Howdy Austin Crafters!

I am super excited to be hosting the first-ever Austin CRAFT Magazine Release party. My crafty partner-in-crime, Leslie Bonnell of Stitch Lab fame, will be co-hosting, and this shindig is gonna ROCK. We'll be at the Work*Shop on Sunday, June 1 from 1PM - 4PM. There will be fantastic door prizes, a hands-on project from the current issue of CRAFT, special guests (like Jenny Hart of Sublime Stitching!) and fantastic deals on CRAFT subscriptions (which if you don't have one already, you'll want one!) You can read more about the other special guests and door prizes on my blog: http://averagejanecrafter.blogspot.com/2008/05/austin-craft-magazine-release-party.html

You can also read more about the last round of CRAFT release parties on the Craftzine blog. They were a huge hit and are a great way to not only cross-promote crafty businesses, but also just to connect with folks and share in the creative process. 'Cause that's what makes crafting so fantastic!

I'm also going to be working on some other opportunities to help promote local crafters and connect folks, and I'll be promoting local crafters (especially ones with blogs) on my blog - which will be promoted on the CRAFT blog - which just so happens to get one million unique visitors a month. WOWZA.

Feel free to email me at averagejanecrafter at gmail dot com with questions or to let me know you are attending. You can also RSVP on Facebook here: (friend me while you're at it!)
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=15103315919

If you have a local craft blog and blog about the event, please let me know. I'm setting up a special blog roll for Austin crafters on my blog and would love to promote you!

We're going to have loads of crafty fun! Please come!

I have been totally cracking up at the favorable attention this project got on some of the big blogs this morning (BoingBoing and Craftzine!? What the hay? I'm not cool enough for that kind of attention. Whatever.) The project was a blast to do, and I'm glad some other people get my sick, dorky sense of humor. You can read the full story on the project on my blog here:
http://averagejanecrafter.blogspot.com/2007/10/stitching-undead.html

From this:


To this:

When I saw the Unicorn Believer transfers, I knew I had to do something for my daughter (a unicorns and rainbows freak.) I bought a dress at Target and went nuts with the transfers. To me, it gets a little over-the-top rainbow-ish, but she was insistant upon LOTS of colors.

So much fun!

I've got LOADS more pictures in my Flickr embroidery gallery (http://flickr.com/photos/11707873@N00/sets/72157600289636672/) , if you're interested.

The dress front has a big unicorn and two rainbows on the bottom, and little clouds, sun/clouds and a comet on the bodice.


The back has the "I (heart) unicorns" at the top and a smaller unicorn at the bottom.


It's like a rainbow barfed on the dress ... but she LOVES all the colors, so that's cool!


More pictures (close ups, etc.) are here. (http://flickr.com/photos/11707873@N00/sets/72157600289636672/)

I saw a mention of the blank aprons at Target here http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=168376.0 and wondered if anyone else had experience specifically with Target aprons and tea towels. I found the blank aprons and tea towels there last week (they had a 5-pack of white flour sack towels and a 5-pack of colored ones) and was tempted to snatch them all up, but I was recently burned by a pack of Wal-Mart brand flour sack towels that were HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE for stitching, so I didn't buy the Target ones. I'm just curious if anyone has actually used them and had good results. I'm ready to buy the towels at Sublime Stitching, because I know I can trust them, but I'm also kinda broke and still in newbie-land as far as stitching is concerned. I don't feel like I'm quite ready for "finer" blanks upon which to stitch.

I was reading a thread here the other day (can't remember which one) where several people joked about poking needles into the armrest of their sofa or chairs. I had to laugh, because as I was sitting in my chair reading that, I had a needle poking into the armrest of my chair ...

So I decided to put together an armrest organizer (kind of like what you see for remote controls) that could hold all my embroidery stuff and serve as a pincushion. Of course, I also had to embroider it.

Now, I'm very impatient, and don't get a lot of time to work on projects like this, so I didn't have a lot of time to plan it out. It's very ... imperfect. And I'm ok with that. There are a few things I'd do differently if I did it again, but for now, it works.

I also was glad that I could scrape up everything I needed from my current stash of supplies. I ended up just using a cloth diaper as the base (and I like the weight of it) and then used some napkins I got on clearance at Target a long time ago for the accent fabric. I used some Sublime Stitching patterns for the embroidered bits ( LOVE her book, and I was lucky enough to take a class from her here in Austin last weekend, so I've been addicted lately).

So here ya go! Enjoy! Hopefully you can modify/perfect and create something you can use so you can stop poking your armrests!


*****UPDATE! ******

I've been using this for a few days now (for my evening embroidery spells) and I am in LOVE. It makes me giddy. Not because it's all hot and perftect, but because it's so darn PRACTICAL! Everything is just right there where I need it, and it keeps my crafty bits from taking over the chair and side table. The cup/trashcan is my favorite thing, followed closely by the big magnet to hold the scissors. I keep meaning to take/post an "action shot," but never have my camera around while I'm gettng my stitch on.

Anyhow, I'd be interested to see if anyone (at anytime) makes one and modifies it, etc. I'm such a sucker for uber practical crafts ... it's sad.

