Craftzine.com blog: Ask CRAFT Archives

Archive: Ask CRAFT

May 20, 2009

Ask CRAFT: Kids' Warm Snuggler

This week's question comes from Liz Allen:

My 3½ year old son, Phoenix, has autism. One of the things he craves is skin-to-skin contact. However, it's not just any skin, it's my skin, particularly my stomach and back. He calls it "tummy" and he prefers that he's touching me with his feet. Because he's so young, he's never been able to explain this to us but you can see on his face that his anxiety goes away when he is touching me. We are trying to break him of this habit because it's become something like a drug that he craves. I know it makes him feel better but I can't lay in bed with him all day and night and allow this.

The other day he was talking about "tummy" and we started asking him why he likes it. He says it makes him feel warm.I asked him if there is anything that feels as good as tummy does, to which he replied, "Having warm water all over him," AKA a shower.

So I began thinking about what I could do to recreate this feeling for him. Something warm, portable, and that has a similar feeling to skin. Which brings me to my crafting question: With all the great minds and readers of Craft, maybe someone would have an idea to help my son, something I could make or have made that he could sleep with and take in the car.

In the video above, I describe how you can make a "warm pack," or fabric pouch filled with rice. You can pop it in the microwave and it will stay warm for about half an hour, or you can insert one of those hiker's heating packs into the inner velcro pouch to keep it warm for up to eight hours while in the car, etc. I used Ultrasuede, a very soft microfiber (not actually leather), which feels very much like soft skin. You can find it at most fabric stores in the upholstery section; look for remnants specifically (here's a site that sells swatches). I used sew-on velcro for the closure to prevent any adhesive fumes from being released when it's microwaved. I hope this helps, please let us know how it works for Phoenix!

If you have a question for Ask CRAFT, shoot me an email at becky@craftzine.com, or drop us a note on Twitter! We'd love to answer your crafty questions on any topic: technique, projects, crafty culture, or anything else! Each week the answers are here; include your name, where you're from, and your website or blog if you have one!

Subscribe to the CRAFT Podcast in iTunes, or download the m4v video.

May 13, 2009

Ask CRAFT: Sewing Undies

Lori writes in:

I'm a relatively experienced crafter and seamstress, but no matter how I try, I can't seem to get a bra and panties just right. I'd like to make a non-wire bra and a "flutter-kini" or boyshorts.

Tight-fitting garments made from stretchy fabrics are some of the most difficult things to sew. Pick yourself up the book Patternmaking for Fashion Design and skip to the swimwear section. It's got great fundamental industry-level knowledge about measuring the body and creating a pattern, plus in-depth explanations for sewing with knits. If you want to get started right away, find a pair of panties that fit how you want, then take them apart with a seam ripper. Trace the pieces onto paper to make your pattern. Note the way the grain of the fabric runs, and make sure you keep that consistent when you cut out your pieces. Grain and bias are paramount to your success. I don't have any first-hand experience with any lingerie design books, but maybe some of our readers can suggest some!

Please keep us posted and share the results!

Pictured above is the cami and panty set by Amy Karol, made from an old t-shirt.

May 6, 2009

Ask CRAFT: Mother's Day Interview with Bette Stern (My Mom)

For this week's Ask CRAFT, I'll be the one asking the questions. I interviewed my mother, Bette Stern, to find out her thoughts on being a Crafty Mama. Since her kids are all grown up, I asked her to reflect on what it was like raising kids in a DIY home.

What are the crafts you enjoy doing the most?

I enjoy knitting, quilting, and counted cross stitch. I also enjoy refinishing furniture, stripping woodwork, home improvement, and building.

What activities did you do with my siblings and me when we were kids to promote creativity?

Dad and I have always enjoyed making things. I sewed clothes for all of you when you were young, I always had a knitting project on the needles. We built an addition to the house when you were all younger and you and your siblings took the scraps and built a fort in the yard. Dad used to draw pictures on your lunch bags that you took to school each day. There was always some sort of DIY going on in the house and you and your siblings were a part of it. I don't recall setting aside time to do crafts with you specifically, but you had Legos, painting supplies, fabric, yarn, etc. available to create whatever you had a mind to create.

