kellie wulfsohn’s (from don’t look now) quilt was recently featured on whipup on our machine quilting roundup – and has received an enormous response.
Kellie does wonderful applique work and beautiful quilting all using her home sewing machine. Kellie is also one of the quilters whose work is featured in an upcoming quilting book written by me and published by Chronicle (more on that later).
Kellie’s work has been featured in various quilting magazines and has appeared in quilting shows – I love how detailed and perfect each piece is, the lovely whimsical nature of the quilts, the outrageous unashamedly girlishness of them (there are some boys ones too though), and can you spot that she has a slight tree theme going on? Kellie has some patterns available and some free online tutes so check her out over here.
Tasty Crochet: A Pantry Full of Patterns for 33 Tasty Treats by Rose Langlitz. North Light Books (March 27, 2009)
I have been seeing tasty crochet foods all over the net for the past few years and am so happy that someone has finally put together a crochet play food pattern book. This wonderful crochet book is full of yummy things to eat crochet – so if all your friends and family have enough blankets and hats then get crocheting something a little more frivolous and fun.
None of the patterns and designs are really that difficult – if you can do basic crochet stitches and follow a pattern then you can make these projects – fried eggs, apple wedges (very realistic), sushi, peanut butter sandwiches, cherry tomatoes on the vine (adorable), chicken drumsticks, mushrooms and asparagus, pizza (with a side salad – love it), chocolate chip cookies are fantastic, Neapolitan icecream sandwich (my fave), icecream cones and more.
Such a fun book with good crochet basics to boot.
Lynsey wrote in to share her friends paper flower tutorials – one : two.
Readers have recently sent in some letters – let me share them with whipup readers – perhaps you can help…
Jeanne writes with a request for art supplies for a homeless woman’s shelter:
I am a Social Work intern at an 18 month transitional living facility for homeless women many of whom have substance abuse and/or mental health issues. They have a beautiful art room where I am responsibile for an art therapy class. With the current economy there is not a lot of extra for art supplies and I was wondering if I could appeal to Whipup readers to go through their supplies and pass on what they aren’t using. Pressing needs would be art paper of all kinds (blank and printed), pastels, charcoal, art markers, chalk, watercolors, clay, notebooks, journals, hot glue guns. We have a lot of yarn and fabric so we’re set in that area.
Please contact Jeanne if you have items you can donate jmhiggs[@]gmail.com or for more information. [the previous email was incorrect - this one now should work. ed]
Susan writes in with a pattern request:
I’d like to find out if whipup readers know how to make a certain craft from my childhood. During Christmas, my mom would drag me to all manner of church fairs and the thing I liked most was when she would buy me a pin for my winter coat. Each year would be a different design, knitted (or was it crocheted?) by one of the church goers as a fundraiser. My favorite was a set of two red bells with a holly leaf, two tiny real bells inside the knitted part and a clasp on the back. I’d love to make that bell pin if only I could find instructions. …
If you can help Susan and know of where to find this pattern please leave a comment on this post.
Khira, an Intern at Cancer Council, wrote to me about ‘Girls Night In’.
During October, Cancer Council encourages women to spend a night in with their girls, and donate what they’d spend on a night out to Cancer Council instead. All money goes towards women’s cancer (breast and gynaecological) research, prevention, and information and support services.
You can organise any sort of event but what about a crafty get together with the gals – let us know what you decide to do…
I LOVE this idea using scrapbooking rub-ons on fabric to create a truly unique cushion. Link to tutorial.
Bend the Rules with Fabric: Fun Sewing Projects with Stencils, Stamps, Dye, Photo Transfers, Silk Screening, and More By Amy Karol. Potter Craft (August 25, 2009).
Amy’s second book – continuing along the ‘Bend-the-Rules Sewing
‘ theme – I love it. Testing the boundaries of traditional crafts – making use of all the very cool tools and products that are available now. Not just a sewing book – it also includes fabric printing, collage and mixed media. How to alter and design your own fabric and mix it up with heaps of cool ideas.
I love the techniques section which includes a section on color and design theory, a heap of tools and materials and products with really good explanations of what they all do. Amy has used photographs in this book rather than illustrations and it works.
The projects section starts off with ainting on fabric, which includes instructions on fabric stamping and carving your own stamps, drawing with paint and freezer paper stencils, projects in this section include a cute stamped fabric belt and a painted framed toile. Technology and transferring images by way of a printer and computer have their own section, with explanation on how to iron on transfers, ink jet print fabric and screen print (specific products are required for some of these techniques). Make your own stuffed fabric dolls and printed lunch bag (see project link).
The dyeing fabric section explains all sorts of different design ideas including painting with dye and using bleach pens, I love Amy’s whole cloth dye painted quilt. This book would not be complete without embellishing with fibers, such as drawing with thread and applique – projects include a stitched drawing book cover (using a cute kids drawing as inspiration) and custom baby patches.
The back section includes a whole bunch of templates and patterns to help you make the projects in this book. Congratulations Amy on a lovely second book. [ps check the lunch bag project from this book offered on the storque]
