Love it. Love it. These are handmade with broken umbrellas! Taryn Zychal (Philadelphia) of Recycling Zychal creates the Umbrella Dog Rain Coat. How adorable is this?

To top it off she makes these HOODS for women. She calls them, “modern day babushkas.” I’m not sure we would all look so slam bam glam in them, but hey who doesn’t love a hood.

Taryn is currently accepting your broken umbrellas. She will give $1 to the Morris Animal Refuge for each broken umbrella donated! Terrific!

Kate, along with her husband, bring together farm, food and design at The Steel Fork. They also design and create sculptural metalworks using recycled farm machinery – Gatski Metal. Kate is also the mother of two busy little children.

Nicole, from Couch Design (Philadelphia), creates gorgeous graphic pillows and fabric art pieces. Her pillows are all a simple square shape – putting all the focus on her fabric finds and the hand embroidery or appliques she uses to make them special.

Nicole was recently featured on CBS3 news, during the stations Green Scene feature.

One of these pillows would take a simple IKEA chair and make it magazine-worthy!

In the spirit of helping you learn a new craft or hone your techniques this summer, the next batch of giveaways on HiP is all about YOU & CRAFTING!

Abrams Books and its imprint, STC Craft, were so generous to make FOUR books available to HiP readers this summer as giveaways. The first one I’ll review is Material Obsession by Kathy Doughty and Sarah Fielke.

I’m sure my mom isn’t the only person reading who has an obsession with fabric! Material Obsession is actually the Sydney, Australia quilt shop of co-authors Kathy & Sarah. They are known for combining a traditional inspiration with a modern aesthetic.

(note: this quilt isn’t in the book – but I found the pic on the Material Obsession blog and I couldn’t help myself!)

Each quilt featured in the book would look equally at home on an antique bed frame or Ikea floor bed. Each quilt is a beautiful piece of art and also a functional piece of home decor that is meant to be used.

If you’re new to quilting, you will find the first two quilts of the book delightfully welcoming! As the book progresses, so does the difficulty of the projects. However, even for a newbie, the more difficult quilts provide inspiration and ideas for the future.

The book includes two appendices: a section on quilting basics and a glossary & index.

So how can you win?

• You must be a resident of the US.
• Take a look at the current book offerings from STC Craft, an imprint of Abrams Books, and let me know what book might inspire you to learn a new craft! Leave a comment on this post with your favorite book from the list.
• To earn 1 extra entry, share this giveaway on your favorite social network or bookmarking site. HiP’s favorites are Stumble Upon, Twitter, and Facebook! After you share the link, please come back here and leave a second comment.

This giveaway ends Sunday, June 14 at noon (EDT). A winner will be chosen at random and notified by email.

If you’d like to purchase Material Obsession, please use the link to the left and help support Handmade in PA!

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“Henry” School Photo Stitched Ornament by The Silly BooDilly

When you think “textiles” and “Lancaster County” you probably think: quilts, modest cotton dresses, and linens on a clothesline.

Well, Victoria from The Silly BooDilly might just change your mind. She creates vivid and modern textile art using both new & traditional techniques.

The above “School Photo” piece is created using free-motion (machine) embroidery to sketch out the design. Victoria then fills in the color & brings Henry to life using Japanese fabric paints.

“Drive” Modern Study Art Quilt

Victoria explains her art:

Artistically, I value great craftsmanship and originality, and strive for both in my own work. I am constantly asking, “What if?” and then try to answer myself through what I create. I only sell what makes me happy, and in turn, I hope that it makes you happy, too!

“1970’s Boob Tube” Mini Art Quilt

Victoria’s work was recently published in the book Quilts, Baby! by Linda Kopp. Quilts, Baby! contains simple quilting projects you can complete in a weekend. Each piece is perfect for little ones but is never cutesy or old-fashioned.

So have you told me what you want to learn this summer, yet? Cause I want to learn to quilt! Really, just some patchwork and maybe some machine quilting. Luckily, mom already has a scrap bag started for me!

Monday, I’ll be starting the “You Can Do It!” giveaways with Textile Obsession by Sarah Fielke & Kathy Doughty.

Okay, more piece from The Silly BooDilly to send you into the weekend!

“Invasion 2″ Free-Motion Embroidery

I’ve been going fabric shopping ever since I can remember. My mother, a professional seamstress, took my brother and I to Jo-Ann’s at least twice a week! Although at the time my mom ignored the wall of quilting cottons, I was always fascinated by the bolts upon bolts of prints painstakingly organized by hue.

So I’m sure you can understand how much this Philadelphia shop tickles my fancy! Spool, the business child of Laura Singewald and Craig Rosenfeld (also of Loop), is a fabric lover’s paradise.

An oasis of bright color in a dessert of drab!

Laura gave me the scoop on herself and Spool!

When did you start sewing? Who was your crafting mentor?

I’ve always played around with fabric a little while making things for my dolls and dollhouse as a kid, I but got serious about it in the past few years.

It would be hard to pick just one crafting mentor- there are so many! I’ve always made things and went to college for painting, so I have tried to be surrounded by creative people. I learned so much from my college instructors, fellow students, and the all the greats in art history about making a lifestyle out of art & craft. After graduating, I worked at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where I met so many talented people that made art a part of their daily lives in addition to their day jobs. I wanted to do that too!

In 2005, I started working at Loop, a fantastic yarn shop owned by my current business partner Craig Rosenfeld. I felt like my desire to make things and my job had finally meshed perfectly! I was able to draw inspiration from my surroundings, co-workers, and wonderful customers. I would have to say that the first thing about mentoring your own craftiness is creating an environment for it to thrive.

(Laura with Jay McCarroll of Project Runway)

How did you get the idea for Spool? What was your inspiration?

