Tote Bag Help.

[dykestar.livejournal.com]

I'm making tote-bags out of Christmas cotton for my relatives. They're going to be sort of the "gift bags" that match the jar-tops of the Gifts in a Jar that I'm making. However, I know my aunties and godmothers and I know that they will want to carry them for everyday use throughout the holiday season each year.

Sooooooo... any tips?

This should be a simple affair, right? Have the fold be the bottom, sew up the side-seams, hem, add straps, right? I bought some hem-tape to strengthen the straps a bit. Am I missing anything? Is is really that easy or am I about to turn out a whole lot of crappy tote bags?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers!

(no subject)

[lindseyeatworld.livejournal.com]

i have a quick question. it's not so much crafty, but i think you guys can help me...maybe.
( i'll cut in case you'd rather not answer another silly question. )

and so this isn't just a question entry...and because i want to show off. beware: eight fairly large pictures.
( crafty presents i've made. )

Something Besides A Duct Tape Wallet

[lvlylatinalady.livejournal.com]

Ok, the idea donned on me to make a sugar packet wallet *I STOLE A HANDFUL OF PACKETS FROM MY DINER* but have no idea where to start. Someone had posted a wallet made of starburst papers and was wondering if that would possibly work? I looked through the memories and only saw ones about Duct Tape Wallets. So, please help a girl out if you have a link to a site that I can use! And so this is'nt just a post only here is a pic of some packets that look like what im using.

kind of crafty

[staindinside.livejournal.com]

i was asking a little while ago how to get marker off of my sneakers (im pretty sure thats what it was) and i got a few replies, so i figured i might share this with ya'll, since cleaning is a big part of crafting....
i am a poor college student, and walking to all of my classes does a lot of damage to my shoes..i discovered that baby wipes clean them magnificently...of course baby wipes clean, thats what they are made for, but they even clean that foamy stuff on the bottom of your shoes that is hard to clean with soap...and i bought mine at the dollar store for a container of 100

im sorry if this was totally irrelevent to the community, if so you can delete it, but i was just so amazed with how well they worked, that i wanted to share it with the world

Too Much Pajama in the Pants? DANCE!

[dykestar.livejournal.com]

x-posted to my journal

Okay, it's SUPER late, so just go ahead and ignore that weird-ass title.

I just finished a pair of pajama pants. But not *just* a pair of pajama pants--

The Ultimate Femme Pajama Pants!!!

Lock.Up.Yr.Daughters.
( 4 pics, sorta big, sorry )

roses!

[momolo.livejournal.com]

some one was posting about how to make that cute rosette scarf. here is a link i found on various methods of making rosettes. it asks for ribbon but i am sure you can transfer the instructions to felt!
http://craftycollege.com/room/103/roses.htm

instructions for more frilly ones: http://www.denverfabrics.com/pages/sewinginfo/dfsewinghints/sewing-fabric-roses.htm


not a lot of pictures - i myself don't do well without a lot of graphics :) - but what diagrams there are help out a bit.

Everything you ever wanted to know about Starch

[moniqueleigh]

For any thread-crafters, I got this in my email today (x-posted in my journal & craftgrrl):
( Starch info from a museum )

(no subject)

[kitschicat.livejournal.com]

Hope I'm not stepping out of bounds, but I thought anyone from the SE Michigan area on this community might also be interested in this:

I am starting a local group to get together on a regular basis (probably 1x a month) to have a crafty stitch-and-bitch type gathering. I'm quite inspired by the Church of Craft, I think it's a fabulous idea, and I'd like to see if we can get something along those lines going here in the SE Michigan area.

