Craftside

How to ask good questions that lead to good design from the book Form, Fit, and Fashion

This is really interesting and I think just about anyone who makes anything will be interested in these questions for a bit of self discovery and help to think about how to move forward in a creative plan.

 

Click on these images to enlarge and read about the Socratic method and some really great questions that can help make a plan.

 

These intriguing questions are from the book:

Form, Fit, and Fashion
All the Details Fashion Designers Need to Know But Can Never Find

By
Jay Calderin

An indispensable primer for students and first-stop reference for professionals, Form, Fit, and Fashion guides the fashion designer through the entire design process, from conceiving a garment to marketing it.

This handbook collects the information and ideas essential to planning and executing fashion projects of every scale and distills them in an easy-to-use format that is compact enough to slip into a tote. Linking six central phases in the cycle of fashion--research, editing, design, construction, connection, and evolution--Form, Fit, and Fashion will help designers to develop effective strategies for building a cohesive collection and communicating their vision.

Jay Calderin teaches a wide variety of fashion and professional development courses at the School of Fashion Design in Boston, where he is also the Director of Creative Marketing. He founded and serves as Executive Director of Boston Fashion Week. Calderin’s designs have appeared in the pages of Vogue and Elle magazines.

Cutting-Out Tips from "Making Trousers for Men and Women" by David Coffin

In addition to all the great content in the book Making Trousers for Men and Women: A Multimedia Sewing Workshop by David Coffin, there is a DVD that comes with the book and I thought I'd share with you one of the clips today. It is filled with some great tips on altering a pants pattern that are so easy and great for restyling!

Making Trousers for Men and Women: A Multimedia Sewing Workshop

By David Coffin

Comfortable, flattering pants can be challenging to make—but they’re wonderful to wear. In this book, David Coffin provides his inventive, sure-fire methods for getting it right.

With his characteristic precision and straight talk—and with the help of photographs, drawings, and a series of video sequences on the accompanying CD-ROM—Coffin teaches the reader how to get great results—whether making a showcase garment or just whipping out an everyday pair.

For more information and book-related extras, visit David Coffin's blog makingtrouserswithdpc.blogspot.com, all about making trousers and specifically designed for the readers of this book.

A former editor of Threads magazine, David Coffin (Brookings, OR) is the author of Shirtmaking: Developing Skills for Fine Sewing. He has appeared on several online sewing forums, hosted live chats, and appeared on Sandra Betzin’s HGTV sewing program. He has conducted sewing workshops throughout the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, at guild meetings of the American Sewing Guild and the Professional Association of Custom Clothiers, tradeshows, fabric stores, and conferences.

And if you want some more insight into the videos pop on over to this video.

How to sew gathers in fabric from the book Singer Simple Sewing and how to recycle 2 Boy Scout shirts into a fun little dress with ruffles

Ruffles and gathers are really hot in fashion right now, not to mention very useful to know how to do for lots of Halloween costumes. Click on the image to enlarge and read these really great instructions on how to sew gathers.

This page is from the book:

Singer Simple Sewing
The Complete Illustrated Machine-side Reference of Tips and Techniques

By

Beth Baumgartel

This comprehensive “at your fingertips” reference is an essential for any sewer's library. With more than 1,000 detailed illustrations and an instructional DVD from SINGER®, this book covers all the basic sewing techniques for garment construction and home décor. An entire section on mending and repair helps sewers recycle and reuse their favorite items with quick and reliable fixes. This useful volume will help sewers of all levels find reliable shortcuts and better solutions to ensure success with all their sewing projects.

Beth Baumgartel (Madison, CT) has written for Vogue, Butterick, the Home Sewing Association, Family Craft Circle, and others. She is also the author of SINGER® Simple Decorative Machine Stitching.

I LOVE ruffles and I gather fabric a bunch (yup that was a pun!), so I use this technique all the time. Here is my latest recycled/upcycled little dress made from 2 Boy Scout shirts:

I used wider bias strips along the bottom and trimmed the front top edge with a tiny ruffle.

Here is how to sew a little dress from 2 men's shirts; in this case I used 2 Boy Scout shirts.

 

I cut one shirt into the dress shape and sewed two ties. They get placed into the dress when the side seams are stitched.

The final step after the dress is all sewn together is to stitch a bit of elastic along the back top edge.

The other shirt gets cut open so that the bias strips can be cut as long as possible -- as you can see I had to use 2 grid rulers for the first cut.

 

Then I could fold the shirt in half along the true bias and cut the bias strips out with one long grid ruler for the ruffles. I should point out that you really do need to cut the ruffles on the bias because they will shred apart if you are using a woven shirt.

