Friday’s post really inspired me to get my act together and organize my fabric. Each box is 11″ x 12″ x 14″. I opted to sort them by color, which seems to be my best organizing option yet.

::Pink::Orange::Red::Purple::

::Blue::

::Green::

::Brown::Yellow::

::Gray::Black::

::Patterned Whites::

::Utilitarian Fabrics::

::Bolts of Fabric::

::Spiral of Strips::

::Little Squares::

::Pieces that were too big to fit in the boxes::

::The whole shebang::

I think next I’ll organize and take pictures of all my yarn. Should I organize by weight? fiber type? or color? How do you organize your yarn? your fabric?

Happy crafting!

Kristin

In 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 straight through. This book is so inspiring.

The book is a collection of artist interviews, sneak peeks into studios, and beautiful documentation of all of their work.

Each artist is asked these questions:

“What materials do you use most often? And can you give us some pointers on material selection?”

“What’s your secret to making a good collage?”

And of course every artist has a different answer!

A few of the makers in the book are asked questions specific to their work. You can read about their process, how they started working with collage, the business side of things, and the history behind particular pieces. I’m such a “how it works” fiend. It was pure delight getting to read about how artists have come up with their ideas, sourced materials, and brought diverse materials together into a unified whole.

It’s filled with fun little bits of information about making collages too. Like this:

“To make a collage, you don’t need any predetermined rules. You don’t need complex technologies. Just follow your instincts, be true to yourself, and have fun! The paper you collect, the scraps you just could not throw away, the photographs that bring back so many memories, are reborn as new materials.”

Artists include:

• Nami Ogihara

• Chalk

• Wool, cube, wool

• Bleu Blanche

• Tomoka Mitsuma

• Yoko Inoue

• Repit

• Yuki Nakamura

• Les Deux

• Tomoo Nishidate

• Kayo Yamamoto

I hope you will enjoy this book as much as I have!
Happy crafting!
Kristin

Jason knew as soon as we moved into our new house that we needed some blinds fast for the master bedroom and main bath. We just needed a little more privacy so we would stop having to get dressed in the closet, haha.

We went to Lowes and were absolutely shocked (we are newbies to all this after all) the blinds and shades range from $4 to $400. Of course the ones yours truly picked out were on the $400 end. Well crud. We just don’t roll that way.

After browsing around the internet, I found these great shades that were almost identical to the ones at Lowes for 1/10 the price. And you can’t beat the $3 for shipping from Overstock.

When they arrived we promptly hung them up and realized they were near transparent–ah ha. I remember this now. Bamboo shades are pretty and great at filtering light, but not so great on privacy unless you spend that $400. And you want to know why? They aren’t backed with fabric.

The other issue is that the shortest they had were 72″ long and our windows are just 36″. That’s a whole lot of excess bundled up. A trim was in order and good thing for me it looks like what they used to “finish” the shades on the bottom was a touch of hot glue.

The bathroom shades are a whole other issue, they are 1/2″ too wide! Annoying! Our window in the bathroom is 26 1/2″ inches. Our doorway is 27 3/4. What is up with this fraction fetish! Anyway, so I decided to trim them shorter, trim them thinner, and back them with some fabric so we can pee without peepers peeping in.

I have hot glue. I have fabric. Totally doable.

::Materials::

• Fabric cut to the size of your shades
• Scissors
• Tin Snips
• Sand paper
• Miter box and saw – clamps help too
• Tape – masking or packaging works great

First things first, trimming. Why make myself by back a 72″ shade when I was going to cut it down to half that length. I decided on a length os half + 1″ for a “glue allowance”–where I’ll fold it over and hot glue it.

1. I untied the drawstrings and pulled them aside so I didn’t accidentally cut them.
2. Then I laid down a bead of hot glue where I wanted to cut the blinds. Snip snip snip, and the strings were cut.

