wrap. give. repeat.

This weekend I prepped for my workshops and art fair coming up. I was playing around with my vintage sheet stash, serger, and my sewing machine's new hemmer foot when I had a brainstorm. Reusable gift bags! I'm pretty sure you've heard me talk about furoshiki before as an eco-friendly gift wrap. (if not, take a peek here!) I love the idea of furoshiki (the Japanese word for traditional wrapping cloths) but sometimes have trouble making the wraps and knots look as put-together as I would like.

So I made the simplest little bags possible: cut rectangle, hem, fold, serge/seam! When you get to the side seam, pop a folded length of ribbon in there for a tie. It's easier and faster than a drawcord. You can even skip the hemming step if you're able to cut the rectangle along the existing hem of a sheet.

Cute! I'm making these as gift bags for my cupcake pincushions I'm selling next weekend. I also whipped up sets of 3 bags for sale: small, medium and large. If I have any left over after the show, I'll be sure to offer them in my shop next week.

she's campy and crafty

Attention Campers! Saturday June 6th is the Squam Art Fair with a Ravelry Party and Marketplace! Even if you are not attending the workshops, you can come be social, hob-nob with the crafty sorts and enjoy the beauty of New Hampshire, lakeside! The fair is held at Rockywold-Deephaven Camps in Holderness, NH. See directions here. I'll be leaving next week to head up myself as I am teaching recycled felting and bag making. It's almost time!

Let's see, what else? Oh yes...Cut Out + Keep has given me the honor of being their "Crafty Super Star" this week. :) They posted a little survey I filled out plus each day reveal one of my project tutorials. If you like free tutorials, go pay them a visit. They've got thousands! Not only that, there's an online magazine, forums, a podcast and a blog. Too fun, check it out.

happy weekend...

:: blushing ::

Aw shucks, you guys, I'm blushing. Your comments last post were SO sweet, I read and savored each and every one! Here's a pretty fleur for you to show my appreciation. (My husband took this photo on our rainy morning walk yesterday. Click on it if you like dew drops!)

And on to the winner of the Sewing Green book give-away! Randy the Random number generating robot chose SweetT. Congratulations! Please email me your address this week to claim your prize.

Your comments really helped me learn what you are interested in seeing here on the blog. Most of you like things as they are and just want me to post 3 times a day. (See? I told you they were sweet comments.) Folks would like more tutorials (because 24 just isn't enough apparently!), more photos and behind the scenes process/inspiration type posts. Got it. Love the refashioning, both felted wool and beyond. Check. The occasional family antic. Noted. The good new is, I am happy to do all of those things. I better get myself organized. Perhaps I'll have some kind of loose schedule of regular features. Must ponder that.

So...I mentioned a few new BIG projects in work, and I think you will be excited to hear about them! Of course I can't show you anything yet, but I can start yammering about them.

For one thing, I am going to be producing my own print line on organic cotton! Now, those of you that followed along on my blog tour probably read mentions of this along the way. This has been on my "must do" list forever and I'm so fired up about using organic cotton! (It's just sooo much better for our health and that of the environment.) I'm going out on a limb and stating that my print line will be launching early Fall '09! Don't worry, you'll get some sneaky peeks before then. :) At first I will sell direct and hope to wholesale down the line if I get a good response.

Next up in my bag of tricks is my new sewing pattern line. I'm totally diggin' this idea! The patterns will be designed so that each project can be made either with new fabric (organic prints, anyone?) or repurposed materials, much like the projects in Sewing Green. It's my Make New or Make Do™ philosophy! As with my prints, I'll start by selling direct and hopefully be able to offer them on a larger wholesale scale eventually.

Ok, friends, on with the day. Thank you again for your kind words and frequent visits. You mean so much to me!

Blog Years

Are blog years something like dog years? My blog is 3 years old...is that like a toddler or a 21 dog-year old dog? My 3 year blogiversary was May 1st. Sorry Dear Blog, I forgot. Maybe instead of thinking of the blog as a human or an animal, I should think of it as a relationship.

 I suppose I should pause and reflect on the 378 posts and the 24 tutorials created during these 3 years. (24 tutorials people! Holy schmoly, go check them out in the sidebar for pete's sake.) But it's not about all that, it's about you guys. You are the blog! You are the ones I think of when I come here to share a photo, a project, a story. You are the ones that inspire me with your comments and kind words. 

So, how 'bout a little show of appreciation, eh? In honor of the Big Three, I'm giving away a signed copy of my newest book, Sewing Green! To win, please comment on this post by midnight EST Wednesday 5/27/09. In your comment, tell me what kinds of things you enjoy seeing here on my blog. More of something? Less of something? Now's your chance to speak up! I will randomly select a winner. Flattery will get you no where, but no need to hold back. :) Please leave your email or a way for me to contact you if your name is chosen.

