Some resources and inspiration for those thinking of entering something for the August Whiplash Zakka theme.
Resources:
Crafting Japanese || Kitty Craft || Flickr tagged Zakka || super buzzy || etsy zakka || whipup zakka || craftzine zakka archives ||
Japanese handmade life || zakka blogs
whiplash – upload your link here
So after some down time with the non-specific theme for July – this month we are going for something very specific – zakka – in line with our simple crafts months – we are taking tutorial and article submissions – please read the guidelines for more information.
Wikipedia defines zakka as:
(from the Japanese ‘zak-ka’ or ‘many things’) is a fashion and design phenomenon that has spread from Japan throughout Asia. The term refers to everything and anything that improves your home, life and outlook … Zakka has also been described as “the art of seeing the savvy in the ordinary and mundane”. … Cute is not enough. To qualify as a zakka, a product must be attractive, sensitive, laden with subtexts.
As usual you can upload your link in the sidebar of the whiplash page. Links must be to your permanent post to enable readers to easily find your link – as links are up for the whole month.
You may submit a special project or a tutorial to the whiplash area. Look out for some inspiration over the next few weeks
lots more great entries this whiplash – and a week or so left to upload before next months challenge is announced.
angelia* a style made a neck wrap from recycled t-shirts
kc’s quilts has made a gorgeous lap quilt
One red robin posted a pattern and tutorial for making a ruby doll – have to go to the site to see the pic – the tutorial is a PDF.
office chair makeover is a super cool idea
a book bag at spark*west
turn an old t-shirt into a baby dress
sunnyside ellen has made a great outdoor tablecloth tutorial
a purse with machine stitching by kate beautiful
dose of inspiration decoupaged some shoes – check out how she did it
joybucket has a tutorial (PDF) for making this baby bunting
tutorial to make a gathered headband at altered cloth
In respect of Liana Kabel’s work I have removed the tutorial on how to bend knitting needles. If you would like to know more about her designs please visit her site and support an indie artist. Liana wrote to me upset that I had posted this tutorial – and while I support these tutorials and love them in fact, I am torn between wanting to share knowledge and support artists who have original ideas. I justified posting this tutorial to myself and to Liana by the fact that it is a pretty simple idea and someone else somewhere is going to – and have already – thought it up for themselves. Liana wrote back with this reply …
Yes it is a simple idea, but it was my idea. Jodie wasn’t the first person who has tried it out, and not even the first Aussie to boil up knitting needles to make bangles. I don’t have a problem with this, people can try things out for themselves. What I do have a problem with is when people claim ideas as their own and even more of a problem when they are supported by those in powerful and responsible positions.
Liana I apologise to you and I also apologise to Jodie for removing your tutorial.
bored and crafty makes an artists paintbrush roll
and jpolka has a pattern for making a mini octopus
Thanks all for introducing your craft at the whiplash page. Lots of time left for anyone else to introduce yourself and meet some like minded folk. You can upload a link for a tutorial or showcase – but remember please don’t upload links to items that are for sale. I will be featuring more entries next week.
Abmatic is making baby rugs/blankets/playmats and has a simple how-to do it if are interested in making these yourself.
crafty ginger is doing some perfunctional crafting – her word, it means taking an item that might be a little bland, and making it perfect for her (or your) needs. Love it!
Hey lucy has a neat little tutorial for making a simple booklet.
Ruby crowned kinglet has a video tutorial – with music – on how to make some gorgeous covered buttons. – pics too if the video is not working for you.
U-handbag has one of her fab tutes on making a bag – this time with piping.
Hanne has been doing up deck chairs – love the results
INTRODUCE YOUR CRAFT
No prizes, but we will feature a few of the entrants on whip up.
# Rules about this challenge – a good tutorial or project photos.
The tutorial can be for a new design, or a fresh perspective an established technique.
till the end of JULY
I loved this theme – what a surprise all the amazing results – you guys are so talented. So here goes with a few of the editors and the readers picks. Hope you had as much fun looking at all the entries as I did.
Redwork in Germany:: Something different, not exactly Redwork though I added a few running stitches in red … The progress with such a small quilt is amazing only two nights and all hand piecing, basting and the first quilting lines were finished.
