If you ever read Adorn (RIP),  you probably know the work of Kayte Terry (or, perhaps you know her blog, This is Love Forever). I’d known Kayte for a long time via my crafty internet circle, and then had the chance to work with her as the stylist for many a photo shoot. Kayte has a great eye for color, display, and, well, just putting things together. Which is why it makes perfect sense that she would write a book all about embellishing: Appliqué Your Way

applique (noun) ornamentation, as a cutout design, that is sewn on to or otherwise applied to a piece of material

In this book, Kayte explores the myriad ways to accent your home and wardrobe, using all sorts of techniques including sewing, gluing, and even pasting things to your wall. The book contains several contributions by crafty ladies, and with a quick flip of the pages you can probably tell which project was mine…

This crocheted applique tee came out of my idea to do a crocheted mesh piece covering a deep V neckline and add floral elements to that mesh. Of course, it can be difficult to find a deep V-neck t-shirt when you need one, so the result was slightly less dramatic (but more wearable, which is a good thing). I love to apply crochet to garments, and this design definitely lets you decide where you want to put all of the piecces.

There are lots of cute and clever projects in this book– I wish I had taken more photos to show you. (For more project peeks, head over to Craftypod or The Constant Gatherer.) Think of it as a guide to making your own clothes like those you’d find at Anthropologie, using your own stash of fabrics, bits and bobs. These projects are great because you can start with something that fits–whether you made it yourself or bought it– and go to town decorating it in your own style. Kayte also designed the most adorable home projects, including ornaments, hanger covers, trivets, coasters, cozies and more. It’s definitely worth checking out and there are a couple I have my eye on for when I get back into “crafting for me” time.

If you’d like to be entered to win a free copy of Appliqué Your Way (courtesy of Chronicle Books), leave a comment here by Sunday, December 20th at 12 midnight. In your comment, answer this question: “What’s your favorite way to use applique designs?” Your answer can be a certain thing that you like to decorate, or a certain technique you use, but you must answer the question in order to be entered to win. Good Luck!

The book has six different ornaments made by six awesome bloggers, and each will tickle your different areas of interest. For example, my ornament is crocheted, Kayte and Betz’s ornaments are sewn, Susan’s is made with jewelry/wire techniques, Patricia’s is paper crafty, and Diane’s is straight up crafty-crafty. All use materials that you probably have on hand, meaning you can stash bust and make gifts at the same time. And just in case you’re not familiar with them, e-books are pdfs that you can download and print right after you purchase them, meaning that if you’re ready to start making rightthissecond, you’re good to go.

Each ornament comes complete with step by step instructions and how-to photos to walk you through the project. The ornaments lend themselves to your own personal touches, whether it’s the fabric you choose or what you embellish them with.

I’m really excited that Diane contacted me about participating in this project. If you read her post announcing the e-book, you’ll see that one of her goals was to produce a collaborative project where the collaborators actually get paid. That’s an idea I can support, and I’m proud to be included. And the icing on the cake is that we all agreed to donate 15% of the proceeds from the e-book  to Project Linus, a nationwide charity that distributes handmade blankets to children who are suffering from serious illness or trauma, or otherwise in need.

Here’s a close up of my Crocheted Flower Ornament. Not including my experiments with basic crochet stitches, my very first real crochet projects were these stars made from crochet thread. I’d like to say that the flowers I designed are even easier to make, and  if you have any crochet experience at all, you could hook up a whole batch of these while watching a few hours of TV.  And with a ball of crochet thread running about $2.50 these days, these will totally fit your budgetary needs. Try them out with any weight of yarn (hello scraps!) for a range of colors and sizes. I hope you’ll try them out!

Click here for more info on the e-book.

First off, Deb designed this amazing Slip Stitch Shell which she topped off with the flowers from the Garden Party Cardigan.  This is a great example of how you can add these embellishments to stuff you make yourself instead of store bought stuff if you are a super crafty person. Deb also reviewed the book for the Crochet Insider (which is a great little online mag, go read it!), where she says: If you are mildly interested in crochet, you will find appealing projects at all levels with which to experiment, develop your skills, and express yourself.  If you are an experienced crochet artist, you will find inspiration and ideas, delightfully presented, to inform and elevate your art. Thanks so much Deb!

