Super cute. You could make yourself an eggy table runner. Link.
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March 2009
Crafty Chica’s Guide to Artful Sewing: Fabu-Low-Sew Projects for the Everyday Crafter
‘fearless Kamikazi sewing’ from thread artist, Kathy Cano-Murillo. These are all low-sew projects perfect for the beginner sewer who just wants to get crackin on some real projects but is too afraid to muck it up. Kathy has such a fantastic attitude – no perfect seams, handsewing invisible hems, or time consuming embroidered designs – but she does show us how to add sparkle and flare without too much effort – encouraging everyone to ‘have a go’ no matter your level of skills.
This is a hilarious crazy romp of mad craftyness – so much crazy colours, textures, fabrics, with tips for easy quick fixes and how to do your preparation in advance to allow for smooth sailing down the track. The books shines with personality and makes sewing fun – a real inspiration.
Lots of fun bags – these were probably my favourite things – colourful mexican inspired designs – using oilcloth, slide projector sheets and t-shirts, there are also some fun refashioning ideas – lots of buttons and applique – I loved the mens work shirt turned summer frock and the tablecloth skirt.
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mixtape has just embarked on a joint venture with Whipup. We will both be sharing our ideas, cool links and general goings on.
My aim is to post once a week on a Sunday and give you a “round up” of the week that has been. The post will be put up here on the mixtape blog and also on the Whipup blog.
Shoot! I am a day late with my post. Please forgive me as I have spent the past FIVE days at the Melbourne Showgrounds as part of the Stitches & Craft show in the incubator section. What a whirlwind. I got to hang out with the most excellent bunch of creative, inspiring artists and crafters. I got to meet readers, retailers and by far my most favorite Faythe Levine. Handmade Nationmade it’s debut at the Stitches & Craft Show. I can’t say enough good about the movie, I cried I loved it so much. Ms Levine is a kindred spirit and it is definitely the highlight of my year so far meeting her and seeing the movie. You may have to wait until it comes out on DVD to see it now but in the meantime you can buy the book which is FANTASTIC ALSO!
I am still coming down off the high of the past week. I have a lot of paper work to catch up on and lots of emails to attend to. mixtape will be at the Stitches & Craft show in Brisbane April 29 – May 3 and we look forward to meeting and hanging out with the brisstyle chicks! and all who care to come and say hello!!
One of the fun things I did at the Melbourne show was write on the “Post A Craft Secret” wall. I wrote, “I pretty much never finish anything I start”!!! Yep it’s true. Do you have a Craft Secret? Do tell.
Check out my s&c shots here. The displays were beautiful and the vision for the new look show is second to none.
5 blogs worth a look:
Ric Rac
Kelani Fabric
Bust Magazine
Red Seed Studio
Crazy Mom Quilts
It’s a short and sweet post, much more next week.
Justine
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We welcome Heather Ross as she continues her blog tour for her new book – Weekend Sewing: More Than 40 Projects and Ideas for Inspired Stitching
Such a great book – I particularly loved the hand-drawn illustrations. I also enjoyed the quirky indulgence of including a couple of weekend luxury cooking recipes. The photography – as always with John Gruen, is spotless – perfect combination of character and interesting details, with the ability to actually see the project in full focus.
And as well as all that the projects are pretty good too. Glamorous frocks and picnic skirts, stay-at-home slippers and dinner party aprons. A market shopping bag and lounging around all day unisex pants.
Today though Heather is giving us a lesson in sewing a “set in” sleeve
Take it away Heather.
One of the most intimidating things about sewing blouses, jackets, and sleeved dresses is the tricky step of sewing a sleeve into place. One of the things that I really hoped to accomplish with Weekend Sewing was to encourage new sewers to try sewing clothing for themselves, so it was really important to me that the book include some great “beginner level” sleeves that didn’t frighten anyone away. The method described below is one of my favorite sewing tricks and appears in several projects in the book including the Summer Blouse and the Shirt Dress.
Happy Sewing!
Heather
1. Prepare your sleeve by first adding a row of “ease-stitching” to the edge of your shoulder. This should be basting stitch, and you should leave extra long pieces of thread hanging from the ends. Don’t backstitch, you want to be able to pull these threads a little together this edge in order to shape it and push it into place in your arm hole.
2. With right sides together, sew your sleeves edges together. Turn right side out.
3. Turn your blouse or shirt wrong side out. Side and shoulder seams should be sewn already, so that your armhole is complete. Place your sleeve inside your blouse, pushing the sleeves opening into place into your armhole. Match your blouses side seams with the seam in on the bottom edge of your sleeve, and pin. Continue pinning the sleeve and blouse together. Use your east stitches to shape and even gather (by pulling your long threads) your sleeve if necessary to make it fit perfectly into your armhole.
4. Beginning at your side seam, stitch carefully around your armhole. Turn blouse right side out and press.
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resurrection fern’s ‘missing pieces‘ patchwork covered stones will appear in country living magazine. These stones are so beautiful – fragile fragments – well done.
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Jodi from vintage ricrac - installation and stand
stitches and craft show in Melbourne just wound up – read the blogs to see all the wonderful stands and exciting activities handmaiden has a post on day 1 : nikki, Fion and justine in their construction zone for refashioning workshops : the lark has a great images : Julie Knoblock mentions crochet artist Luisa De Santi : whizzme had a great time at the show refashioning and meeting all the craft bloggers : Lara Cameron’s stall looked fantastic : sooz also had a lot of fun and met lots of people.
Am living vicariously through everyone else – hope to make it to the sydney show though…
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Kathryn is writing a series on why textiles are important to women’s history and what we can do to help. She says:
A huge portion of women’s history is being eaten by moths. … A huge portion of women’s history is disregarded, not through malice, but through ignorance. … Research the heirloom quilt you keep secreted away and share the info via the web. Ask your grandmother about the embroidered sampler she keeps tucked away in her ceder chest.
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