Hi folks,

I know I've told you that when I'm getting ready for a trip, I like to make a new bag to take with me. Well, when I'm getting ready for company, sometimes I like to make new throw pillows. You might remember this proverb quilt that I posted about last week:I was really intrigued by the idea of letter quilt blocks, so I headed home that night with a project in mind. I don't have time for a full quilt right now, but I do have a big pile of scraps, and I enjoy free-style/improvisational piecing. After a couple false starts....

If seam ripping is required and it's after 10 pm, it's time to quit for the night.

...I woke up in the middle of the night on Friday and thought: Foundation piece it! Last night I finally had the chance to sit down with my scraps and my sewing machine to turn out this pillow.

I made it from scraps left over from the stacked coin quilt I made as a couch throw (you can see part of it there on the left), and once I had the foundation-piecing breakthrough, the pillow came together pretty quickly.

The fabric is Denyse Schmidt's Katie Jump Rope from Free Spirit, (with some plain brown cotton from Fabricland). I backed the pillow with a square of the cheater print from her County Fair line.

This is a great stash-buster project and I think it would make a great present for a child who's just learning his or her letters – or for someone who loves unique monograms.

Hi, Make + Doers! This is Tina speaking. Austen’s on vacation today, so I’m filling in as guest poster. You might remember me as the slightly obsessive craft-room organizer from a few months ago. I’m delighted to be back and to share a little about the crafty trip I took recently.

Remember the excitement of Grade 5 field trips, when you got to get out of the classroom and see something REAL? That was how I felt last week at The Green Mountain Spinnery in Putney, Vermont.

I grew up in New England, so I go back often. This time, my mom and dad decided to spoil me and hit all the yarn shops within a 50-mile radius. They were all filled with lovely yarn, but the Spinnery really stood out.

It’s a cooperative of like-minded wool lovers who work really hard to sustain sheep farmers in the area. They produce a range of gorgeous yarns using environmentally friendly techniques, and the results are inspiring.

Of course, the part my dad was most excited about was the mill behind the shop. The folks who work there are extraordinarily proud of their setup, and you never have to ask twice for a tour.

The Spinnery uses vintage machinery to card, spin and skein their wool. I was amazed at the ingenuity of the people who work there – including one particularly resourceful ex-Navy man who minds the inner workings of these behemoth devices. It’s kind-of like having a ’57 Chevy with a ’92 Toyota engine and ’87 Ford bearings. These folks hunt for parts on the Internet, raid yard sales for old bobbins (New Englanders often use them as candleholders!) and machine whatever they can’t seem to find. It’s a testament to New England frugality and inventiveness.

First, we checked out the chilly barn, where bags and bags of fleeces reside in various states. Some were fresh off the sheep, some were washed and some were just back from the dye house. Each colour is done independently, then a number of colours are blended together to create a specific shade of yarn.

Then, it’s to the carding machine, which stands about 8 feet tall at one end. Fleece goes into the hopper and gets dragged through successively finer-toothed rollers. The carder takes out burrs, twigs and other stuff sheep get into and tease the fibres apart to make them workable.

Here’s my dad’s finger, pointing at the crazy-sharp teeth on the rollers.

Here you can see wool fibres on the rollers on the right, with the smooth, carded batt at the bottom left.

The batt then rolls up over a conveyer into the machine that separates it into individual pieces of roving.

Roving may look like yarn, but it’s not twisted into its final shape yet.  Here you can see a whole row of roving being wound onto a big spindle to preparing it for spinning.

The spindles go into the top of the spinning machine, where the rovings are twisted to form yarn. It could be a single ply for a finer finish, or a bunch of plies together for a yarn with more heft.  At the bottom, you can see the bobbins the spun yarn winds around.

The yarn gets a good steaming to help it stay in its new form. I loved these huge bins of freshly steamed wool on their bobbins. They look so fresh and inviting, almost ready to pick up and knit.

The bobbins then go on a skeiner, which winds the yarn around a huge wooden contraption that looks a little like an old-fashioned clothes dryer. These big circles are then twisted into the skeins you see at the front of the store.  Apparently, this machine takes a steady, patient hand. There’s no rushing a persnickety old skeiner like this.

Before you leave the shop, you run into (literally almost) the pattern wall. The Spinnery designs a huge number of their own patterns – basically, if you can knit it, they have a pattern for it using their beautiful yarn.

