Bobbi-lee of TomandJasmine.wordpress.com starts off this season’s guest contributor cycle with a tutorial on how to make a very personal story booklet:

I made this little story booklet for my sisters 20th birthday which was last week and thought I should make a tutorial at the same time. This little booklet is a great gift idea for the young and old, or it can just be a little book of your illustrations or poetry. Have fun!

First of all you need to do the pages (unless you are making a blank book to draw and write in later then skip this part). I started with an A4 page of watercolour paper and divided it into 15 equal rectangles. Draw your little illustrations in pencil then paint them or colour them with your choice of paints.

Once you have done your little drawings and the paint is dry, outline them in black felt tip marker and write the poem or story in.

Once that’s all done you can cut out the pages neatly with a scalpel and ruler. Don’t cut yourself!

Now comes the fun part. Cut out some strips of paper for the binding. The pieces I used were about 8×4 cms but it really doesn’t matter what size as long as it is smaller than the actual pages. Now fold the strips of paper and glue one side of the fold to one side of a fold on another piece. Keep gluing the folded parts together until you get what looks like a mini book.

Now start gluing the back of the watercoloured pages to the mini book like in the image below. If this doesn’t make sense please let me know-I am terrible at explaining. Keep gluing each page until the book is all glued together. Remember to keep the pages in the right order you wanted and remember that some pages will be back to back.

Now that the booklet is almost done it needs a cover. I cut a piece of cardboard scrap I had lying around. Glue the last two paper strips to the cardboard. The cover is one piece of cardboard not two pieces. Once glued fold it like in the picture. You might need to hold it under some weight (such as another thick book) to help it keep its shape.

Now all you have to do is line the cover with some pretty paper. I chose this gorgeous scrapbook paper that has glittery accents on it. Line both the inside and outside of the cover.

Now you have a cute little story booklet. I tied it with pretty ribbon to give it something extra. You can print a title on the cover, use transfers or stickers or add some beads and ribbon. It’s up to you.

YouTube is a wonderful resource for all kinds of tutorials. Here’s a roundup of some tutorials I found interesting:

1. Napkin Decoupage describes different projects you can embark on using napkins and glue. It is produced by Crafts Beautiful, a U.K. based website that features a ton of different craft tutorials.

2. The second video is an introduction to working with polymer clay produced by Polymer Clay TV. You can view all their tutorials on their YouTube channel PolymerClayTV.

3. Of course, I had to include a wire wrapping tutorial. This one is by Auntie’s Beads and explains how to make a wire wrapped ring with crafting wire and some buttons. Auntie’s Beads’ website and YouTube channel currently feature 85 jewelry making related video tutorials.

4. Threadbanger produces my favorite crafting webcasts. This installment shows how to upcycle towels into a bathmat.

5. If you are looking for a craft project to complete with your kids on a rainy day, Vicki Bodwell of the Warm Biscuit Bedding Co. shows you how to make tissue paper flowers.

6. The final piece is by Crafty Daisies’ alumna Joy. I completely forgot about this video and stumbled on it on YouTube, so I thought I should include it. Here you can learn how to make polymer clay buttons.

Do you have some favorite YouTube tutorials you’d like to share?

Lisa C.! Thank you for all your nice comments and further suggestions. I’ve never worked with memory wire before, but your ideas have made me curious. Another material to try!

During one of your recent summer festivities, did you pick up “your” glass and, about to take a sip, discovered that the shade of lipstick on the glass rim didn’t match yours? To avoid such a shocking social faux pas consider spending 10 minutes making some wine charms.

Materials

• 4 inch length of copper wire per wine charm
• Dowel with the same circumference you want the charm to have. I used a broomstick
• Chain-nose pliers
• Wire cutters
• Anything you want to use to embellish the charms (beads, buttons, small hardware)

With the chain-nose pliers, make a P-shaped loop at the end of the wire.

Wrap the wire around the dowel to shape a hoop.

String the embellishments on the wire. These are plastic faceted beads.

Using the pliers, first bend up the P-loop by 90 degrees. If you hold up the hoop, the loop should be parallel to the table top. Then bend the straight end of the wire up to shape a right angle.

Trim the end of the straight wire so you can comfortably close the hoop by pushing the end through the P-loop. The whole thing will look like an earring hoop.

Here are some ideas to decorate the charms. Plunder the hardware store, or your jar of lose bolts and nuts for a more edgy look, or find some cool buttons and string them on wire or thread to attach them to the hoop.

The Giveaway

Here I used ink jet shrink film to print and bake different shapes decorated with these digital papers designed by the talented Bobbi-lee. Check out her blog at tomandjasmine.wordpress.com.