What's it like raising children in a crafty family? What crafts did we do together that stick out most in your memory?

It is a real joy to see children growing up and learning to do things. I taught you to sew, but you were able to design and create like nothing I've ever been able to do. It's amazing to see your children take a basic idea and expand it to be their own. Dad and I raised you and your siblings in a household were there was always something being made or created. Dad cooked and you and your siblings stood on chairs and watched and "helped" I sewed curtains for my first apartment and you took those old curtains and created pajama bottoms. We had a pretty active household and you and your siblings were always a part of the activity.

My sister has tried to lean to knit and crochet several times with little success; what do you do as a parent when something you love to do just doesn't "stick" with your kids?

I've never expected my children to love to do what I love to do. In fact I never thought about this until you asked the question. When each of you asked to learn something that I felt I could teach you, I taught you. If you wanted to continue to do it, I encouraged you to. If you wanted to do something else, I encouraged that. In your sister's case, she asked me to teach her (as you said several times). I taught her, but she never had a passion for it and didn't ever continue beyond the lesson(s). You asked me to teach you to sew and to knit and crochet and you loved it. You couldn't seem to get enough.

Now that your kids are out of the house, how has your crafting changed? Does it get lonely in your sewing room?

I'm still passionate (obsessed) with the same creative outlets as always. What's changed is that I'm creating more for myself and Dad and the house and less for others. My sewing room has always been a place where I go to be alone and shut out the rest of the world. So, no, it's not lonely there. I love it there.

What about the introduction of grandkids into the picture? What do you make for them?

I've made quilts for my grandchildren and I've made them each several sweaters. They have both asked me to teach them to knit. But, at 3 and 4, they are still a little young. In a few years I'll have them knitting (but only if they still want to learn).

How does the internet engage with your craft hobbies?

I have found many patterns for knitted projects on the internet (more than I have time to make). It is also very easy to find the specific yarn or other materials I need for a project. I found fabric that I wanted to use as the backing on a quilt I was making but my local quilt store didn't have enough. I had the name of the manufacturer of the fabric and the style number. I googled the fabric and found several online stores that carried exactly what I needed. Because I had already seen it in the store I knew the color was just what I wanted. Websites like Craftzine and Ravelry help me stay connected to what other people are creating and it inspires me.

Did your mom have much influence, craft wise, when you were growing up? What skills did you learn from her, and which did you teach yourself?

My grandmother (your great grandmother) had a greater influence on my crafting than my mother did. My grandmother taught me to crochet when I was about 6 years old. She gave me a lot of her leftover yarn and I crocheted a lot. I remember a couple of specific projects. When I was 9 years old I crocheted a bib for my baby sister and when I was about 12, I made my grandmother an afghan with squares of the leftover yarn and even crocheted the word "grandma" in the squares. I have that afghan now. My grandmother also taught me how to embroider. Counted cross stitch came much later, but my grandmother taught me how to do embroidery stitches on pillow cases. I taught myself to do crewel and needlepoint. My grandmother didn't know how to knit. My aunt taught me to knit when I was very young, but I didn't remember how for long. When I was in my teens, my mother re-taught me the basics of knitting, but she didn't do it much as I was growing up. She started knitting more after she had grandchildren. I learned to sew from my mother and then in school. I sewed most of my clothes in high school and in college.

Grandma knits in the English style, and you and I knit continental. Why the switch, and how did it come about?

I started knitting English style. The secretary in the physical education office at my college saw me knitting one day and told me that she could show me a way to knit much faster. She taught me Continental style. And it is much faster. At the time, I didn't know the different styles were called English and Continental. I only learned that recently. I taught you to knit the faster way. A couple of years ago my mother asked me to teach her to knit the way I do because it seems so much faster. I tried to teach her, but she just couldn't get the hang of it. It wasn't comfortable for her, so she still knits English style.

