I love the patterns at my local fabric shop, and made the pillows shown above with their cotton prints (the pink one is vintage). I’d like to use their fabrics as art above our couch as well. My plan is to stretch a piece of material over a rectangular wooden frame, secure it in back with a staple gun, and hang. Right now I have a green print (shown above) up as a placeholder, but I wanted your advice about what to put up instead: One big large square of fabric? One solid square of fabric plus two prints? I’d love to hear what you think. Thanks! —Bunny W.

There are a few cookbooks that I turn to again and again for foolproof dishes. One of them is, without a doubt, the Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. It’s chock full of staples from roast chicken to chocolate brownies. Among many excellent dishes, my favorite is the turkey meat loaf. It’s so simple: A saute of onion, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, chicken stock and thyme is added to ground turkey mixed with eggs and bread crumbs. Lather the top with ketchup and bake slowly at 350 for an hour and half. I served with basic mashed potatoes (though I wish I had made the parmesan mash from the cookbook) and honey glazed carrots (those were so good, they nearly stole the show. I’ll give up that recipe next week!). Click through to this Food Network link to see the whole turkey meat loaf recipe. — Angela M.

P.S. This recipe makes a HUGE five pound meat loaf. I cut it down by a third and it worked well.

Sometimes you just can’t get enough of an animal you love. Dollmaker Yi Li, better known as Cornflakegirl, can craft a custom, miniature plush version of your beloved pet. The plushies above are of our friends’ chihuahuas Dee Dee and Pickles. Our friend Jessica says, “The detail is so uncanny that I think these plushies make Pickles and Dee Dee a little nervous.” Visit Cornflakegirl’s Etsy shop for more information. –Mary T.

Furniture and textile designer Tanya Aguiñiga is one subject of “Encounter: USA Fellows,” a series of fascinating video shorts from United States Artists (USA) and film company City Projects. USA, a non-profit providing artists with everything from health insurance to raw materials, created the videos to provide a glimpse into the artists’ creative process. In a terrifically engaging piece, Aguiñiga discusses how her work is influenced by a life spent in the cities of Tijuana and San Diego. Like the work of the designers themselves, the videos are well worth a look. More will be added throughout the spring.

View the short feature on Tanya Aguiñiga.
Learn more at the USA site or MySpace page.
And read about Aguiñiga’s “Toddler Textile Forest” at the San Diego Children’s Museum.

I’ve been a quiet fan of Amanda Blake Soule aka “Soulemama” for awhile now — her photography, art and projects with her family are always a delight. So I was excited to learn that her new book, The Creative Family: How to Encourage Imagination and Nurture Family Connections, is now available. So far, the Amazon reader reviews are all positive — one reads, “This book is pure, unadulterated creative dynamite!” Having spent some time on Soule’s site, I’m not surprised. Purchase the book at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or your local bookstore, and be sure to visit Soulemama online at her blog, her shop, and her new Creative Family Flickr Group for regular doses of warmth and color. –Mary T.

These Schmaltzy Craftsy pincushions really caught my eye, appropriately enough. Jen Segrest’s designs, many of which are featured in the recent book Pretty Little Pincushions, include everything from her hilarious “Creepy Eye” bottlecap pincushions to sweet cherry blossom and “Thoroughly Girly Tomato” designs.


Her attention to detail is so great and her designs are so incredible, I want a bunch of them, even though I barely sew. You can admire them on Jen’s Flickr page, too. Or, of course, purchase a few of your own at her Etsy store. –Mary T.

P.S. If Jen’s name sounds familiar, perhaps you’ve met her at one of her many other design-related endeavors: Very Big Design, Pixeldecor, Medieval Beads and OHIKEA.

Portovert, the “gateway to green weddings,” is holding a contest for crafty green brides. The Portovert DIY Wedding Challenge is open to those whose DIY wedding took place between February 28, 2007 and March 1, 2008 and included green elements. Prizes include organic pampering products and eco-friendly table settings. Enter the contest here. Deadline to enter is March 31.

My husband’s fond memories of his youth in South Carolina include the colorful bottle trees that are part of the Gullah culture of Daufuskie Island. Originally intended as a way to capture evil spirits before they could enter a home, bottle trees have since evolved into creations that can add a bit of color and whimsy to any garden. Though the original versions were made from actual trees, you can make a simple yet gorgeous bottle tree for your own garden this spring using a post and rebar — like the beauty above featured at Digging. (If you’re not feeling so handy, readymade versions are also out there.) –Mary T.

Update: I took some pity on Katrina and did a little more research. See below! –Mary T.

“I’m itching to make some lampshades using felt, but need some frames!” says Katrina. “I’m looking for just a simple, elongated cylinder frame, or a drum-shaped frame, and came up empty handed. I found lots of Victorian frames that do not lend themselves to the modern design I am looking for.” Katrina wants a frame that looks like the images above. So how about it, readers? Can you shed any light on this subject?

Update: Some possible solutions after the jump — click to see them! (more…)

Sometimes a small change can make a big impact, and this utility room makeover spotted on Flickr is a good example. Member Queen Conch made some cosmetic upgrades to the room, to be sure, but I was struck by how simply adding some fabric to the utility tub made the room look so much less…utilitarian. Find directions online at HGTV and The Fabric of Our Lives. Learn more about Flickr before-and-afters here. –Mary T.