Note: I thought I would be able to trim down the width with scissors or garden shears, but that was not the case at all. I was thinking about using some kind of saw, but I was coming up blank.

3. My friend Sarah came over and had a really great idea on how trim them width-wise. She said, “Oh, why don’t you use that miter box and hand saw out in the garage.” Duh. Then she said, “We should roll this up and tape it before trying to cut it.”

   I should mention Sarah is an engineer and worked at NASA for a term. She is an AMAZING problem solver (thanks for coming over yesterday, I had fun). So that’s what we did.

   I should also mention that since Sarah has turned her engineering sights on home repair, she’s become a home repair goddess. I love consulting with her on all my projects – from knitting to the best way to remove paint from the window tracks. You should check out her new home repair blog Building Expectations – love the name she picked for it.




4. Cut a piece of fabric that is 1/2″ larger in width and length than your shade.

5. Folded all the edges under by 1/4″ and pressed. Straight stitched to hold in place.

6. Laid on the back of the shade and marked where the rings are with a straight line.

7. Made button holes that are large enough to fit the rings though.(I should mention this was also Sarah’s great idea. Thanks lady!

8. Fit the rings through the button holes to double check the placement.

Then it was time for my favorite part–hot glue!

9. I lifted up the fabric and put a dab of hot glue on either side of the ring.

10. Glued along the top, then the side, then the bottom — pressing down the fabric as I went along.

11. Time to finish up the bottom: Dabbed hot glue along the bottom edge and rolled it over. Repeat again.

If you butcher the edges of the blinds while cutting like I did. No worries, you can even them out with sand paper and a jigsaw.

And that’s it! All finished!

And since I used muslin to back the shades, they still let quite a bit of light in. But not so much that you can see me taking a shower or getting dressed.

Now that I’ve worked out all the steps on my little shades, backing and trimming the bedroom shades will be a snap. I’ll take pictures and post them to flickr when I get them finished up.

Happy Crafting!
Kristin Roach

Oh 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 in the book. While it’s chock full of great information, it does take a bit of guess work to figure some of the steps out. This is a great book to expand your skill set, learn some new techniques, or learn the “proper” way to do basic sewing stuff. But, I would recommend you have some sewing experience under your belt before trying many of the projects.

Who this book is for: adventurous beginner to intermediate; advanced if you want inspiration, project ideas, and great pictures.

Who this book is not for: Those who have just brought home their first machine and need hand holding. But it’s also for you if you want to be inspired to learn to sew neat things.

I really enjoy that she has the projects arranged from A-Z, covering a few projects for just about every letter of the alphabet, starting with Animals…

… and ending with Wall Decor.

I’m hoping that by the end of the month this book will make it’s way into my permenant library – just waiting for one of those border’s coupons, haha. I think those shades will be the first thing I will want to make.

Happy Crafting!

Kristin Roach

Every so often, the bounty of swapping happens all in the same week, which is like Christmas everyday! Last week was that week! What a delight!

Mixtape – We have been swapping zines for about a year now and it’s always a delight when one shows up in the mail. I really look up to Justine, her work, and this publication. She’s an amazing graphic designer and editor and Mixtape is always fresh, fun, and inspiring.

Su Mwamba – Another zine maker I have been swapping with for awhile. She puts together these amazing limited edition zines that are the sweetest little things I’ve ever seen. Each one is done with such attention to detail. All the little pockets, add in’s and zines. She reminds me to keep things handmade–to indulge in the handmade component of zine making from time to time.

Lastly, Amy is a treasure. She sends me these amazing bundles of handmade beads and batik fabrics all the way from Africa! She’s teaching there for a year and shares these great finds with me. I’m so honored and delighted that she gives these great pieces of her adventure.

I love swapping. For me, it is a joy to trade with these great women who inspire me.

Mail always makes my Mondays a happier day! Happy Monday to you too!

