reprodepot.com blog

See you in the fall!

2010-06-17T06:28:00.000-04:00

All done for the summer! Still packing up for the move. (Ugh.) See you in the fall!

last day to place orders!

2010-06-14T09:46:00.000-04:00

Today is the last day to place orders before we move and reopen in the fall!

click here to see our special deals!

only 1 week left!

2010-06-07T16:34:00.001-04:00

only 1 week left to save 50% off!

The last day to place an order before we move is Monday, June 14th. After that we will be closed through the summer and reopen in the fall.

click below to see all of the super deals!
http://www.reprodepot.com

we're moving!

2010-05-12T13:38:00.000-04:00

we're moving in a month and so we need help clearing the warehouse for the haul.

check out our sale page for sale coupons!

Little Rosette Ornaments

2009-12-08T17:52:00.005-05:00

One of my favorite things we have at Reprodepot are the 30's fabric scrap bags. I really love all the fabrics that end up in these packs, every time we put more together. I picked one up last week specifically to make some little ornaments to decorate the boxes of homemade cookies I'll be giving my family and friends this Christmas - they'll look great on the box, and then everyone will have a sweet little ornament once the cookies are all gone! I love all the colors from these 30's prints, and I'm excited about using all different patterns, and not feeling restricted to only red, white and green.

We are also slowly listing vintage buttons in the shop. When I came across these faux leather french horns, I knew they would be absolutely perfect!

For this project you will need:

1/2 lb thirties scrap bag

vintage buttons - enough to make how ever many ornaments you'll want.

off-white felt

I like that with these little ornaments, you don't have to be too particular about measurements. In fact, I enjoyed playing around with different sizes and mixing up the placement and layering of fabric and felt.

To make a small rosette about 2 inches in diameter, cut a 2" x 7". Fold the short sides together, face to face, and stitch along the edge.

Now fold the looped fabric in half lengthwise so the pattern is on the outside.

Carefully press the folded edge. This is probably not totally necessary, but I like how the rosette looks with a crisp edge. Skip the ironing if you'd like yours fluffier.
Using strong thread, run a straight stitch along the raw edge.

Once you stitch all the way around, pull gently on the thread to cinch the fabric in the middle, forming the rosette. Knot the thread, and trim the tail.

If you're using this French Horn button, you'll notice it has a shank:

In order to fit the button nicely up against the fabric, press the shank into the small hole in the rosette.
Now, use your pinking shears to cut a circle from a piece of white or off-white felt, making the felt circle slightly larger than the rosette.

Stitch the button onto the felt. Since the shank is fit through the rosette, you don't need to sew through the rosette at all - the pieces should fit together perfectly to that the button will hold it in place, reaching through the rosette to the felt.

And there you have it! String with thin ribbon or floss or baker's twine. I used just a thin strand of gold sewing thread.

Now play around with different sizes, mixing different vintage buttons, and layers of felt to create unique pieces!

I love these sparkly silver and white buttons!

Please let us know how yours turn out! (We'd love to see photos!) Happy crafting!

new Reprodepot coupons for you!

2009-12-03T12:00:00.000-05:00

click here to see all of our sale items plus our limited time coupon codes!

Greenfield Center School Rumpus is this Saturday!

2009-11-30T12:37:00.002-05:00

If you live in or near Western Massachusetts and would like to purchase fantastic, affordable, local and handmade goods and would like to support an excellent school, please come to the Greenfield Center School Rumpus on Saturday, December 5th from 10-4. There will be a craft fair, a silent auction, a bake sale, kids activities, craft demonstrations live music, and more. An event not to be missed!

We (Reprodepot) will also be representing at the fair with a table and all proceeds from our sales will go directly to the school.

My daughter is a student at GCS and it is the most amazing school I have ever seen and we are so happy to be part of it's community. If only I could have gone there as a kid!

