Craftank

kitchen curtains

2008-10-23T09:19:00.001-07:00

A few years ago, I bought up a few cheap (and I mean CHEAP) kitchen curtain sets at Building 19, which is a major "bargain barn" type place here in the northeast. They aren't even my style, but they did the trick for a few years and made things presentable.

Earlier today I knocked the curtain over the sink off it's holder in my gloriously gracefull attempt (successfull attempt) to climb in the window. Yeah. I locked myself out. Instead of rehanging the curtain, I decided not to bother and to try my hand at making my own curtains from some stash.

Since I was forced to suffer the humiliation of breaking into my own house, and having it take about an hour and a half, (thankfully yesterday's rain has changed to bright, if cold, skies) I decided to treat myself to some blog surfing time. I haven't done this in what seems like ages! So what do you know...I ran accross Thimbly Things' Kitchen week! So cool, I love her style and thought process!

Top

2008-09-15T16:28:00.000-07:00

I really want to try this top from Simplicity (3571), just like Darling Petunia did! She has a knack of finding great fabric and patterns that aren't super difficult! This will likely make a great place for me to start!

Oil Cloth?

2008-09-15T09:38:00.000-07:00

Darling Petunia has the greatest ideas, this one is for covering a bench with oil cloth when you can't find oil cloth. The solution? Check it out and see!

painting in the rain

2008-09-04T10:30:00.001-07:00

I love this idea! And who says we can only do it with kids?

Bead-Embelished Tote

2008-08-29T12:18:00.001-07:00

I just love this Pop Garden Tote by Meg of Boutique Nutmeg Designs!

The things I love most about it are the creative appliqueing of the floral material over corduroy and the beaded embelishment! Two of my favorite things!

Gift Boxes

2008-08-29T11:53:00.000-07:00

How perfect is this?!

For all our hand-made christmas presents this year, we can make these Origami Gift Boxes!

I found this site through Design*Sponge, always on top of the latest and greatest! They made one box from a 9 1/2" square as the bottom and the top box (cover) was made from a 10" square piece of wrapping paper.

Of course, the heavier the gift, the thicker the paper we'll need.

T-shirt refashion links

2008-08-29T08:47:00.000-07:00

A lot of the tutorials at OhMyStars aren't quite my style, but there are clear instructions and I'm getting lots of ideas for things that would be my style.

Generation T is also a fantastic source of t-shirt refashionationating inspiration!

I also found another use for a Tee, along with other great tutorials at Stitchlounge.com including cowl-neck and boat-neck tees.

Very funny commentary here, which references WhattheCraft, which is way cool!

Oh my word, can you tell Hyung is back? I'm starting to talk like a teenager again!

Dress Refashion

2008-08-29T08:28:00.001-07:00

How many of these dresses do we have left over from our teen years?
I'm always afraid that if I add a band of fabric at the bottom of a dress or skirt, it will look like an addition. Just like on a house, I don't want an addition to look awkward, like it's not meant to be there. I think that's another reason why I haven't had a lot of success with my refashions yet.
But check out what Wendy was able to do with her dress! It looks polished, sophisitcated, and very grown up, not for a 15 year old!

Totally cool way to save grease stained clothes!

2008-08-29T08:26:00.001-07:00

Check out Helen's handiwork with reverse applique!

I can't wait to rescue my poor tops!

Great Freezer Paper Stenciling Tutorial

2008-08-27T16:27:00.000-07:00

Dana is so talented! Check out her Freezer Paper Stenciling Tutorial. As she puts it, "poor man's silkscreening."

Fabric Envelopes

2008-08-27T14:36:00.000-07:00

I found these, meant for sorting your cash when using a cash-only system, but it looks to me like a good way to sort receipts too. I use my ATM so as not to loose cash (which I've done before) but would love to use these fabric envelopes for sorting my receipts.
I don't see any reason why I couldn't figure out the dimensions and make them myself!

Paper Bowls

2008-08-27T08:15:00.001-07:00

Elizabeth is a fantastic source of recycling knowledge and ideas! Since I'm planning on recycling my junk mail to make my christmas cards this year ("notes" 3&4 at that link), this idea for recycling paper to make paper bowls also intrigues me. Maybe I'll make Bowls of home-made cookies this year instead of plates! (Though I'm sure I can make sturdy recycled plates the same way I make the bowls!!)

Needlecase

2008-08-27T08:02:00.000-07:00

I fell in love with this idea from over at Chris Cross Corner!
The stitch design isn't really my style, but I love the idea and may someday make a needlecase of my own with a small stitch pattern I absolutely adore!

Rosette Wreath

2008-08-27T06:44:00.001-07:00

I have to attribute this idea to being farsighted and forgetting my reading glasses!
I saw a small picture of this wreath in a sidebar at Design*Sponge and thought it looked like it was made out of fabric rosettes!
So then I thought of using Blissed Out's flower petals to make a wreath!

If only I had 40 hours in a day to make all these great things!

Framed illustrations

2008-08-27T06:34:00.000-07:00

Thimbly Things (TT) is just a font of creative ideas! She posted last night about another use for pages from old books and I'm absolutely "chompin' at the bit" to try it!

Baby's Wooden Blocks

2008-08-26T09:07:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon this idea from MarthaStewart.com while visiting one of my favorite blogs, Thimbly Things the other day.
I can't wait to try it myself!

Introducing Craftank

2008-08-26T08:52:00.001-07:00

This is another one of my sub-blogs that allows me to post a craft-related idea I have or one I stumble across while touring blogland. This way I will never have to regret not writing something down again! I'll always have the link. If it helps you in any way, fantastic!