After taking into account comments, twitter, and facebook The Fickle Sense Circle Skirt has it! When this was picked I was a little worried I wouldn’t have a good fabric on hand to make what I had in my head. But, I did! Ha. More on that in a second.

So, same rules as last time. Pick out your fabric, get sewing, post your pictures in the Flickr Group by Friday Midnight (I don’t know about you, but I needed the weekend. Sunday Midnight!) – 3 max. I suggest materials, a wip, and finished shot. Oh and it would be super awesome if you happen to post about it if you leave a link to your post in the commets. Winner by random selection will get a copy of the digital edition of Issue 1 of Volume 4 of the Craft Leftovers Zine (due out Wednesday).

MAL Quicky 2.2: Fickle Sense Circle Skirt WIP

Well, and that’s the best thing about doing Craft Leftovers. I was thinking, “I don’t have anything on hand that will work for a flow-e circle skirt”. But when I took a look through my stash I found this pile of beautiful vintage fabric. I had completely forgotten about the pile of vintage fabrics my bestie Jill gave me for Christmas!

I knew the pink fabric wouldn’t be enough though, so I filled in the vision with my head with this cut of yellow floral cotton, some hem tape, and a little bias tape. Pockets. There needs to be pockets. Which means I’ll need to add in some side seams. I’m not sure how that will turn out, but I think it’s definitely worth the risk. I love pockets.

This is pretty much what I’m shooting for, so I’m going to try the full circle option. What’s your plan for the skirt? What kind of fabric will you be using? Are you going to go for a flow-y look or something a bit more straight and narrow?

Happy Crafting!
Kristin

My local friend Tina (aka Kaotic Krafter) brought these great nesting hearts to this month’s Ames C.art meet up. When she first pulled them out and was like “look what I made”, I was all “ohh, that’s nice”. I had no clue what it was and was trying to be as polite as possible that I thought it looked like a pile of scraps in netting.

Then she explained, “It’s a nesting ball! As in for bird nests!” The light bulb went on and I immediately saw it’s beauty and brilliance. Ha! I felt like a double jack *ss. Especially because I had wrote about leaving scraps for birds in a little article about using up fabric bits for the Craft Leftovers Zine. I swear, I should remember these things.

Anyway, this was perfect timing because after that quilted pot holder tutorial my little scrap bin was getting too full and spring is oh so close to being here. I’ve decided to whip up a bunch with the crochet version – dealing two blows to the scrap pile! My kind of project. I’ll update the post with pics of my project when it’s done. She was nice enough to gift me the one you see here.

A whole bunch of these little guys are going in the ArtVend later this week.

You can learn how to make your own Nesting Ball using a potato sack OR crocheted netting over on Kaotic Krafter’s blog.

Thanks Tina for turning the light bulb on!

Happy Crafting!
Kristin

After the last (and first) Make-a-long Quicky challenge, many readers said they would have loved to participate if only they had known it was happening. So this time around I’m giving you a full week’s notice and a full week to vote on which pattern to make. And this MAL Quicky focus is going to be sewing skirts! So just to recap what a MAL Quicky is: One week. One skirt. One pile of leftovers used up. I’m making something, make it with me. Join in or sit back and live vicariously though my craft leftovers adventure.

MAL Quicky 2.0

I’m announcing it this week, weigh in on what you’d like this MAL Quicky pattern to be, whatever gets the most votes is what we’ll make together, and you can vote by leaving a comment, tweeting @craftleftovers, or posting it on the Craft Leftovers facebook page. I’ll announce the winner and we’ll start sewing on Monday (1 week from today) and we will post all our finished project photos on Friday. You have until Friday midnight to post your pic in the flickr group to be entered to win a copy of the Craft Leftovers zine (due out this Friday). I’ll add the winner announcement to the Friday post so check back on Saturday for that announcement. capisce?

The skirts!

I was looking around and thinking, what do I wish I had that I don’t. A new skirt! I’ve had this idea for a skirt in my mind for quite some time now. A skirt that I’ll want to make over and over again to suit my every whim. A skirt that makes me look super cute but is also casual. A skirt that has huge pockets! A skirt that can be made on a whim to suit my every whim.

Okay, you get the idea. Basic things I took into consideration:

• Easy
• Fast
• Pockets (or can add pockets)
• Cute, but casual – not to fancy and not movement restricting. Can wear with heels as well as running shoes.

