Craftside

Win a Singer Sewing Machine and a copy of the fabulous new book PatternReview.com 1,000 Clever Sewing Shortcuts and Tips

Yup! You read the title right. As the last days of National Sewing Month draw to a close we have a super fabulous giveaway: a shiny new Singer Confidence Sewing Machine and the perfect companion to making your sewing adventure a success a copy of  PatternReview.com 1,000 Clever Sewing Shortcuts and Tips.

 
Want to win these two great items?

Answer the following question in the comments section of this post:

Where do you turn for sewing advice and techniques (whether it's a book, blog, website, magazine, or something else)?

Leave a comment with your answer by midnight ET on Thursday October 7, 2010 and you could be the proud new owner of a Singer Confidence Sewing Machine and the book PatternReview.com 1,000 Clever Sewing Shortcuts and Tips.

And just because we're doing this great giveaway doesn't mean we don't have an inside peek for you.

Click on the image from PatternReview.com 1,000 Clever Sewing Shortcuts and Tips to enlarge and read tips 387 and 388. They are for labeling your garments; one is if the fabric requires dry cleaning and the other is a set of symbols to put on your newly-sewn duds. Like these and want more? Grab a copy of:

PatternReview.com 1,000 Clever Sewing Shortcuts and Tips

Top-Rated Favorites from Sewing Fans and Master Teachers

by

Deepika Prakash

This book contains the best hands-on insider sewing tips from PatternReview.com, a sewing community of more than 170,000 members. The entries are collected from the website’s enormous database of members’ shared comments and advice, rated by hits and reviews. Also included are five special how-to features by PatternReview.com's master teachers and pattern designers, who regularly conduct online chats and workshops (including Kenneth King, Susan Khalje, Sarah Veblen, Shannon Gifford, and Anna Mazur).

Deepika Prakash founded PatternReview.com in 2001. She travels extensively to meet PatternReview.com members and support small sewing businesses. She participates in sewing conferences throughout the United States and has hosted PatternReview.com workshops in New York City, Portland (Oregon), and Los Angeles and also in Germany and Australia. The author’s royalties will be donated to charity.

How to draw 12 facial expressions from the new book Illustration School: Let's Draw Happy People

If you like to draw facial expressions with something other than punctuation :) then today's post will make you smile, cry, pout, yell or be totally surprised! Check out this page from the too cute book llustration School: Let's Draw Happy People.

Click on the image to enlarge and give these 12 expressions a try. Like to draw cute people and things? Then grab yourself a copy of:

Illustration School: Let's Draw Happy People

by

Sachiko Umoto

Created by one of Japan’s most popular artists, this book provides detailed and complete instruction for illustrating fun and appealing characters and elements that celebrate life. The author’s special and distinct style is simple, appealing, happy, and cute and offers artists, crafters, and art enthusiasts—with and without experience—the instruction and inspiration to draw in the Japanese character style. This book is for artists and crafters of all skill levels that want to bring their own illustration to their work. It offers both entertaining and fun drawing instruction and techniques along with inspiring and sweet unique-style characters and elements.

Sachiko Umoto, born in 1970, graduated with a degree in oil painting from Tama Art University (Tokyo). In addition to her work as an illustrator, she also produces animation works for Usagi-Ou Inc. She is the author of An Introduction to Making Illustrations with One Pencil Workbook and An Introduction to Sketching with One Pencil Workbook (both published by MDN Corporation). She dearly loves dogs and Hawaii. Visit her online at http://umotosachiko.com.

How to use and clean a kneaded eraser from the new book The Complete Photo Guide to Creative Painting

Here are some really great tips and techniques for using a kneaded eraser with pastels. Also included on this page from The Complete Photo Guide to Creative Painting there is a tutorial on how to blend pastels with a wet brush. I simple love this book because the tips included are fabulous! For example, this one about popping a kneaded eraser in the pocket of jeans and running it through the washing machine to clean it is brilliant!

Like these techniques and tips an want tons more? Than grab yourself a copy of:

 

The Complete Photo Guide to Creative Painting

By

Paula Guhin

and

Geri Greenman

This book is a comprehensive how-to book about all aspects of creative painting. It serves as a reference and technique guide for painting with all types of craft and fine arts paints, including acrylics, oils, tempera, watercolor, and pastels. The organization provides easy access to information with step-by-step directions and 600 full-color photos for clear understanding. Galleries of artwork by a wide range of artists offer the reader examples of what can be done with each of the painting categories and inspiration to pursue the hobby for themselves.

