Category Archives: Crafts

December 31, 2013 · 9:28 pm

Katniss Sweater

If you saw the Hunger Games: Catching Fire, then you might have noticed this amazing sweater vest cover-up dealy worn by Katniss. I sure did!

I put it in the back of my mind that I wanted to make one, and then my friend (Nicole from Owen Faye) asked if I knew how to crochet or knit so I could make THIS.

It looks like maybe Two of Wands has stopped selling the pattern? Not sure what’s going on there, but here are two similar other instant download patterns…

Enough is enough! I have to 1. buy this pattern 2. learn to crochet 3. learn to knit 4. make this thing.

I did it! I actually think this is a great first-timer project. Sure, you have to learn a bunch to get the final product, but the bulky yarn makes things go fast. Also, the whole point is to get an organic looking product. Drop a stitch? So what! Katniss made hers from a BRANCH.

If you would like to dive in the deep end like I did, might I recommend these youtube videos?

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Filed under Clothes, Crafts, Pattern

December 19, 2012 · 3:22 pm

Ornaments!

Here’s a little round-up of the ornaments I’ve made this year that you can easily make, too! It’s not too late!

One of my new favorite things is to hand-screw little eyelet screws into toys to turn them into whimsical ornaments. This idea started with our desire to get a bunch of caveman ornaments to represent our youngest son on the tree. (Our oldest son was nicknamed “baby Acorn” in utero, and there are TONS of acorn ornaments to be found! At least there were until we bought them all in 2008. Youngest son didn’t get nicknamed until he was a toddler when he became the Caveman. Not so many of these ornaments on sale, so time to make our own!).

You can do this with most plastic or wooden ornaments without any power tools.

I use a stabby shank tool and first perform an icepick lobotomy on the toy.

Hand-screw until you can’t screw anymore, and then bring out the pliers.

These bros stick together. And congrats! You found the pickle.

More cavemen ornaments. These were awkwardly flesh colored, so hubs spray-painted them gold first.

Happy caveman eyes Baby Acorn.

On of my other favorite ways to make ornaments is to buy pre-cut wood shapes from a hobby store (like JoAnn’s or Michael’s) and to decoupage! A couple of years ago I did this with artsy papers. This year I did it with some pictures! I find the best way is to adhere the paper (print images on computer paper rather than photo paper) with a glue-stick onto the pre-painted wood surface. Than go over the paper with a Glue/Sealant (Martha Stewart makes a nice one).

Drill a hole into the shape, string a string, you’ve got yourself an ornament.

I took this process in a different direction with my 4-year-old. He painted the shapes and then glittered the hell out of them. Later I went over them with the sealant to lock in the glitter a bit.

An easy gift addition for grandparents and teachers!

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Filed under Crafts, Holiday, Kids

November 14, 2012 · 7:23 pm

A2MQG Quilt Show and Sale!

The Ann Arbor Modern Quilt Guild is having a sale tomorrow (11/15/2012), and I thought I’d just load up some images of the smaller items I made…

Fabric covered notebooks.

River Song TARDIS Notebooks! Inspired by Doctor Who.

Holiday gift bags with felt accent.

More holiday gift bags with felt accent. Some bags are made from fleece, others jersey, and some are a lightweight corduroy.

iPad cases (and some Kindle Fire cases, too!)

Faux Fur Pillows! How fun would these be on your couch? So snugly for the winter.

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Filed under A2MQG, Crafts, Holiday, Pillow, Shop

November 10, 2012 · 3:44 pm

A Halloween Recap…

Even though I didn’t add to the Costume Party this year, I still made many costumes…

Oldest son went as a Cheetah…

And I was a “Safari Guy” on the lookout for Cheetahs…

Hubby was a hunky Paul Bunyan. (He pulled this together all by his self)… With Son #2 being “Babe the Blue Ox” ! How cute is this?

Made this for my niece Kylie!

