FAST Member Interview- Beth of Jus Shar DesignsIf you’re a member of FAST and would like to be featured in the weekly interview, visit this thread in the yahoo group to get the questions, then send your answers (and a picture or two if you’d like) to me at merigreenleaf[at]yahoo.com (or a convo to merigreenleaf). These will be posted in the order I receive them. And now, without further ado, our first featured team member!
What is your name? What is your Etsy shop? Does your shop name have a meaning? Besides your Etsy shop, do you sell anywhere else? Do you have a website or blog? How long have you been making art/crafting? What was the first thing you remember making? What kind of fiber arts do you do? If different from the previous question, what was the first fiber art thing you made? What’s your favorite thing to make? (Click the below link to read the rest of the interview) Read the rest of this page » Tags: etsyfast, member interview July UpdateYeah, yeah, I know July is nearly over. Sorry about that! Monthly Challenge: As always, tag the July challenge item (or items) with “julychallenge” and “EtsyFAST team” (without the quotes, of course). Want to be featured on the blog? Team Tag: Blog Contributions ~Meri Tags: etsyfast, monthly challenge, update Skiingweaver’s Artist ProfileHi everybody, I finally posted this week’s artist profile - and I featured Shannon, Ursula and Christina of Sunrise Lodge Fiber Studio (yup, they’re EtsyFAST-ers). Check it out here! - Kristin (skiingweaver) Posted in featured member | No Comments » June UpdateHappy June, everyone! We don’t really have much new going on, so this is mostly a repeat of the May’s news. Monthly Challenge: Team Tag: Blog contributions: Also, if anyone has any ideas for the blog, please tell me! ~Meri Tags: etsyfast, monthly challenge, update Skiingweaver’s Wednesday Artist Profile - Gock’s Frocksby Kristin Kelley (aka skiingweaver) At the suggestion of the fantabulous Jenn de la Fuente, I am cross-posting yesterday’s Wednesday artist profile from my blog of EtsyFASTer Gock’s Frocks, who makes really lovely children’s clothing - and has a show coming up very soon! **************************************************************************** We were walking back from the library a little while ago and I realized that I hadn’t done my Wednesday artist profile yet - oops! At the same time I was thinking about how nice Ms. B looked in one of her new summer outfits, and thought - oooh, kids clothes, that’s fun! Which led me to thinking of the absolutely delightful Kristen of Gock’s Frocks. (Even if she is a Yankees fan, lol…) I love the clothes she makes! For example…
How about a three piece outfit?
OK, one more item. Something for my little walking man:
One last thing - if you would like to check out her wares in person and you live in the New York area, visit Vida’s Market on May 31! It runs from 10 am - 7 pm and is at Wallace Hall in Saint Ignatius Loyola Church at 980 Park Ave. (between 83 and 84th Streets) in New York City. For more information about the Vida’s Market, visit its website. And to learn a little more about Kristen, visit her blog! Tags: children, clothes, etsyfast, gock'sfrocks, handmade, kids Wedding challenge winners!The Jewelry on Etsy Team (JET), EtsyFAST, and ETSY Greetings street teams outdid themselves in creating pieces for the Wedding Challenge. Final voting results are in. Congratulations to our winners - the voting was extremely difficult. Paper category: 2nd place - http://steliedesigns.etsy.com
3rd place - http://macaroniandglue.etsy.com
Jewelry category: 2nd place (tie) - http://beadsme.etsy.com
3rd place - http://bdazzlingcreations.etsy.com
Fiber category: 2nd place - http://peacoxcreations.etsy.com
3rd place - http://beemiceelf.etsy.com
Many of the designers have put their pieces up for sale in their Etsy shops. Just search under the tag “wedchal” to see some amazing work. All entries can be found in the challenge flikr pool here http://www.flickr.com/groups/711212@N21/ A heartfelt thank you to our featured bride, Autumn, for allowing us to share in her wedding plans. Many thanks to the following generous Etsy shop owners for donating special items to be included in a gift basket for Autumn. (See a picture of the donated items here and here) http://jacjewelry.etsy.com Tags: challenge, etsy street teams, etsyfast, etsygreetings, jet, wedding design challenge May UpdatesWedding Challenge Voting The fiber entries are here, the jewelry ones are here, and the paper ones are here. Team Tag Monthly Challenge I just snagged us a treasury of April challenge things (it’s here). Please check it out. Want to help with the blog? ~Meri Tags: challenge, etsy street teams, etsyfast, etsygreetings, jet, monthly challenge, update, wedding design challenge Wedding Challenge Voting!The Jewelry on Etsy Team (JET), EtsyFAST, and ETSY Greetings street teams have come together to offer their members a creative Wedding Challenge. Members were challenged to design a “jewelry”, “fiber”, or “paper” item inspired by our featured bride’s wedding details. The bride and groom were chosen from another online community, Our Little Universe. The challenge - to create a piece that would be a perfect fit for their - Autumn and John’s - wedding event. The piece could be for the wedding, reception or the honeymoon - the choice was left to the designer. Info on the bride and groom (as well as the challenge itself) can be found here and in the FAST wedding challenge subforum and on the team blogs of the JET and EtsyGreetings teams. FAST has the honors of hosting the voting for EtsyGreetings (the paper entries). Voting is open from April 29 until midnight EST May 6th and the results will be announced on May 9th. Please vote for your favorite paper entry in the below poll (the number is above each image). Click the image to view it larger.1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. To vote for the Fiber and Jewelry entries, visit:http://www.etsygreetings.blogspot.com http://jewelryonetsyteam.blogspot.com Please only vote for one item in each of the three categories! Tags: challenge, etsy street teams, etsyfast, etsygreetings, jet, wedding design challenge rug hooking made simple by island sweetRug Hooking Made Simple by Shawn of islandsweet
