A guide to help creatives start blogging

While I'm on the subject of books, here's a really useful one. Blogging For Creatives: How designers, artists, crafters and writers can blog to make contacts, win business, and build success. Robin Houghton has put together this super guide to help anyone (not just creative types) set up a blog from scratch and make it go.

The book avoids technical jargon, is easy to understand, and won't make your eyes glaze over. Robin addresses hosting options and blogging platforms (what's the difference between Blogger, WordPress, Tumblr, and others?), the anatomy of a good blog post, how to promote your blog, options for advertising and sponsorship, and legal considerations. Step-by-step screenshots show how to get things done. The book also features dozens of example sites with tips from a variety of bloggers sprinkled throughout. Including yours truly.

I speed-read through the entire book and would definitely recommend this to anyone interested in starting to blog, or looking to grow their little blog into something with more impact.

My review copy has the UK version of the cover; the just-released US version has a different cover design but same interior. Grab it here at Amazon, and get more blogging tips at BloggingForCreatives.com.

Sewing book: Happy Home

Chronicle Books has recently released Happy Home: Twenty-one Sewing and Craft Projects to Pretty Up Your Home by Jennifer Paganelli, the designer behind Sis Boom Fabrics. I peeked at a review copy from the publisher and snapped pix of my favorite projects: a duvet cover with piping, a pleated bed skirt, patterned boxes, and floor-length drapes.

Make them with Sis Boom fabrics if you adore an explosion of candy-colored florals and wish you lived in a garden. Or choose geometric prints and lots of solids if you love a modern look and wish you lived inside a Room and Board.

Many, though not all, of the book's projects are classic enough that you can achieve any decorating style by switching out fabrics. That's the beauty of sewing it yourself— you can make it exactly how you like it instead of settling for what's in the store. Plus you'll be so proud you can hardly stand it. I remember the first time I sewed a pillow out of fabric I designed. I thought my head was going to explode, I was so pleased.



Other projects in the book include party bunting, pillows, a tote, an apron, laundry bag, dog bed cover, pillowcase, fabric-covered headboard, and bed canopy. Written instructions are accompanied by illustrated diagrams, and a couple of printed sewing patterns come in a pocket inside the front cover. Bright, cheerful photos of finished projects are peppered throughout. Happy Home is available here at Amazon.

Free sewing tutorial: Geek Chic iPad Case

Hello, everybody! I'm back from my travels. I hope last week's orange round-up didn't scald the retinas of those who prefer other hues. I've got a freebie for you today, and you can make it in any color you like (though I do recommend orange).

The Geek Chic iPad Case is a sewing project from Lisa Lam's book A Bag for All Reasons. You might know Lisa from her site U-handbag.com. Since I have a bag addiction, this book with 12 different sewing patterns makes me super happy. They're modern, clean, and make smart use of hardware. I've seen tons of bag and purse patterns that combine appliques, ruffles, and patchwork in a crazy mess. Cool if you like that sort of thing, but I prefer simplicity. Let the fabric be the star, I say! So I'm a fan of Lisa's lovely patterns. Want to try out a free project from her book, compliments of the publisher?

Download the Geek Chic iPad Case tutorial here.
Download the flap template here.

If you dig it, you can purchase the whole book here. Happy sewing!


(Photos from A Bag for All Reasons.)

Practical Origami book

While we're on the topic of origami, the publisher of Practical Origami: Folding Your Way to Everyday Accessories sent over a review copy the other day. Take a peek at what you can make! The book is full of instructions for folding boxes, bags, envelopes, containers, coasters, flowers and more. The illustrations and written directions are clear and simple to follow, and there's a guide to the symbols and types of folds at the beginning of the book. Find it here at Amazon.

Useful book: Sew Up a Home Makeover

I just got ahold of a copy of the new Lexie Barnes book, Sew Up a Home Makeover: 50 Simple Sewing Projects to Transform Your Space. It was fun to see my fabrics featured on a few items, including this cute butterfly chair and pillow. The book is full of instructions for customizing everything with fabric: a roller shade, sofa slipcover, upholstered headboard, duvet cover, reversible placemats, marshmallow floor pouf, switch plate cover, window curtains... and a mere 42 other things. It's really too bad Lexie was running low on ideas.