I followed the directions for sewing a gather in Singer Simple Sewing. The only thing that I did differently was I sewed a single row of stitching down the center of each strip.

Then I top stitched 2 rows of ruffles along the bottom edge of the dress and one tiny one along the top front edge.

I removed the patches from the shirt and restitched them on in new places.

 

Here is the dress from the back. My dress form is a bit wider than me so when I wear the dress the elastic on the top back edge looks cute gathered not all stretched out like it is here on the dress form.

If you aren't up for making a whole dress, why not jazz up one you already have with some ruffles or lengthen one with a gathered section?

Super Crafty Halloween Swap-o-rama-rama Swappers and Crafty Blogger Links

Check out all the great creativity that happened this past weekend at Halloween Swap-o-rama-rama.

This is me and Lori our illustrious leader and organizer of Swap-o-rama-rama.

 

Swapper designers could alter and embellish their new finds with all sorts of die cuts made with my Sizzix Hello Kitty Die cutter and a whole bunch of dies like a skull and cross bones, wings, birds and letters. Any fabric will go through the machine. I made my sign out of all sorts of recycle wool felted sweaters after all I did write the book Sweater Surgery. Designers used just about every type of fabric. We simply ironed on a bit of Heat and Bond to the back first to turn it into an iron-on.

This I think was the most creative use of the fabric with the Sizzix die cutter and dies - this designer cut the skull and cross bones out of sun fabric.

This little boy was working on his Michael Jackson costume and he added a monogram.

This girl made matching t-shirts for her and her boyfriend...aw so cute.

This crafter put wings on a beanie.

She loved it so much she came back and made a Hello Kitty.

This little designer combined the heart with wings die with the birds which we cut mirror image.

One of the project the volunteer seamstresses were helping people make were bags from jeans. The swappers then came over to me for some embellishment; here is one that has the wings on each pocket and below is one with the little bird and hearts.

 

This was the best use of mixing fabrics. The picture doesn't do it justice but these dainty birds looked great to doll up this western shirt. There were little sparkle threads in it and it coordinated great.

 

And finally one girl took one of our Makeready journals and in true mixed-media fashion had the silk screeners, Four Idle Hands, 

add their bats to the cover; then she added the bird applique that was die cut with the bird die.
 
It was a great day!

Alexa Westerfield a.k.a. Swelldesigner
Win a fun prize pack in honor of Swelldesigner's 24 Halloween Crafts in 24 Hours on October 8th

Cathie Filian
Kids will flip for this Halloween Punch and Witches Brew Punch Bowl.

Crafty Princess Diaries
Charity begins at homes, at least that's what Tammy's dogs reminded her about when they caught her making another crochet square.

Cross Stitch at About.com
Stitch up some cute little traffic signs, including this warning sign design for your child's play set or to decorate a jacket. 

Mixed Media Artist
Think you know polymer clay? Look what Layl McDill can do with this material!

Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery
See how I took a pattern from Drew Emborsky's Fun New book "All Washed Up" for a test spin Halloween Style!

The Artful Crafter
If you don't live in the southwest, you may not even know about this huge football homecoming tradition. Even so, you can still enjoy Eileen's tongue-in-cheek directions for making the most outrageous Homecoming Mum Corsage ever.

The Crochet Dude
Drew has a great free crochet pattern for a creepy-cute Halloween treat bag called "I Want My Mummy!"

About Family Crafts
It is never too early or too late to begin planning a Halloween party, and you are sure to find something creative here to help with your planning.

Aileen's Musings
Aileen has not 1 but 2 giveaways for you. Enter her Fall giveaway and download a freebie background while you're at it.

How to draw a pattern for a witch hat and how to make a tiny witch hat head band

Do you like your witch hat BIG or small?
Either way today's post will hook you up.

Here is the tiny witch hat, it is on a headband base.

What you need to make a tiny witch hat:

Recycled black wool felted sweater

purple and green tulle (or whatever color you like)

Headband

decorative pin

small scrap of pretty yarn or ribbon

scissors, needle and thread, hot glue, dressmakers chalk

About a 3 1/4 inch round object, like a mug

paper and pencil

Pattern:

How to make a tiny witch hat:

Cut out the top cone shape, the round flat part of the witch hat and another circle about 2 inches in diameter, this last one won't show so it can be not perfect, all from the recycled wool sweater.

Form the cone and hot glue it in place.

Then glue the cone to the flat big circle.

Glue the bottom small circle to the top big circle sandwiching the head band in between.

Wrap the decorative yarn around the base of the cone.

Cut a few strips of tulle and gather them using a large running stitch.

Attach them to the witch hat with a fun pin.