You can become the proud owner of these charms by leaving a comment at the end of the tutorial. I will draw the winner on Monday, July 7.

Have a fun holiday!

Max is here!! Congratulations to our fellow daisy Candace and her family. On Thursday she gave birth to Max. Check out his cool nursery on his Mom’s blog laughingdaisies.com.

Now, moving on to business:

Top 10 Reasons
to Become a Crafty Daisies Guest Contributor

10 You don’t have a blog, but you would like to write about this project you’ve been obsessing over and that none of your friends want to hear about anymore.

9 You have a blog, but you are too embarrassed to post something about your newly found love for amigurumi on your motorcycle blog.

8 You have a blog, and see this as a way to invite other people to visit your place on the Web.

7 You need a writing sample to document your blogging experience.

6 You figured out how to explain the German Twisted Cast On in three sentences or less.

5 You never forgave the middle school teacher who gave you a D in home ec/shop/art and you wish to show that person that, yes, you can create some amazing things with a glue gun.

4 You found this really cool crafting/knitting/sewing/decoupage/[fill in the blank] book, tutorial, video, [fill in the blank] and you want to share it.

3 I asked you to write for us and you haven’t gotten back to me yet!

2 You were very impressed with the benefits and compensation package we offered you in exchange for your contribution (Not!).

1 It’s fun to hang out with your virtual crafty friends.

So, if you are interested in becoming a guest contributor, send us an email to craftydaisies(at)gmail(dot)com with a brief description of the topic you would like to write about. For past contributions, check out the Guest Contributor category on this blog.

I have a new toy. It’s called a jig and you use it to shape wire into pretty, fun things. It’s essentially just a peg board with pegs.

You kind of guide the wire around the pegs. This one is going to be. . .

… an “interesting” bookmark.

So far I like my earrings best (note to self: buy more wire).

If you are interested in learning more about this tool, check out these links:

Jewelry Making Using a WigJig Jewelry Tool

Jewelry Making about.com: Wire Snake Jewelry Jig Component
There are other jig related articles at the end of that tutorial.

The WigJig company appears to have cornered the market on jig tutorials. Here is a collection of their videos on YouTube.

It’s 90 plus degrees and I could be sorting out summer clothes and putting winter stuff away, however, I’d rather be sewing! While attempting to deal with such mundane chores, I found a pair of Elizabeth’s jeans. While they are way to short for her, the waist still fits perfectly for my skinny child so they became the object of another refashioning exercise.

Part 1: Cutting up the Jeans

1. Lay out the jeans and cut off the legs right below the crotch. This will be the top tier of the skirt.

   

2. Open up the seam between the legs.
3. Look at the top part of the jeans and measure the distance from the waist to about one inch below the zipper of the jeans. In my case that was 6.5 inches/16.5 cm.



4. Mark this distance all around the tier.



5. Even out the bottom of the tier by cutting along your mark.

Part 2: The Math

Calculate the Width of the Ruffles

1. Decide how long you want the skirt to be and subtract the length of the jeans top tier from this number.



2. Divide the remainder by the number of ruffles you wish to add for ruffles of equal width. This skirt is 16.5 inches long. 16.5 – 6.5 inches for the top tier = 10 inches. 10 inches divided by 2 ruffles = 5 inch width per ruffle.

Calculate the Length of the Ruffles

1. Measure the circumference of the bottom edge of the top tier and multiply this number by two. This is the length of the second tier ruffle.
2. Multiply the length of the second tier ruffle by two. This is the length of the third tier ruffle.

These calculations will give you two fairly full tiers of ruffles. If you want the skirt two be less full, make the ruffles a little shorter.

Part 3: Cut the Fabric

With these measurements, cut your ruffles. You may have to join one or more strips of fabric to get the requisite length. For example, my first ruffle had to be 50 inches long and the fabric was 45 inches wide, so I had to cut another 5 inch strip to make up the 50 inches.

Part 4: Ruffle the Ruffles

1. For each ruffle, join the lengths of fabric you cut out to make a long strip.
2. Use your preferred method to finish the raw edges of the strips. I sewed a zigzag stitch along the edges.
3. For each ruffle, sew the long strip together to make a loop.
4. Ruffle the second tier ruffle by sewing long basting stitches along the top edge of the fabric.
5. Mark each quarter of the top jeans tier, e.g., front middle, left side, back middle, right side.



6. Repeat this for the second tier ruffle.
7. With right sides together, pin the second tier ruffle to the top jeans tier matching the quarter markings.



8. Gather the fabric between the markings by pulling the top thread of the basting stitch.
9. Evenly distribute the gathers.
10. Sew the second tier ruffle to the top jeans tier. Repeat this process for the next ruffle(s).