Geri Greenman, a high school art teacher for thirty years, was honored with the Outstanding Achievement Award by her colleagues. She was a finalist for the Delores Kohl (International) Outstanding Service in the Field of Education award, a nominee for the Golden Apple, and listed in the Who's Who among America's Teachers. Geri has been writing for Arts and Activities magazine for 24 years, a contributing editor for 10 years, with 100 articles published.

Paula Guhin is a former educator, visual artist, photographer, and the author of the ever-popular Glorious Glue, Art with Adhesives (J. W. Walch) and Can We Eat the Art? (Incentive Publications). Articles have appeared in School Arts, Instructor, Teaching Today, and many more periodicals. She is also a contributing editor for Arts and Activities magazine.

Kenneth King's Silk Lotus Flower Tutorial from his Martha Stewart Episode

Kenneth D King author of Cool Couture:Construction Secrets for Runway Style

was on Martha Stewart last week. If you missed it, he showed how to make a silk lotus flower. Pop on over to this link at the Martha Stewart site for the tutorial!

 

Bloomin' good!

Know what else is bloomin' good? Why it's these links to what my fellow craftastic bloggers have been up to:

Mixed Media Artist
To add a bit more interest to your collage or altered book page, try slicing up an image!

Margot Potter The Impatient Crafter
Madge has a big new full time job! Read all about it!

Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery
See how I am spinning...uh crocheting a spider web skirt inspired by The Crochet Dude's new book- Crochet It. Love It. Wear It! and read a fun interview with master of the hook himself Drew Emborsky!

Eileen - The Artful Crafter
Don't let the rotten egg smell or safety concerns keep you from discovering the wonderful burnished effects you can create on thin metal sheet with liver of sulfur. 

Carmi's Art/Life World
Carmi plays with a 3D paper sample to create this new card set. 

Aileen's Musings
"Don't be afraid to live out loud" is Aileen's motto! She demonstrates this with her front door redesign; stop by and see her boldly painted front door!

About Family Crafts
Enjoy some family time together and make some apple crafts. A perfect Autumn activity!

Swap-o-Rama-Rama This Saturday and a bunch of fun fashion sketch poses from the book 1,000 Poses in Fashion by Chidy Wayne

One of my favorite events is tomorrow! Can you guess? Hint: It involves sewing and recycling. Yup it's Swap-O-Rama-Rama!!!

 

If you are in the Los Angeles area and like to restyle and upcycle clothes or just like to swap them, come on by!

At The Venice Center for Peace and Justice located at:

United Methodist Church

2210 Lincoln Blvd at Victoria, just north of Venice Blvd, Venice, CA 90291

And if you are not in SoCal, pop on over here to see more upcoming Swap-O-Rama's all over the country!

---------------------------------------------------------

And in honor of all the re-fashioning that's gonna be goin' on I thought I'd share a page from 1,000 Poses in Fashion with a bunch of fun fashion poses.

Like these fun poses and want 997 more?  Then grab yourself a copy of:

 

1,000 Poses in Fashion

by

Chidy Wayne

Ambiguous, sensual, coquette, and suggestive: the one thousand fashion drawing poses in this book are a deep journey into the wealth of possibilities for illustrating male and female bodies, and designers’ capacity to transmit sensations with an ever so slight flick of the wrist. 1,000 Poses in Fashion compiles all the usual fashion poses and illustrated features, represented in full color, supplemented by the many variations of each pose, in black and white. The poses show the effects of the way in which the clothes sit on the models, guiding the reader in aspects such as how to give proportion or volume to a garment. 1,000 Poses in Fashion is an essential reference for photographers, fashion designers, illustrators, models, and art directors who are interested in corporal expression in relation to fashion. 

Award-winning fashion illustrator and designer Chidy Wayne has created his own niche in the international fashion scene. The education he received from the Instituto Europeo di Design in Barcelona along with hands-on experience as a men’s fashion design assistant at Antoni Miro, and a costume designer for the Festival Grec in 2006, laid a solid foundation for this up-and-coming star. Chidy Wayne is the author of Essential Fashion Illustration: Men. www.chidywayne.com