For more information about the school please visit their website at http://www.centerschool.net

For more information about the Rumpus! this Saturday, please go to http://gcsrumpus.blogspot.com

In case you were wondering, the Rumpus! poster above was designed and illustrated by the incredibly talented, lovely and above all, hilarious Kathleen Habbley. Thank you Kathleen!

Hope to see you all there!

A Thanksgiving Offering

2009-11-23T16:04:00.006-05:00

I am attending my first of two Thanksgiving feasts tonight, and lucky lucky me - I finished making this wine tote just in time! With Thanksgiving Day coming this Thursday (yikes! So soon!), maybe you're thinking there's no way you could whip one of these out in time... but don't worry - this tote can be used any time of the year! (Like, ahem, Christmas?)

I chose this beautiful Coffeebean Canvas because, for one, it's sturdy and doesn't require a lining, but also because it is suitable for any season, any occasion. And really, it's the vintage ribbon handle that makes this bag extra special. Maybe you'll use your tote to safely and uniquely transport a bottle to a party, or maybe the tote will be a house warming gift, the handmade bag dressing up a simple bottle of wine.

Here's what you'll need to make a wine tote of your own:

1/2 yard Eco Hemp Canvas - coffeebean

2 yards Vintage Mosaic Ribbon

matching sewing thread

Begin by cutting two 8.5" x 15" pieces of the brown canvas, and cutting the ribbon into two equal 1 yard lengths.

Fold the short side of one canvas piece 1/4 in, press, and fold again. Pin the folded edge and stitch in place. Do the same for one short side of the second piece of canvas.

I think adding the ribbon handle is the trickiest part of this whole project. But if you carefully measure and pin and sew slowly, you'll have no problems.

You'll want to double the two pieces of ribbon, laying them back to back. Matching the edge of the ribbons with the raw (bottom) edge of one canvas piece, find the middle with a ruler or measuring tape and lay the ribbon across the canvas vertically. Measure in a few places to make sure it is evenly centered all the way up.

Carefully pin the doubled ribbon in place, making sure the bottom ribbon isn't sticking out anywhere.

Starting at the bottom edge, stitch the ribbon onto the canvas, carefully sewing a straight line up against the thin red border of the ribbon. When you reach the hemmed edge of the canvas, sew across the ribbon, and then back down the other side, up against the thin red border of the ribbon again.

Pin the loose ends of the ribbon to the second piece of canvas the same as the first, lining up the raw ribbon edge with the raw canvas edge, centered. Begin sewing from the bottom to the hemmed edge, stitch across the ribbon, and back down the other side.

Now, very carefully stitch the two ribbons together between the canvas pieces. Sew right along the thin red border again, on both sides. This will create the handle of your tote, and hide the loose weave found on the back side of the ribbon.

Now flip your canvas pieces so they are lined up face to face. Sew around all three sides of the bag. I started by sewing the right side, then the left, and finally the bottom. By doing this, instead of sewing all the way around at once, I was able to make sure the top seams lined up properly, since sometimes things will shift a little while you're sewing.

Now you should have a little tote bag! But before you're finished, we're going to box the bottom of the bag so it will sit up right with a bottle of wine inside.

To box the bottom, cut a 2"x 2" square out of each corner as shown above.

Pull the bag open at the inside cut corners and pinch the seams in to meet in the middle.

Pin in place, and sew straight across.

Repeat for the second corner, and you'll have a fancy boxed bottom!

Now turn the bag right side out, and stick a bottle of wine or a delicious bottle of Sparkling Cider inside, and you're ready to go!

I hope you all enjoy your nice long weekend with lots of friends and family and delicious food! Happy Thanksgiving!

Make a new throw pillow to match the changing season!

2009-11-10T15:53:00.000-05:00

I spend a lot of my free time roaming the internet (as I'm sure most people can't help but do these days!), and I've been admiring photo after photo of fellow artists homes, envious of their style and beautiful furnishings. One thing I've come across again and again is people swapping out their throw pillows with the changing seasons. This is something I made note of quite a long time ago, put on my mental to-do list, and then never got around to doing.