Part 5: Finish the Skirt

At this point you should have attached all the ruffles.

1. Hem the bottom tier.

I’m currently infatuated with bias tape hems. This skirt features homemade tape made out of matching fabric. For instructions on making this tape check out Step Four of the cashmere blanket tutorial. You could also just make a traditional double fold hem. (Fold the bottom edge to the inside and press, fold again, press and stitch.)

Dance the night away. This is the perfect party skirt.

This post continues the series of book reviews with Cute Dolls by Aranzi Aronzo. At the end of this entry you’ll find a slide show of a selection of softies exchanged during the course of last month’s softie swap.

This book provides instructions for 21 different cute dolls. The instructions are very simple and entertaining with comments such as

Bear is a slacker.
He’s always looking spaced out.
But it’s strange how relaxing his spaced-out, slacker look is.
It’s also strange how someone like him is actually an Aranzi Aronzo store manager.

Most of the patterns need to be enlarged by 125% to 150% for ultimate sizing. I scanned the pattern and enlarged it with Photoshop. You could also take the book to your local copy shop and enlarge the patterns there.

Each doll is made out of felt scraps and jersey fabric. “Jersey? Ugh, I don’t want to buy more fabric,” was my initial reaction. But then my glance fell on my Goodwill bag filled to the brim with ultra soft t-shirts from last year. So, if you have a special shirt you’d like to recycle, like Elizabeth’s Cape Cod t-shirt on the cat doll, take some shears to your clothing and create a softie. Speaking of softies, check out the softies made by the participants in our softie swap:

You can also read about them at the Flickr Crafty Daisies Softie Swap Group

I bought a pair of vintage curtains at an antique shop and want to use them in my kitchen. But what seemed like 2 really long panels at the store are only enough to span 2 of my 3 windows.

So I am asking for HELP in any of these ways!

1) You have some of this fabric in a bag from grandma and you would like to send it to me (or sell it to me)!
2) You have seen it for sale somewhere and how to contact the shop.
3) You know of any website that will help you find the pattern/number/code to identify old fabric so you can look it up to buy. I have tried to look for any such sight or discussion board but they are mostly about identifying the type of fabric (ie. wool, wool blend…)

I know this may be a long-shop but any suggestions or leads would be great! Thanks!

I got a few new books during the last months, which means y’all will be inundated with book reviews. The first one is Sew What! Skirts by Francesca Denhartog and Carole Ann Camp.

The premise of the book is that you can create your own funky designs with their instructions and a few basic sewing skills. The 16 different styles featured in the book are variations on two patterns: the straight skirt and the A-line skirt. The writers provide straight forward instructions on how to measure and draw the necessary patterns. In addition, they explain how to finish edges, make darts, sew hems, add different kinds of waistlines, and insert zippers.

Exhibit A, my Memorial Day project, is a fairly simple A-line skirt. It’s based on the East Meets West skirt in the book except I changed the zipper around, added a lining and used bias tape for the hem.

I love this hem. It was super fast and looks very neat.

It took me about an evening to make the pattern and cut out the skirt and three hours to put the whole thing together. The waist ended up being about 1.5″ too wide. Next time I would make the pattern smaller, and the A-shape less wide, and maybe try darts for the waist.

What I like about the book is that it gives you a solid basic footing to go forth and experiment with whatever look, fabric, trim, etc. you want to work with. A Flickr search renders 530 pictures. Below is just a small selection of what I found. If you do end up getting this book, make sure to go to the publisher’s website for the errata page. There are a couple of mistakes in the book that you would want to correct before you start cutting up your fabric.

I think Storey redid its website because the errata page I downloaded two days ago disappeared. (Thank you to Meredith for noticing this.) For anyone who has an early uncorrected edition, the corrections on the pdf were as follows:

Page 65 Half Circle Wrap:
All you need is 1 length of 42″–45″ fabric (about 2 1⁄2 yards for the average person), plus 1⁄8 yard for the waistband and ties. If you are larger than average, or prefer a fuller skirt, it’s better to use fabric that is 58″–60″ wide (about 3 1⁄2 yards, plus waistband yardage).
. . .
You will need to add to the W measurement to allow
for fabric overlap in the back of the skirt. To do this, measure where your waistline will be, then add 12″ to 14″ (or the amount you want it to overlap). Divide by 3 and round up to the nearest 1⁄2″. Then make your string compass as instructed.

Page 117 Nature’s Child:
under Stuff You Need it should read:
2 lengths* of 42″–45″ fabric
3⁄4–1 yard of complementary fabric