In the meantime, I've been doing a little housekeeping, like refreshing my blog header. What do you think? (Those sweet little nests are popping  up all over. I think they are just the ticket for teacher gifts this year!) Hopefully you will be seeing more refreshing changes around here soon. Aside from an upcoming blog and website redesign (thank you hubby) I am working on two new big exciting projects! Details coming soon...

(5/28/09: Comments now closed, thank you!)

Shirred Pillowcase Summer Top Tutorial

I'm the first to admit I am a temperature wimp! I HATE being hot. Every year I am on a mission to find cool and comfy tops to get me through the long hot summer. Personally, a close fitting knit tank top is not the solution for me.

Since I am obsessed with pillowcases lately, I've decided to refashion them into this summer's way to beat the heat. I love this soft green pillowcase with the border. It's pretty sheer so I think I may designate it as a jammie top for those hot summer nights.
You can find my full tutorial for this top over at Craftzine. Let me know if you make one or have any questions along the way!

Have fun and stay cooool.

green and serene

My editor, Melanie Falick, has posted a few alternate cover concepts for Sewing Green over on her blog. Don't you wish your sewing space was al fresco, such as this one? Complete with a tall glass of lemonade and bowl of fresh berries. Ahhh...

While you're visiting  Melanie's site, check out my Q&A and discover fascinating facts, like why the neighbors glance at me sideways and what I aspire to be when I grow up. :)

10 minute pillowcase apron

TEN minutes to make this...no kidding. All you need is a pillowcase, about 2 yards of ribbon and your sewing machine.

Step 1: Lay out your pillowcase. Fold up the bottom edge 8". Top stitch along the folded edge at 1/4". (The stitched edge will become the top edge of the pockets.)

Step 2: Turn the pillowcase over and fold the bottom up another 8". There will be 3 layers of pillowcase.

Step 3: Pin the layers together and top stitch around the sides and bottom edges. Mark a line down the middle of the front pocket, pin and stitch.

Step 4: Lay about 60" of 1" wide ribbon across the top edge of the apron centering it on the length of the ribbon. Pin in place. Topstitch ribbon at the top edge, bottom edge and across ribbon at sides of apron.

Step 5: Tie it on, use it, put stuff in the pockets, look cute...you know the drill. :)

Aren't pillowcases a blast? Coming up later this week I've got ANOTHER pillowcase project for you to be posted over on Craftzine. I'll give you a shout when it's up!

Meanwhile, I love this pillowcase tote I stumbled across over at polkanuts. There's also two pillowcase projects in Sewing Green, the Easy Breezy Skirt and the Girl's Easy Breezy Sundress. There's even a whole book on pillowcase projects called Craft Challenge: Dozens of Ways to Repurpose a Pillowcase. I haven't seen it in person, but I read a nice review of it by Diane of Craftypod.

This work by Betz White is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

inspiring me

Not laundry, sillies...pillowcases!

I've been collecting them at the thrift shops and have loads of ideas for fun stuff to make out of them. I'm working on a tutorial right now. It should be ready for you sometime next week!

(p.s. thanks for the work out ideas, you guys rock! See comments in the last post if you need some ideas for yourself.)

leaf turning

This morning the weather was beautiful. I went for a long walk and came across these gorgeous pink azaleas. What a color!

I'm making a concerted effort this week to get back into a regular exercise routine. I'm not inclined to exercise if I don't have to. But like so many of us on the slippery side of 40...we have to. I don't know why it seems so hard to stick to it! I've got plenty of motivation. Like all of my spring clothes I want to wear but can't get into. Ahem. There have been a few times in my life where I found a routine that just clicked and I could make it part of my week. I have not been able to find that groove again for a long time.

My new plan involves getting up early before the kids wake up. Now, I know me enough to know that actually working out at 6am is never going to happen! So my goal is to get in a good 60-90 min of work time before I switch into breakfast/lunch-packing/bus stop mode. Then after the kids are off to school, I can squeeze in a workout without feeling like the morning is slipping away from me. I think I can do this! It's Tuesday and I'm 2 for 2.

I guess I wouldn't call this morning's walk with my camera a "work out"...more of a brisk stroll with the occasional pause for nature appreciation. Look, I found this funny little pod thing that had fallen off of a tree. I don't know what the heck it is, do you? It has the look of a lilly pad flower...

So, there it is. My declaration of turning over a new leaf. A leaf that has been turned over many times, but at least I keep trying!

