CasaSugar

Desire/Acquire: Madeline Weinrib Zig Zag Rug

CasaSugar — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:00:06 -0700

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.

The West Elm Zig Zag Rug ($39-$649) has a similar traditional chevron pattern, is hand-woven and handloomed, and made from 80 percent wool and 20 percent cotton. It's also reversible! It's available in an ivory/espresso/flax colorway or iron/ivory/fez red.
If those colors aren't up your alley, you can get yours the DIY way. With basic sewing skills, you can transform a basic stripe pattern into your beloved chevron with a few supplies and some patience. Learn the steps here.Source

Cool Idea: Dish Towel Curtain

CasaSugar — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:00:52 -0700

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. Even the most amateur sewers can figure this one out, and dish towels sell for practically pennies so it's also quite the economical solution. And, the thick, absorptive textiles do a great job of keeping out glare without blocking your natural light.
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DIY: Simple Panel Curtains (in Four Hours or Less)

CasaSugar — Tue, 12 May 2009 10:00:00 -0700

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.

Want to learn how to make these curtains? Then read more.
What You'll Need

2 to 4 panels of fabric (cotton is easy to work with, and seasonally appropriate), cut to the correct window length, plus about 1/3 of a yard extra to allow for shrinkage and seams
Sewing machine
Matching thread
Iron and ironing board
Pins
Scissors
Curtain rods

How to Do It

The first time-saving technique begins before you even step into the fabric store. Measure the length of the window/wall you want your panel to cover. Add 1/3 of a yard to this number. (For instance, if your window/wall is six feet, you want seven feet of fabric cut, and would ask for 2 and 1/3 yards cut.) Now, decide how many panels you need. Two? Four?
At the fabric store, ask (nicely!) the fabric store employee to cut your fabric out in panels, instead of in one long piece. This will save you a lot of time measuring and cutting at home. Just remember to measure very carefully before jotting down your needed lengths.
At home, toss the fabric in the laundry, as it will definitely shrink.
Iron your fabric panels. Look at the long sides of the fabric. The edges are already semi-finished (no raw edges), but the name of the fabric designer, as well as the color stamp, are visible. Iron this edge over, and then sew the sides first with a straight stitch. You won't have to double the edges over, since the edge is semi-finished to start with.
Next, fold over about half an inch of fabric for the bottom hem. Iron this hem over, onto the wrong side (the side with the lighter fabric pattern). Now, fold that hem over and iron it again. This will hide the raw edges. Sew this bottom hem with a straight stitch.
Now, start on the top of the curtain. Fold over about half an inch of fabric onto the wrong side. Iron, then sew. Then, fold the top of the curtain over so there is enough room to slide the curtain rod through. Iron, then sew with a straight stitch.
Your first panel is done! Now, repeat these techniques with the remaining panels. If you're using a pattern like I did, you may want to check to make sure your patterns match on each panel. You can easily do this by pinning the unfinished panel next to the finished (hung) panel, and then adjusting to line up the patterns.

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Nice and New: Spoonflower Custom Fabrics

CasaSugar — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 05:30:00 -0800

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. There's no minimum order, and all fabric is printed on quilting-weight cotton and costs $18/yard. You can also order custom swatches for $5 for small projects or before you make a big order. The site also allows you to explore designs by other crafters, which is a wonderful source of inspiration. I think I'll freshen up on my Textile Design 101 before I make any purchases . . .
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Casa Beta: Amy Butler's Free Birdie the Cat Pillow Pattern

CasaSugar — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 10:00:18 -0800

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. It calls for one yard of flannel, felt for the kitty's face, more felt for the eyes and mouth, fusible interfacing, and poly-fill stuffing. I took some liberties with the materials, which added a bit more work for me. For instance, I used corduroy for the cat's face and velvet for its eyes, which meant that I needed to hem each of these pieces. Not a big deal, but this step added at least 10 minutes to the project.

Instead of poly-fill, I also decided to use down. I love the heft and feel of down-stuffed pillows, and while this was a bit messy, it wasn't too bad, and I think the results were well worth it.

To hear more of my thoughts about this pattern, and to see the finished product, read more.

I used Echino fabric for the body, which gave the pillow more of a boy-oriented cat-monster vibe. I found the directions and pattern very easy to follow. When you download the PDF, the pattern is printed out in four pages, which you then cut out and tape together to use for the cat's body and face. I opted not to give the kitty a mouth, which I think actually looks better for this creation. I'm definitely going to make more of these, and they're definitely not just for kids: even my hipster 20-something sister wants one!
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Home Library: French General: Home Sewn

CasaSugar — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 07:00:47 -0800

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). The book takes readers through through 30 projects for the home, from scalloped tablecloths to luxurious toile shower curtains, and makes adding traditional French style to your home pattern-book easy.

To find out about Kaari Meng's book and Hollywood store, as well as to see more photos, read more.

With photography from Jon Zabala that will give you major home lust, the book includes six pattern pages, embroidery transfers, and color photographs, as well as illustrations. Helpful guides outline the difficulty level for each project, and the directions are simple and straightforward. Though this isn't a book the first-time sewer would want to tackle, anyone with basic curtain-making skills could easily excel at most of these projects.

If you're in the Los Angeles area, stop by French General for special events, workshops, or simply some fantastic browsing. And of course, even if you're halfway across the world, you can enjoy some of French General's goodness by browsing products online.

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Before and After: A Patio Facelift

CasaSugar — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 08:30:40 -0700

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. The result is not only pretty but cozy, and just the thing to get her sister entertaining outdoors. Ohhh . . . what you'll do for a free dinner! To see the results, read more.

Adorable, right? I love the bursting pattern and red and teal palette of her fabric. The string lights make a vast difference as well! Read more about it here.
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Steal of the Day: Amy Butler's In Stitches

CasaSugar — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 08:30:00 -0700

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. I've heard that for those who've already purchased Butler's patterns, this read is a bit repetitive, but her facile instructions make it a great buy for a beginner sewer. Considering that her sewing patterns alone can cost $12.95, I think it's an awesome deal.

DIY: Handsewn Bird Mobile

CasaSugar — Fri, 30 May 2008 16:00:51 -0700

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. And what better way to get you on your way than with an easy, adorable home decor project? This bird mobile, from Spool Sewing, will look lovely in a nursery, craft room, or primary-color saturated kitchen. Since many of you admit that you're still in love with the bird trend, why don't you take some time this weekend to get started on this project?

What You'll Need

2 different fabrics
Scissors
Thread
Sewing needle
Stuffing
Sticks
Filament wire

To find out how to make it, read more
Here are the steps:

Cut the pieces out using this pattern.
Put the right sides (the sides that will be on the outside of the finished bird) together, and pin one edge of the belly fabric to the body fabric.
Sew the two pieces together, using a straight seam, from dot to dot on the pattern.
Pin the other edge together and sew it the same way.
Sew the head seam together.
Turn the bird inside out, so the right side is on the outside, and stuff.
Sew the tail closed.
Repeat this process until you have the number of birds needed for your mobile.
Sew the birds to a branch, or hang them from branches with filament, to approximate the mobile in picture.
Hang and enjoy!

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Cool Idea: Fabric Easter Eggs

CasaSugar — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 06:45:00 -0700

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. When you get some in your hands you can’t help but toss, catch, throw and juggle. Every year I try to replace a few more of the plastic eggs that we use for Easter Egg hunts with cloth eggs.

Kristin has sewn secret pockets into these fabric eggs that can hold wee chocolate treats or coins. Ingenious! Have basic sewing skills and want to try this project? You can download the pattern here.

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