the tree book.
a book i bound and illustrated for a friend. i got a little impatient drawing all those leaves and it gave me a small blister, but there’s something kind of therapeutic in repeating the same mark for hours…
June 2, 2010
May 15, 2010
guest post by emily sauer: great. there’s a stupid hole in my shirt.
sure, a hole in your clothing is embarrassing proof of careless laundering. but MANY holes accented with pink thread? now that’s a frickin fashion statement.
so when I discovered a rogue hole on the neckline of my favorite black t-shirt, I decided to take action. using embroidery thread i bought months ago for some other failed project, i cut out many more little holes and haphazardly whipstitched around their edges.
and voila! an old shirt becomes fun again.
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to check out more of emily’s work visit her etsy store ellipsis.
April 28, 2010
yoga mat bag.
a quick project for my yoga-loving friend emily. it’s made entirely of scraps my inner hoarder wouldn’t allow me to throw out: pieces left over from a curtain i once cut to fit my window, pillow case that doesn’t match my bedding anymore… etc. now em has a new bag and i’ve decluttered my workspace – a win/win!
it was fairly simple to make. i mostly winged it so i’m not going to give any specific instructions (don’t exactly know what I’m doing), but here is a quick drawing of a pattern i used and some progress shots. if you’re looking to reuse existing materials here is an interesting tutorial on how you can re-purpose your old pants ; )
April 2, 2010
guest post by alea adou: amigurumi
hello all! it’s been a while since my last post but i promise i haven’t abandoned this blog. just been a little preoccupied.
last week i decided to have an occasional guest entry. i have so many friends who make awesome, so why not get them to share some of their lovely works.
alea adou is one such friend who was also kind enough to be my first guest blog experiment. she has recently ventured into the world of amigurumi – the craft which originated in japan and is slowly but surely spreading through the united states. take a look at what alea’s been making and read a little about her process.
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“this winter i learned to crochet with the end goal of being able to create cute little amigurumi dolls (honestly knitting came a lot easier to me but i was determined to crochet!). they are literally so cute that it’s hard not to squeal when you see a really well done one.
one of the first things i created after getting the hang of amigurumi was the pear. he was a winner with just about everyone. i kept crocheting and making tons of little creatures realizing that my stitches were getting tighter, the limbs better structured and the faces cuter. i would crochet until my hands hurt and then keep going anyways. it was amazing to see the progress when comparing earlier versions to the new ones.”
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you can see more of alea’s crafting on her blog, pop culture junkie.
pattern sources:
pear, owl, apple, robot: amigurumi world: seriously cute crochet by ana paula rimoli
panda: http://www.roxycraft.com/
February 3, 2010
the bench.
recently i found myself in the possession of an old dining table and two chairs (a hand-me-down from my parents who were doing some heavy basement cleaning/remodeling). i wasn’t sure what to do with an incomplete dining set and throwing down a few hundred bucks on new chairs really didn’t appeal to me. so, i resorted to making some extra seating myself. the bench seemed like the most practical solution.
here are the materials used:
: 1×4 ft piece of pine board salvaged from my dad’s garage
: four furniture legs (can be found for around $3/per leg in most hardware stores)
: foam for the top cushion (reused from a previously failed project)
: a few yards of semi-durable fabric (roughly $5/yard)
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the construction of the bench itself was quite obviously a piece of cake (store-bought furniture legs may be looked upon as cheating – i don’t care : P). however, i had to take my time with the cushion upholstery as i’m still in the training mode with my sewing machine. in the end, i threw some white paint at it all and ended up with a brand new dining room which barely cost me $25 (i even had fabric left over for a little table runner). take a look below at how it all came together.
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