The Storque

Handmade Kids How-To: Firefly LED Baby Booties

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 19:32:00 -0000

Craft Zine and Michael Miller Fabrics recently sponsored CRAFT’s Michael Miller Baby Bootie Contest, with the many entries posted in a Flickr group. We were so charmed by these Firefly LED baby booties that we asked the creators to give us a how-to for the project.

Special thanks go out to Craft's Natalie Zee Drieu who coordinated this post. She is expecting a baby girl and has shared her favorites in the related items below!

But first, a safety disclaimer:
Babies should wear LED booties with adult supervision only, as small electronic components can be a choking hazard if removed from the booties. You can also glue the LEDs to the fabric for extra hold or use surface mount LED beads and sandwich them between the surface and liner fabrics.

Materials:
denim
yellow cotton
felt
cotton thread
conductive thread
elastic
yellow ribbon
2 yellow LEDs
2 CR2016 (or CR2032) batteries
scissors
needles
paper
pen
contact glue

Pattern:
Click here to download the PDF Pattern for the LED Booties.

How-To:

1. Download the bootie pattern. Measure the baby’s foot size and reduce or enlarge pattern to fit accordingly. By sewing the two paper pattern pieces together you'll get a more or less fair view of the booties final dimension. This can take a few attempts, but it is actually a crucial step, so take your time with measurements.

2. Cut the denim pieces after tracing the pattern into the denim's wrong side. You can leave a mark that will help you distinguish the left from the right bootie once the pieces are all cut. Then, cover the entire outside edges with blanket stitches to prevent the denim from fraying.

3. Sew the two pieces of each bootie together with the wrong side of the denim. You can mark an even margin with a pen to help guide you.

4. Cut a small strip of yellow cotton and tack it to the bootie's denim edges. Cut it on diagonal direction, as the fabric will stretch in the bias direction.

5. Sew the yellow edge to the denim (try to make the stitches as invisible as possible) and then remove the temporary stitches. Fold the rest of the cotton in. You can also sew it to the denim from inside to make sure it will stay in place.

6. Cut a little piece of elastic and sew it very well to the inner part of the booty. The denim is great for this because the inner stitches won't be visible from the outside.

7. The firefly wings are basically a double bow (without the loose ends) made with ribbon. Just sew it together with a few stitches and it is now ready to be sewed to the bootie.

8. After sewing the wings to the bootie (on the right side of the bootie), use the same thread to make the embroidery. It's really simple, so you probably don't need to trace a drawing first. Just try to make them more or less symmetrical in the two booties.

9. Cut a large stripe of yellow cotton, enough to cover the inner side of the bootie. After tacking it to the denim, sew it with some invisible stitches leaving the front part still to be sewed.

10. The LED (short for light emitting diode) is a semiconductor that emits light when a current flows through. The plus of the battery must be connected to the anode (usually the long leg) and the minus to the cathode (usually the short leg). This makes it clear which way to wire the LED.

LEDs also have what is called a maximum voltage, and you should not apply more voltage to the LED than this value. We've used a 3V battery (CR2016 1,6 mm thick), and since most yellow LEDs have a forward voltage around 1.2V to 2.2V, we needed some resistance to reduce it, so we've used conductive thread.

11. Put the LED in place and stick the pins inside.

12. From the inner side of the bootie, curve the LED's edges with a pair of pliers.

13. Now sew the curved edges to the denim with the conductive thread. Make sure you use a different thread for each of the edges and that they don't touch each other (this would short-circuit the battery). One foot (20 cm) of conductive thread sewed along the base of the bootie is enough. You can pass them through the bootie's sides.

14. With one of the conductive threads, sew a few stitches (cross stitches, for example) on the back part of the bootie sole. This will work as a "pad."

15. Cut a little square of yellow cotton to prepare a little pocket for the battery. To make sure the battery stays in place, make the pocket as small as possible. Sew all of the edges to the denim, leaving a small entry for the battery, like a buttonhole. Make another "pad" with the other conductive thread on top of the pocket.

The battery should be placed between the "pad" on the battery pocket and the other "pad" on the base of the bootie, in order to make good contact. Just be careful and make sure both wires only meet at the LED when the battery is in place. If you mixed up the polarities, there's no harm to the LED; just flip the battery over and it should light up.

