Fall Fiber Festival Prep

I'm getting ready for the Fall Fiber Festival this Saturday in Hopkins!

I haven't had as much time as I wanted to get ready, but I will have copies of both of my books for sale, these little hat ornaments, some bandanas (not very many, arrive early, if you want one!), and a bunch of Thrifty Lined Shopping Bags.

I hope to see you there!

Holiday Ornament Variation + Party Notes for Tonight

Like most crafters, I have a stash. Some of the things in my stash are so old that I can't remember where I bought them! 

Such is the tale of the glass ornaments I used for my Pussy Hat Holiday Ornament. They were nice and big - about 3 inches in diameter. That's around 75 mm. One of the larger ones is on the left in this photo.

I found some 70 mm ornaments. Sounded like, basically, the same size, right? 

Well, 5 mm is 5 mm! I followed the exact same directions to make a hat for the smaller ornaments. All I had to do to "make it work" is flip up the brim of the hat. I think they're super cute! Why not make 2 larger ornaments to represent parents and smaller ones for the kids on your list?

P.S. - Three notes about the party tonight!

1) The weather is pretty cool today, so if you have a hat, wear it!

2) I made two of the "original" Holiday ornaments and eight in the "kitten" size. They will all be available for sale at Knit and Bolt tonight. If you want one, you should arrive early! I suspect we will sell out.

3) It's not too late to RSVP. We would love to make sure we have enough treats for everyone, so please RSVP, if you can!

Alternative Stuffing

In Crafting the Resistance, I told you I stuffed my pet bed with scraps and leftovers from other projects. I told you about that, here, too! Here's Travis, enjoying his bed last April.

So, you can see that the stuffing works! All it needs is a good shake and maybe some massaging to be very comfy. But, it's pretty heavy and bulky, which may not be too practical if you want to, say, toss your pet bed in the back of your car when you take your pets with you on vacation or just give a bed to a friend of yours without making them feel like you're passing off a bag of old laundry to them.

Here's an alternative, if you want one. Make your bed fleece cover and zippered insert as written in the book. Then, instead of stuffing the insert with scraps, use the same pattern pieces to cut out 2 layers of 1-inch foam. You may need to trim the foam a bit to get it into the insert, but experiment to see what works best for you. This version is light and lofty!

This could work as a cushion for people, too, of course!

Book Launch Day!

It's the official launch day for Crafting the Resistance! I'm getting ready for our launch party, which is on Friday, since, you know, Tuesday night isn't the best time for a party. Megan, at Knit and Bolt, had a great idea for the samples from the book - so I'm labeling them all with their page number.

I hope to see you all Friday!

Book Launch Party!

Come meet me and get first crack at my new book, Crafting the Resistance: 35 Projects for Craftivists, Protestors and Women Who Persist. There will be samples from the book to be check out, books to get signed, donut holes to be eaten, and new friends to meet.

“Craftivism is a way of looking at life where voicing opinions through creativity makes your voice stronger, your compassion deeper, and your quest for justice more infinite.” ~ Betsy Greer

Spend your Friday evening with us and let's start Crafting the Resistance.

Let us know you're coming!

If you can't make it, try to catch me at the other events where I will be vending! No matter where you buy your book, I will sign it.

Purple Reins of Power Scarf

I had to include a small nod to Prince in the book. Now, I know that he isn't connected in everyone's mind to liberation and rights for all. But, for me, his music was a window into a world where it was OK to be a woman, man, or something people just didn't get.

I included tips in the book about how to create a very neat hemmed edge, even in a slippery fabric like polyester chiffon. I do have this warning, though - in general, more expensive materials will be easier to work with. No matter what fabric you use, make sure to test your stitching!!!! That is one of those things that is always true, but even more crucial when you're using a tricky fabric.

Freerange Pussyhat Symbols

One of my coworkers thought this looked like a bow and I spent about 4 hours brooding about it. It just goes to show that you can only see some things if you are looking for them!

This is practically a no-effort project, so, like the yellow rose pin, would make a good first project for a beginner.

Yellow Rose Pins

The yellow rose was a symbol adopted by suffragettes. It was connected with purity and truth, since it's the color of sunlight. This project is very, very easy and would make a pretty good introduction to sewing.

Nasty Nag Pouch

You don't have to use this pouch to nag yourself. It could also be used to "nag" other people. Fill it up with to-nag notes or simply use it to keep your daily supplies in order.

Jabot-Inspired Scarf

This scarf needs just a little lace and shirting fabric to come together. It's perfect for days when you want just a little more pep in your step and would also make a pretty good gift, in my opinion.

PussyHat Bombs

I want to stipulate that these are 100% nonviolent bombs. Make them from leftover scraps and share them with the world!

PussyHat Holiday Ornament

Now, I'm not saying that this SHOULD be a gift for your relatives at the end of the year who may or may not agree with you on politics. But, if you wanted to share, I would sure love to see photos of their reactions!

PussyHat Pet Bed

This was a bit of an adventure.

