In the Craft Room Archives

Careful Pattern Positioning

I’ve detailed my process for stencil painting on fabric a couple of times, but recently I decided to branch out a bit and instead of just doing one graphic, try out a pattern.

This isn’t any more complicated than repeating the basic process several times all over the shirt, but just as I was sitting down to work on this one, I had a sudden memory of a post by Sum of Their Stories about hand embroidering a sweater (she calls them “jumpers”) and working up a placement that avoided any “unfortunately placed daisies.”

Since I was also working with daisies, I very much wanted to avoid “unfortunate placement” so I first put my T-shirt on, and then using a mirror and some painters blue tape, marked off the two spots where daisies would be funny, but not work safe.

June 13, 2023 by suzer I made this In the Craft Room Using a Computer or iPad Using my Silhouette Cameo

Super Easy Graduation Garland

Quick and Easy Graduation Banner | superspace.com

It’s starting to be graduation time, and I’m ever so grateful that I have access to several thousand dollars of software and hundreds of thousands of dollars in printing equipment.

But I really don’t need it.

Here’s the simplest and cheapest way I know of to create a super easy graduation garland. This post looks like it is a lot of steps, but once you see the pattern, it’s super easy, and it’s not just limited to a graduation theme. You can make pretty much any garland this way.

You will need:

A computer with internet access. I bet this can be done on a tablet, but I haven’t tried, and I don’t have the patience or the eyesight to try this on a phone but if you are brave, go for it.
A printer
Some string (dental floss works in a pinch)
A stapler (tape would also work)
A Canva account.

May 1, 2023 by suzer I made this In the Craft Room Using a Computer or iPad

Visible Mending – Suzer Style

Visible Minding Couch Style | superspace.com

I have a fairly exacting day job, where if something is off by more than 1/16 of inch, there is going to be trouble. No one dies (I’m not a heart surgeon), but there is wasted material, work to be redone and general unhappiness.

This shows up in my crafting in a reversal of priorities – I prefer to work on projects that, to paraphrase Bob Ross contain “no mistakes, just happy accidents.”

So no surprise the visible mending trend makes my heart happy. Some of it is quite formal, such as the Sashiko and Boro techniques. But some of it is more of an ordered chaos, and that’s what I really enjoy.

Conveniently, I have a need for this style of repair. And as usual, it isn’t what you’d normally think of.

Oh, sure, I’ve dabbled with decorative stitches and iron on patches and combinations of both to repair clothes, especially Mr. SuzerSpace’s jeans. He seems to get a hole in the same spot of the upper thigh of every pair he owns (I think it’s from his laptop) and since he works from home, he at least pretends to enjoy the monsters, space aliens and “whoops it was supposed to be a robot but it looks more like the StayPuff Marshmallow Man, sorry” creations I’ve made.

But my new hobby appears to be patching the couch cushions.

April 15, 2023 by suzer By Upcycling I made this In the Craft Room In the Sewing Room

Pop Up Headband

So full confession, I made a pop up headband with a New Year’s theme for Mr. Suzerspace and myself, and planned to share the tutorial in time for other’s to make their own. And then I totally didn’t.

But the pop up headband came out great and I still wanted to share, so here’s a tutorial using the same construction technique, but not specific to New Year’s Eve.

January 30, 2023 by suzer Holidays I made this In the Craft Room To Celebrate Using a Computer or iPad Using my Silhouette Cameo

DIY Colored Pencil holder

Roll up paper tubes to create a holder for colored pencils

Previously I posted about my love for my inexpensive colored pencils.

I’ve continued my sketching and coloring habit and I really enjoy it – every evening after I get home I sit for about 15 minutes or so and draw an “object of the day.”

Mr SuzerSpace helps out by recommending random things around the house. I think he finds my drawings entertaining (who else does he know that sketches seltzer cans, spice jars and shoes?), and I am POSITIVE he enjoys how quiet I am when I’m coloring.

The only thing I really don’t like about my setup is trying to find the right colored pencil for the finish work. I had them in an upcycled jar, and that was OK, and I cut some cardboard dividers to try and keep it organized, but it was fiddly and didn’t really work.

So of course I spent several evenings browsing Pinterest and You Tube looking for a new solution.

September 26, 2022 by suzer By Upcycling From a Tutorial I made this In the Craft Room

In the Craft Room

Careful Pattern Positioning

Super Easy Graduation Garland

Visible Mending – Suzer Style

Pop Up Headband

DIY Colored Pencil holder

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