Ruby crowned kinglet:: i have a never ending love of all things embroidered and all things felt, i have been wanting to use circles of felt for something, and i am currently wanting to edge everything thing i can get my hands in in a picot stitch. … ‘embroidered alphabet on felt – a mini quilt’.
it measures 10 3/8″ wide by 11 7/8″ long and each embroidered circle is 1 3/8″ in diameter. …
lulu knits:: I just got a new sewing machine and wanted to try the applique stitch, which turned out to be so fast and easy! I created the entire quilt this morning during my daughter’s hour-long nap from fabrics already in my stash.
weird bird in love:: I just spent the final hour and a quarter of my two-year-old son’s nap whipping up this doggie play quilt – which probably just barely qualifies as a miniature quilt, loosely defined (it’s about 18 inches by 10 inches, and slightly machine-quilted…)
greeting arts:: This is quilting, the way I’d always imagined it. Made up entirely of pieces from my scrap boxes, … the piecing and quilting were all done by hand. …
vintage ric rac:: its all made from selvedge !!! … I really love this project and am keen to do a bit more with selvedges. I have been chopping them off every scrap of fabric in the stash. (also see tutorial)
crafty ginger:: The centers of the log cabin blocks are silk, I read somewhere that traditionally the center blocks were red to represent the home. I liked that thought, so I incorporated it. … I’ll caution anyone wanting to try and make silk trim tape – it’s a bit trickier than cotton.
true stitches:: is made entirely of scraps of vintage Japanese cloth. It is based on an antique Canadian quilt with a pattern called “Love Apples” which is an old term for tomatoes.
wardi craft blog:: I had very big plans for it, but ended up doing something simple. Which probably isn’t such a bad idea when you’ve never made a quilt before!
sunshine creations:: This is sometimes called an orange peel quilt, and a few other names, too. Whatever you want to call it, it looks sort of like Cathedral Widows. (check out the tutorial on this technique.)
knit one quilt one too:: From the start I wanted to do something totally spontaneous.
Lady Harvatine:: in the true spirit of the site, I have whipped up a small quilt as fast as I could and…voila! …Let’s call it “Confetti”. (see tutorial too)
wonderful theme this month – what did you think of it and which quilt ’spoke’ to you the most. check out the links on the whiplash comp page to see them all.
Wendi wrote in with a link to a tutorial on how to bind a quilt.
http://gratzindustries.blogspot.com/2007/05/tutorial-how-to-bind-quilt.html
I thought this might be helpful to everyone finishing their mini quilts for Whiplash so I posted it there as a tutorial last night.
Also Wendy at Sunshine Creations is giving away her lovely mini quilt – go on over to check it out.
The winner of the whiplash theme poll was Miniature quilts – thank you to everyone who took part.
The theme is open till the end of May.
A miniature quilt, otherwise known as ‘doll quilt‘, ‘fat quarter quilt’ or more simply ‘quarter quilt‘, can be made out of just about anything – try using scraps, or just a couple of fat quarters. There is no rule about the size of these, but usually small or miniature means not as big as a cot quilt, usually they are hung on walls, framed or used for a doll house. They can be practical – perhaps used as table mats or sewn into cushion covers. You could make them extra mini and turn into a greeting cards. Any sort of quilting method is suitable too, traditional patterns, random piecing, crazy quilting or journal quilting how about hand quilting a especially beautiful fabric. For more information check out a local miniature quilt guild near you.
Some inspiration to get you started:
Thimble has used image transfer methods on a folk art inspired mini quilt :: wee wonderfuls has the most gorgeous doll quilts and other mini quilts :: angry chicken of Kingpod has beautiful mini art quilts :: buzzville scrap mini quilt
on flickr: needle felted bear with rustic mini quilt :: part of a happy quilt journal :: mini cat quilt :: doll quilt swap pool ::
Images from: angrychicken, weewonderfuls and buzzville. Top image is from weewonderfuls site from a vintage quilt magazine.
dig deeper into whipup: Week’s quilted placemats with tutorial :: memewatch on doll quilts :: fav blog posts with highlighted doll quilts by treefall ::
