Happy Hanukkah!

Happy Hanukkah to those that celebrate! And happy December to those that don't!

I create a little craft tutorial on my blog for a Jewish star garland using origami stars. I used found origami paper, but I think these would be awesome to make from old magazines or newspapers destined for the recycling bin. You can view the image in more detail on flickr .



Cheers!

spring napkins

in the few warm days we had last week, i started daydreaming about outdoor fika and picnics, complete with china and cloth napkins.

for the ridiculously longest time, i've been meaning to use cloth napkins at home. i'm usually just cooking for myself, and i often don't use any napkins, so i've put off buying/making napkins.

a couple of times i have almost bought these beautiful hand printed napkins from linea carta. my friend jen has these cute ones from wonder thunder. but i figured i should use some of the fabric i already have. from my stash i sewed these napkins for my parents for christmas. it's fun to give something useful that will also hopefully lead to less paper towel usage.

finally this weekend i made these pinkies for myself. the floral side is cut from a thrifted pillowcase. the other side(s) from left-over quilting fabric. i like to mix floral and geometric patterns.




although i have made quite a few quilts, i am a terrible sewer. i don't know the names of stitches, and i pretty much only sew (somewhat) straight lines with the default stitch. (occasionally i'll go crazy and zigzag). my point is that you don't need to be a seamstress to make these.

1. cut two squares (or rectangles) of fabric.
2. pin the sides that you want to eventually be on the outside against each other (right side facing in).
3. sew a line around the edges of all four sides (about a quarter inch in from edge), leaving a space at the end of one line so that you can turn the square inside out.
4. turn it inside out.
5. iron it. (i often skip this step, because as you can see, i'm not a perfectionist when it comes to sewing.)
6. sew four more straight lines around the edges (tucking in the open parts—no hand sewing required!).
voila.

i am sure there are more elegant ways to make napkins, but this is a pretty easy option.



did you see stephanie of 3191's simple, yet classy indigo napkins?

cheers and happy fika-ing with cloth napkins!

ps. check out how seattle rocks with their big urban gardening plans!

make a sock monster draft-blocker

{cross posted from f.pea}

Many days on end of cold, wet, icy weather have led to short bursts of creativity around here with the materials we have on hand.



Dyrrwurm is now guarding our back door, keeping out the nasty, cold draft that was coming in under our vintage 1952 door (which really ought to be replaced with a more insulated model). He was made from two pairs of identical socks that HWWLLB gave me recently for the purposes of sock monster making. Before his reincarnation as two pairs of men's socks, Dyrrwurm lived at the back door of the land of the giants, in the far, far north, where his hobbies included writing epic poetry, collecting pictures of his idol, the Earth Serpent, keeping out the cold draft, and doing pedicures for his dragon friends.

You can make your own door dragon - it's quite easy, even for sloppy, inexpert sewers like me. This project was done in two bursts - it took me one naptime, and one visit from the Little Pea's favorite Auntie to complete. You will need:

- 2 pairs of heavy socks in a dragoney color
- matching thread
- sewing machine
- a few pins
- polyester fiberfill or some other stuffing (rags are fine too)
- something heavy for inside - I used sand, but you could use dry beans, rice or pebbles
- four or five repurposed plastic bags to hold the heavy stuff

My door dragon is only three socks long, since my door is narrow. But for a standard-width door, you will need to make the dragon four socks long.



Cut the toes off all the socks except one - this will be the head. Sew the socks together cuff-to-toe, right sides together. Try to keep them lined up so that all the heels are basically running in one line down the dragon's back. Turn right-side out and admire your long, wiggly new friend.



Starting at the head end, put a small amount of stuffing inside each heel, flatten and pin down. Then sew the heel shut to make a fin. You can add some decorative stitching as I did to make it more fin-like. Repeat for each heel.



Use one of your cut-off toes to make front flippers if you like. Lay the toe flat and cut it in half up the middle. Turn inside-out and sew it into a triangle, leaving an open gap for stuffing. Turn the flipper right-side-out and stuff with a small amount of stuffing. Smoosh flat and sew shut. Add some decorative stitching to flatten the flipper and make it fancier.



