DIY Mag to Launch - Great News!

Starting in February the gals from DIY Thing will launch "DIY City Mag" - a quarterly online magazine that celebrates the independent artist and the DIY spirit. The first several issues will feature DIY resources in a variety of US cities. Let's hope DC makes the list!! Thanks Wendy and Deb!


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New Favorite Podcast....

"CoffeBreak Spanish" and "Threadbangers" move aside – the ladies of Grits to Glitz have stolen my heart and headset! This dynamic duo dish about PR with a refreshingly witty and thoughtful repartee (okay, they do discuss reality TV but they clearly have gray matter). Woo hoo!!!!


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Tim for Prez

"I have made more bad decisions at 3 o'clock in the morning than I can list..." (Tim Gunn - Season 4)

As a total PR fan and a political junkie I have come to the conclusion that that we have no other choice but to vote for Tim in '08. No arguments, no debates necessary - just pick up you pencil, write him in and make it work!!


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Buff cowboys in your kitchen!

Couldn't pass up this fabulously kitchy fabric - it literally just jumped into my hands at G-Street fabrics! The moment I laid my eyes on it there was NO question that it was destined to be an apron. The only question was - who would be the lucky recipient???!!!! Another no-brainer! She's a great cook and she did own an old red Ford truck in her 30's!!! She will, however, remain unnamed!

I've wanted to stitch up some aprons for the last couple of months (inspired by Amy at Tie One On). I used Cindy Taylor Oates' Retro Aprons pattern. Loved how they came off the machine!

Buff wranglers in your kitchen! Yee haw!!

I stitched this more sedate version for my dear 85 year old mom! Wasn't sure her heart (or my dad) could take the former! She loved it!

I see more inappropriate aprons in my future (and maybe yours)!



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Holiday Crafting Salon at Ipso Crafto!

We hosted our first ever sewing salon last weekend at Ipso Crafto - making holiday stockings! Karen and her staff were incredibly gracious with their space, inventory, and homemade cookies! We had about 6 folks stop by to design and craft a holiday keepsake – for themselves, for cats, and for pooches! Here are some pics of the day---

Zoe's masterpiece

These stockings need homes!

The space!

Nat looks like an old hand at this!

Student and teacher!

Another beautiful creation!

We are definitely looking forward to working with Karen and Ipso Crafto in the future! Hope to see you all at our next lounge - until then, stop by the shop and check out their great inventory!

Holiday Stockings for the Sewing Salon

Here is my first batch of holiday stockings made to use as "prototypes" for the upcoming sewing salon at Ipso Crafto (December 8th). A great way to ease into the holiday season!

Green felt base fabric; white felt stars that I hand-felted to the base fabric. Hand-felting will soon become my new obsession! The tiny bells give it a holiday jingle!

Blue fleece with hand-felted mittens and holly. The "mitten string" is crafted from ribbon I got at Trim Tex last summer. I finished the stocking with a blanket-stitched edging.

And finally a hot pink fur-topped elf stocking - with a bell at the curly toe! Although the color in the photo seems to red red - the color of the felt is definitely hot pink.

Rescue me from a bad case of designer's block!

I need your help!

Desperately!

It's a design challenge!

I need your creative ideas for the best pattern or design for this wonderful three yards of felted wool that I absolutely L-O-V-E....purchased at Mood Fabrics during my four day sojourn last winter!

The base fabric is a black medium weight wool and is embellished with "felted" warm gray, light brown and medium brown yarn. There are distinctive "sides" to the fabric. The scale separate the "right" and "wrong" sides.

Here is the "fuzzy"side...

And here is the "yarny" side...

I also purchased a skirt length of a soft brown wool and five yards of a warm gray wool from two different shops on 7th Ave. I used three yards of the gray to make a short swing jacket last winter so I'm down to two yards of the gray.

So there are the raw materials - - any ideas about how best to turn them into a magnificent garment????

Post your thoughts below as a comment!

I can't wait to hear what you think!

Thanks!!!!
Laura

I have been a tardy girl!

Please please forgive me for not posting since AUGUST but I have been a very busy girl! Since my last post I have launched my one and only offspring to college, replaced my dear mother's hip (well I didnt' actually replace it!), launched Washington DC's first sewing lounge, been busy as he$% at work, and visited my dear dear dear niece, Lauren, in Nicaragua -during their elections! Oh - and then there was OUR election!!! Busy, exciting times!!! Oh yea - and I have been doing a little sewing - which I will post soon - this weekend!


In the meantime waste some time looking at this.....
What's your nerd type?

What Be Your Nerd Type? Your Result: Social Nerd You're interested in things such as politics, psychology, child care, and peace. I wouldn't go so far as to call you a hippie, but some of you may be tree-huggers. You're the type of people who are interested in bettering the world. You're possibly the least nerdy of them all; unless you participate in other activities that paled your nerdiness compared to your involvement in social activities. Whatever the case, we could still use more of you around. ^_^
Science/Math Nerd
Literature Nerd
Artistic Nerd
Drama Nerd
Musician
Gamer/Computer Nerd
Anime Nerd
What Be Your Nerd Type? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Bedazzling, Bodacious, Beaded Bookmark

Those crafty ladies at Crafty Daisies have hosted another great swap - BOOKMARKS this time! Here is my swap/gift/treat! I hope my swap-mate likes it! I got the beads at a terrific shop, Bedazzled, in Dupont Circle (Washington DC).

Here are the pics ----click on the photo to enlarge----

Beads from Bedazzled. I love that place!

What better place to christen the beaded bookmark than Tim Gunn's
"Guide to Taste and Style"

And it is marking my FAVORITE (autographed) page and quotation: "Do not force garments into performing psychological tasks for which they were not designed"

Details, details, details!

Sara - - I hope you enjoy the swap!


And here is the bookmark that my swapmate, Amiorra Zuber, sent to me! I love the envelope as much as the bookmark! Thanks!

Garments and Pillows and Quilts - OH MY!!!

A sleek sheath for the fashionistas, a four-square for the quilters and a tasseled pillow for the home decorators - - the centerpieces for the American Sewing Guild annual meeting!