Well, the most wonderful thing about being the project blogger for Reprodepot, is that it gives me the opportunity to actually sit down and accomplish some of these crafty goals. And not only show all of you how quick and easy it really is, but to show myself! I completed this pillow cover in less than an hour yesterday, and literally laughed out loud at myself for putting it off for so long. Silly! And now you no longer have an excuse either because it is really so so simple! Once you make one, you'll be swapping out pillow covers every other week just because you can! And really, what better way is there to feature your current favorite patterns and colors?

For this project I used the following materials:

1/2 yd Ume Patchwork - orange

14" x 14" Eco-Friendly Pillow Form

You'll want to start by trimming your fabric. A 1/2 yd piece measures 18 inches wide. Trim both sides so that you are making them even and straight while also creating a final width of 16 1/2 inches. I would start by trimming as little as possible from the first side, just enough to make it straight, so that you don't accidentally trim too much.

Now lay the fabric out. It should measure 16 1/2 x 42 inches. Iron out the deep crease in the middle of the fabric.

Fold both short sides (the ones featuring the selvedge) in four inches and press. Stitch along the fold with a coordinating thread. These ends will create the envelope opening where you'll insert the pillow form.

Once you have the ends folded and sewn, lay out your piece right side up. Measure 10 inches in from the edge, and mark with a pin (pin the fabric vertically). Fold the end into the middle, with the new fold at the pin place marker. Measure again to make sure it is ten inches, and remove the pin. Fold the left side 10 inches into the middle in the same manner. The left side will overlap the right as shown below.

Make sure your top and bottom edges are lined up, and pin in place.

Using a 1/4 inch seam allowance, stitch a straight seam across the top and bottom open edges. Sew straight through all layers.

Use the envelope opening in the middle to turn the piece right side out. Push out the corners, and insert your pillow form. By leaving the selvedge, you don't have a raw edge inside the flaps - they won't fray! Also, with the envelope closure and the flaps overlapping by a few inches, even by lifting the outer flap you can't see the pillow form!

Here's a view of the back of the pillow, all finished and stuffed, and with a nice clean enclosure:

Which fabric will you make your first pillow case from? I can't wait to make another! I'm thinking about using this one:

It's a beautiful Marimekko print called Kukkura - blue (and it's on sale!! I better snap some up quick!) Now go make some pillows and dress up that sofa!

New Reprodepot Patterns giveaway at Pink of Perfection blog!

2009-11-06T11:31:00.000-05:00

Wanna win some Reprodepot Pattern merch? The awesome Pink of Perfection blog is hosting a giveaway! Yes!

http://www.pinkofperfection.com/2009/11/reprodepot-chronicle-awesome-giveaway

Ideal Home loves our books!

2009-11-05T11:30:00.001-05:00

The flora Reprodepot Pattern book is book of the week on the blog for the UK mag Ideal Home. So so cool.

http://homeshoppingspy.wordpress.com/2009/11/04/paper-projects-to-make-you-smile/

Ashley is tops! (but we knew that)

2009-11-04T19:09:00.000-05:00

Big Congratulations are in order to our blogger Ashley and her adorable cake topping birds for winning the Etsy/Martha Stewart Weddings DIY Wedding contest!
Congratulations Ashley!

http://ashleyannabrown.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/diy-wedding-contest-results-are-in.html

Give thanks with these handmade placemats!

2009-11-03T12:21:00.020-05:00

I don't know about you, but I really love this time of the year, with one Holiday after another. I'm already making preparations for a small Thanksgiving celebration with a few friends, as I'm sure many of you are, and I thought a good project to share with you this week would be a tutorial for handmade placemats! I picked out this Japanese print because it's one of my favorites right now, and it feels like autumn, but I can see myself using these in the spring time too. I also love how it's printed on linen and looks a little worn, adding some rustic charm.

