My bunny bowling tutorial was published after Easter last year, but here’s a reminder. These would make a fun gift for a child this year. Head on over to Etsy’s The Storque for details.
The Metric System
Did that exciting post title get your attention? Well, it’s been consuming my attention for the past several days. As you may know, I am working on a sewing book for Chronicle Books and am actually nearing completion — hurray! Anyway, there’s been some discussion about how/if to include metric conversions. Yes, I apologize for our vastly inferior standard of measurement in the U.S., but we have given it our name and it’s ours. The customary units are quaint and familiar — it would indeed be difficult for me to hand over the yard stick.
Anyway, if you use the metric system and you sew, I need your opinion. If you don’t live in the U.S., Liberia or Myanmar, then I’m talking to you! Do you ever sew from patterns using U.S. measurements? If so, how do you make the conversions? Do you go online, use a tape measure, or actually do math? Have you ever had a pattern come out wrong due to the conversion?
Would you like to see conversions in a U.S. sewing book? Would you mind flipping to the back of the book or do you want the measurements right there on the page? Do you need all the measurements or can you figure some out on your own? My concern is that having too many measurements on the page might make you more likely to misread a number and make a mistake. But of course I don’t want to be a solipsistic American, so let me know what you think.
Pictured above: Linen Measuring Tape Ribbon from Cotton Blue.
Etsy Finds Friday
Upcycled ruffled dress from All the Numbers, $45.
Japanese buttons, 14 for $11 from Doodooshop.
Pillow cover, $40 from tractorgirl.
Cotton fabric, $2.80 for 1 fat quarter, Stefanie Style.
Ceramic bunny sculpture from Art Mind, $75.
Polka dot linen/cotton fabric, $15.20 per meter from Felicity Siu.
Alphabet poster (English version) from Enna, $15.
Vintage marbles, $35 from Eclectic Pelican.
Pair of wooden bag handles, $5 from Origin Supplies.
Recycled Yarn Eggs
I made these before Christmas this past year, thinking they would be good ornaments. But the egg-shape of them really made me think of spring. I was inspired by this yarn bowl, but I think Martha Stewart has done something similar as well. This fiber bowl also looks like a fun spring craft project.
Anyway, I found a nice knit cotton sweater at the thrift store, then the kids and I unraveled it, dipped each strand in a mixture of equal parts white school glue and water and wrapped the yarn around balloons. We left the eggs on wax paper to dry overnight, then popped and removed the balloons. As simple as that. Messy and fun.
Spring is Coming
I’m counting down the days until spring arrives, but there are signs that it’s on the way! Daffodils in our front yard, planted for the fairies to make their homes. My younger daughter is a firm believer in fairies and I’m encouraging her.
And since I’m out of my mind, I agreed to do another auction project with my daughter’s first-grade class (they have two per class). I have been thinking a lot about batik lately and thinking of ways to make batik fabric without hot wax. Then I saw this lovely experiment from Jennifer Judd-McGee, which led me to this brilliant tutorial from That Artist Woman. So many creative people out there. I did this quick sample and will be making fabric designs with the kids next week. I’m thinking of a vertical patchwork wall-hanging that could also be used as a table runner, with some color inspiration from A Stitch in Dye. More on the project soon.