Beginner Sewing Patterns

For those of us who craft or sew, using sewing patterns can seem a little daunting task to learn the how to use them especially when you are just beginning to learn.  There are symbols which represent very important stuff, but somehow is quite well decoded.  However, there is hope with smaller pattern companies like Sew Fast Sew Easy.

While I have to admit I have taken sewing lessons at Sew Fast Sew Easy, I found their patterns very easy right after completing my first class.  They provide a challenge and a great fit.  In a scurry to get together my summer wardrobe, I have made a drawstring pant in light-weight linen using their drawstring pant pattern and am currently working on the large tote bag pattern.   

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How to Make A Leather Guitar Strap

By Leathersmith Designs Inc.

This article describes the steps that are used for crafting leather guitar straps. To see the whole article with pictures view – making guitar straps. If you do leather craft work, check out our leather craft supplies pages for leather hides, snaps, rivets, leather lace and belt buckles.

First a premium piece of tooling cowhide must be chosen. 5 - 6 oz leather thickness works well for guitar straps to give it the strength but also enough suppleness. Choose leather that has been properly prepared on the underneath side from the tannery so there will be no fuzzy pieces of leather coming off on your clothes when you are wearing the guitar strap.

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Craft Furniture for the Home and Office

If you’re looking for an innovative way to organizer all your craft needs in your home or office, visit www.ScrapbookSpaceStation.com to see how you can create a great space in your home.  From over sized desks, to oversized cabinets and a great paper organizer and ribbon organizer, we have just about anything your can think to help you organize all your supplies an beautiful modern look.  Sign up for our free monthly newsletter and you’ll be eligible for our contest to give a way a paper organizer starting May 22nd… more info to come.

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Crazy Quilting Techniques - A Beginners Guide

Do you want to make something for a friend that holds a special meaning?  Recycle fabric that brings back happy memories such as that old favorite shirt you use to wear when you hung around together at the store as teenagers or a piece of an old baby blanket that you used when walking your children together - the possibilities are endless!

There are basic techniques to crazy quilting and I will try and touch on each method. Some are easier than others and may be more appropriate for beginners. Remember that it is important to iron as you go along to help keep your patches from puckering.
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Plastic Canvas Needlepoint-Today’s Most Fun, Frugal Craft!

The most fun and frugal craft around is Plastic Canvas Needlepoint.  The supplies are very inexpensive and easy to find, plus it’s easy to learn for anyone of any age. The charts are easy to read and there’s no need to get out the magnifying glass in order to see what you’re doing! Even the most inexperienced beginner can turn out a project worthy of admiration.
Plastic Canvas Needlepoint is worked by cutting shaped pieces from  sheets of plastic canvas; then working stitches on the canvas.  Worsted weight yarn is the most common type of yarn used, but specialty plastic canvas yarn is also available.
Details are often worked using regular embroidery stitches and embroidery floss. And plastic canvas is a great way to use up the yarn you have left from other projects. It’s a very rewarding kind of needlework. When you work with plastic canvas, projects are not just flat wall hangings or pillows. Probably the item most people think of when they think of plastic canvas is a tissue box cover, but so much more can be done with plastic canvas, from birdhouses to picture frames to purse accessories to baskets to doorstops. 

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Can Necklaces Mean a Pain in the Neck?

The wearing of jewellery has been with us across the ages with both men and women seeking to adorn their persons with these ornamental devices. The word jewellery is anglicised from an old French word “joule” (jewel), but the origin can be further traced back to the Latin word “jocale” which means plaything.

Although we typically think of jewellery as being made from precious metals and gemstones, over the centuries it has been made from a variety of materials such as cloth, wood, shells, rocks and stone. In fact man has been very ingenious and artistic in creating jewellery from just about anything and in many different styles from the plain and simple to the highly elaborate.

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Jewelry Throughout Time

Throughout time, man has sought to decorate the human body and this has manifested as body painting, tattoos, piercing and for those a little squeamish or less brave, decoration by the wearing of adornments generally know as jewelry.

In ancient times, jewelry may have been simple pieces made from natural materials such as shells plucked from the seashore or pebbles worn smooth and polished by years of being tumbled along the sea or river bed. These would have been strung together perhaps as necklaces or wrist pieces as early examples of a charm bracelet. Nature gives up so many beautiful things that can be used to make items such as earrings, rings, bracelets, hair pieces and so the list goes on.

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Engagement Rings from Here to Eternity

The oldest recorded exchange of engagement rings dates back nearly 5000 years ago to ancient Egypt when a never ending band was linked with eternal love. Later for the Romans, a young ladies acceptance of a ring was a legal agreement and meant that the girl was no longer available. These ancient engagement and wedding rings were not gold engagement rings but were often made from simple and crude bands of iron.

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Diamond Rings are True to the Heart

Diamond is a mineral and is the hardest known substance to man, but one of the simplest being composed of carbon and the first recorded history dates back to some 3000 years ago to India. Throughout history diamonds have been associated with mystical power, great beauty and more recently great value and wealth. The word comes from the Greek meaning ‘adamas’ meaning unconquerable and they have been worn throughout the ages by men going into battle as a sign of strength, courage and invincibility.

Most diamonds still originate from central and south Africa although there have been other significant finds in Canada, Brazil, Australia and the biggest diamond mine is in Siberia. The diamond market is very much dominated by De Beers to control the supply and price of diamonds across the world by what some would say are monopolistic practices.

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