How important is it to you as a mom to pass along your craft knowledge?

I like that you and I can share our love for certain crafts, but more importantly, I want my children to do what they enjoy most. If anyone is interested in learning from me, I'm happy to teach them. I taught Dad now to knit and when I was pregnant with your brother, Dad actually started to make a quilt for him. I think it's fun to create and I get excited when I'm with others who also like to create. I look forward to teaching my grandchildren as well.

You bought me my first sewing machine for my 13th birthday, and I still use the same machine today, many years later. What advice would you give to moms when buying tools and supplies for their kids?

When we bought you your first sewing machine, you had already shown that you were very interested in sewing. It didn't make sense to buy you a machine that wouldn't last very long. We wanted to get you something that you could use right away and that would still be useful over time, and that has proven to be true. We never bought "toy tools" for any of you. When you showed an interest in something: music, crafting, building, etc., we made sure you had access to the tools you needed. So, my advice would be to buy, borrow, or build the tools and/or supplies that kids need to do what they are passionate about. It's never a bad idea to buy the right tool for the job.

Thanks Mommo!

April 29, 2009

Ask CRAFT: Sewing Rubber and Other Sticky Materials

Bernadette Noll writes in:

I've got a question for you. We've been sewing rubber inner tubes recycled from the local bike shop. You can see a picture on our blog of the cool bags we've been making. We love the materials and there are oodles of them being thrown away but we'd like to make the sewing of the rubber simpler. Do you have any suggestions for running the rubber through easily?

The rubber has an extremely smooth, nonporous surface, the same as most sewing machines. The two surfaces stick together, making it hard to pass the rubber through the sewing machine. The only solution I've seen to this problem is to use a piece of tissue paper, newsprint, or other thin paper in between the rubber and the machine. Use a heavy-duty needle and thread to avoid snaps and tangles, and make sure your presser foot tension (how hard it presses down on the material) is set correctly for the thickness of material you're sewing through. When you've sewn the rubber, you can simply tear the paper away; it will have been perforated by the needle.

If you have a question for Ask CRAFT, shoot me an email at becky@craftzine.com, or drop us a tweet! We'd love to answer your crafty questions on any topic: technique, projects, crafty culture, or anything else! Each week the answers are here; include your name, where you're from, and your website or blog if you have one!

April 22, 2009

Ask CRAFT: Knitting Machines

Susan from Minnesota writes in:

I am going to be the new proud owner of a used knitting machine that I am getting through our local "Freecycle." I am a knitter, but have never worked on a machine. Do you have any information, websites or references you could share with me?

I recently acquired a knitting machine myself, and I had to do a lot of research about them before picking one, then had to bid on many eBay auctions to get one I actually wanted. The most important resource for you as a new owner is the manual for your machine. Mine came with the complete manual, and I look at it at almost constantly while using the machine. It should explain the workings of your machine in great detail. If yours didn't come with its manual, you may be able to download it from online. Try typing the make and model number into a search engine, for example "Brother KH930E manual," and see what comes up.

There's a great roundup of knitting machine resources on about.com, actually, which links to the best pages (some quite old, but then again, so are these knitting machines) with resources for machine knitters. The woman I got my machine from on eBay restores machines with missing parts and then resells them, and is extremely knowledgeable on the subject. Her name's Patricia, and if you send her a message on eBay I'm sure she'd help you out.

If you have a question for Ask CRAFT, email me at becky@craftzine.com or drop us a tweet!

More:

CRAFT Video: Machine-Knitted QR Code Scarf

April 15, 2009

Ask CRAFT: Navigating Maker Faire

Amy Zimmer from Sebastopol, CA writes in:

I would love to go to the maker faire in San Mateo--but crowds flip me out! Do you have any suggestions or must sees for navigating for a crafty mostly gift giver type crafter (and maybe her two girls, ages 10 and 14)?