Here’s another take on the cover project by Heather of Seams of Life. She embellished two sweet cardigans for her little girl and they are adorable! I just love how they came out–looking at these makes me want to go crochet some more flowers! You can see her posts on the sweaters here and here.

And for something totally different, look at Stefanie Girard’s take on the Bird Brooches– she made one as an ornament for her tree! (Aside: I’m very impressed that you are already working on your tree, Stefanie!) You might know Stefanie as the author of Sweater Surgery: How to Make New Things with Old Sweaters–you could make a bunch of cool stuff with old sweaters+crochet, so check it out!

Here is one of my favorite projects from the book, the lace bowl, made by Kendra (ravelry link). She made this bowl as a wedding gift for some friends– I love how her photo hilights the fun shadows this bowl casts in the light. I need to dig  mine out of the project box and start using it, I think!

Last but not least are these sweet earrings made by Nancy of Belle Epoque Whimsy. Nancy whipped up this pair in 30 minutes while her little one napped– a true testament that crochet can be quick and gratifying. Nancy also reviewed the book on her blog, where she said: Even if you don’t think you are a crochet sort of person, this is just the book to really inspire you to give it a go! Exactly! I’m trying to slowly spread crochet goodness to all of you, is it working?

Today’s stop on the blog tour is a great review and interview from Natalie Zee Drieu at Craft. Read it for some tips on what kinds of garments are well suited for embellishments and other tips. And, of course, they are giving away a copy, so be sure to head over. Lee Meredith at Leethal also wrote a great review with shots of the inside of the book– I’m really flatterd, Lee!

Between the book stuff, we’ve really been enjoying Portland and Susan is a great host! Yesterday we ran all around town– but first, we had to hit the Rose Test Gardens– the flowers were soooo pretty! I thought the book cover fit right in….

And locals, remember, my book signing is at Powell’s tonight, at 7:30 PM. I went yesterday to scope it out, and bought a few crochet books for myself while I was at it!

But first, let me show you a sneak peek from the book, one of my favorite projects: the Butterfly Apron!

Accent your favorite (or new favorite!) apron with a butterfly pocket and trim. I like this trim because you work it as you go- meaning you built the length as you make it (instead of having to do a long foundation chain). The instructions for this project not only include the crochet patterns, but I also give directions for sewing the apron and putting it all together. If you don’t crochet, you could either learn (yay!) or use store bought trims and doilies to get this effect. So why sew the apron and crochet the trims yourself, you ask? Because you can find a fabric/crochet thread that suits your style perfectly.

Now, onto the events. Next week we’ll (and by we, I mean Paul, with me in tow) be driving to Portland, OR so that I can do some fun book signings. I’ve never been to Portland before, but I am really excited. The ever so kind and gracious Susan Beal is hosting us, and plus, I will finally get the chance to go meet some of my crafty friends (hi Diane and Lee!). These three ladies have been so great to me, making sure the word gets out and spreading my post cards all over town. Thank you thank you!  If you live in Portland (and I know some of my favorite crafters do), please do come say hi if you have a chance!

PORTLAND, OREGON  EVENTS
Thursday, August 13th

Look for me between 9 and 10 AM on AM Northwest (eep!)

7:30 PM: Talk and book signing at Powell’s Books, 1005 West Burnside. I’ll have many of the projects from the book on view and will tell you some stories about how I came up with them.

Saturday, August 15th

1:00 PM – 3:00 PM: Talk and signing at The Yarn Garden, 1413 SE Hawthorne Blvd. I’ll be demonstrating how to make a quick crocheted flower, so bring some yarn and a hook! Again, I’ll have projects from the  book on display and if you have any quick crochet questions, I’d be happy to answer them.

BOZEMAN, MONTANA EVENTS

When I return, I’m doing a couple signings in my town! Bozeman really has a lovely community of knitters and crocheters, I have really enjoyed getting to know them at the shop.

Saturday, August 22d

1:00 PM – 3:00 PM: Trunk show and signing at The Yarn Shop, 25 N. Willson. Come celebrate with me! Again, I’ll have the projects on hand and you can ask me anything you want about crocheting (true of any day I’m working, but still!).

Saturday, August 29th

2:00 PM: Talk and signing at Borders, 2855 N. 19th Ave. Same deal, different date, please come say hi!

See you soon!

To celebrate, I’ve arranged a Blog Book Tour! Several crafty ladies will be posting interviews, reviews, projects and, giveaways! Here’s the lineup so far. I’ll also update the blog with links to each post as they go up so that you’ll have lots of chances to see more of the book and maybe even win a copy.

