Posted
on 1/25/2012, 6:00 am,
by MrXStitch,
under Mr X Stitch.
I’m Beefranck, Queen of Ironic Stitching and Editor-in-Chief at Mr X Stitch. I know a thing or two about cool stitchery and it’s my pleasure to share my finds with you. So let’s do it!
—–
Hi everybody! This week we’re going to take another look at some of the wonderful pieces that were created for the music swap at the Phat Quarter. Check it out!
Awesome stuff, as always! There’s more to come in part III, but you can always check out these and other great pieces by visiting the Phat Quarter – great things await!
Turn Old Pants into a Chic Cocktail Dress
A deconstructed men’s suit — from a thrift store, of course — becomes a stunning sheath dress with these simple instructions.
Save Electricity, Be More Beautiful
How cutting the power to your appliances — the television, the microwave, and even your coffeemaker — can make you look and feel more beautiful.
Posted
on 1/23/2012, 2:04 pm,
by jungrrl,
under Craftster News.
Craftster Best of 2011 has arrived!!
A big thanks to everyone that shared awesome projects, advice and inspiration on Craftster in 2011. It was a great year and, as always, we’re amazed by our community!
Of course, choosing the “Best Of” is a fun, but very difficult task for us. After all, all of the projects posted on Craftster are the best! This is just a small sampling of what makes our community such a great place to call home. We all deserve major kudos for everything we’ve contributed to Craftster in the last year!
Posted
on 1/18/2012, 6:00 am,
by MrXStitch,
under Mr X Stitch.
Welcome to the Cutting (& Stitching) Edge! I’m Mr X Stitch and I’ll be your guide to the best in contemporary embroidery. Each week I’ll showcase someone who is rocking the world of embroidery and textiles.
Tugba Kop is an Illustration graduate from Kingston University.
Her work charmed me, and I contacted her to find out more:
“I’ve been interested in sewing for as long as I can remember! Both my parents were working in the textile industry, so I was surrounded by textiles from an early age. My mum would bring home black bin bags full of unwanted fabrics for me to play with. I later rediscovered my interest in sewing as a means of image making, as opposed to construction. I would say that I mainly learned through experimentation, trial and error. I was never that interested in the technical side of sewing though, it was always the more decorative and unconventional sides that really fascinated me.
“I place great importance on the drawing stage of my process. Without a quality drawing, the sewn versions would be doomed from the start! My drawing style is quite linear so it translates well with the sewing machine. I’ve always been interested in drawing and sewing seperately, so I think it was only a matter of time before I brought the two together. Stitching my drawings into fabric just felt like the natural transition to me.
“I draw inspiration from everywhere! Firstly, I love interesting looking people. In my foundation year, I grew obsessed with drawing beautiful people, but now I’m the complete opposite! I look for character in the people I draw – the stranger the better! Other than that, I’m inspired by everyday observations that go unnoticed, fabrics, colours, films, photography, fashion, blogs, other artists work-the list is endless!
“As well as image making, I also use my sewing machine to make leather accessories that I sell in my Etsy shop. There is so much I am interested in, that I try to incorporate my work into different mediums. I recently created an image especially for the front cover of a sketchbook I was making.
“I even rework my finished pieces. I turned my family portrait image into a cushion! By reworking it, it completely changed the meaning of the piece. I liked the idea of displaying a family portrait in a more homely way, while creating something practical for the home at the same time.
I really like Tugba’s work; the intelligent free machine embroidery captures the quirks of human behaviour and evokes nostalgia in a similar way to that of Gillian Bates and yet there’s a hint of darkness reminiscent of Emily Eibel. The use of different materials gives the work that extra edge, and I find the use of leather to be both novel and natural.
Get to know Tugba via her blog, marvel at her work on her website and buy pieces from her etsy store. Tugba has only just begun and I’m excited to see where she goes.
—–
Mr X Stitch is a manbroiderer, cross stitch designer and runs www.mrxstitch.com, the number one contemporary embroidery and needlecraft blog on the planet.
Posted
on 1/11/2012, 6:00 am,
by MrXStitch,
under Mr X Stitch.
I’m Beefranck, Queen of Ironic Stitching and Editor-in-Chief at Mr X Stitch. I know a thing or two about cool stitchery and it’s my pleasure to share my finds with you. So let’s do it!
—–
Hi everybody! This week we’re going to take a look at some of the wonderful pieces that were created for the music swap at the Phat Quarter. Check it out!
Awesome stuff, as always! There’s more to come, but you can always check out these and other great pieces by visiting the Phat Quarter – great things await!
Pack for a Trip the Green Way
Taking an eco vacation starts before you even leave home: Here’s what you need to pack (and leave) to minimize your impact.
