Sprigged & Spotted

Category: Crafts

  • Project Log: How to Make an 18th Century “Housewife” Sewing Kit

    Project Log: How to Make an 18th Century “Housewife” Sewing Kit

    Meet the Housewife

    In this case, a housewife isn’t a person.

    I’ve got a notion

    I like the word “notion.” It can mean a personal inclination or a general concept, but it can also refer to little tools and supplies. When used to describe physical objects rather than ideas, “notions” usually refer to common sewing tools and consumable necessities such as thread and buttons. Type the word into an image search on your favorite search engine and you’ll see collections of needles, thread, straight pins, safety pins, thimbles, ribbons, pincushions, snaps, measuring tapes, and more. Notions often enter into project planning as an afterthought, once primary fabrics being used to construct a garment have been selected. But, having the perfect bits and bobs right at hand when you need them can make a project come together much more smoothly than if you have to stop working to find what you need.

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  • Festoons of Fringe: How to turn Fun Fur and Eyelash Yarn into Durable Christmas Garland

    Festoons of Fringe: How to turn Fun Fur and Eyelash Yarn into Durable Christmas Garland

    The problem of what to make with Fun Fur or Eyelash Yarn

    Novelty yarn can be a challenge to use, not only because it can be awkward to crochet or knit with, but because its oddness makes it unsuitable for making elegant accessories or practical items for the home. When “eyelash yarn” and “fun fur” polyester (aka acrylic) yarns were popular in the early 2000’s, I made a tubular scarf, but didn’t end up wearing it much. This kind of glossy yarn is still available for purchase in saturated colors at craft stores. So, what do we do with leftover or bargain bin fringed yarn? Having made myself a knitting fork, also known as a lucet, earlier this year, the perfect Christmas-season application for this unique yarn occurred to me: garland.

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  • A Makeshift Lucet: How to make your own forked weaving tool from recycled cardboard

    A Makeshift Lucet: How to make your own forked weaving tool from recycled cardboard

    What is a Lucet?

    A lucet is a fiberwork tool usually consisting of two parallel posts joined on one end to form a “U” shape. Some have a single handle at the bottom; some have a hole in the base of the “U.” A few examples of such tools, as well as cording likely made using one, exist in museums. They are associated with Vikings and are purported to have also been used by 17th and 18th century European cultures, but the details surrounding their use remain murky.

    The history aside, they are easy to learn to use for modern crafters, and I came up with my own method for making one of these nifty items.

    What makes a lucet different than other fiberwork tools?

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