OK so you want a BIG witch hat:

Click on the image to enlarge and read how to draw a pattern for a full size witch hat.

These great directions are from the book:

Creative Costumes & Halloween Décor:
50 Projects to Craft & Sew

The Lifestyle Editors of Creative Publishing international

The all-in-one Halloween book!

Creative Costumes & Halloween Décor combines costume and decorating projects into one convenient book. The costumes are designed around three basic styles: tabards, gowns, and full suits (made from pajama patterns). Accessories like wings, capes, skirts and lots of headwear are also included. Details like collars, gloves, spats, and face painting instructions offer lots of ideas for personalizing costumes.

The décor section includes 30 unique projects for decorating your house inside and out, along with special projects for throwing a Halloween party. The projects use common household products plus lots of craft-store items like wood pieces, paints, paper mâché, felt, craft foam, floral materials, and polymer clay. Elaborately propped beauty photos and step-by-step instructions with photos of every step make the projects--both costume and décor--easy to understand.

If you need the full scoop on how to sew the witch hat grab yourself a copy of Creative Costumes & Halloween Décor and you are good to go (on your broom????)

And to get the how to and pattern for another cute head band project- devil horns made from a recycled wool sweater pop on over to this post.

And I haven't asked a question in a while, but I have one for you today:

What costume are you making this year for yourself or for someone else?

Leave your answer in the comments and you are entered to win a free book!

You already know what I'm wearing, actually I have been wearing it since I made it, I will probably make more things and change my mind between now and Halloween!

It's never too soon to start making scarves for when it turns frigid

Yes, I went through a punk rock phase, it really does go hand in hand with my love of plaid. There are a whole bunch of really unique scarf making styles and tutorials in the book

Intertwined: The Art of Handspun Yarn, Modern Patterns, and Creative Spinning

and this is just one:

Click on the images to enlarge and read how to make this cool felted and pinned punk scarf.

 

 

Inspired by this scarf this is what I made:

 

I know you want to see it up close.

 

And even closer:

 

This is how I did it:

 

I laid out fabric strips and placed painter's tape every few inches to hold it together. This worked pretty well, a little fussy, so I also ended up pinning the strips together as well.

Then I just crazy stitched it together as seen in the previous photo.

I made it about two yards long and then repeated the process only this time laying the strips out on the back side of the first side and sewing them all together.

It has two cool aspects of it.

When I wrap it around my neck it stands up pretty stiff, I like this because when it's really cold I can pull the scarf up over my nose and some scarves are too floppy for that.

Second, when I fold it in half lengthwise it is more of a "stylish" or fashion long skinny scarf.

If you embrace the unique you will definitely want to grab a copy of:

Intertwined: The Art of Handspun Yarn, Modern Patterns, and Creative Spinning
by Pluckyfluff AKA Lexi Boeger is an amazing book of spinning, fiber, knitting, crocheting, weaving and more!

Intertwined is an inspirational handbook for yarn lovers everywhere, created in an eye-popping, showcase style and packed with sparkling, full-color photo

This book will be a delight to the enthusiastic fiber crowd that is growing by leaps and bounds. It captures all the excitement of experimental, handspun yarns, and includes recipes for handspun yarns, project ideas for knitters and crocheters, tips on how to use one-of-a-kind handspun yarns (whether you spin them or buy them at yarn boutiques), and a gallery of handmade creations. The book also features profiles, anecdotes, essays, and thoughts on fiber arts and the creative process. Contributors range from Alpaca farmers and cutting-edge spinners to well-known knitwear designers.

There is has been a resurgence in interest in spinning and in using one-of-a-kind yarns, particularly by the all new knitters and crocheters, and there are no other cutting-edge, inspiring books out there to satisfy this enthusiastic audience.

The recipient of a bachelor's degree in fine art from UC Davis, author Lexi Boeger is the founder of Pluckyfluff.com, an Internet-based forum for unusual handspun yarns and fiber art. She is the innovator of highly original new techniques in handspinning and is carving a place for handspun yarn in the realm of pop culture.

Onto Q & A time:

Sunday Midnight California time will be the cutoff to be entered to win a free craft book and bobbin winder!

Sande asked:

Ok..I have a question for you. I recently saw a gorgeous altered book made from a composition book and the cover was made from tiles.

Would you know what kind of tiles could be used. They looked to be about 1 inch square and they were also altered using inks.

Thanks.
Sande

Answer:

I would say probably just about anything would work.

I think the key would be to use a really good glue to make sure they would stay on.

I think you can find them in both the craft store(in the mosaic section and in the altered art area) and in the hardware store in the tile section.

I would say though all those will make the book pretty heavy.

