STC Craft at QuiltCon: A Recap

Here at STC Craft, we're excited about the modern quilting movement as it's attracting all sorts of different crafters to the quilting world. When we heard that the Modern Quilt Guild was organizing a conference for quilters, we were immediately on board.

QuiltCon, which was held in Austin, Texas last weekend, brought together some of the biggest stars in contemporary stitching. Fittingly, the keynote speaker was designer, STC Craft author, and "mother of modern quilting" Denyse Schmidt, whose stunning quilts were featured in a special exhibit that we were proud to sponsor.

STC Craft was also represented by Heather Ross, who captivated crowds with her demo; Joelle Hoverson, who judged the show's quilt competition; and our own Melanie Falick, who offered her unique insight during a panel on craft book publishing.

You can check out more of our photos on Facebook, and for a full recap of the show, we recommend Meg Cox's excellent newsletter feature. Our final thought on QuiltCon? We hear there will be another one in 2015. Count us in!

What Do(odle) You See?

Created by Dawn "The Doodle Queen" Sokol, Art Doodle Love is an interactive fill-in book full of prompts that will motivate you to discover yourself while developing your artistic skills. The pages provide fun, colorful backdrops that are sure to jumpstart your creativity.

Eager to put markers to paper, we picked a prompt from the book (shown above) and challenged some people around the office to let their creative juices flow, doodling what they saw within the splotches and drips. We were amazed by the different ways each person interpreted and altered the page.

For instance, as in real life, I'll try to make cake out of anything:

STC Craft Senior Editor Liana Allday's cute partygoers search for their missing friend:

Ellie Levine, our STC Craft Marketing Manager, channeled Palm Springs:

 

And Lindley Boegehold, our Director of Calendars and Licensing, took some inspiration from the farm:

And now it's your turn...what do you see in the splotches and drips? Click here to download the sample page we used and get creative! We'll be putting together a photo gallery of creations from Art Doodle Love, so be sure to take photos of this or any of your doodled pages from the book and upload them to Twitter or Instagram with the tag #artdoodlelove.

And if our "professional" doodles above aren't enough of a draw (pun intended), watch artist Mindy Lacefield doodle her way through the book in this amazing video:

 

We can't wait to see where your pen takes you!

A Day of Love and Friendship (and Crafts, of Course)

Kaffe Fassett: Dreaming in Color

It's that time of year again where seemingly everything is saturated in shades of red punctuated with hearts and flowers. While I do love the vibrant decor, I have to admit that Valentine's Day has never been particularly appealing to me in the traditional sense. Instead, I choose to celebrate the more inclusive Mexican iteration, El día del amor y la amistad ("the day of love and friendship"), a day where you show your affection for everyone you like best! Naturally, my version also involves crafting (bonus points if it takes place in a blanket fort, like this one courtesy of Comfort Knitting and Crochet: Afghans).

Comfort Knitting and Crochet: Afghans

Crafting with your friends is a great way to get together and catch up on each others' lives, as well as some projects that have been languishing in a basket. Whether you want to keep it easy like this quick and festive hat from Weekend Knitting...

 

Weekend Knitting

...or let your togetherness inspire you to take on something more challenging, like vintage dresses from Gertie's New Book for Better Sewing, nothing promotes closeness like creating something side-by-side.

Gertie's New Book for Better Sewing

So whatever you end up doing, we hope your day is filled with fun (and maybe a hand-crafted item or two). Happy Valentine's Day!

Get Inspired With Our Spring Book Galleries!

Past & Present by Amy Azzarito

Although it still feels like winter out there, we’re so excited to present photo galleries for our spring book list! Get ready to:

Learn new shaping techniques with Lynne Barr:

The Shape of Knitting by Lynne Barr

Flatter your body shape with Amy Herzog:

Knit to Flatter by Amy Herzog

Create a fresh, new quilt project with color wizard Kaffe Fassett:

Kaffe Fassett Quilts Shots and Stripes by Kaffe Fassett and Liza Prior Lucy

Get creative with pen and paper with Dawn Sokol:

Art Doodle Love by Dawn Sokol

Feed your inner history buff with decorative arts-inspired DIY from Amy Azzarito:

Past & Present by Amy Azzarito

And fire up a kiln with our first ceramics title from the inimitable Simon Leach:

Simon Leach's Pottery Handbook by Simon Leach with Bruce Dehnert

Click-through above to enjoy more inspiring photos, and make sure to keep an eye out for these titles, coming soon to bookstores near you!

