Very good craft blog with an excellent regular geek crafts posts as well as political crafting. I love this stuff. Including robots by Hilary, cross stitch. Check out the no-sew nintendo controller wallet from Instructables and exterminiknit Dalek knitting pattern (pictured).

A fantastic way to reuse old cigarette cases or tins is to turn them into needle cases. This case I made was deep enough to carry some embroidery floss too - handy for embroidery on the go. They’re still easy to find at flea markets, and junk/antique shops - this one was only £3 at a boot fair here in the UK. Great gifts for needle craft enthusiasts!

This tutorial shows how to use a cigarette case but a tin can be done the same way using just the deeper side of the container and hot-gluing the fabric into the case.

Supplies: cigarette case or tin - two pieces of fabric 1/2 inch larger than case - tracing paper - pencil - scissors - tape - card - needle & thread - batting - chalk Optional: narrow ribbon or elastic and a glue gun may be necessary

How to:

(1) Choose a case. If it’s fairly deep like the silver one, it can hold some floss too.

(2) Use tracing paper to carefully trace around the inside rim of the case.

(3) Put tape on the underside of the shape you’ve traced and tape it to a piece of card. Cut the shape out of the card and place it inside the case to check the size.

(4) Use the tracing paper shape to cut out a piece of any type of batting (wadding.) Note: If your case is shallow use something light weight.

(5) Choose a piece of fabric, something that won’t get easily damaged by needle holes like velvet, or felt. I used a scrap piece of velvet. Put the tracing paper shape down on the wrong side of the fabric and roughly trace around it adding at least 1/2 inch or 1cm excess to each side, then trim the corners back.

(6) Center the batting on the wrong side of the fabric, then place the card stock on top of the batting. Secure the fabric by stitching corner-to-corner diagonally (all 4 corners) then stitching the top and bottom edges and the left and right edges, pulling it taut as you sew. If the corners are bulky, try putting a few tight stitches down the diagonal edges to help lay them flat. NOTE: Be sure to pull the fabric taut, but not so much that you curve the card inside.

(7) Most cases have a rim around the inside, just pop the padded fabric piece you’ve made into the case and under the rim, it should fit snugly. If your case has no rim or the padded piece isn’t snug enough, sand the inside down to create a key and hot-glue it into the case (this is necessary if you use a tin instead of a case.)

(8) Cover another card with fabric the same as the first but leave out the batting (another piece of batting would add too much bulk) - use this one to line the other side of the case. Now fill the padded side with needles of your choice, finished.

OPTIONAL: Many old cases will have little looped edges where elastic or a leather strip once held cigarettes in. I sewed ribbon into those loops mainly for decoration but they are also handy for holding bits.

About the project designer:

Joan Gorman was an art director and graphic designer in Northern California for several years before moving to England in 1997. Her move and parenthood prompted a simpler, less hurried lifestyle. She’s now a primary school art teacher, mother of two, freelance designer and regular contributor to children’s magazines. She displays her work and shares ideas on her site ninimakes.

To contribute your design, tutorial or story please read the contributor guidelines - this month we are taking submissions for easy and simple crafts.

Garment roundup!

Crocheted bodice dress by Green Kitchen

Jacket from a Japanese pattern, by All Buttoned Up

Dress from this Burda patter + Ikea shower curtain, by Fehr Trade (which was included in a recent New York Times article on Ikea hacks)

Skirt from thrifted sheet and Sew What! Skirts pattern, by Supafine

And Red Sylvia made this skirt from this McCall’s pattern

Red sundress by Julie Ree for her twin sister

Linen reversible wrap skirt and Built by Wendy top by Soulemama

Jodi Green is documenting her brilliant MFA thesis work here at her blog and at her flickr. The fact that she is making all her own clothes and printing the fabric is pretty cool to begin with, but the icing on the cake is her plan to not wear the same thing twice.

