AfricanKelli

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The shaggy chic clutch, our January project, was not such a hit. Not to say you guys didn’t create some beautiful work. More that the pattern didn’t work out as many of you had anticipated. I fielded email asking “How do you sew ALL NINE LAYERS?” again and again.

Let’s start with what was awesome about the pattern: working with chenille is new to me. And I love the way it blossoms after a good wash:

Of course, I love the idea of creating a project with just one yard of fabric. And making it my own. After a lame first attempt, I customized my second clutch by sewing velcro for the closure and hot gluing some vintage buttons:

Our winner for January, randomly selected is: Surya. Congrats! Email me your mailing address and you’ll receive a yard of fabric, along with a few other sewing notions.

So pretty, right? Love that button and the bright fabric. Nice work, lady!

The February project is: Barnaby Bear on page 227. It’s a softie — and this project will stretch my sewing abilities. Plus, selfishly, I’m visiting a friend next month and staying with her two boys. Mr. Barnaby will make the perfect gifts.

Remember the rules:

1. One pattern will be posted each month. To participate, you sew this pattern and add at least one photo to the Flickr pool.

2. I will use a randomizer to select a winner.

3. The winner will be featured on the blog, and sent a yard of fabric as a prize.

Fire up your machines and keep emailing with questions. We’ll figure these out together!

~K

I have this delightful thrift store by my house; it has to be one of the best little shops I’ve ever found. The other day I needed a pie plate. I also left with a pewter serving dish, a glass butter dish, and a handful of vintage linens. I have long said I don’t collect things. And apparently I’ve long been a liar. Vintage embroidered linens? I don’t care if I already have boxes full. I love them. Setting a table with old handmade tablecloths and cloth napkins makes me dizzy with happiness. Even better if I know I’ve rescued someone’s handiwork (my GOD the time it must take to create some of those embroidered pieces) to display in my home. Recycling at it’s very best.

Or, apparently — to turn into a dog blanket. Some friends in Phoenix recently adopted a new pup. I know one of the issues I continue to deal with after adopting Willie Nelson Mandela is his separation anxiety. I’ve read pound pups in particular suffer from the panic of being left for good again. And again. And oh look, I’m just stepping outside for a second and yet Nelson is again making that weird yippy noise like he’s never going to see me again.

What does this have to do with old rescued linens? I found this cute vintage handtowel at the thrift store this weekend. It was in a stack of other pieces of fabric I picked up. Knowing I wanted to put together a small care package for my friends’ dog, I pulled out this piece for the backing of a puppy blanket. The idea is the dog sleeps with this, or has it on his/her bed when you are home. But if you are preparing for a trip, the owners sleep with it for a couple days. The blanket then stays with the dog when they are away, but their smell stays with the dog — providing a bit of comfort to our otherwise anxious pups.

No idea if it works, but I do know that a bit of handmade blanket love, with a splash of super soft fleece, never hurt anyone.

~K

A scarf for a new Denver friend who has made my transition here easier. She and her husband are truly lovely people — friends I hope to have forever:

{click on the photo for pattern details.}

I picked this yarn up in Tempe because it reminded me of the ocean. Thankfully, I bought two skeins, which worked out perfectly. There was enough for the long fringe, and to wrap the gift and attach washing instructions.

Fellow knitters — call me crazy, but I’m putting a new rule on this craft. I am no longer letting myself “buy a skein because it so pretty!” I have so many odd ball gorgeous single skeins of yarn, and few projects I actually want to knit with 1 ball. No more. I’m going to work through my current stash and then be disciplined to buy what a project calls for.

Does anyone stick to this? Or have a better plan?

~K

I like having journals around — to collect prayers, notes, and odd observations. Sometimes they are filled with grocery lists. Pretty much all of them end up unfinished because I get distracted with the bright and shiny of a new journal!

New year, new paper, new start. A few I created this week as gifts for friends:

For Bruce, who is traveling regularly to Africa, doing amazing work. I used an old almanac to include geography text on the back:

A birthday gift with a bit of Heather Bailey flare.

For Dana, a PhD student in Forestry and birthday girl. I finally had a chance to use this patch, which I’d been holding on to for years in my sewing box:

It scratched a creative spot in my brain to use different materials — sewing cardstock, vintage trim, fabric, paint, stamps, hot glue. I’m trying to make more time to for this type of play; doing so simply makes me happier and more patient.

~K

In yet another situation of me reading and rushing, I purchased a yard of fleece instead of flannel for this project. The result is okay — which I dolled up with a vintage frog clasp instead of buttons and some red trim. And yet, I’ll be making this month’s Fabric By Fabric project again.

With flannel.

That said — the entire project took less than an hour. It requires cutting squares, sewing simple lines and being able to trim. Anyone — yes, you! — can do this if they want to. Looking forward to seeing what you create!

~K