| Dear Crafter, Whether you're the type of person who continually delights in winter's snowfalls or are someone who wishes she could hibernate 'til spring, chances are that at some point each winter, you come down with a case of Cabin Fever. For me, Cabin Fever generally attacks in late January, after I've caught my breath from the holidays and made peace with the fact that I will not be losing those pesky few pounds before month's end! At that point, it's too early to begin hoping for spring (I live in Illinois where we often leave spring in the cold, skipping directly from winter to summer), but also too late in the season to get excited about yet another cozy weekend spent indoors. In This Newsletter
In this newsletter, you'll get three easy-to-implement exercises designed to strengthen your creativity and cure Cabin Fever. You'll meet crafter Teresa Hixon and read about what she's working on now. You'll lend a helping hand by chiming in on this month's question. You'll get reader-supplied ideas for how to make the crafty most of those idle hours spent everywhere from waiting rooms to cars (as a passenger, of course!). Plus, you'll be given free instructions to make a cheerful quilt perfect for Valentine's Day or for that friend who deserves a heartfelt treat, courtesy of e-PatternsCentral.com. Back to top. Three Easy & Fun Cures for Cabin Fever! - Go Window-less Window Shopping -- Though the weather outside might be frightful, if you have a computer and Internet access, window shopping can be downright delightful! Whether real or virtual, stores offer instant doses of creative energy.
It's important, especially during the long days of winter, to see what's new in the marketplace. Best of all, you don't have to spend a cent to enjoy this activity. Turn what you see (new fabric, fun trends, etc.) into a project using supplies you have on hand. Keep a journal next to your computer, so you can quickly jot down ideas.
To make virtual window shopping even easier, be sure to bookmark your favorite sites. I've set up folders on my computer with subjects that range from Eye Candy and Baby Gifts to Best Blogs and Project Ideas.
I'm always amazed by how my spirits lift after I've spent some time online browsing. I generally come up with two or three new project ideas, and if I spend even a little time catching up on my favorite blogs, I feel like I've enjoyed an afternoon with a close friend. Visit your favorite sites whenever you experience even the slightest symptom of Cabin Fever!
And, if I do say so myself, DRG, the company I work for, offers a number of must-visit Web sites where you can shop for patterns (both downloadable and mail order), learn new tips and techniques, read inspiring articles or join one of many popular kit-of-the-month clubs. Click here to learn more. - Get a Little Wordy! -- Reading is an important part of my life, and I often incorporate it into my crafting. Whether I give the gift of a book and accompany it with a handmade bookmark or simply draw inspiration from the words on a page, I find that reading materials (from books to blogs to magazines) are a treasure trove of ideas.
A few months ago, I read Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris. Because this author is known for her beautiful imagery (she also wrote Chocolat), I thought it would be fun to keep a list of my favorite passages from the book. Here are two that lead my list:
-- "... in the kitchen with her palette of flavors at her fingertips."
-- "My memories are flavored with their scents, their colors, their names."
Next, in order to stretch my creative muscles, I brainstormed a list of words, each associated with a main word. For example, I used "kitchen" and "farm" and came up with these lists:
-- Kitchen: cinnamon, basil, peppermint, French toast, apricot
-- Farm: orchard, valley, sun-baked, rosemary, terra-cotta
When I was done with this brainstorming exercise, I studied the lists to see if I could find a common tie. For this particular group, the words made me think of rich colors, and so I ended up creating a color palette -- or story -- to use for a few cards I was crafting at the time. The new paint color for my living room was also inspired by this exercise.
Your words might lead you to re-arrange your furniture, write a letter to a friend, learn a new craft, or do something entirely different! When you need a break from the monotony of winter, I encourage you to grab a book and see where it leads you.
And if you do this brainstorming exercise, please fill out my easy feedback form and share your word combinations -- as well as whatever inspiration came from the exercise -- with me!
- Create Visual Pleasure -- I learned the importance recently in carving out more time to look for and enjoy the visual pleasures in life. I was ordering a latte at a coffee shop when the clerk asked me what color of mug I'd like to use. I stood speechless for a moment because I had never been asked that question before.
Not only was the personal touch a powerful nod in customer service's favor, but when I sat down to enjoy my beverage, I found myself really focusing on the swirled pattern created by the foam and the warm, comforting colors of the drink itself. With a simple question, that clerk transformed what might otherwise have been "just another cup of coffee" into a truly visual experience, and I enjoyed that latte like none before or after!
An easy way to combat Cabin Fever and to open your eyes to the beauty around you is to create a tabletop vignette. First decide what room in your home is going to be the focus. Next choose the first three to five items that your eye is drawn to and play around with them until you have fashioned a pleasing vignette.
Once your vignette is complete, grab a cup of coffee and your journal and pull up a chair. Take some time to soak in the scene, from the colors and textures to the meanings (Was it a gift? Do you remember the exact day you bought it?) and shapes. Let your mind wander and see where the exercise takes you. Maybe you'll snap some photos that can be used to create a set of gift cards. Maybe you'll choose one of the items as the theme for an upcoming party. Or maybe you'll pull out your fabric and quilt a new table topper. Whatever you end up doing, your Cabin Fever will be long gone! Back to top. Reader Spotlight: Take Five NAME: Teresa Hixson
AGE: 38
HOMETOWN: Sacramento, Calif.
| 1) | What time of day are you at your creative best?
In the morning, before the kids can make me frazzled! | | 2) | How do you get into a creative zone? Are there certain mood-setting items (music, food, etc.) that help put you in a creative frame of mind?