I think each of us experiences a bit of enochlophobia or agorophobia at some point during Maker Faire; there are just so many people! Well, Amy, you should definitely check it out, it's a great event for the whole family, and here are some tips that might make the experience more enjoyable for you and everybody else who's not at piece in a crowd of tens of thousands:

Buy your tickets in advance

Avoid the ticket line by buying your tickets online in advance.

Check the Maker Faire site regularly

In the weeks before Maker Faire, there will be more and more information published to the Maker Faire site including schedules of demos, makers who'll be attending, and information about transportation to/from the Faire. This will help you know what to expect to see, which should make the visit a little less overwhelming

Make a loose plan for the day

Using the schedule provided online and onsite at the Maker Faire, decide which demos and events are a must for you and your girls (diet Coke and Mentos at 12:30? Soft circuit demo at 11am?), and then plan your day around those. Know which maker and crafter booths you want to get to, and allot time to get to them between time-specific events. By all means, also allow time for unexpected things to catch your eye, but having a plan of attack can help you feel in-control.

Shop early

If you plan to shop in the Bazaar Bizarre and/or Maker Shed, do it early in the day. Sure, you'll have to carry around your purchases with you, but this is when the crowds are smaller in these parts of the Faire.

Find some quiet time

This one is the hardest tip to actually implement, but it can certainly help. Find a shady grassy spot to eat lunch or otherwise relax and reflect. Drink plenty of water throughout the day to stay hydrated (oh, what a difference it can make in your energy level and mood)!

I hope those tips are helpful to you, and that you'll come out and see us at Maker Faire! Have you been to Maker Faire before and have tips for Amy? Share them in the comments below!

If you have a question you'd like answered here on Ask CRAFT, drop me an email or tweet at us!

April 8, 2009

Ask CRAFT: Fusing Plastic Bags

This week's question is about fusing plastic bags:

I was watching threadbanger last week and saw the episode on ironing plasticbags to a laptop case, which was so cool, I wanted to make one for myself. But when I tried, the plastic just either would not couplettley fuse or it got all wrinkly and not usable, so I gave up. Then I thought I would ask craft if they have any tips on which plastic bags to use, what heat to put the iron on and other hints and tricks so I can successfully fuse plastic bags!

Please help
Makealife
From Switzerland

Well, I certainly do have some tips! Here at CRAFT we're huge into plastic bag crafts! First off, there's Bre's video above with Anda from Etsy showing you exactly how it's done. She says the temperature will vary based on your iron, but somewhere between the polyester and rayon settings will probably be best. And don't forget to use wax paper to surround your fusing plastic! It won't stick to the iron that way. I also like her tip of turning printed bags inside out so the ink doesn't melt all over the place. Etsy also has a photo tutorial you should check out on this process. I hope these two places help you with your problems! Perhaps the plastic bags you're using are different than the ones commonly found here in the US? Best of luck to you!

Do you have a question for Ask CRAFT? Send it to me at becky@craftzine.com, or tweet at us, feel free to send photos or video questions!

April 1, 2009

Ask CRAFT: Laptop Case Static and Straightening Bootcut Pants

Miss Fish in California writes:

I would like to make a laptop bag, but have heard that there may be some issues with static. I crochet and tend to use natural fibers. My idea is to crochet a large, flat bag in wool; and to tack it to a neoprene skin before felting it. Will this work to prevent static damage to the laptop?

This is a common misconception. Laptops are designed to handle and dissipate static electricity through a safe channel. As long as you're not sticking the thing up to a Van de Graaff generator, a little shock now and then won't harm it. You'll see static warnings when you go to do things like add more RAM to your computer, because those chips and the exposed circuitry is sensitive to static, but when it's al closed up, the metal bits that the shock goes to are most likely connected to the computers common ground, directing the static away from any sensitive parts. You could make the laptop case entirely out of wool if you want!

Photo from Flickr user Ara Alexis.

Bonni writes in:

Do you have any suggestions as to how I might taper my bootcut jeans and pants into straight leg? I've done it recently, but they seem to come out looking a little obvious. Mind you the result is still better than what we did in the 80's which was sewing up one leg, over the crotch and down the other side.

