DIY Folding Chairs To Die For

My latest DIY obsession is repurposing old chairs. A while back, we found two Scandinavian chair frames abandoned by the side of the road. Making cushions is beyond my DIY realm - I’m crafty, but sewing a hem musters up a learning curve that I’ve yet to master. Why? Because I’ve always had a lovely sewing enabler in my life. I’m lucky because my mom is my go-to seamstress/upholsterer. And I'm thrilled she’s still willing to aim her magic thimble in my direction. Mom is currently chopping away on a maxi-skirt that I snagged at my local second-hand store, Rupo. It’s a beautiful long, narrow skirt, but torturous to climb steps in. When my daughter was here last week, she whisked the skirt off to mom and asked her to put a slit up the side (probably way higher than I would wear). Bye-bye skirt. But I digress…

I saw these Overdyed Terai Chairs at Anthropologie (above) and was immediately inspired by DIY possibilities. I’m thinking an oh-so stylish bluish, vintage-vibe would give new life to my old chairs.

Here are 3 of my favorite fabric pics:

1. Madeline Weinrib - This Ikat fabric is just stunning. Ikat means 'to bind.' I'm bound by love for this hand-dyed and handwoven silk/cotton fabric.

2. Marimekko - Who doesn't love Marimekko? With its quintessential retro designs, these fabrics wink back to groovier times. This bold pattern from 1964 is almost identical to the 'flower power' wallpaper pattern of my childhood room (hence, the blue trend). In fact, I had to buy a few items with this pattern when I was at the NYC Marimekko store recently.

3. Amy Butler - I've written about Amy Butler's designs before. Not only does Amy provide organic fabrics (below, organic velvet), her business philosophy inspires me as much as her gorgeous designs: “Being generous, fair, and honest in business and in life rewards you with grace and is it’s own success. Giving back to your community is sewing what you reap (sharing the love)…Care for YOUR community and it will take care of you.”

DIY Folding Chair Instructions HERE.

Photo: Anthropologie

DIY Eco-Gifts For The Quilter on Your Holiday List

A handmade quilt is a true luxury. Quilts made from pieced together scraps of fabric that otherwise may have been wasted, make quilters the ultimate green DIYers.

It is estimated that between 500 billion and 1 trillion plastic bags are discarded annually worldwide. That's more than a million per minute.

Why not give all the materials to create a DIY Eco-Quilted bag. A quilted bag made from organic fabrics or recycled materials such as: burlap bags, dishtowels, old curtains, jeans, used scarves or old clothes will help to curb plastic and paper bag waste, and can become an heirloom worthy of passing down to your children.

DIY Eco-Quilted Bag

This Quilted Bag from Quilting For Peace-Making the World A Better Place One Stitch at a Time, by Katherine Bell is an easy sewing project. Here is the pattern for the bag. Include in the bag a copy of this heartwarming book about a group of dedicated and diverse quilters who create small acts of creative kindness in their quest to make the world more peaceful.

Photo: Garnet Hill, Quilting For Peace

Amy Butler Does DIY

In the textile world, Amy Butler is like a rock star. She does it all - designs sewing patterns, organic fabric, yarn, bedding, wallpaper, rugs, and writes books. Her designs are colorful, earthy and boldly patterned. Many are reminiscent of the era she (and I) grew up in, the 1970’s. Her style has been called, "vintage modern". I recently picked up a copy of the magazine, Where Women Create, Inspiring Work Spaces Of Extraordinary Women and Amy’s deeply patterned pillows grace the cover. The article that accompanies the image is an inspirational profile of Amy and her workspace.

A few months ago, the publisher of Where Women Create, Jo Packham invited me to join the ranks of women who have been featured in the magazine. It is an awesome opportunity for me and I am deeply honored. As a writer, I create wherever my computer is. That will be an interesting spread. Will they follow my trusty laptop and me to the local coffee shop? More about that to come…

Back to Amy…It is her work philosophy that truly inspires me (not that her designs aren't to die for):

“Being generous, fair, and honest in business and in life rewards you with grace and is it's own success. Giving back to your community is sewing what you reap (sharing the love)…Care for YOUR community and it will take care of you.”

Love it! I thoroughly agree with Amy about giving back to the community that nurtures you. I also like to support artists and designers who give back. Amy gives back to her fans too. She provides free DIY patterns. Here is the link to Amy Butler’s DIY pillows, scarfs, quilts, yoga bag, duvet cover and wall art. Sweet!

Credits: Amy Butler Design

Close To The Nest

I recently published an article, For Every Bird An Empty Nest: A Knitted Nest To Make with the knitting pattern for the nest above, and a peek into my feelings about my own empty nest. While in the process of creating that post, I came across so many vibrant images of nests, both real and imagined. Here are a few:

Andy Goldsworthy Nest

Leftover Yarn Nest via Flickr

Knitted/Felted Nest

Felted Nesting Bowls (pattern)

Lotus Nesting Bowls

Lucinne Day Vintage Fabric Nest

Nils-Udo Nest

What's happening in your nest?

Scrap Happy: 6 Ingenious Things to Make From Scraps

Breathe new life into old objects and reduce landfill waste by diverting leftover odds and ends that would be relegated to the dumpster into useful items. Call it repurposing, cheap call it recrafting, viagra order call it creative reuse, or call it trash transformed. No matter what you call it, this concept of “cradle to cradle” is one of the tenets of green living. It means that a product’s lifecycle doesn’t have to end up forever rotting away in a landfill. It can be endlessly reincarnated into useful items. We econesters talk a lot about CLICK HERE FOR MORE