This three-scoop ice cream cone was crocheted in the late 70s by Pepperknit's mom. [Via Inspire me, now!]

My mother-in-law has a stunning antique Crazy Quilt that hangs on the wall in her home. I was visiting there today, and I caught my self inching closer and closer to the quilt, in an attempt to discover all of it's amazing details.

The tiny flower embroidery is so charming.

The discord is the one common thread. The shapes of each patch are just odd. And the colors, prints and textures match by not matching at all. When I look at these patches, I like to think about the special occasion dresses that gave up their velvets and taffetas, and all the well-loved items that went into this quilt.

The only identifying mark, and the only actual literally story reads: Fargo District Epworth League Convention- Ellendale June 30, July 1

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!

Anita in Denver, CO writes in:

I saw a show on the PBS channel that featured a lady putting neat old pictures on an old suitcase, then using shellac and sealing the old pictures permanently on the old suitcase. I want to do that project so badly this winter when it is snowing outside. I cannot find it anywhere. Can you help?

You can get shellac at the hardware store, with the liquid wood finishes. They make it in brush-on and spray varieties. It has a yellowing effect usually (which may be what you want), and is a water resistant finish. If that's not what you're going for, try Mod Podge, princess of all craft adhesives. You can brush it on as an adhesive and finish for affixing and sealing old pictures to the suitcase. Just make sure the suitcase and pictures are clean (and dust free). You can wipe the suitcase down with a damp cloth and then let it dry, or try a can of compressed air (from the office supply store, usually for cleaning computer keyboards and the like), then use any number of the vast plentitude of decoupage tutorials online to make your own!

• Going to Grandma's Laptop Case (pictured above)
• Cathy Callahan's Old School: Decoupage
  
• How-To: Decoupage Lamp
  
• How-To: Make a Decoupage Stool
  
• How-To: Make Decoupage Coasters
  

By Lindsey North, projects intern

So your best friend calls -- you're to attend a fancy dress party, costumes mandatory. But you have nothing to wear! However, you see fun beads and feathers sitting on your crafting table ...

From these small items, along with a clothes hanger, a headband, and a few scraps of fabric, you can make the perfect cocktail hat. (And if you want to make it completely outrageous, you can cover it in peacock feathers and sequins.)

In CRAFT Volume 10 we featured a Fancy Cocktail Hat and showed readers how to make a basic hat form. You start with a piece of metal wire -- an old clothes hanger works wonderfully, since it's light enough to bend easily but strong enough to hold its form.

I love Laura's softies over at the We Wilsons blog (the pig with wings! The turtle coming out of its shell!), but Laura has totally stolen my heart with this fantastic St. George and the Dragon flip doll. Aside from the fact that the flip itself is hilarious (is the dragon digesting St. George? Or the other way around?), the details are incredible: the visor lifts, St. George has a dapper mustache, and the dragon has rickrack spines. I am totally inspired. What other flip dolls could/should exist? Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? The Little Mermaid in both her guises? The Frog Prince? I could go on all day...

Be sure to check out the Wilsons Etsy shop; you can buy many fabulous softies (more flip dolls, too!) or pdf patterns.

Matt Maranian has contributed so many swanky projects to the pages of CRAFT magazine that they are perhaps too numerous to list here. Check out his author page for the whole array. Among my favorites is the Bibliophilic Stash Box, a sneaky little cache made out of vintage hardcover books, from CRAFT Volume 09:

I also love the Camp Lamp Chandelier from CRAFT Volume 06, where Matt taught us how to scavenge just the perfect branches and combine them with classic camp lanterns to make this rustic, kitschy delight:

Another one of my favorites is the Curio Case Table, which I featured as a Flashback last month, meaning you can access the whole project and make your own.

Matt's aesthetic is unique, and he never ceases to amaze us with what he could come up with next. We touched base with him recently to see what's new in his crafty world, and he was excited to announce the release of his newest book, L.A. Bizarro: The All-New Insider's Guide to the Obscure, the Absurd, and the Perverse in Los Angeles.

This is what Matt had to say about the book:

This is the much anticipated, totally revised, and munificently expanded edition of the #1 Los Angeles Times bestseller that I wrote with my longtime pal Tony Lovett, which was originally published in 1997. Although technically a "travel" title, L.A. Bizarro is actually our sardonic, irreverent, perverted, sometimes loving, oftentimes loathing, treatise on greater Los Angeles, disguised as a guidebook. It's a vicarious joy ride (or horror show) through Los Angeles culture and it's colorful, lesser-visited cracks and crevices. Having relocated to Brattleboro, Vermont, to open my new, used, and vintage clothing store Boomerang in '99, I had to jump back into the Bizarro saddle with a vengeance, taking a month-long research trip which had me hopping from nudist RV park to professional dungeon to colon hydrotherapy session, all the while cramming in as many dive bars, vintage diners, and third-rate tourist attractions as possible in my down time — all in the name of research of course.

Fun! Sounds right up my (dark) alley! In addition to the book, as Matt mentioned above, he and his wife Loretta Palazzo stay busy with their shop Boomerang in Brattleboro, Vermont.