What tricks do you have for getting regular exercise?

treat and retreat

Close your eyes. Think of summer camp and bonfires. Imagine a lake surrounded by pine trees under a glorious sky. Picture yourself hanging out with other creative souls with nothing but time, friendship and inspiration all around.

This June 3rd-7th I am lucky enough to participate in the Squam Art Workshops in the gorgeous state of New Hampshire. When I heard about the first SAW artist retreat last September I dropped everything and immediately emailed the organizer of the event. "Pick me!" I said, "I belong." I have history. My family has been vacationing in that area for generations. I know the magic. It's in me.

And they picked me. I'll be teaching my Recycled Felting and MYOB workshops alongside many talented and amazing artists. Won't you join me? It'll be like summer camp all over again. Or college, when you took that road trip instead of studying for an exam. Maybe it was against your better judgment, maybe it was the best thing you've ever done. Sometimes you gotta go out on a limb.

You have to come, you have to. Be good to you. Feed your creative spirit! And if I haven't convinced you, feel free to check out the raves and another fab video...

Fashioning Felt

Last month when I was in NYC, I was fortunate enough to visit the Cooper-Hewitt exhibit entitled Fashioning Felt. It runs through September 7th and I highly recommend it!

I couldn't resist picking up this book about the exhibit in the gift shop as well as this amazing felt sea anemone brooch by Vacide Erda Zimic from Peru.

The description from the Cooper-Hewitt website:

This exhibition will explore the varied new uses of felt—an ancient material, believed to be one of the earliest techniques for making textiles. Made by matting together wool fibers with humidity and friction, felting requires little technological expertise and is an extremely versatile material. The exhibition will begin with historic examples of felts, showcase innovations in handmade felts, and feature contemporary uses of industrial felt in a range of fields, including product design, fashion, architecture, and home furnishings. The exhibition is being organized by Susan Brown, assistant curator, Textiles.

Do yourself a favor, if you have any interest in felt or felting, you've got to at least take a moment to visit the museum's website to view the photography of the artwork.

The only part of the show I was allowed to photograph was the felt yurt in the conservatory. Yurt. Isn't that a great word?

This is called the Palace Yurt by fiber artist Janice Arnold. She used the technique of felting wool fibers through sheer drapey silk fabrics for a translucent ethereal result. This technique is sometimes referred to as nuno felting.

The exhibit blog has a video of The Making of the Palace Yurt which is truly amazing. You can also watch Martha Stewart take you behind the scenes of the exhibit as she had Curator Susan Brown and designer Janice Arnold on the Martha Stewart Show last month.

This kind of felting is a lot of work but I'm itching to try it sometime! Today I saw a book at Borders called Uniquely Felt by Christine White (no relation!) that has some very detailed how-to's.

Have you been to this exhibit? Have you tried nuno felting?

PDF - pretty darn fast

As promised, I sent out all Nest Brooch Kit orders last friday, May Day! If you were an early bird, you should be getting your kit in your mailbox shortly! Please let me know if you have any questions when you start whipping them up.

I've gotten several requests for just the pattern, so how could I resist? You always ask so nicely.

Take a peek in my shop, I've got Nest Brooch PDF Patterns listed and ready. Besides, "late birds" still need nests, right?

muck and pluck

Muck and pluck were the two things that we yarnies had in common at the very rainy and muddy Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival this weekend.

Attendees were armed with handknit socks and rugged clogs. Their quest for fiber was unfettered by the weather!
Some in attendance resorted to a snuggle in the hay. Naturally.

Others, such as the ironically named Sunnyland Band, just had themselves a soggy ol' hootenanny.

This is what my hair resembled by the end of the day. :)

Despite the dampness (and now a cold!) I am comforted just by admiring the yummy yarn I scored. Can't wait to get knitting!

What shall I make?

Show off!

I would like to personally invite you to join my newly set up Sewing Green Flickr Group! Come on over and join the fun. Just give a little click on the icon you see over there in the sidebar >>.


I'd love to see the projects you're making from the book. The discussion area of Flickr groups are also a great place to start off conversations about the book, your projects, ask questions and share ideas. It's all good!

I was going through some of my own project shots (not the final professional photos you see in the book) and thought I'd kick off the group with a few of them.

There's the recycled cashmere Luxe Baby Hat and Toy...

The Washies, lined with organic cotton terry cloth. Wouldn't this be the sweetest little baby gift with a natural hairbrush tied to a stack of washies?

And the super snug-snug Organic Baby Quilt, backed with scruptious sherpa. Mmmm. Peek down at the last post if you want to see a sweet girly color combo Erin made.

When you add your photos to the Sewing Green group, you can also join the STC Craft Flickr group which is a compilation of projects from all STC Craft books.

C'mon, show us what you got!