As I am gearing up to launch Issue 4 of Action Pack – my e-mag just for kids!, I am getting drawn into and discovering lots of interesting and cool blogs for kids, for grown-ups with kids, about kids and about families – everything kids really. And as a mother with 2 kids – I am all about looking for cool activities, crafts, ideas and experiences to enrich our lives together. Here a few cool kids blogs you should check out.
I am seriously excited about the next Action Pack – my e-mag just for kids! So much is happening – I have been so crazily busy with it – oh man- But just you wait. This next Action Pack is no ‘mini-mag’ – its going to be a ‘Mega-Mag’ – with 60 pages jam packed of projects for kids to do these holidays. Those 60 pages are all projects – there is no advertising in our Action Packs. The image above is just a little taster of whats inside. Camp cooking, fishing, knot tying, boredom buster driving games, plus craft activities including a must-make utility belt – every kid needs one of these! I will introducing more of the Action Pack in the next week and will be launching it the week after.
During the week I will also be launching the new Action Pack website (its up already so you can take a sneaky peak before launch day) – and as a part of our new website we will be launching an affiliate program – which you can have a not so sneaky peak at here – and even sign up early if it takes your fancy!
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You might remember last year (or was it the year before) I asked for some help in making rose blocks for a 65 roses community quilt I was helping put together for the Australian CF (Cystic Fibrosis) Foundation. This quilt will be auctioned at the upcoming Gala Event and the money raised goes towards CF research. You can read a little more about the background to the 65 roses concept for this quilt in issue 14 of the World Cystic Fibrosis Newsletter.
This truly unique quilt is the work of contributors from USA, Europe, Asia and Australia. Each rose represents the love and care and skill of 50 individuals who are named on the reverse side of the quilt. If you wish to make a quilt like this with your community group the basic block pattern and instructions and a couple of rose embroidery designs can be found here and the final quilt design is pictured below – as you can see the centre panel is made up of a large square with 5 roses appliqued in a wreath like design. More detailed instructions included embroidery and applique rose designs will be provided in my upcoming book (October 2011). You can see some close up details of some of the blocks here and here and here as you can see everyone had a different interpretation and put their love and skills to work in unique ways.
This quilt was a wonderful community effort. I collected the squares from makers around the world, sewed the squares together and quilted the quilt on my quilting machine using a squiggle design. My mother-in-law and her quilt friends made a lot of the squares and made the central panel roses from red velvet, embroidered the names on the back of the quilt and bound the quilt with red velvet. Thank you to everyone who was involved. This quilt will be auctioned at at Cystic Fibrosis Gala Ball and Auction event later this year.
Grosgrain is ending their month of free patterns with something from me - head on over to check it out – and they wrote some really nice things about me too ;) Thank you Kathleen! Be sure to check out the rest of their month of free patterns and meet some very cool bloggers at the same time.
Make sure you check out this Etsy video - a portrait of a village in Cyprus where the women have been practicing a regional tradition of lace-making since the 15th century. It was recently nominated to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Element collection, but the skill is dying out…. and the famous Lefkaritika lace is being replaced by imported machine-made replicas to meet the demand of tourists. Read a bit more about ithere.
Craft supplies giveaway
And finally Design Memory Craft is offering two Whipup.net readers a chance to win some art supplies: Mix & Match Mixed Media Sampler (the set includes a Stamper’s Brush, Gelato Metallic Stick, Pastel Pencil and Watercolor pencil) + Color Gelatos & Clear Stamp kit (creamy sticks infused with color – use for stamping). These kits are super fun I know because they were kind enough to send me some samples to try out! They also have a blog where they show you what you can do with some of their products. Leave a comment here for your chance to win. I will leave this open over the weekend – and choose a winner on Monday.
Update: Thanks everyone for entering – the 2 random winners are: Amy from Crooked little house and Crystal from not so crystalline. I will be contacting you via email.
Are you a pattern kinda stitcher or more the make-it-up-and-see-what-happens type? I am rather a maverick when it comes to sewing and more often than not I make it up as I go along. Patterns are not really my thing and as a result I tend to end up with a few projects that arguably would have been better off as great ideas that never got off the ground! It’s all part of the fun of creating. And given that most of the fabric I use for making clothes is found in an op-shop (thrift store), the mishaps are never worth a fortune. My favourite item I ever made was a ball gown from bronze coloured 1970’s shot silk curtains that cost me $30!
So, it was with great delight that I came across ReSew. While there are many patterns in this book, my favourite thing about the approach of author Jenny Wilding Cardon is her encouraging nature. Statements such as “Design diversions are welcome here.” and “Use the designs on the page. Then jump.” hooked me right in.
