Design*Sponge » Blog Archive » sewing 101: stuffed hearts. The fact that Valentine’s Day has just passed actually provides a great opportunity: why not put a little bit of the love and sentiment we enjoyed on the holiday into everyday life?
There’s no reason to limit the gifts of love to just once a year. Show someone you “heart” them all the time with one of these quick and easy stuffed hearts! The pocket is perfect for tucking in a tiny gift, love note, or tickets to an event. If you don’t have a gift to tuck, leave off the pocket to make a simple little plushie that’s a present in itself. I love the idea of leaving these hearts everywhere–on your work friend’s keyboard, your sweetie’s pillow, or even at a table setting. CLICK HERE for the full how-to after the jump! Materials Heart templates (download and print using the link below)Assorted medium-weight cotton fabricsFiberfill stuffing (optional: you can also use lavender or dried lentils)Thread to match fabricPinsScissorsSewing MachineIron and ironing boardHeart Template 1. 2. 3.
Design*Sponge » Blog Archive » sights & sounds: superchunk. Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan have been making art longer than they’ve been making music, and they’ve been making music for quite a while.
The Chapel Hill, NC, music-scene figureheads first formed frazzly DIY rock band Superchunk in the late 1980s and have played together on and off ever since, most recently returning after a nine-year break with last fall’s Majesty Shredding LP. The two also founded and continue to run Merge Records, one of the most respected and successful independent labels in the country, home to acts like Arcade Fire, Spoon, She & Him and many, many others. Along with a rotating cast of supporting musicians, Superchunk has released nine full-length albums and a slew of 7-inch records and singles over the years, all of them sporting cover art created by one of the two bandleaders, who try to stay active in visual art despite their hectic careers and young families.
Cover art by Mac McCaughan Laura, tell me how you started doing visual art. Sewing 101: making a pouf. Add a burst of color to your room with this crafty pouf!
At 17” wide and 10” deep, it’s large enough to serve as floor seating or a foot stool. (And if you have pets, I have a feeling they may want to make this their new favorite spot!) This project is a little challenging to sew, but it’s not too difficult, so if you’re comfortable with the basics of sewing, give it a try. You can make a colorwheel effect with a range of solid colors, or choose a variety of patterned fabrics for a louder patchwork effect. Medium-weight cottons work well for this design (check out quilting shops for great selections of solids and prints). I love the idea of making a set of these poufs in a range of sizes, for a sculptural stack of cushions that will become a room element in their own right.
CLICK HERE for the full how-to after the jump! Finished Dimensions: 17” diameter by 10” tall What You’ll Need ¼ yard each 12 coordinating fabrics (I used quilting cottons) 1 yard muslin 3 pounds fiberfill stuffing iron 1. Sewing 101: cookie cutter ornaments. Few things spark nostalgia like favorite family recipes, and Christmas cookies have got to be one of the most nostalgic family treats of all.
I designed these tree ornaments to commemorate some of my favorite cookie cutters. These were made by tracing the cutters themselves then adorning them with embroidery “icing.” They’re a great way to craft a non-perishable version of your favorite holiday goodies! Still looking for last-minute gifts? Make these for your siblings using your mom’s cookie shapes. CLICK HERE for the full how-to after the jump! Materials felt (I love wool felt, but craft felt works fine, too.)cookie cuttersembroidery flosssewing threadhand-sewing and embroidery needlesfiberfillscissorsdecorative cord 1.
Using a cookie cutter and pen or thin marker, trace two cookie shapes onto the felt and cut them out. 2. Working with three strands of embroidery floss and using simple, straight stitches, add the details you would normally make with icing. 3. 4.