Turn the dragon inside-out again. Cut a hole on each side of the foremost sock. Stick the flipper through so that the flipper is now "inside" the dragon and the sewn-shut edge is facing towards you. Sew the flipper into place. Once you have the flippers in place, turn right-side-out again.



Stuff the head firmly with stuffing, but leave the body un-stuffed. Isn't he cute?

Get out your heavy stuff - sand, dry beans or rice, pebbles, whatever you have on hand - and put a bit inside four plastic bags (repurposed bread bags worked nicely for me). Tie them each tightly. Pull one into your dragon, all the way up to the head, and secure in place (you can sew it or be lazy like me and use a safety pin). Use your stuffing to lightly stuff and shape the dragon around that heavy bit. Repeat with each bag of heavy stuff until your dragon is fully stuffed (and heavy). Leave the heavy stuff out of the very end of the tail if you can. Now your dragon will lay heavily in place on the floor.



Stuff the tail end very lightly with stuffing. Sew the tail shut across the final sock cuff. Add some fancy stitching to make the tail flatter and more tail-like. Embroider on a face if you like. Enjoy the new absence of a draft under your back door!


honey, you need a pedicure!

d.i.y. valentine's robot

wont you be mine?

i never cared
much
for
valentines day.
just another one
of those holidays
to
convince you
that you
need
to buy
something
for
someone.

those long lines
at the drugstore
of men buying
last minute
stuffed animals
and candy
on valentines day
depress me.
but then again
how sweet
is it to
get
a handmade card
or
homemade edibles
from a
friend
unexpectedly...

bears
and bunnies
are nice
but robots
are so much better,
don't you think?



wouldn't it
be nice
to make
a robot pillow
for someone you love?

this robot
is made completely
out of felted
sweaters.
thin cashmere
sweaters
work the best
but any old sweater
will do...
it's a good time
of year to
get rid of
that favorite sweater
with moth holes
or that doesn't fit
right.
or hit your
local thrift store
and get a couple.
my advice is
to get men's sweaters-
they always are cheaper
and bigger.
bigger means
more felt- woohoo!
remember that
the sweater has
to be 100% wool or
cashmere, or
other
animal fiber.



so here we go!



first,
put on this song
to get you in the robot mood.

then,
felt all your sweaters
(read instructions here).



make sure to cut
the arms & legs
out of
the sleeves:


now you are
ready for these
easy steps:



remember,
you can use
a machine
or sew by hand.
i did mine
by hand using
mostly
blanket stitch.







stuffing/pillow:
arms & legs:
stuff after
sewing bottom
and sides.
then seam top and attach.
body:
after i was
all done
sewing,
i stuffed
the bejesus
out of his head
and then put
the pillow in.
you can resize
the pillow
to fit the body
(i had to).
or just make
a robot-shaped
pillow insert.

here's
what the back
looks like:



decorate:
decorate your
robot
any way you'd
like...
use real buttons
i used a small
fabric button maker.
i got at
the sewing store
for $3.
you can make
your own fabric
buttons
using
this guide.

i got
some ideas
from
jes hutch's knitted robots.



let me know
if you
have any
questions!



try not
to fall
in love
with your
new robot.

i did.

it's breaking
my heart
to mail
him off
to his
new
sweetheart.



xo

{cross-posted
on my blog}

crafty bastards in DC

welcome to
crafty bastards
the 6th
annual indie craft fair
that took place
in DC
last weekend...

