Sep
10
101: Natural Dyeing
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101: Natural Dyeing
Everyday plants offer big color.
By Judith Lange
Imagine a world with no colored fabric. Look in your closet, at your furniture, at your towels and your curtains. Imagine everyone dressed only in white. Such a drab existence does not suit human beings. Long before Rit came in packets, color was everywhere. Beautiful colors were produced from plants, wood scraps, mud, shellfish, even bugs.
My friends and I once spent an entire summer experimenting with natural dyes. It was a fun way to bring more color into our lives; it's sure to be the same for you. Many natural sources of dye are still available today and are simple to use. In this tutorial, I'll show you how to dye wool using the ubiquitous onionskin. This is a grand project for adults and children, singly or in groups (supervise children!).
Aug
24
Home Canning 101
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A great intro to home canning is on design*sponge by Ashley English.
Ashley writes:
For many, the answer for what to do with all that fruit and veg deliciousness lies in home canning. A new wave of canners, thinking outside the jar, are holding jam sessions and finding themselves in a pickle with unmatched enthusiasm. In fact, next weekend, August 29-30, Canning Across America (their tagline is “Join the Canvolution!”) is planning a huge kick-off, with nationwide how-to classes, demonstrations, and home canning parties (my friend Nicole and I are thinking of hosting one ourselves!). Let’s take a look at the world of home canning and go over some “simmering” questions and “boiling” concerns.[Read this article] [Comment on this article]
Aug
6
101: Upholstery
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101: Upholstery
Add comfort and a fresh new look to your chairs.
By Ashley Jameson Eriksmoen
Dining chairs are an integral part of good times. Where there's dinner, wine, and company, there are chairs. But old dining chairs are notoriously uncomfortable: no fun for the buns. With simple modifications, though, that can be remedied. Plywood slip seats can be altered to allow for a bit of flex, a tad of padding, and a big difference in comfort. At your next dinner party, don't be surprised if your guests won't leave!
This article teaches you the basics of upholstery, and our online supplement at craftzine.com/07/101 includes additional techniques for softening that slip seat. After this project, you'll be ready to graduate to reupholstering an armchair or a chair with a loose cushion.
[Read this article] [Comment on this article]Jul
23
Adobe Illustrator 101
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101: Adobe Illustrator
Design dazzling invitations while learning how to use a crafter-friendly drawing program.
By Stefanianna Moore
Adobe Illustrator is an amazing drawing program because it helps you design almost anything two-dimensional: graphics for your website, wallpaper and fabric patterns, and just about any print piece imaginable.
This project is a twofer: learn to become an Illustrator-savvy designer and create your own unique wedding invitation. You'll use basic Adobe Illustrator tools that will get you started learning the program's functionality and creative power. You'll learn how to set up a document, set up a color palette, add fonts, import clip art, and manipulate it. You'll be able to change colors and sizes, plus copy, paste, rotate, and move things around on an "artboard" as you wish, to create a design that will serve your needs. In the end, you'll have a finished document that you can take to a printer, bringing to life the invite of your dreams.