Kristin Roach

Hi 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 to see how both techniques can be used on the same shirt for different results.

the shirt

A few years ago, I was running errands with my kids and saw this shirt. (Yes, it’s another wrinkly picture.) It came in a few different colors/patterns and I couldn’t decide between two. Time is of the essence when out with my boys, so I tossed them both in the cart and hoped for the best. Unfortunately, I wore it a few times and decided that something wasn’t quite right. The neckline and fit are a bit off for my build but not so bad that it can’t be worn.

embellish it

I got my hands on a copy of Crochet Adorned by Linda Permann and kept being drawn toward the “Pretty Petals Tank.” It’s a really fun and inspiring read with clear instructions. Even as a beginner, I was able to crochet the pattern below.

(I found this picture on the web. Nice, eh?)

Somehow, I connected my not-quite-right shirt with this tank top. I followed the Permann’s instructions for the crochet and then used the elements to change the neckline on my shirt. I had to use fewer of the motifs but I like how it turned out. The most difficult part of the project was finding a yarn that was a perfect match. I ended up with a yarn that was close enough. Since the shirt is a gauzy fabric, it’s passable.

reconstruct it

For the second of the two shirts, I decided on a reconstruction. What I ended up doing was rather simple but it took three tries to get there. The second shirt had this fun pattern. I’m not a tall person–5-ish feet. So I think the print was too overwhelming. Still, I thought if reduced the visual impact it could work. First I tried using some elastic to make an empire waist. That didn’t look right. In the photo below you can still see the crease marks where I added and then removed a casing for the elastic.

A few months later, I was out shopping for my kids and found the blue tank in the picture. It was ultra cheap and the right size and color. Instead of trying to make a “new” shirt, I decided to make a dress. The rough sketch shows where I made my cuts. I used the bit from the bottom of the shirt to add ties to the sides of the dress to give it a bit more shape.

It took two attempts to get it right. The ties aren’t visible in the picture, but are sewn on the side seam where the two fabrics meet.

And, sadly, this was the best picture I could get. I probably should have dusted the mirror too but dusting is in the same category as ironing. You get the idea, right? It’s a very light and airy dress. It’ll work nicely for a beach coverup on a sweltering summer day. It’s not to early to talk about the beach is it?

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Karen Liao is a lifelong crafter and online editor for the Craft Leftovers blog. She sells her handmade goods for charity in her etsy shop, TurtleStar.

Last 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! It was a little too big in the shoulders and sides. In the book they talk about how, depending on the knit fabric, you might need some negative ease–I definitely did. I took in the sides and arm holes about 1 inch.

I am so excited that my sleeves actually fit into my arm holes, perfect!

I love my new shirt. I’m going to grossly admit to wearing it just about non stop since this weekend, haha. Okay, so I’ve washed it, not completely gross, maybe just without a little fashion conscious. I always hated the “different outfit each day” rule in high school. I’ll wear what I want…just so long as it’s clean, right? :)

One question I did get asked a lot while working on this shirt was, “Isn’t that a lot of work?” Well, honestly, not really. Think about the last time you found the “perfect” shirt in the store. How many shopping trips did that take? For me, I usually come back dry, no luck. Loads of trying clothes on. Something always wrong–the fit, the pattern, the style, bah.

If you make your own shirt with the pattern drafted for you, tried and true with unique variations, it doesn’t take that long at all. This knit shirt that I love? Three hours! Most likely it’ll be less time on the next go around. I won’t be altering it as I go along because I’ve corrected my basic pattern.

So three hours of fun sewing vs. countless hours of shopping and trying things on with no guarantee you will end up with anything for your efforts.

Oh, not to mention that the cash cost is less. You can get high quality fabric and designer styles for a fraction of the cash. Which is awesome for me because cash is something more sparse than time right now.

Happy stitching!
Kristin Roach

p.s. You can thank Jason for the photos.

You see those zeros before that one? That means this is the first of many.

Challenge 001: Fabric + buttons.