16. Cut an insole from the felt using a pattern like the one used to cut the denim, but a bit smaller. Then cover it with the yellow cotton and sew it together. This insole will cover the battery pocket. Glue the half front part of the insole to the bootie. You will need to leave the back half part unglued so you can easily remove or replace the battery.

17. The final result! These aren't everyday booties, of course, so you might save them to be used on a special occasion. With the battery on, the LED will be lit for around two hours. You can even replace the LED with a small bead.

About the creators: Ana Pires and João Silva were born in the seventies in Oporto, Portugal and they're currently living in The Hague, The Netherlands. They're very keen on arts and crafts, though professionally they've chosen other areas. Ana is an accountant and she enjoys painting, knitting, embroidering and sewing. João is an engineer and his hobbies include building computers and robots, gardening and biking to work every day.

The items below are curated by Craft's Natalie Zee Drieu who is expecting a baby girl!

Handmade Kids Series | Special Kids Showcase | Baby Gift Guide | Children Gift Guide

Handmade Weddings: Going with the Flow

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 18:18:00 -0000

You've seen those network TV specials documenting every wedding disaster in the book—you know, the naughty ring bearer gets into the $1200 cake before you’ve had a chance to cut it. Or the mother-in-law forgets to pick up the bridesmaid bouquets and the girls have to walk down the aisle empty handed.

Prepare yourselves, brides and grooms to be—it’s practically a guarantee that something will go wrong along the way.
It happened to me. I got a phone call 13 days before my April wedding from my catering director informing me of their need to change my venue. I won’t bore you with the details and the reasons why, but this meant that the cozy, intimate, candlelit dinner party for 40 guests that I had planned for the past four months was about go the way of the dodo. I would have to redirect my guests after I had spent hours hand-making my one-of-a-kind invitations. I’d have to start from scratch with décor—I’d planned on only candelabras to light the small and rustic room with stone floors and a wall of mullioned windows. The new space I’d been offered was the antithesis of my vision…a gaping, sprawling white box serving at the moment as the gallery for a local high school’s art show.

I could have panicked. I could have gotten my wedding-night knickers all in a twist. I could have gone all Bridezilla on everyone leaving nothing but a trail of torn tulle and lace in my wake. But instead, I channeled all of that negative energy into an opportunity to negotiate the wedding of my dreams on the vendor’s dime. After all, they were breaching their own contract so they’d have to be willing to accommodate me.

Now, my story ends happily, albeit with some anxiety-ridden twists. In the end, I was able to have my wedding in the original location, with the original décor, as originally planned. But the reality is, these things happen—even with months of careful planning (and for some couples, years!), unforeseen circumstances arise. The minister might mispronounce your name. Your cousin Tammy might have an allergic reaction to the raw bar. And my bets are on the best man's speech being far less than you had hoped for. In the event that one of your vendors springs a last-minute change on you, keep your cool and bargain with them for an alternative to make up for it. You may end up making out better than you had anticipated!

As an invitation designer, and recent bride, I see first-hand how the universe tends to shrink, allowing you to think only in terms of linen colors and barrel curls and escort cards. Remember to be flexible and stay focused on the task at hand—you know, the ‘til death do us part’ bit, the ‘have and to hold’ part. Your wedding should be memorable, not because of a minor hiccup along the way, but because you let it ride and enjoyed your time with your guests and your new spouse. Chances are no one will even have noticed that your gown was tucked into your stockings that time anyway…

See more posts in the Handmade Wedding Series.

Handmade Portraits: maryink

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 17:12:00 -0000

Mary Helt and Chris Sittel of maryink met at a party while visiting their families in Nashville. At the time, Mary was living in New York City working as a photographer's stylist and Chris was working in Florida at a silk-screen studio. They started visiting one another, having t-shirt parties and coming up with new project ideas.

After a few years of living apart, they finally moved to the Virgin Islands to start their original silk-screen design company, maryink. While Mary is the designer behind maryink, Chris functions as the steady hand behind the printing process. Mary's designs have a 1970s Scandinavian and folk art influence, and she also incorporates elements of embroidery, weaving and bitossi pottery. The shop is known for its interesting designs, silk screened votive candles, jewelry, tote bags and t-shirts.