Posted
on 1/4/2012, 6:00 am,
by MrXStitch,
under Mr X Stitch.
Welcome to the Cutting (& Stitching) Edge! I’m Mr X Stitch and I’ll be your guide to the best in contemporary embroidery. Each week I’ll showcase someone who is rocking the world of embroidery and textiles.
Melissa Zexter is a mixed-media artist from Brooklyn, New York. She combines embroidery and portrait photography to create stunning works.
Here’s what Melissa’s website says: “Melissa Zexter combines hand-stitched embroidery with both color and black and white photography. She uses an older art form, embroidery, refracted through a modern one, photography, to create structured objects that are embodiments of both fragmentation and focused concentration.
“The sewn patterns and intricate puzzles are colored textured drawings, which serve as webs and grids over the photographs, providing another dimension to the images. The sewing creates a filtered experience; much the way emotions and personal history alter everyday perception.”
I asked Melissa to share her creative process:
“With more detailed sewing, such as the “Schoolgirls” picture and with some of my map influenced images like “Brooklyn Bus Map” and “Rhode Island” I draw out the pattern first and sew into it. But with many others, like the ‘Embroidered Portraits I develop the pattern as I go along. With all of my “Edits” pictures [like Heath Ledger Found Naked, above] I have drawn out the text and pattern before hand and then sewn into it. And in case you didn’t know – I take ALL of the pictures. Most from these series are 20″ x 24″.
I really like Melissa’s work – her stitches add an ethereal quality to the pictures and remind me of vintage pictures of ghosts and spirits. The embroidery literally adds a new dimension to the work.
It’s always interesting to see different approaches to the same concept; whereas Michelle Hayworth‘s embroideries blend into the background of her pictures and Wayne Lo‘s work reinvents the characters in the pictures, Melissa’s stitching weaves magic into the images, changing the mood and feel of the pieces. I really enjoy these artworks.
You can find out more about Melissa on her website and connect with her via her blog.
—–
Mr X Stitch is a manbroiderer, cross stitch designer and runs www.mrxstitch.com, the number one contemporary embroidery and needlecraft blog on the planet.
Posted
on 1/3/2012, 12:00 pm,
by sweets4ever,
under General Projects.
Happy New Year! As many of the holidays are winding down, we thought it would be a great time of year to relax and refocus a bit. This January, we’re focusing on you.
Check out the Bath and Beauty board, along with this mini collection of pampering projects to get you well on your way to a relaxing month.
Chocolate Lavender Lotion
mcook72677 created this light and creamy chocolate and lavender lotion, which is sure to pamper! You deserve this delicious tutorial to start your new year off right.
3D Glasses Sleep Mask
Gone are the days of boring old sleep masks. It’s time to spice them up! Get inspired by bowlordie’s funky 3D glasses.
Wine Cork Bath Mat
There is nothing like taking an amazing hot bubble bath and then stepping onto a cold tile floor — yick. This wine cork bath mat is not only adorable, but it’s also a heavenly little landing pad for your feet.
Posted
on 1/3/2012, 11:25 am,
by sweets4ever,
under Craftster Crush.
This month, our Craftster Crush is TheMistressT! TheMistressT has been making Craftster awesome since 2007. She’s a swapper, master of many crafty techniques and a party planner extraordinaire.
Currently, her custom title reads, “There’s not much in this world that can’t be improved by either chocolate, bacon or glitter.” I mean, really, doesn’t that just say it all? Craftster really wouldn’t be the same without TheMistressT!
Here are some random crafty facts about TheMistressT!
This month’s Craft Challenge was Handmade Holiday Gifts for Kids! The challenge was to craft a project for a child during the holiday gift giving season! Check out all of the entries on the entry board here.
Posted
on 12/28/2011, 12:35 am,
by MrXStitch,
under Mr X Stitch.
I’m Beefranck, Queen of Ironic Stitching and Editor-in-Chief at Mr X Stitch. I know a thing or two about cool stitchery and it’s my pleasure to share my finds with you. So let’s do it!
Without further ado, here’s Jennifer in her own words!
Tell us all about Be Nice. How did it get started? What’s it all about?
Be Nice. is a project I’ve been doing since the fall of 2008. I use blogging and my artwork to communicate my ideas and observations about civility, kindness, being considerate, and about operating in our social landscape with a focus on learning and positivity.
