The terms "urban" and "modern" are tossed around with increasingly less meaning these days, but quilter Amy Ahlstrom puts those adjectives to good use. Her colorful quilted cityscapes evoke neon signs, skylines and Chinatown.
guess it's been awhile; let's catch up on the latest in unusual crafting!
first off, we have this knitted green eggs and ham by Craftster member The Izz:
etsy seller LEEMESZAROS specializes in handmade merit badges for adults! whether they "quit cold turkey" or "have a bun in the oven", show your appreciation for that special someone's accomplishments!
....or your prize-winning quilt could end up on Failblog as a "Nazi quilt"!
the UK-based nonprofit, Little Hen Rescue saves featherless chickens from factory farms. apparently the birds need help keeping warm, as the group is asking for donations of chicken sweaters. as a former vegetarian, I definitely have mixed feelings about this...on one hand I do feel sorry for them, but you could also give them a nice coat of breadcrumbs :P
RE: my previous post about weird plushes, looks like we can add a couple more to the list.
Roadkill Toys has a new line of squished critters that come with removable dismboweled guts... and their very own death certificate?!?
The new competitive sport of extreme ironing, or EI, has taken place on cliffs, underwater, on skis & parachutes, and other equally absurd locations. if you have a hubby who doesn't "get" sewing, be sure to show him this....he may not understand, but he's sure to enjoy.
Is there ANYTHING that hasn't been made into plush toys? based on the following, I would say no:
first off, we have a line of stuffed viruses, bacteria and other microscopic friends from giantmicrobes.com:
Artist Dave Cole and a team of volunteers covered this bridge in Melbourne, Australia with giant knitted panels made from surveyor's tape:
When I saw the TV commercial for this odor-absorbing blanket, my first thought was, I wonder if it could be used as batting? or at least using the active inner layer. know someone with an odiferous partner? gift them a quilt with this sewn into it, and they'll be none the wiser!
Blogger "QuilterGeek" made this quilt for her little brother to take to college. The pattern of bars actually spell out messages in morse code, such as "Change passwords and underwear often", and other words of wisdom.
Quilt guru Ricky Tims has come up with a unique way to keep himself and some fans entertained as he drives across the country to quilt shows. He posts his route on facebook & twitter, and quilters in the area can time it to wave their quilts from a bridge as he passes by. the results are photographed and posted on his blog.
Quilter Valerie Goodwin is a professor of architecture at Florida A & M University. She makes quilts based on maps, aerial views and other geometric interpretations of the landscape. What a neat idea!
UK company Rockett St. George designed this awesome Skullduggery line of ironing board covers. Skulls, spiderwebs, pirates and more are available in 3 sizes.
The Northwest Quilters Guilt of Portland, OR quilted this VW Bug to promote their quilt show! Janice Jones and Maureen Orr Eldred assembled over 200 blocks made by guild members.
On my trip to Japan in 2001, one of the many interesting details I noticed was that all the sewer covers were embossed with beautiful designs. So I was pretty stoked a few years ago when I found not one but TWO books of quilting designs based on them! Just proves once again that inspiration is everywhere.
Industrial designer Siren Elise Wilhelmsen made a clock that knits 2 meters of scarf over the course of one year, and at that rate it's more productive than I am!
Arpilleras are intricately detailed, hand appliqued tapestries made by women in Lima, Peru. They depict colorful scenes of country and village life, with plenty of flowers, crops, animals, and people in 3-D.
you can read dozens of quilting-related blogs all in once place! they also have a quilt store locator and product giveaways!
Quilter Blogs & Store Search
of guys, that is...crochet artist Nathan vincent turns "manly doilies" from a contradiction in terms into reality.
via DUDECRAFT, more great work on his site (linked from there).
If you're a quilter, I'm sure you have noticed the almost complete absence of men in the field, as they make up just a few percent of the demographic. well, you can stop wondering where they all are, because I found them! (some of them, at least.) seems they hang out over on the MANQUILTERS blog.
Just when I think I've seen it all, I get proven wrong again. Catherine McEver has created some embroidery that looks good enough to eat, and will floss your teeth to boot!
Hungry for more? Click HERE!
Chinese embroiderer Gao Baoying does amazing stitch work...WITH HER FEET!! (I want to see her THREAD A NEEDLE with them!)
more amazing photos HERE!
when you just have to match that thread exactly to the fabric, look no further than this thread-dying sewing machine! guess that's another set of ink cartridges we'll need to buy....
more info HERE