I was a little overwhelmed by the variety of wools the Spinnery offered, so I ended up with just a couple: Maine Organic in a smoky brown and Sylvan Spirit in Amethyst. Rest assured, I’ll be back.

I hope you enjoyed this virtual day trip to New England.  Tell us about the special places you find wool – we always love to hear about the champions of handmade!

Hi friends,

Hopefully you've got all your Halloween crafting finished (ah, for a perfect world, eh?) and can take some time out for a little bit of "me-time" and fun crafts (or maybe craft-blog reading) this weekend. Here are some things that caught my eye over the last little while....

• The Sew Mama Sew blog's scrap-busting contest entries are out-of-this-world inspirational. I loved this patchwork bias tape!
• These granny square slippers from the Purl Bee tickled my fancy. I only got about 8 squares in to that afghan I was planning...I feel an crafty conversion coming up!
• I've been enjoying a new (to me) craft blog recently. Check out The Long Thread (lots of great Halloween ideas there, too).
• I think that Canadian store Room6 might be just what the doctor ordered for those of us who love crafty e-shopping but hate paying shipping, handling, exchange and duty.
• Wouldn't this bag be great to carry your movie snacks in when you go see Where the Wild Things Are?
• I love giving homemade calendars as gifts – but this WhipUp 2010 calendar looks pretty cool!
• Who says garland is just for Christmas? This fall leaf garland is sharp – a great idea if you're looking for decorating ideas for you school's or church's fall fair. (Via wisecraft.)
• I love doll quilts but hate piecing those tiny squares...here's a way to make piecing tiny squares easy.

Alright, I think that's it for now. I'm sneaking away to NYC for the weekend (!!) but don't worry – I'm leaving you in capable hands. Look forward to a super interesting guest post from Tina on Monday and be prepared for a virtual field trip!

(And there's still time to enter this week's contest. You've got until 11:59 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 19!)

Hi friends,

It's super busy around here today, so I'm afraid I have to keep it short and sweet. That's OK, because I think that today you should go over to Yarn Harlot and read Stephanie's post "On Becoming Something."

There are many, many metaphors for life: running is one of them. What I know about both is that sometimes it's easy and sometimes it's hard, but that it's important to keep moving forward, even if you have to slow down and walk with your hands on your hips for a bit while you try not to look like you're covered in sweat and gasping for breath. (We all have days like that....don't we?)

I also know that it's important to help out the people you meet along the way. Which is why I'm going to go and sponsor Stephanie for this weekend's Run for the Cure. And why I hope you will too.

I'll see you on Monday.

Hi friends,

I've got a few random things to share today, so grab a handful of bits-n-bites and here we go!

• Ai at Granted Clothing (remember the David Suzuki sweater?) emailed me today to let me know they've launched a new website, and added to their collection. I love the Links Motif sweater and the Retro Hockey Toques. Actually, I'd take one of everything! See more from the collection.
• If you're thinking about tackling the Leaf Motif table crafts from our October issue, you might be wondering which felt is the best to use. Here's a handy guide to the difference between wool felt, wool-acrylic blend, and acrylic felt.
• I don't like to think about it, but mitten season isn't too far away. One of my favourite Canadian knitters has created a pattern for "flip-top" mitts and she's sharing it for free!
• I love these wonky patchwork stars. I'm envisioning tiny stuffed Christmas ornaments...
• ...speaking of wonky patchwork, I love these little houses. (Here, here, and – wow – more here.) Wouldn't a row of these blocks make a cute valence for your kitchen?
• Don't forget that I've got another set of Creativ Festival tickets, and a copy of Kata Golda's Hand-Stitched Felt, to give away this week. For your chance to win, leave a comment on the giveaway post telling me which prize you'd like. Entries will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, October 4; a winner will be posted on Monday, October 5.

That's all for now. Have a great night!

Hi friends,

Every once in a while, some tiny tidbit of news or a silly little fact shifts my crafty mind into overdrive. It's impossible to predict, but it usually results in a lot of fun, and that's exactly what happened yesterday when my coworker Lisa mentioned that today is National Punctuation Day.

