Paper Bag Card

 Day 8 ::  2010 Craft Books

The Artistic Mother: A Practical Guide to Fitting Creativity into Your Life by Shona Cole

 i've reread this book a few times already 

Shona (who is a homeschooling mother of 5) answers the question: "Why should mothers make time to create art?"

some great quotes from the book:

"Faced with busy-ness and a sense of great responsibility, moms often overdo it, giving sacrificially until there is nothing left. No one-not us, not our children-benefits if we become burned out, miserable or exhausted. In order to avoid traveling down that stressful road, we need to bring some balance to our lives and keep the batteries of our souls charged. Taking time to create art can help."

"Rather than stealing from the energy we use as mothers, the time devoted to art makes mothering more vibrant."

 there are 3 main sections: firstly why it is important for mothers to do art, understanding creativity, finding motivation, & planning time to create; secondly a beginners guide to: photography, poetry, & mixed media/collage; thirdly a 12 week workshop to guide busy moms through family-focused art pieces.

this is a must read if you are a mother

from the 12 week workshop i created a paper bag card which is an easy instant gratification project

see you tomorrow for day 9 !

Christmas Cone

 Day 7 ::  2010 Craft Books

Fa la la la Felt: 45 Handmade Holiday Decorations by Amanda Carestio

 what you need to know...

:: can also be bought as an e-book

:: there are 3 sections: ornaments, decorations, & stockings

:: i know it is hard to believe, but they really do stuff 46 projects into this book

:: small, inexpensive projects most of which are instant gratification

:: free project/pattern from the book: Paisley Power stocking

:: add photos of your in-progress or finished projects from the book to the Fa La La La Felt: 45 Handmade Holiday Decorations Flickr group also take a look around to see the projects from the book

 don't you think these felt hearts would make nice Valentine's day decorations, too?

i made the Christmas cone from this book, it was quick & easy, a nice project to show off some lovely ribbon

see you tomorrow for day 8 !

Kool-Aid Dyed Yarn

 Day 6 ::  2010 Craft Books

Hand Dyeing Yarn and Fleece: Custom-Color Your Favorite Fibers with Dip-Dyeing, Hand-Painting, Tie-Dyeing, and Other Creative Techniques by Gail Callahan

 what you need to know...

:: learn to create a safe dye studio in the kitchen using standard kitchen equipment

:: dyeing can be done in a: microwave oven, stovetop kettle, crockpot, traditional oven, electric frying pan ~ every method is covered

:: follow the recipes & change plain yarn into something colorful

:: this can be a fun project to do with kids

:: it's really not that messy

:: all the different types of dyes & different techniques are presented

:: a fun new skill for anyone who loves yarn

:: the last chapter has show-off patterns, check out the 8 knitting patterns on Ravelry

:: visit Gail's etsy shop

 i took some wool yarn...

 and some Kool-Aid...

 using the microwave method...

 made some blue yarn

 from this yarn i knitted a tiny tea leaves cardi

someday i would like to try dyeing with turmeric (the spice), looks like it makes a beautiful mustard yellow

see you tomorrow for day 7 !

Girls Charm Pack Skirt

 Day 5 ::  2010 Craft Books

Stitch by Stitch: Learning to Sew, One Project at a Time by Deborah Moebes

 what you need to know...
:: this book is different, it focuses on process (sewing & learning new sewing skills) rather than the finished product
:: if you were to do all the 11 projects in this book, you would learn all the skills you need to do sewing
:: many step-by-step photos making every sewing step very clear
:: comes with a CD with printable patterns (i imagine this will be the norm in the future or at least i hope)
:: have a peek inside the book & learn more about it with the Stitch by Stitch book trailer
:: add photos of your completed projects to the Stitch by Stitch Flickr group
:: visit Deborah's etsy shop
:: you must get this book !

 so here you have the girls charm pack skirt that i sewed for my daughter.  have you ever bought a charm pack (5" squares in a pack of 42)?  this was the first time that i've bought & used a charm pack.  i came across this vintage sheet inspired fabric called DREAM ON by URBAN CHIKS for moda & fell in love with it.  to make this skirt there was the sewing together of 88 fabric squares.  gathering was a technique that was involved in this project, i tried a new to me gathering method ~ zigzag stitch over cording, have you ever tried that before?  i'm so glad i learned it because i discovered that's the way to do gathers for me

see you tomorrow for day 6 !

Pointy Elf Hat

 Day 4 :: 2010 Craft Books

More Last-Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson

 check out the 30 patterns on Ravelry

 in 2004 Last-Minute Knitted Gifts came out & with it's overwhelming response  we now have More Last-Minutes Knitted Gifts  ~  the projects are organized according to the time it takes to complete them, from less than 2 hours to more than 8

from this book i knitted the pointy elf hat (same hat as on the cover, in pink, too, but different yarn), it was in the 2-hour knitted gift section & that's right on as this took me about 2 hours to complete

what i really enjoyed inside this book are all the creative ways of using yarn for gift-wrapping !!

bon weekend mes amis, see you on Monday for day 5 !

Tomte Stuffy

 Day 3 ::  2010 Craft Books

Scandinavian Stitches: 21 Playful Projects with Seasonal Flair by Kajsa Wikman

first of all, look how bright & cheerful the cover is !!  and you will find more of that inside, too.... let's have a look...

 there is a section for each of the 4 seasons

& then one for the holidays, too

at the end of each project you will find any needed templates, so you don't have to dig for them in the back of the book ~ oh, how i like that !

any sewing projects made from this book can be added to the Scandinavian Stitches sewing projects Flickr group ~ a place where you can check out some of the book's projects as well 

Kajsa lives in Finland among all the lovely Scandinavian inspiration (in case you were wondering where she got it), she has an etsy shop & her postcards are just adorable!!

 i chose the tomte stuffy (from the holiday section) to recreate

this is what i did for the knit scarf (using sz 7 needles): CO 60, knit 3 rows garter stitch, BO

the other project that i want to sew from this book is the bird nest quilted bowl as i am a huge fan of anything spring/bird/nest :)

i highly recommend this craft book & i'm not just saying that because 50% of my ancestry is Swedish, you don't have to have any Scandinavian connection to enjoy these stitchy craft projects

see you tomorrow for day 4 !

Octopus Mittens

 Day 2 ::  2010 Craft Books

60 Quick Knits: 20 Hats*20 Scarves*20 Mittens in Cascade 220

the title says it all: 20 knitting patterns for hats, 20 knitting patterns for scarves, and 20 knitting patterns for mittens

 Cascade 220 is currently the most popular yarn on Ravelry, it's affordable & easy to find, so what a great idea to have a craft book full of knitting patterns specially for this yarn.

 check out the 60 different patterns, join the 60 Quick Knits Ravelry group

when it comes to deciding what you're going to craft, do your children sometimes inspire you?  my second son's favorite animal is the octopus, so when i came across this knitting pattern for octopus mittens, i had to knit some for him.  and since his favorite colors are yellow & red, there was no hesitation as to what color Cascade 220 yarn would be used.

all notes on these octopus mittens found here

we for sure need to wear mittens outside today (very cold brrrr!)

see you tomorrow for day 3 !