More young hipsters doing cool things

Rowan Kidsilk Haze lace scarf WIP
Originally uploaded by annethelibrarian

Not only are librarians suddenly hip, crafters are, too. All this positive attention to things I care about is awesome, but it really seems pretty obvious. Still, though, better this than less flattering views.

via AlterNation

Quiltsryche

Quiltsryche: Evil Rock Quilts by Boo Davis
Originally uploaded by annethelibrarian

I've never tried quilting, though I have entertained the notion a few times. If I were to get into it, I'd want to do something like the kickass Boo Davis does over at Quiltsryche. Her original designs have rockin' names like "Skullfucked" and "Bangover" and she also does custom work on commission. Hell yeah!

via Boing Boing

Sew What! Skirts

Sew What! Skirts
Originally uploaded by veganmom30

I thought I'd written about this book before, but apparently I have not. It's friggin awesome! I've made several skirts using the formulas inside and have had really good luck in getting a nice fit - much better than when I've used conventional patterns. So far I've been playing around with it and have made a few that, while not fitting perfectly, have helped me to figure out exactly the measurements I need to use in the future. I really like that their formulas take into account the fact that everyone's got different hip-to-waist ratio, including how much vertical distance there is between the two. I've read some comments online from folks who thought that the formulas didn't work well for people with curves, but I have to disagree - I think the formulas work much better for people with curves than most conventional patterns.

I could go on and on, but my favorite sewing blog A Dress a Day has a terrific review that points out many of the things that make it so great. I don't often find it necessary to purchase books (having access to just about everything through my library and others - as a reminder, you do too) but this is a definite machine-side keeper.

Star Wars, Beautiful Star Wars

r2d2mailboxpapercraft
Originally uploaded by bonniegrrl.

Ever felt the urge to have your own R2D2? Thanks to crafty guru Bonnie Burton, you can!

When you're done with that, you can vote for your favorite Star Wars stamp!

sparklequotion

glitter
Originally uploaded by annethelibrarian.

"Glitter is the herpes of craft supplies." - Demetri Martin

(I'm not 100% certain I'm attributing this to the right person. If I'm not, tell me.)

yarn from sari silk

Sari Silk (TM) Recycled Silk Yarn
Originally uploaded by annethelibrarian.

I just learned, via Knitty Gritty, that there is such a thing as yarn made from the silk used to make saris. I've got to find some of this beautiful stuff! There are a few places online that sell variations of this, but the one I found is Sari Silk (TM) Recycled Silk Yarn from YarnXPress.

Has anyone used this yarn before?

Stylicious

Stylicious
Originally uploaded by annethelibrarian.

DIY Network has a whole slew of shows aimed at my demographic: youngish, crafty, and with a desire to be slightly punky, funky, or otherwise non-mainstream. Stylicious is one of these shows, and it features a bevy of rotating hosts who instruct the viewer how to do a variety of crafty projects. Like most crafty shows, I found a few tiny nuggets of info that I might actually use, most of the ideas being a bit too I-made-it-in-my-basement for my taste. Vickie Howell of Knitty Gritty is one of the hosts, and she's as delightful as ever. There are actually new episodes of KG airing again, by the way. Both shows suffer slightly from lulls (I think that explaining how to do the crafts means that things don't move as quickly as most TV shows I'm used to), but I'll happily overlook that.

science=craft

crocheted Lorenz Manifold
Originally uploaded by annethelibrarian.

If the interwebs has taught me anything, it's that there are a whole lotta creative people out there and their creativity takes shape in ways I never would've imagined. There are some mega creative scientists who are using craft to illustrate really complicated mathematical concepts. The idea that I could potentially create one of these otherwise completely inscrutable thingies by following instructions I already know how to understand truly boggles my mind.

seen via Boing Boing