Sewing with Oilcloth book and free patterns

I'm always attracted to the oilcloth section in fabric stores. So shiny and retro and wash-offable. But I always stop short of buying any since I don't know what to do with it. I just received a review copy of Sewing with Oilcloth by Kelly McCants, and it's got 20 DIY sewing projects for oilcloth and laminated cotton. Download a couple sample project tutorials at the end of this post!

The book offers lots of tips and tricks for working with oilcloth. Should you pin it? Iron it? Wash it? How do you finish bias trim? Will your sweaty legs stick to an oilcloth cushion on a hot summer day? Wonder no more. (Well actually, that last question is not addressed in the book, but the rest are.)

I haven't tested any of the directions yet, but everything is super cute. You could sew a makeup bag.

Or a box cushion.

Or an apron, wallet, storage bin, baby bib, messenger bag, or the farmer's market tote above. In fact, you can download a printable PDF (5 MB) with instructions for that tote here. Or get PDF instructions (27 MB) for the book's chalk cloth table runner project here.

How to make a sewing box from a book

Today I'm sharing a project from Lisa Occhipinti, a painter, book artist, Etsy seller, instructor and author based in Venice, CA. Lisa loves rescuing discarded books and using them in her paintings and projects—including the sewing box project in her new how-to book, The Repurposed Library.

The Repurposed Library presents 33 items crafted from books: learn to make wreaths, vases, shelves, storage boxes, and more. If you get a kick out of watching people wield glue guns, check out the book's lovely trailer.

To learn how to make a sewing supplies storage box from an old book (choose a sewing book for maximum awesomeness), download the PDF instructions. The file is 1.3 MB, so be patient if it takes a minute. Go make yourself a sandwich and come back. Then keep your eyes peeled for an orphaned book that needs a new lease on life.

Fabric sighting in 1,2,3 Sew

Ellen Luckett Baker of The Long Thread just sent over a copy of her new book 1,2,3 Sew which comes out next month. My Fireworks fabric is used for the craft caddy project. Love it!

The book comes with pattern sheets and instructions for making accessories and projects for the home—many of which are embellished with pleats, decorative machine stitching, applique, or stenciling. I've got my eye on a pleated satchel, reversible girl's skirt, and a stenciled cosmetic bag. The book design itself is pretty adorable with its rounded corners, charming fonts, and lovely photography, too. You can order it here from Amazon.

How to run a freelance business

You might have seen this book floating around the internet lately: Creative, Inc. by Meg Mateo Ilasco and Joy Deangdeelert Cho. If you're thinking of freelancing in a creative field, I highly recommend it. When I transitioned a couple years ago from working full time at a design firm to working for myself, I read through several books on this topic. Most of them left me slightly panicky and overwhelmed with complex legal terms and business forms; not to mention many of the books were outdated. But this little volume offers clear, accessible advice and steps to follow. It's realistic: yes, you'll need thicker skin to deal with rejection. Yes, you'll put in lots of hours for what feels like little return (at first). But it's also inspiring. The interviews with successful freelancers are fascinating, and the useful information from Meg and Joy provides a road map to get you where you need to go. I wish I'd had this book earlier!

How to make leather jewelry

Recently I got my hands on a copy of Nathalie Mornu's book Leather Jewelry: 30 Contemporary Projects. Leather isn't something I've ever worked with, but this book makes me want to start. It's like felt in a lot of ways: easy to cut, doesn't ravel, and comes in pretty colors. You can rescue thrift store bags and coats and recycle them into bracelets and earrings and all sorts of goodies. Special supplies like snap setting kits are needed for some of the projects in the book, but others don't require anything fancy. Some of the pieces are too far out there for my taste, but many of the bracelets, cuffs, and earrings are very wearable.

To download a free PDF tutorial for the stamped earrings on the right, head over here and click the corresponding photo.