Option 1: Fickle Sense Circle Skirt on Burda Style (check out the Fickle Sense Blog too) – love how versatile this pattern is and that it will be made to my size.

Option 2: Amy Karol’s *5 Minute Skirt over on Angry Chicken – it’s fast, it’s cute, and trying something on the serger could be fun since it’s been awhile since I’ve dusted it off.

Option 3: Ruffles and Stuff’s Jersey Skirt (with pockets!) - it’s fast, cute, and has huge pockets! And it might help me to finally use up the last of that pale blue jersey knit fabric.

Okay, so that’s all for today. Leave a comment, reply on twitter, or post your vote to the facebook page.

Happy Crafting!

Kristin

Way back in 2006 I wrote one of my very first sewing patterns, a little quilted pot holder. The idea was good, but even back then it didn’t turn out quite right. So, as I’ve been poking around in the archive, I came across it and decided to remake it how I had always pictured it in my mind. That and I need some new pot holders around the house!

Step One: If you are working from a pile of scraps, piece them all together so you have two 9×9″ squares. Now don’t be lazy and go ahead and press those seams as you go. You won’t be able to show off that pot holder with pride if it’s all lumpy.

Step Two: Layer all your pieces together like so: Contrasting fabric right side down, batting, heat resistant fabric right side up, main fabric right side up.

Step Three: Pin layers and stitch two intersecting lines. Sew two more sets of intersecting lines like so:

It’s helpful to do a basting stitch (long straight stitch) around all four sides to hold all the layers in place.

Mark out the second set of lines by measuring 3″ from the center line. I used a quilting ruler that just happened to be 6″ wide. Lucky me!

Step Four: Sew on the bias tape. Now you’ll do this just like the edging of the quilt:

A: Pin to one side, right sides together, and stitch.

Just make a little pleat to turn the corner.

Flip the bias tape right side out and it will naturally want to wrap around the edge.

B: Turn over the edge, pin in place, and stitch again. Done.

I opted to stitch this last step up by hand, but you can use a machine just as easily.

And done!

I’ll be honest. I had never even heard of kale chips until I was down in Texas visiting Rachel and Diane and Rachel clued me in. We actually made plans to try and make some while I was there, but we all got swept away by the crafty goodness that was needle punch.

Fast forward to the turn of the new year when Jason and I decided to go vegetarian for a month. We just thought it would get the year off to a good start by resetting our tastebuds after all that holiday indulging. Anyway, I was looking around the local co-op for some veggie snack treats when I saw a bag of kale chips. I decided to splurge and buy them and then resigned to make some from scratch to save money if we enjoyed them. And enjoy them we did!

I dug around the internet and in usual fashion put a few recipes together, changed the amount of ingredients, and voila, kale chips. We chowed them all down in a day. Could the same thing be said for a head of kale without being baked? I think not. The first time I tried dehydrating them by baking at 250 in my oven, which took 4 hours. Delicious, but that’s a lot of energy. Instead I would love to toss them into the oven after baking a frittata and have them done in just 10 minutes.

Directions
Pre-heat the oven to 375 (or 225 for slow baked method)

Step One: Prep the kale first by cutting out the stalks and any hard veins. Tear the remaining kale into smaller bite sized pieces – I like mine about 2×2″.

Step Two: Make the nut mixture that you’ll toss the kale in before baking.

A) In a blender, chop the nuts with the citrus juice until they are puréed as possible. Add water as needed to get the mixture to blend.

B) Mix in the nutritional yeast. Again, add water as needed to get the mixture to blend.

Step Three: Pour the nut mixture into a large bowl over the chopped kale and mix it around with your hand until it’s nice and coated.

Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (or lightly greased), sprinkle with sea salt, and bake for 10 minutes (or 3.5 hours if using a dehydrator or oven at 225).

Watch it close when cooking at 375 because it can go from delicious to burnt garbage in about 1 minute! I seriously set up a chair and watched it.

Cool and store in a food safe container or bag… if they make it that long.

Enjoy!

Kristin

Every 6 months or so I get to the point in my studio where my works in progress, stash, gifts, random house stuff, and hid-away-so-guest-won’t-see-it” completely takes over my studio.

