Posts tagged ‘fabric’

and a pile of possibility. I spent the afternoon carefully removing shirt pockets. And then carefully pinning them back to the shirt from which they came so that I can do some shirt rehab on Friday afternoon. I am planning to take them all up to The Market Path to see about consigning there. I chatted with one of the employees on Saturday at the Home and Garden show, and she encouraged me to stop in. Hopefully I have what they are looking to stock in their store.

It’s encouraging to me that there are so many people interested in handmade items right now that there is a greater outlet for displaying/selling them. It’s not just craft fairs and etsy, although I LOVE those venues, but even brick and mortar stores are interested in carrying one-of-a-kind handmade items in their shops.

In other news, Colleen and I have talked about slowing down on the tutorial frequency. Once a week  is a lot of crafting. And though we have a ton of ideas for how to repurpose things, we are running out of time to actually do them. Just today I spent two hours ( yikes! ) cleaning out my craft room because I only have time to work in there, and never have any time to clean up after myself. I still haven’t put everything away yet! So, look forward to 2 monthly tutorials from Clever Nesting in the future. We still love you, we just also love our sanity.

I made some soup for the Church potluck this Wednesday. It wasn’t until I was almost finished making the soup, and had announced on Facebook that  I planned to bring the soup, that I realized I had no way to transport hot soup without spilling it or letting it cool off.

Hense, the crockpot cozy. I had seen a casserole cozy on the interwebs somewhere (if anyone can remember, or was the maker of this please let me know because I didn’t bookmark it) and it came to mind as the perfect solution to the conundrum I was in.  It was also the perfect excuse to use my new serger because I needed to make it fast.

Essentially this is just a 22″ by 22″ un-quilted quilt, no binding, with over-locked edges. To make it all transportable I made some straps from upholstery weight fabric (over-locked again) and stitched them to the middle of the bottom of the cozy in an X. Then I folded up the corners of the cozy over my crockpot stoneware insert and tied the straps.

It’s machine washable, quick to make, very gift-able, and it kept my soup warm and unspilled all the way to the potluck!

This necklace is inspired by a piece my friend Jenn was wearing to Stitch N Bitch a few weeks ago. I loved it. Luckily, I had just bought a chunky black bead necklace at the thrift store to repurpose the beads and hadn’t designated a project for them yet. I also had some teal lace I got in the remnant section at the fabric store. It was a match made in heaven, and I’m passing this simple project on to you!

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I know this update is a little last minute, but I wanted to post about my class at Craft Akron tomorrow. I have been finding time to put the kits together, but not to write my post!

Tomorrow in class, using silk, ribbon, lace, wool and jewelry scraps we will make attractive and versatile head pieces called “fascinators” in time for your Valentine’s Day date. Kit will include everything you need for your project. If there is something you’d like to use for your piece, please bring it to class.

Date: Saturday, January 23
Time: 2:00pm – 4:00pm

Cost: $20 plus $5 kit fee.

In the spirit of a new year & reflecting about Clever Nesting’s previous year of blogging, I thought I’d share my favorite 2009 tutorials that Devona’s written.

Do you ever find beautiful sweaters at the thrift store but realize they’re too stretched out or shrunken to wear?  In Knitting with an Old Sweater Devona shows how to unravel those sweaters and reuse the yarn for new projects, so that pretty yarn won’t be wasted.

In Throw Pillow with Piping Trim, Devona teaches how to use strips of cut t-shirts for the piping on a pillow.  You’ll save money on expensive piping and have a way to use those stained or stretched t-shirts besides for rags.

And here’s an idea reusing ties when the fabric’s great, but the men in your life will surely never wear them!  Devona teaches how to Make a Composition Cover from an Old Tie.

And finally, let me just say I’ve loved working with Devona on the Clever Nesting blog this past year!  She’s so innovative with her crafty reuse & recycling ideas.  She’s also a wealth of information about a variety of crafts & thrilled to learn more.  Plus she’s an idea queen…you should hear all her ambitious plans for the next few years!

I love the holiday rush of making things for other people. It is the one special thing about being a Maker, giving one of a kind gifts that are specifically tailored to the recipient. But, it can also be exhausting to do all of the planning and making on a schedule. It is such a relief when the holidays are over and I can get back to making things for myself or others at a leisurely tempo.

That’s exactly what I’ve been spending this past week doing. Cutting out and sewing up projects that have been on my mind for a long time. The first one I finished up was this plum dress I had planned since I wrote this post. I had intended to change the pleats to box pleats, but decided to do the original pleats at the last minute. When it is all said and done I think I’m going to make it with box pleats  next time. I think the skirt will lay better that way.

I also made this skirt from fabric Colleen gave me. I love it. I kind of messed up the invisible zipper (that’s what I get for thinking I’m so cool) but otherwise I am really really happy with the outcome. I am considering putting elastic in the waistband, but for now there is a good chance I will be wearing this skirt every time I am to be seen in public.

And, one more thing. I am trying out this socks-over-tights look that Emily from the Black Apple and Some Girls Wander is always sporting. Is it too much for me? I love it on her, but I’m looking for some encouragement before I show up at Acme with them on. Be honest.

I’m teaching one more class this month at Craft Akron.  You’ll create pretty fabric rose flowers from recycled fabrics.  Make one hair clip & one pin, and choose from a variety of fabrics & colors.  I’ve been wearing these flowers on my winter coat, scarf, and sweaters, or in my hair.  They’d also look great as a gift decoration.

Class cost is $12 plus a kit fee of $8.  Make sure to preregister at 330-865-1100 or info@craftakron.com…class is limited to 10 students.

Hopefully my mom won’t read this post, because this is going to be her Christmas present. She collects ugly trees, and I usually buy her one, but this year I wanted to make it for her. After a few mistakes I found a method that I really like and I decided to share it here.

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I was inspired by this paper flower tutorial to make fabric roses from recycled fabrics (two of the leaves are made from a sweater I felted.)  Basically, follow the paper flower tutorial, but hand-sew the layers together as you make the petals.  Then attach the hair clip or pin to your leaf, then sew the leaf in place.  Use fabric glue & adhere a scrap of leaf fabric to the leaf, hiding your stitches.

I’m also teaching these flowers for a class at Craft Akron…Tuesday, December 29 1-2:30pm and Saturday, January 30 1-2:30pm.

Have you ever looked into your sewing stash and found a piece of fusible interfacing that has lost its paper backing? This piece I found at the fabric store in the remnants section for $.40 and had taken it home before I noticed the missing backing. So what do you do if you don’t want to throw out the interfacing, and you also don’t want it to get stuck to your iron? Here’s a way to use your fusible to make adhesive backed fabric when there is no paper backing so that it doesn’t go to waste and you won’t end up with a mess.

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