Category Archives: Inspiration

Everyday Inspiration

January 6th, 2009 in Inspiration
By Diane Pedersen

A creative life is filled with challenges and rewards, puzzles and curiosities. This ongoing series of poems attempts to express the “Aha’s” and “What ifs”, the deep ponderings and casual observations of an inquiring mind trying to make sense of reality. May it serve, for you, as a bit of “Everyday Inspiration” along your own creative path.

A creative person
Should not be made
To choose between
Her art
And another
Commitment.

If forced
To do so,
She will chose her art—
For to NOT
Would be to
Obliterate
Her soul.

Mending Made Fun

December 30th, 2008 in Inspiration
By Lynn Koolish

Needle Felted Sweater Fix

When I found holes in one of my favorite wool sweaters, I was really upset. I put it in my “need to fix it” drawer and there it sat for about two years. I knew that I should be able to do something clever to fix it, but whenever I looked at it, nothing came to mind. As I was rummaging through one of my storage bins I found needle-felting supplies and some multi-colored yarn.

I pulled out my copies of Fast, Fun & Easy ® Needle Felting and Indygo Junction’s Needle Felting to get some ideas, and realized that I could use the multi-color yarn as a vine. I cut out leaf shapes from some felted wool, but the leaves looked too plain so I needle felted roving & other shapes to add some color and texture. I arranged everything on the sweater and needle felted it in place. It didn’t feel quite secure, so I used some very fine yarn to stitch everything down. I liked the way the stitching looked, and added a little more stitching.

Now just in time for the cold weather, I can wear my sweater again!

Would You Believe this Quilt is Carved from Wood?

December 29th, 2008 in Inspiration
By Christine Mann

“Fat Tuesday,” carved wood, oil stain & mixed media, 68″ x 23″ x 4″, 2006 (click image for larger view)

If you think it’s a challenge to create a beautiful quilt with needle, thread, and fabric, how about this wooden quilt carved by artist Fraser Smith? Every detail is complete, right down to the dimples caused by the “stitches” in the “batting.” Click on Fraser’s name to see more of his awe-inspiring sculptures.

Keeping my People Warm with Crocheted Scarves

December 18th, 2008 in Inspiration
By Shirley Montano Navitsky

I have been Crocheting scarves for my grandkids for Christmas this year. I come home every evening and start one or finish one. I’ve been sharing them with everyone at work so they can give me their opinion’s on the color and style. Some of them end up on my co- workers because of these cold days ….. and they look cute with them on.

Danielle, C&T's Marketing Coordinator modeling one of my scarves

Danielle, our Marketing Coordinator, modeling one of my scarves

My mother got me started crocheting because I was kind of stressed raising 3 kids and working. She told me that it would calm me down, and I could do it while watching my favorite programs on TV. My mother and her sisters were all crocheters and so I guess it is like a tradition in my family. But I am not as good as they are yet.

My mother made dresses for each of my granddaughters and also made Raiders Slippers for my grandsons. I knew every Christmas that I would get a new pair of Crocheted slippers from her. I sure miss getting my slippers since she passed away six years ago, but I am determined to learn and keep the tradition going…I hope!

I still have a Raiders Scarf and Christmas stocking she made me that I treasure. I am hoping my grandkids keep their scarves to remember me, and that I too can do grandmotherly things.

On Weather and Buying Local

December 17th, 2008 in Inspiration
By Ali Snow

Illustration by Christopher Silas Neal

Being one of the early-birds at work, I have to leave my house in Alameda very early…6:30am! As I was driving to work this morning, there was a beautiful frost over everything. (Those of you in Northern California know that this doesn’t happen very often.) Even though it is nose-freezingly cold, it’s pretty great to have a winter white morning!

I was listening the radio when the news came on, and as usual, it wasn’t good news. As the newscaster spoke of how our state is quickly running out of money, my mind began to drift to all that I had to do for the day, the holiday craziness, and my boyfriend’s birthday fast approaching.

But I couldn’t get my mind completely off the news and the people who have hit really hard times during this especially cold holiday season. As I pulled into the driveway shrouded with fog, I determined that for the rest of the presents that I have to buy (which is, um, pretty much all of them), I’m going to purposefully buy them locally. I want to do my part in stimulating the economy and support the local businesses. More than ever, now is the time to stick together and support our community, don’t you think?

Holiday Serendipity….

December 16th, 2008 in Inspiration
By Sue Astroth

I enjoy decorating my studio for the holidays. I spend a fair amount of time working on last minute gifts in that room and I like being surrounded by the holiday spirit. All I need to go with is a cup of coffee and an old Christmas movie to keep me company and I’m well on my way to finishing up my holiday gifts!

Last weekend while I was putting the finishing touches on my studio tree, so I could get busy on my gift list, I realized I needed a tree topper. I didn’t just want a bow, and the one I used last year was really just too small. I figured something would come to me or I would just have to go without. Besides I really needed to FOCUS on my gift list!

While initially making room for the tree I ended up moving a fair amount of the eye candy I keep in the room for inspiration—things people have given me, needlework tools, and even a few things I’ve made. One group of treasures that refused to move gracefully, by falling to the ground in total disarray, were the magic wands I made for my Super Simple Costume book. One of the wands came totally apart with the top to my left and the handle to my right. While being frustrated that I had to bend over to pick one more thing up off the floor, I suddenly had a great idea - one of these wand tops would make a perfect Tree Topper complete with ribbon streamers. Good thing I forgot to glue that wand in place!!! It was the perfect last decoration for the tree and studio. Better yet it didn’t cost me any additional time or money! I love when stuff like that happens.