“This project started as a way of questioning the value of the hand work put into textiles for the body and the home in comparison with my “real” work in the studio, and the lack of value that my many efforts in textiles and knitwear design had in the context of my candidacy for a Master of Fine Arts degree. This questioning led me to strive to unify my studio work and my work in fashion by not only wearing my prints (as a uniform, or as a costume) every day, but to allow my handwork to be destroyed, if necessary, by my printmaking, and to document that process of destruction. To this end I am printing on fabrics, sewing clothes from those fabrics, then printing on the clothes, wearing each garment only once before altering it again. When the weather turns colder I will make sweaters, inking them up and printing from them and continuing to wear them; my clothes will become the printing matrix as well as the printing surface. The printmaking inks will not hold up to repeated washings, so the normal wear and tear that clothing endures will lead to the destruction of the printing at the same time that the printing is bringing about the destruction of the clothes.”

Is a family affair… knitting, creating and making is part of this families ethos. An incredibly talented bunch - I particularly enjoy the children’s knitting experiments and designs. Quite fantastic. The family consists of Stephen and Catherine (Kiki) and their two daughters Lilly and Lucy. The entire family enjoys knitting, traveling, and producing art for their Luscious Gracious Studio. As well as their blog they also have an online magazine where they provide free (under a creative commons licence) patterns, tutorials and articles. One of their patterns is available on knitty.com. Check out this post - full of dragons and sweaters and toys.

Connecting craft artists in Ireland Irishcraftupdate.com/blog is here! Once you begin in a craft it will most definitely lead to other things and so most craft people will dabble and master many different skills together. Irishcraftupdate.com/blog is providing the link between crafts. Information is sourced from the Craft Council of Ireland, County Enterprise Boards, Craft Associations, guilds, and most importantly from Crafts People themselves. Karen Harper has been writing a newsletter for some months now and emailing it to over 400 subscribers. The Blog site will allow people to subscribe and receive new posts when they are written, and keep them updated with all events. For additional information contact harperkaren[@]eircom.net.

If you are interested in Irish craft blogs make you check out siopa Eile

Registration is now open for The American Craft Wholesale Show in Baltimore Feb 19-21, 2008 Baltimore Convention Center. f you’re looking for a competitive advantage for your business, this is it. With more than 850 of the nation’s leading craft artists in one place, this show is the one stop event for anyone who’s looking for what’s new, what’s hot, and what’s happening today in American craft.

Fibre & Stitch is a new “online mixed media zine,” available as a PDF download and focused on mixed-media projects combining fibre, paper, paint, and other art forms. The zine is 62 pages worth of articles, interviews, and detailed tutorials for a range of projects and techniques, published four times each year, and available through one-time purchase or subscription.

Projects include a fun candy-wrapper box, sun printing on fabric, paper quilting, and beautiful collaged and stitched “door” art pieces.

Each project is given several pages of detailed instructions and step-by-step progress pictures. I found the instructions consistently easy to follow and understand even if the techniques and materials used were new to me.

The website also offers many free project tutorials; I love the fabric charms - these could look so modern or charming and cute, depending upon the fabrics and colors chosen. A reader-submitted version even used the instructions to make cheerful magnets!

Just in time for autumn (well, at least in the northern hemisphere) a fun acorn softie tutorial from Old School Acres.

my paper crane has done it again and come up with something totally cool and original

Whiptips craft advice column for readers to ask questions or offer advice by leaving comments. Whiptips archive here. Questions to whiptips@gmail.com.

I’m just getting back to quilting and my sewing machine is outdated and, well, I’m having to thread the bobbin by hand. I’d like to buy a new machine that would be dependable, good at basic functions, easy to use, and decent for doing some machine quilting. Would anyone have some suggestions for good machines or machines to avoid?

