January 2009 Archives

A well-finished seam is the mark of an expert - learn some techniques here.

You'll look forward to going to the gym when you're carrying your yoga mat in one of these lovely bags.

I love this crocheted tool belt - I think it would be perfect for any crafter.

I love carrying my digital camera around to record all the inspirational moments that come my way each day. So I think I'm going to make one of these cozy cases to make sure my camera stays safe when its out with me.

Finger Knitting is fast and fun. And a great way to pass time on those long international flights, where they now don't permit you to carry needles and suchlike on board. Learn how to.

Make the most of your favorite specialty fabric - a great tote cut from just one fat quarter. Pattern and pdf tutorial here.

Add the seam allowance and cut your pattern out in one easy shot with this technique.

Chinese New Year is coming right up, and round the world, celebrations will include colorful dragons.This class made their own, and you can do it too.

Devoré is a technique used on fabrics to produce a delicate lace-like effect.

This process was developed in the 17th century in France as a means of creating a poor man's lace. The word "devoré" comes from the French word meaning to devour, eat away or burn out.

The technique is usually used on mixed fiber cloths where one fiber is a protein and one fiber is a cellulose. Stunning effects can be created on silk/rayon velvets where the velvet rayon pile is eaten away and the translucent silk gauze remains. Interesting and vibrant results can also be produced on fabrics not designed for devoré purposes and it is worth experimenting with unusual fabric combinations.

As I've said before, a good dressform is a must for well fitting custom-made clothes. However, they can be quite expensive. Here's how you can make one for yourself with some duct-tape, plywood, and polyfil.

Sometimes those weathered patches and holes in your jeans slip from fashionable to just plain tatty. Never fear, you can still save those jeans with a neat patch.

Fabric from plastic bottles? Imagine that!

In one of the most constructive recycling ventures, used soda and water bottles are now being used to create a fantastic hemp blend in 5 luscious colors. Have a look.

Transferring images around surfaces is a great way to achieve different details and finishes. Here's a simple technique for paper image transfer.

This one's for the hip cafe lovers - a stylish holder designed by Drew Emborsky. Watch what he has to say about his crochet journeys.

Old magazine covers can be turned in classy little trash bins or holders for craft supplies.

A lovely cover-up perfect for lounging around in. Follow the instructions and learn how to draft, cut and finish the neck and make up this caftan.

The most beautiful quilts can be created with just simple squares and triangles. Take a look at this tutorial that makes half- and quarter-square triangles a snap.

I do like the idea of using some luxurious silk paper for Valentines Day cards. Here's how you can make some lovely paper of your own in your favorite colors.

Make sure all your creations earn credit for you with your own specially created fabric labels. This way of making tags is so easy, I'm off to print up mine.

Mechanization and mass production have led to endless armies of impersonal monotony. One way to beat this parade is to personalize your possessions with monograms. This tutorial shows you how to create bold ones with reverse applique techniques.

Check out this neat font!

Here's what one lady from down under does with cards!

Recycling plastic always gets a thumbs up in my book. This delightful mirror frame is made up of bits and pieces of old plastic.

... Can be a real pleasure if the belt is one you've made with all your favorite scraps.

The Quilters of South Carolina have created one-of-a-kind bras for Breast Cancer Awareness. The forty-nine unique and entertaining bras will hopefully increase public awareness of breast cancer and to help remember those lost to the disease as well as to honor the survivors. The bras will be auctioned at the end of the touring exhibition. Here are a tew -

If you like couture, you can get the PDF pattern to make this John Galliano pirate jacket. Beware - there are 60 pieces to it!

Check out what others have made of it -I particularly like the black and green ones.

One of the tricks to making well-fitting great-looking skirts and pants is getting the zipper right. This tutorial shows how you can use a bit of glue to do so.

Repurpose an old t-shirt into a cute ruffly lounging jacket. Up the fun quotient with glittery trims or ribbons.

Dr. Who, that's who! Get your own amigurumi instructions.

What can you do with your best sheets and pillowcases that are now worn to use? Make them into these cute rag rugs!

Next on the beat the pret series - here's a nice pair of  pants you can sew for a little kid You don't have to buy a pattern, just use an older pair of pants to make one yourself..

Through cold and gloomy winters, I usually accumulate a fair sized pile of ruined tights. This tutorial creatively uses them to make a fiber necklace. The same technique will work for bracelets, belts, hair bands...

I love this idea for fabric bowls - this technique should also work for baskets.

How many times have you had to give up a favorite handbag because the lining gave up on you? Never more - this tutorial shows you how to replace linings in bags to make them more fun. 

Aah - the bane of many a young dressmaker's existence. This tutorial shows you how to master them with a zigzag machine - clear pictures guide you all the way.

If you have an old piece you would like to clean and refresh, here's a step-by-step how-to.

Use your favorite fabrics to make these boxy bags that are perfect for carrying around toiletries or accessories. The lining and  zipper are so easy to do and give a pro touch.

Here's a nice idea for a practical baby gift.

Felted pebbles and stones would make lovely soft paperweights. Here's how.

