(Hey, don't forget that you've still got a couple days to enter to win one of the books we're giving away to celebrate our 800th post! Go on and leave a comment over here if you haven't entered yet!)
It took a few late nights (and several dinners of leftovers!), but I'm happy to report that today, I'm wearing a T-shirt that I made myself. So exciting!
It started with the T-shirt pattern drafting class that Lisa and I took at The Workroom last weekend. The teacher was Cal Patch, an acquaintance of mine from Squam Art Workshops and an all-around superstar when it comes to sewing clothes. She wrote this book:
Design-it-Yourself Clothes: Patternmaking Simplified. It's a great book, and I own it, but I always found it was a little bit intimidating. So many things to measure!
I'm glad we took the class. Everything seemed so straightforward with Cal leading the way. It turns out that the measurements you take for a T-shirt pattern aren't really that different than the ones you take when you're sizing yourself for a knitted sweater. (You can just call me Master of the Obvious, if you like. ;^)
Once you've taken your measurements, it's just a matter of plotting them on a piece of paper and connecting the dots. Grading the curves was alternately frustrating and satisfying, but I got there eventually.
Cal shared lots of great tricks about choosing the right fabric, which stitches to use (hint: check your manual!) and what order to put things together in, and then she sent us off into the wild.
And it worked! It really worked. Check it out:
Hee! I'm pretty pleased. I mean, it's not perfect (I definitely need to practice sewing neckbands) but it's close, and it fits better than anything I've ever bought from a store.
At this point my goal of being able (at least in theory) to clothe myself in handmade clothes from head to toe is pretty well complete. Now I just need to find a class about pants, I guess!
Have a great weekend – hope it includes some crafting time just for you.
I thought that after yesterday's sort of rueful reflection on trying to get things done, we could use a bit of fun!
I love this video: Melvin the Mini Machine. It's an honest-to-goodness Rube Goldberg machine and it works! It's from Hey Hey Hey design studio in The Netherlands, and it's the best thing I've seen all week.
Click on the link or the photo above to watch on Vimeo. Enjoy!
Today Lisa and I were chatting about what to blog about today, and I thought about a conversation that we had over email yesterday. We were discussing our plans for the patterns we'd made in a custom T-shirt pattern making class we took at The Workroom...and incidentally, about the myth of the prolific night-time crafter.
From: Lisa
Date: Tue, 1 May 2012 13:16
To: Austen
Subject: !
Superaweseome thought I just had: You could totally use that Tshirt pattern to make a dress! The most awesomely comfortable dress ever. I'm doing that.
---
From: Austen
Date: Tue, 1 May 2012 13:21
To: Lisa
That is a genius idea! So smart. Hellooooooo, summer wardrobe!
I am planning to try my pattern out tonight. But just for a T-shirt.
---
From: Lisa
Date: Tue, 1 May 2012 13:26
To: Austen
I was thinking I might too. Though I often daydream about these things in the afternoon, and then when it gets to be about 8 p.m. and I finally have a few spare minutes, I don't follow through.
Excited to see what you come up with!
---
From: Austen
Sent: Tue, 1 May 2012 13:30
To: Lisa
That happens to me too. For some reason I feel like I should be able to start something and finish it on the same day, and then when I know I can't, I get frustrated so I just don't start anything at all. And watch TV instead.
So maybe I should say that tonight I am going to cut out the pieces of a tshirt. Or, more realistically, tonight I am going to set up the ironing board. At this rate, I'll have a new t-shirt by Labour Day. Guess I should make it long-sleeved after all?
---
From: Lisa
Date: Tue, 1 May 2012 13:34
To: Austen
Glad it's not just me! I always imagine that you go home every night and make or cook or write something 
---
From: Austen
Date: Tue, 1 May 2012 13:41
To: Lisa
Well, you know: make (a mess), cook (boil the kettle?) and write (a four word email).
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When I re-read this exchange this morning it made me laugh (and it sort of reminded me of this post on Dinner: A Love Story).
I think that sometimes – even to people we know quite well, people with whom we share daily routines and typical ups and downs – it looks like we're just effortlessly putting in the 9-to-5, then going home, taking care of business (dinner, housework, family, all the rest) and, oh yeah, no big deal, whipping up a craft or two on the side every night.
But we're not. Some nights, just ironing the fabric for that new T-shirt is as good as it gets. If we're really lucky and someone else is making dinner, sometimes we might get more done. But there are many many nights that end, not with some late-night sewing, but with a dead drop onto the couch.
Just thought you might like to know.
