mixed grill wrap at monster crochet and the weener scarf all part of project wrongway - fantastic stuff.

Then I came across twinkie chan [via craftnation], and found all the deliciousness that is happening over there in her fridge. Had to post this pic of the buttered toast scarf.

Wouldn’t it be cool, if I had been organized enough to have ordered the most recent issue of Croq Zine, read the article on using old clothes as fabric, and then found something intelligent, interesting, and thought provoking to say about it? For now I’ll have to settle for announcing that I will soon be ordering it, and if anyone wants to check out what it’s all about, have a boo at their etsy shop over here.

I can say that I did order their last issue, and while I have not read the entire thing yet, the parts I have read I’ve quite enjoyed. Also, as you can see on the cover there, in this issue is an article on avoiding crafty burnout, which relates to Betsy’s post a few days ago.

And I love the idea of a crafty zine. It’s like being able to read craft blogs on the bus!

Hello there! It’s been a while. It’s funny how life gets in the way.

I’ve recently been thinking a lot about refashioning clothes and making my own. After being pregnant twice in the past few years my wardrobe is in need of some serious sprucing up but unfortunately my purse/cc is not in favour. I’m also becoming increasingly aware of how i am affecting the environment and buying mass manufactured clothing would not help matters. I have come across some fabulous reconstucted clothes on the net and there are plenty of tutorials out there.

This transformed sweater is fantastic

and check out this skirt constructed from old tee’s! Fab!

I think i’ll be having a go at this, feminized men’s shirt.

(found here at Mecca)

Rachael and i are in the process of putting together Wardrobe Refashion, come on over and take the pledge, you know it makes sense!

Vanessa Yanow “…experiments with many materials, pushing the boundaries of traditional techniques by claiming the preeminence of playfulness as intrinsic to her process.”

I saw Vanessa’s zipper necklaces and bubble earings at cut+paste, there they are described thus … “made from high quality, Swiss-made aluminum (rust-proof, no-scratch, hypo-allergenic, and nickel-free!) zippers which have been altered to transform them into wearable pieces. Each necklace has a hand blown, one-of-a-kind, borosilicate (pyrex) charm that hangs off of the zipper pull. Borosilicate glass is the most resilient glass on the market. It can withstand heat and everyday use. All of the charms are like capsules that contain different objects. A wearable treasure!”

Fantastic freestyle crochet check out ana voog hats

Theme for week 5 - YARN is now open - Go to it! (just remember - interpret the theme loosely - while yarn is the theme - don’t think you have to exclusively use yarn in your project)

And the winners for week 4 are…

Ann Wood - with bird style

fiber need - with pink poodle

under construction daily - with telephone book art

bitter betty and the pin cushion

special mention goes to:
flawed maud - and the candy tiara

viewers choice goes to
art esprit and the leg warmers

sooz mad world and the pillows

I also want to mention the comments from the last post about whiplash. I am really glad that there was so much feedback - and most of it really constructive and useful. Some of these points were really helpful, this blog is just new and these ideas need to be tried and tested, so thank you for doing that for me.

I want to quote a few bits from the comments - and address these issues:
themes - “each time I read the theme, I have no idea what to think whatsoever. But to me, they are purposefully vague and confounding so that you can interpret pretty broadly.” and “Maybe not that many crafters are interested in themes. I haven’t seen one yet that inspired me to make something.”

So themes - I think I imagined people taking the theme and running with it, interpreting it loosely and see what came out of it - I like themes myself - it give a baseline for comparison - what sort of themes would you like?

Discussion
“I do wish that we had a better forum spot to discuss the theme and the entries as a group.”

I really want to add a forum at some stage to whipup, and am hoping to do this sooner rather than later, in the meantime commenting on the relevant post gets to the author and to the other people reading the post - I am really glad there is a community out there and I hoped that whiplash would be a great place to find others and be found if you have a newish blog.

whiplash posts
“there is an awful lot of whiplash on whipup these days–I really enjoyed it before whiplash started.”

True all true, and in the beginning there was rather a lot of whiplash while it was trouble shooted, but now I am keeping to the basics the announcements of the theme and winners and the reviews of the prizes. There won’t be a separate whiplash blog any time soon - but maybe a forum will sort these issues out, and I am thinking of separating the posts out of the main blog somehow down the track.

future whiplash
I love the idea of keeping whiplash going - I will be having a whiplash round 2 and will probably extend the time so more people can participate, I have great prizes for this too, but of course it is not just about the prizes but about sharing your craftyness with others, all suggestions welcome.

time
“there is just no way that I can make something creative and innovative in a weekend and do all the other things I need to do.” and “I also like the short timeframe, because it forces me to not be so critical with my ideas, designs and creations.”