That pink fabric, I love it! But, it’s so bright and busy that it’s been difficult to find the perfect project for. It decided to sprinkle in with it some buttons, little ones and one big one, a plain fabric, and then a larger patterned fabric. The yellow and pink are both cottons (I think), and the tan is a synthetic blend (maybe).

The challenge is to use up these fabrics in one project. You don’t have to use all the fabric in one go. You could use just some of each. But, you do have to use some of each and at least one button. The more buttons you use, the more points you get. You do not get more points if you use more fabric.

What you get? Well, all you have to do is leave a comment with your idea (or email kristin[at]craftleftovers[dot]com if you have a photo/sketch). If I pick your idea, you get a custom designed pattern for the supplies and a kit made up from the materials (or something similar).

You have until Monday, February 8th to comment. I’ll announce the winner and the new pattern on Friday the 26th. The next challenge will be the first Monday of March.

Happy crafting!
Kristin Roach

Last month we had the final Ames C.art Sew n’ Swap of the year. We get together and bring fabric, patterns, books, and sewing notions to swap, then we hang out and sew for a few hours. It’s a great way to meet people, get new-to-you supplies for free, and learn some sewing skills – because everyone has something to teach. It was a ton of fun and I can’t wait for our monthly meetings to begin again in February.

I nabbed this super cute piece of Christmas fabric while I was there. I had entertained many project ideas. This week I finally made the leap and jumped feet first into tree skirt making. Being too impatient to measure anything or form a proper circle, I folded the piece in fourths, then folded it from the point twice. So I had a nice little triangle. I cut the tip off, then the end (like above).

So easy! I think it turned out pretty well. The hole in the center is a little too big, so just to warn you, you might think you aren’t making that big of a hole when you cut 3″ of the hole.  But remember, that makes a hole with a 6″ diameter. Which is fine for a real tree, but for a little 3′ tree, that’s huge. Jason was like, “That looks a little big.” And I said, “Nah, the tree is just a little small, that’s all. We just need a bigger tree.” Haha. I do want a bigger tree, but not this year.

Anyway, then I dug this really neat vintage trim out of my stash. I had been hoarding it for years, time to let go. I sewed it around the circumference, then just folded over the center circle’s and slit’s edges and top stitched them.

Time for buttons. These are actually another item that I’ve been holding on to for awhile. You know, one of those items you try to match up with every project, but nothing quite works. Well, it worked perfectly for this little skirt. I used silk cord stitched to the underside of the fabric as fasteners. Easy peasy. There are 3 buttons and 3 loops of silk cord.

The tree is sitting on top of a little shelf, but it would look really nice spread out on the floor or over a bigger surface. Turned out really cute all the same. I really like it. And my friend Christina was like, “Oh wow, did you just make that? That’s so cute.” Which is always the biggest compliment.

{bumped up the exposure on this one so you could see it a little better}

The tree is a little too small, I can’t even fit all my ornaments on it. Not only do I make a few each year, but my friend Carolyn always sends me a few too, like that sweet “love” one. And there’s the gingerbread one my sister made for me last year. I want to show them ALL off :)

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Want to use up some of your leftovers from Christmas? Check out my ebook Card.Paper.Ribbon. that’s all about finding non-christmas uses for Christmas gift packaging supplies!

Happy crafting and happy holidays!
Kristin

I’ve been in such a holiday crafting mood lately. I need a larger tree–it’s getting loaded down with handmade ornaments. Time to switch to home decor Christmas crafts :) Here’s a free sewn stocking pattern just for you (and for me too!).

Here are the two I made:

I made the middle from pieces of a red plaid skirt and a brown plaid dress. I love plaids! And the one on the left (front) and right (back) I delved into my stash and sewed a bunch of strips together using the same method as this cute little clutch by mairuru. It’s reversible, neat huh?

Just print, enlarge and make whatever size your heart desires. Appliquéd lettering, glitter, and beading would all be great additions!

Happy Crafting!
Kristin