It’s “Boo” from “Monster’s Inc”…

And for my friend Irene… a chicken costume!

Bok bok!
Hope you all had a wonderful Halloween and are happily looking forward to joyous Thanksgiving!

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Filed under Clothes, Crafts, Holiday, Kids

September 4, 2012 · 1:20 pm

Portable Ironing Table

Check out what my husband made! It’s a portable ironing table that I took with me to the Ann Arbor Modern Quilt Guild’s quilting retreat.

He stapled two layers of batting and piece of cotton fabric to the underside of a wooden TV tray. It’s so nice to take to sew-ins and to have next to my machine in the office. No more cumbersome, full-sized ironing boards necessary when all I’m doing is pressing HSTs! Thanks, Greg!

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Filed under Crafts, Supplies

June 24, 2012 · 2:09 pm

Night Friend Owl

When I came across this pattern on Pinterest, I knew this would be the perfect special little stuffy to make for my owl-obsessed niece.

I was lucky enough to be able to snag some old sweaters and tweed from my parents for fabric. With some felt details and polyfill, we had ourselves an owl!

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January 14, 2012 · 1:59 pm

Electronics Cases

Everyone got spoiled for Christmas. Greg and I were lucky enough to recieve iPads from his parents (!!!!!) and my mom got a Kindle Fire as a gift from my dad. So I whipped us all up some electronics cases using this tutorial from one shabby chick! I changed the measurements for my mom’s Fire – and I wish I could tell you the measurements I used, but that information is now in my brain’s trash bin (had to make room for remembering-where-every-dinosaur-in-the-house-is).

Greg’s case features an iron-on Star Wars decal. Mine uses one of my absolute new favorite prints from Fasset, and also some black cording, which I used for the very first time.

My mom just made an awesome under-the-sea quilt using some batiks, so I reflected this latest passion in her case.

I hope everyone reading this gets a little spoiled today!

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Filed under Crafts, Fabric

December 17, 2011 · 10:22 pm

“Quilted” Ornaments

I have an addiction. I can barely stop myself from quitting everything else and just dedicating myself 100% to making these “quilted” ornaments all day long, every day.

Here’s the tutorial.

These are no-sew and SO FUN. These are my hexies (in that they are addictive hand-work projects that you take everywhere you go).

The "right" side and the "wrong" side of a piece of duponi silk. Some of the ornaments I embellished with the furry selvage edge of the fabric...

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Filed under Crafts, Holiday

November 15, 2011 · 7:02 pm

Wreath

My husband re-painted our front door a gorgeous blue. In celebration, I made a wreath.

I bought a wire frame and some fake leaves and berries and secured everything with some wire and just sort of went nuts.

It’s purple and orange, and looks lovely against the blue, although I wish our wreath holder was a bit longer so it could be more centered on the window.

Still good, though…

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November 10, 2011 · 7:13 pm

Fall Leaves Table Runner

Flipping through a Crate & Barrel catalog the other day and came across this table runner:

Click on the image to purchase from Crate a& Barrel

Super cute!

But I knew I could make something similar…

So first I shaped some store-bought bias tape on a piece of homespun cotton. I cut some of the strip in half and re-folded it for the skinnier branches…

Then I folded some fabrics right sides together and sewed circles (berries?) and leaf-shapes. I sewed all-around each shape using a very small stitch length and then cut out each shape with a scant 1/8inch border. Then, pinching just one layer of fabric for each shape, I cut a slit and turned the unit right-side-out. This resulted in many almost-perfect circle and leaf-shapes with nice edges. Easier than needleturn for me, and I like the look more than raw-edge applique (personal preference).

I hand-stitched each piece in place. Then I sewed on a backing (right sides together with the runner-top, left a gap, turned right-side out, top-stitched around the border).

Cute acorn fabric for the back.

I think this cost about $3.00 total for me considering the only things I purchased were two fat-quarters for the leaves. A lot better than $40 + shipping and handling : )

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