tute, tute!

even though craft stylish had to lay off all of us weekly bloggers back in may (thanks to the screwy economy), i am still writing one or two project tutorials a month for them. i'm kind of into my newest one, for a braided leather headband, and want to make a whole bunch of these if i can just get my hands on some nice leather scraps somewhere! you can always find all of my articles here, and even subscribe to my RSS feed if you like.

i also swapped interviews with my crafty friend kayte of love forever. you can read my queries for kayte and hers for me.

button it!

march has been button month over on CraftStylish, and i've been busy making all kinds of projects with my button stash! it's been fun because i don't usually use button closures in my clothes, but i have a ton o' vintage buttons that i hoard, saving them for their special moment. and quite possibly, this may have been it! my projects have been a crocheted button charm necklace, monogramming with buttons, and how to sew a buttonhole by hand. interestingly, my hand-sewn buttonhole tutorial caused quite a stir in the comments, with some old-schoolers claiming that my buttonhole just doesn't cut the mustard, and many more coming to my defense. i chose to stay on the sidelines, but it's been an amusing show! i only wish we could see some of the experts' buttonholes, but none seem able to produce an example...

pin-tuck restyle

i just can't get enough of the re-styling of t-shirts, and this newest one i did for CS might just be my fave ever! the fit is very flattering and i love the length. check out the tutorial and make one of your own!

the cat on the mat

since i did two projects for gertie for pets month over at CS, i thought i should make something for trissy, my new step-cat. i decided she could use a nice little mat to lie on, while protecting the furniture from fur and claws. piecing the squares was fun and i like how it turned out, and more importantly, so does triss!

my pet projects

it's pets month over at craftstylish! so far i've done tutorials for recycled dog sweater and crochet pet bed projects, and i've got one for kitties in the works for next week. and even though last month was the 'green crafting' theme, both of these happen to be *upcycled* so they don't cost anything to make. i just love using up materials that i already have on hand!

ruffly re-style

would you believe you can go from this to this with just a few simple snips and stitches? this is a very easy project that won't cost a penny, and scores high on the eco-points! win win! it seems to be very popular over on CraftStylish; i think this one's got more comments than any of my previous tutes...

rug bee

this week's tutorial is on making rag rugs out of old tees; see it over here. this whole month the projects on CraftStylish are all about making from recycled materials, and there's some way cool stuff!!! i've always been a big fan of braided rag rugs, but the braiding and then hand-stitching always seemed tedious (and painful!). but then i discovered that you can crochet rugs out of scraps and they look almost the same, and i've been hooked (sorry, can't help it) ever since. i would love to have a rug bee this weekend where everyone brings over some scraps, and we all work them into our rugs. anyone wanna come?

sewing kit

doesn't everyone need a sewing kit? i keep one in my bag so i have it wherever i go. it's so easy to make your own, customised to suit your own needs and color palette. i can show you how!

totally tubular

my latest project for CraftStylish is the simple, snuggly cowl. they're so easy that you can whip up a bunch as last-minute gifts, or just make yourself a variety, in an hour or so. cowls are great for using up your knit scraps! i'm looking for ways to stay warm on my winter farm adventure, so i plan to make one in every color.

get fleeced

last week was 'Guy Week' on CraftStylish, and we were supposed to do projects that would be good gifts for guys. this was due to the most common gifting crisis amongst crafters polled to be: what to make for men. at the very last minute i came up with this simple hoodie, which i'm kinda proud of because i've always felt i could never make clothes that a guy would actually WEAR. i had to show it to the recipient, in order to have him model it for the photo (on my dress form it doesn't look very manly!) and he pretty much hasn't taken it off since.

make a recycled sweater hat

as part of the Dare to Make It series on CraftStylish (daring you to make ALL of your holiday gifts!) i did this hat project out of recycled sweaters. it's super easy and works for man, woman or child. i want to make a few out of some cashmere sweaters i have... hopefully i'll have them at the Craftacular on sunday. you are coming, aren't you? see all the cool vendors here to whet your whistle!

elastic shirring tutorial

hope you had a happy thanksgiving! just wanted to let you know that my latest CS post is about shirring with elastic, a handy and very cool technique. i can think of so many ways to use this, and i love how 'pro' it looks.

i think i'm going to have to whip up a few more shirts like this one for the BUST Craftacular, which you should come visit me at on sunday, december 14! come early to beat the crowds!

embellish with crochet

this week on CraftStylish, i give a step-by-step on how to add crochet inserts to clothing you make or already own. this is one of my favorite techniques for tops and dresses, as you may have noticed! it's a great way to customize basics, or to make one-of-a-kind gifts.

more tutorials

as usual, i have fallen behind on keeping you updated with my latest tutorials for CraftStylish, so you might want to take a look at these last three if you haven't yet: tiered tea dress restyle (a super-cute way to transform old T's into sweet dresses), bias tape facing (perfect finish for skirt waists, armholes and necklines on wovens), and fold-over elastic (an excellent way to treat necklines and cuffs on your knit tops). also, you can always see the complete, up-to-the-minute list of my tutes here. and i'm working on a project for the print magazine too, for early spring. happy sewing!

mending with crochet

did you catch my recent CraftStylish post about mending a sweater hole with crochet? i love creative repairs that leave the original in a better state than before the hole or stain! i had totally stopped wearing my favorite (did i mention it's cashmere?) hoodie because of the giant (and growing) elbow hole, but now i love it even more.


this sweater is a showcase of such techniques because the first time i wore it, a White-Out pen EXPLODED all over me. most would have considered the sweater ruined and thrown it away (trust me, that stuff does NOT come out!) but i saw it as an invitation for further embellishment, and embroidered french knots all over the white splash...
so next time you damage something, before you toss it, see if you can mend it in an interesting way!

t-shirt remake

last week's CS post was a really fun project: a re-style of a t-shirt into a cute top with a gathered yoke. i need to do this to a whole bunch of old t's i never wear... you probably do too!