Maya Donenfeld’s new book Reinvention: Sewing with Rescued Materials (Wiley) is a collection of projects about repurposing materials to make something new. The sewing projects inside range from beginner to intermediate, and there are also some great design touches, like printing on fabric.

The book starts off with some sewing basics, like tools and techniques. There is also a chapter on printing basics, which covers freezer paper printing and stamping.

In the Linen chapter, one of the cutest projects are “The Arithmetic Pillows.” These simple envelope-back pillows are a perfect project for beginners. And if you aren’t into buying linen yardage, which can be quite expensive, suggested materials include upcycled linen skirts and dresses.

In the Wool section, there are several projects which use upcycled sweaters as new material for making projects. “The Toadstool Cottage” is a toy designed for kids that parents will appreciate for its ability to contain tiny little pieces. If sweaters aren’t avilable, another affordable material could be a sturdy wool felt.

Have you ever considered using Tyvek mailers as sewing material? The water- and tear-resistant material can be repurposed as material for zip pouches, a banner, notebook and luggage tags. Some of the other materials featured in the book are jersey (t-shirt material), denim, vintage fabrics and burlap. So clever!

My Project

As a project tester for this book, I had the privilege to review the pattern for the burlap bin before the book went to print. I chose to make the larger of two available sizes. My favorite design element is the handle slot, which you can insert on one or two sides. As you can see below, I changed my mind about the slots halfway through, and decided to just make one handle slot (although I had already created two slots in the lining fabric).

Surprisingly, I was able to sew through all of the layers, including topstitching all of the edges, without breaking a needle! The bins in the book are made from upcycled coffee bags, and if I ever come across some of these bags, I know exactly what to do with them.

These bins are great for holding books or fabric scraps, which I’m currently using mine for. The cats, on the other hand, can certainly appreciate the burlap bin for its structured coziness.

If you appreciate upcycled projects, Reinvention offers a wealth of inspiration. You can’t beat the affordability of sewing with materials that are either thrifted or ready to be thrown away, and the projects range from wearables to gifts and all sorts of things to make your house a home.

Jennifer at Ellison Lane Quilts is hosting a Summer Sewing Contest that you won’t want to miss. The event will start off with an inspirational blog hop of summery sewing projects, featuring…

We’ll share our summer sewing project (a surprise!) on May 18th.

The Contest

Then it’s your turn to show off your summer sewing! To take part in the contest:

1. Sew something fun for summer in one of these 4 categories (You may enter one item in each category):

• Quilts
• Home Decor
• Clothing
• Bags & Accessories

2. Link up your entry at Ellison Lane Quilts:  June 10-17

3. Finalists are chosen in each category: June 18

4. Voting Begins: June 18- June 23

5. Winners announced: June 26

The Prizes

The winner of each category will receive a $100 gift certificate to the Fat Quarter Shop!

A randomly chosen winner in each category will win a Fat Quarter Bundle of fabric from Westminster Fibers / Free Spirit Fabric.

A wild card winner will be chosen by Jennifer’s husband and will receive a $25 gift certificate to The Intrepid Thread.

Are you psyched like I am? Grab a button and spread the word!

<a href=”http://ellisonlane.blogspot.com” target=”_blank”><img alt=”Ellison Lane Quilts”<br /> src=”http://i1127.photobucket.com/albums/l623/ellisonlanequilts/summersewing125.jpg”/></a>

Some friends living in South Korea tipped me off to a trend they’ve seen in stores: the corner bookmark. These slide-on bookmarks can be made from fabric or paper, and I’ve written a tutorial for the fabric version you see here. Wouldn’t these make cool teacher appreciation gifts?

Since I have a lot of charm squares, I decided to use those for my bookmarks. Each charm square yields one bookmark, or you can use two charm squares to make two bookmarks with different images on the inside and outside.

Supplies:

1-2 fabric charm squares (5″x5″)

2.5″x5″ piece of medium-weight fusible interfacing (I used Pellon 808)

Iron, sewing machine, thread, sewing pins

Choose two charm squares (or you may use just one if you want the same fabric on the inside and outside of the bookmark).

