Craftzine.com blog: Rachel Hobson Archives

Archives: Rachel Hobson

How-To: Embroidered Felt Heart Hoop

This cute heart embroidery pattern from Laura of Bugs and Fishes by Lupin is simple enough that you could easily stitch up several for your favorite Valentines this week. I particularly like her demonstration of how you can use parchment paper as a way to get the design "on to" the felt. She also shows how to finish the hoop off on the back so it is neat and tidy and perfect for gift giving.

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How-To: Vintage Train Case Charging Station

One of my good friends has a beautiful and fun collection of vintage train cases that she displays in the bookshelves in her living room. Their colors and cool vintage design makes them the perfect eye candy, and their roomy interiors make them practical for storing things like DVDs and video games. Here's one more way to take advantage of the practical ways a vintage train case could be used. Sara and Stacy of SugarSCOUT share their tutorial for transforming a vintage train case in to a handy charging station for your electronics over on Design*Sponge. There is some permanent modification involved, so if you can't stand the thought of drilling in to a vintage piece, you may want to avert your eyes. [via @modernjune]

Giant Paint Chip Valentine

We've posted loads of projects made with paint chips over the years, but here's a fun paint chip project that actually doesn't even use any of the colorful strips. Andrea of HandMAKEmyDay made this giant paint chip Valentine along with her husband, Cliff. Their time lapse video of how it came together is really fun, too!

How-To: Cross-Stitch Valentine

I love stitching on paper, so this Valentine project from Danyelle of dandee really strike my fancy. I love that she's provided a PDF that you can print and stitch directly on to. It makes the project quick and easy with just the perfect touch of low-effort stitching for high-impact results. Here's a tip for pre-poking your stitching holes in the paper: place a piece of craft foam under the paper and then use a thumbtack or your needle to poke the holes. This makes it much easier to stitch and will keep the paper from buckling as you stitch.

How-To: Crochet a Button

I guess it would be more than a little cliche to say this project from Lion Brand Yarn is "as cute as a button," but ... it just is. See how, in five easy steps, you can crochet sweet little yarn buttons that will match any project you create.

How-To: Lorax Mustache Pillow

The 25th anniversary of Earth Day happened while I was in college, and happened to be part of an environmental group on campus. As part of our festivities to celebrate, I read The Lorax at a local coffee shop. Yes, it was very 90s of me, but it was a story I'd loved since I was a kid. I'll be curious to see how the new Lorax movie turns out. I'm hopeful after laughing heartily at the previews. Nikki of Whimsy Love has a fun project for creating a mod pillow showcasing the iconic bushy mustache of the Lorax.

Garden Ladder Lap Quilt Pattern From Daisy Janie

I love this dynamic new quilt pattern that Jan of Daisy Janie is offering over on her blog.

With 8 fat quarters (plus backing & binding fabrics), you can make this simple and pretty Garden Ladder Lap Quilt. In my mock-up, I used 1 fat quarter from each of the 8 fabric designs in Daisy Janie's Tilly organic fabric collection. Tilly is inspired by my Mom, her 1970s garden and flowery decor, and I was eager to design a FQ lap quilt pattern that drew from that same garden vibe. I really like the natural flow throughout, and from one side to the other.

How-To: Valentine Surprise Gift Ball

This project from our own Lish over on MetroParent creates a fun way to give sweet little Valentine trinkets with a bit of anticipation as the recipient unravels the ball. She shows how to take a collection of small gifts and wrap them into a surprise gift ball that reveals each gift as it comes undone. See how to make it yourself over on MetroParent.

Related:
Easter Egg Surprise Ball

Water Droplets Dancing Around a Knitting Needle in Space

Astronaut Dr. Don Pettit is currently orbiting the earth onboard the International Space Station, and is known for regularly sharing his cool on-orbit experiments. His latest experiment made me particularly excited, because it showed that there are craft tools in space! Pettit reveals that in his "crew preference" he has a few knitting needles. He admits to not having a lot of time for "knittin' up here" but goes on to show a rad physics demonstration that includes droplets of water actually orbiting around the knitting needle. It's hard to capture the beauty of this process in a still shot, so be sure to watch the video to learn all about why this happens. I imagine you'll also enjoy Pettit's charming way of saying "knittin' needle." I'll also be dreaming of a day when knitting needles and embroidery hoops can be used for both cool physics experiments and crafting in space someday. Thank you for sharing, Dr. Pettit!

Gorgeous Video on The Process of Yuzen in The Creation of a Kimono

Jane of the Japanese Embroidery blog posted this gorgeous video of the Yuzen process used in making a stunning kimono in Japan. I've watched it through twice already, and become mesmerized in the many steps and processes demonstrated. There are people working in the video who make the delicate lines of resist-laying, gold leafing and stitching look so incredibly easy - the true sign of dedicated experts in their art. It doesn't hurt that the background music is a soothing piano track, making it even easier to slip into a follow-the-gorgeous-textile trance.

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