To make four placemats you will need the following materials:

1 yd Aunt Grace Classic Flowers - Yellow

1 yd Country Village Stripe - Brown

1 yd muslin

matching brown sewing thread

Start by cutting the yellow backing fabric into four 15 in x 19 in pieces. Cut four 13 in x 17 in pieces of each the Country Village Stripe and the muslin. The muslin will act as a liner to make the placemat a bit sturdier.

Lay one piece of the yellow backing fabric face down, and center the muslin on top of it. Lay the Country Village stripe on top of the muslin, face up, matching all four sides exactly.

Beginning at the top edge, fold the yellow edge in to meet the brown 1/4 in, and iron flat all the way across.

Fold the edge again so it overhangs the brown fabric by 1/4 in. Press flat and pin in place. Repeat for the bottom edge and pin.

Before folding the short sides, fold the corner at a 90 degree angle to form a triangle that meets the raw edge of the brown fabric. Iron to crease. Fold the opposite corner in the same manner.

Now Fold the edge of the short side in to meet the edge of the brown fabric, press, and fold again forming a 1/4 in border. Press and pin in place. Repeat for the other short side.

Now that your binding is all pinned in place, you're ready to sew. Carefully stitch all the way around, removing the pins as you sew. I kept my stitches about 1/8 in from the edge, but you can use any seam allowance you feel comfortable with.

Then you're done with your first placemat! Wasn't that easy? It's really just a matter of pressing and pinning! Now, on to making three more, and finalizing the guest list!

(PS. If you're like me, and already trying to plan out some handmade holiday gifts, a set of these placemats would make an awesome present!)

This is another favorite fabric of mine right now that would be perfect for this project:

Nina's Sewing Quilt - orange

We'll be coming up with more Thanksgiving projects in the next couple weeks, as well as getting started on some holiday ornaments and such, so be sure to keep checking back!

Last minute Halloween goodie bags and mini lanterns plus free Halloween patterns download!

2009-10-28T14:54:00.004-04:00

With Halloween only a few days away, I thought it might be nice to make some adorable little paper bags using some Halloween themed patterns that Djerba made.
(The patterns are available for free download! The link is given further down in the post.)

Once made up, they can be used as cute goodie bags, or turned into simple yet fancy mini lanterns (see photo above) by inserting an LED candle into the bag. (I'm really excited about these!)

Now the instructions may seem a little complicated at first, but once you get started, you'll see it's really not so bad. It's just a little measuring and folding. And once you've made one, you'll be a pro at making the second, and third and fourth!

To make one of these little paper bags you will need the following:

free Reprodepot Halloween patterns (click here to download!)

printer, either laser or inkjet, black and white or color

printer paper

glue stick

scissors

ruler

pinking shears

Print out the pattern you would like to use. Cut out the pattern along the light gray line and discard the white border.

With your paper laying horizontally and starting at the upper left hand corner, use your pencil and ruler to mark the very top at 1/8 in, 1/4 in, and 5 in. Then mark 1/8 in and 1/4 in in from the right hand corner. Do this on the back side as well. Make sure your marks are small.

With your paper laying face down, fold the right corner to meet the middle, matching the 1/8 in mark with the middle 5 in mark. Line the top edges up and crease the fold.

Fold the left edge in to the middle so the 1/4 in mark meets the edge of the other folded side, and the 1/8 in mark lines up with the middle. Match the top edges and crease fold.

Unfold the creases and lay the paper flat again, face down. Make a tiny mark at the top of each crease you just made. From this mark, measure 3/4 in on each side. Mark on the bottom on each side of the fold as well. Using the ruler as a guide, fold two more creases on each side of the first fold. These folds will create the accordion folded sides of the bag.

Fold the other side the same as the first.

To make the bottom of the bag, flatten the paper out again, face down, and measure up from the bottom 1 1/2 in. Using the ruler as a guide, fold the bottom up and crease it.

