The very nature of being a zine maker leads me to own a crap ton of zines. I’ve participated in swaps, I’ve purchased them from around the world. I’ve been given them by friends. And I have multiple copies of my own zines of course. Now, all these zines…I love […]
book review
Book Review: Unexpected Crochet for the Home
I was initially attracted to Unexpected Crochet For The Home by its cover: those funky gourds holding citrus fruits. I am definitely one to judge a book by its cover and this time the inside did not disappoint. While I know there’s nothing new under the sun, I’d never thought […]
thrift kitchen
Thrift Kitchen: Bagging up Homemade Bread
I’ve been cranking out the bread lately. Something about being without an oven for so long has made me go a little overboard. Or maybe I just really appreciate what I have and actually use it. It’s been about a loaf a week for a while now and I think I’ll keep it up. While baking your own bread is delicious, easy, and cheap, it does have the very wasteful side effect of chewing through plastic wrap.
You see, freshly baked bread, just like any other bread, will go bad when left exposed to air and it’s wonderful “wild yeasty beasties.” So I wrap it up tight. Maybe too tight. I’m going through like a roll of plastic every other month, not very Craft Leftovers spirited.
journal
Be a part of my first book: Creative Mending!
To submit your best example of a creative mending technique, please send:
- a close-up photo jpeg of your finished work (a scrap piece of fabric is fine—it doesn’t need to be a full piece of clothing or finished object)
- along with the submission form (click here to download the word document)
- to inquiry [at] creativemending [dot] com
- by January 20.
- Multiple examples of interesting work are very welcome!
howto - patterns & tutorials
Winter Composting Part 2: Saving Kitchen Scraps
Maybe you really just want nothing to do with wormy friends like I posted about last week. Or maybe they aren’t eating enough to take care of all your kitchen scraps. That’s okay. That doesn’t mean you have to forgo composting all winter long. My issue with winter composting is […]
howto - nosew - patterns & tutorials
Winter Composting Part 1: Vermicompost!
The gardening bug has hit me earlier than usual this year. Last year I mapped out all the gardening plans in the February Craft Leftovers Monthly. Well, right now it’s too early to start seeds or even purchase them. The compost pile is frozen solid. And it’s too late to […]
howto - nosew - patterns & tutorials
Using Up Wrapping Paper: Making Herbalist Bottles!
Herbalism is a lovely medicine-making tradition that can be done right in my kitchen, using things I collect in my own backyard, and with minimal amounts of equipment. I’ve read about herbs–grown herbs, collected wild herbs “weeds”–and have even played around with making my own green medicines from my finds. […]
journal
Merry Christmas!
Hi all! I just wanted to pop in today and wish every one a very Merry Christmas! I’m sitting at my folks right now, snuggled up in a blanket, sipping coffee and listening to a chorus of sparrows chirping their heads off in my parent’s bushes. I actually thought my […]
journal - nosew - patterns & tutorials
Free Woven Coaster Tutorial: Just Pay with a Tweet!
I’m not sure if you’ve ever heard of Pay With a Tweet before, but, read on and you will! This great service let’s you set up a tweet, a gift to download, and then generate the code for you (or in this case me). It allows us to swap nice and even steven. :) You tweet (or post on Facebook) about my holiday related eBook Card.Paper.Ribbon. and in exchange, I give you this sweet little tutorial for using greeting cards by making them into sturdy, woven coasters!
vol 3
Last Minute Shopping: Craft Leftovers Monthly Volume 3 Subscription!
This past week I received a really nice email from a woman wanting to get her friend a subscription to Craft Leftovers Monthly. She was wondering if that’s something I offered. Well, no and yes at the same time. You see a few months back I made the choice to […]
fabric - journal - patterns & tutorials
How to: Make an Ironing Mat
While the ironing board is a great craft room tool, it’s often a bit big and cumbersome. Sometimes I just need to press a little something while sewing–all nice and quick. I keep my cutting mat on my sewing table, so I wanted to make an ironing mat that would fit right over it and protect its rubbery surface.
book review - thrift kitchen
Holiday Baking Making Plans
Okay family and friends out there reading this post, avert your eyes. This is a complete spoiler alert, so go away, skip to a different post. Starting last year I opted to make gift baskets up for my family and friends instead of trying to puzzle out individual gifts for […]
round up
Holiday Crafting Round Up: Loving me some felt!
There is so much holiday cheer and happy crafting going on right now I can hardly stand it. I do love it all so much. Here are a few of my favorites that I’m hoping to make in the next 10 days: Dollhouse Sized Aluminum Christmas Tree on Zakka Life […]
howto - patterns & tutorials
How to: Paw Print Ornament
With the new addition to our home (kitten Gregory) I got a bug in my bonnet to commemorate our little citizens with their very own ornaments, but how?
Then a memory from long since past hit me: handprints! But in this case: paw prints!
Each little critter gets their own disk. And then I decided that Jason and I get one too. To load up on the cheese, it’s Jason and I’s first Christmas in our house and it seems like something to make note of too.
round up
Making a Happy Holiday Home
Jason and I are spending our first holiday season in our first house. It’s not terribly different from the apartment but there’s just something different. Maybe I’m a little different. Maybe it’s being able to have a real Christmas tree for the first time that’s actually REAL and over 4 […]
journal
Migraine Meltdown
Hi ya folks. I just wanted to do a really quick post today explaining the lack of posting yesterday. It all started on Wednesday when I became overwhelmed with a severe migraine – yuck. Thursday and Friday I was pretty much useless to the world in some kind of strange […]
book review
Book Review: The Alchemy of Color Knitting
I’ve always emphasized color theory as a great tool for using up leftovers. I was so excited to see this book on Amazon and even more delighted when I realized my local library had it on its shelves. I picked it up last Thursday and read the whole section on […]
fabric - journal - patterns & tutorials
Sewing My Winter Cycling Cap – Take Five
Sewing a cycling cap together, five times finally got it just right! Here’s how I did it.
crochet - patterns & tutorials
Free Pattern: Crochet Tiger Kitty
First published in the March Volume 2 issue of Craft Leftovers Monthly, this little Tiger Kitty has spread its sweetness to Craftzine.com! Be careful though, he may be a little sweety when sleepy, but this Tiger kitty is as fierce as any full grown tiger cat out there! You can […]
clm - vol2
December Craft Leftovers Monthly + Box Set of Volume 2!
The final issue of Volume 2, the December issue of Craft Leftovers Monthly is packed with projects to make in a mad dash for your holiday crafting. These little projects can be whipped up en masse in a night using little bits of this and that laying around the craft […]