Video links

There are some nice little videos out there that are both short and sweet for sewists and quilters alike, and I warmly recommend these!

First up is a 2:47-minute long video, The Story of The True Colors Collection, featuring the designers behind the True Colors collections manufactured by Free Spirit Fabric. They are, in alphabetical order, Heather Bailey, Joel Dewberry, Anna Maria Horner, and Jenean Morrison. While the video was made in collaboration with Creativebug in 2013, I’ve seen some of the fabrics in online shops still.

Next we have Sarah Fielke in collaboration with Craftsy in an 8:58-minute long video, Hand Quilting With Perle Cotton with Sarah Fielke, Quilting Instructor for Craftsy.com, and I felt like my quilting life changed dramatically when watching it about a couple of weeks ago for the first time. I found her own blog post, Yes, I Hand Quilt, about this tutorial and it’s evident how much she loves hand quilting.

Turns out Sarah quilts with Aurifil 12wt now, which is a 12-weight thread quite similar to perle, but in her experience the Aurifil thread remains less influenced by the constant pulling through the fabric and batting layers (discussion on Instagram). And lucky me, it’s the very thread box that I won last year, containing Victoria Findlay Wolfe’s spool selection. Now I only need a needle threader and a thimble, because I recently got the quilting hoop and good needles.

And here’s a 2:13-minute video called Stash Busters with Jacquie Gering by Craftsy:

I hadn’t seen that one before, and then discovered a bunch more to watch in the side column.

Often I find myself enjoying visual content quite a bit, in particular since I can just relax and watch, rather than actively read blogs etc. Do you prefer one over the other?

I’ve also heard things on Instagram about Periscope, but at some point I read there wouldn’t be sort of an archive for viewing old videos. Can someone confirm or contradict this? Are you on Periscope yourself? Would it be useful for crafters as tutorials? Or would Youtube still be the way to go?

Podcasts that I enjoy

Today’s post isn’t about links per se, but podcasts that I enjoy listening to. I’m using the Podcasts app on my iPhone and have found its channels to be an interesting feature. I think there are some more intricate apps out there, but I usually prefer to keep things as simple as possible, so the built-in app works well for my needs.

As for the podcasts, the three first – Me Being Crafty, Crafty Planner, and Modern Sewciety – are purely crafty, whereas After the Jump (Design*Sponge) is more design-focussed in general.

If you’re a small-business owner, chances are you will find Stephanie Pollock’s podcast and newsletter of huge value! She’s just starting out with the podcast, so jump on-board asap and don’t miss a single one. Harvard Business Review on the other hand is more hardcore business, but it is broad enough to keep me interested, and I have scribbled quite a few notes already for my academic stuff (science/medicine from a holistic mind-body connection point of view aka probably as far from economy as you can get). In general, I like to have an open mind, and find inspiration in even the most unexpected places, and so far it has served me well.

Are you already a listener to some of these? I warmly recommend Tsoniki’s podcast, as many of her guests are from a wider area compared to those of Modern Sewciety. Have some tips of your own to share?

Fabric love

Yarn has taken up some of my time lately, but I needed some fabric love and now present you with the results in this Thursday links post. Hope you like them, just click on the photos to open the new pages!

Scrappy Lily Bowl and Plate, Michele Made Me

Fabric Mailbox Tutorial, Giver’s Log (via Sew Mama Sew)

The Ellie Travel Case, Fabric Mutt

If you have a fabric stash, check out a sewing room tour by Tilly and the Buttons; it’s positively drool-worthy!

New to quilting? Wondering about fabrics? Read some tips on How to choose fabrics for a quilt on the Craftsy blog.

Another tutorial by Craftsy is how to make a cowl neckline on a top. I never knew they were called cowl neckline, but I like the look and have found it flatters my body type more than round or v-necklines. If I ever dare sew garments, this might be within the first layer of my discomfort zone.

Finally, if you’re into knitting, you might enjoy reading this post on continental versus English knitting.

Happy Thursday!

Camille’s stash buster block

I’m cleaning up in my bookmarks and one I had saved is this video tutorial by Craftsy with Camille Roskelly. Take a look at how a huge block comes together in fewer than three minutes (wish I was that speedy, hehe):

Read the blog article here!

Seventh November links

Can’t believe a week is gone again! I barely noticed yesterday was Svenska Dagen, Swedish Day here, in celebration of my mother tongue and culture as a minority in Finland. Now it’s close to the weekend again, which means it’s link time and reading material for you in case something catches your eye.

Turning Leaves Quilt with Bark & Branch fabric line, Floating on Cloud9

Migration block, Displacement Activity

Flying Geese two ways tutorial, Don’t Call Me Betsy

Mini Bookshelf Quilt, Don’t Call Me Betsy

Personalized pencil pouch tutorial, lbg studio

And finally, a recipe to make your own spray starch, from the blue chair! I’ve never used it, but might try now that I’ve seen how easy it is.

I love books and that mini quilt is just adorable! I have no idea where I’d put it, but perhaps it could be a placemat or something, used every day. The letter tutorial comes in handy, too, because I’m pondering some holiday gifts to a few sweet kids.

Enjoy these tutorials by talented people!

Thursday links on Halloween

Happy Halloween to all! Since it’s Thursday, here are some nice links I’ve collected for you.

Tutorial for lovely felt flowers, Little Things Bring Smiles (via Zaaberry below)

Fall Wreath, Zaaberry

DIY bobby pins, Christina Williams

Crib sheet tutorial, Pretty Prudent

How to sew a twin duvet cover, Pretty Prudent

DIY pumpkin pompom, Handmade Charlotte

DIY harvest centrepiece, Hey Look

And the common denominator is nature :) Enjoy!

Small scrap busters

Thursday links are officially open! The first bunch all link to scrap busters of fairly small sizes.

Heart bookmark, Sew Many Ways

Covered magnets, All Things Lovely

Triple-zip (!) pouch, A Quilter’s Table

Pot holder, Prudent Baby

Reversible napkin rings, Prudent Baby

A twist on the napkin-ring closure is a magnet, which would probably act as a weight at the bottom. You would lose the convenient place-card function though.

These are just a scratch on the surface of a huge amount of wonderful tutorials out there. Enjoy!