Crafty Idea: Scrap Pincushion

On January 4th, I had the pleasure of assisting a very nice lady and her friends and family with a project to make 100 diapers. I received a call just before Christmas and was moved by her story and the wonderful act of kindness she proposed. To assist with her project, I donated time in the sewing studio and my assistance. Her goal was to make 100 diapers for the families of a remote community in Mexico that her family have "adopted" and provides assistance to in a number of ways.

For several hours my home and studio was bursting with activity and an overflow of diaper fabric. In the end we were able to make 80 flat diapers from the material she brought to the studio and she had additional diapers donated by other friends. I was happy to be a part of her efforts and I look forward to other such opportunities.

This leads me to today's project, which is a simple pincushion made from a scrap of corduroy fabric (from another project) and some of the ends of fabric that remained from serging the diapers.

1. Sew scrap fabric (5.5" x 6") with 1/2 inch seam and leave one side open.  |  2. Stuff with shreds of fabric to desired firmness  |  3. Fold in open ends 1/2 inch and use pins to hold in place.  |  4. Hand stitch opening or close using sewing machine.

It is a reminder that it only takes a little to do a lot.

Book Review: The Perfect Pajama

The Perfect Pajama by Kristina Nilsson and Jennifer Pirtle

I had seen this book some time ago, and I decided to add it to our Crafted Spaces reference library. Last year we introduced a new workshop called "Pyjama Party" to our program and I feel that this book is a great resource for students. It is easy for a beginner to follow, yet has a range of projects to inspire a more experienced sewer.

The book has twenty-one wonderfully creative ideas for pyjamas that you can make for him, her or little ones. Each design is presented with clear instructions, full colour illustrations and great photographs to assist you with each step. There is something for everyone in this book, including fun ways to add creative touches to kids pieces, as well as a few other projects that you can try.

my recent pyjama shorts project

Sewing pyjamas can be lots of fun and there are tons of great details you can add to your project. A week ago I made myself these sheep flannel pyjama shorts (Butterick - B5153) and I added a simple machine embroidery stitch along the side seams. I already have my next pyjama project planned and I am looking forward to adding some eyelet details as shown in the "Blue Lagoon" project featured in the book.

I also think that many of the designs in this book can be combined to create beautiful unique pieces. The "Cherry Checks" project shown below is also a great example of a project that can work well for both kids and adults.

As an added bonus, the book also comes with full-size patterns and templates for each project. This also makes it a great buy. ISBN 978-1-906525-96-5

*As with all of our book reviews, this review was not solicited or endorsed in any way. The opinions expressed are my own and is presented in the spirit of sharing.

Happy New Year 2013

I will like to wish everyone a very Happy New Year. I hope you had a great holiday and that your first few days of the New Year have been well. I have been very busy and almost feel like I need a mini vacation (preferably somewhere warm). However, I am super excited about the year ahead and all the amazing plans and possibilities.

I started several projects over the holidays and I am looking forward to sharing them with you in the weeks to come. This year I am also looking forward to the new classes and workshops that will be added to Crafted Spaces program and to restarting Crafted Spaces Radio.

On the top of my creative list this year, is learning a few new skills and revisiting a couple others. I will really like to do the silk screening class, which I had hoped to do last year and I have a couple quilts that I will like to make. I have already gotten a few friends together to make the silk screening a fun group event and have collected some of the fabric for my quilts.

This year we will have more crafty tutorials and creative business development post. A major part of the plan this year is to also add more sewing tutorials and to launch our online classes.

Thank you so much for your support last year and for reading this post. All the best to you and your families for the year ahead!