DC has a active
indie craft community
and this is
evident in both
the hoards
of vendors
and visitors
to crafty bastards
each year.

here's
a little tour
of crafters
that caught
my eye
at the show:



first and foremost,
green craft
i discovered
an amazing
site that brings
green crafters together
called
cosa verde
here's how they
describe themselves:
is an online marketplace connecting independent artists
with eco-conscious shoppers.

also,
i met
two crafters
who specifically
focus
on eco-friendly crafts:
tlane: functional items for the green-minded person on the go
craftgasm: all items made from recycled paper

. . . . .

but when it
gets down to it
supporting
any crafter
that makes
unique
handmade items
is better
than buying
mass-produced items.

jewelry
megan auman: "modern, graphic" pieces made from metal or felt.
figs & ginger: i love their bird & fawn rings and necklaces
beth pohlman jewelry
brookadelphia
amy klainer: bold organic pieces made out of wood or metal.
swearjar design


paper & posters
your secret admiral: i was smitten with her journals and day-planners. beautifully made.
strawberry luna
ryan berkley illustration
tugboat
dirty pictures
something's hiding in here: if you haven't heard of this design duo, then you must check them out.
see photo of them
below.




tees
maryink: a tee shirt design co. out of nashville, tn. some of the coolest designs i have seen. see the one i bought here.
allison rose

textiles
home sweet

beauty
bunny butt apothecary: i am always looking for animal-friendly deodorant and products that actually work. bunnybutt saves the day!

please do check out
crafty bastards'
the online vendor gallery!
all of these crafters
have online stores-
a great place
to do your shopping
for the holidays.

summer souvenirs

as summer
melts into autumn,
it's time for change.
i start putting away
my tank tops and sandals
and thinking of
corduroys and cardigans.
there's always something
a little sad about
summer ending.
like the last few days
of vacation before
you head home and back to work
(even though many of us
work right through summer).
perhaps it is a reminant of
our school days
years ago.

i remember
as september
would near
i would collect
rocks,
sand dollars,
and
sea urchin shells
at the water's edge.
my souvenirs
for another
summer gone by.
to hold those
relics in my hand
as the weather
cooled and
dusk came
fast
and
earlier
each evening.



as autumn nears
i like
to rearrange
and redecorate
my apartment.
put away flower vases.
arrange acorns
and
rocks
on the windowsill
or
in piles
in the garden.




there are many
creative
and beautiful ways
that artists
(and you too)
can use rocks
as decoration
in your own home.



Beautiful art rocks to buy:
* woven rocks by white forest pottery
* porcelain pebbles by Manos/Karin Eriksson
* pet rocks by stephanie congdon barnes.





Make your own felted rocks:
* Craftzine: How to make felted rocks
* DIY felted rock on DesignSponge
* Martha Stewart: felted rock paperweight
* see some here.

you can also
sew,
knit,
or crochet
your own covers.

i knitted covers
by knitting in the round
with simple
increases
and decreases...


i covered
all sizes of rocks.


then i put them
in the washing machine
in a delicates laundry bag
and washed them a few times
while doing my
weekly laundry.


you can mix
felted
and unfelted
rocks.


for more
inspiration,
check out
one of my favorite
blogs:
everyone needs
a rock.



enjoy
your rock.
enjoy autumn.

last-minute ornaments

(posted today at f.pea)



Last year I first tried my hand at making some découpage ornaments.

This is a fancy French way of saying that I glued some stuff on glass balls from the store. Sadly, the balls weren't hand-felted from locally-raised sheeps' fleece or anything like that, they were just on sale after Christmas. Glass (or glass-like) ornaments also turn up in the thrift stores right after Christmas, which is a good way to both be more green, and to stock up if you're one to plan holiday projects 11 months in advance.

Anyhow, last year I really had a great time with it, and decided to do it again this year. This is a fun project for one evening at home with some hot chocolate and a new album of holiday songs. It's a very kid-friendly project, as well. I'd love to see versions made from kids' drawings!

Last year I made a set of Darth Vader ornaments for a friend, made with dark purple glass balls, and Vader pictures from a comic book. This year I decided to use drawings I'd done myself of little crafty scenes, and a couple of boxes of silver balls, to make ornaments as little gifts for my friends.

Here's everything you need for this project:



1. A box of ornaments; 2. A set of small drawings (small enough to fit on your ornaments, which is pretty small); 3. Mod Podge glue and a paintbrush for applying it; 4. Colored pencils or crayons; 5. Scissors; 6. Glitter (optional, but why would anyone skip the glitter??).

