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Desire/Acquire: Madeline Weinrib Zig Zag Rug
The cotton flatweave Madeline Weinrib Zig Zag Rug is one of my all-time favorite designs (see it in a room here), but unfortunately it's also quite pricey — if you must "inquire for price," don't bother. Luckily, there are two much more affordable alternatives. To see them, read more
Cool Idea: Dish Towel Curtain
I spotted this image in the portfolio of British photographer Polly Wreford and am utterly charmed. Some clever crafter has created a curtain from a hodgepodge of white or white and blue dish towels. Of course, this idea won't work in all homes, but I think it has a quaint country cottage look that would be endearing in a kitchen.
DIY: Simple Panel Curtains (in Four Hours or Less)
Our living room features large deck doors that look out over the San Francisco Bay — a beautiful view, no doubt, but one that was previously obscured by some boring, less-than-aesthetically-pleasing vertical shades. Intent on making a Spring change, I decided to whip up some simple panel curtains to improve the view both inside and out. I chose a pretty, patterned Amy Butler fabric, which added a textile highlight to the room, and with a few simple but smart techniques, I managed to get these off my ironing board and onto curtain rods in about three hours.
Nice and New: Spoonflower Custom Fabrics
Vertical integration needn't apply only to the corporate monopolies of the world. Thanks to Spoonflower, a new custom fabric retailer, your sewing and upholstery DIY projects can be made 100 percent by you, down to the last thread. Just sign up, create a design and save it in TIF, JPG, PNG, or GIF format, upload your design, and then choose your fabric size, and Spoonflower will send you your personally designed fabric.
Casa Beta: Amy Butler's Free Birdie the Cat Pillow Pattern
Since it's almost Christmas, and since he doesn't read my site anyway, I thought it would be safe to show you the pillow I made for my little brother Forrest, who's 6. Forrest is a major cat lover and a cuddle bug, so I thought he'd like this Birdie the Cat pillow.
The pillow is from Amy Butler's online free downloadable PDF patterns.
Home Library: French General: Home Sewn
On Project Runway, co-host Tim Gunn's most dismissive comment on a garment was that it looked home sewn. Given this unfavorable recent pop culture reference, it's refreshing to see a beautiful book proudly bearing a title of the same name.
Kaari Meng, owner of the adorable Hollywood crafts and notion store French General, has extended her expertise to the book world with French General: Home Sewn ($24.95).
Before and After: A Patio Facelift
The crafty lady behind the blog Handmade by Alissa is a pretty sweet sister. When her sib Cate moved into a new house with a very unfinished cement blocked patio, she decided to give it a much-needed facelift by sewing some cheerful cushions and pillows. She sewed one long cushion to run along the cement block bench, two arm rests, and a handful of throw pillows.
Steal of the Day: Amy Butler's In Stitches
If you're an avid Casa reader, I'm sure you've heard of Amy Butler, whose textiles are all the rage these days. Aside from designing beautiful fabrics, Butler is also the author of Midwest Modern and Found Style, which I've told you about in the past. Her book, In Stitches ($12.48, reduced from $24.95), a collection of 25 sewing projects ranging from floor cushions to handbags, which includes inspiring photographs, easy-to-use pattern sheets, and how-to illustrations, along with descriptive text, is on sale at Kate's Paperie.
DIY: Handsewn Bird Mobile
If you've never sewn before, this is a great project to start you on your way. No machine is needed, as everything is hand sewn. Hand sewing is a great skill, as you can use it to complete simple repairs on clothing, from patching jeans to sewing on buttons to hemming skirts.
Cool Idea: Fabric Easter Eggs
Kristin from Sew Mama Sew has presented an adorable project just in time for the Easter bunny. She writes,
A couple of years ago I started sewing fabric eggs. I love the feel of them and so do kids.
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