I bet you could make some with card board and then coating the top with a bunch of layers of embossing powders like in this post from  Paper Transformed.

Good Angel / Bad Angel Birds on the back of my shoulder t-shirt iron-on project from Rock & Street Culture free graphics

Today I have a fun iron-on project to share with you. It started out with this cool graphic from the book Design Parts Sourcebook: Rock and Street Culture
A Collection of Images for Artists and Designers

I added the words "Good and Bad" to the banners underneath the little angel and devil birds.

Then I flipped them as the directions on the package of printable iron-on transfer material said to do.

I added a bunch more stuff to the page for future use so as not to waste it. I used my paper printing test to figure out size and placement.

 

And here you have it after the images were ironed onto the back shoulder area of the t-shirt.

I should also note I started with a big long sleeve shirt and cut it smaller and the sleeves off turning it into a tank top. So now I have a shirt that has my good bird/angel on one shoulder and my bad bird/angel on my other shoulder. Which one do you think I listen to more??? Don't answer that.

And I want to share with you one more graphic. This one was made by selecting inverse instead of flipping. I clicked the wrong button but I thought it was a way-happy accident! So if you like this graphic pop on over to Amazon and grab yourself a cool copy of this book that contains a CD with tons of images to use in your projects.

Design Parts Sourcebook: Rock and Street Culture
A Collection of Images for Artists and Designers

Oilshock Designs

Sub-culture graphics are ready for use in this book providing imagery that is useful for a variety or art types. Developed by a group of experienced designers from the apparel industry, these inspired images are great for printing onto T-shirts and other clothing and accessories, CD’s flyers, Web pages and even as references for tattoo art.

The illustrations are provided as print reference in the pages of the book and also provided on a companion CD-ROM. The files are available as both Illustrator EPS files and JPEG files, making them easy to modify and customize.

Oilshock designs is a designers’ company on fashion, apparel and sub-cultures, started in 2006, separated from JELLYFISH which was established by Satoru Kurahara in 1993.

Now onto today's Q & A

This question was asked by

Maxine Kollar

"The bottle cap bookmark is so simple yet serves a really great purpose and looks like it's a fun project too.
My question is this: What is the best way to shrink a 100% wool sweater? I know I've done it before by mistake. But now that I want it to happen each time I take my old sweater out of the bucket of hot water it seems to have stretched!! I would like to make felted purses for Christmas.
Any suggestions?"

Answer:

As the author of Sweater Surgery
How to Make New Things from Old Sweaters

I have felted probably 100 sweaters.

How I felt a wool sweater:

1. Throw it in the wash with a towel or a pair of jeans (this causes more agitation and helps mat the fibers together more)

2. I set my washer to hot wash cold rinse, again radical temperature change is key to felting wool sweaters.

3. Walk away

4. Throw sweater and towel/jeans in dryer on "hot"

5. Repeat step 1-4 until I like the density of the felting of the sweater.

6. Go make something cute!

For ideas on what to make with your felted wool sweater, click on the Sweater Surgery link below, grab yourself a copy of Sweater Surgery
How to Make New Things from Old Sweaters or pop on over to the Sweater Surgery Blog!

Keep those questions coming so you can be entered to win a free book and SideWinder Bobbin Winder.

And want to increase your odds of winning and know of a great recycled craft project, blog, Etsy Designer or Website? It can be your own or someone else's. Pop on over to Recycled Crafts at CraftGossip.com and click on "Suggest a Link" (specify "Recycled Crafts" ) and you will be entered to win a free book and Bobbin Winder there too!

Fabulous beaded fan design from the book Creative Cloth Explorations by Patti Medaris Culea

This is a fan designed by Edwina Sutherland. It is connected with beads on organza ribbon. This connection method still allows the fan to close. Isn't it pretty? With this summer heat I am in total need of a pretty fan.

Click on the image to enlarge the fan and check out the details closer.

This page is from the book:

Creative Cloth Explorations
Adventures with Fairy-Inspired Fiber Art

By

Patti Medaris Culea

This book is the fifth installment on making creative cloth fiber arts from popular art doll designer, fiber artist, and workshop instructor Patti Culea, following Creative Cloth Doll Making, Creative Cloth Doll Faces, Creative Cloth Doll Couture, and Creative Cloth Doll Beading. Readers will learn to make flat figures, fabric books, and a fairy-style fan.

This book builds on the previous four by delving into how to make fun and elaborate-looking projects using similar materials for unique projects and book structures. Culea covers the basics and provides new techniques–such as using Shiva paint sticks and stencils, working with silk rods and waste, and using lace and trims–while teaching you to how create a flat-figure doll, a memory journal with embellished cloth pages, and a beautiful fan. Professional tips, ideas for embellishments, cutting-edge techniques, and complete patterns for all the projects are included.