I love using long rows of little buttons fastened with loops - but they ARE a tad fussy to stitch.
This tutorial has a simple way to do it.

Screen printing can take you into a totally new dimension - with this method, you can translate your design ideas to be larger in size and greater in numbers.

This tutorial has clear instructions and lots of photos for an easy technique.

If you've started knitting this winter, and are working hard at it, one of the questions you may have may be how to join in a second ball of yarn or a new color. Take a look at some of the possible methods here.  

When a bunch of people get together to craft, it soon leads to cups of coffee. And while crafters are great at keeping their needles and scissors straight, coffee cups tend to get all mixed up.

These cute charms are a great way to tell your cups apart.

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

Quilting teachers Judy Sisneros and Susie Ernst will be following this maxim when they travel to Cambodia as part of the 2009 Stitches of Hope Cambodia initiative. Judy and Susie will teach hand quilting to young girls who have been rescued from the slave trade.

    If you are interested in helping with this effort, Judy is looking for assistance in providing the girls with sewing kits, fabrics and sewing machines. Any money raised for the trip will be used to purchase supplies, fabrics, batting, and pay for translation expenses. All donations are fully tax deductible.

I'm definitely in love with these fantastic viking shoes. And this tutorial tells how to make them.

Here's a cool take on reconstructing old knits for a trendy new wearable. if you cant figure out how to do it, don't worry - a tutorial is in the making.

I seem to be obsessed by oven mitts and potholders. Perhaps because I don't really have any nice ones around. Well, even if you do, these dollhouse potholders are so darling, you'll have to make them too! Here's a great tutorial with plenty of pictures.

Frosty winter afternoons are the perfect time to bring out those challenging jigsaw puzzles. Make this lovely mat for puzzles in progress.

Watching TV can be inspiring. Here's what one clever designer did with Beyonce's Golden Globes necklace.

Live in an area where there's no snow? You can still have a snowman out on your front lawn. Or make one for a windowsill.

With fancy cables and tricky lace being all the rage, stitch markers are crucial tools in knitting. Get some of these cute ones for a sweetie who knits, or better still, get some for yourself to use on your needles as you knit those intricate socks for a loved one.

Swiedebie's sock monsters had me rolling on the floor, laughing!

Magnetic snaps can add a professional touch to bags, folders, and purses. This tutorial shows you how easy it is to install one.

Watch out - don't use a magnetic snap for any purse or wallet you may use to carry your cards - the magnetic strip on them may be affected.

Here's a unique gift for Valentine's Day - heart shaped tea bags you can drop into your tubs for a fun and romantic soak. Make some in all your favorite fragrances.

Wrap Skirts are always fun - for one thing, they would fit you every day. And so comfortable, whether you are running around at work, or catching up on your chores. This Iki wrap skirt is super elegant - teamed with a raw silk or jute tunic, it could take you to a party as well!

Read the instructions carefully before starting - once you understand how the wrapping and securing works, it's a breeze to sew. And no zippers to fuss with.

When out on errands, there are times when I prefer not to carry my rather heavy handbag around. A wristlet like this solves the problem - it holds my drivers' license, credit and id cards, keys, and maybe my mobile phone, leaving both my hands free for browsing in stores or carrying the bags!

Thread tension is probably the greatest bugbear for those learning how to use a sewing machine. Watch this video to learn how to get it right.

Snack time can be an activity with these painted sandwiches. 

For all of us pear shaped people out here - finally, an easy way to  perfect fitting jeans. This great tutorial shows you how you can take in the waistband and re-finish it to have a pair of jeans that fit and are finished to perfection.

An old patterned sweater and an hour's time are all that you need to make these wonderful washable cushion covers.

Fibre artist Ann Wood's latest whimsical creation -

In these times of plastic, mass-produced toys, one can't but think fondly of the raggedy cloth dolls of long ago. Not just charming, you can also ensure that they are totally child-safe by making your own with the appropriate materials.

Get this free tutorial to start off. A simple pattern and clear instruction's make this child's play.

You can start making your little girl's clothes right away - this cute skirt is a snap using a ready-made bandana.

On cold winter evenings, there's nothing as nice as snuggling under a blanket surrounded by the warm glow of candles. This tutorial tells you how to make some of your own pillar candles - the molds and waxes you can use, how to prepare a wick, and how to pour the wax.

Once you have the technique, experiment with colors and fragrances to make up your own special collection.

I've always loved ironing. At the risk of being ridiculed, or even labeled downright crazy, I have often publicly confessed to it.

Lately I have realized that the iron is an important tool for all crafting and sewing - pressing down seams in tailoring and quilting, ironing on freezer paper templates and fusible-web appliques, blocking knitting and crochet - using the iron gives me a better finish every single time. And having an ironing space set up right next to my work area makes it even easier.

Start with a lovely table top ironing pad you can lay out on the table right next to you, and try some ironing yourself.

If you've just started crocheting, or are soon planning to, you may be a little confused by all those different hooks that you see out there. Read this to learn more about the various kinds you may come across, and which ones to choose according to your yarn and pattern.