While I was working for Craig at Loop, we started seeing all these amazing fabrics coming into the craft world. We wanted to sew too! I guess when your hobby ( in this case knitting) becomes your work, you start looking around for a supplementary hobby! After taking a quilting class, we were hooked and wanted more, but we had to leave the city to do it. We started talking about opening a quilt shop in Center City together, and in December of 2007 the store front right next door to Loop became available. It was a sign! We took the space and opened in March 2008. Now we can play with beautiful fabrics AND yarns every day!

What are your goals for Spool?

Our goal is to continue to inspire and support our customers in their sewing in a beautiful, relaxed and friendly environment. We would love for people to experience the satisfaction of having a creative outlet in their lives as much as we do.

If you’re in Philly this weekend, stop by Spool on Friday, May 29, from 5-8pm for “Stitch Party” and make one of these freaking cute coffee cozies!

A few years ago I came across a lot of vintage hankies and bought them. They were so pretty and the fabric was so soft. Some had vibrant, colorful prints, others delicate embroidery, and some had tiny hand crocheted edging. I kept them in my fabric stash for a while, not knowing exactly what to do with them. Yes, I could just use them as they were intended, but that seemed a waste somehow. I began searching for ideas on the internet and finally came up with some things I could do with them.

Vintage hankies make great pockets. Added to an apron as shown on my lemon yellow apron, gives your modern piece a touch of vintage style and also makes a great story. Where had this hankie been? Was it brought along on a first date, or to a prom, tucked away inside a small evening bag? Was it lovingly tucked inside a small child’s pocket on a cold winter morning? How many tears did it wipe away from sorrow or happiness?

You can cut the hankie into any shape you like to make the pocket, and just hem up the sides and sew in place. Jackets, blouses, T shirts, and dresses can be given an extra bit of flair by a hankie pocket.

Another fun thing to make is fabric brooches. Simply pick up the hankie in the middle and tie a knot on the closed end. The open end will have all the corner points bunched together. Pin to a collar on a denim jacket or sweater and it makes a great splash of color.

I have also made several jewelry pouches to keep pearls from scratching or to use when I am traveling. I have simply cut the hankie in half, and sewn up three of the sides. I then take an exacto knife and make several small slashes at the top opening to lace ribbon through. This becomes my drawstring closure. You can adjust the size to your liking.

Hankies are also great for pockets in handbags, as part of a quilt, as cuffs on a blouse, as a collar on a child’s dress, or even to make doll clothes from. With a little imagination, you can make any number of new items from a once cherished piece of fabric. The next time you talk to an older relative, ask them if they have any that you could have and get creating!

Barb Stauff is first and foremost a SAHM to three girls, 14, 11, and 7 who keep her laughing and love to help her create. Owning my own business has been a challenge, and it is a lot of hard work, but I have given my daughters a wonderful gift.

She wants people to buy her handbags, and clothes because they make them smile, and feel good about themselves. She focuses on vintage style and fabrics not only because they are interesting, but because by reusing something from the past, you bring its history and story to the future. Visit B Stauff Designs on Etsy to find Barb’s work!

One great place I know of to buy vintage hankies is Shupp’s Grove. Don’t forget to get your applications in for Crafty by Nature at Shupp’s Grove! Our first show is May 3.

My last article touched on how you can reuse and recycle fabrics laying around your house in new ways. Many times we have old slip covers or curtains lying around that we end up throwing away. I am currently working on a project to turn some home decorator fabric my friend had into a vintage-style dress. The two fabrics used were once curtains and slip covers, but a change in taste left my friend with a bunch of leftovers heading for the dump. Thankfully, she thought of me and I gladly took them.

When I looked over the fabric, there were some pieces that were too worn to use. So, I cut away the parts I did not want and saved them in my scrap bag. Normally with all my scraps I do one of two things: they are used to stuff pillows I make, or I donate them to a local group that makes quilts for the SPCA dogs. When I had the fabric that I could use I realized that there was not enough of one print to make the dress, but the two did go nicely together. I decided to use the solid for the bodice, and the print for the skirt. [Read more →]

There are several coming up! For additional events, please check out the new events calendar on the right side of page. Mouse over the days to see what events are happening on that day. You can then click on individual events to get more information and check out the event sponsor’s site.

Berks Bead Bazaar

February 28 – March 1

This week’s giveaway sponsor, Sandy, will be showing her beads as well as new HiP readers, Louise and Joan. You can find glass, porcelain, precious metal clay, stone beads – and many, many more! The Berks Bead Bazaar takes place at the Inn at Reading.

Winter Craft Swap at Mew Gallery

February 21

If you’re in the Philadelphia area, Mew Gallery, is a must-see. The gallery/shop features local crafters & artists and is also the home of the Philly Etsy team. This event is also hosted by the Philadelphia Sewing Collective.

Digital Macro Photography Workshop

February 22

Building Character, in Lancaster, and Frost Imaging are hosting a workshop on macro photography. This is the kind of photography that allows you to take exceptionally detailed images of your jewerly, beads, and other small crafts. Mastering macro photography is a great way to get your pieces to stand out from the crowd! This workshop is free and open to the public!

Pittsburgh Knit & Crochet Festival

February 14-15

The Pittsburgh Craft Collective has many upcoming events but, for this weekend, they’ve tipped me off to the Pittsburgh Knit & Crochet Festival. Oh, how I wish I could go to this! There will be some huge fiber artists there as well as the opportunity to take classes and meet other knitting & crocheting enthusiasts.

Up for tomorrow, I’ll have my weekly Friday Favorites. This weekend, I’ll be featuring an interview with Melissa Frueh!

And thank you for all your well wishes – Lola and I are coming around already!