Patti Medaris Culea studied art in Los Angeles and Japan and began as a painter and portrait artist. She has a full-line of cloth doll patterns and her work has appeared in books, magazines, and galleries. She is the author of Creative Cloth Doll Making, Creative Cloth Doll Faces, Creative Cloth Doll Couture , and Creative Cloth Doll Beading.

If this looks cool you should watch Patti's video in the upper right side to see how to make a fabric movable doll.

And if you would like a chance to win a copy of this book or another great craft book and a  Wrights SideWinder bobbin winder just leave a question craft or otherwise related in the comment section and you are entered to win. I am having a blast answering them!

Which brings me to today's Q&A

Anya asked:

My question is -- have you used the Wrights SideWinder yourself?

Yes! It works like a dream. I sew every day and have several machines so subsequently I wind a lot of bobbins. I am trying to keep one very old one happy and going so to reduce the wear and tear on it I wind my bobbins on the SideWinder Bobbin Winder.

And if you don't have a question but know of a good recycled craft project or blog pop on over to Recycled Crafts at CraftGossip.com and click on "Suggest a Link" (specify "Recycled Crafts" ) and you will be entered to win a free book and Bobbin Winder there too!

Keep cool and Craft (oh and spread the word of craft).

How to make Painted Fusible Web Postcards from the book Fabric Art Projects

After putting together my Traveling Mail Art Kit I am all jazzed about making mail art and I remembered there was this cool project in:

Fabric Art Projects
Fashion and Home Decor Items Made From Artfully Altered Fabric
By
Susan Stein

Fabric Art Projects shows crafters how to alter and embellish plain fabric, then use it to create useful and decorative items for fashion and home décor.
It is a technique and project book all rolled in one. The project steps teach the technique as part of the process. Readers can use different fabric art techniques to make various projects.

Susan Stein  (White Bear Township, MN) owns a successful quilt and fiber arts shop in St. Paul, Minnesota, called  Colorful Quilts and Textiles. She stocks all the cutting-edge products for quilters and fabric artists who love to go beyond basics into fabric painting, dyeing, fabric manipulation, and other fiber arts. In 2003, Susan was voted Minnesota Quilter of the Year. She has written two other quilting books and has researched and contributed to numerous books. Check out her store and some of her work at www.colorfulquiltsandtextiles.com.

Click on the images to enlarge and read how to make a painted fusible web postcard.

If you want to see more and read some fun answers to the day's question pop on over to this post. A few people asked if I had a pattern for the peeps, I don't. They were a purchased item found in stores around Easter. But I just might have to whip up a version!

Today's question:

Hand or machine stitching? It's kind of an open question, answer with what ever pops in your head!

As a thanks for answering you are entered to win a free book.

How to line flaps from David Coffin's new book Making Trousers for Men and Women

Making Trousers for Men and Women: A Multimedia Sewing Workshop
By David Coffin

Comfortable, flattering pants can be challenging to make—but they’re wonderful to wear. In this book, David Coffin provides his inventive, sure-fire methods for getting it right.

With his characteristic precision and straight talk—and with the help of photographs, drawings, and a series of video sequences on the accompanying CD-ROM—Coffin teaches the reader how to get great results—whether making a showcase garment or just whipping out an everyday pair.

For more information and book-related extras, visit David Coffin's blog makingtrouserswithdpc.blogspot.com, all about making trousers and specifically designed for the readers of this book.

A former editor of Threads magazine, David Coffin (Brookings, OR) is the author of Shirtmaking: Developing Skills for Fine Sewing. He has appeared on several online sewing forums, hosted live chats, and appeared on Sandra Betzin’s HGTV sewing program. He has conducted sewing workshops throughout the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, at guild meetings of the American Sewing Guild and the Professional Association of Custom Clothiers, tradeshows, fabric stores, and conferences.

Click on the image to enlarge and read how to sew a lining that is just a bit smaller than the outer fabric. I thought this technique was brilliant and with such great directions totally doable. 

And if you want to make a movable waist pop on over to http://makingtrouserswithdpc.blogspot.com/ because there are tons of great info posted on the subject.

Today's question:

What is the alteration technique you use most?

I tend to crop pants. If I find a cool pair of pants that is just a tad short I will either crop them to just under the knee or totally take the scissors to them and make them into shorts. This is a great technique especially if their is a small problem (like a rip or spot on the leg part). One more way to get a bit more mileage from a garment.

As a thanks for answering you will be entered to win a free book.