Win a free book!

Win a copy of the new book, Craft Corps: Celebrating the Creative Community One Story at a Time! Stitch Machine and publisher Lark Crafts are sponsoring the giveaway. All you have to do to be entered into the drawing is visit the Stitch Machine blog before July 30th and comment about who your favorite crafter or maker is and why. Is it someone you know? Someone famous? Be sure to leave a way to contact with you if you win.

Craft Corps is a series of in-depth interviews with 30 well known makers, and 60 everyday crafters. See interviews with fabric designer Amy Butler, stencil artist Ed Roth, Big Ass Book of Crafts writer Mark Montano, and TV icon Carol Duvall. This book is stronger than most craft profile books because includes lesser known quietly successful business owners and people who craft for fun.

Five Friday Favorites (Fashion)

CircularAccessories Looking for my five favorites, I found this dress and and another shirt I loved. I then noticed they were both from the same shop. Kismet. Check out the rest of the shop, you can thank me later.

LamaWorksWoolies. This shop is pretty new, but this cowl caught my eye. I hate being cold, but hate hate HATE constricting things around my neck. Turtlenecks, mock necks,scarves etc. Cowls seem to give me warmth, look cute, but still let me feel like I can breathe.


RedThreaded. Channel your inner Elizabeth Bennet. Mr Darcy not included.


LaMistinguette. My mom (sorry mom) was a teen on the 1950's. I look at her pictures, and wish she had saved those dresses. They were so, so awesome. That is what this dress reminds me of. Makes me want to lean on a cherry 1955 Chevy.


TheGreedySeagull. Everyone needs a cute purse. Even better in pink.

Nikki Mueller of Not Made in China is leading a session July 22, 2010, on Japanese book binding. Please join us! We will have supplies, but feel free to bring your own paper/pages for your book. What is Japanese bookbinding, you ask? The simplest answer is pages bound/tied together with string. See, not scary. Now, what kind of pages? Here's a few ideas to jumpstart your creativity:

-why not make pages for an entire 'zine ahead of time and bind it at our session?
-finally gather up all those torn out pages and family recipes you have laying around that just move from pile to pile
-bring prints of your paintings and make your very own art book
-gift idea alert! Make a blank book to use as a journal

Take a look at Nikki's blog to see a book she made in the past:
http://www.shopnotmadeinchina.com/1/post/2010/03/i-made-a-recycled-book.html

The usual info: 7:00 pm, free admission, optional BYOB, $5 corking fee per container/6 pack. Sodas for sale. Patchwerk Playhaus, in the back room of Century Vintage, 1508 Central Avenue, Charlotte, 28205.

Five...errr FOUR Friday Favorites

Miss Mossy I don't have the greenest of thumbs, so this Moss Garden Under Glass is right up my alley. Plus, it's cute!

beepart Everyone dig out your edition of The Preppy Handbook! Argyle for your walls.


IMOTIME. Hate to admit it, but THIS is the punchline to lots of jokes around here.


Have It Sweet Confections. If you are like me, your answer to "What is your favorite dessert?" is "yes." I love sugar. Marshmallows, though, are not my favorite...until I saw these.