books

Deadlines, sewing and cooking

by kath_red on April 26, 2012

in Books, Newsletter

It has been a couple of weeks since the last newsy letter and so I thought I better catch you up on what I have been up to.

We have been busy with birthday celebrations, and cooking and school break. The kids and I are working on a recipe book for families (more about that later – it is very exciting – sneak peak below) and I have also been spending a bit of time in the sewing room too.

Because of silly too-tight self-imposed deadlines and lots of sewing as well as the recipe book, I have asked some lovely fellow bloggers to join me here at Whipup over the next couple of months to post about their creative process and already I have been blown away by the essays and and images that have been flowing in to my inbox. I know that these creative essays will encourage and inspire you too. I’ll introduce these more fully next week – but just for starters – we have essays on the topics of creativity and … blogging, business, parenting, health and process – it is going to be a fabulous series.

This past couple of weeks at whipup have been about online communities – instagram and Flickr and Pinterest – go and check them out and join in too. I also posted a few fun links and did you see the guest post by Megan Reilly on music and motherhood?

Books on my review pile: Some treasures…

Make Hey While the Sun Shines: 25 Crafty Projects and Recipes by Pip Lincolne is published by Hardie Grant Books (Australia) and will be out in the USA later in the year. Another eclectic jumble of fabulousness from one of Australia’s much loved crafty gals. This collection of projects comes on the heels of Sew La Tea Do, which is packed with cute sewing projects perfect for beginners. Make Hey has a bunch of different summer crafts that are a little bit retro, a little bit eclectic, and a lot of fun. There seems to be a triangle theme running through the book (which I enjoyed very much), and a definite homage to nana crafts too. Once again the photography is sweet and artistic and Hardie Grant have done a great job with the styling too. The projects themselves range from papery crafts like the paper wall quilt, sewing crafts like the wall organiser and crochet crafts like the tortoise – as well as stamping, embroidery and beading too – a bunch of stuff perfect for dabbling.

Hat Shop: 25 Projects to Sew, from Practical to Fascinating Compiled by Susanne Woods and published by C&T Publishing (Stash books May 2012). A compilation of hat designs that range from milliner confections worthy of the races, to everyday basics for the whole family. Patterns and templates are included and the illustrations are clear enough – although many of the designs are better suited to those with sewing experience. There are some glorious hats in here – my faves would have to be the quirkier everyday hats – like the Rain bonnet made from clear vinyl and the Winter flap – aviator style hat – made from woolly tartan. Lots more fun though – fascinators and felt riding hats for stylish ladies, chicken and monster hats for kiddos and retro caps for retro guys and gals. This book is a keeper.

Stitch London: 20 kooky ways to knit the city and more By Lauren O’Farrell of Stitch London and published by David & Charles (August 2011). I was in London once, years ago, a lifetime ago, before kiddos and mortgage and career. I have fond memories of London – it is a beautiful city, full of history, tradition and architecture, but it is also where punk started and still has that exciting underground music and art scene. This book pays a knitted (cheeky) homage to all things London-y. From knitted Bobbies (police) and the Queen’s guard, to those iconic red phone boxes and the Tower bridge. There are some punkish laptop covers and book cosies to keep you snug while riding the tube (the underground), and there are pidgeons and rats to remind you that London is a big old city. My fave might be the knitted plastic bag picnic blanket, perfect for the Londoners who like to lie on the grass, in their lunch break, in the many city parks no matter what the weather.

[Thanks to publishers and distributors for sending me books to review, I don't get paid to post reviews but I am an amazon affiliate] (Australians can purchase craft books online through can do books or booktopia or else browse booko for the best prices.)

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Banned from the kitchen

by kath_red on March 22, 2012

in Books, Link Love, Newsletter

I have sort of been head down between the sewing machine and the sewing table and the sketch book and the design software working on a new project this week. So I have been sadly neglecting some of my favourite things, my social networks both real and virtual are taking a beating as I ignore everyone and work work work.

These bundles of fabrics are just a little bit of the wonderfulness that I have been playing with. Colours, textures, patterns mmm…

It’s not all work around here though! I have read some books too! and obsessing over a new iphone game (oh the procrastination!), and I have baking – uhm I mean burning a few batches of what promised to be delicious chocolate chip oat cookies and I burnt a vanilla cake and I burnt the gravy for Sunday night roast. So I am sort of now officially banned from the kitchen, to be on the safe side the kids opted for banana smoothies for breakfast instead of french toast. I think my concentration levels for homemaking are low. So I made a weekly menu and did the shopping — all so I don’t have to think too much. I have included lots of easy to make dinners (I did burn the top of the shepherds pie last night though), but the spinach and feta rolls turned out pretty good and are great lunch box fillers too. Do you find that cooking dinner every day can get to be a bit of a chore? Somedays I just want everyone to make themselves a sandwich for dinner.