Beep! 2008 10.75 x 10.75 inches Hand embroidery on cross-stitch fabric
Be Nice. was at first a product of my frustration with living in an urban area. Before moving to Albany, NY I had never lived in a city larger than 70,000. When I relocated to New York from Iowa in 2006 I had a difficult time adjusting to the urban climate there. At first I was off-put when my friendly demeanor was ignored or met with irritation. Then I began to flip between being my friendly self and trying to shut down my nature to “fit in” with my environment. Nothing worked as I grew increasingly lonely. In 2008 the frustration came to a head when I tried to give away a free movie pass at school. My friends had all left for the day, so rather than see the free pass wasted (it expired that night), I tried to give it to a few groups of random students that walked by my building. My offer was met with fear, suspicion, and silence. I got so frustrated at this that I yelled out, “What the f*&# is wrong with people!?” I couldn’t believe I had reacted so impolitely! That’s when I realized just how large my struggle with civility in our culture was.
SOAP + H2O = Nice 2009 10.25 x 10.25 inches Hand embroidery on cross-stitch fabric
The following day I was talking with my husband, debating how I could make art about this issue that interested me: niceness. I could wear a shirt that said “Be Nice,” but that would blend in with all the other shirts out there (think “I’m with stupid” or anything on Threadless). I could write a manifesto, but that wasn’t visually interesting to me. Somewhere in that conversation we both realized that making a flier or brochure could be effective since it would be placed in peoples’ hands or in places they might be looking for information, but again the problem was how to make it visually engaging. Up to this point I was working in painting and drawing, but any type of drawing or paper collage would do little to attract viewers I had imagined. That summer, however, I had made a painting where I had embroidered into the surface.
Stitched in my memory 2008 30 x 40 inches Hand embroidery, colored pencil, acrylic, and gesso on muslin
It was one of my most successful works, undoubtedly because of the use of the thread. That was it! I could embroider the pamphlet!
Why did you choose the medium of embroidery to share your message?
The use of embroidery just felt “right” for the project. Imagine all the electrical circuits in your house lighting up at one time, and that is how my brain felt when I decided to embroider the first Be Nice. brochure.
Be Nice. 2008 12.5.x 17.25 inches Hand embroidery and straight pins on cross stitch fabric
Translating something slow and precious into something fast and ephemeral was a very exciting idea to me. The way the brochure was made embodied the common aspects of our daily lives: slow/fast, analog/digital, personal/impersonal, private/public, domestic/global. I knew that having something mass-produced like a brochure would be infinitely more interesting if it were handmade. Even more so if the process was something that took as long as embroidery. (One of my friends was so inclined to assume it was made with technology, that she wanted to know what computer program I used to make it look embroidered!) I also knew that the “domestic” history of embroidery, and the associations with the matriarchy — which for many of us related to being nurtured by women as children, the very foundation of our moral and social compass — would be something that would draw people into the work.
Be Nice. 2008 12.5.x 17.25 inches Hand embroidery and straight pins on cross stitch fabric
I realized too that my ideas couldn’t fully be worked into a pamphlet, so I created a blog to expand on the subject. Interestingly enough, blogging and social networking were fairly new to me at the time, so this whole project has been quite a learning experience! The same was the case with embroidery: I had no formal training in the medium, other than an afternoon with my grandma when I was 13 — quickly abandoned for other pursuits. I think that has been an advantage for me though. Not coming to the medium with a knowledge of any rules or detailed history was freeing for me, and I think that is one of the many reasons why embroidery has continued to be a rewarding material with which to work. I feel like my continued discoveries in fiber techniques and history mirrors the nature of the Be Nice. project, which is focused on a journey of learning and discovery.
What are some of the topics you’ve covered on the blog that are near and dear to your heart?
That is a touchy question–I’ve posted around 130 times! But there are a few that mean something to me personally for sure….
“For Muse: Crushes” I just recently posted this article as a request by one of my readers. It is the first time a reader (that I didn’t know) asked me to talk about a subject. I really enjoyed the challenge! I thought about it for a few weeks, silently composing possibilities in my mind. I loved it! I hope I get more requests like this–I’ve always wanted the blog to be a conversation.
“Amicable Allegory #9: Wave goodbye” This post talks about how much a wave goodbye can mean to someone who is leaving the people they love to live far away from them. For me, the way I have been sent off by my loved ones each time I leave Iowa for NY has been so incredibly meaningful–and often all it happened to be was someone waving goodbye. Whether it was Grandma waving from her front yard, or my mom from her workplace as the train passed by, it still never fails to bring me to tears! And apparently–this article has brought a few others to tears too!
“A little about parents on Mother’s Day” Everyone has some story of how their parents let them down. This post is about how good it can be that we have imperfect parents. It talks about how our parents and loved ones can never live up to our expectations, and how we probably had been missing a lot of good stuff while we were obsessing over their “imperfections.”
“Nice your freaking face off, man” Sometimes when someone really pisses me off, I just think, “I’m going to be so f&$#ing nice to them, it’s going to make them sick!” This one’s about being nice to rather rude, uncool people and how being awesomely kind can really kick their butts way better than responding in-kind to their meanness!