Announcing the First Book from NYC's Mood Fabrics!

Readers, we're going to Mood!

STC Craft is thrilled to be publishing the first book from Mood Designer Fabrics, The Mood Guide to Fashion and Fabrics. Mood is one of the world's pre-eminent fabric emporiums, revered among DIYers and fashion designers for its expert staff and breathtakingly broad range of high-quality fabrics. Mood's flagship NYC store has also become famous as the fabric home of Project Runway (fans of the show will recognize Tim Gunn's catchphrase "Thank you, Mood!").

You can imagine our excitement when first meeting with Mood's team—we even got to pet Swatch, the adorable store mascot! We're honored that they've chosen to publish with STC Craft and we're eager to dig in. Imagine: it is now our job to immerse ourselves in beautiful silks, cottons, wools, and more as we learn everything we can about the fabrics that make fashion happen.

The Mood Guide to Fashion and Fabrics will be the next best thing to visiting the store in person. We're working with Mood's incredible team to combine their vast amount of fabric and fashion know-how with practical sewing tips and a gold-mine of insider design advice. The book will be written by Meg McDonald, popular sewing blogger and Mood's resident fabric-holic and sewing fanatic, and will include a foreword by Tim Gunn.

The Mood Guide to Fashion and Fabrics will hit stores in Spring 2015, and while that date seems a long way off, we know it'll be worth the wait. In the meantime, you can follow Mood and STC Craft on social media for updates and the occasional sneak peek. Excited about our new project? Tell us in the comments section what you'd like to see in the book. We'd love to hear from you.

Take a Craftcation!

 

Join STC Craft Publishing Director Melanie Falick at Craftcation 2013! Brimming with DIY and small business workshops, panel discussions, and Q&A sessions, the Craftcation: Indie Business and DIY Craft Conference is the perfect crafty respite to ignite the entrepreneurial spirit. Both seasoned business owners and newcomers to indie business alike are getting together in Ventura, CA from March 21-24 to hone their craft, food, and small business skills (and have a dance party!). So if you're planning to be in the area, or are just looking for an excuse to be, it's not too late to grab tickets.

And don't forget to stop by and say hello to Melanie at Knitting 101 or How to Get Your Craft Writing Published. We hope to see you there!

Melanie Falick on Creativebug

I would venture to say we’re not the only ones with creative resolutions for the new year. If learning a new skill is high on your list, then taking an online crafting class with our friends over at Creativebug will get you on your way! Joining the ranks of talented craft mavens (and STC alums) Natalie Chanin, Liesl Gibson, Kata Golda, Gretchen Hirsch, Kristin Nicholas, Heather Ross, Debbie Stoller, and Creativebug editorial director Kelly Wilkinson, our talented STC Craft Publishing Director Melanie Falick is offering tutorials for beaded leather wrap bracelets, yarn dyeing, and DIY knitting needles.

 

 

And for your daily dose of inspiration, be sure to check out how Melanie has made a career out of her love of making things and desire to help women tell their stories in this lovely video introduction.

Creative Resolutions for 2013

Photo: Thayer Allyson Gowdy from The Shape of Knitting by Lynne Barr

Every January, there's the usual chatter about New Year's resolutions--ways to cut back, shape up, and make changes that often feel more like chores. This year, the STC Craft team decided to frame our 2013 goals as "creative resolutions." Inspiring, right? Here's what we came up with:

Melanie, Publishing Director
My goal this year is to simply to spend more time being creative with my friends and family. More afternoons chatting and creating, hopefully even some weekends away together. Add in some tea or wine, some fresh air, laughter, maybe a little yoga. Perfection!