Even though living in the Virgin Islands was paradise, running a business proved difficult. Chris and Mary soon packed up and headed back to Nashville, where the low cost of living allowed them to dedicate themselves full-time to maryink.

MP4 | Youtube | Blip.tv | Subscribe in iTunes

(Music by Michael Chapman, Jukeboxer & Fred Wallace)

You can watch more of our Handmade Video Portraits, and we'd be so thrilled if you'd subscribe to our free Etsy iTunes podcast.

Etsy Finds: Time Bomb Bump by CarmelTurtle

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 15:53:00 -0000

Don't you love it when a clever t-shirt makes you laugh out loud? CarmelTurtle's maternity tee with a ticking time bomb brings a visual pun to that bump. The joke is such a great combination of emotions: hilarious levity combined with the grave acknowledgement of undeniable phsyicality: "Yes, I have a huge, HUGE belly."

The custom month text also staves off that question pregnant moms must get weary of hearing: Whenneryoudo? Whenneryoudo? Whenneryoudo?

I'm going to get one of these for my friend who is having her first baby!

Need a daily fix of Etsy Finds? Sign up for the Etsy Finds e-mail! Conveniently delivered to your inbox on the daily!

Handmade Kids Series | Special Kids Showcase | Baby Gift Guide | Children Gift Guide

Etsy Finds: Vintage Fun and Games

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 13:02:00 -0000

When it comes to fun and games, it doesn't always have to be bells and whistles. While I may love Wii tennis as much as the next girl, old fashioned games have a certain allure that all the electronics this side of paradise couldn't touch. Introduce a little old fashioned charm to your next Saturday night with these oldies (but goodies).

Handmade Game Board - Chess or Checkers - 1950s Vintage

This playing board has handmade craftsmanship and vintage flair. As you can see, it's been well-loved: won't you give it a new home and some fresh chess pieces? At UncommonEye, $34.

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Vintage Dart Set

This dart set was mighty tempting, but I (somehow) managed to resist. The self-contained set is good for on-the-go darting; who needs a rec room when you can portably play darts at a picnic? (P.S. It has a Pony Express illustration on the front, if you weren't already completely convinced. Go get it!) At foxandfound, $22.

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Antique family card game - PIT stock market

When I first heard about Pit, I was not havin' it. A fun game that involved corn, wheat and stock market prices? Yawn! However, once I got down to "business," I was yelling and grabbing cards like my portfolio depended on it. Get financially savvy with this vintage game. Over in PoeticHome, $8.

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BINGO with nostalgic tactile fix

Beach blanket bingo, anyone? At eastermarie, $14.

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Bowling Ball, Stand and Pins Set

Whether it's for decor or love of the game, this bowling set is just plain rad. whiteelephantvintage, $45.

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Vintage Dominoes and Checkers sets

Dominoes and checkers are from the old school of game playing. Get in touch with your roots! At peacockmodern, $10.

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vintage AD-LIB 1970s board game

I've never played AD-LIB, but it looks like an amazing version of Scrabble. (And I love the cover photograph.) From thevintageholicfrog, $10.

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Vintage Childrens Toy Game - Roulette Set

I don't know if this mini-roulette game is right for children, but it's mighty appealing to me! Let the gambling begin. At theSaturdayShoppe, $8.

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Vintage Pin The Tail On The Donkey Game In Original Box

Pin the tail on the donkey is always a classic for children (or adults in a childish mindset!) At robinsoc, $8.

View item | View Shop | Add to Etsy Favorites

Looking for more vintage Finds? Try these Etsy links:

Vintage Category | Vintage Showcase | Vintage Gift Guide

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Etsy in Action: Upcoming Events July 25 - July 30, 2008

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 21:17:00 -0000

Summer is in full swing. Why not get out and see what your fellow art and craft lovers are up to? Here are a few of our picks. Let us know what's happening in your area by sharing in the comments below.

July 24 - July 31

How To Month in the Virtual Labs

This week marks the wrap up of our How To Series in the Virtual Labs. If you are interested in learning more about reverse applique, glass etching, fabric dying or making paper boxes be sure to join us. Check out the schedule for a complete list along with the corresponding dates and times.

If you haven't visited the Virtual Labs before, check out this FAQ about how they work (or just come on by and we'll show you the ropes, they are very user-friendly and fun!).