Be Nice. Guide to Farting and Pooping 2010 12.5 x 18 inches Hand embroidery on cross-stitch fabric
Tell us about the project that you’re seeking funding for on Kickstarter.com.
I have made 5 works for the Be Nice. project so far. Two are pamphlets, three are post cards. My newest piece: “Be Nice. Guide to Farting and Pooping” is an 8.5 x 14 inch, two-sided, full color four-fold brochure.
In order to get the work out there and to assist in the printing costs, I created a Kickstarter fundraising project for it. The Kickstarter website works pretty simply: the project creator (me) sets a goal and a deadline, and then people (anybody!) can pop online and pledge to “back” the project for whatever amount they want all the way down to a dollar. For any pledge over 3 bucks, the “backers” may choose a reward I am offering. If I reach or exceed my goal by March 22nd, 2011 I will receive all the funds and begin to process the rewards for my backers. If I don’t reach my goal, no funds are distributed to me and the backers don’t pay what they pledged. It’s a sort of all-or-nothing funding platform for creative projects. Pretty cool!
Be Nice. Guide to Farting and Pooping 2010 12.5 x 18 inches Hand embroidery on cross-stitch fabric
I set my goal to $300. That amount would pay for the printing of 1000 poo brochures. In the end, approximately 2/3 will go to printing, with the other 1/3 going to distributing the rewards. If I receive over the $300 (which would be awesome!), I will put the money to printing more items, or to future Be Nice. projects (I have quite a few in mind!).
Why pooping and farting? Was there a specific incident that inspired you to create a pamphlet dealing with the topic?
There wasn’t really a specific incident that led me to create this piece. The foundation for my interest in poo came from a couple places though.
Be Nice. Guide to Farting and Pooping 2010 12.5 x 18 inches Hand embroidery on cross-stitch fabric
First, I was diagnosed with IBS in 2006 (yes, I actually went through ALL the tests! UG!) and so I had spent the last year and a half dealing with my poo: what color, what texture, how often, any pain, any bloating, any gas, what had I eaten, how much?, and so on…. It was a revelation to me how intrinsically linked my digestive system was to my stress-levels, eating habits, and activity level. I lost 65 pounds in 2005 just changing my eating habits, and I’d say in that year 85% of my symptoms receded. Naturally, I became this sort of “born-again” foodie/digestive processes-obsessed person and was eager to share my discoveries with others. That led to fun and fabulous (sometimes disgusting!) poo stories and conversations being exchanged between friends. Pretty soon it became one of my favorite topics! After all, we all talk about sex, politics, religion, relationships–but not poo and we do that every day (hopefully) whether we want to or not! It never fails to make my friends laugh and join in when the topic is brought up, and we’ve learned a lot sharing with one another. I even became best friends with my pal Katie based on our digestive adventures! For her 25th birthday, I bought her the book, “What is your poo telling you?” By far a recommended read for everyone!
Wipe the Seatie Sweetie 2009 10.5 x 10.5 inches Hand embroidery on cross-stitch fabric
And then of course it came from my project. Last year I had been brainstorming another piece for Be Nice. I started a postcard on eating healthy and was satin-stitching the border when my husband pointed out how boring and run-of-the-mill the piece was. I knew he had a very good point. But what could I do instead? When I’m not sure about the next thing I should do, it is best to go with something I’m passionate about.
Be Nice. Guide to Farting and Pooping 2010 12.5 x 18 inches Hand embroidery on cross-stitch fabric
Lately I had been especially animated when talking about the nasty bathroom habits of my coworkers. They have no idea what is a “courtesy flush,” they assume everyone can hover over a toilet seat and therefore happily leave their pee droppings all over it, and they don’t wash their hands. Everyday I saw or smelled something just plain foul and was totally blown away by it! These people needed a lesson in manners. So I thought, “Why the hell not? Poo it is!”
Be Nice. Guide to Farting and Pooping 2010 12.5 x 18 inches Hand embroidery on cross-stitch fabric
Posted
on 12/27/2011, 11:17 am,
by rackycoo,
under Keepin' it Green.
The Week in DIY: A Happy Green New Year, Avoiding Holiday Weight Gain, and More
Each week, we highlight some of our favorite articles and projects from our friends at Treehugger and Planet Green to help inspire your inner DIYer.
What You’ll Have to Do to Burn Off Your Holiday Feast
From your Christmas Day turkey to those Boxing Day-party martinis, check out the nutritional breakdown (and coordinating exercise) of your favorite holiday foods.
Strange and Fun New Year Food Customs
Give your standard New Year’s Eve party a global makeover with these traditional dishes from Ireland, Spain, Greece, and more.
you.