Liana, Senior Editor
I recently saw a photo for this really cute toddler sweater on Pinterest, but it's from a Finnish blog and the instructions (if there are any) are not in English. So, I want to try to make up a pattern so I can replicate the sweater! (Here's a link to some sketches on my blog.)
I also want to spend a lot more time writing this year, and possibly maybe even start keeping an art journal! (Art Doodle Love has inspired me…)
Finally, I want to work on cleaning up my creative space. I suspect there will be a major fabric purge in the new year, and a lot less clutter. (How many pincushions do I need??)

Cristina, Editorial Assistant
I'm so wonderfully lucky to work somewhere I get to be creative everyday, but I'd love to make an effort to set aside more time for creative pursuits at home. And I'm determined to learn how to knit! No more excuses, especially with all the great knitters around here to show me the way.

Michelle, Executive Director of Marketing + Publicity
My creative goals for 2013 are to finish my striped knitted-felted bag, a large project that I would love complete and start to use this winter; to find time to try my new guache brushes—they've been sitting and taunting me!—and lastly, I owe a nice knitted project to my colleagues! Lots of fun stuff to do.

Ellie, Marketing Manager
This year my goal is to spend more time seeing and reading about art. Over the holidays, I visited the new Philadelphia campus of the Barnes Foundation. The museum is famous for a number of reasons (here's a primer) and if you ever find yourself in Philly, it's a must-see! The eclectic, offbeat collection has a single mission: art as everyday experience. I left inspired, excited, and with a long list of artists to investigate.

Traci, Publicist
I love to paint old furniture and give it a brand new look. My 5-year old son spends many weekends in the garage/workshop with me "working," with his kiddie washable paint-set in hand. This year I want to encourage him further and provide him with his own project – a small nightstand. I'll be there to guide him but I can't wait to see what he can do!

Looking Back + Looking Forward with Kaffe

One of the highlights of my year was celebrating the publication of Kaffe Fassett's autobiography: Kaffe Fassett: Dreaming in Color. Kaffe spent much of his childhood in Big Sur, California, where his parents built the famous Nepenthe restaurant. The wild California coastline and the bohemian cast of characters who passed through Nepenthe made a significant impact on Kaffe's view of the world and so, when it was time to organize a book tour, we knew we wanted to have an event there. And I knew I wanted to attend the celebration! Kaffe shared the news with his family, and they welcomed me so warmly that I felt like I somehow belonged. I had spent hundreds of hours working on the book and then, before my eyes, it seemed to come to life. Everything was new to me yet it was familiar--the original log cabin, the artwork on the walls, the food, the landscape, the view, the people. I snapped a bunch of photos with my phone. They don't provide a comprehensive look at the event or the place but I do hope they portray the joy of the experience!

 

Above: Kaffe signing books. Despite a pretty serious rainstorm, friends, family, and fans happily made the trip to the celebration.

 

Above: The signing took place inside the Phoenix Shop at Nepenthe. The two-story shop sells a selection of Kaffe's work as well as the work of other family memebers, plus an eclectic treasure trove of clothing, jewelry, homewares, and books. That's Kaffe's niece Erin at top right, his sister Holly on the left side of the second row, and his partner Brandon and niece Winona in the bottom center.

 

Above: Around the idyllic property. That's me in the pink sweater, and Kaffe and his niece Romney in the bottom row. Behind that painted wooden fence is the original log cabin, where family members still reside. At top center is Cafe Kevah, another casual eatery on the property. As soon as we arrived Romney ordered me a glass of Gary's Lucia Pinot Noir from a nearby vineyard. Seven hundred feet above the Pacific, the scene was set. Perfection I will never forget.

And so, it is with this special memory at the forefront of my mind, that I look back at 2012 with gratitude and look forward to 2013 with hope.

Happy New Year!

 

 

Handmade Holidays: It's Party Time

Weekend Handmade by Kelly Wilkinson

As the end of December quickly approaches (where has the time gone?), it’s time to don your most glitzy ensembles and dust off your decadent nibble recipes in anticipation of upcoming holiday soirees. Whether you’re planning to dance the night away at a friend’s bash or host your own celebration of the season, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite DIY projects to get you ready to party well into the new year!

