Well, it seems that holiday elves have invaded our house...and my art studio, so holiday fun and creativity is bursting out all over...
I spend more time than I should surfing the crafty blogs and following links from crafty blog to crafty blog---the result is a nice list of crafty tutorials of interesting projects--items I would like to make "someday".....
(when does that someday actually arrive?)
Anyhow---here are some links to a few crafty projects I am intrigued by:
1) from the CraftyPod blog---HOW TO MAKE A BOOK WITH PLAYING CARD COVERS
so cute--a small blank book! to fit in your backpack or purse.
2) a yummy knit HOT WATER BOTTLE COZY --with a cable on it! from Yarn-A-Go-Go. This is just how I want to make that old rubber hot water bottle all comfy....
3) Great sewing pattern and instructions for that essential hippy "peasant skirt" from jcarolinecreatvie. Just like those ones I made in the '60's ! and still as comfortable in hot summer weather.
4) How about a purse made from playing cards? from the Craftbits website. A great way to use up those old worn out playing cards you have lying around.
5) How to make your own Embroidered Buttons from the Feeling Stitchy blog. These would be fun on that fabulous handknit sweater--or just to spice up a vintage thrifted blouse.
Have fun!
Lately I have been real busy with designing for my classes at the California School of Professional Fabric Design where I am "master" student---in my last class, and hopefully close to finishing.
Consequently, I haven't been doing much sewing or beading---only knitting--since it is easily transportable. At least that is what I have been telling myself---but when I got busy and really cleaned and organized my crafting studio space---suddenly I found myself sewing up a little project I had been wanting to try for months! So here is to organized studio space (!) and spring flowers....
a spring flower ! created from some ribbons, vintage button, beads....
and this flower using a vintage hanky and vintage button
these are a (surprise!) gift for one of the faithful attenders of my monthly Needlework Salon---she makes fabulous knit & felted hats---which these will trim nicely. She made the soon-to-be grandbaby these fun froggy felted booties--sized to fit a new born, aren't they fun?
CREATIVE EVERY DAY!
Last week the venerable PEACE SIGN turned 50. "First displayed on home-made banners and badges in London on February 21, 1958, to mark the launching of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, the Peace Sign turns 50." Too find out more about who designed the PEACE SIGN and learn about the 50 year history of the PEACE SIGN---I direct you to the excellent website HAPPY BIRTHDAY PEACE.COM.
I stumbled across this site early last week, and ended up using it in our Quaker Meeting's First Day School primary class--we all created our own PEACE SIGNS. We started with a paper plate, and colored or painted or embellished the PEACE SIGN any way we wanted. The children mostly painted or drew on their PEACE SIGNS. I decided to sew buttons on mine--soon the kids were helping to pick out the buttons from the 2 boxes of buttons I had brought, and sewing some buttons on their own PEACE SIGNS. This is a great fun project with primary age kids---little ones can help choose the buttons to use, while older ones can sew them onto the the paper plate template. I cut the PEACE SIGN out of the paper plate before I started sewing the buttons on. We all learned about who designed the first PEACE SIGN, and talked about what Peace meant to each of us.
So here is my last 2 days of the CREATIVE EVERY DAY challenge.
This small "quilt" is titled HOMAGE TO TREES and is part of a series of small mixed media (fabric and paper) quilts I am making on the theme of the Earth and the Environmental Crisis. This is a creative work in progress or WIP.
I started with a vintage deck of Tree Spotter cards
---stitched some cards together, added batting and a fabric backing--and now I'm working on embellishing with buttons, beads and embroidery. I will use the green leaf fabric as a border---and plan to hand quilt the borders....
"I like trees because they seem more resigned to the way they have to live than other things do." --Willa Cather
For months I have been bookmarking online tutorials of wonderful creative crafty projects I want to make...some day....
so here is a short list of a few crafts to make in the New Year:
1) Very Easy Pincushions here from the Purl Bee---the Purl Bee is the online journal of PURL, a shop devoted to beautiful materials and tools for knitting, sewing, quilting and other crafts located in New York. They have a whole lot more great tutorials on their blog---but this one first caught my interest.
2) tiny happy's shoulder bag tutorial---I make my own bags--but I have wanted to try this style for awhile.
3) A pretty crochet flower tutorial from the blog Echoes of a Dream---I can think of many uses for these !
Rick Rack Roses from the blog Nostalgic Needle Art. Wouldn't these make cool additions to a hat?
4) A great tutorial for a button bracelet at the blog Creative Kismet. I love vintage buttons---and have made some bracelets and necklaces with them, but this is a great tutorial---with good illustrations---for a pretty bracelet of buttons which lies flat around your wrist.
5) A luggage tag tutorial from My Longest Year---just a decorative tag to help identify your luggage as it passes by on the conveyor belt....
I guess 5 projects should start the year of 2008 off just fine...more to follow soon!
