Generation T

Ah yes..Megan Nicolay's book that brought the media's eye to DIYers all over the world. Who couldn't love the all-inclusive, all-encompassing, and oh-so-easy to understand manual of T-shirt reconstruction that is Generation T? Megan Nicolay may not have started the reconstruction craze, but she certainly brought it to the next leve with her book, which contains 108 ways to spice up your favorite T-shit.

I really love this book, the only problem is my lack of T-shirts to play with. There are simply too many projects to take on with your normal wardrobe...the only way to make it work is to go on a shopping spree of indefinite proportions.

That being the only set back to buying this book, I really don't have much to complain about.

Some of the projects are, unfortunately, derivative, but the majority of them are interesting, and certainly not things I would think of myself - at least not without a pencil in hand and some serious fashion brainstorming. What I love about this book is that you don't have to be a super DIY goddess to have some fun with it. There are enough slashing/cutting projects to keep even the least talented of us occupied.

Generation T will run you 15 dollars, unless you take advantage of a super-nifty online discount or something. I, myself, used my B&N members discount. That thing is worth any and all spam email I may get because of it.

Hello Mango!

Aaaah, yarn. I love thee, yes I do. There's something romantic about a good skein of yarn, don't you agree? It's soft and supple, and ready to be shaped into whatever you desire! I love yarn.

Hello Mango, a yarn supplier in the UK, takes yarn to the next level with their awesome collection of hand-spun, hand-dyed, one-of-a-kind skeins. Most are priced below $20, but the prices are listed in Euros, so make sure to use your handy dandy currency converter (there's one connected to Yahoo! if you can't find one or are Google-challenged) if you plan on buying one internationally.

In other news, I've finally decided on a posting schedule. You'll get updates for sure every week on Tuesday, and most of the time Wednesday. Those seem to be my two least hectic days, so I'll be able to blog then.

Clotide's Sewing Savvy - May 2007

Well, this is one of those magazine issues that make me wonder why I bother getting subscriptions in the first place. There are some useful tutorials, and the basics they cover in the projects are nice, but they're not exactly inspirational. So here's what I saw:

- Pillow Trimmings; a really nice explanation of how you get the cord embellishments on the edges of pillows, and how to do it cleanly.
- Scarves with Pockets; convenient, pretty, but I wonder how practical they could be. Still, you could cut the pattern in half and use them for door hangers or something. I imagine they'd fit in lockers.
- Gone A-Maying; a woven cloth basket with flower embellishments, not particularly interesting, but still useful, if you want to learn to sew flowers. Although, in all honesty, it looks like more trouble than its worth.
- Sewing Machine Maintenance; a really, really useful article about how to keep your machine in tip top shape. This is great for newbies and those who don't understand all the technical jargon. Did you know that older machines may lose their programming memory if a magnet is near them? I didn't, but then, I have a newer model (the Sew Precise by Janome).

All in all, I'm not impressed with this issue. It's not all that interesting, but it has some solid, basic articles and FAQs to help you out. A lot of sewing machine care and basics are covered in this issue - it may just make up for all the flowers.

Ikea? Spoka, Spoka!

Forgive me, O God of Blogs, for I have sinned. As in, I haven't updated in all of a month. I wish I had an excuse. You know, my sewing machine rebeled against me and ate my foot, or something along those lines. Unfortunately, my sewing machine is very patient with this poor, untalented DIYer, so I can't hold anything against it.

But nevertheless!

Spoka is a cute nightlight made of rubber. I found him the other day in Ikea, while shopping for planters (I ended up buying a sofa cover, some cork squares, an orchid and two Spokas). Spoka is adorable, easy to plug in, and he lights up my entire room at night. Quite a surprise, considering the room I have him lighting up is the kitchen! He seems pretty child-proof (he was in the child section of Ikea, for heaven's sake) although I wouldn't reccommend throwing him off of any banisters. You turn him on and off by pressing down on the top of his head.

In addition to blue, Spoka also comes in red and green. Their heights vary as well, with red-Spoka being the tallest, and green-Spoka being the shortest.

New updates will come this week, including book reviews, magazine reviews, and something else! I'll think of it, I promise.

Pencil Shavings dot Net

I saw this picture, and my mouth dropped open.

I was cruising around cyberspace looking for some inspiration, and there it was!

Isn't it gorgeous?

I found this painting at Pencil Shavings the online art store of Kate Dolamore. She sells prints, stationary, paper goods, and 1'' buttons. All of her art is gorgeous, but there are a few exemplary pieces:

Vanora (Pictured above)

Amaryllis

Untitled with Owls

I really love this art. I may add this to my birthday wishlist!

Tea Leaf Sales

Oh dear, I've been lax with my blog posts. Recent events (like the snowstorm that pounded the East) are eating up my time. I've gotten some time to post now, though. Exciting. <3

I found this site linked off of Cotton Candy Vomit. It's cute and fun and has all sorts of goodies made with polymer clay, and I love handmade clay goodies. Tea Leaf Sales is a fun shop. What else can I say? I really like the accessories the best, especially the cellphone charms.

I have to admit, cellphone charms are my guilty pleasure.



Recently, I picked up a book about weaving, and another about teddy bear making. I hope to post about those in the future! Look out for them!

I may even begin to sell custom bears. (If I can get them looking half-decent, that is. :3)

Crochet World - April 2007

I just received the April edition of Crochet World. There are a few patterns of interest. The pattern of the month is "Critter PJ Bags," which are cute, worked with double crochet and rounds. I like the pig, the lion, the bear and the turtle (of course). The duck is just scary.

Other patterns are:

- "Parfait Cinch Belt," a short project worked in single crochet. Buttons are used, as is bulky yarn - probably why the pattern takes so little time.

- "Chocolate Cream," is a set of a top and tulip skirt, worked in single crochet and rounds. The pattern itself is complicated, thouogh the stiches are not, and the finished product is lovely. I would personally wear it - though maybe in different colors.

- "Bunny Seedlings," are another cute overdose. Right in time for Easter, you can "grow" baby bunnies out of a crocheted pot. The pattern is worked in single crochet and rounds, but you'll need to have stuffing, etc, to complete the bunnies.

- "Collared Poncho," I still love ponchos, though I can't wear them. This poncho comes with a hood attached, and it's very cute. The pattern is worked in single, double and slip stitches. You'll need to keep track of this pattern well, because it adds texture to the final product.

- "Dogwood Delight," one of those spring afghans. The pattern is very, very complicated, but I'm partial to dogwoods. It's worked in single, double, half-double crochet and rounds. The final product is an afghan with dogwood blossoms in the center of the squares.

- "Flowery Watchband," a watchband, as the title states, that is relatively easy to make. The pattern is worked in single crochet.

- "Flower Boxes Afghan," another afghan, slightly less complicated than the dogwood afghan. Granny squares are used, as are single, doduble crochet and slip stitch.