Now, I know that getting excited about punctuation is probably something that only happens to copy editors, but I'm always happy to grab the first excuse for cupcakes and crafting that comes along! In addition to baking some treats, I decided to make some simple crafts to help my department celebrate Punctuation Day in style.

First up, punctuation pins. I couldn't find a button-maker at my local art-supply store, but I did find a sheet of clear plastic self-adhesive bubble stickers in the scrapbooking aisle ($2.10). In the jewelry-making aisle, I found a package of pin backs ($1.75). At home, I experimented with different fonts and sizes of the most common punctuation marks until I found a look I liked, then I printed them on cardstock. I stuck the stickers over each mark, then cut around them. Finally, I glued on the pin backs. Easy!

I had half the package of stickers left over, so I decided to make some fancy paper clips, too. Following the same procedure as for the pins, I created a punctuation collage, this time printing on yellow card stock. I had some fancy paper clips stashed away; a little bit of gorilla glue and they were all punctuated up.

Next, I thought it would be fun to make little punctuation keychains. I'd found a sheet of plastic needlepoint grid ($1.80), a package of needles ($1.10), and a handful of embroidery floss (5 for $2) at Mary Maxim, and I bought a package of cellphone charm chains at the art store ($2.50). I printed the punctuation marks out at 144-point size, then placed the grid over the paper and traced the shapes with a Sharpie. I threaded my needle with a double-thickness of embroidery floss and got to work...and phew! needlepoint takes longer than I remembered! (That keychain is just 1.5" by 2" – and took me almost an hour.) By that point it was almost 11 pm (!), so in the end, I made up little craft kits instead.

Put it all together and what did I get? A little treat bag that brought big smiles to the faces of my fellow copy editors! (And all for less than $12!) I think that with a little adaptation, these would be great things to make as party favours, or on a rainy afternoon with your kids.

Happy National Punctuation Day to you!

Hi friends,

As promised, here's a sneak peek at some of the excitement the Creativ Festival holds for quilters, courtesy of Rita Gramsch, producer of the festival.

Things to See

There are more than 260 blocks in the Quilt of Belonging.

The Festival showcases the work of several fibre artists, including award-winning quilt exhibits from Lenore Crawford and Elizabeth Dillinger, as well asthe not-to-be-missed Quilt of Belonging (seen above), a collaborative textile work that portrays the rich cultural legacies of all the First Peoples in Canada and every nation of the world.

Things to Do
Colour and design workshops for quilters are plentiful. Enjoy quilting cool diamonds with fibre artist Kaffe Fassett (England), knitting persian poppies with Brandon Mably (England), creating fabric art with Lenore Crawford (Michigan) and turn fibre rovings into works of art with designers Norm and Gio Gaudet. Thread paint with Elizabeth Dillinger, make memory quilts with Jean Boyd or create stained glass quilts with Susan Purney Mark. If you’re a beginner quilter, make a Kaffe Fassett fabric pillow with Hyggeligt.

People to Learn From
Kaffe Fassett
This incredibly talented artist, visiting from London, England, is renowned world-wide for his colour work. He shares his vision and inspiration in frequent lecture tours, exhibitions and television appearances. He is the author of more than 12 books including Passionate Patchwork and Kaffe Knits Again.

Lenore Crawford won the 2007 AQS 'Best Wall Quilt' award in Nashville, Tennessee. Her new style of art quilting inspires others to reach outside their normal style. Lenore was the hit of our spring show and an absolute must to experience this fall.

Elizabeth Dillinger is an award-winning quilter and a rising international star. Winner of Viewers Choice for 2009 Canadian Nationals and 2nd place Award of Excellence, her work is on display in the Netherlands, featured in magazines and on TV, including Quilters TV.

For your chance to a pair of tickets and class passes to the festival (or to enter to win a book, if you live too far away to attend), leave a comment on the contest post telling me which prize you'd like.

Good morning, friends.

Do you remember topsy-turvy dolls? They were the dolls that had two faces: the one you were playing with showed, the other was covered by a long skirt. If you wanted to switch, you flipped the skirt up over the doll's head, turned it over and voilà, you had a different doll to play with! The dolls I remember seemed to split into three categories: awake/sleeping, everyday/party dress, and Red Riding Hood/The Wolf.

I'm thinking about these because Make+Do reader Laura sent in a request for some help finding a topsy-turvy doll pattern for her to make with her young granddaughter, so this morning I spent a little while poking around the internet to see what I could find.