Stephanie

Rodney Rayner - Square Talon Ring, Mogul Pendant, Marquis Mogul Earrings…

Andrew Lamb - Pear Pendant Necklace, Alexandrite Ring and Perspective Brooch…

From the 14th to the 18th of September, Sotheby’s, London is holding a selling exhibition of some of the countries leading jewellery work. In addition to the wide array of beautiful jewels that will be on display, there will be the opportunity to meet many of the makers and to hear them talk about their work and what inspires them.

The exhibition encompasses many leading names in the jewellery industry, from established jewellers in the high-end luxury market such as Stephen Webster and Theo Fennell to designer makers [whose work is more often seen in Galleries] such as Wendy Ramshaw and David Watkins. It is wonderful also to see the inclusion of newer faces on the scene such as Andrew Lamb [work pictured above] and Zoe Arnold….

You can email londonrocks@sothebys.com for more information about the exhibition.

I am sad not to be able to make it down to see this exhibition myself as I am sure this will be a wonderful event…but I would love to hear from any of you who are able to attend - please leave comments here and let us all know how it was if you make it. The catalogue is also beautifully produced with stunning photography and interesting biographical details about each jeweller, so is well worth picking up too.

pinwheel baby jacket from the blue blog

Kusha Kusha scarf: Silk Stainless Steel. Pre-felting. from black dog knits

Sunrise Circle Jacket by Kate Gilbert, Interweave Knits Spring 2006 from clementine’s shoes

practical polly - wonder woman jumper (via CRAFT) - she says This jumper took me 14 months to make, and makes me very, very happy (star charts available)

A quirky collection of great books that would make excellent gifts.

For the Teenager:

Cool JewelsCool Jewels: Beading Projects for Teens by Naomi Fujimoto, published by Kalmbach (July 10, 2007)

This book has big appeal to teens (and a good resource for beginners too), with sections on finding your own style and personalising your designs, making use of different types of beads and accessories and techniques is all included. There are some great ideas on charm bracelets, beaded belts, natural beads and materials. This book is published by Bead Style Magazine and definitely has that magazine feel to it (without the ads), bold easy to follow directions, colourful images and lots and lots of projects. Good value and a great gift.

For the knitter:

Stephanie Pearl-McPhee Casts Off: The Yarn Harlot’s Guide to the Land of Knitting by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, published by Storey Publishing, LLC (March 22, 2007)

Stephanie does it again with another gem of a book filled with wisdom and stories and advise. Not only a good read but useful too. There’s knitting sports, guide to good knitting reads, knitting for peace, environmental issues, fabulous notable knitters, how to find knitting friends …. and lots more.

For the Geek:

Extreme Office Crafts: Creative & Devious Ways to Waste Office Supplies & Company Time by Jimmy Knight, published by Lark Books (March 28, 2007)

Hilarious and outrageous book - crafts include making puppets from plastic water cups, there are paper clip creatures, memo pad voodoo dolls, sticky note mosaics and a whole heap more ridiculously stupid and crazily funny things to make (while you should be working!).

For the beginner sewer:

Sew-It Kit: 15 Simple and Stylish Sewing Projects for the Home by Amy Butler, Colin McGuire (Photographer), published by Chronicle Books (September 6, 2007)

This is a terrific little kit - in a hard box container fabric samples and matching cotton, information booklet, recipe cards and patterns. Very neatly and snugly packaged - a gorgeous gift. Patterns include a laundry bag, recycled wool blanket pillow cover (my personal favourite), a kitty tunnel and sleeping mask - and a few more besides. Very stylish. (one commenter mentioned that most of the patterns in here are not new - that is true - so please be aware of that if purchasing for yourself and you already own the book)

One lucky reader who leaves a comment telling us what their favourite Amy Butler pattern that they have made is - can win a great Amy Butler package - including In Stiches (the book), Sew It Kit, Sunblooms Journal, Sunblooms Notecards and Sunblooms Stationery Box.

