Published on November 6th, 2009
Holiday stockings don’t need to be made from plush furry fabric or rich red velvet. They can be made from any fabric you like that reflects your style, eclectic tastes, or interior decor.
A long time ago I worked for a furniture store. One day they were clearing out all the sample fabric swatches and books that had been discontinued. And what were they going to do with it all?
Toss it in the dumpster. Stacks and stacks of rich, fancy, and fabulous pieces of fabric. All to the trash. I just couldn’t let it happen. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on October 10th, 2009
The Ready To Go Blank Canvas Book is a great craft project that can be used to create memories, gifts and more.
My problem is that I have a blank canvas in front of me and I can’t decide what to do with it.
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Published on September 30th, 2009
According to Gift Bags Gone Green every year Americans spend more than $5 billion dollars on gift wrap, bags, and tissue paper of which the majority ends up in landfills.
To offer a unique and green approach to the gift wrap industry Gift Bags Gone Green have created fun and funky fabric gift bags that are washable and reusable. The bags are not only green because they are reusable but they are made from upcycled, reused, and vintage fabrics. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on July 31st, 2009
Fairfield, the makes of Poly-fil have gone green adding a whole new line of eco-friendly products to help green your fiber arts and crafts.
You can now quilt green, stuffyour little critters in an eco-friendly way and have bamboo pillows.
Nature-Fil batting, fiberfill and pillow forms now come in bamboo options and natural fiberfill is made out of both bamboo and PLA corn materials. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on July 24th, 2009
Here’s a way to tie a pretty bow or add a little something extra to your project while being eco-friendly.
Cream City Ribbon has a nice selection of biodegradable cotton ribbons made from cotton grown and processed in the US. The ribbon is made without using chlorine bleach and uses water based soy dyes making the ribbon very, very eco.
Even the packaging and ribbon spools are made from biodegradable materials.
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Published on October 26th, 2008
This is a guest post by Laura Bucci, who knits and sews bags. You can find her at her arts & crafts blog.
I must admit that I prefer to buy foreign craft items when I’m actually visiting the country of origin as opposed to buying them in my home country. There’s something missing when these items are sold out of context. Right now, I’m thinking specifically about Latin American crafts since that’s where I’ve traveled to in the last few years. I feel there’s a lot that I’m not getting by not having seen the people, the landscape, the country, the culture where the piece is made.
In one of my the trips to Guatemala, I bought two small embroidery wall hangings. Although I did not meet the women who made these pieces, throughout Guatemala it is easy to spot Mayan women working on the streets or craft markets (as seen in top picture). By being exposed to the culture, and through dialogues with shop owners, my appreciation of my newly purchased embroideries was greatly increased. And now when I look at my Mayan embroideries at home, images of the place, the women, and the culture flood back.
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Published on March 18th, 2008
It’s a warm sunny day in a quaint suburban park. Children are in line for a turn on the slide, but a bakers dozen have gathered around a picnic blanket under a nearby tree. Puzzled parents suspect a stranger is handing out candy, or has a Spongebob episode playing on their laptop.
With closer examination, they see a tiny woman with a Betty Page haircut manhandling what looks like a large fluff of purple cotton candy. She tears a chunk off and lets the kids pass it around. ” This is what sweaters are made of…most of the time!”, proclaims the woman as she twirls a small drop spindle and continues to draft the fibers into yarn. Read the rest of this entry »
Published on March 2nd, 2008
Yes, I know what you’re thinking…plant hangers and googly eyed owls…haha. Make fun all you want, but you’ll be overlooking one of the most sustainable, inexpensive, and meditative craft techniques out there.
I’ve tried crochet and knitting, but nothing quite does it for me like macramé. The obsession began at age 9 with embroidery floss friendship bracelets. During my teenage years in the 90’s, hippie hemp jewelry was all the rage, and I found myself once again knotting away at lengths of string safety pinned to my pants. The practice became a victim of trend, and fell out of favor as the modern craft movement emerged.
A few years ago, I was surprised to discover The New Macramé: Contemporary Knotted Jewelry and Accessories by Katie DuMont at the bookstore among a sea of punk themed knitting manuals. If you enjoy throwing preconceived notions out the window, this book provides adequate history and instructions to inspire an alternate perspective. Read the rest of this entry »
Holiday stockings don’t need to be made from plush furry fabric or rich red velvet. They can be made from any fabric you like that reflects your style, eclectic tastes, or interior decor.
