Category Archives: Stuff to make

VW Bus Printable!

Posted in Fabric printing, Stuff to make by

VW bus nuts–this one’s for you! I’ve been meaning to post this VW Bus printable for a while. I used this freezer paper stencil to make pillowcases for my son last spring. If you haven’t discovered freezer paper stencils for creating crisp, silkscreen-like images on fabric, here’s the complete how-to. For impatient, lazy sorts (like me), they offer immediate craft gratification. Craftification.

 

I think this would make a groovy T-shirt, too. Tape the stencil directly to freezer paper. Cut out the gray areas–these will become the painted areas. Along the dotted lines, trim a sliver from the freezer paper–this will create a line of color to outline the white parts of the image. Please share your results!

Canopy Studio fabric

Posted in Sewing, Stuff to make by

I was so excited to see this post on design*sponge about Canopy Studio‘s upholstery weight fabric. Have I mentioned how much I love Etsy for unique fabrics? My brother was kind enough to give me an Amy Butler Weekender Bag pattern for Christmas and I’ve been poking around looking for the right fabric. I am thinking either the blue or green with a solid hot pink for the trim and lining would be jaunty and fun. I think the blue has something of a Lily Pulitzer vibe to it. If only I could order the fabric and whip this up before my trip to the beach this weekend!

Faribault Woolen Mill

Posted in Stuff to make by

We recently had a cold snap in Florida–22 degrees, brr!–so I feel justified in coveting these gorgeous blankets and throws. I have been thinking about knitting a blanket, but I would be finished just in time for the sweltering summer. Instead, perhaps I should order one of these throws from this lovely mill in Minnesota and have some immediate coziness. Outpost throw of Soho plaid?

Denyse Schmidt’s new book

Posted in Sewing, Stuff to make by

 

Denyse Schmidt’s new book Modern Quilts, Traditional Inspiration doesn’t come out until April (which happens to be the month of my birthday, fancy that) but I’ve already looked through the picture gallery on Melanie Falick‘s site (um) several times.

Denyse’s first book is really wonderful, and first got me interested in quilting. This next installment looks to be just as inspiring, so–in case you need something to look forward to after the holidays–take a sneak peak and mark your calendar for April.

Paper garland and wooden block village

Posted in Holiday, Kids, Paper, Recycled materials, Stuff to make by

A quick tour of my mantelpiece. Here is the finished paper garland, which was fairly laborious to complete–I cut out 120 paper flowers in all, and slowly slotted them together. It is a perfect activity if you want to feel productive while watching a marathon of Christmas movies. And my Christmas village! Met with approval by all. The houses were really simple to make. I ordered some plain wooden blocks in three shapes (square, rectangle, and triangle) and glued the triangles to the squares for the houses. I used a little wood filler to smooth out the seam. Then I painted them using “Folk art” acrylic paint. I used a fine point Sharpie to add the details, and then painted on the final touches like the wreathes.