Comments will be closed on Monday and the winner announced next week,

For the kids and kids at heart:

Softies: Simple Instructions for 25 Plush Pals by Therese Laskey, with introduction by Leah Kramer and photos by Laurie Frankel, published by Chronicle Books; Spi edition (August 6, 2007)

A practical book (spiral bound), with patterns and designs that have been submitted by various toy makers around the world. From the incredibly simple and basic (yet still fun - eg - the lonely dollop - of poo - designer Shawn Smith) to the quite advanced (two headed pig/wolf by designer Lizette Greco) and everything in between. Some of my favourites include Beck Wheeler’s Patricia strange alien doll with a huge mouth and the snow bunny by Tamar Mogendorff. There is quite a mix of designs from the arty and strange, to the eclectic and recycled to cute and fuzzy. Not everything is sewn - there is crochet and needle felting too and not everything is precious natural materials - some of these are made from garish acrylics with a bit of glue and a bit of hand stitching.

For the Gardener (who lives in Australia):

Australia’s open Gardens 2007/08 GUIDE The Essential Guide for Garden Lovers, published by ABC Books.

Gardens across Australia are open for a few months - gardeners can show off their hard work and glorious garden designs and plantings and garden architecture, and garden lovers are able to get inspiration and talk to real gardeners about their successes and failures.

Thank you to everyone who opened up and shared their business experiences - their hurdles and their achievements and there sure were some great big ones. Please go and read them all and be inspired by these great people. Here are the five people chosen by Meg and Chronicle to receive a copy of Megs book Craft Inc. Enjoy! (you will be contacted in a few days via email - if not please contact me whipup[@]gmail.com

Little miss meshell

I haven’t started my business yet, I’ll be opening in 2008, but I think my biggest hurdle will be finding out all the really important information I need to know before I start (ie. legal, tax, business & wholesale information). I’ve delved into it a little bit and it is already making my head spin! I think figuring out what handmade work should be worth is always going to be hard too.

As for proudest moment, I think it would be absolutely amazing to stumble across someone wearing/carrying one of your pieces whilst you are out doing something like the food shopping or etc. That would be fab.

Andrea from Let it fly

I haven’t started my business yet either, in the “selling” sense. I started my blog about 6 months ago and began renting a studio two years ago so I could consistently create work and have somewhere to leave it and come back to it, out of the reach of my two children! :) The biggest obstacle I am finding is knowing what the next step is. I’m not sure what I need legally to get my type of business off the ground and although there is a lot of information out there about small business in general, I feel a bit lost about establishing an online art/craft business. Another obstacle is balancing a part time job (that is helping to pay the rent and keep the blog functioning) with time in the studio so I can create work to sell!

I have two proudest moments so far……..1) was the day I handed the first rent check over to the landlord of my studio. Getting married and having two wonderful children put the dream of having my own studio space (outside my home) on hold for a long time. Now I can spread out and make a mess and LEAVE it there for the next time. 2) is the day I started my blog. I set a goal for May 1st 2007 and I kept the promise to myself without letting my other obligations throw me off track.

gajettes

My biggest hurdle was overcoming my HUGE fear of failing and holding back for a really long time because of it. Currently, my biggest hurdle is finding a healthy balance between job, family, and business.

My proudest moment was when my family (mom, dad, brother and sister-in-law) went into a store that carries my things and the owner told them about someone who saw one of my skirts outside, came in tried it on, and left wearing it. When my mom called to tell me that story she was sooo happy for me - it made me feel awesome!

kathy from pink chalk studio

My biggest challenge is focus. Deciding which ideas to pursue. I have a gazillion things going on in my head at any moment in time. Just walking the kids to the bus stop generates at least 10 things that need a fun pattern. A lack of focus can lead to a lack of action. I’ve been trying to be heads down lately and see things through the rough days. One foot in front of the other. Pick a task and grind it out. I’m always amazed at what comes out the other side, things I didn’t imagine were possible.