Fabric sighting in One Yard Wonders

A couple folks tipped me off that one of the projects in Storey Publishing's new book One-Yard Wonders uses my fabric. So I had to investigate.

There it is, in this casserole caddy project. And I assure you this yard of fabric is very pleased to be photographed next to that Orla Kiely (love her!) pear canister. Kind of like when you get to have your photo taken with the president or someone. Not that I would personally know. George Bush Sr. and Secret Service did walk down the hall past me once at a conference I designed graphics for, though. It was my only brush with serious fame. But I digress wildly.

People, I love this entire book. 101 adorable sewing projects that all use only one yard of fabric. That's my style, all right; you won't catch me sewing anything bigger than that. The photos are beautiful, and it comes with patterns for any projects that require them. I recommend it highly.

V&A Pattern series

I'm enjoying a review copy of the V&A Pattern Set, a beautiful little series of picture books with patterns from different eras and artists: William Morris, Indian Florals, Digital Pioneers, and The Fifties, all from The Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The best part: each book comes with a CD of all the images. The digital files are about 6" x 8" at 300 dpi. (Images are for personal use and enjoyment only; commercial applications must be approved by V&A Images.) The books are available as a set or individually. Guess which one is my favorite volume.

Tossed and Found

A review copy of Wary Meyers’ Tossed & Found arrived in my mailbox this week. After thirty seconds of thumbing through it, I was ready to drop everything, hop in my car, and start driving down alleys looking for abandoned junk. Authors John and Linda Meyers rescue unwanted stuff and transform it into one-of-a-kind items for homes; the book shows off their projects with instructions. It's completely inspirational. And it makes me feel a little sorry for myself because I don't have a workroom or a garage. Using power tools in my living room doesn't quite work, and I'm not lugging a stack of old barn siding up three flights of stairs. But no matter. I have renewed determined to find something and fix it up. I'll keep you posted.

Fun books

I've been flipping through review copies of some nifty craft books. Take a look.

You can learn to knit crazy animals and, um... people? in The Knitted Odd-bod Bunch by Donna Wilson. They're so wacky that I think I love them.

The Perfect Apron by Rob Merrett features 35 apron projects that vary from simple to frou-frou. With so many to choose from, one of them probably is your perfect apron. The book has tear-out patterns and templates, too. Nice.

And so that men-folk don't feel neglected, I present to you ManCrafts, reprinted from WWII-era Popular Mechanics articles. Learn about leather tooling, block printing, braiding and knotting, and most essential: fly tying. Full of great wisdom, such as, "The true woodsman has great respect but no fear for his axe," and "Fly tying is one of the most interesting and useful of all the handicrafts." Really? Mentally noted.

Books galore!

There's a stack of fabulous books on my desk right now that you might find inspiring. Starting with City Chic: The Modern Girl's Guide to Living Large on Less. I love the premise, and it's chock full of useful tips, ideas, websites, and recipes that will help you save money while enjoying the good things in life.

Sew What! Bags: 18 Pattern-Free Projects You Can Customize to Fit Your Needs is wonderful. If you're a sewer (excuse me, "sewist"), especially one that's daunted by sewing patterns (me!), get this right now. The photos, fabrics, and projects are completely inspiring, and you'll feel happy just looking at it. I kept thinking, "This is my style. I would make that. And that. And that." It's a spiral bound hardcover so it lays flat, and it's a great price!

This is a page from Material Obsession: Modern Quilts with Traditional Roots. I've never made a quilt, and normally all those crazy patterns thrown together in one place make me a little nauseated, unless they're carefully coordinated. This how-to quilt book had some that didn't make me barf, which is high praise coming from me. And the photos are styled beautifully. You might like it.

I'm not a knitter, either, but if I were, I'd try to make these slippers from Weekend Knitting: 50 Unique Projects and Ideas.

Heather Ross's Weekend Sewing: More Than 40 Projects and Ideas for Inspired Stitching is also very lovely. The instructional illustrations are completely charming, and the projects include such things as slippers, bags, clothes, you name it. You can even learn what Heather likes to listen to on her iPod when she sews.

It looks like I have many, many projects on which to procrastinate now. Excellent.