Yesterday at lunch time I treated myself to a fabric store field trip. It'd been a while since I'd been there, so I was looking forward to seeing the spring/summer fabrics and checking out the sales. (I love buying fabric on sale, don't you?)
The store near our office is a Fabricland "Decor Centre," which means that in addition to the fashion- and craft-oriented material, it's got a great selection of home decor fabrics and notions. But yesterday the store seemed even more jam-packed than usual – it was difficult just to turn around, let alone shop.
But then I overheard a conversation at the cutting table. Turns out that all that fabric and all those sale signs (so many sale signs!) had nothing to do with a springtime bonanza and everything to do with a closing-out sale.
Harrumph!
The company surely has its reasons (rumour has it the rent was set to quadruple), but still. This close-out means that there's only one Fabricland in Toronto – and it's kind of a pain to get to if, like me, you don't own a car. I *love* my local independent retailers, but I'm going to miss this Fabricland for all those urgent lunchtime sequin-tape-buying missions. (It happens more often than you might think!)
Of course, the more I've thought about it, the more I've realized that living in Toronto, I've become spoiled. In lots of places in Canada, fabric and notions that are a 10-minute walk away would sound like a crazy pipe dream. Back when I lived in semi-rural Nova Scotia, it was an hour's drive to the closest fabric store – definitely not something I could do on a lunch hour.
So I'm wondering: Where do you buy your fabric? Is there a chain store where you live? An independent retailer? Do you order online? What would you do if your local fabric store up and moved out?
This giveaway is now closed. Thank you for reading!
Wow: This is our 800th post here on The Craft Blog. Can you believe it? I wish I could give each of you a cupcake to say thank you for coming along on our crafty adventures.
It didn't happen overnight. We've been gathering here to talk about all things crafty for three years now. In that time, we've shared project ideas, exclaimed over crafting triumphs (and frustrations), hosted guest bloggers, posted tutorials, and met all kinds of Canadian crafters.
Through the blog, we've been able to get to know the people who read our website and our magazine each month – finding out what crafts you're passionate about, where you buy your fabric and yarn, what you love (and hate!) about your hobby of choice. It's been wonderful.
To celebrate, we're having a giveaway! (Yay!) I've got 8 great craft books ready for 8 lucky winners.
Here's how to enter:
- Leave a comment on this post to say hello. Tell us what your favourite craft is, what you like to read about, what you wish there was more of....any or all of those things.
- Make sure you leave your name and email address, so that I can contact you if you win. (Unfortunately, we can only ship prizes within Canada, but we'd still love to hear from you if you're an international reader!)
- Do it before 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, May 6.
I'll randomly choose and announce the winners on Monday, May 7. Good luck – and thanks again for reading The Craft Blog!
OK, so I've cast on – almost – for my Gemini pullover three times. Twice, I ran out of yarn before I'd cast on the required number of stitches. The third time I ran out of yarn AND realized that I'd been using the wrong size needles all along. Rats.
This is what it looks like right now. It's been in time-out all week. (Because clearly the sweater is the issue here. Not me, nor my reading comprehension. The sweater. Ahem.)
My simple shawl is going well. I am a late convert to the wonders of Noro Silk, but wow, I love it. It's soft, and the colours! Yes.
It's a little bit of magic. Of course, it's not a sweater, but honestly, I'm starting to question the folly of trying to knit 12 sweaters in a year. First of all, that's a lot of sweaters. Secondly, what about all the other awesome things there are to knit?
Things like Kate's Bigger on the Inside, a Dr. Who–inspired knit that is just fantastic. Even if you're not a Dr. Who fan, click through and read the story behind the pattern. It's a neat little testimony to the way that the things we make can have secret, coded meanings – how the sweaters and scarves that come off our needles, the quilts that we sew, the pictures we paint, are often so much more than what they seem to be at first glance. They're not always garments or blankets or home decor. They're stories. Our stories.
So maybe instead of sweaters, I should focus on knitting 12 stories this year. What do you think?
PS. Be sure to check in on Monday for our 800th (what?! I can't believe it!) post.
All the unrest on the home reno front has made my house decidedly craft-UNfriendly of late. I haven't had time to work on anything substantial in ages.
But I did have time to make a couple of new toys for Olive and Nestor. Here's my recipe for one of the simplest, most effective homemade cat toys in the world. I see them everywhere – Etsy, pet stores, the vet's office – but they're a cinch to make at home with fabric scraps.
Catnip Ravioli
1. Cut two squares of quilting cotton or other crisp, tightly woven cotton (whatever size you like). Stack the squares with the WRONG sides facing. Pin on three sides.