Right now my most satisfying moments are e-mails I receive from people off line from blog comments. Women that have never commented publicly but feel motivated to send me a note thanking me for inspiring them, for the clear instructions in my pattern, how accomplished they felt making something for their grandkids. I really can’t describe how that feels except that it tells me I’m right where I should be, doing what I’m supposed to be doing.

rebecca from living the charmed life

My biggest hurdle seemed to deal with time management and motivation. I would come up with great ideas but I would put off producing the amount of these things that I needed to have the inventory for displays in shops or shows. I really think it was a mental block, wondering if I was good enough, if I would fail or succeed, etc. I mean, as long as I was in the planning stage, there was hope for the future. Once I did it, if I failed, then I officially was a failure. (OK not true, but that’s how it feels in my mind sometimes.) I sometimes like the potential of a project more than actually getting deep into it and seeing all of the flaws and problems. I mostly overcame that by setting myself production goals. For example, maybe 10 very simple pendants a day for 10 days in a row. It got me in the habit of working v’s planning to work.

My second biggest hurdle (or maybe it’s tied for first) was Katrina nearly destroying my home. The last two years I have used my studio for storage while I repaired my home. I’m almost back to normal finally. YAY!

My proudest moment was being asked to be the featured artist at the holiday open house of a store that’s too nice for me to even shop there. But she is carrying my stuff now, she’s excited about it, and she wants to put me on display. So I get to wear grown-up clothes and sit with my jewelry and talk to customers and try to pretend like I’m not dying from nerves.

Hi! I just wanted to share the granny squared blanket, from a Paton pattern, that I have just finished. It is a different take on the granny square in that it is just one large square, no sewing squares together. Link

Mary-Lou wrote: I see that your theme for this month is recycling / using things up. Last year I acquired a large amount of eyelash yarns for charity knitting, and I still had a lot left over after I had knitted loads of scarves. It felt wrong to just dump it as some people suggested, and I was pretty sure that I wasn’t going to be able to offload it on eBay, so I decided to use it all up and make a blanket. See instructions and images - link.

To help support & promote indie business owners there will be no vendor fees for The Creative Bazaar! The date is set for Saturday, October 13th, 2007 from 11AM - 6 PM
The Creative Bazaar is an independent craft fair that will feature a variety of vendors. email your name, what you sell, your website link, and how you want to be listed on the vendor link. You will receive a return email within a week that will confirm your place and give you additional information. No tents. Tables are not provided. In return we ask you to help promote The Creative Bazaar by emailing your friends, posting on forums, calling radio stations, contacting newspapers, posting on your blog; anyway you can think of to spread the word. Your space is free, but the venue is not. There is a chip in button on the sidebar of the blog for when you are feeling generous~ Thank you!

Big news items from Felt Club HQ! Applications are now online for the HOLIDAY event on November 18. New location, the campus at Los Angeles City College on Vermont! And teaming up with Maker Faire to present “Maker Square” at Felt Club.

And a reminder about Canberra’s Craft-a-noon

So, because its super fun to make random stuff out of material/paper/anything - a sewing “jam” could be fun. With like minded people, sewing machines, coffee and stuff. Bring some crafty supplies, a sewing machine, or anything at all. We can make a group project or individual things, or just listen to cheesy community radio and chatter.

Sunday 16th September 3-5pm || Friends of Blue Gum Lounge, Hackett Shops || RSVP Fri 7th sept. heather.cocquio[@]gmail.com

Quilt National 2007: The Best of Contemporary Quilts (Quilt National) published by Lark

Weeks has already written about this book and her experience of Quilt National here, Weeks is right - it is a breathtaking book, full of so many amazing and gorgeous quilts - a big inspiration to aspiring quilt artists.