Sometimes, a stand-out accessory or sparkly embellishment are all you really need to make an outfit more festive. Donning some DIY headwear from The BUST DIY Guide to Life or embroidering a plain garment with this beautiful snowflake-like stitch pattern from Alabama Studio Sewing + Design will get you party-ready in no time.

Staying in with a few loved ones? Then think about amping your common threads with some handcrafted add-ons! Make a super-stylish Peter Pan collar (tutorial here) with Gertie’s help or a cozy necklace from Knitting From the Center Out (tutorial here) for a fun outfit boost no matter where you end up spending your holiday.

Even Liesl Gibson is making her own festive accessories! Check out her tassel necklace tutorial over at Creativebug.

And of course, you never want to arrive at anyone’s party empty-handed. For hostess gifts with heart, some scented sachets from More Last-Minute Knitted Gifts or personalized cutting board from AlternaCrafts are sure to get you invited back next year.

Handmade Holidays: Stocking Stuffers

As we get deeper into the holiday season, it's not uncommon for us crafty types to face a classic paradox: the holiday spirit fills us with inspiration to make things, but we have almost no time left to make them.

To overcome the challenges posed by this paradox, we should consider the merits of the stocking stuffer. Stockings are one of the most cherished parts of Christmas morning—a big sock filled with little things, like candies and toys, soaps and lotions, silly dollar-store treats, perhaps a gift card or maybe a pair of earrings. And, in my family, there's usually something sweet and special like a handmade gift.

The stuffed dolls from Kata Golda's Hand-Stitched Felt would make a perfect stocking stuffer. (Can't you see this mouse girl's sweet little face and arms poking out the top?) In the book, you can choose to make a mouse, a dog, or a bunny (as shown below), and the instructions could not be simpler. Just cut out your felt, sew the edges together with blanket stitch, and stuff! I finished the mouse girl shown above in a single night, beginning to end.

And for those who want a stocking to match their stuffed animal, be sure to check out Kata Golda's Felt Fox Stocking tutorial on Creativebug! 

 

Still need last-minute stocking stuffer inspiration for everyone else on your list?

While you probably won't have time to hand-stitch an entire Alabama Chanin dress to give as a gift, this headband from Alabama Stitch Book works up nice and fast. Plus it only requires a bit of T-shirt fabric and a needle and thread, so you won't have to run all over town looking for materials.

When taking on a last-minute knitting project, either keep it really small (like these coasters from More Last-Minute Knitted Gifts) or work with chunky yarn on big needles (like this cowl from Custom Knits Accessories)—the idea is that you want to be able to knock it out in just a night or two.

Machine-sewers can make all sorts of cute little things on the fly. This little dachshund necklace from Wee Wonderfuls is a perfect way to use up irresistible scrap fabric, and the bunny purse from Zakka Sewing will make any little girl excited to go back to school after winter break.

And don't forget the little stuffed kangaroo that Cristina made a few weeks ago! Easy, cute, and the perfect size to stuff into a stocking.

Handmade Holidays: Gift Guides

 

More Last-Minute Knitted Gifts

Nothing creates a holiday memory quite like a handmade gift. If you’re feeling inclined to express your sentiments by hand this year, here are a few fun ideas:

For your mom:

 

Treat your hardworking mom to a relaxing spa afternoon with pressed flower luminaria from Weekend Handmade and homemade sugar scrub from The BUST DIY Guide to Life.

For your stylish best friend:

 

A slouchy pom pom hat from My Grandmother’s Knitting and a swiss cross bag from Zakka Sewing compliment a friend-filled weekend outing.

For the little ones:

 

Knitted dinosaur? Enough said.  This fabric case from Last-Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts for coloring on the go is an added bonus.

For your coworker:

 

Even a meeting-filled morning is made better with this personalized mug from The BUST DIY Guide to Life and these stamped notebooks from Printing by Hand.

And of course, don’t forget the pup!

Handknit Holidays

So, let the holiday gift crafting begin!