Friday, July 25 - Sunday, July 27

Pennsylvania Guild Fine Craft Fair Wilmington, DE

The Brandywine Valley's newest premiere fine craft show, the Pennsylvania Guild Fine Craft Fair returns to the Chase Center on the Riverfront. An elegant event in the air-conditioned comfort of an exquisite location. This event showcases the exquisitely created fine craft and art of 170 of the finest artists in the country. Demonstrations, live music and delicious food make this a destination for the entire family. Ample free parking. For details, directions and coupons visit www.pacrafts.org/summer or call 215-579-5997.

Made it out to any events we've listed in this column? Upload your "Etsy in Action" photos to flickr here.

The Tool Project Kicks Off with a Pedal Powered Saw

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 21:00:00 -0000

Ok, we make things and we can make video. It's time for a collaborative project! What is your most essential or favorite tool?

Make a video that shares your most essential or favorite tool. Feel free to do it in whatever style you like!

Woodmosaics has already made one about his pedal powered table saw. Check it out!

If you want to just turn on a webcam, press record, and show your favorite tool, that would be dandy. If you want to make a stop motion animation of your favorite scissors eating cookies... um ya, that would be awesome too.

Make your video. Upload it to Youtube or blip.tv. Tag it "toolproject." We'll be looking for videos to feature on the Storque!

This is going to be great! I can't wait to see what your favorite tool is! Feel free to blog about this project and invite your friends to participate!

Join the handmade video group if you want to join a conversation with folks who make things and videos too.

MOO Now Offering Full-Sized Business Cards

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:30:00 -0000

Dear Sellers,

I love the small MOO minicards, and they certainly have their place, but there are some times when only a standard-sized business card will do. That is why I am so pleased to say that our pals at MOO have now added this option for you.

In case you didn't know, MOO is a printing company. They print beautiful products using images you upload directly to their site, and, thanks to an ingenious combination of magic and science, Etsy sellers can have minicards, stickers, postcards, and now full-sized business cards printed DIRECTLY from the product images in their shops.

Here's how it works:

1. Go to http://moo.com/etsy

2. Select the MOO product you would like to make with your Etsy images (in the following example, we’ll select MOO minicards).

2. You will be prompted to log into your Etsy account.

3. Once logged in, drag the images you wish to make into cards from the scrollable picture bar into the large white box underneath. You have the option to add all photos, add 10 random photos, or clear all of the photos from the screen by clicking the blue text above the white box. You can drag images to the left sidebar if you wish to remove them from being designed (we all make mistakes).

4. The next screen allows you to control the part of the image displayed on the card. You can crop, zoom, change positions, preview, reset, and even remove a photo if you don’t like the way it looks. When you have the desired look for your images, click next step.

5. The next screen allows you to design the back of your Moo cards. You can leave them blank, add a logo, or write up to 6 lines of text with the option to bold or color. For creative ways to use text on your cards, check out the article we wrote specifically for uses of MOO products!

6. The next screen adds your designed product to your cart and allows you to make more products if you like.

7. Click “go to payment,” review the items in your cart, edit them if you like, and check out with either Paypal or your credit card!

Click here to get started making fresh products for your Etsy shop now!

Remember, it's not the size of your MOO cards, it's how you use them.

Check out the Labs' how-to with a plethora of ideas for using MOO products for your Etsy shop.

Call for Entries: Contests & Opportunities, Oh My!

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:30:00 -0000

Hello crafty friends, our inbox is overflowing with contests, challenges, calls for submission and opportunities to show off your skills. Some are for sweet prizes, some are for pure glory, all are for fun! Time's a tickin'...

The Tote-ally Crafty Bag Challenge -- Deadline July 31

Whether you knit, crochet, recycle, embellish or do them all... CraftStylish invites you to show us your stuff, your crafty stuff — tote bag style. The challenge will be open for entries until 11:59pm ET on July 31st. Open to legal residents of the U. S. and Canada (except Quebec). Get the details.

Tote bag photo by Zach Desert and Burcu Avsar.

Craft Corps book project -- Deadline August 15

Author and knit vixen extraordinaire, Vickie Howell wants you: Calling all crafters! I’m gearing up to write my next book, Craft Corps which will focus on the community perpetuated by craft and the designers & hobbyists who feed it. As part of the content, I’m hoping to include 50-60 short profiles of crafters of all types. If you knit, crochet, embroider, decoupage, paint, sew, bead, tat, work with ceramics, collage, etc. I want to hear from you!