I have been hooking rugs for about 8 years. In my adopted home of Newfoundland (a large island in the North Atlantic that joined Canada in 1949), rug hooking has a long history. In the outport fishing communities that dotted the coastline, every activity came from necessity (including artistic expression). The hooked mats were made with used burlap bags. The designs were drawn onto the burlap (or brin as it’s known here) with charcoal from the wood stove. The burlap was attached to a frame in the kitchen. The frame would be set up all winter (down time for the women). Strips were cut from clothing that could no longer be worn. Few of the old mats remain because they were used until they fell apart. But those that survived are beautiful and hold the history of this place. I purchased a rug hooking kit at a craft fair 8 years ago. It contained a hook, an 8″ square of burlap with a floral design stamped on it, and 1/4″ strips of jersey. I started in and haven’t looked back. Because I am self-taught, I didn’t know you needed a frame, so have never used one. This makes rug hooking for me very portable. I can do it anywhere. In front of the TV, down at the cabin, in the car. I’ve tried a frame and find that sitting in one position for long periods hurts my back. I have made a 4′ square mat on my lap with no problem. The only trick is to start in the centre and work your way out evenly so that the mat doesn’t buckle in the centre. Some rug hookers aim for perfectly even stitches all in a row - and for them the frame is essential. I like the “energy” I get in my mats when my stitches are irregular. I use only good quality burlap (it’s about $16.00 a meter). You need burlap with an even weave, so don’t try to use garden burlap. I buy it at a local craft shop but I’m sure you can find it online. I decide on the size of mat I want to make and add 4″ each way for the border (so if my finished mat will be 12″ square, I will cut the burlap 16″ square for a 2″ border all around). To keep the burlap from fraying, do a zigzag stitch around the edge. Use a sharpie to draw on your pattern (sharpies don’t bleed). Keep your first one simple - maybe squares within squares. I use recycled t-shirts instead of wool for my mats. I love the vivid colours. I love the fact that I’m recycling. I love the ease of working with cotton jersey. I “dismantle” the t-shirts - cut off all the seams. I then cut (by hand with scissors although you can use a fabric cutter) strips about 1/4″ - ½” thick. If I have a large area to cover (say in red)- I chose all my red t-shirts , cut approx. equal number of strips from each t-shirt, put the strips in a bowl and mix them up. This way you’ll have an even distribution of reds. Patterned t-shirts - stripes, florals etc. make wonderful areas of textured colour. Now - if you are right handed - hold the hook in your right hand on top of the burlap and a strip of jersey in your left hand below the burlap. With your hook, go down through a hole and pull up the end of the strip (just leave that end). Now, go into the next hole and bring up a “loop” of jersey. You decide how big a loop you want (mine tend to be about 1/4″ high). Now repeat. I tend to go into every 2 out of 3 holes. If it’s feeling tight, skip a hole. When you come to the end of your strip, pull that end up too. (Never leave an end hanging from the bottom). Take your next strip and pull the end up through the hole you were last in (so 2 ends will be in that one hole). This keeps everything tight and secure. You don’t need to tie any knots. You will eventually cut these ends even with the loops and they won’t show.
When you have finished hooking your mat, turn it over and steam press with a damp cloth (never iron the front because it will flatten the loops). Turn under the border and hand stitch it. You can sew a strip of twill tape on the top back of your mat and run a dowel through it. I like to just nail my mats to the wall - it doesn’t damage them and I like them flush to the wall. Smaller mats can be used as coasters or trivets. Most mats aren’t put on the floor anymore but if you want it on the floor, put it in a spot where there isn’t much traffic. To keep the mat clean, sponge mop the top (it’s just jersey) but try not to get the burlap backing wet - in the old days they were washed in the streams or the ocean which contibuted to their short lifespan. It’s cheap and it’s easy. My first mat looked as good as the one I’m working on now. Rug hooking takes a long time (which explains why they are expensive to buy), but if you have the patience of a knitter you’ll be fine. If you want to see some samples of my work, you can check out my blog at http://www.islandsweet.blogspot.com or my etsy shop at http://www.islandsweet.etsy.com If you have any questions, you can leave comments here and I’ll get back to you. Start small and start simple. Tags: rug hooking, tutorial Wedding Challenge StoryWelcome to the first chapter of the Spring Wedding Challenge. The Jewelry on Etsy Team (JET), EtsyFAST, and ETSYGreetings street teams have come together to offer their members a creative Wedding Challenge. Members are challenged to design a “jewelry”, “fiber”, or “paper” item inspired by a featured bride’s wedding details. The bride and groom were chosen from another online community, Our Little Universe (http://wedding.ourlittleuniverse.com ). The teams have gotten information from the couple on how they met, what they’ll be wearing for the wedding, what are their colors, and any other tidbit they wanted to provide as inspiration for all the designers. When each designer completes their creation they’ll post photos of it on flickr and from April 22 to April 30 the public will get to vote for their favorite creation for the wedding. Now … meet the bride and groom!
Autumn and John have agreed to let us share their wedding story and plans with the entire internet world as our inspiration couple for this wedding challenge. They both met over 2 years ago at their kids daycare. It must have been fate that they both picked the same daycare! They both knew some of the same people but really didn’t know one another. John was living 1.5 hours away at the time so they started emailing one another and chatting online and finally met for coffee in April 2006. They kept |