Just color the little pictures and cut them out carefully. Don't use markers to color them - the glue could make the colors run. Crayons or colored pencils work best. When trimming the pictures, I like to cut away as much white space as I can - this eliminates paper wrinkles when you glue them onto the ornaments.



Paint the back of a picture with Mod Podge, and then carefully place it on the ornament. Don't worry if it doesn't lie flat at first. Paint over the top of the picture, smoothing it down as you go. There will probably be some minor wrinkles - just try to keep them in the blank spaces rather than in the drawing itself. Flatten them down with the handle of your paintbrush, and make sure that everything is lightly and smoothly painted over with glue.

Sprinkle lightly with glitter. Really, a light touch is plenty here. The ones I did when I was generous with the glitter don't look half as good.

That's it! You can do a whole box of ornaments on one mug of hot chocolate if you're quick.



====
Okay Sew Greeners, I know you can come up with some ways to make this project even greener. I've been thinking about greener sources for the ornaments themselves (the thrift store, your attic...). What else could I do to make this a more eco-friendly project in the future??

toys without the tox

Has anyone else been bothered by all the horrible news about toys lately? With the holidays upon us, all the news about lead, phthalates and asbestos in children's toys seems particularly ominous to me. I've never liked the part of Christmas where kids are overwhelmed in beeping, spinning plastic toys and the city trash collectors have to do double-duty to haul away all the packaging and wrapping. But the pollution that's in our kids' toys is far worse. It's not that I ever thought that plastic doo-dads made in China were particularly good for kids, but lead, for crying out loud?

First, everyone should take action to let Congress know we need decent safety standards to protect kids from nasty chemicals. And after we've been responsible citizens, we can turn to being responsible consumers, and the toys we buy for the kids we love.

My suggestion? Let's make our own toys this year!

I love making toys, and Christmas is a great excuse for me to get Santa's workshop going on my kitchen table and make a whole bunch of them. So I thought I'd share some of my favorite resources on toy-making, and ask y'all to share yours, too.


bad kitty, a wicked but cuddly sock monster

My all-time favorite toy to make is a sock monster. All you need is rudimentary sewing skills, some old socks, polyester fiberfill or other toy stuffing, and your basic needle, thread, pins, scissors, etc. Sock monsters can be incredibly simple little goblins, or complicated animals with long, curling tails and embroidered features - kids seem to love all of them, no matter how well (or poorly) you can sew. The best book I know for sock monster instruction is "Making Stupid Sock Creatures" by John Murphy (read my previous post about this great book here).


knitted momerath village

There are oodles of resources on the web and in the library for knitting toys. This blog is devoted to toy knitting, and includes an index with lots of free patterns. I love Jess Hutch's toys, and her book is a gem (if you can get your hands on one). Lots of knitting books with kid and baby patterns feature toy patterns in among the sweaters and hats, especially books by Zoë Mellor and Debbie Bliss. "The Knitted Teddy Bear" by Sandra Polley is a great resource for knitters of all skill levels who want to make old-fashioned, cuddly teddy bears. I also really like "New Knits on the Block" by Vickie Howell, which includes not just softies but all kinds of neat costumes and accessories. "Family Circle Easy Toys" is a classic with both knit and crochet patterns - the copy in my local library has been well-loved in its decades-long tenure there.



For stuffed animals, dolls and doll clothes, a wonderful book I picked up recently is "Toys to Sew" by Claire Garland. Her toys range from ridiculously easy to not-very-hard, and the patterns are way cute.

And finally, puppets! You can make a puppet out of just about anything, and while you could make a puppet and give it as a gift, making puppets together with kids is so much more fun. I just picked up a copy of a beautiful book called "Puppets Unlimited with Everyday Materials," by Anushka Ravishankar & Gita Wolf. The authors include detailed instructions for making stick puppets, string puppets and many others based on traditional Indian puppetry, with regular junk from around your house. Their focus is on making the puppets together with children. Then you can make your own stage and celebrate Christmas Eve with a puppet show - a great gift for kids and grown-ups alike.

Have fun making some toys for the kids on your list this year... and don't forget to take action!