kawaiiquilts: cuteness. crafting. BAM.

....or your prize-winning quilt could end up on Failblog as a "Nazi quilt"!

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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

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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?!?

You can order your own at their site HERE, if you're into that sort of thing....

Or if you're in more of a DIY mood, pick up this felt zombie how-to book by Nicola Tedman & Sarah Skeate. it includes patterns for a zombie pirate, bride, kitty, Thriller Michael Jackson and lots more!

available from book retailers and AMAZON.COM

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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.

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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:

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Artist Dave Cole and a team of volunteers covered this bridge in Melbourne, Australia with giant knitted panels made from surveyor's tape:

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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!

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These are great! Dollmaker Mimi Kirchner found a great use for those cheesy toile prints: dye the white part to a skin tone, and make tattooed dolls!

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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.

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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.

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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!

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UK company Rockett St. George designed this awesome Skullduggery line of ironing board covers. Skulls, spiderwebs, pirates and more are available in 3 sizes.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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

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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).

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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.

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Etsy artist SteffBomb makes offbeat plush items, including this chainsaw!

her store is HERE

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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!

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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!

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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

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sewscary.com has some great spooky, goth-inspired handmade items for sale!

don't miss the coffin quilt under CUSTOM

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This series of unusual quilts by Anne Brenneke features dead rap artists, and was exhibited in Berlin last year.



more photos & details HERE

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Artist Patricia Waller makes some of the most outrageous crafts you'll ever see! from conjoined twin teddy bears to dead animals and grisly accidents, these are not for weak stomachs- so look at your own risk!


click HERE if you dare!

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I know I'm kind of late to the party as far as quilting goes, but I had NO IDEA there was a whole GENRE of quilt fiction. Including murder mysteries, like this one by Terri Thayer. (love the bloody rotary cutter cover!)



Lots more at AMAZON

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Filmmaker and crafter Holly Klein produced this super cute animated video, Maggie and Mildred. All of the backgrounds and characters were cross stitched by hand, then scanned into a computer and animated.

view it HERE

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the book Switch Craft has instructions for 20 hi-tech projects, from a purse that lights up with your message to a tote bag with speakers and a wi-fi detecting laptop bag.

available on AMAZON

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Despite my distate for all things "Twilight", I have to admit this is a cool concept. I wanna be in a "quilters coven"!

Visit their blog HERE

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I found this hysterical, despite (or maybe because of?) the stereotype.

courtesy of The Onion

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from the same genuises who brought you "I can has cheezburger" and FAILblog, it's a new site called MUST HAVE CUTE!!



MUST....HAVE....

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Join the revolution! Great modern quilts with contemporary and adult themes. WARNING: NC17/ NSFW material, due to sexual content.

Click HERE if you dare!

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Donkey Kong this time, from etsy seller CarolinaPatchworks. It sold, too!

More details in their etsy shop

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