Missie Zee Shop

Home

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Hi, I'm Missie Zee!

I spend most of my days curled up on the couch with a crochet hook in one hand and a ball of yarn in the other, a glass of iced tea on the coffee table, '80s music on the radio, a calico cat by my side, and a black cat on my lap.

Though crafts are my passion, I also love Earl Grey tea, pastel colors, soft acrylic yarn, mysteries, Tudor England, poetry, plastic crochet hooks, rainy days, craft fairs, country decor, Russian spy stories, cats, pierogies, cello music, football season, pop culture, feminine fabrics, Venetian masks, iPod playlists, inside jokes, great family, and old friends.

Thank you for stopping by my site.

Missie Zee

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Who I am. . .

I'm a bit of an enigma, at least that is what my boss called me. He must have come to that conclusion after realizing that I'm not your average girl: I love to watch sports, hate love stories, relish in the macabre and Halloween, have memorized an enormous amount of inconsequential '80s pop culture trivia, and laugh throughout brainless comedies.

But then again, I am just your average girl: I love having afternoon tea, decorating my house in pastel colors, baking cookies and cupcakes, playing with my cat, Drusilla, and crafting handmade items.

I guess that does make me a bit of an enigma.

What I've done. . .

Though I don't care for change in my personal life, my craft life is constantly changing. I have tried my hand at various craft techniques and mediums: cross-stitching, embroidery, knitting, painting, beading, machine sewing, hand stitching, drawing, and crocheting. I have also opened and closed several craft blogs and online shops.

I first began blogging in 2005, and boy was it a learning experience. I blogged about pretty much any thought that came into my mind, which is probably why I didn't have any readers outside of my family and friends for almost a year. Finally I got my rhythm down and decided to focus my time and blog posts on crafting.

Crafty Carolinagirl started in 2006 and was quite successful. I was floored when people started leaving me comments on how much they liked my crafts. All of that confidence led me to open my first online store, Crafts by Alice.

Crafts by Alice initially began as an experiment to see how many items I could sell, but slowly developed into a successful online shop. I quickly became overwhelmed when the sales started to come in faster than I could make the items, it didn't help that I am a one woman factory. I also realized that making the same item over and over again was not what I wanted to do. So as painful as it was, I put the shop on permanent hiatus, Fall 2008.

After several failed blogs and online stores I decided to take a break for a few months, regain my composure, and start fresh again.

Where I am going. . .

Crafting with Cat Hair has become my main blog, a place where I can speak about my life, my little fur baby, and most importantly my crafts. While not yet as successful as my previous blog, it is a simple blog that requires very little upkeep.

And now Missie Zee, hopefully my final and most successful online shop yet. If I've learned anything from my previous failures, it is to not rush into anything. So, this shop and all of its items (some Crafts by Alice and some new) will take some time to get pulled together. They might be ready this year, maybe not until next year. All I know is I am doing things on my terms and in my own time. I'll be sure to have fun this time around!

Patterns

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Crochet Patterns:

'80s hair bow

Drusilla's cord cover

Mome Rath

Republican elephant afghan square

Tax Day Tea Bag

Sewing Patterns:

'80s cassette iPod case

"Fame"ous door star

Felt M&M cookies

Bead Patterns:

Pearl "Madonna" bracelet

"Step by Step" stitch markers

Vintage plastic hoop earrings

Miscellaneous Patterns & Templates:

Blackboard menu

Crochet hook inventory

Felt baby blanket

Pacman and Ghosts Perler magnets

"Speaking Greek" cross-stitch chart

Yarn stash inventory

Fun Food Patterns:

Football cupcake

Vampire cookies

More patterns coming soon!

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

{All patterns copyright to me.}

Feel free to make items for your own enjoyment, but please remember, patterns and tutorials are NOT to be used for commercial purposes.

Gallery

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All of the items that I craft are lovingly made, and I am so happy to hear when the recipients adore them.

The following is a compilation of crafts that I have designed for my shop. Some will be available for sale and others have already been sold. Check the shop for available items or the Missie Zee blog for up to the minute postings of new items. I will continue to update this list as new items become available.