I agree there is just not enough time in the day, as a working mother of two I am acutely aware of time, which is why I thought a quick project would be fun, not so precious, and give many of us without much time, some impetus to get some crafting done. - next time round I’ll make it a little longer eh!

Thank you once again for the very valuable feedback, please keep suggestions and comments coming.
and thank you to the great sponsors for keeping us going!

crochet earings - found on cut+paste - made by Erin at purldrop see also Erin’s art site.

ciao cimba makes some lovely crochet chokers and bracelets


bloodbunny makes these sweet crochet pendants

lovely crochet collar by Fios de Linha

Interweave has a crochet hemp necklace pattern - lovely

Making your own clothes or clothing for your children is so very rewarding. You have something unique and special.

A great tutorial for making a skirt without waistband and a lovely scalloped hem can be found at disdressed.

What the craft has a whole array of tutorials for making original clothing.

Jeremy James will be exhibiting at Art in Clay.

Summer is approaching and so are the potters markets!

The potter’s markets I’ve been to have been held outdoors in often beautiful surroundings. Hundereds of professional potter’s from all over the world show and sell their work and it’s not unusual that you can see how a pot is made. Here are a few of the major European potter’s markets. Enjoy!

Anima Roos will be at Swalmen potter’s market.

26-28th May is Potfest in Scotland. Potfest was founded by Christine and Geoff Cox and has since then grown to include five events in the UK, spread over spring and summer - see their website for information about the dates.

4-5th June Swalmen in Holland.

Virginia Graham will be exhibiting at Potfest in the Park.

10-11th June Enfanga’t in Spain.

13-16th July Art in Action in the UK.

Peter Beard will be exhibiting at Enfanga’t.

4-6th August Art in Clay is held in the grounds of Hatfield House in the UK.

16-17th September Keramisto in Holland.

Rita de Nigris and Martin Kröger will be at Keramisto.

Do you know of any other noteworthy markets that I should mention in future posts? Please email me!

A recent online search for craft theory brought back over 700 hits.

As I find myself somewhat in the midst of -gasp!- craft burnout, I find that without fail, thinking about craft from a theoretical context continues to engage me.

Recently I have noticed similar ripples online of negativity, frustration and overload regarding crafts. For the first time in several years, I have begun to see tremors indicating a possible ‘craft backlash,’ small jolts that are getting closer and closer in proximity. And I wonder if that is because the internet has a way of enlightening us while simultaneously overwhelming us.

I also wonder if it’s because we all get so wrapped up in what’s occurring in craft now that we fail to see that what’s bolstering this craft resurgence is the convergence of the past with the present.

If you, too, are currently a bit miffed and fatigued about the state of craft, please check out the following projects. And remember, cozies don’t have to be ironic to be cool.

American Craft Council
Craft Australia
Crafts Council of England
Maakin Lab
On the Edge Research
Wikipedia definition of craft

Sometimes, when you can’t get your head around a project you’ve been trying to tackle or just want some new inspiration, it’s nice to visit broader craft spectrums in order to better see the legacy that has been left to us.

I love wheat. I mean I love it. I used to bake bread from scratch at least once a week. I won four ribbons for my killer pie crust at our neighborhood block party. So when my doctor told me September 12, 2005 that I needed to stop eating gluten, a protein found in wheat and other grains, say, for the rest of my life because it was causing major health problems, I was really sad.

But one day I ran across the Sew Dorky Donut website (makers of fine handstitched donuts since 2004),. It brought such a smile to my face. Somehow it helped in the grieving of giving up wheat. Not one to collect stuff, my husband was stunned when I told him how much I wanted one. So I was delighted months later on Christmas morning when I pulled this one out of my stocking. It even has the weight and density of a real donut. It’s so glamorous isn’t it? And I love the packaging. Somehow having it around makes it easier to forgo wheat. Now if they only made pizzas too…

Thank you to all the whipup readers who entered week 4 of the whiplash comp - chic to classic. As I was going through the excellent entries and discovering great new crafty blogs I saw this entry and had to post it because I have been thinking the same thing.

“It just boggles my mind that more people aren’t entering in the Whiplash weekly competitions. I know there are over 700 subscribers in bloglines for people reading Whip Up on a regular basis. So, with all of the crafty people out there, where are the submissions??? Is it the fear of being judged? The fear of losing? (I should have wrote this last week). Don’t think of it that way. Forget all about the prizes and judging. It’s all about sharing right? Most people have a crafty/art blog to SHARE their stuff right? So why not start sharing it with other Whip Up readers? For me, I know it has been a great way to discover other wonderfully talented people out there in the blog world, make new friends AND see other peoples take on the different challenges. It’s no fun if you can’t see all the great inginuity and what better way to share all that inginuity than through Whip Up?” Thanks Regina for your great entry and for having your say.

What did you think of this weeks entries - who would get your vote? - What was your favourite new blog find too while we are at it?

