Hello My Quilting Friends! This week I have a short and sweet podcast just chatting about life, learning new crafts and skills, and resetting the Crafty Cottage after cleaning it out for the hurricane. Watch what I'm working on in the cottage in this video:
You can also listen to the show or download it to your computer using this player:
Quick links to things mentioned in the podcast:
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Resetting the Crafty Cottage
I emptied the cottage completely because the predictions for Hurricane Florence were so scary. It took less than an hour to clean out, but it's taken me almost three weeks to put everything back! Today I finally got my machine back in place and now I'm ready to shoot new tutorials.
Learning a New Skill - Lino Cutting and Printing!
I'm trying out a new skill this week that I've been wanting to play with for months. Lino cutting is a cool craft you can use to print designs on paper or fabric. I love the idea of cutting one piece of linoleum with a complex design, then using it to print many things.
It is tough to learn new skills, particularly if you are a perfectionist and want really nice results. I decided to shoot a video as I cut my third lino design just to show what it was like for a total beginner. I learned the most about printing and applying the ink which is a lot more complicated than I thought.
Making Crafts that are Worth More
I did run off on a tangent about selling crafts. In a lot of ways I don't think it's a good idea to make quilts and sell them because they are just not valued by the general public in the right way.
Instead I think skills like lino cutting or photograph are much better to build because you can make one thing (a cut design or pretty picture) and make copies and sell those copies multiple times.
Making one thing and selling that thing is not a successful business model in my opinion. I just worry that it requires too much time and physical effort, and if you ever get sick or cannot continue to produce the item, you will no longer have cash coming in.
Ms. Bunny Tutorial Coming Monday!
While I chatted through the end of the podcast, I was turning the arms, legs, and ears for a new Ms. Bunny doll that I will put together in a tutorial for you next Monday. I'd better get out to the Crafty Cottage so I can film that project this week!
Mally the Maker and Ms. Bunny doll patterns are on preorder for just one more week and then they will start shipping out! Click Here to preorder your book and pattern today!
Let's go quilt,
Leah Day
1 comment
I LOVE the idea of using the accuquilt for lion-printing. Speaking of that, if you aren’t following yet on Instagram. @lefner_editions is a must! Dave Lefner has an amazing studio in downtown Los Angeles, he has a very large press and has been able to do up to 14 colors, which is mind boggling, think of all the matching. Yes, his work sells for a lot of money, but oh my, the eye candy. Another one is @linocutboy, he is in England, very different look to his work. He works mostly just in black ink and will sometimes use water colors to add color. Well worth following.
The Japanese term is Kinsugi – and it is used mostly for repairing ceramics with real gold. Often the repaired piece is worth more than the original, since the breakage adds a whole new dimension.
I entirely agree about selling objects, oy, to think you you spent all those hours piecemeal sewing. So glad you have moved on to much bigger and better.