Craftside

"H" is for Hem, a cuffed one from the new book, Singer® Perfect Plus

Singer® Perfect Plus
Sew a Mix-and-Match Wardrobe for Plus and Petite-Plus Sizes

Kathleen Cheetham presents her original garment patterns and detailed sewing instruction so plus-size women can create a closetful of flattering shapes and silhouettes.

By working with the four enclosed patterns, step-by-step construction, and fitting instruction, you can create a wardrobe of versatile and stylish garments—which can be adapted for office wear, casual wear, or evening wear, just by varying the colors, fabrics, and finishing details.

The four enclosed patterns in Singer® Perfect Plus are for pants, a blouse, skirt, and jacket—which yield ten unique garments. Each garment is shown in petite to full sizes, from size 14 to 24. The author also includes a mix-and-match photo gallery to help readers create more than fifty individual outfits.

Kathleen Cheetham teaches workshops and sells her pattern line at trade shows throughout the U.S. and Canada. She also runs a woman’s custom tailoring shop and teaches classes on fitting and design. Her articles have appeared in Threads magazine and her line of patterns has been featured in Sew News, Threads, Australian Stitches, and Sewing World UK.

I thought this was so clear and easy! I had thought cuffs were hard to do, not any more.

Click on image to enlarge.

I think that a cuffed hem looks really nice and adds a nice touch. With these great directions I think I am up for giving it a shot. I have always known that the difference between a garment looking professional rather than hand made is a good pressing and it is clear that that makes all the difference in this technique.

Now for today's question:

Do you make your own pants? Do you have to alter store bought pants?

I have made a million-gazillion harem pants for belly dancing from scratch but only a few somewhat fitted ones. I alter about half of my store bought pants either because I get an amazing deal on them at the thrift store and I can get them to fit just right if they don't already or I change the style a tad for personal taste.

Leave a note in the comments and you'll be entered to win a free book!

Sew off to make something!

Have a great weekend and see you next week for the letter "I". And, hey, if you don't want to miss anything subscribe to this here crafty blog!

"H" is for Handbook as in The Jeweler's Studio Handbook by Brandon Holschuh

I am so excited about this book:

The Jeweler's Studio Handbook
Traditional and Contemporary Techniques for Working with Metal and Mixed Media Materials
By
Brandon Holschuh

Metal-jewelry-making books tend to fall into three categories: technical soldering guides, PMC showcases, and craft-chain-style project books that assume premade, purchased components (including bead, wire, findings, and so on). This book sidesteps these standard categories by becoming a whole-craft guide for the aspiring artisan from outfitting the bench block to engraving metal pendants and setting beveled stones. Competitive titles are either tool or technique-heavy without including inspiring projects or they are heavy on the projects without motivating the creative energy from the core. The Jeweler's Studio Handbook integrates tools, techniques, projects, and creative inspiration into a single package.

Brandon Holschuh has been a jeweler for nearly 20 years. He is a member of the Society of North American Goldsmiths and The American Craft Council. Brandon is an accomplished exhibitor, winning numerous awards and merits. Visit www.brandonholschuh.com

Be sure to pop on over to his website, the photo on the opening page is of an AMAZING piece of jewelry!!! and over to Amazon to see more inside pages from The Jeweler's Studio Handbook.

But why you ask am I so excited about this book? Because I just got a doming cube and I know very little about how to use it! Here are two pages that show how to cut and shape:

Click on images to enlarge.

My first attempt at using my new tool I played with some recycled materials, I used a bottle cap and I tried the side of a soda can that I punched the circle out with a regular paper punch.

 

Click on image to enlarge.

I can't wait to try new things with the help and inspiration from The Jeweler's Studio Handbook.

Do you have a doming cube? What do you make with it? Leave a link or note in the comment section and as thanks you'll be entered to win a free book of the week!

"H" is for Handwriting ideas from the new book Creative Paint Workshop for Mixed-Media Artists

Yesterday's word was "hand" and today I have expounded on that word and I bring you "handwriting"!

The inside peek is from:

Creative Paint Workshop for Mixed-Media Artists
Experimental Techniques for Composition, Layering, Texture, Imagery, and Encaustic
By
Ann Baldwin

Creative Paint Workshop for Mixed-Media Artists is a workshop-style book, oriented to the wide community of crafters and artists including those interested in paint, surface design, mixed media, and collage, which explores a wide variety of innovative and experimental paint techniques. Chapters cover composition, abstraction, texture, layering, using found objects, encaustic, integrating text, and adding digital imagery.

Ann Baldwin (Vallejo, CA) was born in London and lived there until 1990 when she came to live in the San Francisco Bay area with her husband. She began painting in 1991, after being a teacher of literature all of her working life. Within 18 months she was exhibiting landscapes in local juried shows.

Initially self-taught, she began studying art history, painting, color theory, drawing, and design she became known as an abstractionist, and later developed her text-and-image collages. As a full-time artist, she continues to break rules and experiment, currently with encaustic.

Click on image to enlarge.

I wanted to make a card for a family member and I really liked the look of the white letters on the black background so I thought that would be where I would start.

