I’m so pleased that the new issue of CRAFT is out! I really love this one, there are tons of inspiring projects to try (33 total!), super interesting crafters featured, and some truly great holiday handmade picks too…

here are a few of my favorite things in no particular order: Diane Gilleland‘s profile of Teresa Sullivan (a fellow Portland beader!), Natalie Zee Drieu‘s crafty guide to San Francisco, Christine Haynes and Kent Bell‘s fabulous party dress project (pictured above), the whole Papercraft section (too many things to list one by one…), Christy Petterson‘s personalized notebook project, Susan Brackney’s paper mosiac-ed floor (must be seen to be believed), Mister Jalopy‘s tin can tiles project, and Cathy of California‘s folded magazine cat and mushroom pincushion.

And I have three pieces in this issue, too — a modern heirloom quilt, a jewelry box, and a recycled sheet project! I really loved making the quilt and it was such a treat to create it for the magazine — I’ve wanted to make something like this for years, and this assignment was the perfect excuse to visit Purl Soho and buy the Denyse Schmidt Katie Jump Rope collection, get out my Gocco printer, and choose some favorite pictures for photo transfer on fabric. It was finished just in time for our second wedding anniversary, so that was cool too.

I wrote up instructions on how to create the squares, embellish them, join the strips together, baste the front and back, and bind it, along with tips on how to build the log cabin squares and make your own bias tape. The whole thing took me about a month and now it makes me happy every day when I see it on the bed.

I also made an Enid-Collins-inspired jewelry box embellished with rhinestones, ribbon, and sparkly trim, which was a lot of fun.

And I turned a vintage sheet into a trio of little things: a craft apron, belt, and sunglasses case.

Thanks so much to Carla and Natalie for the great assignments! You can pick up the latest issue of CRAFT at bookstores, subscribe online, or get the issue at the upcoming Felt Club and Crafty Wonderland events. Viva CRAFT!