Handmade Holidays: All the Trimmings

The Repurposed Library by Lisa Occhipinti

Making handmade holiday decor is a fun way to get into the spirit of the season. My favorite holiday projects are inexpensive and can be completed during a weekend (preferably in between sips of hot cocoa), and paper crafts are just the ticket. Either used as ornaments, a tree topper, or made into a garland, paper crafts are a lovely and quick way to add a little something festive to your home.

 Images 1 & 3: Modern Paper Crafts by Margaret Van Sicklen; Image 2: The Repurposed Library by Lisa Occhipinti

I also love projects that evolve from leftover tidbits I have lying around. If, like us, you have a lot of fabric scraps in a basket somewhere, why not turn them into a few of these sweet little bird ornaments from Last Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts?

 Last-Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson

Although I tend to favor the immediate gratification of quick projects, some are just too beautiful to pass up for lack of time. This colorful tree skirt from Handknit Holidays can be used year after year, and would compliment a host of different decorating styles.

 Handknit Holidays by Melanie Falick

Do you have any favorite crafty ways to spruce up your home for the holidays? Please share!

Handmade Holidays!

Handknit Holidays by Melanie Falick

The holidays are always an exciting time of year, with the brisk post-Thanksgiving air inspiring us to begin decorating (and stocking up on peppermint treats) in anticipation of the upcoming December festivities. And what better way to prepare than by taking out a box of shiny baubles and crafting holiday odds and ends!

AlterKnits Felt by Leigh Radford

Handmade holiday crafts are arguably the best crafts—as an adult, how many opportunities do you have to dress up your belongings with glitter and excessive metallic finishes?

Weekend Handmade by Kelly Wilkinson

But most importantly, handmade holidays are also as much about the act of creating as the finished product. There's nothing more fun than spending an afternoon making garlands with friends, and there's no better feeling than knowing that a loved one is thinking of you each time they pull on their nubby hand-knit mittens.  

Knitting Nature by Norah Gaughan

So to spread the handmade holiday love, over the course of the next month we will be sharing books and project ideas to get you in the spirit--from gift guides to décor projects, right down to ways to glitz up your favorite festive outfits!

In the meantime be sure to follow us on Twitter (#handmadeholiday) and Pinterest for regular doses of handmade holiday inspiration!

Tiny Felt Creatures: The Perfect DIY Stocking Stuffer

I’ll admit it, I’m a sucker for tiny versions of things. Little cups, mini pies, small embellishments—you name it, I have to have it. Needless to say, the palm-sized felt animal kits from Last-Minute Fabric Gifts author Cynthia Treen are right up my alley. How sweet are these little guys?

I don't have a lot of experience hand-stitching, but these little creatures looked too tempting not to try. Everything you need to craft (save scissors) comes wrapped up in a neat little box, perfect for taking on the go or gifting to a crafty pal. All you have to do is put on a good movie, cut the pre-sized fabric inside, and sew the pieces together following the step-by-step instructions provided.

And voila! In one evening I was able to whip up the kangaroo above (complete with removable baby kangaroo, as if it all wasn’t cute enough). Perfect for beginner or advanced sewists, Cynthia's kits are comprised of locally-sourced and recycled materials, reducing the carbon footprint. With the holidays around the corner, you’re just a quick last-minute fabric project away from a perfect stocking stuffer!

SUMMARY    REFERENCES    OPTIONS

Make It Better: A Craftalong for Sandy Relief

Although all of us here at STC Craft are grateful to have survived last week's hurricane relatively unscathed, we know firsthand that many Sandy victims in New York City and surrounding areas are still living without electricity, heat, or even proper shelter.

Two New York-based craft bloggers—Brett Bara from Manhattan Craft Room and Natalie Soud from A Dose of the Delightful—also took notice and created Make It Better: A Craftalong for Sandy Relief. The goal? Rally crafters to make warm hats, scarves, blankets, mittens, socks, and sweaters to deliver to those who are desperately in need of warm items to get them through the next few weeks.

If you’re anything like us, you know that crafting feels especially rewarding when done for others, so get out your supplies and read on to learn how you can help.

MAKE IT. Simply knit, crochet, or sew a warm garment or blanket–-items most needed are hats, socks, gloves/mittens, scarves, sweaters, and blankets (take a look at our free projects Pinterest board for ideas). If you’d like, you should  also feel free to donate other new or gently-used warm garments. We are hearing reports that general clothing is no longer needed, so please restrict your donations to warm winter items only.