I wasn't sure what to say, well no worries, a lot of the books I have that are based on journaling and the creative exploration are packed with wonderful quotes. So I grabbed the top one on the pile which happens to be the new

In This Garden:
Exploration in Mixed-Media Visual Narrative

By
Angela Cartwright and Sarah Fishburn

and I found this wonderful quote:

 

First I wrote it on a plain piece of paper to test out the spacing and what words would look right on each line.

I then wrote out the quote with an Elmers Painters pearlescent white pen. I liked the effect but I thought the lettering looked too round and soft. To sharpen them up I thought I'd give them some serifs and shading with a fine tipped Pentel Gel metallic gold pen.

I then printed out a photo of me that I thought was cheery and sunny that went well with the quote. The recipient of this card hasn't seen me in a very long time so I thought a photo would be a good compliment to the quote. In keeping with the "togetherness" of the two elements I wanted them to be viewed at the same time (instead of the photo or the quote on the outside of the card and the other element on the inside). Also better if the card was placed on a table top or shelf.

Well, there you have it. A card made with a technique from  Creative Paint Workshop for Mixed-Media Artists and a quote from In This Garden.

I do love quotes so you know where this is going...today's question:

What is your current favorite quote?

Leave it in the comments section and you'll be entered to win a free book as my thanks for sharing.

And in other news!!!

Margaret Hubert, author of a ton of fabulous crochet books (just click on her name below or to the side to see them and free patterns from inside) has been nominated in three categories

in the

2009 Crochet Awards!
(The Flamies)
Sponsored by The Crochet Liberation Front

She is nominated in these categories:

Best Crochet Designer for Women’s Fashions 2008
Best Free Form Designer

and
Individual Life Time Achievement Award

Pop on over to the Crochet Liberation Front Blog to read all about it and here to vote!

Go Margaret!!!

"H" is for Hand all dressed up for Mardi Gras! Or for me, everyday!

1,000 Artist Journal Pages:
Personal Pages and Inspirations

Dawn DeVries Sokol

Over 1,000 journal pages presented in one beautiful full-color book.

Journals offer their makers a safe place to dream, doodle, rant, and reinvent themselves. They offer viewers rich, visual inspiration. There is a fascination with these revealing and often beautiful pages of self-exploration and personal expression. Journals offer a tantalizing, voyeuristic view of an interior life.

This is the first book to offer examples of over 1000 journal pages in one eye-catching, visual format, and attract a wide swathe of artists who fully embrace or experiment with this medium.

Journaling has seeped into popular culture in a big way and this collection provides a wide array of ideas, techniques and themes to inspire and inform mixed media and journaling enthusiasts.

Dawn DeVries Sokol worked her way from designing newspapers to art directing magazines. From her studio she now designs books for publishers across the U.S. while playing in her art journals, crocheting and soldering.

I love the "Hand" as a design element.

I guess I always have since after I saw this wonderful page contributed by Ingrid Dijkers I went to the tote my Mom put together of my kid memorabilia and found this masterpiece from my childhood.

So if you happen to catch this post about my ring storage box I made, you can see I really haven't changed.

And here is this week's "H" ATC:

 

I used the "ransom letter" style to put the word on my ATC.

Question du jour (since we're French here today)

Are you doing anything to celebrate Mardi Gras?

I'll be wearing some wild beads for sure!

"H" is for Hot Crafty Blogger Links

With Mardi Gras tomorrow some of the Crafty Bloggers have some great Mardi Gras themed crafts for you:

About Family Crafts
Are you up for a crafty challenge? Design your own simple Mardi Gras mask.

Aileen's Musings
Aileen crafts a whimsical birthday banner from rock salt, watercolors and fun embellishments! Let yourself be inspired and create your very own banner!

Crafty Princess Diaries
Tammy and her DH show off their donation to a local Humane Society event. The piece is call "I Heart Animals Necklace" and combines her metal clay skills and his chain making skills.

Cross Stitch at About.com
"Let the Good Times Roll" with Connie's free Mardi Gras Cross Stitch patterns.

Layers Upon Layers
Layers Upon Layers continues to explore lot of different snow-themed art works.

Naughty Secretary Club
It’s Stencil 101 at the Naughty Secretary Club. Learn how to make your own Headphone Hotties Skirt and enter to win free fabric paint!

Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery
The amazing detail packed book Boutique Knits by Laura Irwin provides the inspiration for a half felted/ half non felted bag Sweater Surgery Style.

Swelldesigner a.k.a. Alexa Westerfield
Swelldesigner shares a fast and fun sticker project and breaks out her old sticker collection in the process!

The Impatient Crafter
Madge shares another fab free jewelry project from her new co-authored book Bead and Wire Jewelry Exposed. Leave a comment for a chance to win a free book while you're there!

Now if you have been reading this blog from the beginning of the year you know each week is themed  with a letter of the alphabet. I am also asking questions each day and as my thanks for sharing, giving a free book away. I have to say I am having great time crafting within a theme and reading all the great answers to the questions!!

Since Monday's are Crafty Blogger Links day, my question is:

What blogs do you have bookmarked and read regularly? How often to you check in on them? Or have you subscribed to them so they are delivered to your inbox each time there is a post? (Like you can with this blog)