While at Maker Faire in May, I got a chance to get a terrific demo from Vivian Lavinskas of Singer Sewing Company on their Singer Futura line of computerized embroidery machines. Having one myself and being a techie, I can vouch for how amazingly cool these machines are. They connect easily to a PC and allow you to embroider from pre-set designs or in the CE-250 and CE-350 models, you can also use your own images for embroidery!

As mentioned in the podcast, each month a new embroidery motif is available for free download from the projects section of the Singer web site. You can also check out the many great sewing and embroidery projects as well.

My first project with the Singer Futura CE-250 embroidery machine was to test out the CRAFT logo above. The software was really simple to use and imports lots of file formats, then coverts it over to embroidery stitches that the sewing machine reads. Then I used that design template to embroider the logo onto vintage tablecloths which were used at our booth at the recent ICE Atlanta craft fair.

Just a bit of stop-motion video amusement for you, featuring lots of fun crafty components like yarn, googly eyes, and more. Western Spaghetti by PES, via Supernaturale.

Over at Core77, Michael DiTullo (Design Director for Converse) sketches a shoe in a real-time video. I found it just mesmerizing to see the shoe take shape on the page. They also point out a few key tips that Michael uses for better rendering, including rotating the page frequently and keeping a supply of sharp pencils nearby.

More:

• DIY Shoes - CRAFT Video Podcast
• Handmade Shoe Roundup
  

Jennifer Perkins of Naughty Secretary Club shares her Top Five Tips on how to get the most out of your flea marketing experience. Visit her blog for even more helpful hints.

We are excited to announce a new book from CRAFT -- Fashioning Technology: A DIY Intro into Smart Crafting by Syuzi Pakhchyan, is available starting today. Learn how to take your craft projects to the next level with "smart" materials where you can create accessories, housewares, and toys that light up, make sounds, or do even more. Fashioning Technology offers jargon-free primers and lots of how-to projects that will have you making -- and even wearing -- functional works of art. Watch this special CRAFT Video Podcast and get a preview with Syuzi herself as she takes you through some of the fun projects!

Buy Fashioning Technology by Syuzi Pakhchyan in the Maker Shed today!

This book demonstrates how to blend sewing and assembly techniques with traditional electronics to assemble simple circuits using conductive thread, solder joints for snaps, and switches for buttons. With the sewing machine as a viable substitute for the soldering iron, you can craft a new generation of objects that are interactive, quirky, and fashion-conscious.

Look for Fashioning Technology Kits soon this Summer in the Maker Shed! For now, check out the rest of our CRAFT Kits.

Thomas Maiorana of Boot y Amor gives us a great follow up to his CRAFT: 07 article with plenty of tips on how to make your own shoes by using old soles.

As mentioned in the video, head to Fabric Outlet in San Francisco for great affordable leather pieces.

Fabric Outlet
2109 Mission St
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 552-4525‎

From the pages of CRAFT: 07:

"Old Sole, New Shoe," by Thomas Maiorana, pgs 92-98. Preview the article now in our Digital Edition.

Subscribe to CRAFT Magazine
Craftzine readers can now get $5 off a yearly subscription by entering the code MCRAFT. That's just $29.95 for 4 quarterly issues!

Related:
CRAFT: 07 The Shoe Issue - On newsstands now!

Melisser, aka The Urban Housewife, shows you how to make a delicious (and vegan) strawberry-rhubarb cobbler on the Everyday Dish show.

Indie disco-pop starlet Doe Deere (warning: her site has sound) shows how she made over her outdated clunky wooden dresser with spray paint and sneakiness in this funny YouTube video.

Vickie writes:

Starting now, each holiday season will be webdazzled (the internet's version of "jazz hands") by 5 new craft segments hosted by 5, very different designers (yours truly, Kathy Cano-Murillo, Pattie Donham, Leah Fung, and the O'Neil Sisters)--hopefully providing a little creative somethin'-somethin' for everyone!

Related:
Book Review: Sew Everything Workshop by Diana Rupp

Do you or your kids like to make movies that require dramatic doors? The teens at Phantom Moose Films made these great ones from nothing more than cardboard and spray paint. The video is of three different ways they can be used. The site has plenty of pictures from which to glean the processes they went through.

This week's CRAFT Video Podcast comes courtesy of the fine folks at Skates.com where Luanne Teoh and Richard Humphrey show us how to build a pair of roller skates as featured in our current issue of CRAFT: 07!

Download the MP4 Video or HD Version | Subscribe to CRAFT in iTunes

To celebrate the new shoe issue of CRAFT Magazine vol 7, Skates.com is giving our CRAFT readers a 15% discount from now until June 6, 2008. The coupon code is CRAFT07.

If you'd like a pair of custom skates built for you, just send Skates.com the shoes of your choice or choose the boots you'd like.

Note:
The 15% only applies to the our Custom Skates/Build Your Own category. The 15% is taken of the price of the product before tax and shipping.

From the pages of CRAFT Magazine, volume 07:
"Roll Baby Roll!" by Luanne Teoh & Richard Humphrey, pgs 62-65. Subscribers can read the article in our Digital Edition.

Subscribe to CRAFT Magazine and save 42% off the cover price. One year brings you 4 quarterly issues for just $34.95 / year (U.S.).

Bead Simple author Susan Beal has been uploading some great how-to videos to her site, including this one, which teaches you how to make the beautiful Vintagesque Necklace pictured on the cover.

MP4 Video | QT Video | HD | Subscribe in iTunes

Hi Crafters! The Maker Faire is just around the corner, happening on May 3 & 4 at the San Mateo Expo Center in San Mateo, CA. Here's a quick video preview of some of the fun activities you can expect in the CRAFT side of the fair. (Photos from Maker Faire Bay Area 2007 and video footage from Maker Faire Austin 2007.) Stay tuned for more Maker Faire news on the CRAFT blog in the days and weeks to come!

Aleximo points us to this little gem: Check out this music video for Architecture in Helsinki's song "Like it or Not," using a combination of embroidery and stop-motion animation. A Joy!