Hence, I have started a LJ community to serve as a sort of "bulletin board" to communicate information about the When/Where/Who/What/How's of the gatherings. If you are in the area and interested in attending, please join craftoomel for info. :)

Thanks so much!

sewing by hand

[mandirao.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry to reask this question! but i've checked the FAQ section with no luck and i've browsed over the last 5 days of entries and still can't find it! I know I saw someone post it recently...damn!.... Anyway, my sewing machine is still needing some work before I can use it, so I'm sewing up some heating bags by hand. But I need the stitches to be really strong! Could someone tell me of a strong stitch-by hand that I could use? Thanks so much in advance!

If you've just gotta have those AOL tins...

[rdhdsnippet.livejournal.com]

http://www.cookietins.umsebiz.com/store/index.php3?cat=251833&item=579873

Edit: fixed with the direct link. damn php.

Pendants?

[fatfeistyfemme.livejournal.com]

Hey - I have an idea for a new craft, but I need some radical pendants/charms -- stuff that is outside the mainstream, and small. Like, 1/2 an inch tall-ish. Pewter or Sterling Silver. Stuff like gay/lesbian themes, or edgy themes (sex toys would be awesome, or like, chunky platform heels, disco stuff whatever...) And I need them wholesale (like, .30cents a piece or less, and I'm OK with bulk ordering.) Anyone have ideas?

More child measurement questions

[guppygrrl.livejournal.com]

I just made an adorable hat for a just turned 2 year old. And I think it was too big, but I made it so that there's a cuff and that will tighten it up and...yeah.

Anyway. Someone saw the hat and loved it and I've been commissioned to make one for her about to turn two daughter.

I know that after about 6 years old a kid's head is about the same size as an adult woman (at least for stretchy hat making purposes). I have access to a 2 month old baby, (twas funny when his mom caught me measuring everything on his body, right down to arm span!) so I can get measurements for little ones...

What I need are measurements for a 1 year old, a 2 year old, a 3 year old and a 4 year old. The measurements I need are: around the crown of the head, back of the neck to above the eyebrows over the head, around the wrist at the bone, around the hand at the widest part (thumb area, I guess?) and length from fingertip to wrist.

Can you tell I'm looking to make hats and mittens? ;)

ALSO, does anyone know where I can find a chart listing what different shoe sizes equal in actual inches? I had a site with this info bookmarked once (I think it was a knit or crochet site and had to do with socks) and I even printed it out, but I can no longer find my printout -OR- the site. *sigh* And I desire to make slippers and socks for people.

Thanks. :) I borrowed a camera and I have a buttload of pics to post eventually...if I can find time from my gift and commission making! *L*

~Kissy

All the I love you's that could fit inside a heart shaped box.

[wannaseestars.livejournal.com]

So heres the project I was working on for awhile. I've just got around to posting it. Anyways, I made it for my boyfriend when he got back from deployment. I wanted to give it to him earlier, but since it took me awhile to get started on and finish, I've decided it would be better and more sentimental if I gave it as a Christmas/Anniversary gift.

Theres 4 different pics so I'll put them behind a cut.

( Read more... )

(no subject)

[destinediva.livejournal.com]

I got a hold of a few blank pins the other night, and I'm looking to write something on them for a friend for Christmas. What's the best way to write on this metal (not sure if it's even classified as metal)? Any ideas on how to get neat handwriting on it? I was thinking of maybe spray painting over a stencil, so that just the word was the blank silver stuff. Any crafty ideas/tips?

(no subject)

[ann-gwish.livejournal.com]

hello all. quick question for you, when painting wood, what type of primer do you use? i've been using white gesso...but i don't really like it. the gesso, even after sanding can be overwhelming in some places and difficult to paint evenly over. thanks in advance!

and here are pictures of a cigar box purse i just finished for a customer of mine.

( check out the pictures! )

Holiday Card Insert Questions:

[dykestar.livejournal.com]

My holiday card-making is going full-throttle over here. I'm thinking along with a personal message, I want to put an appropriate prayer or thought down in the cards for the holidays. I've got Christmas covered, but if anyone knows a good short little phrase/prayer/quote/thought, etc. for Solistice/Yule and Hannakah that they could share, it would be greatly appreciated :D

I'll post pics when I get 'em all done :)

Thanks!