The Schedule:

August 11: Bits and Bobbins: Tricia Royal (who contributed a project to the book!) will kick things off with a review & giveaway

August 12: CraftyPod: Diane Gilleland (my other great contributor) will review the book and host a giveaway

August 13:  Craft: Natalie Zee Drieu will post an interview with yours truly, along with a review and giveaway

August 14:  West Coast Crafty: Susan Beal (who is so nicely hosting me in Portland for two signings!) will post about my book events and more

August 17: Futuregirl: Alice Merlino will give us a sneak peek inside the book and host a giveaway

August 18: Craftstylish: Nicole Smith (of Sew Stylish magazine) will post a review and giveaway

August 19: Naughty Secretary Club:  I’ll do a guest post on Jennifer Perkins’ blog discussing how to fix/revamp your garments with crochet (and I’ll show you some of the things I made for myself that inspired the book), plus a giveaway

August 20: Love Forever: Kayte Terry and I will show off some our favorite crocheted fashion inspiration

August 21 -House on Hill Road: Erin Harris will show off a project from the book along with a Q&A and giveaway

August 24 Crochet Today: I’m guest posting a tutorial detailing how to sew crocheted flowers to your clothing

August 25 WhipUp: Kathreen Ricketson posts her review and a giveaway

August 26- Craft Sanity: Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood posts a review and giveaway

August 27- Vickie Howell: will post an interview with me and a giveaway

I’ll be back tomorrow to announce my “Real Life” Blog Book tour, with events in Portland, OR and Bozeman, MT. Stay tuned!

The book is called Crochet Adorned: Reinvent Your Wardrobe with Crocheted Accents, Embellishments, and Trims, and is being published by Potter Craft , who have been absolutely wonderful to work with. The book contains 20 sweet and simple projects that focus on embellishing your wardrobe– the idea being that you can either revamp an old item or start with an inexpensive tee, tote, skirt, etc from the store.  I can’t describe the concept better than Debbie Stoller so graciously did upon reviewing an advance copy: “Appearing in the form of subtle rick-rack on a plain t-shirt, a cute scalloped edging on a coat, a butterfly on an apron, or colorful flowers on a simple cardigan, crochet is here applied like icing on a cake, improving everything it touches.”

The book features over 100 different trims, motifs and stitch patterns, and includes a stitch dictionary so that you can mix and match the crocheted accents with the suggested projects in any way you desire. I really had fun designing the projects and can assure you that there are some super-simple ideas for garments included, along with more complex projects. I also snuck some sewing in there if you’re so inclined. Even if  you don’t plan to follow the patterns to a T, my hope is that the book will fill you with inspiration. You might have noticed that I’ve only recently found the patience to crochet an entire sweater, so these projects are perfect for those of you who like instant (or close to instant) gratification. I just love all of the crochet I’ve seen popping up in fashion but I always felt like I could make things better (and with nicer yarns) than the versions in the department store. And now you can, too!

As I mentioned, Crochet Adorned is available for pre-order on Amazon.com, or you can wait to run out and buy it in August. I’m looking forward to sharing more when the book hits the shelves, and hopefully having a little fun with book events, too! Of course, that’s all months away, but I wanted to make sure you heard it here first.

(That’s my photo, and sorry, it was a gray day). I actually got to keep the project, but I sold it off in my Etsy shop to a lovely blog friend (You know who you are. I was going to mention you by name but then I thought, what if they are presents, and your recipient magically reads my blog? Just in case, I’ll be quiet).  I want to make more at some point, but I am not all that into the holidays just yet. Maybe because I experienced them in June or whenever I was making these projects?

I also made these paper and fabric cards. Super easy- check the magazine for detailed instructions. As you can see, I did not stick to just one style of card, so you can get lots of ideas from the magazine. I’m thinking I’ll do something similar for my cards this year, if I can get around to making 20 of them. It’s kind of funny, but something happens when you start making everything and people begin to appreciate it–they actually notice when you send them a cute card that you didn’t make yourself. As if you no longer have the right. I was actually somewhat accosted the other day by an acquaintance who wanted to see if I was wearing any jewelry I had made. It’s coat, scarf, hat, and longjohns weather, and she actually started stripping off my scarf!  She was disappointed that a) I was not wearing any jewelry and b) the scarf I was wearing was knit–by H&M. Sigh. It was $3, what can you do? The yarn alone would have cost me more. Moving on….

