Paperie for Inspired Living Book Review and Giveaway

No matter what your fiber of choice, you will stockpile inspiration from Karen Bartolomei’s “Paperie for Inspired Living”. First off this book is a beautiful hard covered addition for your library and brilliantly illustrated. Each page holds divine designs from stunning invitations, awesome decorations, gift tags, place holders and so many ideas even for the budget conscious crafter. If you have never created a card this book will force you to make one or several and you will never want to buy a card or invitation again. Karen shows us how to customize and coordinate fabulous paper products for any occasion from the most elegant event to your most casual outdoor picnic. Each chapter contains several projects, from the all important invitation to smaller touches like labels, tags, and keepsakes. How unforgettable your personal stationary be when Karen demonstrates step-by-step how to make a monogrammed, Thank-You cards, Mailing Labels, Business Cards, Letterhead, and Note Cards. The chapter on New Year’s Eve projects includes Invitations, Menus, Resolution Sign-in/Postcards and Drink Signs.

Karen also offers us vital advice for invitation wording and etiquette, and provides tips for throwing unforgettable parties, like choosing a color scheme and ideas for breaking the ice. She has also thoughtfully included several useful templates and source ideas as to where we can purchase your materials for these paper fiber creations. I am sure you all have some of the materials needed for many of her projects in your craft areas. Have this book on hand as the summer fades and fall explodes into radiant colors signifying holiday parties are close at hand and the gifts and cards desired that will bring you back to this book over and over for ideas. Maybe you saw something in the book and stored it in your mind for a special occasion and you know just where to find it and put your own spin on Karen’s idea.

Are you getting married in the near future and need invitation and planning ideas? Well, you do not have to spend a fortune using ideas from Karen’s book. “Paperie for Inspired Living” can be pre-ordered today at Amazon.com or nay of the favorite book stores. The release date is July 7th 2009 so put your order in today.

Karen Bartolomei’s

Here is a lovely video by Karen Bartolomei of Grapevine grapevinepaperie.com, she designs elegant and expensive wedding invitations. This video will offer a little about Karen and above is also the link to her site. Now you can reproduce some of her stunning ideas by using this book.

For this giveaway, in the comment area, tell what event you are planning and why this book would be a money saver for you. This giveaway will begin July 1, 2009 through July 12, 2009. Good luck!

Looking for a lightweight, stylish, and oh-so-practical tote to take with you everywhere this season? The Pancake Crochet Market Bag might just become your go-to favorite. Whether you’re heading to the farmers market to grab some fresh produce, packing snacks and sunscreen for a relaxed summer stroll, or dashing out the door for a quick last-minute errand, this bag is ready to tag along.

It’s surprisingly roomy—big enough to carry all your essentials (and then some!)—yet it folds up small enough to tuck into your car or coat closet without fuss. The openwork stitch gives it a breathable, airy texture that’s super satisfying to crochet and even more delightful to carry. Plus, it’s endlessly reusable and eco-friendly, so you can ditch the plastic and feel great about your handiwork.

I stitched mine up using a warm mustard cotton I had on hand (a little stash buster win!), but honestly, this pattern would look beautiful in just about any color. Try a bold berry for a pop of personality, a classic cream for a minimalist vibe, or even stripes if you’re feeling playful. Once you’ve made one… fair warning: you’ll probably want to make more!

Let’s dive into the pattern!

What You’ll Need:

Worsted weight cotton yarn, about 250 yards
Hook: 5.0 mm (or whatever suits your tension)
Yarn needle
Scissors
Stitch markers (optional but helpful!)

Finished Measurements:

Approximately 15” wide x 13” tall (not including handles)

Stitch Abbreviations (US terms):

ch – chain
sc – single crochet
dc – double crochet
sl st – slip stitch
st(s) – stitch(es)
sk – skip
rep – repeat

Special Notes:

The base is worked in joined rounds.
The body of the bag is stitched in the round, but you won’t be joining after each round—just keep going in a spiral and use a stitch marker to track the first stitch.
The handles are created by chaining across stitches, then the final edge is reinforced.

Let’s Crochet the Base:

Round 1: Begin with a magic circle, ch 1. Work 8 sc into the ring. Pull it tight and join to the first sc with a sl st. (8 sts)
Round 2: Ch 1, make 2 sc in each st around. Join. (16 sts)
Round 3: Ch 1, sc in first, 2 sc in next—repeat from * to * around. Join. (24 sts)
Round 4: Ch 1, sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next—repeat around. Join. (32 sts)
Round 5: Ch 1, sc in next 3, 2 sc in next—repeat. Join. (40 sts)
Keep increasing in this manner, adding one more sc between increases each round until you reach 80 sts (about Round 9).

Build the Bag Body:

Now switch to working in continuous rounds.

Rounds 10–13: sc in each st around. (80 sts)
Round 14: [dc in next, ch 1, sk 1]—repeat around. (approx. 80 sts depending on exact starting point)
Round 15: dc in ch-space, ch 1—repeat.
Rounds 16–25: Repeat Round 15.

Alternate a few more rounds of single crochet with rounds of [dc, ch 1] to build height and texture. Keep going until the bag measures about 12–13” tall from the center of the base.

Add the Handles:

Next Round (handle setup):

sc in next 12 sts
ch 30 (for handle), sk 15 sts
sc in next 25 sts
ch 30, sk 15 sts
sc to end of round.

Final Round: sc around, placing 1 sc in each sc and 1 sc in each ch across the handle chains. This gives the straps some strength and a nice finish.

Fasten off and weave in all ends. Give your bag a little stretch or light steam block if needed.

Tips:

Cotton yarn gives the bag structure and durability.
You can easily size up the bag by adding more rounds to the base before beginning the body.
Try using multicolor yarn for a fun summer vibe.

Have you read?