Thursday, August 6 – Saturday, August 7
The Art of Metal Clay and The Art of Resin Jewelry author Sherri Haab is teaching three workshops on techniques using metal clay and resin clay at Art Unraveled in Phoenix, Arizona.

Saturday August 7 – Sunday, August 8
Jane Davies author of Collage Journeys will lead a class on collaging with fabric-paper at the Guilford Art Center in Guilford, Connecticut. She’ll also teach a workshop based on Collage Journeys at her studio in Rupert, Vermont.

Monday, August 9
Knitting Block by Block author Nicky Epstein is previewing and teaching from her forthcoming book at Tricoter in Seattle, Washington.

Saturday, August 14 – Sunday, August 15
Magic Books and Paper Toys author Esther K. Smith is teaching a workshop on amazing paper pop-ups, magic wallets, and more at the Seattle Center for Book Arts in Seattle, Washington.

Thursday, August 19 – Sunday, August 22
Lily Chin’s Knitting Tips & Tricks author Lily Chin is teaching her Tips & Tricks class at Stitches Midwest in Schaumburg, Illinois.

Cables Untangled and Color Knitting the Easy Way author Melissa Leapman will also be teaching workshops on both cables and color at Stitches Midwest, Schaumburg, Illinois.

Saturday, August 21 – Sunday, August 22
Chain and Bead Jewelry Creative Connections and Handcrafting Chain and Bead Jewelry author Scott David Plumlee leads four workshops at Bead Fest Philadelphia in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.

Tuesday, August 24
Embroidery Companion author Alicia Paulson of Posie Gets Cozy will be signing her new book at Powell’s City of Books in Portland, Oregon.

Sunday, August 29
Anna Hrachovec will be teaching a Fiercely Cute Knitting Workshop, which will include instruction on knitting in the round using double-pointed needles and unusual 3-D shaping to make a project from Knitting Mochimochi. At Lion Brand Yarn Studio in New York City.

Leave a comment below and tell us which project you’re planning to make for winter and you’ll be automatically entered to win a copy of Continuous Cables. Plus, in the next issue of Crafternews, we’ll post a free pattern from the category that gets the most votes!

Which do you plan to make for your loved ones this winter?

A) Scarves
B) Hats
C) Socks
D) Sweaters

Born-Again Vintage author Bridgett Artise offers up advice on creating a head-turning piece from the best elements of a vintage blouse, combined with modern fabrics for a one-of-a-kind summer look.

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Refashioning old clothes is a great way to revamp your wardrobe without spending a ton of money. Take, for example, a vintage housedress that might feel a little frumpy as is. But chop off just the skirt, attach it to a cute T-shirt, and voila! A ho-hum dress becomes a funky conversation piece.

One idea is to combine a fabulous vintage blouse (think Saturday Night Fever with a large collar and bold print) with a simple cotton T-shirt or tank. This is an especially great alternative when you have a vintage blouse that is stained or damaged, or if the collar is all that you like and want to take from the blouse.

All you need is a collared blouse (which can be picked up for cheap at a thrift store, a garage sale, or perhaps for free in the back of your own closet!), a tank or T-shirt, and some basic sewing supplies. If you’re using a printed tank, make sure that the two colors complement each other.

1. Cut the sleeves off of the blouse at the shoulder seams, and fold the blouse in half lengthwise, with the front facing out.

2 . Mark the desired shape on the blouse with chalk or fabric pen. Add a 1/2-inch seam allowance on the outside of all markings. Cut and remove the marked section from the blouse.

3. Cut and remove the binding from the neck of the tank and fold the tank in half lengthwise, with front facing out.

4. Place the blouse piece on top of the tank top, lining up the center front and back. Fold the edges under so right sides are together and pin securely.

5. Add a 1/2-inch seam allowance and then cut away the fabric of the tank top where the vintage blouse section will be inserted.

6. With the right sides together, pin the bib and the tank top in place. Machine-stitch using a 1/2-inch seam allowance.

7. Trim all seams to 1/4-inch and finish using a narrow zigzag stitch or serger.

For another spin on this look, you can keep the placket of the blouse intact. Just cut the tank top (or T-shirt) open, and sew the vintage placket and collar into the tank by lining up the unfinished edges.