More good links

I am reading

Storing Home Grown Fruit and Veg by Caroline Scott (Foulsham August 2011). Is a cosy little practical book chock full of useful advice. I particularly think that the sections on each type of veg and fruit that goes through the different varieties and what they best for, how to cook them and when to grow them — it’s a very handy little book.

Modern Blocks: 99 Quilt Blocks from Your Favorite Designers. This book is compiled by Susanne woods and published by Stash books (2011). This is a super book with 99 quilt blocks each contributed by favourite quilt designers. Each block as a double page spread, with a lovely big photo of the block and page on how to make it. Many of the blocks you may have seen before and a bug bear I have with many quilt block books is that the blocks are not shown in a repeat – I think there was room to that in this book. However it was refreshing to see many traditional blocks given a new twist.

So Pretty! Crochet: Inspiration and Instructions for 24 Stylish Projects Amy Palanjian has put together this book and it comes out soon with Chronicle Books May 2012. Full of lovely contributor projects this book of crochet ranges from delicate crochet jewellery to chunky rag rugs and things like granny squares, covered coat hangers and arm warmers in between. I was disappointed at the lack of crochet instruction for beginners — just some links to online tutorials. On the plus side, if you can already crochet and know how to follow a simple crochet pattern then you’ll like this book, it is beautifully laid full of stylish and trendy projects.

[Thanks to publishers and distributors for sending me books to review, I don't get paid to post reviews but I am an amazon affiliate] (Australians can purchase craft books online through can do books or booktopia or else browse booko for the best prices.)

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Guest blog | Book: Sewn toy tales

by contributor on March 19, 2012

in Books, Guest Blogger

Co-authors Melanie Dekker and Rosalie Quinlan are Australian designers creating fun and playful patterns, books and fabrics. You can visit their websites at Melly and me and Rosalie Quinlan designs. Mel is guest posting today telling us a little more about their book Sewn Toy Tales (published by  David & Charles 2011) and giving us some tips for softie making.

About the book Sewn Toy Tales

When we were asked to put together a book for David and Charles we were completely star struck. We knew that D&C were the publishers of some of our heroes such as Tilda as well as stars such as Martha Stewart, so how could we possibly ever say no to such an honour?!

It was a big undertaking, but one that we both took on with such excitement, as it was an opportunity to team up together and work as sisters again on a book full of creatures that make us happy. There is almost no other way to explain it as the whole process was just such a joy. Our excitement grew as the collection of softies did and seeing the whole 12 together when we were done designing was just the greatest satisfaction.

Our goal was to create a book of fun with plenty of colour, life and whimsy with projects that are perfect for any skill level. The toys included in Sewn Toy Tales are a great mixture of real and imaginary creatures that would suit boys and girls, young and old. We were oh so very passionate about ensuring that this book was packed with helpful tips and tricks for softie making. Over the years we have been asked plenty of questions and have had continual request for pointers on how to get that neat finish. We truly hope that anyone who picks up Sewn Toy Tales will have opportunity to learn something new and improve their softie making skills.

Top tips for softie making

  1. The first rule of a strong and firm softie is to always use good quality polyester thread.  It is really important that you throw out the “patchwork” rules and take that cotton out of your machine whenever you start a softie.  Polyester thread is much stronger than cotton and will make your seams able to handle the strain of heavy stuffing. And make sure to always set your machine to a small stitch of approx. 1 – 1.5. This again creates a stronger seam, makes the stitches less visible and creates a better end result.
  2. Another piece of equipment that is very important is your actual stuffing.  There is a big variance in the quality of polyester stuffings that are available.  If you are using a low quality stuffing then you are probably getting lumps in your softies and getting a result that you are not happy with.  We buy our stuffing from a pillow factory as the quality is far superior and we need to buy in bulk but I have heard on the grape vine that Birch makes a good stuffing.  To help you in your search for the perfect stuffing, here is a little trick.  Grab a wad of the stuffing and roll it together into a ball in your hands.  If the stuffing remains in the ball you have made, with no spring back, then it is a poor stuffing and will create lumps in your work.  If the stuffing ball springs back then you know this is a great stuffing that will fill the space effectively without lumps.
  3. You’ll also need a home made all purpose super stuffing tool! Go to your local craft store and buy a cheap round wooden paint brush. They cost under $2 so they certainly won’t break the bank. This becomes a great double sided stuffing tool.  The smooth round end of the wooden handle is perfect for turning your softie pieces and pushing all of the seams out smoothly. The bristle end then becomes the perfect stuffing tool with a little modification. Grab some scissors (of course, don’t be like me and use your sewing scissors so you have to by a new pair!) and trim the paintbrush bristles to between a quarter and half inch. No need to be neat. Play with the remaining bristles for a while by rubbing them against a hard surface until you have messed them up really well. It should now look nice and shaggy, the bristles will grip on to your stuffing which allows you to easily manoeuvre the stuffing into your toy and to keep shoving it in right to the corners and hard to reach parts until it is super firm.
  4. The last tip is to just keep on stuffing!  A lot of people are scared of stuffing too much and of breaking the seams, but if you have followed all of the tips above and your machine tension is correct then there should be little fear of breakage. Make sure that you support the area you are stuffing with one hand, while stuffing with the other and then keep shoving it in for as long as it will fit.  If you have stuffed some sections less that others, you should still be able to manoeuvre stuffing to those places with your trusty tool.