Cut squares in half on the 2.5″ mark. Set aside half, which you can use for a second bookmark.

Use your iron to fuse interfacing to the back of your feature fabric.

Pin fabric with right sides together.

Stitch 1/8″ from edges, leaving a 2″ gap on one long edge for turning.

Clip corners, making sure to avoid your stitch line.

Turn inside out and use a pen or turning tool to poke out the corners.  Pin opened edge closed.

Topstitch 1/8″ from edge around perimeter, and press.

Fold rectangle in half and pin one edge perpendicular to the folded edge you just made. Stitch along pinned edge, 1/8″ from edge.

Open fabric into a triangle, with seam you just stitched facing the back. Press.

Slip bookmark over the corner of pages you would like to mark. These bookmarks can be used to mark two pages at once, depending on how many pages you slip inside.

This is a great 10-minute craft for when you don’t have a lot of time, and would be an easy sewing project for beginners. And since we learned from Wednesday’s giveaway question that many of you still prefer paper books to e-readers (giveaway is still open through 5/2), you might even make several to give as gifts!

If you’ve used the corner bookmarks tutorial, we’d love to see your version in the Craft Buds Flickr pool!

I used white ink on the navy background and navy ink on the white background. This was my first test of using the Epic to letterpress. I’m happy to report that it was a fairly easy process and it didn’t take me long to get set up and create a whole stack of cards!

The only problem I had was sometimes ink would get on the sides of the words and it would show up in the final pressing. You can see a little extra in next to “boy” on the top card and next to “it’s” on the bottom one. I used an x-acto blade to trim down the sides of the word plates and was more careful about inking and then things went smoothly. You can learn more about the entire letterpressing process here on the Lifestyle Crafts blog.

I put together a template so after the baby is born I can fill it in with a baby photo and his name, weight, length and the date. Then I’ll have it printed as a photo and glue it to the back of each of my letterpress cards.

If you want to purchase anything from Lifestyle Crafts, don’t forget to use our coupon code CRAFTBUDS for an extra 20% off! Today is the last day to take advantage of free shipping for orders over $25.

Everyday Handmade: 22 Practical Projects for the Modern Sewist by Cassie Barden and Adrienne Smitke (Martingale) is a promising addition to any modern sewist’s craft library. Whether you’re looking for a small, simple project to give you a break from that quilt you’ve been slaving over or you’re in the mood to create something featuring some favorite fabrics from your stash, Everyday Handmade is likely to please.

Beginner-level projects include a simple tote bag decorated with fabric-covered buttons, pieced coasters and potholders, and a sewing set that includes a pincushion and needle book.

In contrast to many sewing craft books that focus on one material (felt, scraps of quilting cottons, upcycled fabrics), authors Barden and Smitke challenge sewists to explore working with a variety of materials. Projects make the most of selvages, wool felt, linen, canvas, interfacing, fusible fleece, and zippers.

 

My Projects

When I was studying the 22 projects in Everyday Handmade and trying to decide which one to make, the Literary Genius e-Reader Cover caught my attention. I received a Kindle as a birthday gift only a week after I won this book at a quilting retreat, so the timing was perfect.

Before I started, I noticed that the finished size (5 1/2” by 8 1/2″) was going to be bigger than my Kindle and therefore wouldn’t provide the intended protection. The authors note in the project instructions that they have included measurements for two e-readers, but unfortunately both were bigger than mine, so I decided to reduce the cutting measurements and make a practice cover first to check the sizing.

Fast forward through recalculations and two practice covers and I was finally ready to proceed with my final fabric choices. I used interfacing on all my quilting cottons to give them a bit more heft, and at the last minute I decided to also supplement the outer layer of the cover with fusible fleece to better protect my Kindle.

I’m happy with how the final product turned out. Although there are slight changes I would make if I were to make this again, it holds my Kindle snugly and provides sufficient protection.