What's most difficult about changing the leg shape of jeans is usually the flat-felled seam found down one or both sides of the leg. You're right to start with the inside, as the seams there are less visible, but you might consider taking in a bit on both the interior and the exterior of each pant leg to make it really straight, instead of veering off to one side. Here's a nice Instructable on making flat-felled seams, which should help make the alteration less obvious, but you can also try topstitching your seam down with whatever color thread the rest of your jeans uses. The ones I'm wearing right now have a thicker, tan topstitching, so matching your jeans thread will make all the difference when trying to keep the original look. After that, throw them in the wash a few times to see if you can wear the seams in; some of jeans' coloring happens after they're constructed, which gets you those slight changes in coloration around the seams. Best of luck to you!

If you have a crafty question, send it my way! You can email me at becky@craftzine.com including just your question, or even images and video to go along with it if you'd like! You can also tweet your questions to us on CRAFT Twitter.

March 25, 2009

Ask CRAFT: Patching Sensitive Spots and Vintage Knits

Jennifer writes:

I've noticed the wonderful jeans/pants mending tutorials you guys have posted this week. They're useful and informative, but here's my conundrum: My jeans always wear out in the, uhm, crotch area first. (One of the less-discussed perils of being a bit overweight is ones legs rubbing together) The jeans are always in great condition otherwise, but these holes make them unwearable. Any tips or techniques for making repairs before I recycle these jeans into purses and bags?

I've had crotch holes in jeans before, and it really stinks! I tried zigzagging over the tear with similar color thread, but ended up with an uncomfortable build up of thread that just hurt when I wore them. It's a delicate operation for sure, but I'd say that now that I have plenty of other types of patching experience, that a reverse-applique technique with knit jersey is probably the best approach. Using thread that's the same color as your denim, you can recycle an old blue t-shirt or buy some knit jersey from the fabric store. Use Goli's reverse applique tutorial, and look at my "stylish stitches" jeans patching tutorial, and make a compromise between the two. You can hand stitch the patch to avoid an uncomfortable build up of thread. Take pictures and let us know how it works out!

Kristy writes:

Your mending theme has got me thinking about items I've been meaning to repair. Top on this list is a lovely hand knit skirt my father's grandmother made as a teenager in the mid-1930's. It is starting to develop holes, and I'm afraid that it will simply unravel if I wear it in this state. I can darn and patch with the best of them, but I was wondering if there is a better way to repair hand knit and hand crochet pieces? Can you splice in to repair the actual stitches somehow?

What I worry about with this skirt is that if it's developing holes in multiple places, the delicate yarn must be disintegrating because it's so old. To patch the holes, you can use a grafting stitch (also called a kitchener stitch) with a small tapestry needle to sew in the path the yarn should take. It's essentially the same as a duplicate stitch, except you won't be duplicating right inside the hole, you'll be placing new yarn there. I would follow the path of the yarn all around the area of the hole including through the hole itself. In my research I also came across the term "Swiss Darning" for this technique. The larger problem still needs to be addressed, though. If I had such a skirt, I would definitely want to show it off, but wouldn't want to damage it further by wearing it around town. Maybe you could sew a fabric lining to which you could carefully affix the skirt? If you sew the knitting to this fabric base in various places (down the sides, along the waistband and hem, for example), the knitting wouldn't hang with as much weight, but rather rest on the strong fabric substrate, thereby alleviating strain on the fibers. I hope that helps! We definitely want to see pictures, so send 'em over or add them to the CRAFT Flickr pool.

If you have a crafty question, please email it to me at becky@craftzine.com. You can also make a video of your question, send me pictures along with your question, or even send us an @ reply on Twitter to ask!

