Check out these blogs

ReThink Crafts has been featured in a handful of blogs lately featuring my cloth diaper covers. Check them out when you get a chance.

www.sproutstyleblog.com
www.homespunoasis.com/2009/03/rethink-crafts.html
www.ourgreatgreenglobe.com/2008/10/20/rethink-crafts/
www.ourlifeupstate.com

Craft Group

I had the idea to start a craft group with some friends that have my passion for crafting. The idea is that we get together once a month at someone's house and work on our latest projects, share ideas and teach each other what we know. Our first Craft Night was small, but productive. I had a birthday present to make for my husband and a friend worked on a small scrapbook for her mother that highlighted her daughter's year. It was just as I had hoped. A couple of hours away from the responsibilities of being Mom, and time to be with friends and work on a project.


My friend embroidered a shirt for her husband for Christmas and I knew that would be the prefect gift to make for my husband for his birthday. She introduced me to SublimeSticthing.com , a website with patterns that are right up my alley. With patterns called Dia de las Muertos, Roller Derby, Rock n' Roll, Lucha Libre, and Tattoo Your Towels... I was in heaven. This is what I have been looking for. Crafting with an edge. The shirt I decided to make was a whiskey jug with flames coming out the top. I couldn't find a whiskey jug at Sublime Stitching, so I used clip art as my pattern... with a little modification. The shirt ended up looking like a working man's shirt, with a little something extra. That was exactly what I had in mind.

Embroidery

My newest passion is embroidery. I stumbled across the book Doodle-Stitching: Fresh & Fun Embroidery for Beginners by Aimee Ray and entered the world of embroidery. I never knew it would be so fun or easy. I always enjoy finding a new craft that keeps my hands busy, but relaxes my mind.
My first real project was one of Aimee's owls. I enjoyed making it so much, I made 2 more and gave them as gifts. I am already thinking of some alterations that I can make to "make it my own".

Stores

I have been selling my diaper covers at a couple of Portland/ Vancouver stores and they have been very successful. I am needing to make more since I keep being asked to send more. You can find the diaper covers at:

Milagros
5433 NE 30th Avenue
Portland, OR 97211
503-493-4141
milagros@milagrosboutique.com

Boomba Toomba
Boomba Toomba Is located @ 1705 Broadway Street
In Downtown Vancouver, WA
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Hours:
Tuesday-Friday 11am-5pm
Saturday 11am-3pm

Contact us:
360-607-4552
BoombaToomba@gmail.com

New fun fabrics are always being added so check out one of the stores or my Etsy shop to see what is new. www.rethinkcrafts.etsy.com

Reusable Sandwich Bags

Once again, I am using my scrap fabric. In an effort to find something to make with the scraps from the PUL fabric I use to make diaper covers, I came up with this reusable sandwich bag. Now instead of throwing away the plastic one-use sandwich bags I tend to pack lunch for my kids in, we can reuse these new reusable bags. Since the PUL is waterproof, it can withstand holding things like fruits and veggies that are full of moisture. I can either wipe the bags down after use or when they get really messy, throw them in the wash.
I spend a number of hours one day doing research to determine the food safety of using the PUL for this purpose. Although PUL is not food grade, most of the information I was able to find determined that using PUL for these bags was similar to putting your food in plastic bags. I feel comfortable using these for my family and I feel like I am doing my part to reuse, reduce, recycle.

fabric basket

I love spending time searching the web for tutorials to learn how to make more projects. I stumbled across this tutorial on how to make a fabric basket. The tutorial is for a smaller basket and after making one, I decided it was time to increase the size. (auymills.blogspot.com/2008/05/tutorial-fabric-baskets.html) I wanted a basket to hold my phone books and magazines. As usual, I didn't think it through, wasted a bit of fabric, but also didn't think about the structure of a cloth basket. Where is it going to get it's form? I made a wonderful basket, but it turned out more like a tote than a basket. Back to the drawing board to figure out how to make the sides more stiff so that it can hold books and keep it's form.
I also didn't have enough interfacing for a larger basket, so I substituted a quilted mattress cover for the interfacing. (I always try and figure out a way to use recycled materials in everything I make... and I don't always make sure I have all of the materials before starting projects late at night) If I can find another quilted mattress cover at a garage sale, I think it will come in handy for projects like this.
I love this number fabric. I bought it on sale at JoAnn's Fabric. It was on the sale rack for $4 a yard and I bought it during a half off sale! When I bought it I didn't have any idea what I was going to use it for. I was happy to find this great project to use it for.

What to do with all those Scraps

This winter, after making so many mittens from recycled sweaters for the numerous craft sales I went to, I ended up bags of scraps. I hate throwing those away in the garbage because they do not decompose... or at least not for hundreds of years. I always try and think about what I can make with those scraps. This scrappy wreath was what I came up with. I was able to use a variety of colors and had fun tying all those strips of scraps onto the foam base. My kids even joined in the fun. I think if I trimmed it a little more, it would look even better. Less sad and droopy. I am thinking of making more in different color schemes for different seasons. Making this wreath also allowed my to stop and think about all of the other projects I was working so frantically to finish this winter. Each scrap tells a story!