Mels design process of making a softie

  • I think that the design process can be quite different for both of us and can also vary from occasion to occasion.
  • I find that my design process always begins with a mental picture of the new toy. Once I have a clear mental picture I know that I need to get sketching immediately.
  • The next step is to sketch out the design and note any specific design elements to make sure I cannot forget my inspiration.
  • I will then start drafting templates, tweaking as I go until I believe I have a satisfactory set of templates to create my first draft.
  • I will then make my first draft with the idea that this is only a draft and will need reworking to smooth out any rough edges or to just simply come up with better ideas to make the toy have greater personality.
  • After the first draft is complete, I will adjust my templates as needed and then work on my final product.
  •  The final touches of a toy such as facial features, accessories etc usually only come to mind clearly once I have the complete toy in front of me, this is the part I love dearly as the creature takes on its character and in a sense “comes to life!”

One of the most exciting parts of the process of making this book was when we were sent the result of the photo shoot for the book… Oh my goodness, did we oooh and aaah over all the wonderful pictures that just helped bring our characters to life and accentuate their wonderful personalities. It may sound a little crazy, but when we make our toys they do seem to take on personalities and they all feel very dear to us. Working with D&C and seeing how they captured our style and vision was just fantastic. By the end of the journey we brought plenty of smiles to each other, our families and ourselves. We hope that the book has and will continue to bring smiles to many others, whether it be in the making, the giving or the receiving of a precious toy!

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Out and about

by kath_red on March 15, 2012

in Books, Newsletter

We were out and about on a little family jaunt this past weekend. We went to the big smoke – the city – to see the lights, and hear the sounds and visit some cool places and climb some stairs, and see a show and eat some good food and watch some clever buskers. We stayed in a pub and walked everywhere, we happened upon some street artists doing their thing and we saw some fireworks too. It was a good weekend, yes there was some moaning tired moody children (and adults), but overall I think we bonded!

On a craftier note — this week at Whipup: A round up of granny flower squares :: A book and guest post — Knits for Nerds :: More knitting projects for nerds.

If you are a family sort of person with kiddos and the like – you might like to subscribe to my Action Pack Newsletter – filled with kids craft, family cooking and other good things: the latest newsletter is here!

And more cool stuff:

I am reading:

  • Pretty in Patchwork: Doll Quilts By Cathy Gaubert and published by Lark Crafts (November 2011). I am a huge fan of Cathys work, her sweet and quirky little critters and embroideries are really very cute. This book has 24 mini-quilt designs which are all special and could be worked up to larger quilts if you wanted as well. From dolly quilts to wall quilts all the designs are achievable and interesting enough for both beginners and more advanced quilters with a great mix of techniques to get your sewing and creative skills flourishing.
  • Mom, Inc.: The Essential Guide to Running a Successful Business Close to Home by Meg Mateo Ilasco and Cat Seto and coming soon (Chronicle Books April 2012). This is a nifty little handbook especially for folks just like me – mother running a running a home and running a business from home. How to juggle it all and stay sane and get organised in the process. It can get crazy trying to do it all!
  • This useful ‘Learning to See’ series of tiny books by Peter Jenny (published by Princeton Architectural Press coming soon April 2012) include The Artist’s Eye, Drawing Techniques and Figure Drawing. These handy take-along sized books are perfect for all ages interested in wanting to improve their drawing skills. These books are a series of prompts and exercises to help you to slow down and observe your surroundings, each exercise includes the time and materials you will need (most are under an hour and you’ll need not much more than a pencil, eraser, paper and sometimes ink) and with a few examples of what to do. Very clever and very useful. We’ll be including these in our evening family time.

