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This week I’m on the trail of RAGBRAI for the first time. In fact, when this post goes live I’ll be well on Day 2 of riding. I’m nervous. I’m excited. And I’m dreaming about all the cool things I should make for my bike.
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I’ve been working on a quilt pattern for the new issue of the Craft Leftovers Zine (out in the next weekish) and was combing other tutorials to see how they write them. Because you know, while this is the second quilt I’ve designed, it will be my first official quilting pattern. And there’s a fun twist on using it as a picnic blanket. But you’ll have to get the zine at the end of next week to find out.

Personally I feel like quilts are the ultimate scrap-use-er-up-er as far as fabrics go. So many little pieces to use up! On the the quilted goodness:
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I went through stages of delight and disappointment with Vogue Knitting The Ultimate Sock Book. When it comes down to it, would I recommend it? Maybe. Here, let me explain.

I’ve had this book in my library for a couple years and I loved it. Yesterday when I sat down with it, I thought I’d be writing how much I crush on this book and why. But when I took an actual read through it cover to cover, it was lacking in the basics.

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When I first sat down to review this week’s book, The Ohio Knitting Mills Knitting Book: Celebrating Four Decades of American Sweater Style, I approached it like all my craft books. I read through the index, skimmed for the projects that grab my attention, read through the actual patterns to see how well they are written, and then finally and lastly read the intro.

Well, that’s when the my approach was completely detoured. The Ohio Knitting Mills Knitting Book sucked me in and I spent the rest of the evening reading this combo of the two things I love – knitting and history.
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One of the things i love most about the MAL quicky is that it doesn’t give me enough time to procrastinate, though there was some putting off until tomorrow happening because of the zine coming out last week, and then I finished it about 2am on Monday/Tuesday, took pictures Tuesday afternoon, and then literally forgot to finish my post yesterday. It wasn’t the brilliant timing I had planned on, but look here, second handmade clothing item finished!

At first I was a little intimidated by The Fickle Sense Circle Skirts pattern because the last time I tried to make a circle skirt in a similar way it was a huge failure and I threw the whole thing in the scrap bin. Well, this time the math worked out no problem. The instructions for developing the pattern pieces are really well written and illustrated. The pattern pieces came together really quickly, in fact, I had the skirt mostly made in just one hour. It actually fits, so I’m saving my pattern pieces. It will be a great template to make many more circle skirts. I’d like to try the 3/4 and 1/2  versions too.

But my brain took a rain check when it came to adding a liner. I still don’t know what I was thinking when I added it in. I’m pretty sure there was a method to my maddness, but looking back I’m not sure how exactly I thought it was going to work out. And then I got frustrated and went to rip out the waist to try again and, well, ripped the liner fabric in half. Woops. Somehow my brain was wrapped the wrong way around the zipper.

Anyway, so I said to hell with it all and removed the liner completely, I’ll wear a freaking slip. Or leggings.

I quickly moved on to the pockets which I stitched in by hand (I like the way the prick stitch looks). It was good to unwind with some good ol’ fashioned tv watching, then finished it up with the lace hem tape around the bottom.

Because of all my liner issues I opted to just forego the piping at the waist seam and “get ‘er done” because I started to really be concerned this cute skirt would end up in the forever “wip” pile that my last circle skirt retired to.

I’m glad I did too because even though I was up sewing until 2am after a super long day of work, I love it! I love the pockets and the little splash of blue in the hemline. And the pockets (I know I’m getting hung up on those) are just at the right place so I can shove my hands in them and still have room to hide away a cell phone, wallet and maybe even my knitting. Okay, so maybe they aren’t big enough for my knitting, but they are nice and roomy.

If you want to see more photos of me running around in the yard, flip through the slideshow at the top of the post.

I hope you enjoyed my quick dash to make a project. Thanks again for helping me pick out which pattern to make. I’m not sure about you, but these Quicky Make-a-longs have been super helpful in getting me to make a project someone else has designed. For me, it’s great continuing education seeing how other’s write their patterns and it is really busting up my stash – this skirt used up like 3+ yards of fabric!

Happy Crafting!

Kristin Roach

The first issue of Volume 4 is hot off the presses! This month’s issue is all about collaborating, collaborating with my friend Jill actually! I talk about using the internet, mail, crafting, and sketchbooks. There’s a recipe for chocolate cheese cake, a wordfind, and 3 patterns!

I’m super excited to offer a pdf version of the zine too. In Volume 4: when you order the print version, you get instant access to the full color PDF version of the zine too! A little print love, a little instant gratification, a whole lot of crafty goodness!

Get the single Print issue for $6.00 – on sale for $5.00 through Monday!

Get the single PDF issue for $3.95 – on sale for $2.95 now through Monday!

Like etsy? Get the Craft Leftovers Zine from my Etsy Shop.

What to get a Craft Leftovers Subscription? Go here to learn how!

Some more facts about the Craft Leftovers Zine:
Volume 4 is the start of the 5th Year making the zine. The Craft Leftovers Monthly Zine is a slice-of-life (maga)Zine full of illustrations and original projects and stories. It’s designed, written, laid out and hand assembled by Kristin Roach with help from Jill Hatzer. It’s 24 pages of crafty goodness in a 5×7″ page size. Color Cover, black and white insides. Perfect for pockets, purses, and pouches. Get inspired, inspire your friends.

Craft Leftovers is print locally at Heuss Printing. They are FCS/SFI Certified. Paper is a biodegradable, renewable, sustainable product made from trees. They purchase from responsibly managed forests and soy ink is vivid and unlike oil, is a renewable and sustainable source of color.

Enjoy and happy crafting!
Kristin Roach

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