CalPatch

long live Mod Podge! this is a great idea.yours look beautiful! i've always meant to re-cover those round cardboard containers (i eat a lot of oatmeal) too...

my newfound fave is http://resurrectionfern.typepad.com/ . margaret's photos of nature are truly awesome and so inspiring, and i love what she does with natural objects. and i SO can't wait to see the movie! docs are my favorite and one about the indie craft world? a must see!!!

this is fantastic nicole! what a perfect gift. he must have been thrilled!

hi josefly! i do mean both; i use 1.5mm for the length AND width. it just makes a good stretch stitch without all the back-and-forthing of a real stretch stitch.
and for the shrinking, ususally only once is enough, but if you want it more felted, doing it two or three times may increase the felting (or it may not). every sweater is different, and sometimes the fibers are coated to PREVENT shrinking, so it won't work on every sweater.
thanks for your questions ;n)

the store is now open... a friend of mine just told me about it yesterday and the 'yarn swatching' area sounds amazing: you can wind off small amounts of the yarns onto a card, so you can knit or crochet a test swatch before you commit! genius! can't wait to check it out myself.

oh, this is so sweet! i'm not all that into holiday decor (oops, did i just admit that?) but this makes me want a tree to decorate. i think it would be a great room-perker-upper for any time though...

you can use a straight stretch stitch, but a regular straight stitch won't usually stretch enough, and the stitches may break. if the neckline is big enough to fit over the head, it might not be a problem though!

ooooh, this is super cute and looks like an ideal quick gift! i'll have to try one out...

very cute! great job ;n)

i got mine at one of my local haunts, Daytona Trimmings in New York; not sure if Jo Ann has it or not since we don't have one here.
you can also get it online at SewZanne's in lots of colors, for $.50/yd:
http://www.sewzannesfabrics.com/e-foldoverelastic.html

hi rachel! this dress is an above-the-knee length so it's not a problem, but adding triangular inserts (godets) is a great way to add more flare when you need it! and i usually prefer the cut-off rolled hem look too; i just left this one on because some people like a finished hem, and it happened to be a nice one. thanks for your comments!

wow, this is an insanely cool idea! i've never played with water-soluble stabilizer, but i think i have some lying around somewhere... i keep thinking of all kinds of other fun stuff to add into it too! can't wait to try it out.

you've inspired me to pull out my Gocco and stock up on supplies while i can! i always mean to use it more. and i love the tip of using a credit/ID card as a mimi-squeegee!

it would work in jeans; you might just want to do the first round in a blanket stitch (embroidery) with a needle and yarn, as the hook can tear holes in the denim... show us if you try it!

hi linda! i'm not exactly sure which type of puckering you mean (is it the straight stitches or the zig-zags?), but here are a few thoughts that might help:

1. if you take too big a "bite" into the fold, it can cause a pucker, and also the stitch will be bigger than a dot on the right side (more like a LINE).
2. you might need to adjust the machine tension if the zig-zag is causing a pucker.
3. often, when i flip the hem back down, it does still look pucker-y and/or the hem wants to flip back up, but after a good pressing it usually stays nice and flat.

let me know if any of that helps, otherwise you might need to send me a photo ;n)

i only punch it through one layer, just barely beyond where the second layer ends. have fun!

thanks! can't wait to see yours... post it in the gallery when you're finished!

i do realize how lucky i am to live near a Kinokuniya, but thanks for all these great links to online sources! another great one that has been translated into an english version is Sock and Glove, published by Penguin. super-cute stuffed animals made out of socks and gloves, in the spirit of the sock monkey!

so cool! i've tried the same tying-around-objects technique for dying, but not (yet!) felting... now i'm thinking you could throw some dye in the washing machine and do it all at once! (sigh, can't WAIT to have my own washer one day!!!)

those are great! i haven't Shrinky-Dinked since i was a kid, but have been meaning to for ages. thanks for the inspiration!

great idea! i have so many tea towels and i hate to wipe my hands on them when they're really nice ones... this is a cool way to display them. and with those clip-on rings you can change them up all the time!

these are fantastic! i've reconstructed lots of T's but haven't made too many dresses out of them. i especially love your hooded one!

oh my oh my oh my! i LOVE! so graphic and modern... my walls are begging me for these! how can i say no?

ooh ooh ooooh! i always love a new crochet resource and this one looks really good from my quick perusal! that butterfly is so fresh and different from the usual fare. thanks for sharing! gotta go back and look at more stitches...

hi Josefly, that sounds like a great idea! and if you're not wearing it anyway, what have you got to lose? it's hard for me to advise without seeing the sweater (is it hand-knit or machine?), but stay-stitching the neck couldn't hurt. i assume there's already a neck seam? and i don't see why using the unravelled yarn should be a problem; it'll be cool that it matches. you may just need to use it 2- or 3-ply depending on how fine the knit is... good luck and post a pic when youre finished!

i like debbie stoller's Happy Hooker and kelly ronci's Kids Crochet (meant for kids = big, clear illustrations!), but i would spend some time in the bookstore or library and find a book that really speaks to you. also one that has projects you really like, so you'll be excited and inspired to make them ;n)

hi crafty gal! i use a very small steel hook for the first round, and it is fairly pointed so it pokes through quite easily. but if you don't have a good pointy hook to use, or if you're using bigger yarn that a tiny hook can't grap, you can poke your holes first (or as you go) with a darning needle. hope that helps!

this is so cute! you should post a macrame tutorial ;n)

great list, kayte! you covered just about all of my faves too. the only one i might add is Daytona Trimming, on 39th between 7th and 8th. it's a lot cheaper than M&J;, though not as beautiful! they do have a good selection of fold-over elastic in lots of colors though, and they have yarn upstairs which might make it the only yarn shop in the Garment District. also, Fabric Warehouse was once higher up on Broadway, near Spring Street and the dearly departed K. Trimming, and at that time it was called Long Island Fabrics. i can never remember the new name!