Tips – Handcrapted

This is an actual item crafted by your esteemed Handcrapted authors.

Being crappy is a way of life, and like all ways of life, it has seasons. Sometimes, being crappy means holing up in your lair while the rains of winter dribble around. Sometimes, being crappy means it’s summer and so you decide you’re having social engagements. Webster’s dictionary probably defines hosting as “letting gross bugs nibble your skin flaps,” but we can define it as “having people over and wanting them to think you are 25% less crappy than you actually are.” When that pressure strikes, I clean furiously, decide to make 5 new recipes, and end up yelling at the victims who live with me. That makes everyone feel GREAT by the time guests arrive!

Really though, the heart of crappy hosting is understanding that being not-so-great at it should NEVER be an impediment to your socializing. Your friends want to hang out with you. They don’t really care about your house. At the same time, the level of squalor you can tolerate may necessitate finding a balance. These tips are about where that point really resides. Continue reading “10 Ultimate Crappy Hosting Tips” →

Stop squandering the waning moments of your life. Stop pinning.

Why have I spent so much time pinning patterns to fabric? I guess it’s how I learned when I was a clumsy little beast and prone to knocking my patterns askew all the time. It takes time and bloodshed to use pins, which is pretty metal, but not really great for whacking out a stack of garments in one go. To solve this problem, a cottage industry has emerged. I’ve read tutorials on the internet for making your own pattern weights; some people even sell them. They’re often stacks of metal washers wrapped perplexingly in ribbon or bias tape. Do you have time to beribbon the humble washer? No, no you don’t.

Continue reading “Perfect Pattern Weights” →