After this last clean out was done I got rid of:

• 9 boxes and 2 garbage bags of craft stuff
• 3 bags of trash
• 2 overflowing boxes of recycling
• a whole pile of things that had no reason to be in my studio and found homes elsewhere in the house.

And for every box I kept, I was getting rid of a box, which was a pretty good feeling.

I’m lucky to have ample storage space for all my art supplies. I never in a million years thought that I would have a partner who would be so completely understanding of my need to squirrel things away to use later…. within reason. For me, I know that it’s not that I need more space. It’s that I need less stuff. And I need my stuff to be more organized.

Every time I reorganize my studio I think “this is it, this is the best way to organize my s*&t ever, it will stay clean this time.” Nope. But each time I reshuffle my things I do learn a few valuable lessons. Sure I’m hopeful that this time I have it. But will I give myself a hard time if it’s just as bad a year from now? Nah. Life is too short. But I’m hoping for it to be a full year instead of 6 months time before I have to do a complete clean out.

Organizing a Studio Lessons

• While daily cleaning is key, sometimes it’s good to tackle a big clean out all at once just to get it done on be able to move on to the more important things in life – like knitting!
• If you can afford it, invest in a nice set of containers that fit your stuff AND your space well. I have these really great shelves in the “tile room” where I keep all my supplies. But until this last clean up, I was keeping my stuff in piles and random boxes.
• Don’t buy said containers until you’ve actually gone through your stuff and figured out what you need. For me, I’ve learned I need about 20 shoebox sized ones and 10 double wide shoebox ones.
• While donating and selling and recycling is great, even I need to realize trash is trash and my house is not a trash bin. You cannot “organize” garbage. Just throw it out! Do it.
• But, also don’t forget about donating what you can and recycling what’s recyclable. And if you have the space and the time and the desire fill a bin with things you want to sell and get it listed on ebay IMMEDIATELY and if it doesn’t sell that first time, donate it!
• Daily cleaning is key. Weekly cleaning works well too. Yearly clean….. come on now. Just pick up after yourself (myself). Me, crap I’m bad at that. But I’m still young and I’m learning.I’ll get it eventually.
• Don’t just tuck something into your craft space to “put away later”. You won’t. I won’t. And things will pile up on the edge of your work table until you’re (cough, read ME) trying to cut fabric on a 1/4 of the table because the pile has taken over.

On an up note. I have been doing really well keeping my office clean. But, that’s because I clean it up every morning before I start my day’s work. And once a week I take out trash and make sure I’m not stashing things in weird places like behind my books. If you don’t have an issue with cleaning, you may not get the sanity of this. But I know some of you, yeah, you right there. You totally get what I’m saying and you’re shaking your head thinking – oh crap, I really should get that something something from behind there.

Happy Crafting!
Kristin Roach

I’m so excited to officially announce the release of my first book Mend it Better! It’s in stores now and on the shelves officially – I’m a nerd, I went and checked! Go here to order it online from a number of great book sellers, or head over to your local book shop to request they carry it if they don’t already. Or head to the new Craft Leftovers Shop and order yourself a personalized signed copy!

This book is packed with great information – and not just technical “how to mend” kind of things, there’s a spattering of history on sewing, some stories from my own life, and a bunch of creative twists on mending projects by contributors. It’s amazing looking! I’m delighted with everything, from the photography to the layout to the smallest little touches like the stitchy font!

So to get things rolling on touring around blogs, here are a few questions and answers.

Q: How long did it take to write the book and make the projects?

A: Researching and planning took about 4 months, writing took about 5 months, making the projects and all the “step outs” for the photoshoot another 3 months, and edits and revisions took another 3 months. Storey is great about proofing their books. They do everything in their power to help authors put their best writing forward.

Q: What’s my favorite project?

A: I love the little mending clutch in chapter 2 and actually carry it with me everywhere. Clothing-wise I really love Leah Peterson’s reverse applique embroidery on page 64. And… okay, well I really love all the projects showcased in the book, so I’ll just stop there.

Q: Where did I learn how to mend?

A: My grandma, Deb Cory, my Mom, books, the Sewing Rebellion, the wonderful world of the internet, and my greatest teacher: Mrs. Trial-and-error.

If you’d like to ask me some more questions, I’d be happy to answer them on your blog! Just send me an email – kristin [at] craftleftovers [dot] com to set it up.