Accessories

Home Goods

Plush

Alice's Tea Party

Contact Me

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Why not? I'd love to hear from you.

Follow Me

Press

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6/12/09

~ All three of my felt donuts are featured on Paper Cakes Finds.

Shop

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Click here to visit the shop!

I love to work with different kinds of craft materials and mediums, and try to make items that I would love to have: feminine, light, and pretty things!

Crafting has given me so many wonderful experiences. I have gotten the opportunity to "meet" people from all over the world and have loved hearing how much they have enjoyed my items.

Unfortunately, there have been a few bad apples that have tried to spoil my crafty fun, and because of them I have been forced to change my policies. (See my new craft policies here.)

Some of the changes I've had to make include no longer accepting special orders and creating many "one of a kind" (OOAK) items only. These new policies shouldn't affect the shop too much, as I am constantly coming up with new ideas and patterns.

You can take a peek at my gallery for past and present crafts, and click on the Missie Zee shop picture above to see what wonderful items are currently available for sale.

I look forward to designing, crafting, and sharing these pieces with you, and hope you will continue to stop by Missie Zee to see what wonderful items are available!

FAQ

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Frequently Asked Questions. . .

1. So, why the new shop?

I got pretty burned out last year and decided that I was never going to sell crafts again. As you can see, that only lasted a few months. I got bitten by the crafting bug again and knew I wanted to start over fresh. This shop is a collection of items that I would like to own myself. Many of the items will be one of a kind (OOAK), so it will give me some variety in the crafts I make and the time it may take to construct them.

2. Why did you close down Crafts by Alice?

While I really loved my Crafts by Alice shop, I had become quite pigeonholed by it. There are only so many items you can make that focus on Alice in Wonderland. Plus, I realized that I do not enjoy making the same item over and over again. Missie Zee will still carry some of the Crafts by Alice items, and I have named one of my shop sections Alice's Tea Party as a remembrance to my first shop.

3. Will you be selling patterns to any of your items?

Hopefully soon. This is a work in progress as I am still trying to learn how to write and produce patterns. There are times when I get so wrapped up in my crafting that I lose track of what I have done, therefore foregoing the pattern. And there are times when I use or modify other crafter's patterns. If this is the case, I will always include the crafter's information in the item description so you can pick up their pattern, but I will not be able to write up my modifications, sorry!

4. I love your free crochet patterns, but don't know how to crochet. Where did you learn?

I taught myself using various online sources. Crafty Daisies has a great eleven part series titled, Learn to Crochet, that I followed when I was first teaching myself to crochet. I've also used other great resources like Nexstitch, Lion Brand Yarn, and Crochet Guild of America. If you prefer learning with a book, Teach Yourself Visually Crocheting, is a great choice.

5. Can I sell items made from your patterns?

Unfortunately, no. Items made from my patterns and tutorials are for personal use only, and should not be sold for profit. You may give them as gifts!

6. You mentioned you had cats. What are their names and what kind are they?

I have two little girls, Drusilla and Daphne. Drusilla I rescued, July 2005, from my local shelter. She is a Bombay (my little Halloween kitty), so naturally her birthday is October 31. Daphne is an American Wirehair who I rescued, June 2009, from Safe Haven for Cats. Daphne was paralyzed on the right side of her face while she was living on the streets, so she is a super special little girl.

7. Where did you come up with your cat's names? They are so unusual!

Drusilla's name came from the TV show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, where the main vampire was named Drusilla. Her name suits her perfectly, because when she lays on her back all you see are two fangs sticking out of her mouth! Daphne was named after the character from Scooby Doo. Her name is perfect for her, as well, since she is always searching around the house for clues to where she has hidden her toys.

8. Do you really craft with cat hair?

No, and I had no idea you could actually spin and weave yarn using cat hair. Drusilla and Daphne don't shed that much, so I think I would be waiting a pretty long time to gather up enough hair to make yarn. I chose Crafting with Cat Hair for my craft blog, since I tend to find a piece of cat hair in each and every one of the crafts I make. I thought it was an appropriate name.