(no subject)

[tummymunkey.livejournal.com]

what's the difference between grosgrain ribbon and regular ribbon?

X-mas crackers(not edible crackers)

[sleep-2-dream00.livejournal.com]

Im making x-mas crackers for these two girls I know(im a guy)anywho, what can I put in them other than candy?So far I made these pins with our pictures of them and thats all I have, what else can i put in there??

yardage...?

[skwairpeg.livejournal.com]

Hey craftgrrls,

Can anyone ballpark me on how many yards of fabric it takes to make a typical tote-bag sort of bag? 2? 3? I'm looking at the cutest fabric and want to order some, but I'm not sure how much to order and I can't remember where my patterns are at the moment.

Thanks in advance!

Interfacing.. HELP!

[ohsoretro.livejournal.com]

Hi girls -- I just have a quick question about patterns & interfacing that I couldn't seem to find in the FAQ.

Is interfacing necessary? And what exactly is it? I have sheets of fusible webbing for applique, is that the same thing? The pattern I'm reading calls for fusible interfacing & I'm wondering if I can substitute the webbing, or maybe make my own somehow out of additional fabric? Does anyone else feel like they're trying to read a foreign language when reading a pattern?!#@ Any help would be appreciated. Thanks :)

"colors contrasting in clusters"

[sharmelon.livejournal.com]

[x-posted to my journal, craftgrrl + crochet]

I totally forgot about posting pictures of this! I finished this scarf on my birthday (25 Nov) so I could have something new to wear to class, lol. Pathetic. Haha. But I wanted to feel special. Ahaha.. ANYWAYS.

It's made of Lionbrand Microspun yarn in that bright blue and orange.. I forget what the blue is called but the orange is called Mango. Soft yarn; I love it. I followed the pattern on one of the paper sleeves.. but only up to row 10 because I started getting bored. It mainly consists of cluster stitches, and some chains and skipping over stuff. I also used just those two colors. I still have some left, so I'm thinking of crocheting either striped armwarmers (but solid, not in cluster) to go with the scarf OR just making a purse out of it because I love the colors. I also bought a skein in a neon green and I'm planning to get one in pink because I just love love LOVE the intensity of these colors. Anyway, there are more pictures behind the lj-cut. Yup, enjoy. :)

Edit: clicky click for the pattern

( +5 )

X-posted

[tairae.livejournal.com]

Bah! I was looking through some random magazine and saw a Ralph Lauren (I think) "hand crocehted" (yeah right, I know they have machines to mass produce that kind of thing) two piece bathing suit. It was one solid color, and from the rather tiny picture it looked super simple; probably sc with a little bit of fancy work around the edges. I am thinking all right, that's gotta be easy to make, seems simple enough, probably go for 50 bucks... Oh no! $500...yeah, five hundred dollars! Holy Moly! But I am still thinking that it'd be easy to crochet, and I do have a few patterns for bathing suits. Only ?? is, what kind of yarn would you use? I would think you'd need some sort of lining in it for comfort, but maybe not...Tai

Glass etching

[imagine77.livejournal.com]

I checked the FAQ before starting this, my first, glass etching project. Its one of the more sparse sections of the FAQ hehe here's to hoping somone in the know is paying attention. I have been reading the instruction booklet that came with the kit and I am using Armour Etch. It says that you need to wear protective eyewear, because of fumes I am guessing. How bad is it really? I don't have any protective eyewear handy and I had a long disheartening day of craft supply buying (not at pearl getting glass etching supplies but at a yarn shop). I really want to just dig in tonight and not wait until I can figure out where to buy protective eyewear of some sort. So yeah I guess I would like to know if my eyes will melt out of the sockets or something else nigh apocalyptic if I go ahead without goggles. Thanks guys.

a little more help

[lolamartini.livejournal.com]

Hey...
Let me start this by saying that I AM NOT AN ARTIST.. I am a little bit crafty, but definately not artistic.
That being said I need some help.
I want to make a picture for my boyfriend with some song lyrics on it.. so i was thinking of getting a tiny canvas and gluing (?) a felt heart in the middle.. i don't think that i can draw it symetrically...
then i want to write the lyrics around the heart.. can i use a paint pen.. or calligraphy pen.. or ??
I have no idea
please help
thx
lola

no sew purse/bag!