Unfortunately, I didn't find any free sewing patterns, though I did find blog posts about topsy-turvy dolls people had made for themselves. There's a very tall topsy-turvy doll at TreeFall Design and a slightly smaller one at Wee Wonderfuls. Also check out this post from SouleMama about a flip doll she made, using a kit from Umbrella Prints.

There did seem to be a wide variety of topsy-turvy doll patterns for sale. (Keep in mind I'm not endorsing these sites, they're just ones I found with a Google search. Buyer beware, etc.) There was a Red Riding Hood/Wolf doll pattern available here for about $10; or find 21 different doll patterns, some vintage, each about $5, here.

If you'd like to crochet a tiny Red Riding Hood/Grandma doll, make sure you go here. And if you're looking for a no-sew option, these spool dolls look neat.

It might also be worth searching Etsy and Ebay, or even taking a trip to the fabric store. You never know what you'll find in those pattern catalogues! Come to think of it, why not go to your local library and see what they've got in their craft book section. You never know...

Oh, and here's a history of topsy-turvy dolls in the US.

Laura, I hope this helps. If anybody's got more information they could share, we'd appreciate it if you left a link in the comments!

Hi friends,

I've had a wicked case of quilter's block (no pun intended!) lately. I started a quilt back in the spring, but I wasn't happy with how it was coming together, and I got stalled. I was spending so much time thinking about what was wrong (I didn't like the colours, or the background, or the fussy cutting required, but it's hard to admit that you bought 31 fat quarters (I know!) for a quilt you're starting to hate) that I couldn't move past it and start something that was right. Have you ever been there? It's so frustrating!

Finally, this past weekend, I got fed up and decided to stop thinking and start sewing, hoping that something would work out. First, I took a trip to The Workroom, my favourite local source for fabric, notions and inspiration. There I picked up two metres of Kaffe Fassett's shot cotton in lovely shades of dark blue and a lighter, sort of chambray blue. I love the softness of the fabric and the way the colours shimmer in the light. Waiting at home I had a precious fat quarter of Nani Iro double gauze in a cute floral print. I washed and dried my fabric (I don't like the idea of throwing a just-finished quilt into the washer only to find out – surprise! – that one of the fabrics shrunk more than the others) and then I got to work.

I've been seeing lots and lots of log cabin quilts in blogland recently, so maybe it's not a surprise that that's the direction I went.  It's a classic shape but there's lots of room for interpretation, and best of all – no fussy cutting. The block you see above is the first one I made; I sewed up another last night that I like even better. That's another good thing – these babies are fast! If I keep at it, I might even have a finished quilt top by Thanksgiving. I recommend this block if you're looking for a good second quilt project – it's manageable, but also fun!

Here are some of the places I found log cabin inspiration:

• A search for "log cabin quilts" on Flickr turned up more than 5,000 photos, and they're stunning. But be careful, too much time poking around those pages and your quilting time will disappear!
• Adelaide's birthday quilt, over at Soulemama, which uses the somewhat unusual method of foundation piecing/quilting the fabric onto the quilt batting, as illustrated in Patchwork Style. (I went to Chapters and picked up a copy last night – what a cute book!)
• Denyse Schmidt Quilts is a go-to for me any time I'm thinking about a new quilt, and the Two-Tone Drunk Love log cabin quilt really piqued my interest. Too bad that the templates have to be photocopied at 400% – practically impossible task for me with my lack of photocopier-mojo!
• Blair at Wisecraft has been on a log cabin kick lately and wow, these are beautiful. She's got an enviable eye for colour. (Sunny center, bolster pillow, patchwork colour study)
• And of course, there's this lovely grey-and-brown block from Karyn of The Workroom.

Photo from Design*Sponge

Hi friends,

I've been thinking a lot about letter-writing recently, so perhaps it's natural that these argyle notecards from Design*Sponge caught my eye. I think they're cute as is, made with recycled magazine pages and a metallic marker, and easy enough for kids to do. Then again, I think they'd be even cuter with scraps of fabric and a bit of machine-stitching! You could even whip up a whole bunch and package them as sets (maybe with a brand-new pen?) for a cute, relatively inexpensive gift.

Hm, that might be something for my weekend to-do list...