SEND IT. Send your finished item to: Natalie Soud, 310 West Broadway, New York, NY 10013. They want to start distributing warm goods within a week or less, so stitch something quick and send it off! Volunteers will deliver the items to various points in and around New York City.

CRAFTALONG. Share what you’ve made and help spread the word! Blog, Tweet, Facebook, Instagram, and Pin that you’re participating in the Sandy Craftalong as soon as you can so that we can get as many hands stitching as possible. Then, when you finish your project, share what you’ve made by posting it on your own blog and on their Facebook page. Also remember to use the tags  #makeitbetter and #sandycraftalong.

We hope you'll join in!

Fiber & Fun at the Sheep & Wool Festival

Last weekend, the STC Craft team made our annual trek up to Rhinebeck for the NYS Sheep & Wool Festival. For those not familiar with the event, Sheep & Wool is a beloved fall ritual that combines country fair with fiber heaven. Perhaps Clara Parkes summed it up best when she called it "a knitterly version of a homecoming weekend."

This year, we were excited to have authors Norah Gaughan, Bruce Weinstein, and Daniel Yuhas signing books at our booth.

As you can imagine, we were a bit overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of yarn & yarn-related goodies.

We also found ourselves enchanted by animals. (The llama parade was particularly unforgettable.)

After we stuffed ourselves with kettle corn, apple crisp and a million other kinds of fair food, we packed up our booth and headed back to the city. For all of you who came to Rhinebeck, we hope you had a great time and safe travels home, too! And for those who couldn't make it, perhaps we'll see you next year? (It really is worth the pilgrimage.)

Wee Wonderfuls at Land of Nod

Though my days of toting around favorite playthings are behind me, an adorable, hand-crafted doll never fails to bring a smile to my face. And nothing tugs at the heartstrings of children (and adults) like the sweet, braided yarn hair-dos or floppy elephant ears of STC Craft author Hillary Lang’s Wee Wonderfuls dolls.

 

Now, with her exclusive line at online children's retailer The Land of Nod, even the least crafty among us can own one of her whimsical creations! Available on their website or from their winter catalog (dropping in homes this week), six different designs can be yours for the taking.

Of course, if making one by hand is more your cup of tea, make sure to pick up a copy of Wee Wonderfuls today.

Author Spotlight: Daniel Yuhas

Knitting designer, teacher, and fiber artist Daniel Yuhas' work is revolutionary—both literally and figuratively!—and the one-of-a-kind patterns featured in his new book Knitting From the Center Out are fast, addictive, and adaptable. Read on to see how Daniel got his start, and details on where you can meet him in person at the Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck, NY this weekend!

I got my start knitting when…
I learned to knit during my first fall break in college. I needed a project to keep me busy on the empty campus, so I checked a copy of America's Knitting Book out of the library and spent most of the week using the book's beautiful illustrations to walk myself through the steps...and the next thing I knew I was obsessed!

I’m inspired by…

The creative process. Sometimes we knitters talk about the difference between a "product knitter" and a "process knitter." I'm totally enthralled by the process of knitting, and exploring what happens inside our heads when we use our hands to make beautiful things. In my teaching and designing I strive to create an "a-ha" moment when everything comes together.

My favorite tools are…
Sticks and string! Knitting is an ancient and evolving art form that you can make in your lap, and the tools you need to do it are minimal.

When I’m not creating, you can find me…
Teaching knitting at yarn shops and fiber festivals, or taking long bike rides in the hills around Portland.

If I wasn't an artist, I would daydream about becoming…
An artist. I can't imagine not feeling driven to create.

Come stop by and say hello to Daniel, along with Norah Gaughan, author of Knitting Nature, Comfort Knitting & Crochet: Afghans and Comfort Knitting & Crochet: Babies & Toddlers, Bruce Weinstein author of Knits Men Want, and the STC Craft team at the NY State Sheep & Wool Festival this weekend in Rhinebeck, NY. Hope to see you there!