My friend Michelle has been helping me in the garden this year in exchange for a share of the bounty. It has been a boon! We dug the garden, corralled chickens, planted all the plants and seeds (on time, even early) — which I’ve never managed to do before. She […]
nosew - patterns & tutorials
Tutorial: Polymer Clay Kawaii Toast
I love toast! I was freaking *de-light-ed* in Chicago and went into a japanese toy store and saw Kawaii Toast! So cute! Love them! But I didn’t really want a keychain. Or a coin purse. I just wanted a little toast to bring me joy and hang out on my […]
journal - little woods homestead - thrift kitchen
Weeknight Crunch: Top Five 20-Minute Meals
The thing that keeps me from eating out more than anything else is an easy, delicious, fast meal. Jason and I will hit that 7:00PM wall where dinner really needs to be on the table like a half hour ago, we’re both hungry, we are both tired from working all […]
fabric - patterns & tutorials
Quilted Pot Holder
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 […]
nosew - organize - patterns & tutorials - redress
FiloFax Printables: Get Organized!
Here are the filofax printables that I laid out in InDesign. You can download them by clicking here. I like to plan out the main things that need to be done each week. I try to space them out so I don’t feel like I have to do everything on […]
crochet - patterns & tutorials
Mosaic Scarf’s Little Sister: Free Crochet Pattern
Over the last 3 or so years, there have been a lot of emails about how to shorten up the Mosaic scarf. It’s long. Really long. So long that I must admit I only wore it a couple of times. I could literally wrap it 5 times around my neck. […]
fabric - howto - journal - patterns & tutorials
How to: Make a Replacement Pet Bed Filler
When we got Jak last month, I thought I was being oh so smart by getting a dog bed with a removable cover. The theory was that I could just take off the cover, give it a wash, and be good to go again. Well, that’s true except in the case of accidents where the whole thing gets soaked through. Next time I’ll make sure to get a cover that’s water proof as well as removable. Ah well. Hopefully we have dealt with the last of the pee issues.
Time to pull out the sewing machine and make my own. It was surprisingly easy, so I thought I would share this with you, just in case you have a pet with a bed that needs a new inside.
fabric - feature
How To: Fabric Stitchy Bookmark
One of the things I wanted to work on this year was reading. And I have. In fact, I’ve worked on it a lot. It seemed only right to make a new bookmark to mark my place. I’ve already read more books this year than I did in all of […]
knitting - patterns & tutorials
Free CL Pattern: Knit Convertible Mittens
You may have seen this earlier in the month, but just in case you didn’t: Check out my newest Craft Leftovers pattern over on Craftzine! These convertible knit mittens will keep your hands toasty and warm during the cold of winter. To free your fingers, simply open the convertible flap! […]
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.
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 […]
knitting - patterns & tutorials
Knit Pattern: Parsimonious Toe Up Socks
I was so excited to finish these socks. Once finished, the timing worked out perfectly to be a contributor to Craftzine this month, one of my favorite websites! The pattern is great for using up leftovers, of course, using 25-30g of sock yarn for each color. While the color work […]
fabric - patterns & tutorials
Sewn Leftovers: Fleece Mittens
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.
knitting - patterns & tutorials
Knit Pattern: Stripy Fun Time!
Don’t you love it when you have a favorite card game? It’s you can’t get enough of it. Every time you and your friends get together, one of you pulls out a worn box and starts dealing out the deck. I do. And I don’t. After awhile that super-worn box for your cards starts really falling apart and those precious cards start slipping out.
Well, for my favorite “flavor of the day” game, I opted to knit my own little holder for them.
crochet - journal - patterns & tutorials
Crochet Pattern: Buds and Blossoms Dishcloth
I make a lot of swatches when I’m working on patterns. You know, working out patterns, figuring out the count. The color combo. When I was making the library tote for this month’s Craft Leftovers Monthly, it was same as usual. This time, instead of shooting for “coaster” sized swatches, […]
book review
Getting my Entralac Toes Wet: Garterlac Dishcloth
I was cleaning out my studio yesterday and a print out of this quick dishcloth pattern fell out from between two knitting magazines. Perfect! The Garterlac Dishcloth by Criminy Jickets on ravelry here and on his blog here.
journal - knitting - patterns & tutorials
Free Yarn Stash Pattern: Knit Honey Bunny
This sweet little bunny was first published in the spring of 2008. It’s a unique construction because the base of the little hopper is knit like a heel flap. The first time I made him, I used some vintage acrylic and the last few times I used leftover cotton. You can use just about any worsted weight yarn for this project. I’ve even seen people use faux fur with some pretty fun results.
thrift kitchen
Thrift Kitchen: Dressing Dress Up
Last week while eating a tasty greek salad at Panera, I thought, “I should enjoy tasty salads more often.” Then I wondered, “Why don’t my salads taste this tasty?” Dressing! That’s the difference. Seriously, it’s that easy to take a salad from “meh” to “delicious!” Dressing is pretty expensive though. What’s […]
crochet - feature - patterns & tutorials
Free Pattern: Particularly Pink Crochet Dishcloth
I had so much fun crocheting up this little dishcloth. I was looking for something to brighten up the dull chore of washing the dishes. I had quite a few little bits of orange, blue and white. And a whole lot of pink and gray. I love the way it […]