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Craft Hope for Haiti Shop Spreading seeds of hope one stitch at a time

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Monday
18Jan2010

Craft Hope for Haiti!

As all of you know the crafting community is both caring and generous. People who make things by hand have a strong inclination to give those things away. Because of this helpful, creative streak we know so many of you will share our interest in and will want to support the Etsy shop currently being hosted by Craft Hope to benefit Doctors Without Borders in Haiti.

100% of the proceeds of this shop will go to Doctors Without Borders. They have already raised over $7000 in only two days. You can donate by either buying an item here, or donating a handmade item of your own to be sold. Information on how to donate an item can be found here. We can't think of a better way to channel your creativity with so many people in such serious need of help.

There are so many lovely handmade items for sale, bags, photographs, clothing and jewelry to name a few, and there are new items being added all the time! Please consider making a donation in any way you can. Thank you!

Find all of the information you need at these links:

Posted on DateJanuary 18, 2010 | Authorpurl bee | Print ArticlePrint | | | in | Comment13 Comments
Thursday
14Jan2010

Page's Felt Flower Winter Wreath

I am a big fan of winter decorations that are festive, but that don't hit you over the head with a specific holiday or theme.  Decorations that cheer you up and add charm to a room, but don't feel like they need to be removed the moment the occasion has passed. 

I have been wanting to make a wreath in all white and ecru felt for some time now, but when we got in our fun, new neon threads I knew I had to bring the two worlds together to create a wintery white wreath with playful bursts of color that would bring a smile to my face all winter long. 

The pairing of the soft, snowy neutrals with the intense, colorful neons make this piece glow in a way that words can't describe.  That glow coupled with the texture created by all the different shaped flowers brings this wreath to life on the wall.  Our 100% wool ecru felt has subtle color variation from one piece to the next which gives the wreath even more dimension.

I had a great time creating abstract felt versions of some of my favorite flowers and then embellishing them with the neon threads.  I used a few easy cutting techniques to create the dimensional felt centers as well as a few simple embroidery techniques to create the colorful stitched centers. 

Pretty much anything neon makes me happy so you can imagine my excitement when we found Mettler's pack of eight threads in these incredible neon colors!  The possibilties of what to make with them are endless since you can use them for hand stitching and machine sewing. 

It's amazing to me how the simple neon touches brought this wreath to life.  I know it's going to make me smile everytime I pass it this winter.  If you want to make one of your own, check out my Felt Flower Winter Wreath Project Journal.  Happy Winter! --Page

Posted on DateJanuary 14, 2010 | Authorpurl bee | Print ArticlePrint | | | in , , , , | Comment32 Comments
Sunday
10Jan2010

Molly's Sketchbook: Inspiring Embroidery Books from Sublime Stitching

Jenny Hart, embroiderer extraordinaire and the creative mind behind Sublime Stitching, is such an inspiration to anyone who loves to embroider (like me!). Her two recent titles, the comprehensive Embroidered Effects, and the useful little Sublime Stitching Craft Pad are informative and most of all so fun!

If you've never tried embroidery it's really a joy. It's relaxing in the same way that knitting is, but at the same time it's much quicker and more free, like doodling. Above all it's a simple and entertaining way to add beauty to anything from a tee-shirt to a pillowcase to a jacket!

These two books are a wonderful resource. Anytime you have a housewarming or baby shower and need a quick gift you can reach for them and make something quick, personal and lovely.

Embroidered Effects is a thorough exploration of embroidery. It has great how-tos and whole chapters on tools, methods, and pattern making. It also includes a ton of transfers that you can cut from the book and iron right onto your fabric. There is even a little pocket at the front of the book to store the transfers once you've cut them out so you can re-use them.

This book is set apart by its great project ideas, complete with iron on transfers and lists of resources. I think this bright flirty skirt would make a perfect springtime project!

And this sweet pillow could be customised to say just about anything. What a charming gift it could be for a toddler graduating to a big kid bed!

Jenny Hart's other new title is the Sublime Stitching Craft pad. It's simply a pad of paper with 75(!) iron on transfers. It contains everything from the delightful little humming bird pictured at the top of this entry to instruments, an alphabet, robots, and unicorns and even jelly fish. If you already know how to embroider this is such a valuable source. There is something for every occasion!

We also carry a wide selection of embroidery hoops and beautiful cotton embroidery thread if you'd like to start 2010 out with some fun, creative stitching.

Happy embroidering! --Molly

Posted on DateJanuary 10, 2010 | Authorpurl bee | Print ArticlePrint | | | in , , | Comment9 Comments
Wednesday
06Jan2010

Molly's Sketchbook: Felt Flower Pillows

I love figuring out how things are put together. Recently I was at the movies and, in the background of a scene I spied some very beautiful throw pillows. They had a big flower in the middle, but they weren't just sewn on top of the pillow, they looked three dimensional, almost like origami. Of course, instead of paying attention to the rest of the film I spent the time thinking about how I could make those pillows!

By the end of the movie I thought had figured it out and as soon as the lights came up I sketched a diagram in my little notebook. I knew they needed to be made out of felt, otherwise there would be too many little hems to tuck under (and curved ones at that!). Luckily for me, our selection of wool felt comes in beautiful rich colors and is soft and such fun to work with.

I chose a modern mix of yellows, ecru, and greys for my pillows. I love the way the bright colors and 3-D construction of the flower petals make them seem to jump off the neutral backgrounds.

The way these pillows are constructed is both simple and surprising. I loved stuffing them and watching them "bloom" in the last steps. They are also pretty quick to make, and kind of addictive. I want to make a set in every color!

If you'd like to make your own set, please visit my Felt Flower Pillows Project Journal.

Happy Sewing!-- Molly

Posted on DateJanuary 6, 2010 | Authorpurl bee | Print ArticlePrint | | | in , , , , | Comment30 Comments
Friday
01Jan2010

Announcing January Purl Bee Workshops at Purl!

Now that the holiday gift making period is over, it's time to get back to leisure knitting! Purl has two exciting workshops for January, Elizabeth Zimmerman's Baby Surprise Jacket and Joelle's Giant Granny Square Blanket.

 

We are thrilled to finally offer a workshop on Elizabeth Zimmerman's Baby Surprise Jacket. This classic and unisex baby sweater is a great gift for expectant parents - and it's an easy knit-in-one piece sweater! The workshop is ideal for beginners or any knitters who are ready to make their first sweater. The class will be held on Thursdays, January 14th, 21st, 28th and February 4th, from 7:15 pm - 9:15 pm. The workshop will cover increasing and decreasing, pattern reading, finishing techniques and buttonholes. This adorable sweater can be made in a variety of sizes, gauges, and fibers - we can't wait to see everyone's Suprises!

For everyone who's ready to learn how to crochet, check out Joelle's Giant Granny Square Workshop. One of our most popular and colorful classes at Purl, the workshop will guide you through your very own granny square blanket. This class is perfect for beginners and will cover all the crochet basics -  single, half double, double and triple crochet stitches, as well as slip knots, chaining, slip stitches, and finishing techniques. The workshop will be held on Monday, January 18th and 25th, from 7:15 pm - 9:15 pm. Come stop by Purl to pick out your blanket colors!

We will also be offering multiple beginning knitting series throughout the month, as well as a Pattern Help class on Monday, January 11th. For a complete listing of all our classes, check out our Knitting & Crochet Classes Schedule.

Posted on DateJanuary 1, 2010 | Authorpurl bee | Print ArticlePrint | | | Comment7 Comments
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