upcycling for dollars

Posted on May 9, 2013 | 0 comments

Every May our local elementary school has a silent auction fundraiser. Every April I think, “hmmmm, what can I do with t-shirts this year?”

Last year I made a large patchwork throw pillow for lounging about indoors. This year, after a long winter, I was ready to get outside! So I made a picnic blanket using flannel pajama pants and t-shirts.

To provide a little bit of protection from the elements, I backed the quilt/blanket with ripstop nylon … in the winter, maybe it could double as a toboggan? To keep your picnic from drifting away when the spring breezes blow, I added triangular pockets in each backside corner to hold a small rock or other weighty object.

A quilt like this could also do duty as a light windbreak or bleacher cover for those cool spring athletic events. Take it to the beach when the weather heats up. Toss it in the back of the car for whenever! It will machine wash nicely in cool water as needed.

And keeping with the school color of green, slice up some avocados to layer onto your picnic sandwiches. Wonderful! Why has it taken me so long to try this?!

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weekly woot!

Posted on Apr 26, 2013 | 0 comments

This week’s woot goes out to Emily Hingston in Auckland, NZ.

 
It’s a small world ….

One of the wonderful things about the internet is the way it can bring us together across vast distances. As a child, corresponding with friends in NZ was a long “send and wait” process, today (if you’ve got the time difference right!) it’s a simple click on the keyboard to say hello.

Emily is a Kiwi graphic designer who plays with printable gift boxes, buntings, illustrations and such. I’m especially fond of her little gift/favor boxes.

I think it’s the magic of transforming a flat surface into a 3-dimensional object that appeals to me. (Hmmmm … sounds a bit like sewing?!) And there’s nothing like the instant gratification factor of being able to print your purchase immediately on your own printer and play with it, NOW!

Her products are just plain fun.

To see more of her work, check out Emily Hingston’s etsy shop.

Also, for more “fun with paper” ideas, visit her Paper Craft pinterest page.

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peter rabbit basket

Posted on Mar 30, 2013 | 0 comments

I have had a length of Peter Rabbit and Friends home dec fabric in my stash for years. As much as I loved it, I never knew what to do with it.

Until last week when I was wandering around etsy and saw the answer in another shop. Easter baskets! Thank you Anne Schneider of GoodWishesQuilts!

And thank you to whomever it was that gave me this fabric when my children were small. I’m so glad to finally put it to use. This project slightly vindicates the depth and breadth of my fabric stash … well, maybe a little!

Happy Easter to all!

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little pouches, big uses

Posted on Mar 25, 2013 | 0 comments

Stuff. Lately I feel as though I’m being overrun by stuff. Stuff on my desk. Stuff on the bathroom counter. Stuff in my purse. All those little items like pens, buttons, makeup, shopping cards, and more! And then there’s that entourage of electronic gadgets that seem to multiply overnight … and each gadget has 3 cords or accessories that follow it around.

So before I was buried by the creeping onslaught of stuff, I began sewing some little zippered pouches to help organize.

I like a bag that can sit up on its own, so they had to have a flat bottom … and big enough to hold a fair amount of ‘stuff’ but not so big that they didn’t fit into my briefcase or purse or drawer. And here’s what I came up with … a whole army of little pouches! Some with matching tissue covers, one filled with emergency supplies for my daughter, one for my phone and laptop cords, and some for you!

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Happy St. Patrick’s Day! …
or feis, oireachtas, and Guinness, oh my!

Posted on Mar 17, 2013 | 0 comments

In honor of my daughter’s retirement from competitive irish dance, I stole her dance t-shirt collection and set off to quilting class. Catherine at the Button Box held a t-shirt quilt workshop using Tula Pink’s stack quilt as inspiration. While I wasn’t in love with the colors in Tula’s quilt, it’s a great pattern and perfect for using a myriad of odd sized t-shirt logos.

I often struggle with bringing a disparate group of t-shirts together into a unified piece. However, the stacks pattern allows for the use of a lot of small pieces and repetitive strips that spread the colors more evenly than is usually possible with a t-shirt quilt. This project was made even easier by virtue of the fact that many shirts were from her dance school, and so there was a color theme of blue and orange running through the collection. So I guess we were compelled to make it more complicated by adding the colors of her favorite dance costume (though there was no way that I would actually cut up that dress!$$) … mint green, black velvet, and yes, the zebra print lining.

It’s a large quilt, and was a lot of work, but it did a masterful job of converting that unruly stack of t-shirts into a lovely, usable memory. It’s not quite complete as I’m still in search of the perfect zebra print fabric for the backing …

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weekly woot!

Posted on Mar 15, 2013 | 0 comments

This week’s woot goes out to the Fish Print Lady
Stephanie Mason.

 
What? You’ve never heard of fish prints, or gyotaku? Me either, until last week when I met Stephanie.

Gyotaku is an old Japanese folk art of making prints from, well, fish. And, apparently it began as a way to record the size and species caught by fisherman. Stephanie updates this traditional art by making rubbings of fish and hand coloring them to create wonderful and sometimes whimsical works of art.

In addition to matted prints, she also adorns cards and mugs with her artwork. (My daughter bought a lovely flounder mug for Father’s Day … shhhhh, don’t tell!)

Check out her website, or if you are in the Boston area stop into the Sign of the Dove Gallery and see her unique work in person.

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me!
it’s all about me …

Posted on Mar 12, 2013 | 0 comments

well, sort of … I was recently interviewed by Bev Feldman of Linkouture for her blog series!

Bev is a Boston area artist who creates elegant chainmaille jewelry. I’m especially fond of her delicate bracelets; where was she when I needed bridesmaid gifts?!

Check out her blog to see her work and meet a wide range of other craft artists. And while you’re out, stop in at her etsy shop.

Thanks, Bev!

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