The Painted Quilt by Linda Kemshall (Author), Laura Kemshall (Author) published by David & Charles (August 28, 2007)

I am really excited by the possibilities of surface design - and this book gives an insight into how quilt artists Linda and Laura Kemshall work. Linda Kemshall trained as a painter and now works mainly in the field of textiles and mixed media. Laura Kemshall trained in Textiles and works as a fine artist and also sells her hand dyed fabrics and threads. The book discusses the various elements that are used in the making of these quilts - which include colour, illusion, perspective, texture, shapes and how to create these using various techniques. Techniques discussed include drawing on fabric, creating a design with collage and transferring that design to the fabric, using printing techniques. Of course fabric is discussed in depth - treating it, colouring it, creating pattern and a large section on fabric dyeing - is particularly useful. The stages of the process are both before and after quilting (painting the quilt afterwards requires some courage - but as the authors say - it is all part of the plan.) There are heaps of other processes - including the quilting itself as a way to add depth, detail and texture to the quilt. This is definitely an interesting method of making art quilts and looks like it would be heaps of fun and very satisfying.

Simple Contemporary Quilts: Bold New Designs for the First-Time Quilter by Valerie Van Arsdale Shrader published by Lark Books (June 1, 2007)

A great look at contemporary quilt makers and their designs. Several quilt designers have submitted their quilts with patterns and explanations - aimed at the beginner quilt maker, the quilts in this book range from bold geometric designs to whimsical landscape or animal shapes, to others with a focus on texture and quilting. Hillary Lang’s quilt has a focus on fabric and pattern - with a mixed up patch quilt. Wendy Gratz has a bold geometic design in black and white, Shari Lidji has designed a simple white quilt with some coloured stripes, the focus here is texture and the hand embroidery. Jen Swearington has a silk quilt with bold circle design, using hand cut circle appliqués with transparent fabrics overlain to add depth. Amy Karol has a whimsical piece with an imagined landscape, using free motion quilting, appliqué and decorative stitches.

The Uncommon Quilter: Small Art Quilts Created with Paper, Plastic, Fiber, and Surface Design by Jeanne Williamson published by Potter Craft (October 9, 2007)

Kim wrote about Jeanne Williamson’s quilt a week - journal quilts a while back. And this is the book of her seven years of a quilt a week. In this book there are 52 projects for artists to use quilting in a very unique way using everyday materials and found objects. The book is divided up into type of medium and as well as ideas and inspiration there are instructions for quick as well as more complicated quilts. All the projects are for small diary quilts, but of course this method of working can be incorporated into large quilts and wall hangings.

Jeanne is a particular fan of using uncommon quilt materials - hence the title of the book. Some of these materials include found plastics and papers like shopping bags, sushi grass, construction fencing and onion sacks. To find out more check out the website of the book and Jeanne also has a blog and another website with more of her work.

Over at Be*mused today I found that Jan had done some amazing work repairing a beloved blankie belonging to her niece. It became a bit of a tutorial with some good photos and lots of tips on how to do it right. A little late for my children’s beloveds, but perhaps, not yours?

Whiptips craft advice column for readers to ask questions or offer advice by leaving comments. Whiptips archive here. Questions to whiptips@gmail.com.

My mum has recently discovered Whip Up, but has not quite figured out the search button - she wrote me an email looking for a pattern, tutorial or information on knitting toe-up socks.

Dear Kath, Just been browsing whipup looking for the pattern for knitting socks from the toe up. Is there a direct index? I went into knitting and crochet and I have been going back and forth and found plenty of sock patterns but its the one pattern where I knit from the toe up that I am looking for.

Does anyone have any advice for my mum - links to free online patterns or tutorials. Thank you all.

after checking in with knitting blogs I came across knitting on impulse and her series on making knitting patterns from nature photographs. she pixilates the image using a photo editor and then chooses the colours from the pixilated image.

A while ago I did something similar - using a landscape photo to create a pattern for a patchwork quilt.

Doing this is not difficult - all you need it to either scan a photograph or use a digital image and alter it in photo shop or even a free online photo editing software - and you can change the image resolution to make a very pixilated image - or use one of the filters for various effects.