Templates are included for the tree stump parts as well as all Petunia’s parts, and I found it very easy to trace them using freezer paper and then transfer and cut the shapes out of craft felt. At the back of the book Barden and Smitke include simple instructions for techniques used in the projects, including the French knots and blanket stitch on Petunia. Even when you know how to execute simple embroidery like this, if your memory is anything like mine you know it’s helpful to have a refresher on hand.

I’m pleased with the range of projects in Everyday Handmade, and I like the look and feel of Barden’s and Smitke’s designs. Whether you’re making a little something for yourself or sewing up a personalized gift for a friend, you’ll find something to try in this book.

Giveaway!

Martingale & Co. is giving one lucky Craft Buds reader the chance to win a $30 gift certificate to their shop, good for books, e-books or patterns. Enter to win by:

1. Leave a comment on this post. You can tell us if you use an e-reader or if you prefer paper books. (one entry)
2. Subscribe to Martingale’s Stitch This! newsletter (for free patterns, sale offers, tips and tricks) and leave a second comment telling us you did! (one entry)

This giveaway is open worldwide and we’ll choose one lucky winner via Random.org on Wednesday, May 2, 2012.

Out of 158 comments, the winner is #6 Jeanne, who said:

“I do have a Kindle and I love it for casual reading but it isn’t color so I like my quilt and craft books in pulp. I do love that Kindle cover and the tote with all the covered buttons.  If I win, I know what will be first to make! Thanks for the chance.”

But with a few inexpensive items from around the house, you can give your craft space a spring cleaning! We love these craft storage ideas that use everyday, easy-to-find items like shower caddies and Altoid tins.

Clothespins and Embroidery Floss: A cute way to store floss from Mrs. Jones. At just $2 in cost, we love this way inexpensive and adorable solution for keeping your supplies organized.

Upcycled Cans Yarn Storage: Who doesn’t love having craft supplies right at their fingertips? This cubby storage system for yarn is constructed of recycled Trader Joe’s cans. Get the tutorial for the wall-mounted craft storage at Leethal.

Fabric Folding Tutorial: Visit Turning*Turning to learn how to fold your fabric like a pro. You don’t need any cardboard sheets or extras–just a ruler to make neat and orderly folds.

Shower Caddy Craft Supplies Storage: Your shower caddy hasn’t gotten this much action since college. Get more clever craft storage tips at Better Homes & Gardens.

Hanging Fabric Solution: Store your fabric in a hanging file cabinet at Sew Many Ways. It’s pressed and ready to go, and way more fun than balancing your checkbook.

Spice Rack Paint Holder: A spice rack turned painting station makes a splash at Bird’s Party Blog. You might even get the kids to help you with this project.

Scrapbooking Turnstile: A lampshade with the cover removed becomes a perfect vertical storage solution for Susan’s scrapbooking stickers! Check out her project at Creatively Savvy.

Cheese Grater Earring Holder: How cute is this idea at Duitang? Paint it in your favorite color and store jewelry supplies or wearables in a pinch!

More Craft Storage Ideas

Craft room organization and storage ideas at Craft Passion

Altoid storage tins from Matthew Moss

An entire blog dedicated to craft organization at Crafty Storage

Store clear rubber stamps in baseball card sleeves at Scrapinxoxo

Fabric scrap basket tutorial at The Sometimes Crafter

Toilet paper roll scissors Holder at Rustic Crafts

Reader Tips

Do you have any favorite organization tips? How do you tame the mess of your creative space? We’d love to hear your tips (or links to your favorite storage ideas) in the comments!

I really wanted to know how they decided on this sew along, and asked them to share some tips with fellow bloggers interested in doing something similar.

Can you tell me a little bit about the Zakka Style Sew Along and how it got started?

Lindsey: Rashida visited the Atlanta Modern Quilt Guild in February of this year to talk about Washi and her book, Zakka Style (C&T Publishing). We meet at a quilt shop and I hadn’t seen a copy of the book until that day. After hearing her speak and getting a chance to quickly look through the book, I knew I had to have it. I bought an extra to give away since Rashida was autographing copies that day. The response when I gave away the copy on my blog was amazing. So many people either had the book already or had it on their wishlist. I knew that I wasn’t the only one who thought it was awesome. One of my readers Duff suggested a sew along. I had already planned to sew through the book and share each project on my blog, but the thought of doing it together with others sounded fantastic. A few weeks later Amy emailed me and said, hey, I think you need to make this sew along bigger! There wasn’t a blog/book tour for Zakka Style when it was first released so we decided to do a different version of a book tour with bloggers actually showing a finished project from the book and then the participants and I would sew along from project 1 through 24.