Check out Born-Again Vintage for more of Bridgett’s ingenious tricks for refashioning clothes for every season.

CrafterNews: Okay, we know you make great hostess gifts, but has anyone ever made one for you?

Jodi Kahn: Just the other night we had some friends over for dinner, and my girlfriend brought me some beautiful hydrangeas cut from her yard. She arranged them in a pretty, white vintage vase, so not only did I get to enjoy the flowers, I now also have a beautiful piece of pottery. Although my friend didn’t whip the gift up on her sewing machine, she put it together herself, so it felt very personal. To me, that’s the whole idea of giving something handmade or done by hand. It feels special.

CN: In your opinion, why is a homemade gift so appealing?

JK: By its very nature, a handmade gift is going to be unique. That’s one of the main reasons. But I think there are other reasons, too. When someone takes the time to make something by hand, the gift feels very special—and so does the recipient! The gift doesn’t have to be elaborate or cost a lot of money. If it’s handmade, there’s an element of thoughtfulness that goes along with it, and I think that’s one of the nicest things you can “give” when you give a gift.

CN: Out of the many hostess gifts you’ve made and given, which elicited the most memorable response from its recipient?

JK: When I started working on this new book, I tried out a lot of my ideas on friends and family—they were my gift guinea pigs! I brought one of them a box filled with cupcake pincushions, which is a project from the book. I put the cupcakes in a cardboard bakery box and tied the box with bakery twine. At first, my friend thought I had picked up a cake or something, but on second glance she realized that the confections were made out of felt. She truly let out an “Wowww!” when she opened the box. They were such a big hit, and I must admit, I think I was even more delighted than she was—it was so much fun to make them for her and to get that response!

CN: In the book, you’ve got a project in the hostess gifts chapter for hand towels that actually look like they have silk-screened designs on them. Tell us how those intricate patterns are really made.

JK: The towels are my favorite kind of project! They are so easy, but they look very elegant. The patterns are actually made using wrapping paper. You start with a blank linen hand towel, which you can get online, or at a craft store. All you do is scan or copy the wrapping paper onto a T-shirt transfer sheet, then iron the transfer onto the towel. It only takes a half hour.

CN: You’re a big believer in repurposing materials for your gifts. Since it’s summer, are there certain season-specific things that inspire you?

JK: I have been fixated lately on plastic buckets and colorful beach balls. I really love the shine and the bright colors. I’ve been wondering about making something from a deflated beach ball—I’ll keep you posted! And I like anything to do with picnics. Red-and-white checkered fabrics, grassy green Astroturf, even ants! I found some plastic ants at a little corner store. I don’t know what I’m going to do with them, or how they will work their way into a project, but I had to have them! I also love the graphics on bottle caps and candy wrappers, and have been working those into some new designs.

CN: Your book has a chapter devoted to gifts for men. Seriously, do men really like homemade gifts?

JK: You’re right! Men are hard to shop for, and they are even harder to make something for—either way it’s a challenge. One thing I have made for several of the guys in my life are the recycled notebooks that are featured in the book. I made my brother one using a Wheaties cereal box. He uses it to keep his last minute “to-do” lists, and my husband uses one as diary, where he writes funny things that our kids say or do. The notebooks have a very retro feel, so I think the guys kind of get a kick out of them.

CN: What’s a fail-safe hostess gift no matter the season or the event?

JK: You might laugh at this, but I love giving (and getting!) pretty soaps. You can’t go wrong! Whenever I have people over, I like putting out new soaps in my guest bathroom, so you can never have too many. You can wrap up ordinary soaps using beautiful fabrics and personalized labels.

Download the Zany Puppetina pattern from Scribd.com.

Download the Cat’s Eye Scarf pattern from Scribd.com.

CrafterNews recently asked Alicia for some of her thoughts on the art of embroidery.

CrafterNews: When did you first start embroidering and why?

Alicia Paulson: The first embroidery project I remember working on was a needlepoint canvas of a horse in a field. My mom showed me how to do the stitches, and I brought the project to my grandparents’ house the first summer our mom went back to work. I loved horses, and I was fascinated by how the stitching made the horse come to life. It kept me very happily occupied.

CN: When you were twenty-nine you were involved in a serious accident that left you immobilized for many months. How did this incident lead you back to embroidery, and what role did it play in your recovery?