March 18, 2009

Ask CRAFT: Sewing Elastic

This week's question is from Violet:

Quite often when I'm crafting, I find that I have a need to sew a "loop" of elastic - similar to what you'd find inside the waistband of your favourite 'jamma pants. I slightly overlap the two ends of the elastic and, using my machine to run a quick line of stitching, I try to attach them together. Inevitably, I'm left with a gigantic mess of thread - knotted and clumped - on the underside of the elastic. Sure, it holds the pieces together, but it's not pretty and it doesn't lay flat and, in short, NOT GOOD. Can you help? My machine is in great shape (regular tune-ups and care) and I'm using sharp needles.. What's the correct process? What am I missing?

I have the same problem. In this video I show three ways to help prevent this from happening. The main problem with sewing elastic is that the unstretched rubber easily catches (with a lot of friction) on the needle and thread in the sewing machine, causing various forms of unsightly and decidedly non-flat knots of thread. One method is to stretch the elastic while sewing it, helping pull some of that looseness out of the bits of rubber so they can't catch the thread so much. Another is to zigzag between the two pieces of elastic so you're not sewing through two layers at once. The third is to anchor the elastic to its casing (your waistband, for example) at the same time as you join the ends of the loop. The extra layer of fabric between the elastic and the bobbin/feed dog area will help uncatch the elastic from the needle and thread as it passes through the layers. Be sure to email me your crafty conundrums at becky@craftzine.com!

Subscribe to the CRAFT Podcast in iTunes, or download the m4v (iPhone) or mov movie.

March 11, 2009

Ask CRAFT: Cat-Scratched Couch

Dear Becky,

I have something I would like to mend this month (and it is Mending Month) -- my sofa. My awesome and sweet cat, Flaquita, has spent years scratching at the upholstery. On the back corners you can see some stuffing and framing. I plan to keep my sofa, but I really would like to cover up the corners that my cat has macked. I am not a slipcover girl and my sewing skills leave something to be desired but I can always try.

Laura
New York, N.Y.
http://ladylulu.wordpress.com

Laura, it happens to us all. Here's mine:

Sweet Beatrice just loves this chair so much, she tears it to shreds. I can show you how to mend it if you can get the pieces of fabric to line up, but yours looks a little further gone. Use the tips and sewing technique below, but you're going to have to use an inset piece of matching fabric. Maybe there's an extra piece you could cannibalize from another part of the couch (under the cushion, perhaps?). Otherwise, snip off part of the fraying bit as a swatch and go hunting for a match. Since you live in NYC, see if the folks at Mood can help you find the right one. Once you find it, cut off the damaged bits from the couch and patch it using an invisible stitch. This method doesn't make the patch sit above the base fabric, but lay flat with it, so you should hardly notice when you're done. Read on to see how!

If you have a crafty question, send it to me at becky@craftzine.com. You can record a video, send me pictures, or use just text; ask any way you like! Check out this post about Ask CRAFT for more info.

Read full story

March 4, 2009

Ask CRAFT: Plying Yarn

When I posted about the amazing yarn I customized at Yarnia in Portland, OR, I got a lot of questions about plying yarn. At Yarnia the yarn is wound together from many "singles," or individual strands of yarn to make up one unit, but the strands remain individual, making it a little more difficult to work with than plied yarn. I asked one of my professors, fibers artist Jerry Bleem, if he could teach my class how to ply yarn, or twist the singles together into a single strand, and in this video he does just that. Plied yarn is also much easier to work with on a knitting machine than non-plied yarn because there's less of a chance of one of the individual fibers catching where it's not supposed to. If you have a crafty question, send it on over to me at becky@craftzine.com for use in a future installment of Ask CRAFT!

Subscribe to the CRAFT Podcast in iTunes, or download the m4v (iPhone) or mov movie.

More:

Make your own Yarn at Yarnia

From the pages of CRAFT, Vol. 08:

Travel Crafty: Portland including Yarnia, pgs. 98-99. by Diane Gilleland. Purchase the back issue in the Maker Shed.

February 25, 2009

Ask CRAFT: Crafty Communities and Adhesives

Welcome to the second installment of Ask CRAFT! I'll be alternating between video and text with the intention of providing the most useful method of communication for the questions at hand. Here are this week's questions! If you have suggestions for these askers, leave them in the comments!