[Thanks to publishers and distributors for sending me books to review, I don't get paid to post reviews but I am an amazon affiliate] (Australians can purchase craft books online through can do books or booktopia or else browse booko for the best prices.)

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Guest post | Book: Knits for nerds

by contributor on March 13, 2012

in Books, Geek Crafts, knitting+crochet+yarn

Joan of Dark (a/k/a Toni Carr) is an avid lover of all things knit and crocheted. She has been featured on two DIY Network shows, Uncommon Threads and Knitty Gritty. She’s the author of the book Knockdown Knits (Wiley), and her patterns have been published on KnitPicks.com and in Vampire Knits (Potter Craft). Her sense of style was also profiled in Indianapolis Monthly, Nuvo, and Intake Weekly. With a science fiction writer for a mother, and a father who made sure that her comic book collection was always stocked, she had no choice but to grow up a geek! She can be reached on line at www.joanofdark.com

Tony Carr has recently published Knits for Nerds (Andrews McMeel Publishing, February 2012), which includes 30 knitting projects inspired by her love of science fiction. She discusses the book here.

Coming up with the concept of  Knits for Nerds  was surprisingly easy. I’m a big nerd, I always have been. I preferred to read on the playground instead of swinging on a swing, my summer vacations and spring breaks were spent at sci-fi conventions instead of Daytona Beach, and one of my coolest memories from childhood was getting to see K-9 (from the classic Doctor Who series) in real life!

Actually deciding what patterns got to be in Knits for Nerds? That was the hard part! Some of my initial ideas couldn’t be done because of copyright concerns. Then there was the difficulty of making things that would never be seen outside of a convention, and while costumes are cool, as a knitter I want to be able to wear what I knit all the time!

Finally my publisher, agent and I decided that the book should be a mix of slightly “out there” patterns and wearable pieces. Some things were easy to come up with. Star Trek mini dresses and a cadet sweater were a natural inclusion. Firefly was a little trickier. It’s one of my favorite TV shows, but the only really memorable knitwear is the Jayne Cobb hat. I thought about including my pattern for that one, but it’s a pattern that’s been done over and over again by many different designers, so why muddy the waters? Instead I decided to simply do some items inspired by my love of the show. My friend Laura Hohman is a brilliant sock designer, so I begged her to whip up a pattern for a beginner pair of socks in the classic Jayne Cobb hat colors. A good pattern for a newer sock knitter and perfect to pair with the Jayne Cobb hat that probably already exists in most knitters closets! The scarf was another natural fit. We were having so much fun with the yarn when testing out the sock pattern that we decided to make a scarf to match, complete with pom-poms and fringe, thinking that is the way Ma Cobb would have made it. A brown coat inspired pattern was next. Lacy, delicate, and perfect for the girlie Firefly fan.

Other patterns I plucked straight from my favorite books. American Gods and Alanis Boys by Neil Gaiman described the character Mr. Nancy at one point, yellow gloves, and another wearing a green fedora. As a knitter I couldn’t resist making these! I was really lucky to bring on some other designers to help me out with some of the projects. The above mentioned Laura Hohman handled all the sock designs in the book, while Ashley Fay, created the lovely Light of Earendil Shrug. Marilee Norris designed a cute little robot loosely inspired by Doctor Who, Genevieve Miller, who I had previously worked with on Vampire Knits, made the fabulous Space Princess Hats inspired by Star Wars, Callie Need contributed the Cat Woman hat, my own sci-fi writer mother Linda Dunn made Padme’s battle cape, and of course Rilana Riley-Munson and her incredible lace shawl, inspired by the book Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr.

I like to think that overall we came up with a nice mix of patterns for the casual nerd who still wants to wear their knits during the week, and the uber nerdy convention attendee who wants to rock the Princess Leia bun hat.

Shooting the photos for the book was a fun nerd fest of its own. My friend Lorraine (who is the gorgeous model with the chessboard laptop bag) works for Neil Gaiman, and offered up his house to us for one weekend. We piled into a 15 passenger van with models, a make-up artist, two photographers, equipment and lots and lots of knitwear. When we weren’t dressing the models, setting up shots, beseeching Lorraine to make us more tea, or shooing dogs out of the frame, we got to geek out in the library over the first edition books, drool a little on the original Dave McKean art in the kitchen, and check out all the limited edition toys in the attic. After we wrapped up the last shot we made snow angels in a field while talking to Neil about roller derby. I like to think that those pictures, shot with friends, in a cool house, with dogs occasionally tipping over photographers, and cats cuddling up on a models lap to take advantage of her warm sweater help make the book what it was meant to be. Warm, silly, sometimes beautiful, but definitely not taking itself too seriously.

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