AP: After my accident, I was in bed for a long time. I was scared, lonely, bored, and in a lot of pain. My mom again sent me a bunch of silk embroidery ribbon and a book about ribbon embroidery, and once I started stitching again, I just couldn’t stop. For many months, I embroidered from morning until night, and for some reason that was the only activity that really soothed me, both physically and psychologically, during that difficult time.

CN: What kinds of projects appeal most to embroiderers these days? Have you noticed any trends in embroidery?

AP: I think people are looking for projects that are, more than anything, beautiful, functional, and easy enough to finish that they won’t end up abandoned in a pile somewhere. But I would argue that the time is right for people to make room in their lives for something that’s more than just fast and easy. My hope is that, if the project is appealing enough, people will really bite off a bigger chunk. I personally believe that, in this hectic, stressful world, really good things can come from taking the time to be quiet, sit peacefully, and do contemplative sorts of handwork. Bigger projects give you an opportunity to really sink your teeth into not just the item but the experience.

CN: What’s your favorite thing to embroider?

AP: Standard pillowcases. No question. I love good sheets, and I love to sleep, and I love making my bed. And I love that I am guaranteed to use them every day.

CN: Do you have any crafting rituals?

AP: I almost always have coffee nearby, but that holds true for just about anything that I’m doing. But when it comes to crafting, I almost always have my TV on in the background and a pet sitting next to me. And I have a large collection of “crafting pants” (i.e.: big, comfy, floppy knit pants that look more like pajamas than pants).

CN: Is there a project in the book that’s especially meaningful for you?

AP: Ooooh, good question. I would have to say that the Woodland in Wool project has a very special place in my heart. I can remember exactly what was going on when I was making it. We were having a big week-long blizzard (very rare in Portland) and the snow outside and the light in the house were absolutely magical to me. I love snow, and I really loved the weird hot-house flowers and exotic animals in that picture. Watching that dense, woolly, super-colorful image come to life as the snow fell and fell and fell outside was just a joy in every sense.

CN: What do you love most about embroidering?

AP: I love so many things about it. I love that it has been done throughout history, and in every culture. I love that it encompasses so many styles and virtually any subject. But mostly, I love that when I’m doing it my whole body relaxes and settles. It’s kind of like coloring in the lines, but for adults—and that sense of making order and beauty is such a relief, somehow. And for that alone it is invaluable.

Flowers and plants are a tremendous source of endless inspiration for me, as a textile designer. I love all kinds of flowers and foliage—but particularly those with graphic outlines and clean, fresh colors—and incorporate them into my embroidered handbag designs.

There’s inspiration all around you.

You might simply sketch shapes and ideas from a bunch of flowers that you have bought at the market. Or take a field trip to the countryside and collect a few wild flowers. Your own garden (or your local community’s garden) is also a wonderful space to reflect and take in nature’s beauty.

Keep a nature journal.

It’s a great idea to keep a small notebook or drawing pad and sketch anything that you like, from how the stems, tiny leaves, and delicate petals of a daisy are formed, to the larger flower heads of classic roses. Don’t worry, you don’t need to be able to draw these flowers and leaves beautifully. The sketches are for your benefit alone, and as long as they contain the information you need, they are absolutely perfect.

Stuck indoors?

Another way to study flowers and plants is by looking at botanical illustrations. Whenever I need a slice of inspiration, I’ll turn to the significant library of books that I collected over the years. (My favorite is a treasured volume by Pierre-Joseph Redouté.) Or, spend a rainy afternoon at a museum or art gallery, studying prints and textiles patterned with floral motifs.

Create a mood board.

Once you’ve collected your flowers or drawn your sketches, what’s next? A great starting point is to create a mood board. Buy a bulletin board and plenty of push-pins. Mount the board somewhere where you can easily see it: inspiration lurking behind a door isn’t much use!

In addition to your nature finds, you could include any postcards that you’ve picked up on your travels, or remnants of fabric. Bit’s of yarn, trimmings, found objects that appeal to you—even if you’re not sure why—all of these can be great sources of inspiration.

Nature is so beautifully formed that whichever flowers and plants take your fancy, they’ll be a fantastic starting point for your future designs.

To find out more about Susan’s nature-inspired designs, check out Bags in Bloom.