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Archive: Patterns
October 21, 2009
Easy Mermaid Tail Costume
When I was a little girl, I spent hours dreaming I was a mermaid. Every time I got near a pool or pond, I practiced swimming like one, and Splash was by far my favorite movie.
So imagine how lucky I thought my niece was when my sister-in-law sewed up a dozen mermaid tails for her birthday party this year! Now, Selena is as close to Superwoman as anyone I know (she's a design professor at the University of New South Wales, runs Griffin Kiteboarding with her husband, and has two amazing--and amazingly active--kids), so I wasn't surprised. I was surprised when she showed me how easy it was to make up a pattern and sew the tail (although making a dozen is a different story). It's easy to customize if your little boy doesn't want to be a merman, or your little girl prefers dinosaurs, and would make the perfect last-minute Halloween costume. It uses fabric remnants, and even I was able to sew one up in about an hour. Here's how.
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Posted by Arwen O'Reilly Griffith |
Oct 21, 2009 11:00 AM
Kids, Patterns, Sewing |
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October 12, 2009
Knit Watermelon Hat Pattern
Susan B. Anderson shares her knit watermelon hat pattern which is just so adorable to knit up for kids. Click the link and take a peek at the adorable photo of two little girls wearing their watermelon hat and eating watermelon!
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Oct 12, 2009 11:00 AM
Fashion, Kids, Knitting, Patterns |
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October 11, 2009
How-To: Felt Mittens With Knit Cuffs
These cozy felt mittens with knit cuffs from Molly at The Purl Bee are perfect for whipping up to get ready for colder weather!
Posted by Rachel Hobson |
Oct 11, 2009 03:00 PM
Patterns, Sewing |
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October 5, 2009
Toddler Leggings Pattern
Lisa at Fitzpatterns wasn't able to find many downloadable sewing patterns for babies so she decided to make use of her daughter's nap time to sew up clothes for her little one. For just $1.50, snatch up this pattern for comfy toddler leggings.
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Oct 5, 2009 11:00 AM
Kids, Patterns, Sewing |
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October 1, 2009
Hanging Bat Mobile Pattern
Make your own hanging bat mobile using this pattern by Jen and Jake along with some fabric and a few branches.
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Oct 1, 2009 03:30 PM
Amigurumi and Toys, Halloween, Patterns, Sewing |
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September 24, 2009
Portland Craft Community Rallies Around Beloved Thrift Store
A group of Portland, Oregon crafters have joined forces in support of their favorite craft thrift store, The Knittn' Kitten, which is struggling in the sluggish economy and is in danger of closing. Over the next two months, various crafters will be creating and offering free patterns for projects that can be created with things found at the Knittn' Kitten. Contributors include Diane Gilleland, Susan Beal, Teresa Sullivan, Joey Groendes, Christine Blystone, Lee Meredith and Bridget Benton. I recently blogged about my adventures at The Knittn' Kitten, and I know Portland wouldn't be the same with out it. Be sure to follow the projects at each of the crafter's blogs. You can also check out the Knittn' Kitten Flickr pool, where folks are uploading pictures of the treasures they've found at the Kitten. Enjoy!
Posted by Rachel Hobson |
Sep 24, 2009 06:00 AM
Patterns |
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September 23, 2009
Ikea High Chair Cushion Pattern
Well, I just discovered my next sewing project! I have one of these plastic Ikea high chairs gathering dust in my garage from my niece's last visit; I've been trying to decide whether or not to keep it for my little one when he gets ready to join us at the table to eat. It seemed kind of uninviting and a bit boring, but what a great idea to spice it up with a great piece of fabric and some padding! Better yet, you can get the high chair cushion pattern for free over at Burda Style.
Posted by Arwen O'Reilly Griffith |
Sep 23, 2009 05:00 PM
Babies, Patterns, Sewing |
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September 22, 2009
Color Theory for Yarnies: Matching the Mismatched
When faced with a pile of yarn scraps, it can be quite a puzzle getting them to match. How does one take yarn from a baby sweater and get it to look dazzeling with leftovers from a men's glove set? Or what about that half skein of verigated yarn? What will that go with. Today I'm going to show you some practical applications of color theory! I love Joseph Albers' teachings on color theory and read them like a favorite novel. Not everyone does though, or may be asking, who is Joseph Albers anyway? Without reading texts on theory, you can still get some great use from color theory basics. I'm going to show you how using stripes + some basic color theory makes color matching a no brainer.
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Posted by Kristin Roach |
Sep 22, 2009 02:00 PM
Cozy Up to Yarn, Patterns, Yarn |
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September 16, 2009
Crochet Nunchaku Pattern
Shala at Don't Eat the Paste has a pattern to make these crochet nunchakus. Great as a toy or dress up accent for ninjas on Halloween.
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Sep 16, 2009 08:00 AM
Amigurumi and Toys, Crochet, Patterns |
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September 14, 2009
Easy House Slippers
Easy House Slippers
Do as the Norwegians do and make these super-simple slippers.
