I am very excited to see my Indian Summer prints featured in the Good Finds section of the Winter issue of Living Crafts! (see below, circled in red!)
In celebration I am offering FREE SHIPPING through the end of December 2009 on all Indian Summer 100% organic cotton sateen orders from my etsy shop! (for USA shipping addresses only)
Sample sets, fat quarters and full yardage available in the shop now!
The Striped Café Apron (pg 14 of Sewing Green) is made from a men's dress shirt. Certain components, such as the hem, placket, pocket, etc. are strategically kept intact so much of the precise sewing is already done for you. Plus it's a great way to reuse something that's worn out its original purpose!
The 10-minute Pillow Case Apron is a fast and fun apron to whip up. All you need is a pillow case and about 2 yards of ribbon or twill tape. (free tutorial in my blog archives)
I came up with this utility apron made out of an old pair of jeans a few years ago when I was packing our house for a move. (free tutorial in my blog archives)
And finally, in Warm Fuzzies you'll find this craft apron, with an appliquéd owl to keep an eye on your scissors and other crafting tools.
Hope these Holiday Hints are helping you with your holiday gift planning. Come back next week for more ideas!
I've got more Holiday Hints for Handmade Gifts for you! Today it's all about hats!
This Bomber Hat is one of my all-time favorite projects from Warm Fuzzies. It's made with 2 layers of soft squishy felted wool so it is super warm and comfy! If you sensitive types are worried about the potential itch factor, try lining it with cashmere or even polar fleece.
Also from Warm Fuzzies is the super-fast-to-make Pillbox Hat. Make it simple or embellish with appliqué. (hey, look, I finally figured out how to put the accent over the "e" in the word appliqué!)
The Reversible Bucket Hat pattern is available in my etsy shop as a pdf pattern. I've had this in my sights to make in corduroy for fall/winter and oilcloth for spring! This particular version is made from a pair of my son's outgrown cargo pants!
And this little schmoopy is wearing the repurposed cashmere Luxe Baby Hat from Sewing Green. Such fun and personality!
...it's like nature is cleansing it's palette after the brilliant fall foliage, getting ready for a fresh crisp winter. Sometimes it's easy to forget that a change of scenery can be refreshing to your creativity, too.
Throughout the next month, I will be posting a selection of projects to make for the people on your list. Giving a handmade gift is like sharing a little bit of yourself with the ones you love. :)
Don't let the name of this fool you, the Boyfriend Scarf is great for anyone. It is simply constructed by stitching long strips of felted wool sweaters together. Pattern available in my book, Warm Fuzzies.
The Tween Hooded Scarf, also from Warm Fuzzies, is for those big kids that are "too cool for school" or maybe "too stubborn to wear a coat". It's basically a felted wool hood with an attached scarf. I would've loved this to wear ice skating when I was a kid!
One last Warm Fuzzies scarf: the Shibori Scarf. Are you familiar with Shibori Felting? It's a really fun technique that adds amazing bobbly texture to an otherwise flat felted knit.
The Foliage Scarf, from Sewing Green cover fame, is a great felted wool scrap user-upper. Making a brown, orange and red autumn version is on my list!
Last year I whipped up this Scarflette when I found myself wearing a scarf in our chilly house and was tired of it dragging in my soup. :) The simple how-tos are in this post from last January. (free!)
My Felted Heart Scarf, originally made for a Martha Stewart Show valentine feature, is still a favorite of mine. And, lucky for you, the free video instructions are still available on her website!
I mentioned the Spot-On scarf last month when it was featured in the Fall '09 issue of Stitch Magazine complete with instructions!
And finally, an oldie but goodie and freebie: The Winter Floral Shibori Scarf. I designed this for Knitty.com way back in Winter '06 for a feature called Frankenknits.
And speaking of Luv & Hugs, it's getting to be that time of year again. Isn't this a sweet image? It's the invitation to the 3rd Annual Luv-able and Hug-able handmade plush show at gallery Hanahou in SoHo. I'm thrilled to be participating again this year.
Aren't these sweet? I love the "mini" theme this year. Guess even cute little plushes are affected by down-sizing. :)
People say "Everything happens for a reason". I don't know if I believe that. What about senseless crime? And cancer? For some things in life, there are no reasons. And that is difficult to swallow.
My worries are minimal, in the grand scheme. Today I am counting my blessings, for certainly I have many. My goal is to remember to be good to myself. Why do I have to remind myself? I don't know. But I need to be good to me.
Last month when I was relating some of my knitting escapades to you, I realized that quite a few of you readers are also knitters. I thought you might enjoy a little peek at this new book I received called Awareknits: Knit and Crochet Projects for the Eco-Conscious Stitcher by Vickie Howell and Adrienne Armstrong.
I like the look of these clean and classic alpaca wrist warmers. In the winter I get cold "mouse hand" while working on the computer and these would be just the ticket to help me stay cozy while keeping the thermostat turned down.
The yarn used for this Buy-Locally Bag is made from organic cotton and milk! How cool is that? And you could carry your milk home from the store in it. I mean, if you wanted to .
This just in: a funky frame knit out of yarn made from newspapers. Seriously. Read all about it, folks. I love learning about all of the great strides happening in the development of eco-friendly/sustainable yarns.
For the napkins I cut 18"x18" pieces of print cotton. (I don't remember buying this fabric or where it came from!) Then I used my special hemmer foot that makes a double turned hem. Weeee! The corners are a bit fidgety but otherwise they came together quickly. Wish I had had orange thread on hand. That would've been ideal.
I created these two felted designs ages ago to photograph for a set of holiday cards. They were fairly popular last year, so I decided it was time to offer them again!
I went with a new printer this year and I am very happy with the results. The felted images reproduced well on the cards. However, the cards themselves are a bit challenging to photograph. I guess you'll just have to take my word for it. :)
Each set of 4 has 2 nest designs and 2 partridge/pear designs. They are available now in my etsy shop.
New this year is a set of 4 cards with 4 different photographs of my favorite wooly cupcakes!
Each set has one card each of: the Cupcake Pincushion, the Cupcake Tapemeasure, the Cupcake Ornament, and the bird's eye view of the Cupcake Pincushions. These would be fun for your own correspondence or you could give the set to a friend as a gift. These are ready over at etsy as well.I'm excited to share with you a new ebook I was asked to contribute to:
Crafty Tree Trimmings is a beautiful ebook collection of ornament projects, designed by a talented group of crafters. Inside, you'll find step-by-step photo instructions and templates to make:
These projects range from beginner to intermediate level, and use a fun variety of readily-available materials. The ornaments themselves are perfect as small gifts, gift toppers, or to adorn a wreath or tree.
This is my ornament design, a little Felted Gingerbread House.
• 15% of all proceeds from Crafty Tree Trimmings will be donated to Project Linus (www.projectlinus.org), a nationwide organization that collects handmade blankets and gives them to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need.
Crafty Tree Trimmings is available now in the Craftypod Shop until December 31, 2009, so hurry and order your copy!
