Last weekend I spent Saturday sewing with my friend Judy, we made all sorts of fleecy things and my favorite were these super quick to make fleece mittens. She gave me permission to share this classic mitten pattern with all of you.
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The allure of handmade and its perfect fitting ways makes store bought dresses sub-par (without spending a few hundred bucks). I decided to take a look in my fabric stash and I found just the fabric. I love this stuff, but up until now I haven’t had a use for it.
Read MoreIn the spirit of full disclosure, Quarry Publishing sent me this book to review. That being said, I never review a book I don’t enjoy. Cut It, Paste It, Sew It: A Mixed-Media Collage Sourcebook (Quarry Books, September 2010, $17.99, paperback) arrived in the mail and I immediately read it
Read MoreOh of course I love Martha Stewart’s Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts. It’s a little touch of everything I love to dabble in: tutorials to learn the basics, projects to try out, and photos to tantalize the senses. There is really only one thing bad I can point to
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Inspired by my newly restrung clothesline holder, I made my own clothes pin bag. Start to finish this project took about 20 minutes – and that’s with the figuring out part too!
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I wanted to share with you a few of the great projects in the July issue of Craft Leftovers Monthly. I know you will just love them and it’s quite the deal: just $9 for 8 patterns + 1 recipe for a frozen delight + an interview with Lee Meredith + an article on dealing with scraps in my studio + a few of my favorite online tutorials and patterns + a crafty wordfind.
Read MoreLast week I talked about what the zine contains, Monday covered how I come up with content each month. And today I’m going to go over the nuts and bolts of how these ideas make their way onto the printed page and get to your mailbox. Writing and Editing After
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Hopefully this will be the last part before the finishing post. Taking your generous advice, I went with option 3. After thinking about it, the gathers with the gathered fabric would have looked frumpy for sure. I think the nice, straight cotton is perfect. Plus, once I cut it out, the landscape of flowers was just too perfect.
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How long ago was that post about this poor forgotten shirt dress? Umm, months. Well, I got the sewing bug bad this past weekend and finally finished it. I took the time to add a few special touches and they were so worth it.
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A big part of the wardrobe redress project is to fix up the clothes I love, so I don’t feel obligated to wear the clothing I don’t love because they are in better condition. This week I tackled my mending basket and fixed up three of my favorite items.
I’m not sure what it is about this particular set of shirts, but I keep getting a little stuck on them. Thankfully, a friend of mine from the Sew ‘n’ Swap Judy, had a brilliant idea. Lining for the lining!
Here was the issue. I had bought this interfacing so I could finish up this shirt dress jumper deal, but it was pretty unappealing. I couldn’t imagine wearing it against my skin.
Read MoreHi there, it’s Karen again! A few weeks ago, Kristin let me share a few of my attempts to “fancy up” my wardrobe. This week I have two more projects to write about. Last time, I wrote about my two tactics: embellishment and reconstruction. I thought it might be interesting
Read MoreMarch and all its dreary weather has flown by with the help of some plushy goodness. Now April is just around the corner and Craft Leftovers Monthly is here to help usher in the spring season! :: Bike riding :: Basket making is the prominent theme (recycled paper and reed weaving projects)
Read MoreIt’s always so funny how long things sit in the mending pile before I get to them. Then once I do, I think “Why in the world did I not just get that done!?” Most of the time, mending is a quick and easy and extends the life of clothing
Read MoreHello there! It’s me, Karen. You might remember meeting me. Kristin introduced me here. I’m stepping out of the background today to share a few projects. When Kristin started her Wardrobe Redress series, it got me thinking about my efforts to “fancy up” my wardrobe. Since my three little boys
Read MoreFriends of ours had the surprise of their life about 8 months ago, a baby on the way! How exciting! While looking into what will be the best bassinet for their new baby, they came across a vintage wicker baby carriage. With the help of some glue and spray paint
Read MoreLast week I told you about the shirt frenzy I’ve been under lately, cutting out the patterns for 3 shirts in one day! Well, I actually got one finished! I did exactly as Design-It-Yourself Clothes spelled it out, and it worked! Check this out: Rah! The most awesome shirt ever!
Read MoreYes yes yes! It’s just about here! The March issue of clm will be in the shop and shipping out to subscribers in one week from today. I wanted to show you a little preview of the fun things going into this month’s issue. And don’t forget about the February
Read MoreNope, I’m not talking about interior decorating, I’m talking about a whole new redress series here on Craft Leftovers! I’m going to turn my attention from the apartment and studio (which I think are looking pretty good because of all the apartment redress projects) to the closet. Specifically, to my
Read MoreWhen The Creative Family: How to Encourage Imagination and Nurture Family Connections came out in 2008, I was intrigued. I loved the photos. I loved the concept. But, it’s just Jason and I here in our home. So I took a pass. I was so happy when Amanda Blake Soule
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