[asinfulstrange.livejournal.com]

I was thinking about more "no sew" projects for some of you who don't sew. And i came up with this purse.

( How To Make A No Sew Purse )

x posted to : clothes_surgery

10100010

[dirtyrobotman.livejournal.com]

here's that binary calendar i was working on for my computer programmer boyfriend!

( upon request. )

(no subject)

[nach-heart.livejournal.com]

First, thanks to everyone who answered my question about the fur last night. Today I purchased some light pink faux fur and jazzed up my coat. Pictures behind the cut.

( fuzzyyyy )

Full Of Ideas

[shellsofthedeep.livejournal.com]

I browse expensive sites all the time and oogle - for some reason they give me huge amounts of inspiration! This time it was from Anthropologie.

( Read more... )

And that's all I have to say about that.

tshirt question

[sairyuu.livejournal.com]

i have two shirts. a trainspotting one and a clockwork orange shirt. unfortunatly both are pretty worn out and HUGE (i wore them when i was pregnant) i want to modify them, but they have the titles (trainspotting, clockwork orange) written really large across the chest really high.

pics (i'm sorry they're huge) i'll delete them if you want.
( Read more... )

And then there was more

[shellsofthedeep.livejournal.com]

Okay, so someone mentioned that they didn't know how legal this was but I don't know that it's illegal so I'm doing it anyway. :) I look for cool stuff and then figure out how to make it cheaper.

My second site for the night was DELiAs.

( Read more... )

Teen style links, Please (hope this is okay)

[coflower.livejournal.com]

Hey ladies - This isn't a craft question per se but a lot of what you do seem to craft comes from our culture and that includes those things that are hip and new. I know there are a lot of teens to hip 40somethings around here, I happen to be niether a teen nor hip.

I have a 13 year old niece that is always difficult to buy for since I am so out of the loop, I was hoping that you could post links to your favorite stores, online e-zines or other places that might help a "stuck in the early 90s 30something" woman learn about the latest in younger styles be that fashion, room decor and whatever else might influence a teen.

I also have an 8 year old niece who soon will be into older stuff so if I can keep up on the trends, it would make my life much easier.

Um, for clarification, both girls are more mainstream and not on the outer edges, if you will. 13 year old is into snowboarding, volleyball, skateboarding and is casual but loves to wear makeup and when she dresses up, she's always in style -- she gets that from her mom. The 8 year old is from a pretty conservative family, dresses very girly and given how my bro and sis-in-law run their house, this will remain, I gather but who knows.

Anyhow, any links you can provide would be very helpful.

Thank you!

HELP!

[annamull.livejournal.com]

I need to figure out where to buy towel fabric?? im supposed to make some towels but i dont know what the fabric would be called. haha i tried searching for it under the name "towel fabric" with no luck :\ hehe

If anyone knows of any stores specially online stores! that sells it that would be great since i dont live in the states & order things offline most of the time

(i did check in FAQ)

food is crafty too! =)

[bella4874.livejournal.com]

Hullo everyone! I'm new, but a longtime lurker =) I am still in awe of ALL of your craftiness - amazing!

In the spirit of the holidays (and NOT studying for finals, when we should be), my roommate & I made chocolate mice. They're too cute to eat!



I love white chocolate - mmmm!

( - here's the how-to -  )

New scarves!!!

[xsaltyx.livejournal.com]

( Why yes, I do sit home on Friday night crafting alone, why do you ask? )