Looks like someone else has a new year's resolution similar to mine - one passionate crazy quilter has started on a journey to stitch twelve dozen different seams over the next twelve months. A great project to follow for beginners and more seasoned embroiderers.

Fat Quarters, Jelly Rolls, and Charm Packs -  most quilters will know that these terms are not exactly what they seem. but have you ever paused to wonder if they are worth what they cost? Check out the bottomline.

Get your knitting and crochet needles and scraps of yarn together, and go from here -














- to here!

Brave newbies can experiment as well.

A friend who will be moving out of the country called yesterday, looking for a home for a barely used airbrush and a never-used calligraphy kit.

So how many of us have splurged on materials or tools for that special project, and ended up just locking up shelf space? Craft on Cue have come up with a very innovative solution to this problem - a craft supply library.

Hope this idea catches on well, and encourages more people to try crafting, and regular crafters to engage in more creative projects.

Brrrr! It's cold out, and most of us would like to carry along a hot drink to help us along as we step outdoors. This cute little cozy is just perfect for that.

When you are expecting a baby, one of the first things you will have to give up may be your favorite pair of jeans - oh wait, now you don't!  Check out this tutorial on transforming regular jeans to maternity.

I am frequently asked the question "what is tempera?". Even most of the artists I know think it refers to what is called poster colors.

Tempera is an artist's medium dating back to the panes and illuminated manuscripts of the Byzantine world and the Middle Ages in Europe. This paint is made by binding pigment in an egg medium, along with other materials such as honey, water, milk and plant gums. It was the most widely used technique until about 1500, after which it was gradually replaced by oil paint.

Italy, Greece, and Russia were the major centers of tempera painting, and even in the present day, it is used to render the Orthodox Icons.The tempera technique was briefly revived in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in Western art, among the Pre-Raphaelites and Social Realists.



Tempera paint dries rapidly. The techniques of tempera painting can be more precise when used with traditional techniques that require the application of numerous small brush strokes applied in a cross-hatching technique. The colors, which are painted over each other, resemble a pastel when unvarnished, deepening when varnished.

Tempera is normally applied in thin, semi-opaque or transparent layers. When dry, it produces a smooth matte finish. As it cannot be applied in thick layers, tempera paintings rarely achieve the deep color saturation of oil paintings. However, tempera colors do not change over time,  and do not darken, yellow, and become transparent with age as oil paints do.

True tempera paintings are quite permanent, and examples from the first centuries AD still exist, such as the Severan Tondo and some of the Fayum mummy portraits.

Tempera is a an easily manufactured, non-toxic, eco-friendly medium. See how you can make some of your own.

I do love this idea of keeping track of what I have managed to do every day - it's so satisfying to look back to see how much one has finished, it reminds me that I can start the next day with as much vigor.


And these original fabric "blackboards" are a great way to keep track of all those "I did!"s.

Okay. Much as I wanted the next post to be on brush and paints, this one is too good not to share.
Potholders and dishcloths are handy to carry around hot dishes, but there's nothing like a good pair of oven gloves in the kitchen. This great tutorial has inspired me to make myself a pair or two.

Next on the "sew your own clothes" odyssey - an easy to make toddler smock. You will learn how to finish edges, and add a necktie and a pocket!

Little ones often get crabby and irritated being indoors on snowy winter days, but there isnt much they can do out there either.

Here's something for safe, fun breaks outside!

The first whole week of the New Year! We all definitely want to start this Monday off on the right foot.

One of my primary goals this year is to get my rather disorganized stash straightened out and pared down. I would like to point all you fellow stashaholics out there to this brilliant primer on how to get started.

Having started very early in life, I've had the chance to learn a great many stitches, some fancy, some utilitarian, and have a few favorites.  If I had to choose the "best" stitch, I guess it would be the ladder stitch. This stitch hides seams so well that I would almost classify it a decorative stitch, as in "improving the finished appearance".
You can find a PDF tutorial here for the ladder stitch.

With the proper tools and the right techniques, plain or corded piping is a breeze. This tutorial helps with both to help you create fantastic finishing touches. Sew right side out and insert the cord without turning the piping for using it between the seams, or skip the cord altogether for a softer piping you can use on clothes.

If you've tried your hand at the 5-minute skirt and are feeling a little more ambitious, Craftstylish have a great tutorial up for a one-seam skirt. You will learn how to draft and sew darts and add shape to the waist, using cozy stretchy fabrics like velvet or fleece to make up a lovely winter skirt.

Here's wishing the world a very happy 2009!

I've never made a new year resolution before, but this year I have two. Both related to art/craft.
The first is to do a little embroidery every day. As I was cleaning the clutter in my workroom last afternoon, I found the perfect starting point for this resolution - a few crazy quilt patches from the UFO pile. Here's the little pistil stitch flower I stitched yesterday.




The second is to draw a face a day. While I'm not interested in doing portraits, I would like to have enough control over my faces to create interesting, emotive visages to go with the greater movement I am seeking in both my paper and fabric figures. This took a little longer than I anticipated, as each time I thought I was done and took a picture, I would find spots that needed more work on them! Anyway, here's what came out of it.

Let's fill this year of change with learning and growing.