Sukie: As Lindsey mentioned above, I read about her idea of the sew along on her blog and thought of making it bigger. Bigger meaning, “Let’s showcase different bloggers and how they would make the project.” It’s a slight twist on a book blog hop, the ones where they give you sneak peeks of the book. This way, folks get to see the finished projects while working on theirs at their own pace.

That sounds fantastic! Have you participated in any sew alongs in the past? What are some things you like about being in a sew along?

Lindsey: This is actually my first sew along, and I can’t believe I haven’t done it before. I really like the camaraderie of sewing with other people. Everyone is really encouraging and it’s a good chance to interact and learn new tips and tricks or get advice on fabric choices, etc. Plus you have a kind of accountability. Not that you would be in trouble if you didn’t keep up, but you’re more motivated knowing that you have others to share the process with.

Sukie: I’ve participate in a couple sew alongs. I love seeing everyone’s style come out of their project or even seeing a different way of doing something, especially something that I wouldn’t have thought of. The community feel of being in a sew along is the best. If you have issues or run into problems, just ask the group. That’s one thing I’ve grown to love about the sewing community – we’re all really supportive of each other and there’s no wrong way of doing something.

You have some great prizes for your sew along! Can you tell us a little bit about how to approach a company about sponsoring a blogging event?

Lindsey: Amy handled the sponsorship for this event, but my experience in previous sponsorships is to reach out to those shops/businesses that you’re loyal to. Most of the shops I’ve dealt with really love to support the sewing and quilting community but they don’t know about opportunities unless you ask. Tell the business how the event can benefit them, you kind of need to sell yourself! It can be intimidating, but with anything, the worst they can say is no.

So, there’s a new project each week of the Zakka Style Sew Along, with different bloggers featured each Monday. Do you have any tips for deciding on the timing or format for an online sew along?

Lindsey: For this sew along, timing felt a bit challenging. I knew I wanted to sew through the entire book, so with 24 projects the event would be a long one. I wanted participants to have enough time to get the projects done, but not so much time that you began to lose interest. I also needed to coordinate 24 different bloggers to make sure we were all on the same page. Weekly seemed like the best fit and so once the start date was chosen, we just went from there. I had to decide early on not to stress about other events that might come along or whether anyone would signup. There truly is room for everyone, so don’t allow yourself to be discouraged. As long as you’re hosting a sew along that you’re passionate about, it doesn’t matter if it’s just you and one other person! Doing something you love is the important part!

Sukie: An important aspect of a sew along is first seeing the finished product. You want to show readers, “Hey, it’s worth it to do this, and here’s what you’ll get after all your hard work.” I agree with what Lindsey. We looked at each project and they all seem fairly simple and decided that a week’s timeframe wasn’t asking too much. So if reader sees on Monday how the project looks when it’s done, then they’ll have the whole week to motivate them to finish. But also, if you can’t finish in the week time frame, don’t worry! Finish at your own pace. We have prizes at the end of each week but we also have a big prize pack at the end of each 6 weeks that we’re doing a random prize drawing for. The most important thing about planning a sew along is not to rush it or make it too long. You’ll lose readers because they can’t follow along or they’re anxious to move on the next step.

I’m sure it’s a challenge to stay organized through a big project like this, and I bet teaming up helps! Any advice for how you stay organized as a blogger, or how to balance creative projects with the other parts of life?

Lindsey: My best advice is to plan in advance. A well organized event takes time to coordinate so you need to give yourself time to work out all of the details. I try to write and schedule blog posts in advance so that I can stay ahead. That way if life happens, I’m not stressing out. Teaming up absolutely helps, too! Along with sharing the work load, you have someone to be your cheerleader on bad days and to bounce ideas off of. We also created a Flickr group for the contributing bloggers as a place to discuss plans and to ask/answer questions easily. This was really helpful in helping us all stay connected.