Stop by Vickie's blog for details. And for a bit of spoofy fun, check out her tongue-in-cheek good knitter, gone bad video.

Creativity 350 Craft & T-Shirt Contest -- Deadline August 15

It's time to enter your 350 project submissions. What are you waiting for? Go! And don't forget — just by entering the contest, you're helping spread the word about a very important cause and about the amazing climate change awareness organizatin350.org. Open to crafters worldwide! Get all the details here.

Honda Pilot YouTube Do It Yourself Video Contest -- Deadline August 22

Youtube and the new Pilot from Honda is calling for some do-it-yourself videos, from home improvement to electronics to odds & ends and more. So do-it-yourselfers (DIYers), rev up your how-to engines and submit. Aspiring DIYers, watch and learn. DIYing and watching is just half the fun. Check out the prizes. Hard handiwork shouldn't go unrewarded.

Grand Prize: $15,000 big ones. Cash.
Top 10: $100 gift cards to Home Depot.

Open to U. S. Residents. Learn how to enter here.

Good Mail Day book project -- Deadline September 15

Quarry Books is looking for submissions to their upcoming project, Good Mail Day, a soon-to-be published book authored by Pod Post — two ladies who share a deep love for all things mail art and postal related. The authors are seeking submissions of mail art and correspondence in all of its myriad forms, for possible
publication, and invite all interested mail artists/networkers to submit work. All entries should arrive by September 15, 2008 but the authors will begin the selection process on July 31, 2008 so don't delay!
Entry details here.

Of course, if that's not enough, there's also Etsy's Handmade Kids Challenge & Sweepstakes and the Handmade Kids International Gift Guide call for entries.

Forward this post to your friends and family if you see a good fit for any of these opportunities. Good luck!

Etsy, I See Copyright Infringement

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:17:00 -0000

What's flagging? It's how Etsians can report items to Etsy admin. People flag for many reasons. Copyright infringement is just one example, and SarahSays will be discussing this below.

Another example: if concerned members of the community spot someone selling a mass-produced item on Etsy, they can notify the Etsy admin (without the suspected seller knowing who the reporter is) by clicking the link to "Report this item to Etsy." Then the matter is up to the Etsy admin to investigate in a way that doesn't involve calling sellers out in public.

However, concerned Etsians may not understand what qualifies as copyright infrigement and Etsy's role in the process, and as a result flag too much. In this article, SarahSays will explain copyright infringement and the role of the copyright holder.

Concerned members of our community often flag items due to the appearance of infringement. For example, a member may flag a handmade t-shirt with a silk screened image of an iconic cartoon character. Later, the member may become frustrated, disappointed or confused when the item remains on Etsy.

Intellectual property rights are very important to Etsy. When Etsy receives a complaint from a copyright owner, Etsy, as a venue, attempts to remedy the situation. Etsy treats all complaints seriously, whether the complaint is from a well known company, an individual, or from an Etsy member.

However, under United States copyright law, only the legal or beneficial owner of an exclusive right under a copyright is entitled to take action. In other words, copyright owners are responsible for policing their own rights and bear the cost of policing.

In the case of the silk screened t-shirt, the owner of the copyright of the cartoon character has the right to decide how to proceed. If copyright owner believes that the use is infringing, the owner might ask a seller to stop selling the items. Alternatively, the owner might ask the seller to enter into a licensing agreement. The copyright owner could like the t-shirts and the publicity; the owner might choose to allow the use. It is not up to Etsy or a community member to decide what use of a character should and should not be allowed.

Also, an Etsy seller may have permission to use a copyrighted image in their handmade items. Some Etsy sellers have licenses with companies to use certain intellectual property. In fact, certain Etsy sellers have entered into agreements with other Etsy sellers for the benefit of both parties.

Let me know what you think about this topic!

This information is for educational and informational purposes only. The content should not be construed as legal advice. The author and Etsy, Inc. disclaim all responsibility for any and all losses, damages, or causes of action that may arise or be connected with the use of these materials. Please consult a licensed attorney in your area with specific legal questions or concerns.

NOTE: This was originally published on October 30, 2007. We changed the timestamp to bring it up to the top for a refresher!