GreenStitch Episode 33 - Earth Day updates

Episode 33 was filled with Earth Day stuff and other updates. Haven't heard it yet? Link in right here.

Check out Shilo's podcast and her Ravelry group (she's aJoyfulGirl) for the photos on the Ravelry side of the 2011 Repurpose Along. The Flickr group is here. Be sure and make your Viewer's Choice pix ("love" on Ravelry, "favorite" on Flickr) to determine who wins extra prizes. In the meantime, congrats to "goodstuff," Lesley, and Beth!

Want to make a pillow for breast-surgery patients? Here's the pattern I traced off of the one Susan's team uses. I hope there's enough info here so you can make your own pattern.

From there, using any sort of cotton or cotton-blend fabric:

• Cut out two, on the fold.
• Cut a piece of narrow elastic (1/4" or 3/8" wide) about 13 inches long. Pin or baste each elastic end to the right side of one of your fabric pieces at place indicated by large dot.
• Place your two pieces of fabric right sides together, and stitch around the edge, using a 1/4" seam. Make sure to keep your elastic loop between the pieces, stitching them into place as you make the seam.
• Leave an opening along the bottom, as indicated by the dotted line.
• Clip curves.
• Turn inside out and press.
• Stuff lightly with fiberfill.
• Hand-stitch opening closed.

They really go together so quickly and easily. Why not contact your local hospital or cancer-care center and see if they could use some?

A few other links from this episode:

• Restylistas
• Refashion Co-op
• Miss Knitta's Studio

Finally, I must share with you this photo which marks such a historic event in my family:

GreenStitch Episode 32 - Spring, spring, spring

I'm so happy spring is finally arriving in Western New York. Hopefully, no more snow in the background of my photos! You can listen to the full episode here.

Check out the Repurpose-Along 2011 Flickr group and add your own! Shilo and I (do check out her podcast, it's wonderful) will do our drawings next weekend. I've got to get a move on and finish my backpack, too. I'll not be eligible for the drawing, of course, but I want to impose the deadline on myself, too, in the spirit of the project.

Here's my work-in-progress. Check out the process in It's a Wrap. It looks rather dull in this photo, but up-close it has a really neat, vintage feel.

Here's another book on the same topic: Sewing Pottery by Machine.

It was really fun to chat with Erika from Miss Sews It All. By all means, check out Erika's great links here:

• Her blog
• The great venue for her upcoming classes
• More on "Sewing for Survival"

GreenStitch Episode 30 - Repurpose-Along 2011

Join us in the Repurpose-Along! Here's the link to this week's broadcast.

Now that I've figured out the Flickr thing (I think), here is the direct link to the Repurpose-Along 2011 photo group. You need to have joined Flickr and put you photos on your own photostream in order to put them in the group. You have until April 22 to be part of the drawing. So, that's plenty of time to do a bit of a repurposing project and share it. Give it a go!!!

You can also use the Ravelry thread that Shilo links to from the Spin Control podcast blog.

These three rumpled shirts are the basis is my own Repurpose-Along project. What sort of backpack will they become? I'm not certain yet, and I'm OK with that. Stay tuned!

And speaking of that -- treat yourself to reading Lainie Lipson's full post about the Slow Cloth concept. If you're working on something where you can relax and savor the process, please do so!

And regarding spring cleaning:

• Here's more about my dandy new hard floor steam cleaner.
• Learn about Skoycloths here. (Scroll down for where to find them.)

Oh, and here are the results of the latest survey - way to go, cloth napkin users! :-)

Do you use cloth napkins (serviettes)?

Yes, all or most of the time	12 (38%)
Yes, sometimes	10 (32%)
No, but I'm thinking about starting	9 (29%)
No, and I probably won't	0 (0%)

Votes so far: 31