State Line Bags Co. and CraftGossip have teamed up to give one of our readers a stash of 100 6″ x 8″ drawstring muslin bags. What are you supposed to do with 100 little bags? Here are some ideas from … Read More...
Free patterns: The Halfway Woods
Creative Breathing is sharing the patterns for these sweet characters from The Halfway Woods. Go to her blog post.
Win ‘Little Stitches’
Allison of Stash Books Blog gives a rousing review of Aneela Hoey’s new book, Little Stitches, which incorporates 12 sewing projects, beginning embroidery instructions, and more than 100 embroidery transfers. You’ll want to get your hands on a copy. … Read More...
Sale: Christmas in August
Check out this good news from Bird Brain Designs:
… Read More...Everything in our Christmas Category is still on SALE all weekend long. You will have time to check out all the patterns from ornaments to stockings and get started on your
Inspiration: Gerwyn Davies
Gerwyn Davies’ embroidered assemblages are unexpected, sometimes frightening, and absolutely original. Start looking at her his works and you won’t be able to stop. Check out this project on Behance: Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying.
And many … Read More...
Let no crazy scrap go to waste
This is what happens when a crazy-quilter has scraps left over from a project. They turn into something utterly beautiful. The creator of these gems, Annette of Crazy Quilt Passion, calls them CPFs (Creative Pieces of Fabric). I think they’re … Read More...
Making wool cuffs comfy
Sylvia of Windy River Beadwork & Embroidery explains her secret for making these embroidered wool-felt cuffs a bit more comfortable to wear. See her post.
Inspiration: Kathy S
Speechless. An almost unbearably beautiful all-white block by Kathy S of Alabama, USA. Go to the Crazy-Quilt Journal Project post for an image you can click to enlarge.
Pattern and tutorial: Beehive ornament
Angel of Stumbles & Stitches has posted a tutorial for a sweet embroidered felt ornament that deserves to be displayed all year long. Learn how to make this little felt hive with its stitchy bees from Angel’s post.
Tutorial: Double-duty pin cushion
Haley Pierson-Cox (The Zen of Making) came up with this clever idea for a pincushion that is not only pretty but also doubly functional. You can wear it on your wrist when, say, you’re pinning a hem. And you can … Read More...
The socks have found a home
Susan Lenz‘s artist residency at Studios Midwest included a collaborative community project — Looking for a Mate — an art quilt made by many hands from orphaned socks. The project allowed Susan to teach about quilting in general and … Read More...
Inspiration: Cathy Cullis
I’m always amazed by the detail Cathy Cullis achieves with free-motion machine stitching. Go take a look at her latest works. And click the images so you can enlarge them. You’ll be glad you did.
Tutorial: Pretty sachets
Felicity of Crafty Modern created these pretty little sachets with lots of French knots and a retro vibe. The tools and materials are simple and inexpensive, and her instructions make the process easy. See her tute.
New-media blackwork
This is completely, utterly brilliant!! Toni Buckby sent me this note:
… Read More...I’m a textile artist based in Sheffield (UK) and I thought you might be interested in a project I’ve been working on for the last year, a stop frame
Free patterns: Travel
Dionnie (Blackcabbit) and her husband like to travel. When their travel pillows needed a redo, she drew up some embroidery designs to embellish the new covers. She says,
… Read More...I got ambitious and drew more doodles than I can stitch. In
Quick and easy goodie bags
State Line Bag Co. sent samples of their muslin bags to several CraftGossip editors, inviting us to embellish them. Mine are a generous 12″ x 16″. My first thought, of course, was to smother my bags in embroidery. Then I … Read More...
Learn Tatting
To promote its line of tatting threads, DMC Threads has devoted a segment of its site to tatting with lots of info for beginners. If you’ve thought about learning to tat, here are the resources you need! See the related … Read More...
Inspiration: Connie E
Everything about this block by Connie E of Iowa is exquisite. The silk roses are perfection. And her use of pearls to represent baby’s breath is brilliant. I’ll definitely be stealing this idea. Go to the Crazy-Quilt Journal Project post … Read More...
Gwyneth gets lucky
I love every one of Lucky Jackson‘s portraits of Gwyneth Paltrow as Margot Tenenbaum. But this one is definitely my favorite because…you know…fur coat! Go to Lucky’s blog.
Best needlepoint background stitches
Janet Perry of Nuts About Needlepoint runs down her top five needlepoint stitches with tips for how to use them. See her post.