the outline of each particular part of your chair. If you are cutting as you go, pin each piece of fabric together as you go, following the seams of the actual chair.

2. Here is the order in which I cut and assemble the pieces.

-cut outside back of chair

-cut inside back of chair

-pin outside and inside back together at top seam and along the sides of back

-cut seat

-pin bottom of inside back to seat

-cut arm (drape fabric over arm, cut away excess fabric from where the back meets the arm on an angle)

-pin inside arm to side of seat bottom, pin along angle where arm meets inside back and pin where arm meets outside back

-cut front of arm and pin to arm fabric that is draped and to the seat (at front of chair)

-cut skirt to desired length and pin to bottom of slip cover

3. You should now be looking at a fully covered chair. Start sewing your lines following your pins. I like to serge my lines right after I sew them. Where pin lines intersect, make sure to finish one line and then flatten seam to one side and sew the intersecting line. The last line to sew is the line that attaches the hem to the main body of the slipcover. Following this, adjust your hem to the desired length and finish off.

4. Turn right side out and press.

5. You now have a slipcover!

Oh...Those Hippos!

2010-06-22T20:54:00.000-07:00

Our popular Hippo Storage Bags are now available in new fabrics. Two new different looks to choose from. 100% Organic Cotton Canvas and Jute lined with 100% Organic Cotton Canvas.

These storage bags are great for holding just about anything. Extra clothes, socks, blankets, small toys, gifts and the list goes on.

A Work in Progress

2010-06-22T20:30:00.000-07:00

Marlowe's room has been coming along. One of my philosophies when it comes to furnishings is that..."Furniture is not meant to be permanent". If it's not nailed down, by all means, feel free to move pieces from time to time. This philosophy of mine also applies to accessories. A pegged coat hook which once housed a string of storage bags now displays lovely cotton hooded jersey jackets. Above the pegged coat hook, 2 original Allison Mackenna art pieces. We've had these two pieces of canvas in storage, just waiting for Marlowe to arrive.

Expecting Guest?

2010-06-22T20:00:00.000-07:00

Numbered Guest Towels

What a great way to let guests know which towel to use. Everyone gets their own number.

This works well in house, the beach house or pool house.

Towels are available in mushroom(shown), white, natural or chocolate.

I was looking for Inspiration

2010-05-27T21:18:00.000-07:00

Today was one of those days. A day when the creative juices failed to flow. Whenever I encounter such a day, I look for inspiration in the smallest of things...the oddest of things...the out of the ordinary things.

Today, I reached for my button collection and pulled out one of my favourite designs- Mother of pearl, side by side holed buttons. Simple and understated.

I held them in my hand as if I were playing with a fist full of sand at the beach. And then...nothing. No spark of creativity, no bright innovative idea...nothing. So, I put them down like a child having to leave the beach along with the attempted sand castle at the shore. I walked away. Then I looked back and there it was.

The ideas came rushing in. Some had to do with the buttons. Some had nothing to do with the buttons. Everything from jersey baby doll dresses for little girls to waffle weaved spa slippers and the list goes on.

So...stay tuned for some new Pico Charlie Cole products.

FRIENDS

2010-05-26T21:21:00.000-07:00

Moments like these remind me of just how precious friendships are.

Cherish them.

Nourish them.

Enjoy them.

Jaxon and Cooper and a wall case full of reptiles. What could be better...

Calling all Quilters & Crafters-FREE Fabric

2010-03-17T09:03:00.000-07:00

If you are in need of small fabric portions for your next craft project, feel free to contact me.
This would be ideal for those who quilt or those who just love to use fabric fragments in their creative projects.
This is a great way for us to recycle and put to use the excess fabric from our projects that would otherwise go unused.
If interested, give me a call at 905.415.0433. I'll gather up whatever I have at the time. It's yours for the taking.
Help us Recycle, Reduce, Reuse.

FREE One of A Kind Spring Show Ticket Give A Way

2010-03-11T07:18:00.000-08:00

The One of a Kind Spring Craft Show is quickly approaching. We will be giving away 6 tickets to our wonderful subcribers. The show is at The Direct Energy Centre and runs form March 31 to April 4, 2010.

To enter our give a way simply go to oure website at http://www.picocharliecole.com/ and subcribe to our email updates. If you already subsribe, send us an email at picocharliecole@bellnet.ca and type OOAK in the subjuect line. Winners will be selected on March 26, 2010. Best of luck to all our subscribers!

If you happen to find yourself at the show, do pop in and say hello. We will be at Booth K48.

Thank You For Being My Subscriber

2010-03-10T11:21:00.000-08:00

We're offering a HALF-OFF SALE! Half off our Towel Set. Plus...Five Free Bonuses. For details visit our website at www.picocharliecole.com

The reason I'm offering this sale is because it's my way of saying, "Thank you for being my subscriber!"

Mini Road Trip to Alton Mill

2010-03-08T15:53:00.000-08:00

I hit the road Saturday morning with my friend Debbie. Debbie knew where we were going...I had no clue. We entered a crossroad with sprawling hills to the right and what seemed like the heart of the town to the left. "We're in Alton", she said. "I grew up here." Beautiful country hills. Lovely homes with character. Then she drove over a one lane bridge to what seemed like no where, and just around the corner appeared Alton Mill. Wow! A restored Heritage Mill that houses artists, studios, museum work, a cafe and more. It made me want to say "I DO" just to hold the reception on the property.

A great place to become inspired. The Mill use to make plastics. Condoms was one of the products. Everyone seemed to mention that. The building is absolutely stunning. A mix of old with new. Hardwood floors throughout, lath framed windows inside to divide spaces while still allowing light to travel. Well worth the stop.

Wall Art

2010-03-04T06:57:00.000-08:00

Marlowe's baby room has been a pleasure to work on. The room is small and cozy with a full wall of windows. The three remaining walls all became focal walls for us. Each wall had some sort of eye candy.

Over his change table we placed 3 fabric wall plaques (care of Pico Charlie Cole) made from Belgian Linen, unbleached cottons, hemp and mixed media. The plaques were hung by their satin ribbon loops on curly willow branches. We embroidered on small fabric tags with the name of the plaques and sewed them on the bottom. We have a Button plaque, Bunny plaque and a Seashell plaque. The seashell was enclosed in a fine organza pouch.

Over Marlowe's crib we placed a wall tattoo from Surface Collective, a Vancouver based company. They've got lots of great designs.

A Taste of Paris

2010-03-03T16:05:00.000-08:00

I love seeking and finding stores that leave an impression.

La Pastorale http://www.lapastorale.ca in Owen Sound is a cute quaint store with lots to offer. Everything is so clean, fresh and French. If you're ever in the area , pop in and take a peek. Pamela Smith, the owner, is a sweet heart and will make you feel right at home.

Yes, she does carry our product and so much more. She has a great eye for merchandising. And...oh...the textiles! Burlap, Linen (I love linens), cottons.

Along Comes A Baby

2010-03-02T07:06:00.000-08:00

With the addition of our newest family member, we've all been in "Baby Mode". It all started with conception...that led to the obvious..."decorating the baby room".

Storage Bag Contest

We have 3 Storage Bags to give away. Bags are made from 100% brushed cotton with an Italian Linen bottom border.

How to enter:

1. Simply go to our website and sign up for our email updates at http://www.picocharliecole.com/xcart/customer/home.php

if you already subscribe

2. Drop us an email at picocharliecole@bellnet.ca and type in the subject line " Storage Bag Contest".

Winners will be chosen by March 31, 2010.

Best of Luck!