What's your crafty secret?

teagrrl · Joined: 05 Jul 2004 Posts: 462 Location: Far away

I think this is interesting:
http://www.supernaturale.com/glitter/viewtopic.
php?t=5380

Candice, I also use removable tape a lot, but I think my favourite is freezer (or masking) tape. I use it for everything. Once I even made a lampshade out of drawing paper and freezer tape (I was desperate, OK?).

Knitters who find metal needles difficult to work with might want to try wood or bamboo needles. IMO they are much easier to knit with, they're generally lighter, the stitches don't slip off as easily and they don't make that clanking noise.
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CraftinFool · Joined: 14 Apr 2004 Posts: 809 Location: New England

teagrrl, I heartily second the suggestion to use bamboo needles. As a beginning knitter I have found them much easier than anything else.

Also, there was amention earlier of ways to keep the stitches from coming off the needle. I have been using a circular needle for a scarf project, and I line up the 2 needles and then wrap a rubber band around them tightly and my stitches don't come off.

Also, this isn't really a tip but I want to sing hte praises of stitch markers. I was afraid of them at first - but it's the only way I've been able to keep track of when to switch colors for knitting in the round.

serif · Joined: 20 Sep 2004 Posts: 7 Location: NYC

Silkscreening:
Use some spray mount (like Super 77) on a piece of cardboard then let dry till tacky, smooth your fabric or tee on top of it and you will have a nice flat surface that will accept a screen well.

Knitting: Not a secret, but the magic loop is an awesome way of using a long circular needle to knit a tube of any circumference.
This link explains it better than I can:
http://www.az.com/~andrade/knit/mloop.html

Catana · Joined: 21 Sep 2004 Posts: 35 Location: Eastern Seaboard

Today is the first time I've been back to GetCrafty in quite a while. It took a minute to figure out if it was the same site. It is, and better than ever. I love the blog idea and plan to start one soon.

But to offer a crafty idea... I use a lot of interfacing in fabric crafts, and was recently looking at the diminishing supply of my boughten ones. Doing things cheaply is a way of life for me, so I wasn't looking forward to spending money on something that doesn't even show. Then I discovered bed skirts! The material that makes up the skirt part may not be worth using, but the part that covers the box spring is usually a textured polyester that's perfect for giving some body to fabrics that need it. That's a lot of interfacing, especially if you get double or queen sized skirts. And of course mine come from the local thrift store. There's a difference in quality, so you might have to do a little hunting. I like the heavier ones that have enough of an embossed surface to give them some real body.

Right now, I'm using it mostly in Christmas stockings and to back patchwork in handmade bags. I'm sure it has a ton of other uses, that I'll figure out eventually.

happydaisydoo · Joined: 28 Jun 2004 Posts: 189 Location: Kansas

I have used freezer paper or wrapping paper (purchased after holidays at an enormous discount) to make patterns for various things like chair pads, a wedding dress, pillows and many other projects.

Catana · Joined: 21 Sep 2004 Posts: 35 Location: Eastern Seaboard

susan*s · Joined: 14 Apr 2004 Posts: 99 Location: Portland, OR

I glued flat round magnets to the underside of a vintage china saucer and I use it for holding my sewing pins instead fo a pincushion. The magnets keep the pins in the dish, and they also make it stay in place when I set it on my ironing board. It's very handy!

I also mark dart lines from a sewing pattern on fabric with water-soluble fabric markers or pins instead of tracing it with a tracing wheel (one of those things that looks like a pizza cutter), which can trash vintage--or even new--pattern paper if you have to go over it a few times.

When I'm beading on soft-flex (like tiger tail, but better and less likely to kink up) I tape a piece of scotch tape over the end to hold beads instead of knotting it. It comes right off when you're done!

:)
Susan
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bratgirl · Joined: 06 Jul 2004 Posts: 57 Location: Chicago

To reduce a sewing pattern, instead of measuring in on one side an inch (or two or three...), just fold the center of the pattern in one inch. Ex: If your pant pattern is too wide, fold the pattern from waist to ankle in the middle of the pattern to take it in. Likewise on a shirt, either take it in in the center of the neck to the waist or take it in half the distance on each side shoulder to waist.

I find just folding it in the middle saves having to redraw all the curves and notchs and pleats....

I know I know more tips, I'm just really tired today and can't think well.

m.

p.s. if the above does not make sense, let me know and I re-write once I've had some sleep. good-night

amelia_mae · Joined: 22 Sep 2004 Posts: 4

*If you loose the backing to your earring, you can break off the eraser from a pencil and slip that on. It works great!

*To clean the inside of your tea kettle put some ice cubes and coarse salt inside and rattle it around till it comes clean.

*If you don't have a lint brush, and your sweater or shirt is covered in fuzz or cat hair you can use tape to get it off.

*Your clothes will iron faster and better if you put tin foil under the ironing board pad.

*Save the Silica gel packets that come in you handbags and sneaker boxes, there good to put in your gym shoes after a workout, because they suck up all the moister and smell. ** Don't keep them around if you have young children who might eat them**

*Use ammonia to wash your hard wood floors, it makes them shine for a long time.

*Keep around old tooth brushes, there great for scrubbing in the hard to reach places in the bathroom and kitchen.

peanut · Joined: 18 May 2004 Posts: 82 Location: i'm a chi girl

a little vinegar in the rinse water when you wash you wool or cashmere sweaters makes the fabric softer and stronger.

meexie · Joined: 01 May 2004 Posts: 212 Location: HNL

A paste of baking soda and water will take the grease out of plastic food containers.

Oil spills (of the cooking variety, not the shipwreck disaster) are best dealt with by absorption. Wheat bran, oat bran, kitty litter, and baking soda work well - cover the spill, let sit for a minute, then stir the absorbent stuff around a bit, let sit for a couple more minutes, and sweep up. Repeat if necessary.

smudgy_cat · Joined: 15 Apr 2004 Posts: 346

To clean a kitchen floor, add boiling water to vinegar and mop with that. For added excitement while the water is boiling, dump in baking soda and swirl until it stops foaming and fizzing.

Since my mops never fit in the buckets for cleaning, I found that using a heavy duty office type garbage can is excellent for mopping.

jodijean · Joined: 03 Jan 2005 Posts: 2

Someone else said:

1. Use a small amount of baking soda with your shampoo to get out hairspray
3. Hair spray gets inkstains out of clothing - (you'd be surprised how many people don't know this)

you can also add some baking soda to your face wash, for a gentle exfoliator. (it really works, and makes your skin so soft, i even got my little brother to start doing it)

and second, to get ball point inkstains out of your clothes use AEROSOL hairspray, the other kind doesnt work, dont know why the aersol makes a difference, but it does., just thought i should add that to the hairspray thread from before