Remember this fabulous Forsythia linen swatch I ordered from Cicada Studio? Well,
thanks to Ohdeedoh’s post about de-branding the kitchen counter with pretty canisters, I was inspired to make over my stainless steel canisters. I love stainless steel, but it can seem very clinical. I decided to warm up my canisters with linen cozies. Read on for the complete how-to… Read the rest of this entry »
Sewing pattern tissue has a great graphic quality. If you have some vintage or used sewing patterns laying around, consider reusing them for art, home decor, jewelry, or anything else you can decoupage. Here are a bunch of inspiring ideas for reusing sewing pattern tissue paper. Read the rest of this entry »
Self-proclaimed crazy selvedge lady, Jodie Carleton of Vintage RicRac, never lets a scrap go to waste. Not even the selvedge. She developed her own process for turning fabric selvedge into “cloth”. She has used selvedge to make everything from a dress to pillow covers. Her latest project was this selvedge reupholstered chair. I have never been so inspired to be more creative and less wasteful.
There is something that happens to most women every month, regardless of if they talk about it, hide it, or pretend it doesn’t exist. That is our periods. It’s arguably the lamest part of any given month, and few women that I know talk about it with excitement. Well, I just found a great pattern for a washable pad that could make periods a little less of a pain.
We use a lot of paper in our day to day, but it doesn’t have to be that way!
[Creative Commons photo by Eunice]
Americans go through 700 pounds of paper products per person on average every single year. That’s a lot of trees! On top of things like paper towels and tissues, billions of menstrual products end up in the bin. In 1988, a field study found that 6.5 billion tampons and 13.5 billion sanitary pads and their packaging end up in America’s waste stream annually. You’ve got a weapon to fight all this waste right in your craft room: your sewing machine or even a simple needle and thread! Here are a few ways you can stitch your way to less waste.
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[Creative Commons photo by Jude]
The contest launched today, and they’re looking for nature-inspired pieces created on a sewing machine that integrate “organic elements.” Folks can submit entries for the next four weeks. They’ll select one winner and three runners up. The prizes look pretty awesome:
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Who’s getting a sewing machine for Christmas? You are!!!
Maybe. As for me, I want a serger (You reading this, Matt?). But let’s say you’re getting a sewing machine for your holiday gift. Perhaps you’re new to sewing, or just need a little time to get up to speed on your awesome, new-to-you machine. Then pop on over to one of my favorite sewing hangouts, Burdastyle. You can browse the tutorials and forums of this open-source sewing enterprise at your leisure, but if you sign up (free!) you’ll also be able to print out their community-made open-source sewing patterns (free!), including these easy-peasy ones perfect for beginners: Read the rest of this entry »
Continuing on our tour of how to mend your clothes (which is both good of your wallet and for the environment) this week I am covering how to fix an under wire bra.
For all the ladies out there, I’m sure you’ve had this problem. You find a bra that fits so perfectly and is so comfortable, that you wear it until one day the wire starts poking out. Well don’t fret because a simple stitch will have you back in your favorite underthing lickity split.
Continuing our short series on how to extend the life of your clothes. Here is a quick tutorial on reattaching a button. You can read about how to fix a hole in a side seem in Part 1.
Knowing how to reattached a button is a great skill to learn, especially because a loose button is not only inevitable, but you can find great deals at stores. I once scored a particularly lovely wool coat when it was on the sale rack, missing several of its buttons. The extra ones were still attached along the tag and by pointing out the missing buttons at the register, I was able to get another 10% off the already discounted coat, all the while thinking that the buttons were such an easy and quick fix! So onto the how-to:
On a recent visit with my parents, I noticed a small tear along the side seam of my father’s shirt. He mumbled something about how that was the end of that shirt, and my mother was quick to agree. After I picked my jaw off the floor at this ludicrous statement, I pointed out to my mother that she owned a sewing machine and I knew for a fact that she could sew! There was no need to get rid of the shirt when a simple and quick fix could make it good as new.
In these increasingly harder economic times, knowing some basic sewing techniques can help fix common rips and tears that will help extend your wardrobe. So over the next couple of weeks I will be highlighting some simple ways to fix up and mend your clothes. These fixes are worth more than the pennies spent on materials and are not only good for your wallet but good for the environment to boot.
To fix the aforementioned tear in the seam of a shirt you’ll need a needle of appropriate weight. One that is sturdy enough to go through the fabric easily, but thin enough that you won’t struggle. You will also need thread in a coordinating color.
Crafting a Green World
Crafting a Green World features do-it-yourself projects that incorporate reused, recycled, and natural materials. Find knitting, sewing, crocheting, and other project ideas for eco-friendly and fashionable clothes, crafts, gifts and more.
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