Sukie: Once you have your sew along idea, start planning! Give yourself plenty of time to organize. The more help you ask for – especially from friends that you trust – the easier it is on you. Make sure to keep a list and tick items off as they’re handled, or when issues come up, write them down. I would say one of the most important things to remember is: Don’t kill yourself with stress over a sew along.

Thanks for the tips, ladies! Week one’s project was a cute zig-zag tote, and here are some of the entries from participants:

1. Zakka style tote, 2. Zakka sew-along Zig-Zag-Tote 1, 3. ZigzagZakkaTote10, 4. Zakka tote – outside 2, 5. Zig Zag Tote – Zakka Style, 6. zigzag tote, 7. Zakka Style Zigzag Tote, 8. zigzag tote bag, 9. Zakka Style Zig Zag with Streptocarpus

As you can see below, there’s still plenty of time to grab a copy of the book and join in! Also, Lindsey is hosting link parties for each project on her blog, so follow along to see the latest projects, sew along and enter to win fantastic prizes.

• April 2nd :: Zig Zag Tote with Sew Fantastic
• April 9th :: The House Pouch with During Quiet Time
• April 16th :: Zakka Pincushion with Pink Penguin
• April 23rd :: Sewing Kit with Monkey Do
• April 30th :: Patchwork Pencil Case with VeryKerryBerry
• May 7th :: Itty Bitty Quilt Block Magnets with Little Bluebell

• May 14th :: Raincloud Mug Rug with Quilt Dad
• May 21st :: Zakka Block Quilt with I like Orange
• May 28th :: Stem Messenger Bag with Sew Sweetness
• June 4th :: Zip Organizer with Spotted Stone
• June 11th :: Orchard Path Tweed Pouch with Don’t Call Me Betsy
• June 18th :: Happy Couple Handwarmers with A Cuppa and a Catchup

• June 25th :: Patchwork Potholder with Sew Take a Hike
• July 2nd :: Water Bottle Holder with One Shabby Chick
• July 9th :: Elephant Bookmark with Cut to Pieces
• July 16th :: Patchwork Ribbon with {House} of A la Mode
• July 23rd :: Delightful Linen Bag with Sukie
• July 30th :: Bread Basket with Patchwork Notes

• August 6th :: Sweet Sugar Cookie Sack with BettyCrockerAss
• August 13th :: Little Pocket Pillowcase with Freshly Pieced
• August 2oth :: Sweet Memories Photo Frame with Noodlehead
• August 27th :: Pleated Coin Purse with Shape Moth
• September 3rd :: Happy Garland Message Board with Maureen Cracknell Handmade
• September 10th :: Nesting Boxes with From the Blue Chair

You can find the recipe for my Cookie Dough Frosted Brownies below. These shapes work in any brand die-cutter and you can save an extra 20% by using the code CRAFTBUDS when you check out!

Cookie Dough Frosted Brownies

Brownies

Prepare a box of Betty Crocker Milk Chocolate Traditional Brownie Mix 13×9 Family Size as directed except for add an extra egg so it’s a more cake-like consistency. Pour the batter into 12 muffin tins (or I did foil cups on a baking sheet), filling them 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 22 to 27 minutes.

Cookie Dough Frosting

• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Cream together the butter and sugar. Next mix in the vanilla and salt, then the flour until well blended. Gradually add milk until you get to a normal frosting consistency. I used 1/2 cup but you may need a little more or less. Lastly, mix in the chocolate chips. There are no raw eggs so this is totally safe to eat!

After the brownies have cooled, frost them with the Cookie Dough Frosting and you’re ready to serve!

Revolution Sale

If you’ve been wanting a die-cutting machine you’re in luck! Lifestyle Crafts is currently offering their best-selling die-cutting machine, the Revolution, for $59.99 while supplies last. The regular price is $89.99 and if you use our 20% coupon code, CRAFTBUDS, you’ll only pay $47.99! It’s similar to the Epic in that it die cuts and embosses. It has a 4″ magnetic platform so when you put your metal dies on the platform, they hold tight and don’t slide off. The 4″ platform is slightly smaller than the Epic, so it only works with dies and embossing folders that are 4″ or smaller and is too small for the letterpress. It is easy-to-use and compact.