Check out Super Simple Costumes for the wands, I mean tree toppers, and other project ideas you can use to decorate for the holidays! Let me know what you come up with…..

Home Shopping

December 15th, 2008 in Inspiration, Interestingness
By Cynthia Bix

I just discovered a fabulous new crafts and fiber arts store. And guess what? It’s right in my own house! So convenient. No parking problems, no crowds.

I discovered it when I decided to move the guest bed out of our spare bedroom and into our downstairs storage area. (Which I did because my husband and I finally got around to cleaning out the storage area—another story.)

Of course, the empty space in the guest room just begged to be filled up. My sewing machine was already on a little desk in the room. But when we moved the bed, we uncovered all the boxes underneath, which were filled with my fabric stash. I already knew about those, of course, although I hadn’t been using them because they were so hard to get at.

“I wonder what else I’ve got?” I asked myself. I began searching my house, rounding up the fabric snippets and the arts-and-crafts supplies I’ve been collecting for years. I flushed out the usual suspects—scrapbooking papers, glitter, an embossing tool, ribbon, tissue paper, old buttons, lace, gold-leafing pens, scissors with decorative edges, feathers, antique fabrics—and more. All remnants of past crazes—the Period Doll Costumes and Millinery Phase, the Amish Quilts Phase, the Scrapbook Phase, the Watercolor Painting, Rubber Stamping, and Stenciling Phases—as well as materials for projects that never got made (lots!). When I got it all together in one room, it looked like quite a haul.

Now I was faced with a problem. Except for making quilts, I didn’t really want to do those things anymore. What I had was a treasure trove of goodies in search of a project.

That’s when I had my Aha! moment.

In my job as a Developmental Editor at C&T, I’m working on the final stages of Rebekah Meier’s glorious book, Fabric Art Collage: 40+ Mixed Media Techniques. I’ve been working my way carefully through it, page by page, trying not to drool on the images of art quilts and ATCs (Artists Trading Cards) layered with delicately painted and stamped tissue and fabric scraps, tea-dyed lace, altered ribbon, and myriad embellishments.

From Rebekah Meier's book, Fabric Art Collage

And, well—duhhhh! Suddenly, I saw my stuff in a brand new way. Those scraps of antique lace, that gold embossing powder—not to mention the bits of wrapping paper and that marvelous spiral-design rubber stamp, came together into visions of mini-collages crowded into my head.

I can’t wait to get started. Just as soon as I clear a path through all the boxes and baskets to my new work table . . .

Wrapping Holiday Gifts

December 15th, 2008 in Inspiration
By Lynn Koolish

Wrapping gifts using Gift Box Studio

I usually have lots of gift wrap and gift tags on hand, so as I started to wrap holiday gifts this weekend, I slowly realized that I didn’t have the supplies I thought I had. The weather had finally turned stormy (we’d been having glorious weather up until now) and I really, really didn’t want to go out.

Then I remembered that I had the newest Gift Box Studio—Celebrate. Perfect! Just what I needed.

Take Out Box and Gift Tags

I quickly made a take-out box that is just the right size for a silk scarf. As I popped out tags for the box, I realized that I could use the Gift Box Studio tags for other gifts that I had already wrapped.

Whew. Gift Box Studio to the Wrapping Rescue.

Everyday Inspiration

December 15th, 2008 in Inspiration
By Diane Pedersen

A creative life is filled with challenges and rewards, puzzles and curiosities. This ongoing series of poems with accompanying images attempts to express the “Aha”s and “What if”s, the deep ponderings and casual observations of an inquiring mind trying to make sense of reality. May it serve, for you, as a bit of “Everyday Inspiration” along your own creative path.

The filtered
Morning light
Glints off
The crumpled
Toothpaste tube
On my bathroom
Sink:
Mauve, sliver, with blue and red type.

I think of Wayne Thiebaud
And marvel
At how beautiful
The ordinary
Can be.

Creating an Heirloom Quilt

December 12th, 2008 in Inspiration, Interestingness
By Cynthia Bix

This story is about a three-generation quilt that got created over time in a pretty unintentional way—it just happened. But there’s no time like the present to intentionally start an heirloom quilt. Perhaps after you read this piece, you’ll feel inspired to start making quilt blocks that will eventually become your own family’s heirloom. (Article originally published in the San Francisco Chronicle)

Three pairs of hands made my quilt—my grandmother’s, my mother’s, and mine. The quilt, a Dresden Plate, began with a pile of fabric squares my mother pulled out of a box one day. I was just getting interested in quilting, and I was entranced. In the center of each white cotton block was a hand-appliquéd ring of fabrics in a rainbow of colors—clear red, navy blue, soft brown, maroon, grey-green. The fabrics were floral prints and polka dots, plaids and stripes, with a 1930s look to them. Recently, I looked this up in Barbara Brackman’s fascinating book, Making History: Quilts & Fabric from 1890–1970. There were the fabrics! Taken all together, I believe they span a period from the 1920s through the 1940s.

C&T Publishing is a group of quilters and crafters dedicated to publishing products tailored to our audience. This blog is where we break away from book schedules and marketing campaigns to focus on what drives us to be creative and how this creativity manifests itself in our every day lives.