If I am blocked, I go to my nearest craft or bookstore and browse for ideas. If I can't get out, I look through my books or on my computer. Then I light a candle, turn on the television and get crafting. | | 3) | How do you squeeze crafting into your busy life?
Since my craft room is also our den/home office, I am often in there just relaxing and watching television or working on the computer. Because my craft stuff is there, staring me in the face, it's easy to start crafting without even thinking about it. | | 4) | What are you working on now?
I am making stencils that I printed from the computer onto card stock and am cutting them out so I can do my cards (beading, stitching, painting, folding, anything goes!). | | 5) | What three tools could you not live without?
Computer/printer, craft knife, card stock. | This could be you! Please fill out my easy feedback form if you'd like to be the featured reader in an upcoming newsletter. Put "Take Five" in the subject line of your e-mail. Back to top. Readers to the Rescue: Questions of the Month
With the season of showers soon upon us, what are your favorite handmade gifts to give at baby showers and bridal showers?
Want to weigh in on the above questions? Or do you have a question of your own?
Fill out my easy feedback form and let me know. Back to top. Readers Weigh In: Making the Most of On-the-Go Crafting!
In the last newsletter (click here to read that newsletter), I included the following question: "Do you travel with your craft projects? What are your favorite types of projects to pack for trips near (the dentist, etc.) and far? What packing tips do you have for on-the-go organization?" Below you'll find a few of the clever answers readers sent my way: - Edythe Miller shares: I go everywhere with my knitting. Here are a few of my secrets:
| 1. | I tie my scissors to a long piece of yarn and loop it onto the handle of my bag. I have also tied it to the seat belt to keep it handy. | | 2. | I have an 8 x 10-inch bag that is ready with dishcloth knitting at all times. And, if a current project I'm working on doesn't need a pattern, it can be dropped in on the run. | | 3. | I keep a small candy tin filled with notions in my bag. | | 4. | For extended travel, I bring a blanket bag filled with larger projects with all the parts included. | | 5. | Recently I received a needle kit, which is wonderful, because it gives me access to all sizes of needles. | | 6. | I have an understanding husband who knows I am calmer with needles in my hands! |
- Dale Wright shares: My church participates in a mission that helps by knitting hats for babies born prematurely in the local hospital. So, I always keep a hat going on my needles and carry it with me to waiting rooms. Not only do I get hats made, but I advertise the mission and have an opportunity to talk about my church and invite people to come and visit.
- Deborrah Stephens shares: I use public transit and can't stand to be idle, so I always carry my crocheting with me. My travel crocheting consists of kitty toys, caps (for humans, not cats!), and sometimes a granny-square project. All projects are small and easily portable. I carry my yarn, hooks and stuffing in a small 12 x 14-inch bag that will fit in my purse or carryall.
- Cindy shares: I do plastic canvas and embroidery, and I always take a project to the doctor's/dentist's office. A while back, I made a little bag that's about 2 inches wide and 3 inches long. I made a mini pincushion and sewed it to the front and attached a small front pocket big enough for a needle threader. I added a drawstring top (actually used a scrap of yarn) and created a ribbon handle, so it will go around my neck. It holds my little thread scissors, a couple of needles and several skeins of embroidery floss. It makes it easy to throw in my purse or hang around my neck if I want to work outside. I also threw together a bag for bigger projects when I am working with yarn.
- Darla shares: Two of my favorite projects to take on the plane or to appointments are dishcloths and slippers. Both are useful and easy to carry.
- Nancy Nelson shares: I have a bag that contains several sets of knitting needles, crochet hooks and skeins of yarn needed for my current projects. When I have an appointment that will possibly entail waiting, I knit or crochet, and my yarn stays in the bag at my feet, so I don't have to spread out and interfere with anyone else's space. Over the last six months, with trips to various offices, both for myself and to take others, I have completed four regular afghans, a baby afghan and a scarf. The time passes faster, not a minute is wasted, and it often causes people to strike up conversations as it seems a lot of people have never watched anyone do handwork.
- Fran shares: For short trips (to the rink before a hockey game, to the doctor's office, etc.), I carry small cross-stitch pieces that will fit into sandwich-size bags, which will fit inside my pocket or purse. When they are finished, I have fronts for cards. I have done some for birthdays, Christmas, "Get Well" and "Just because." On longer trips, if we are driving, I like to take small quilting projects, like yo-yos or square yo-yos. I can finish a whole project without my sewing machine.
- Patti shares: Several times a year, we make an eight-hour drive to visit family. I found a children's backseat activity "center" that works very well for my small needlework projects (cross-stitch, crochet, knitting). It is a sort of folder with zip pockets, straps that keep a solid "desk" area straight, handles to keep it closed, and straps with plastic squeeze buckles that are supposed to go over the headrest of the front seat so the child can draw or play in the backseat.
I found that if I wrap the straps around the visor, it falls at just the right height for me to set my pattern on. The pockets hold the perfect amount of materials for small projects, and I can do a crossword or two if I need a break. I even have a small book light that clips onto the folder, so I can see when it starts to get dark. When we arrive at our destination, I simply put everything in the pockets, fold it up, take it by the handles and put it away until the return trip! I put all sharp items in the pockets under the "desk," so if by some chance the airbags deploy, I won't get injured.
Back to top. Free Project: Romantic Yo-Yos This month's free pattern comes to you courtesy of e-PatternsCentral.com. Click here for instructions to make the featured pattern. Back to top.
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