via caterina fake’s blog, i just saw the slanket- a blanket with roomy sleeves. i know it’s getting warmer for some of us, but for others they are heading into the cooler seasons.

it reminded me of the warm hands cushion and the rug slippers by the wildly imaginative Belfast-based artists/designers from Electric Wig. oh all their work is lovely. also check out the crochet collection 2003 (furniture that incorporates crocheted elements and peg board tops) ; and the embroidered table (like a bedside table with holes you can bring a string through) from 2004.

the work by Electric Wig is thoughtful. from environmental concerns (like the small shelf under a light switch to stop the excuse that you could not shut the lights off because ‘your hands were full’) to design for accessibilty (special socks for a carer whose knees were often sore).

Jeffrey Yamaguchi has donated 3 copies of his book ‘52 Projects‘, ‘random acts of everyday creativity’, to be given away.

When I received the book in the mail I was so excited, having seen it around and read several reviews and having been an avid reader of 52projects the blog. Such a good resource for getting the creative juices flowing. I also went and downloaded a couple of podcast interviews with Jeffrey to help me get a better idea of the person behind the book. Having emailed Jeffrey a few times and always receiving such enthusiastic and positive responses I sort of knew what a great guy he must be. I encourage you to listen to the pod cast interviews as he has such a great voice and creative spirit, and it was interesting too hearing about his previous projects and how the book all came about. {craftypod and craftsanity}

52 projects the book is neat and smooth and handy for travel, easy to read and beautiful to hold and look at. Opening it for the first time was exciting, I wasn’t quite sure where to begin, I began by flicking through in a hurry to absorb everything. Once I had that out of my system I slowed down and began from the beginning. Before Jeff gets to the projects he starts off with some short essays on creativity, what making projects does for him and what others can get out of it too. He says that projects tap into “how you see the world and what you’re feeling on the inside” and “making projects stretches the imagination and generates new sources of energy”. I like this philosphy and felt a kindred-ness with this book from this point on.

Most of the projects are either writing or photo/art based, and tend to be quick projects that give a sense of instant satisfaction. They are centred around ways to instigate your creativity, jumping off points to bigger and longer projects, or simply fun projects to get back in touch with your inner child. Amongst the many good ideas Jeff has snuck in a couple of eclectic ones, like no. 28 - collecting broken umbrellas in the rain and burying them, documenting the whole event, and no. 43 where he suggests making a huge cake with an obscure message on top and leaving it in the kitchen at work to be mysteriously found. Another thing about this book which I enjoyed is Jeff’s quirky, slightly irreverent, views on the establishment, such as his suggestion to take a sickie and simply use the day for yourself. But don’t get me wrong, there are lots of serious projects here too, such as no. 6 writing a letter to your loved ones for the day your life is at its end.

All in all I think this book has some great ideas, good writing instigations to get rid of writers block or to encourage those who don’t think they have any talent to just give it a go. Also some fun weekend projects, group projects, party projects, projects for friends and projects for yourself. These are not home handyman projects or gardening projects or craft projects, this is not a ‘how to’ or ‘diy’ book, instead it is a thoughtful ideas book, get off the couch, turn off the TV and think about life book.

Sponsored by … check out these fantastic supporters of whip up.

First of all I want to thank everyone for all of the fabulous suggestions posted in the comments last week. One recurring theme in the e-mails and comments I’ve recieved about recycled clothing is “I want to make my old clothes into new clothes, but I don’t know how to get started.” That’s where this post comes in. Here, we take old man pants and transform them into a li’l pleated skirt, embelished with one of these lovely fabric flowers from Wise Craft. Of course, there are many MANY more ways to remake your old duds, and for many more ideas, check out the links at the end of this post!

1. Seam rip hem stitches and cut off any part of the cuff that may be worn out. 2. Turn pants inside out and seam rip the inseam, from ankle to crotch to ankle. 3. Put pants on inside-out and mark on the side of the thigh where you’d like the skirt to end (before the pleats). Also, mark at the back of the skirt, at the widest part of your bottom (each marked here with a red “x”). Now, draw a line one inch below the mark on the side of the thigh, perpendicular to an intact side seam. 4. In this picture I’ve added that red dotted line to show how you can follow the natural line from the zipper down to the bottom of your skirt. Baste this, as well as a similar line you’ve drawn from the point you’ve marked as the widest part of your bottom down to the edge of the skirt. I say *baste* because this is the part where a tiny bit of fitting comes in. My seam below the zipper worked fine, but I had to adjust the one at the back a bit, as you can see here:

Now, once you’ve got the seams right, stitch along your baste lines. And then, seam finish around the bottom edge of your skirt (I used a zig-zag stitch), and set this part aside.

Next:

Pleats:

5. cut two long rectangles of fabric out of each pant leg you’ve cut off (mine were 8″ x 24.5″). Sew these together, end to end, until you have a really long strip. Now fold this strip lengthways (right sides together) and stitch together to make one long tube. 6. First turn the tube right side out, then press the tube flat, then press in pleats. I made my pleats random and just kept and eye on how long my tube was once folded as I knew the hem of my skirt was about 42″ around. 7. to finish the edges of the tube, I folded each end inside about a half inch and hand stitched closed. Now, pin the pleated fabric onto the skirt overlapping about one inch. 8. I had left my pleated piece a little shorter than my skirt hem on purpouse to have a little gap/side slit, and this of course is where I attached my fabric flower, which I made with some of the leg scraps. Once I’d finished my skirt I decided I didn’t like how the front pockets kind of “pooched out” at the sides, so I went ahead and sewed them shut with just a single line of stitching along the pocket edge.

And that’s pretty much it! This is the first how-to type post I’ve written for whip up, so please let me know if things don’t make sense.

Want to see more ways to re-do a wardrobe?

From not martha, a full length jean skirt
Gorgeous things from Revamp Designs
More skirts and some great looking “t-shirt sugery” at Oh My Stars Craft
And if you’ve ever wondered how to turn a bedsheet into a Jellyfish dress, check out this post at Pearl of Civiliation

Secret Diary 18: “Up to speed” (C) 2005 by Angela Moll, 46″h x 56″w

Textiles and fiber have a weird way of soaking up memories. When I sit down to knit or quilt, I am flooded with the details of the times I have worked on the piece before — the movie or music that was playing in the background, the weather, my state of mind, the feeling of my dog nestled up against me. This doesn’t happen nearly as powerfully with other daily routines and objects, like cooking or turning on a lamp or what have you. And of course a finished object is infused with the texture of the times and mental space in which in was created, which you revisit every time you wear or use your creation.

Quilt artist Angela Moll (who I learned about thorough Hillary of Wee Wonderfuls) explores this phenomenon overtly in her Secret Diary series. She screenprints text from her real journals onto fabric and cuts them up, rendering her words all but illegible. The pieces are mixed up and reassembled improvisationally, just like memories preserve the texture but not the structure and sequence of real time. I not only love the statement she’s making, I love the Gee’s-Bendy construction and colorplay as well.

Fun fact: like our most recent Quilt Artist of the Week (and Denyse Schmidt, come to think of it) Ms. Moll is a young quilter with a background in computers and design. It’s interesting to see these sensibilities informing what I feel brave enough to deem a whole new era in quilts.