There’s the story of how Jenny began thrifting to hints on shopping second-hand. The patterns are easy to read and use and are well illustrated with tips (or “retips”) for techniques that the reader may not be familiar with.
But, here’s my favourite part, the bit that really got me excited: The designs are as simple or as complex as you dare make them and each project comes with a list of suggestions for “design diversions” – ideas, amendments and thoughts for adding a personal touch to your project.
I made the happy hat, mitten, and scarf set for each of my daughters and completed them in a little under an hour and a half. I do have to confess that I did the detailing with fancy machine stitching rather than hand-sewing but to have two complete winter sets in such a short timeframe and for only a $3 sweater each, I am super impressed. [See middle pic above. Ed.]
Next on my list is the cuffed skirt using men’s suiting… or perhaps the knit-knot T-shirt… I have so many sticky notes on these pages I’m not sure where I’ll start – perhaps I’ll wait and see what the op-shop gods deliver!
Are you one of those people for whom “re-purposing”, “re-mixing” and “up-cycling” are new concepts? Or do you, like me, now just have a name for that thing you’ve always done?
Wealth was never a reality in our home while I was growing up. Make do, re-use and bargain hunt were definitely the concepts we lived by. And I am ever so grateful to my mother for teaching me how to shop at charity stores, clearing sales and deceased estate auctions long before it was fashionable to do so. I can remember from an early age being taught the importance of using what was already available and only purchasing new as a last resort.
As I have grown up and now have children of my own, economic necessity is not the driving force for my thrifty approach but rather an awareness of the planet’s finite resources and a desire to have my girls grow up in an environment where consumerism is a distant land.
I still have an enduring love for finding an old item and making it new again. Coming across fabric remix was like walking into my very own comfort zone. Sandy Stone’s atypical approach to a craft book resonated with me. And while I have been re-fashioning old clothing, curtains and other fabrics for some time, there is a whole load of motivation to be found in these pages.
This book is an awakening for me. Although our home is furnished with almost exclusively second-hand furniture and many of the “decorator items” such as throws and pillows are made with thrifted materials, Sandy has managed to provide a fresh approach and a whole new level of enthusiam for me.
From her inspiration to sources to materials to care instructions, there is an array of original and interesting information presented in an easy to read and even easier to follow format. And in the “obi totes” I found an exciting use for a whole stack of cotton curtains and fabric belts that I’ve been saving for a rainy day…
About the reviewer: Julie is the slightly unhinged mum of two beautiful little girls (and another baby on the way), she enjoys the thought of pursuing creative interests but never seems to have the time! Julie blogs at Relish.
DISCLOSURE: WHIPUP.NET REVIEWER julie WAS PROVIDED WITH A FREE REVIEW COPY OF THESE BOOKS. THE AMAZON LINKS ARE AFFILIATE LINKS.
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Issue 4 of our printable e-magazine for kids is coming soon.Action Pack: A mini-mag for kids who want to do stuff! is all about kids and is for kids. It is full of projects specifically for kids – with super detailed instructions and no advertising you can be sure for great value. It is aimed at school age kids – the 7+ age group is ripe for independent action, but younger kids with parental help will get a huge benefit from these e-mags too.
Issue 4: ‘The Great Outdoors’ is a double issue (60+ pages) - and will be released in 1 week – just in time for Summer fun in the northern hemisphere. But those in colder climates can benefit too – if you like to get outdoors all year round then you will find plenty to do within these pages.
With 60+ pages of activities for outdoor adventure and exploration you won’t be bored at all these holidays. Just to give you a taste of whats inside: Campfire cooking, Outdoor crafts, Ephemeral art, Nature journaling, Weather science, and so much more – including a printable handy knot guide and how to make the best utility belt. All of these projects are perfect for outdoor adventuring whether it be as simple and fun as a backyard campout, weekends out and about or a week of holidays – you will want to get this pack and be prepared.
On the cover is my son Orlando who revels in getting dirty, getting outdoors and going a bit wild. With his handmade fishing rod and natural body paints he is ready for some serious action. Get your kids ready for action too with this bumper issue of the Action Pack – available next week.
In 18th century England, a tea towel was a special linen drying cloth used by the mistress of the house to dry her precious and expensive china tea things. [source]
Skip to my lou has a cute applique tea towel tutorial
You can easily sew a border onto a simple linen cloth to make something a bit more special.
Alicia has some embroidery patterns for tea towels
The Purl bee shows us how to make some simple dish towels
by Sandy Stone, Lark Crafts