Here's a super easy way to make table numbers for a wedding with this DIY vintage book table numbers project by Bird and Banner on Once Wed.

Vintage Spool Peg Rack
By Jessica Wilson

Little makes me happier than looking at a jar of vintage goodness. From bottle caps to bits of ribbon to an enormous jar of doll parts, I have quite a collection. This year I am pushing myself to move beyond the happy collections in the jars to actually doing something with them. What good are they really if they just sit there collecting dust? So, now and then, when I put together a gift or trinket for someone, the lids come off the jars and I rifle through them searching for the perfect encore. I may still add to the jars, but more often than not, I am using them and that is just dandy. As a crafter and maker of homemade goodness, I strive to use as much of my stash as possible. Here is an easy project for you to use up and display some of your prettiest vintage wooden spools. You can, of course, use any spools you have but the vintage ones will need no treatment, as their happily old fashioned tops are magical to begin with. When you are finished, you will have a vintage-pretty peg shelf to hang even more of your vintage lovelies.

When we added a bathroom a couple of years ago, I had visions of a nicely painted white wooden cabinet with frosted glass doors. I'd seen them at Crate and Barrel and IKEA, and thought they'd be perfect. But I couldn't find the right size, I was worried the IKEA cabinet might not last (I have 2 boys!), and it didn't end up feeling like a good match with our fairly rustic bathroom design.

So I searched Craig's List for inexpensive options. I ended up with a cute metal cabinet salvaged from an old doctor's office. I love that the top drawers flip down instead of pull straight out, and the old Formica top brings up fond memories. But I was worried about how metal would look in the wood-heavy bathroom.

For starters, the bright blue and stark white paint didn't match the pale green and rich rust that we'd gone with in the bathroom. It was time for another painting project! In the end it worked well, and I decided to use one of the wall paint colors combined with some semi-gloss paint we'd used to faux finish some beams in our living room several years ago.

Since the metal was already painted, I didn't have to use any special metal primer, and since I wanted a rustic look, I didn't have to paint carefully (not my strong suit). After my mom and I painted the different colors on, we took sandpaper and rubbed off the paint in a few spots.

I'm really happy with the results, and it's so much more personal than a cabinet bought at a department store. It's a good reminder to me that devoting a couple of hours to a project is more fun, more meaningful, and more satisfying than pulling out the credit card to buy something that looked good in the glossy catalog. And now my little metal cabinet matches the room!

Kristen writes:

The Knitting Vintage Tutorial Series covers everything you need to know about how to knit from vintage patterns and alter them to fit - without losing one bit of vintage style. While it's geared toward the vintage knitter, the information in these articles will help you alter any pattern - vintage or modern - with clear explanations of all the finessing and all the math involved in knitting pattern alteration.

Next Friday, we'll be featuring a pattern from Kristen's book, Vintage Baby Knits! Take a preview inside the book and see how vintage can be très chic for the wee ones!

Tara Young at Etsy writes:

Three years ago, Alice Saunders, a.k.a. Forestbound, and Francesca Zmetra, a.k.a. Thirteen Eighty-Five, became roommates in an old house in Jamaica Plain, MA. They didn't know each other at the time but because of their similar styles, they bonded instantly and became close as friends and creative colleagues. Alice's aesthetic tends toward old military Americana with a collection of canvas bags, found bones, birch bark, vintage lace and postcards. Francesca's taste is more feminine, influenced by wartime beauty parlors and apothecaries.

Check out more about these two lovely ladies.

Gareth @ MAKE writes:

Antique bottles have always fascinated me. Here's an amazing site with pretty much everything you need to know about identifying and dating "historic bottles." The site is maintained by the Bureau of Land Management.

More:

HOW TO - Make a Sea Glass Necklace

Thrift stores and yard sales are full of orphaned teacups, and I can never resist bringing them home. However, I don't think I could ever drink enough cups of tea to make my collection really worthwhile. So I found a way to repurpose these pretty vessels and turn them into something I'll use every day: a pincushion! The supplies to make these are cheap, but the results are adorable, making them an ideal last-minute gift. Here's how to make one of your own.

I just finished watching this video tutorial on Threadbanger with Zoh Morrigan on how to make stylish victorian spats for your boots, and now I want to go make a pair! I think I'll try making colorful fabric ones for my all-black Chuck Taylors.

Ginga Squid Studios in New Zealand makes these custom vintage doll eye rings that blink when you move your hand. So lovely and creepy! Via Street Anatomy.

The fabulously retro Cathy Callahan is no stranger to the pages of CRAFT, having projects published in six out of ten issues. She filled the Old School column in style, each installation featuring a different, neat craft from the past. Where does she come up with all of her old school crafty ideas? From crafts she and her super crafty mom would make together back in the day as well as from her collection of vintage publications and ephemera.

Here are some of my favorites. Back in CRAFT Volume 05, Cathy showed us how to take old magazines headed for the recycling bin, add a few crafty bits, and make this Folded Magazine Cat:

Then, in Volume 08, she showed us how to take our favorite flowers and preserve them with silica gel and a microwave:

We checked in with Cathy recently to see what she's been crafting lately, and here's what she wrote:

"My big news, of course, is my Martha appearance in March. Here are my blog posts about it: how it all came to be, how it went down, and the video itself.