By Liecel Tverli Scully
There's a saying where I am from: "Don't just sit there with your hands in your lap — knit something!" I grew up in the far north of Norway, above the Arctic Circle in Saltdal, a small town on the edge of a fjord. Knitting was the perfect way to pass the time during the dark, cold winters. At school, knitting class was a requirement; when I was in the 5th grade, we had to make a pair of socks using five needles. It was a complicated project and I remember having a really hard time with it. But my poor friend Roger was so frustrated he threw his half-done sock into the fireplace at home, needles and all. That's right — at my elementary school the boys had to learn to knit as well!
This is a pattern that is really popular in my valley right now. It's an easy project that makes a fun, cozy slipper. If you know basic knitting, you'll knit these in no time.
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Sep 14, 2009 01:00 PM
Cozy Up to Yarn, CRAFT Patterns, CRAFT Projects, Felting, Knitting, Patterns |
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Basket Weave Baby Blanket
Jen at The Purl Bee has a pattern to knit this gender friendly basket weave baby blanket using Koigu merino in a multi-color with a strand of natural white to soften up the colors.
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Sep 14, 2009 11:00 AM
Babies, Knitting, Patterns |
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August 28, 2009
Queen Anne's Lace Pillowcase Project
Alicia of Posy Gets Cozy shares a project on Sew, Mama, Sew, a Queen Anne Lace Pillowcase project where you can embroider a sweet looking Ollalieberry.
From the pattern:
Embroidered all in one color of embroidery floss, this simple design uses only three stitches -- stem stitch, satin stitch, and French knot -- for a modern take on a very old-fashioned flower.
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Aug 28, 2009 10:00 AM
Home Decor, Needlearts, Patterns |
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August 23, 2009
Log Cabin Washcloths Pattern
Knit up these colorful log cabin washcloths with the pattern by Whit of The Purl Bee.
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Aug 23, 2009 08:00 AM
Knitting, Patterns |
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August 17, 2009
How-To: Crochet Bracelets
The Purl Bee is featuring a beautiful and simple crochet project by Laura Normandin from Wren Handmade to make these lovely crochet bracelets.
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Aug 17, 2009 12:00 PM
Crochet, Fashion, Patterns |
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Apple Pincushion Pattern
Nicole at Craftapalooza has a pattern for sale to make this adorable apple pincushion. I love the way you can mix and match your fabric scraps to create this patchwork gem. [ via Whip Up ]
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Aug 17, 2009 11:00 AM
Bazaar, Patterns, Sewing |
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August 12, 2009
Snug as a Bug Sleep Sack
Knit this snug as a bug sleep sack with the free pattern by Robyn of A Devine Life.
Robyn writes:
All babies need a bit of extra snuggle when first born, and sources tell me they should also be wrapped up tight. But what if your babe likes to kick her legs?I fell in love with the Kicking Sleep Sack some time ago, but with such small needles, my hands revolted before I could finish up a bag. Here then is my worsted-weight counterpart. By using slightly thicker yarn, this pattern will practically knit itself, while still keeping everything soft enough for even the most sensitive of babes! And as an added bonus, you use the entire skein of yarn, so there’s no need to figure out what to do with leftovers!
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Aug 12, 2009 12:00 PM
Babies, Knitting, Patterns |
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August 10, 2009
Knit Summer Kerchief
Knit up this adorable Summer Kerchief by Whitney at The Purl Bee -- a great quick and portable knitting project!
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Aug 10, 2009 11:00 AM
Fashion, Knitting, Patterns |
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Free Pattern For Everyday Glam Bag From U*Handbag
Lisa of U*Handbag is offering up a free pattern for this Everyday Glam bag. The bag has inside pockets and can be sewn in portrait or landscape versions.
Posted by Rachel Hobson |
Aug 10, 2009 07:00 AM
Patterns, Sewing |
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August 7, 2009
Best of CRAFT Pattern Podcast: BurdaStyle's Maddy Top
This week's CRAFT Pattern Podcast is one we featured back here in 2007, the Maddy Top from BurdaStyle. It's a stylish top that you can sew up this weekend to wear right away. This top's signature look is centered on the diamond gathered in the front. Make sure you choose the right fabric because the lighter the fabric, the harder it will be to sew the diamond. One tip is to secure the gathering with a stitch line before you sew it to the other pieces of the top. For more how-to's related to this project, check out the Maddy page on BurdaStyle.
Also check out the mod version of Maddy in Stretch, with some tips for using the pattern with jersey fabric.
Download the Pattern PDF | Subscribe in iTunes
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Aug 7, 2009 12:00 PM
CRAFT Podcast, Fashion, Patterns, Sewing |
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August 5, 2009
Frog Wheat Bag Tutorial
My mom has had a long love affair with frogs (made birthdays really easy when I was growing up), and I recently caught the bug myself (so to speak) at the California Academy of Science.
So of course I fell in love with this adorable froggie hot sock (or hot frog wheat bag, as it's referred to in the original post), and now there's a wheat bag pattern and tutorial! I'm totally smitten with that fabulous fly lolling on the greenest of tongues. Gotta make myself one of these to stick in my pocket or the little one's stroller on a cold San Francisco summer (ha!) morning... (Via Whip Up.)
p.s. Check out the Wikipedia page on frogs for some jaw-dropping frog tidbits.
Posted by Arwen O'Reilly Griffith |
Aug 5, 2009 01:30 PM
Homemade, Kids, Patterns, Sewing |
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