2. Sew 5/8 inch or so in from the edge on each of the pinned sides. Start and end right off the edge, and don't worry about backstitching to secure the thread – it doesn't matter. Snip off the thread ends.
3. Grab a small bunch of craft stuffing and stuff into the hole. Dump in a few decent clumps of catnip, then add another little ball of the stuffing.
4. Pin the open edges together. Sew about 5/8 inch in from edge to close. Snip off thread ends.
5. Cut each edge with pinking shears to desired width.
6. Push the stuffing around to fill the centre and crush the catnip. Add one curious cat.
7. Enjoy the silliness that ensues.
Do you grow your own catnip for your cats? I would love to hear your tips on growing it – if there are different varieties, what soil conditions work, and how you dry it. Nestor and Olive are eager for me to get the garden started!
The knitters and crocheters have Ravelry, so it's only fair that we sewists (OK, I know that's not a word, but "sewer" always looks wrong) have our own online gathering place. Enter Threadbias: a new online community for people who love to sew, quilt and embroider.
All of the content is created by the site's users, so once you create a profile, it becomes your own virtual sewing studio: You can post the projects you're working on; exchange ideas and patterns with other Threaders; and browse fabrics, notions and books (with links to buy them online).
As Threadbias just launched, there haven't been a lot of unique patterns posted yet, but I found a few interesting ideas (fancy making a tea wallet or a baby bowling shirt?). I could see the site becoming a great resource for quilting inspiration – just check out this Luigi (of SuperMarioBros. fame) quilt!
My absolute favourite sewing-project-sharing site is still BurdaStyle – though I find the clothing patterns a bit cumbersome to print, tape together and cut out. Do you have a favourite online craft community? I'd love to hear about what else is out there!
Do you memorize recipes? I do. Most of the time it's not deliberate – it's just that after you've made the same cookie recipe five or six dozen times, you're bound to remember the details. And so Chocolate O'Chippers* are a permanent part of my repertoire.
Same for scones, pancakes, and baking powder biscuits. For me, they're all comfort foods, and there's nothing more comforting than being able to walk into the kitchen and start baking – no cookbook required.
Just this weekend I realized that I've started to do the same thing with my knitting. I've got a few standby patterns that now reside permanently in my head. Glenna's Nice Ribbed Socks have taken up residence, as have the Cutest Booties from the Yarn Harlot. Given a repeat knit or two, I think that the Classic Raglan might move in, too.
I've also got a simple shawl pattern stored away up there. It's based on Simple Things – a super basic triangle shawl built with symmetrical yarn overs, with rows of garter stitch and yarn overs as decorative edging toward the bottom of the shawl. It was just the ticket for Sunday afternoon, when I had a movie to go to and nothing simple to work on in the dark. This is Noro Silk Garden, knit on 5 mm needles. I'm loving it.
* You didn't think I'd let you go without providing that cookie recipe, did you? Of course not! This recipe was shared with me by my friend Ali. I don't know where she got it, but I do know it's my favourite.
Chocolate O’Chippers
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Cream butter with sugar until light. Add vanilla and egg; mix well. Add flour, oatmeal, baking soda and salt; stir til incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips.
Drop by teaspoonfuls onto parchment paper–lined baking sheet. Bake 10 to 12 min, or until edges are golden and tops are just beginning to set. Makes approx 36 cookies.
(You can play with the add-ins if you like: I'm also a fan of raisins, pecans and coconut, in any measure.)
I had a super crafty weekend – how about you?
Vintage buttons! Yay!
On Friday afternoon, Lisa and I headed to Hamilton to explore James St. North. This street seems to be experiencing a crafty renaissance – though there are still some seriously dilapidated storefronts, it's also home to some great stores that are chock-a-block with nifty wares.
We popped in to White Elephant, where I reconnected with Jane, a former classmate of mine. (Small world alert!) You can read more about Jane and Hollie, the store owners, and the eclectic wares they carry, at their blog Love it A Lot.
Down the street a bit, Mixed Media, an art supply store, tempted me with a wide array of art supplies, inspiring books, magazines and posters, and blank notebooks (my favourite). Needlework, a fabric store and creative workspace, made me wish for a free afternoon to do nothing but sew in the sun.
Saturday morning I ventured out to City of Craft – and I'm so glad I did! It was packed and I had my hands full, so I don't have any photos, but what a great show. I was pleased to see lots of great vendors – some familiar, some new to me – including:
I don't have room to enumerate everyone I saw, but it was great to see so many vendors – and buyers – out on a cool, rainy spring day. Hooray!