You should know that the first fleece bed I made for my boys ended up being thrown away. I didn't make the fleece cover removeable and, eventually, there was just too much fur on it to make it something I wanted around. To get around that, this one has a pillowcase-style back.

One of the other issues with pet beds is that there aren't exactly a lot of pre-made inserts to stuff them. I mean, no one wants to buy a pet bed to fill a pet bed! So, I had to come up with a way to make it work.

First, I mocked it up with a plain, rectangular pillow as a filler. It looked more like a totoro than a cat. So, I decided to use the same pattern pieces to create a custom-fit fill piece. It was surprisingly very fun and extremely easy. I included instructions in the book for making the fill piece with a zipper. This is great because it's not always easy to judge how much stuffing you need in the bed. If it zips, you can always add or remove more stuffing. Also, frankly, stitching the last little bit closed when you have stuffed something isn't my idea of a great time. I'd much rather just close a zipper!

Speaking of stuffing, I wasn't about to invest in the amount of fiber fill that you would need to fill up this sucker. Also, I'm not sure if fiber fill would feel "solid" enough to the cats for them to use it. They're both a little old and seem unwilling to stand or sit on anything that's very soft or shifty. Instead, I raided my big bucket of sewing scraps and used that as stuffing. Fleece scraps are the loftiest and lightest, but I mix all of my scraps together - fleece, knit fabrics and wovens. I'm really happy with the results I get. Travis loves the bed and basically didn't get off of it for a few days when I first made it.

The ears stay relatively plump and flat because they aren't stuffed with stuffing. Instead, a smaller layer of fleece fills each ear. I have washed this particular bed twice and both times the ears just needed a good shake to look  nice again.

PussyHat Throw Pillow

This is a simple, fleece pillow, filled with a purchased insert. If you have never sewn with fleece, this is a pretty good introduction! I just wish Sabine looked a little more happy about it.

Quilted Mug Rug

This little mug rug was too much fun to make! If you're cutting a fabric and you definitely want to place a certain motif in a certain spot, there are a few options that can make that easier. Quilters call it "fussy cutting," but it's a lot less fussy if you have the right tools!

1) Template Plastic
2) Swedish Tracing Paper
3) Just regular old wax paper

Bleeding Heart T-Shirt

The "bleeding heart" shirt was one of the first ideas floated for Crafting the Resistance. I found it really fascinating!

It's a simple reverse applique using knit fabrics, which means that you don't have to get too worked up about finishing edges or turning anything under. Certain stabilizers help make this type of sewing easier, and those tips are in the book. But, I want to point out that I made this using just my trusty Singer 328k. You don't need a special sewing machine to create this project. You do have to be a little careful when trimming away the top layer, but that doesn't have anything to do with your machine.

For the heart fabric, I cut the sleeve off of a thrift store find. Searching for just the right color of red was fun!

I really can't imagine the heart motif on any tee other than plain black, but I don't wear a lot of shirts that aren't just "plain" something. What do you think? If you added the heart to an old band shirt or a shirt from a vacation, would it make the message too muddy and confusing?

Mobility Ankle Pocket

This is a little, zippered pocket that you wear around your ankle. I was inspired to make it by tales from my friends who grew up in NYC. They all remembered stuffing a little cash into their socks so that they could make it home even if they lost their wallet or got mugged.

Socks aren't quite as secure as I would like, so I designed this little guy. It's probably too small to hold a cell phone with comfort, but you could probably fit your ID and some cash in there without too much trouble. Before you wear one on a long day marching, test it out and make sure it's not going to bind or chafe.

Security Waist Belt

This is a pretty simple project from Crafting the Resistance. I love it, though! I included tips on sewing stretchy fabric to a non-stretchy zipper and how to make sure the end of your zipper tape is as hidden as possible.

For this project, you should measure the intended wearer's waist and make your pattern piece yourself. This automatic customization is a fun feature, unless you don't happen to have your wearer around! If you're making a gift for a family member or friend and you can't measure them, search around online for sizing guides based on clothing brands you like. I've been really happy with Title Nine, in the past, and I've used their guides for this purpose. It is stretchy, so an exact fit isn't completely needed, but it's great to have a starting point.

Persistent Marker Message T-Shirts

This shirt was made possible by a marker-based discovery that BLEW MY MIND. They make fabric markers, now, that you can use to mark fabric permanently. Not just sharpies, but pens actually designed for that purpose.

At the best drag show I ever saw (at Bryant-Lake Bowl), one of the performers ripped apart their top T-shirt to reveal a scrawled message on the white tee underneath: "This Is What A Feminist Looks Like." The crowd went wild. This is a very easy, cheap, DIY way to take any message anywhere.

No-Purl Pussyhat

Kids all go through phases where they don't want to wear hats. Our little model, Lila, is about 3 seconds away from ripping hers off in this photo. She's wearing it backwards, but she still looks super-cute (and only a knitter would know)!

This knitting pattern is super-easy, and involves nary a single purl stitch. I don't have anything against purls, I just don't invite them to the party when they're not needed.

The No-Purl Pussyhat can be made at any gauge, with any yarn, in any size. It's the only pussyhat pattern you need!