This is a quick tutorial for a “button snake” toy to help kits with their buttoning skills. In case the word “snake” sets fear in the heart of your child or yourself, try calling it a button caterpillar!

For supplies, you’ll need felt scraps in a variety of colors, two buttons (1-inch and 1.5-inch across), about 18 inches of grosgrain or thick ribbon, scissors, a needle and thread. I used a die cutter to cut the felt flower shapes and some nail polish to secure the buttons and thread. I also created this project entirely with supplies from my stash, so it can be very inexpensive.

First, cut out several squares of felt in a rainbow of colors. I used 16 colors, but you can adapt this pattern to use whatever you have on hand. Use scissors and a circular template (like a drinking glass) to trace and cut circles out of felt. Instead of cutting circles, I used my Accuquilt GO! Baby and the Rose of Sharon die to cut out the largest size of felt flowers, which are about 3-inches in diameter.

Use your scissors to cut a slit in the middle of each felt shape, large enough for the smaller button to go through easily (but not the larger button). I cut my slits about one inch wide.

Next, hand sew the smaller button onto the top side of your ribbon end, repeating on the other end with the larger button. Secure button several times with your needle and thread, so the buttons don’t pop off with frequent use.

I used a bit of nail polish (you can use clear if you’ve got it) to paint the thread to the back of each button as an extra measure of security. Make sure to keep a close eye on your kids when using this toy, so they don’t put anything harmful in their mouths.

Note: If you are worried about buttons being unsafe for your children, you can leave off the buttons entirely and just sew a circle of felt perpendicular the bottom of the ribbon (example here) to use as a stopper for all of the other felt shapes.

Once the buttons are secure, use the smaller button to guide each flower onto the ribbon. The larger button will act as your stopper. Young kids can be engaged for hours with this simple toy, as they practice putting on and taking off the felt flowers.

It’s also small enough to stash with you in your toddler’s “busy bag” to take in the car, the waiting room or anywhere they need to be entertained!

Dahlia and the Button Snake (Thanks Suzy!)

If you make this or any of our tutorials, we’d love to see them! Just comment with the link or add the photos to the Craft Buds Flickr group.

In case you haven’t read it, I wanted to share a bit of Amy’s book Modern Basics: Easy Quilts to Fit Your Budget, Space and Style (Martingale & Co). The book has 14 quilt patterns that major on squares, strips and rectangles. Even the triangles on the cover quilt are approachable for beginners.

There’s also a Quiltmaking Basics chapter that talks about tools, block construction, squaring up quilt blocks, adding borders, basting, machine quilting, and binding. If I would have had this book when I made my first quilt, the section on bindings would have been so helpful!

“Basic Ease” is the first pattern in the book, and it is constructed from just 30 basic quilt blocks, making it suitable for beginners. Patterns are accompanied by full-color illustrations to help with piecing blocks and strips. “Tumbling Cubes” is another beginner friendly quilt design with squares that seem to float randomly across the quilt top. But again, one simple block can be repeated for stunning results.

“1, 2, 3!” shows a simple way to display great fabrics. Again, a single block design is flipped and pieced in alternating colors, and the resulting quilt is one of my favorites in the book. Plus, who can go wrong with Hope Valley?

“Basic Puzzle” offers another clean and modern design, with pieced rows of solid fabric making up the quilt top. Amy’s instructions paired with the illustrations are clear and easy to understand. If I make a quilt from this book (so many quilts, so little time!), I’m dying to try my hand at this one.

Amy also hosts the bi-annual Blogger’s Quilt Festival, which ramps back up on May 18, 2012. Make sure to check out Amy’s blog for updates on the free event for quilting bloggers, and the new button when it’s available.

A question for quilters: Think back to your first quilt. What was the trickiest part of putting it together, that you wish you’d known more about?