Latest gossip from Craft Gossip

Latest gossip from Craft Gossip

Make a menagerie!

Posted: 08 May 2010 07:33 AM PDT

from Family Fun

If the kids are looking for a fun little gift to make for Mother’s Day, head over to the Family Fun Magazine website and check out this article by Laura Torres.

She gives some basic hints and tips for working with clay, and the instructions for eleven different animals, everything from a ladybug to a cute little skunk!

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April Challenge Winners at PCAGOE

Posted: 08 May 2010 07:14 AM PDT

by VyaKyasha

Isn’t this lovely?  By VyaKyasha, it was voted top honors by the public in the April Challenge at the Polymer Clay Guild of Etsy.

The items for the May challenge: Inspired by History are up, and you can go vote on your favorite by clicking here.

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Free Knitted Top For Girls….

Posted: 08 May 2010 07:04 AM PDT

This is the perfect summer top for your pre-teen. Bright, summery, pretty. Even use up your scraps on this one, your girl will love it!

Craft Passion brings us this pattern, here.

Six tips: Improve your bargello

Posted: 08 May 2010 07:03 AM PDT

Tutorial: Mexican tent dress-inspired spring top

Posted: 08 May 2010 06:40 AM PDT

Jerilyn from French Sleep Deprivation Study made this spring top inspired by a Mexican tent dress.  She shares a tutorial showing how she achieved the characteristic styling on the yoke.  Get the tute.

[photo from French Sleep Deprivation Study]

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Tutorial: Machine hemstitch with a wing needle

Posted: 08 May 2010 06:32 AM PDT

Threads Magazine shows how to achieve a hemstitch on your sewing machine using a wing needle.  The technique works best on natural fibers, such as linen.  Go to the tutorial.

[photo from Threads Magazine]

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Stitch some spring greeting cards

Posted: 08 May 2010 06:02 AM PDT

Sara of Creative Jewish Mom showed her kids how to make spring cards that incorporate colorful bits of felt and simple embroidery stitches on paper. A great project for any age! See Sara’s blog post.

Sale: Spellbinders Dies

Posted: 08 May 2010 05:52 AM PDT

image by Spellbinders

Spellbinders dies make a great addition to any stamped card and from now until May 15th you can buy 3 Limited Edition Summer dies and get one FREE!

Here’s what they have to say about the sale: ” Go to Spellbinders to view the Summer Limited Edition dies.  Place your order as you normally would and enter “Ice Cream Cone” in…

Whose crochet is it, anyway?

Posted: 08 May 2010 05:22 AM PDT

Sometimes a book comes along that really throws you.  This is such a book.  I didn’t even know that the author’s website existed!  All of a sudden, I’m cast into a collection of pretty awful works of ‘art’ complete with snarky commentary, all with a starting point of www.etsy.com.  Who knew?

But, I gotta admit it.  I think I’m hooked!

Let’s face…

Free charts: Cross-stitch

Posted: 08 May 2010 05:01 AM PDT

Covering Tattoos

Posted: 08 May 2010 02:00 AM PDT

DIY Bride has some helpful tips on how to cover up tattoos on your special day. I tried covering up a tattoo for my wedding day, but could never find coverage that looked decent so I ended up scrapping the idea (did not need anymore stress!). But DIY Bride lists some good pros & cons for using Tattoo Undercover by Ferbs…

Tutorial: Make a bow tie from a neck tie

Posted: 07 May 2010 07:06 PM PDT

Ashley from Make It and Love It shows how to repurpose a neck tie into a bow tie.  This is such a cool idea!  Get the tute.

[photo from Make It and Love It]

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Tutorial: Make a Neighborhood Garland with little fabric houses

Posted: 07 May 2010 06:28 PM PDT

Laura from katydiddy shares a tutorial on her blog for making this super cute garland out of fabric houses.  You can get creative giving each house its own little personality!  Make some houses tall and skinny, and others short and squat.  String them all together to make a sweet little neighborhood that you can hang on your front door. Go to the tutorial.

[photo…

Tutorial: Make a bracelet from a shirt cuff

Posted: 07 May 2010 06:17 PM PDT

Stefi from Just Chic shares a tutorial on her blog showing how to make these fun shirt cuff bracelets.  Because the shirt cuffs already have a button and buttonhole stitched in, all you’ve got to do is finish the edges and add the fun stuff.  Go to the tutorial.