Only 28 days (yikes!) until that BIG HOLIDAY. Here are some books I think would make great gifts for most Crafters/Artists (most of these are on my wish list):
Kristin Knits by Kristin Nicholas.
Ah! Color for knitters! Noted knitwear designer and color connoisseur Kristin Nicholas encourages knitters to conquer their color inhibitions, learn a little basic color theory, and create personally satisfying fiber palettes. Kristin has created 25 designs for hats, mittens, scarves, socks, and sweaters in sumptious Nashua Handknits Julia Yarn. This book is eye candy I can't wait to own!
Heirloom Buttons to Make: A gallery of decorative fabric, needle-lace, crochet, and ribbon and braid closures you can create by Nancy Nehring. The subtitle says it all here. To quote one Amazon customer review : "If you knit, crochet, or sew and like to give your garments a little extra, this book will give you lots of new ideas."
Favorite Socks: 25 Timeless Designs from Interweave by Ann Budd (Editor), Anne Merrow (Editor). These 25 sock patterns are taken from various issues of Interweave Press magazines such as "Interweave Knits" and "Piecework" and "Spin-Off." Many of the original issues of Interweave Knits have gone out of print and Favorite Socks ensures these patterns are accessible for a new generation of knitters. Besides providing many classic patterns, this collection also includes a helpful tutorial on knitting socks on two circular needles, and instructions for both toe-up and top-down knitted socks.. However, I think this sock knitting book is not for the novice sock knitter---but aimed at more veteran sock knitters--if you have never knit socks, or never used 4 double pointed knitting needles you may want to watch a video or take a class to learn to knit a basic sock.
Crochet Jewelry: 40 Beautiful and Unique Designs by Waejong Kim and Anna Pulvermakher. The 40 crochet projects range from easy to complicated. The instructions at the beginning of the book are quite thorough and cover some unusual techniques not usually found in a crochet book such as hairpin crochet and cable techniques. "Featured projects include multicolored bead and crochet necklaces, lacy spider web chokers, delicate yarn and wire bracelets, lively cherry earrings, mohair flower pins, and pretty cocktail rings embellished with beads and stones." I am an avid bead crocheter, so I am quite intrigued by this book of unusual crochet jewelry.
I have just started working in a bookstore again! so I will be blogging about the store and more crafty books soon--now back to knitting those holiday gifts.....
These are "+ inchies or plus size inchies" since they are 1.5" x 1.5" in size. Sewn with fabrics and laces all layered, then embellished with buttons, beads, stamps---whatever I have that strikes my fancy.
These are so much fun to make, once I get going, I just can't stop! I love making these little miniature works of art---they are fairly quick to make, so I can make about a dozen in a few hours. I have sewn pinbacks onto them, and they are will soon be for sale on my Etsy shop--so if you like any of them, check there! They make lovely pins or brooches to enliven a hat, sweater, or winter coat.
My friend Kari--from Sitka, Alaska--came for a visit and to play in my studio---we made fabric INCHIES! only ours are "inchie +" because we made ours 1.5" x 1.5" ---instead of 1 inch by 1 inch---so we call them "inchie plus" or "plus size inchies" or just "PSI"....
These were a fun quick project---here are some of mine--or the ones I have finished so far...I'm planning to sew pinbacks on these---and presto! instant holiday gifts ;-)
For those who are wondering--an "inchie" is a 1" x1" (or 1.5" x 1.5") fiber square which you can embellish any way you want. This is great way to use up all those tiny bits of interesting fabrics and papers you just could not throw away. Then pull out your fun beads, buttons, and other trims and embellish away.
For great directions on how to make these--via the Quilting Arts Magazine website-- go here and scroll down--the directions area pdf file available for free.
Besides pins--I can think of so many other ways to use these---on a bag or purse as an accent, or even on a sweater. How about ear rings? or a colorful mobile to hang above a baby crib? they are fun to trade with other artists, also...anyone want to trade? just e-mail me.....
A while ago--one of my projects was a series of "mini-quilts." These are about 8.5" X 11.5" in size, and fun to make---since they are fast to finish up! Mostly sewed and quilted on the machine--with bead embroidery and buttons, plus some hand embroidery for embellishment. These are a nice project for using up small bits and pieces of fabric; some of the fabric here is old vintage fabric.
This one has more handstitching and less beadwork...but I love the different orange-ish fabrics--some of these fabrics are I got from my quilter friend Kari (from Sitka, Alaska.) She has the fabric stash to die for! (thanks, Kari!)
I had six of these small quilts hung all on one wall--they made a lovely display. As I make more, I move them around---take some down, or add more.
CODEPINK is a women-initiated grassroots peace and social justice movement working to end the war in Iraq, stop new wars, and redirect our resources into healthcare, education and other life-affirming activities. We reject the Bush administration's fear-based politics that justify violence, and instead calls for policies based on compassion, kindness and a commitment to international law. With an emphasis on joy and humor, CODEPINK women and men seek to activate, amplify and inspire a community of peacemakers through creative campaigns and a commitment to non-violence.
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