****************************


The pincushion and magnet piece Velcro on - the red thing is a magnetic "pin cushion," but I use it for my scissors.


Pockets on both sides for bits and pieces. I stuck a kid-sized cup in one of the big pockets to use as a mini trash can.


I couldn't believe my luck that the cloth diaper was the perfect size and weight for the project.


TINY embroidery - that was tricky, but I love her space patterns.


Nothing on this project is perfect, but that's A-OK with me.

My daughter's school had a Rodeo Day last week and she needed a stick horse. I decided to go all out and made a fun felt stick horse for her, and knew I had to girl it up in a big way. When I was a kid, I was a huge Tom Boy, so having such a seriously girly girl of a daughter has been a challenge, but I'm starting to have a LOT of fun with it.

She LOVED the stick horse and had loads of fun with it at school.

My first ATC entry in a challenge - mostly just for fun for me. I loved the theme of Children's Books and knew which one I wanted to do right away (and really could think of dozens - I'm a sucker for kids' books).

I give you - The Little Prince (my favorite book) - digital ATCs. Though in looking at the others that have been posted today, I wonder if mine falls under the guidelines ... they go together, but aren't a seemless picture ... mods, let me know if these aren't right. Thanks!

Rachel

Together ....




And apart (and enlarged a bit

Thought I'd check in with you all to see if you might have any tips/advice for a project I'm working on. I am trying to create a (simple!) quilt activity where participants would each have a square of a quilt, and during an exercise, each person would bring their piece up to the front of the room (this is for a training retreat) and attach it to a backing or to the other quilt pieces so that at the end of the exercise, we have a nice quilt. I sew some, but I'm looking for any tips or thoughts you all might have on making this as EASY as possible - easy to plan, and easy to execute.

Any tips on the easiest way to get consistent, study squares of fabric? I've seen fat quarters before - are those something that might work? I though about trying to find something pre-made that might make it easier - like placemats I could cut down, etc., but I think we will end up needing some specific color ranges of fabrics that I won't be able to find that way. Any tips on how easiest to assemble it? Do we need to have one large backing piece with velcro tabs that their pieces could attach to? I'm lost - I like the idea of the exercise, but I'm just trying to come up with the fastest, most effective way to produce it and then execute it. ('cause it's one thing added to a huge list of stuff I've got to do in .... oh ... the NEXT week. :-P )

Thanks so much for any advice you can offer!

In a couple of hours, I'm heading out to see Leah at the Work*Shop here in Austin. She's doing a book thing, and there's going to be a surprise craft swap of some sort. I had a random hit of inspiration in the shower last night, and came up with a "Craftster Woman" (think: Wonder Woman with a glue gun) accessory set. It must have been meant to be. I had all the materials I needed on hand, my freehand cutting of a felt glue gun silhouette rocked on the first try, and I was able to complete the set (and a matching tote bag to wrap it in) throughout the day, while hanging with the kids. All pieces are wearable (the headband has squeeze clip barrettes that I pirated from my daughter's old bows, the cuffs have button fasteners) and the image of "Craftster Woman" on the tote bag has the glue gun, scissor and spool details morphed into her costume. She's off to save the word one craft at a time! Enjoy. It was fun to make. Hopefully someone who shares my slightly lame sense of humor will get it tonight and will model it. I'll have to take my camera.

******UPDATE*******
The event was great! If Leah is coming to your hometown (or close by) you must go! You'll have fun, meet crafty folks, and get to make some cool stuff. The craft swap was great, and I am pleased as punch that Lisa (co-founder of The Work*Shop Austin - very cool place) picked the Craftster Woman set. It was insanely perfect. The woman OWNS and spends most of her time in a C-R-A-F-T S-H-O-P, folks! It was right up her alley (which was good, because I was afraid that someone might get it and think I'm really weird) Can I say how completely stoked I was that she not only donned the ensemble, but wore it all evening. How cool is that! Here she is looking ready to fight off bad craft vibes with her cuffs. I added a note to the bag that said something like "The head band will keep you focused while crafting. The lasso will rope in good ideas, and the cuffs will deflect any self doubt you have while crafting." or something to that effect ... I was writing it while my kids were crawling on me, so I don't remember. Fun stuff!


Here's Lisa, looking ready to defend crafting everywhere....

The set and the gift bag

accessories

The tote bag.

The glue gun cuff - I freehanded cutting out the glue gun, and was stoked that it turned out OK.

The spool of thread cuff

The backside of the cuffs.

OK, this is my first post on Craftster. I've loved coming to this site for inspiration, and really enjoy seeing everyone's projects.

I've wanted to make cool stockings since I got married, but this year was the first time I actually knew how to sew and had a sewing machine (just started sewing classes last spring). So here are my first attempts at stockings:

The kids' stockings - my daughter is about as girly as it gets and absolutely loves anything pink and sparkly. I messed up on the toe, but can fix that. My son's stocking (he's 16 months old) is made from the blankets we swaddled him in as an infant.




I finished mine tonight. I had a blast making it, and I love it (mistakes and all). I can honestly say it is the first stocking I've ever had that I love.






Now I just need to get started on my husband's, and I also have an idea for another just-for-fun stocking if I have the time. I'll post those when they are done.

Rachel