Only 2 more weeks of the whiplash challenge - is everyone holding out for the last week to enter?

Try altering used clothing into functional art without losing the personality and tailoring of the original garment. The Quilts of Gee’s Bend are a popular example of people who use old clothing and material for necessity and create something beautiful. German designer Edson Raupp walks a similar path with his line called “Suitcase”, except that he is using old clothing for the beauty and precision that are inherent in the original design.

The pieces in Edson Raupp’s collection feature hidden buttons and pockets, lapels, stiches, and tailoring with all the brilliant lining and detailing intact, in very hardy and beautiful bags for women and men. Derived from a joint effort to preserve the beauty of suit tailoring and provide recycled materials, Raupp bought beautiful dark suits from charity shops in London and made items like the large suitcase bag, the medium suitcase bag, and the suit sleeve handbag that currently debut in London’s Victoria and Albert Museum Shop and in the touring Craft Council Exhibition, Well Fashioned: Eco Style in the UK.

Ann little “The changing light and colours of the Scottish landscape are the inspiration for my enamel surfaces. Natural objects from my surroundings become tools to create forms and textures. … I like the idea that a piece of jewellery can change each time you wear it or even as you wear it”.

I came across the pattern for Kay’s (from mason dixon knitting) button hole bag (pdf file) on bemused. - want to join the mason dixon knitalong - from the mason dixon book (which I received in the mail on Friday and it is wonderful).

Great website called fieltromania - a blog all about felt. The latest post is an interview with Betz White, there was also a link to Fran Allison who makes these beautiful flowers from linen hankerchiefs (see image). Also a link to this tutorial by Alice Disse on making felted flowers.

Fred flare video podcast [via kraf-o-la]. And speaking of podcasts, Craftsanity.com has a new one up, conversation with our very own crochet dude - Drew.

new tie on on theme is up, and the yellow and white themed flickr page is up too. I love looking through the entries and finding new blogs and websites, for example Ruth Singer textiles, where this great neckpiece came from.

The Whiplash competition has some great sponsors behind it.
(more…)

There’s a lot of great stuff going around lately on reconstructing t-shirts (see: Tease, Generation T, oh my stars, t-shirt surgery forum, etc), but I’ve also been noticing a bunch of cool ideas for decorating existing t-shirt with minimal to no sewing required.

First there’s the freezer paper craze that has spread like wildfire since Amy introduced the idea (image above is from hannah at huffmania). Check out these versions at the small object, two rabbits, soulemama,. Also, there’s a new flickr group started to share freezer paper stencil designs with lots of great ideas.

Simple, but cool quilted circles idea at little birds

Applique shirt at craftlog

vintage crochet shirt idea by sabine brandt

Leaf shirt at weewonderfuls

Or try some fancy embroidery to spruce up t-shirts or hoodies, like this craftster member, using sublime stitching patterns and instructions. Keep in mind that she recommends using tearaway stabilizer when stitching on t-shirts!

I generally write about sewing and quilting but I don’t think I’ll be stepping on anyone’s toes if I include a post about kumihimo will I? Kumihimo is a form of Japanese braiding that my husband and business partner, Bill Kerr, has fallen in love with. Traditionally it required very complicated devices to weave beautiful patterns into cords. That is until Bill discovered the revolutionary kumihimo disc sold by our quilting supply wholesaler Quilters Resource www.quiltersresource.com for US$12.

Despite several requests to Quilters’ Resource for the English instructions that were advertised to come with it, we have been unable to get our hands on them. Although Bill has a wife (me) who is fluent in Japanese and can actually read the instructions that come with it, he insisted on figuring it out without my help and he did. Whatever, honey…So if you’re adventurous or have a Japanese reader in your midst you might want to give it a try.

This thing uses regular embroidery floss and is wonderfully portable for those of us who spend a lot of time in what Dr. Seuss refers to as The Waiting Place—waiting for gymnastics, swimming, Chinese dance or Tae Kwon Do to be over, waiting for the school bell to ring, waiting for doctors. Like knitting, kumihimo is also acceptable busy work for the daughter who wants us to watch, at least occasionally, as she masters the cartwheel or the roundhouse kick.

So what do you do with these braids once their done? Traditionally they were used as ties for jackets worn over kimono, but I plan to use mine as evening bag handles or insanely elegant drawstrings for other types of bags. I may use them for a jacket one day. One 11-year-old boy we have turned on to kumihimo is making friendship bracelets with them. Bill, being less goal-oriented than I (and I mean that as a compliment… I think), insists that you don’t have to do anything with them. It’s just about making something beautiful. Very Zen, don’t you think?

A recent dyeing post at the blue blog made me look twice. fantastic colour combinations and a great list of dyeing tutorials and online resources to help you out. I checked out scouts blog as per instructions to see the dye-along which looks like a fun idea.

The three winners are:
(more…)