[photo from Just Chic]

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Tutorial: Fabric pom pom flowers from jersey knit

Posted: 07 May 2010 06:12 PM PDT

Here’s a fun idea for all of your scraps of jersey knit left over from your sewing projects.  Make them into pom pom flowers!   A little lovely shows you how.  Go to the tutorial.

[photo from a little lovely]

[via Someday Crafts]

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Tutorial: Leather key chain with stitched geometric designs

Posted: 07 May 2010 06:03 PM PDT

Jenya from EvaForeva and ForEvaMore shares a tutorial on her blog showing how to make this leather key chain with machine stitched geometric designs.  The way she creates these designs reminds me of the Spirograph game I had when I was a kid.  Don’t have any leather in your fabric stash?  I’ve found that rummage sales and garage sales are a great source…

Ice Cream Cone Rice Krispie Treats. (And More Surprises.)

Posted: 07 May 2010 01:59 PM PDT

I know I already posted on a surprise treat today, but I can’t help but post another. I. Love. These. Rice Krispie Treats made as scoops of ice cream. On a cone. That have surprise treats inside. Brilliant. Find the how-tos HERE at Confessions of a Cookbook Queen.

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Winners of the Sylvie Thiel giveaway

Posted: 07 May 2010 01:57 PM PDT

 

    

Sylvie Thiel of Lavender harvest was so impressed with everyone’s comments that she wants me to tell (you) my readers that she would like to giveaway a few more goodies to say “Thank you"!  Since she appreciated some of the comments so much that they should not be forgotten.  She would like to give the makeup bag to…

DIY Knitting Tutorials and Videos

Posted: 07 May 2010 01:51 PM PDT

Over at the DIY Network there are tons of videos and tutorials, everything from glossaries, patterns, accessories and even spinning and dying. Check it out, especially if you’re a “have to see it to get it’ type of knitter.

The gold mine is here. http://www.diynetwork.com/topics/knitting/index.html

Waiting for Alice

Posted: 07 May 2010 01:19 PM PDT

That Susan Elliott! Even when she starts out with “simple seam treatments,” look what happens!

Susan was invited by DMC to create a crazy-quilt piece for The National Needlearts Association show in June. Big stuff!! Susan’s piece is inspired by Tim Burton’s version of Alice in Wonderland. She says, “This waiting…this hope and loyalty and faith that the Mad Hatter has for…

Technique: Polka Dot Background

Posted: 07 May 2010 12:49 PM PDT

image by Hero Arts

Let Hero Arts stamps show you how to make a fun and inexpensive background for your cards using circle punches, click here for instructions.

-Heather

Tutorial: Turks Head Knot

Posted: 07 May 2010 12:32 PM PDT

The HANDS ON! site has two tutorials — slide show and video — for creating the Turks Head Knot, which the site says can “produce a flat knot or a tight ball knot that can be used as decoration on another piece or as a pull or tie for curtains, a bag or a piece of clothing.” You won’t believe how easy…

Free patterns: State flowers

Posted: 07 May 2010 12:11 PM PDT

Vicki of turkey feathers blog is sharing a series of state flower patterns for hand embroidery. Stitch one to honor your favorite state, or a collection for a sweet botanical display, or all of them for a fabulous quilt. Posted so far:

MICHIGAN: Apple Blossom
PENNSYLVANIA: Mountain Laurel
ILLINOIS: Violet
MINNESOTA: Lady Slipper
OREGON: Oregon-Grape
TEXAS: Texas Bluebonnet
MAINE: White Pine Cone & Tassel

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How to estimate bargello threads and costs

Posted: 07 May 2010 11:48 AM PDT

Bargello Needlepoint blog has a great post about how to estimate the amount of thread you’ll need for a bargello project. Three methods — from rough to precise — are sure to meet your needs. See the thread post.

The blog follows up with a post on estimating the cost of a bargello project. See the cost post.

How to tie the knot

Posted: 07 May 2010 11:26 AM PDT

Little dear tracks shows us the easy way to tie a knot at the end of embroidery floss or sewing thread. I thought everyone did it this way! Somewhere in the distant past someone must have taught me. How many knotting techniques are there? If you have a favorite, please post a comment about it.