What people are saying about Mend It Better:

Kudos to Kristin Roach and her contributors for making mending cool. This book offers just the right mix of practical instruction and creative inspiration to motivate readers to repair their well-worn, favorite garments. Let’s stitch!

– Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood, CraftSanity.com

I used to put my mending tasks off as long as possible, but this book has changed my ways. Kristin not only shows you how to repair all kinds of clothing, she shows you how to turn a repair into a beautiful creative detail that makes a garment like new again. The next time my favorite shirt or sweater has a mishap, I’ll be ready to work some magic!

– Diane Gilleland, CraftyPod.com and author of Writing a Great Art or Craft Blog

Kristin Roach is a creative mastermind when it comes to celebrating crafty leftovers. In her
new book Mend It Better, she doesn’t only offer clever ideas for repairs, but they each come
with an impressive designer twist!

– Kathy Cano-Murillo, founder of CraftyChica.com and author of Waking Up in the Land of Glitter

I’m so grateful to the whole team at Storey Publishing for giving me this oppertunity to write this book. Their dedication to the project really made it (and me!) shine. They are wonderful to work with and quite the creative bunch of folks themselves!

Happy Crafting!
Kristin Roach

I’ve been lurking on petfinder.com since Jak passed. I’ve wanted a dog for so long and I was feeling a bit like fate sucker punched with me Jak – here’s this awesome super sweet dog…. who just happens to only have 9 months to live. I missed having a dog around. Dogs are like side kicks in my mind. And I was without a sidekick.

This last Friday I came across this odd listing for a greyhound husky mix. We were intrigued. Turns out he wasn’t, but he is super cute and instantly stole my heart. We were expecting a dog either greyhound or husky size and honestly, I missed his cage because he was so much smaller than I was thinking. Just standing 20″ high at the shoulder. I know a lot of people will tell you that you can’t tell a dog by a picture, maybe I’ve just been lucky with these last two guys. And then just like with Jak, when we went to see him, he stole Jason’s heart. I was all “I don’t know…..” and Jason was like “let’s get him!” Ha.

I have no clue what the mix is, but he’s husky something. Little floppy ears and a deer like back end because as some point his tail was docked. We are starting day 3 with him and so far he’s been pretty fun. Molly has full on accepted him into the family:

It’s funny because foreshortening makes him look about the same size as molly, but he’s actually a bit bigger. She just jumped up and flopped over and started purring. She’s also made a point to come up and meow in his face and head butt and rub on him until he chilled out and got used to cats being around.

We just brought him home Tuesday and I’m already having fantasies about him going camping, hiking and running with me. But I also know it will take a lot of hard work to get there. And I also know no dog is perfect and every dog has its issues. Hopefully we’ll be able to work past most – like his separation anxiety anytime I leave the room. Apparently I’m his superhero for picking him up from the shelter.

He can’t walk on a leash – pulls like you might imagine a husky pulling, but he’s sweet and a quick learner and we’ve been able to teach him the beginnings of: come, sit, down, wait, fetch and his walking is improving rapidly after just a few short lessons. We’re doing a combo of dog whisperer meets tons of youtube videos + dog obedience starting next month. I think it’s like kids, learn what you can and go with your gut.

The first Adventure

We’ve already had our first adventure. On the way home the car in front of my hit a huge chunk of debris and the whole underside of their car got messed up – gas tank was damaged and was pouring gas everywhere, the muffler was disconnected and they were pouring black smoke. The debis came flying back and almost hit my car too. Thankfully with my non-expert driving skills I was able to dodge it just in time. I pulled over to check on the other driver and was able to give her a ride home. Bob Barker was a pro and just sat in the back.

Yep, that’s his name. Jason thought it was hilarious and I’ll be honest, I did too. And there’s just something about this guy that makes Bob the perfect name for him. “Hey Bob” is probably what he thinks his name is really because that’s what we always say when we see him.

So he’s settling in nicely with us and after a rowsing game of fetch this morning, he’s pretty happy to act as a foot warmer down in the office. As I’m finishing up this post, he’s sleeping on my feet. It’s pretty cute. And it makes me really happy. 

That’s half my good news update. Tomorrow I’ll share the other good news update… I’ll give you a hint….. it has to do with Mend it Better!

Kristin