Susan Beal took photos of her TV while I was on:"

"One of my favorite things that I have been doing lately is teaching craft classes. I absolutely love working with the students and am thrilled to see what they do. So far, I've been focusing on the basics of how to use a flower loom and papier-mâché (jewelry and accessories), but hope to develop more classes in the future."

"My next papier-mâché class is at Reform School/Home Ec in Silver Lake, Calif., on May 14 and 21.

And I'm so excited to be doing a papier-mâché workshop at Maker Faire on Sunday, May 31st at 2:00 p.m. in the CRAFT area in Expo Hall.

I have also been taking classes. While I was in New York, I took Denyse Schmidt's "Improvisational Patchwork" workshop. It was amazing experience! Denyse is so talented and I am so inspired by her work.

And when I am in the Bay Area later this month for Maker Faire, I'm going to head over to Berkeley to take the Natalie Chanin workshop. You choose a project from her book to do in the class. I'll be doing an appliqued scarf. I have been a huge fan of her work for many years and am really looking forward to the class.

I am a contributor (covered button necklace photo below) to the recently released Button It Up by Susan Beal
(available here)."

"I am also a contributor to a couple of upcoming books to be released this fall. For Kayte Terry's latest book Applique Your Way, I made an Enid Collins-inspired clutch bag. Also, Meg Mateo Ilasco interviewed me about craft fairs for her upcoming Craft Inc. Business Planner.

In addition to my Etsy shop, some of my favorite stores are now selling my flower loom kits:
Tinsel Trading in New York
Reform School/Home Ec in Los Angeles
The Curiosity Shoppe in San Francisco (where I will be doing a workshop/demo in July)."

"I have just applied to both of the upcoming west coast Renegade Craft Fairs, LA and SF. Keeping my fingers crossed that I am accepted.

And of course I've been picking up more vintage craft books and other stuff that I will be blogging about soon."

Thanks, Cathy! You can keep up with Cathy Callahan by reading her blog:
http://cathyofcalifornia.typepad.com/.

And make sure to pick up any back issues of CRAFT you may not already have in the Maker Shed.

Cool Hunting Video got up close and personal with the three men who run Grafica Fidalga, a printing press in São Paulo, Brazil. They use a machine from 1929 using hand-cut wooden letters. The way the machine works is mesmerizing.

More:

A Visit with Hello Lucky - CRAFT Video Podcast

Etsy just did a video tour of the home of Hannah from Made With Love by Hannah. The video shows off her truly epic stash of nicknacks and kitchy art collection.

More:

Revamp Thrift Sweater Vest to Dirndl Bodice-Like Top

From the pages of CRAFT: 06:

Gareth @ MAKE found this simple setup for transferring your old film to digital. From the Flickr user svofski:

A lens (or a macro lens, or a lens with extension rings) is inserted in the circular hole in front. A negative holder made of two sheets of vinyl with spacers is at the opposite end. After film is inserted, the box is closed and camera is aligned.

Since any remote source of light will be hopelessly out of focus in such setup, no special diffuser is really necessary. I normally use LCD display.

If you've got a busted up suitcase (on which one side is still good), think about turning it into a bed for your cat! Etsy seller vintagerenaissance does just that. My cat would like it just how it is, with no padding inside. Via EMSL.

I love doe-c-doe's idea of using packaging from vintage trims as gift tags. Even better, I love that she's scanned a few vintage trim packages and altered them for the perfect variety of gift-giving needs and has offered them up as a PDF for download. Enjoy!

Market Publique is a new website for finding vintage treasures online. From the site:

Market Publique is the only marketplace dedicated to vintage fashion. We are committed to bringing the community together so we can all have a place to buy, sell and discuss vintage in a positive and focused environment. Market Publique is based out of Brooklyn, NY.

Cathy writes:

i complimented heather on her choice of sewing machine and she proceeded to tell me the most fascinating story about them. she then went on to tell me all about her grandfather's time as a singer sewing machine rep. you know i'm a sucker for crafty history so i was totally blown away. i knew that we had just the right topic for her stop at my blog on her tour! what follows (in bold type) is what heather sent me - i just love it and am sure you will too.

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!

In the latest Etsy "process" video, we get a glimpse inside Holly Stalder's studio, where she creates unique wedding shrugs from mainly vintage materials.

It was so fun to see my friend and CRAFT's Old School columnist Cathy Callahan appear on Martha last week making her vintage straw flowers on an episode that celebrated Lily Pulitzer's 50th anniversary. Here's the video of Cathy with Martha.

Related:

• CRAFT Video Podcast: Vintage Flower Looms
• Mending Month: Cathy Callahan's Old School: Iron-On Patches
• Craft Biz Q+A: Cathy of California

Melissa at Yummy Goods gave a rundown of some recent second-hand finds of hers, and I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw this vintage beaded collar she happened upon. It's stunning!