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home ec class: patchwork pin cushion

It may come as a bit of a surprise, but I’ve never taken sewing lessons. Apart from my friend helping me with my first project, I’ve learned from books, the Internet, crafty colleagues and lots of trials and errors. Some of my friends were tweeting about an online Home Ec class they were taking and I was curious, so I followed the link. The class says it’s for beginners, but there are some really cool projects using techniques I’ve been wanting to try.

home ec class patchwork pincushion

I signed up at once and promised myself I’d follow the directions for each project as they are written, because sometimes it’s a little technique for something simple that can totally change how you do things. I started the class a little late because I’ve been waiting for my daughter to go back to school. Now that I have some time to dedicate to my sewing, I’ll be cruising through the projects a little faster.

First on the list was a patchwork cushion. I followed the pattern exactly and have fallen in love with my scrap bin. Seriously, I had no idea how fun making little fabric stripes could be.

home ec class patchwork pincushion

stash: This is a great stash busting project that’s perfect for those little pieces you can’t bear to throw away. Anyone recognize the buttons?

project info: This was a bonus project, and Leigh-Ann has a tutorial posted on her blog. You should go make one, too!

class info: You can preview the class projects here and here.

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my creative space

my creative space

This week in my creative space I’m unraveling a sweater. I wasn’t planning to buy anymore sweaters. I don’t need anymore yarn. But I saw these little sparkles and all I could think of was a patchwork baby blanket.

I love the primary colors. New parents are always swimming in pastels. Bright colors are a nice change, don’t you think? Plus, take another look at those sparkles!

my creative space

I’m planning to crochet solid color squares, so this will be the perfect vacation project. (Yes, I’m planning ahead for vacation projects.) I’ll seam them up when they are all finished. It would be easier to join them as I go, but I need a portable project for the plane, the beach, sitting in traffic, etc.

I’m getting pretty good at this unraveling thing. I hardly had any waste yarn — just a bunch of pesky knots at the end of each color change. And even they didn’t go to waste. My daughter took the pile of ends and put them in a bowl for her stuffed dog. He had ramen yarn noodles for lunch.

Make sure to visit more creative spaces over at Kirsty’s blog.

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new inspiration

Patchwork Style and Linen, Cotton, Wool

I bought these books for myself for Mother’s Day. I had flipped through the pages of Patchwork Style at knitting group enough times that I felt I should just buy it already. They didn’t have a copy of Linen, Wool, Cotton at the bookstore, so I ordered it sight unseen. Well, I had seen a few pics of some of the pages around blogland.

I was really drawn to the organic feel of Patchwork Style. It reminded me of how I felt when I discovered David Carson. Bend the rules of grid and symmetry. Expose your raw edges. Cut things up and paste them back in a different order. Designers either loved him or hated him. I was inspired by him to think in new ways. That’s how this book makes me feel about sewing.

Contrast that with Linen, Wool, Cotton. The beauty here is in its simplicity. Focus on that one, special, important detail. A lot of European graphic design is like that. Embrace your grid. Use your white space. Order and simplicity lead to elegance.

Both of these books have turned my thoughts about sewing upside down. Previously I’d been focused on learning and constructing. Now my head is full of fresh ideas. It’s overwhelming. I don’t know where to begin. I figured the best place to start would be writing it all down. Next step: getting out the sketch pad.

stash: Some books you just can’t check out of the library. They inspire you so much that you have to own them. There are free patterns from both over at MakeGoodBooks. I can’t wait to see Carefree Clothes for Girls!

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patchwork scarves :: wool and denim

Last summer I bought a cute little patchwork quilt that I’ve been planning to make into a tote bag. When I started deconstructing it, I realized it was made up of long, skinny rectangles. Perfect for scarves! Two scarves, actually: one backed with wool, the other backed with denim.

I think I am officially addicted to making scarves this season. If you are on my holiday gift list, you should probably expect to receive one!