Heartfelt Fortune Cookies

Felted fortune cookies

Next week I'm teaching a free Valentine's themed craft workshop at my local library. We'll be making these darling fortune cookies out of felted sweaters.

Shhh... don't tell, but I'm going to give you the inside scoop on how to make them, just in case you can't be there!

Martha has a similar tutorial, but I'm partial to my method because it provides almost instant gratification with no drying time. Seriously. These things take no more than five minutes to make, but they're oh so cute.

You can download my written tutorial here, or you can just check out this video. (You can view it larger by heading over to YouTube)



Once you're done making your cookies, don't forget to stop by your local Chinese restaurant for a take-out box to put them in. And if you do make your own, I'd love to hear about it, especially if you have a sweet fortune that you wrote yourself!

Felted calendar cover

Felted calendar cover
Originally uploaded by sassycrafter

Even with the ongoing surge of technology, paper calendars remain the tried and true way of keeping track of what's going on in life. In this era of ever-increasing personalization, why not create a fun cover to protect your paper planner throughout the year? You can also use the same technique to cover journals or other favorite books.

What you need:

Wool sweater
Washing machine
Scissors
Felt scrap
Pins
Ruler
Needle
Thread
Ribbon

What to do:

1) Find a wool or wool-blend sweater and felt it by machine washing it with hot water and a small amount of detergent. Include an old pair of jeans or a towel to help the felting process. Let dry, either at room temperature or in a dryer set to medium or high.

2) Open the calendar and measure its width and height, and then cut an identically sized rectangle from the felt. Also cut two panels that are the same height as the calendar and 2 1/2 inches wide. These will create the flaps to hold the calendar's front and back covers.

3) Create an apple applique (say that ten times fast!) from a scrap of contrasting felt and sew this to the front cover, either by hand or with a machine. Next, pin the panels to the cover and sew in place on three sides with a scant 1/4" seam allowance.

4) Cut a length of ribbon to serve as a page holder and sew this to the top center of the cover's spine.

5) Now insert your calendar and get organized!

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This tutorial originally appeared in the February issue of The Satellite. At this point, it looks like it will be the last tutorial to appear in that publication, since it is no longer printing. I'm working on finding another print publication that can run my columns.

Felting Workshop for Gainesville Crafters

grey handbag with vintage handle
Originally uploaded by sassycrafter

If you live in Gainesville and like to craft, check out the class I'm offering this fall through the UF Leisure Course program. Anyone can register, even if you're not a UF student.

Felted Fun: Hip Accessories from Recycled Sweaters
Saturday, Oct. 4, 2008
12 noon - 3 p.m.
Reitz Union 276 and 277

Learn how to take boring wool sweaters and turn them into one-of-a-kind accessories by using a few basic sewing skills and a technique commonly known as felting. We'll make one small project in class and you'll get pointers and inspiration for making other projects at home (purses, journal covers, iPod cozies, and others). Basic hand-sewing skills are helpful but not necessary. Materials and supplies will be provided by the instructor, in exchange for a $10 lab fee paid in cash at the beginning of class.

* Student Price: $10.00
* Alumni Price: $17.00
* Staff Price: $20.00
* General Public: $20.00
* Lab Fee: $10.00

I'm only allowing 10 students into the class, so spots are limited. Sign up now if you're interested!

This just in! I'm in a book!

I'm so excited I can barely contain myself -- my projects are now featured in a book! 

Sweater Surgery by Stefanie Girard is hot off the presses and contains four of my purses. You can find it on Amazon, or you can call your local independent bookstore and ask them to order it for you.

Here's a rundown of the four purses that are featured:

• Cheerleader purse--Full pattern and directions (written by me) on pages 38-39. Also appears on pages 8 and 113.
  
• Erika purse--Named for my friend Erika, who I gave this purse to for her birthday but who was kind enough to lend it back to me to send to the publisher for photographing. Basic construction info listed on page 93. Also appears on pages 7 and 92.
  
• Cindy purse--Named after the woman who sold my first sweater purse through her store, Sun Center Bead Emporium (sadly, now closed). Featured on p. 94 and also appears on page 5.
  
• Joan purse--Named after my dearest mother, who was kind enough to sacrifice her Kenmore sewing machine to me back in the early 1980s. Described on page 95 and also appears on page 5.
  

You can click on the purse names above to link to photos of these purses in my Flickr photostream.

Soft cube

Soft cube at Ipso Crafto in Washington, D.C.
Originally uploaded by sassycrafter

I saw this softie cube at Ipso Crafto, a cool craft store in the Eastern Market area of Washington, D.C.

I thought the cube was a great way to use up old scraps of fabric and ribbon. The little ribbon tabs are perfect for little hands to grab onto! Plus, the felt cutouts with embroidery help kids learn words and images.

I'm guessing that this is how it's made.

1. Cut six squares of equal size.
2. Cut loops from scrap pieces of ribbon and pin to the squares.
3. Sew the squares together to form a cube, leaving a small opening in one of the seams.
4. Stuff the block with cotton or polyester filling, and then whipstitch the opening closed.

You also could probably use some of that non-scratchy velcro to allow the cubes to be stacked together.

If you live in the Washington D.C. area or are visiting, be sure to visit Ipso Crafto. They're just a short walk down 8th Street from the Eastern Market metro station and have a cool assortment of craft books and supplies.