How do I "break" into the community?

I have recently been feeding my love of crafting and would love to know how these people are sharing their crafts and how you find them. I have just joined ravelry which is a great site. I want to share some of the things I am doing because I'm so inspired by this wonderful blog! If you have any suggestions that would be great. Thank you so much for contributing to my new favorite website!

Sarah Fennell

I'm sure anybody just getting into the online crafting communities has this question. The answer is simple: put yourself out there! The best way to do this, in my opinion, is to start a blog or website. You can get a free account on Blogger or Wordpress without much computer-savvy and start posting your projects away. You can post your projects on Craftster, Ravelry, Instructables, or any of the myriad other community crafting sites, and even link back to the project on your blog if you have one. Once it's up online, spread the word! Here are some additional pointers:

Make sure your pictures and words are clear and descriptive
Share your photos by adding them to Flickr groups
Send a link to your project using suggest-a-site forms on your favorite blogs (including here at CRAFT! It's not a faux pas to suggest your own work). Make sure to send project-specific links, not just a link to your main blog page, which changes over time.
Consider making a tutorial for your project, folks love to learn new techniques!
Leverage the viral media power of your friends by sharing your project on Facebook, Twitter, etc.

Glue questions

I do a wide variety of crafts and seem to always have problems finding the right glue. For instance, when instructions call for PVA glue, does that mean plain 'ole Elmers? And epoxies! Yikes, do I really need to be a mad chemist to get the kind of bond advertised? Help me with my attachment issues, please!

Mary T. from OKC

What kind of glue can you use to attach metal to metal?

Jenny

By far the best online resource for these questions is the adhesive advice site thistothat.com. Simply input the things you wish to glue, and it will recommend substances. It'll give you info about where to get the items they suggest, in what ways they may be toxic, and how long they take to adhere. We even consulted with them for the Common Bonds reference in the back of the Maker's Notebook, a table illustrating which glues to use when. I refer to it often when working on projects away from my computer. And yes, Mary, PVA is plain Elmer's white glue.

Send me your crafty conundrums at becky@craftzine.com! I'll take them via email, video, carrier pigeon, or skywriting. Until next time!

February 18, 2009

Ask CRAFT - Modifying Vintage China and Crafty Ethics

It's time for the first installment of Ask CRAFT! This week I cover a question from Pollie in New Jersey about adding new elements to vintage dishes, while keeping them food-safe, plus Theri from Ohio writes in with a craft fair ethics question. Don't forget to email me your crafty conundrums at becky@craftzine.com. If I didn't answer your question this week, it doesn't mean I've forgotten you! I've been receiving some stellar questions and I'm saving some of the best ones for future installments. Keep 'em comin'!

Subscribe to the CRAFT Podcast in iTunes, or download the mov, mp4, or iPhone version of this video.

February 11, 2009

Ask CRAFT - New Weekly Column!

I'm totally psyched to announce a new weekly column here on the CRAFT blog called Ask CRAFT. We want you to write in with your crafty conundrums, your material mysteries, your technique troubles! I'll scour all resources available to me to bring you an answer. Some weeks will be video responses, some weeks text, but always with plenty of advice and links to take you further! No question is too out-there, just try me! Please write to me at becky@craftzine.com and include:

your name (or pseudonym, if you prefer)
your question/problem/situation
your location (general or specific, you decide)
a link to your website or blog, if you have one

You can ask me about anything we cover here at CRAFT, check the categories in the sidebar if you can't remember them all. You can even ask me a question via video! If you get stuck in the middle of a project, take a quick video and show me the problem, then send me a link to it on YouTube or similar. I look forward to reading and looking at your questions!

< Previous | Ask CRAFT Home

Craft:

Ask CRAFT: Kids' Warm Snuggler

Ask CRAFT: Sewing Undies

Ask CRAFT: Mother's Day Interview with Bette Stern (My Mom)

Ask CRAFT: Sewing Rubber and Other Sticky Materials

Ask CRAFT: Knitting Machines

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