I also made some, for lack of a better word, cute projects for the winter issue of Crochet Today. The baby blocks were fun– you’ll get to practice your colorwork and textural skills to make an enticing visual and tactile festival for baby if you decide to work these up. And the cupcake tea cozy–well, I just looked at the colors they’d sent me, and I couldn’t see anything else. It had to be a cupcake, so there.

And last but not least, I wanted to mention this wonderful new book written by my friend Betsy Greer (who you may know from Craftivism.com), Knitting For Good. Her book is full of essays on why we knit and how to build positive change through craft. It really doesn’t matter whether you knit, crochet, tat, sew, or make recycled vases out of milk jugs– the ideas in the book will translate. This book would be a great holiday gift for your favorite crafter–young or old–and in addition to the essays, it’s full of pretty patterns to knit for good. I  contributed a knitted hat pattern for the book (my first!) which would be perfect to work up and donate to a homeless shelter, or, in softer yarns, a chemo caps program. Definitely check it out. Betsy was also kind enough to donate a signed copy to my shop, which has already been swooped  up– so now please go support her!

As always, let me know if you end up making any of these things. I’d love to see them!

I also wanted to mention this crochet hook roll-up tutorial I made/wrote for Craft Stylish. It’s quite crafty and quite stylish, if I do say so myself. And it’s very easy to make, because I started off with a placemat. I’ve been using it for the last few weeks and I love that it fits ALL of my hooks (due to the length of the placemat). This would be a great gift for the crocheter in your life, and if I had more time (and more crocheting friends) I would probably whip some more of these things up.

And in blatant self promotional news, I have a project in the now available Vogue Knitting On the Go!: Grannies. Yep, that’s my project on the cover. I had a lot of fun playing with the colors and placement of the hexagons, and yet remember being quite harried to finish the whole thing before Thanksgiving (when a friend came to visit). This was one of the first/only projects I can remember where Paul asked if I got them back afterwards. Awww. But sadly no. The book is full of cute interpretations of the granny, so check it out at your local craft or yarn shop.

And a nagging voice tells me that I forgot to mention that I had projects in this edition (Volume 10) of Sew Simple- but I think it’s still on newsstands if you want to grab a copy. I have some pretty patchwork placemats and patchwork oven mitts inside. Some of my favorite projects from the issue are the zippered tote (shown on the cover), a floral applique tee and a crewel lantern.

That’s all for this post. Tomorrow we’re being adults and going to get our Montana state driver’s licenses. Very exciting. And then perhaps I will have time to post about my new denim skirt. My back to school wardrobe is complete!

I have been getting a lot of mail lately, but was especially excited to receive my contributor copies of Bead Simple yesterday. Susan has been working on this book for quite a while, and it came out so great! What I love about it is that each design is shown in 3 different renditions– each with different beads and findings, which can help you visualize a project that’s just your style. It also makes it easy to think about YOUR supplies and not necessarily having to buy the exact items used in the projects, which makes it a winner in my book! Plus it is lots of fun to see what all of the guest designers made. There’s also an extensive techniques section with illustrations and clearly written instructions, so even if you’re a beginner, you can follow along.

Here’s my filigree necklace on page 97. I wanted to do something totally different but still use the same basic technique (tiers, in this case).  At the time I didn’t think this was a necklace that I would personally wear (too fancy), but now that I have it back it’s actually quite nice with a slightly-dressy top. I could use a little more glamour in my life. I’ve been bored in general with my jewelry lately, so hopefully this book will isnpire me to craft some new pieces. The book will officially be released on March 25th, but you can pre-order on Amazon if you like.

I also got a copy of this new book from Chronicle: The Pillow Book by Shannon Okey. It’s a lovely book chock full of your pillow basics, but then there are also some really fun and useful projects like pet beds, ottomans, and seat covers, too. It’s definitely a good choice if you’re trying to do some redecorating or re-energize your couch. And the best part, which seems to be included with all of the new Chronicle books, is that the patterns are all included at full size in a separate envelope on the front of the book.

Paul and his friends have a running joke that the difference between the apartments of men and women is the amount of pillows on their couches. I hate to admit it, but it’s true! Of course, my couch is currently covered in projects. Some day, pillow book. Some day!