Using your scissors, snip along the vertical creases just to the horizontal fold at the bottom of the bag.

Use the glue stick to put some glue on the face of two of the side flaps (the smallest flaps), and fold in to create a right angle. Press to stick.

Fold in and glue the other corner the same way. Press well to stick.

At this point the back side of your bag will be open, with two flaps. Put glue on the white inside bottom of one of the flaps. press onto the bottom outside of the box to form the bottom of the bag. Glue the last flap the same way. This last flap will overlap the previous one.

Carefully smear glue on the very inside strip under the over lap, and press to seal the seam. Use your pinking shears to cut across the top of the bag to make it a little fancier (and to cut off those little pencil marks!)

Fill the colorful bags with spooky Halloween candy and hand them out to your favorite kiddies or insert a battery operated LED candle and light the way!

Come and get it trick or treaters!

If you're looking for more goodie bag ideas, our friend Courtney over at Two Straight Lines has created these stylish orange labels, and she's offering them on her site as a free download as well!

I think these labels would look awesome if you made one of our goodie bags, filled it with candy, folded over the top, and stapled it closed with a sweet little label for the lucky recipients name. These would really finish off your bags!

Have fun with all these free downloadables today and have a Happy Halloween!

Little Card Case

2009-10-21T17:06:00.018-04:00

Now that the awesome Reprodepot Pattern books are out and available, I wanted to share a tutorial for one of the hundreds of projects I have been inspired to make while thumbing through each book (seriously hundreds - it's insane). I wanted to start with something fairly basic and simple, using printed fabric instead of paper. Yes, that's right - you can use these patterns to not only make countless amazing paper projects, but you can also print onto cotton fabric! We carry a few different kinds at Reprodepot. It is backed with paper to feed through the printer, and then you peel the paper off and can cut and sew the fabric into anything you want!

For this project you need:
printable fabric
Reprodepot Pattern Book
cooridinating sewing thread
cooridinating embroidery floss
small button

To start, choose two patterns that you would like to use for the inside and outside of your card case, and print them out onto your printable fabric following the directions on the package (basically you're just putting the fabric into the printer and pressing print - I just recommend reading the instructions to make sure it will print correctly the first time, without wasting any sheets). You can use the following instructions to make a case of any dimensions you'd like. I made mine small to hold my business cards.

Cut both fabric sheets into 5 x 8in rectangles. (The pattern will print out at 6 x 8. If you would like the pattern to fill the 8 1/2 x 11 sheet, you can either enlarge the image in photoshop, or follow the tiling instructions in the back of the book.)
Carefully peel the paper from the backs of the fabric if you haven't already. Place the patterns face to face and sew around all four sides, leaving an opening in the middle of one short side, as shown here:
Turn the sewn piece right side out through the opening, using a knitting needle, or something similar to push out the corners. The fabric may be a little stiff and get wrinkled from turning it out. Iron your seams flat, using steam over the whole piece to smooth out the wrinkles.

Now you're ready to make a loop for the button closure. You could probably use a thin ribbon for this. I used embroidery floss, braiding it first to make it thick and strong. I think the braid is a nice little detail!
Find the very center of the short side with the opening. Fold the braided floss to make a little loop and insert the ends into the opening in the sewn piece. I didn't tie the ends of the braid, I just carefully stuck them inside the opening so that there aren't any weird bumps in the case. Holding it in place with one finger, make sure your button can slide easily through the loop you have made. (It would be really frustating to complete the case only to realize the button is too big and the loop doesn't work! Trust me - I've done it!) Pin the opening closed around the braided loop to hold it in place.

Now you will sew all the way around the piece. Beginning about a half inch before the loop, sew across and all the way around all four sides, sewing back over your first stitches and the loop, and ending about a half inch beyond the loop.
You're almost done now! Lay the piece with the inside facing up, and the loop at the top, and fold the bottom up about three inches. (I didn't measure this, I just found a place that looked nice, and fit my business card completely. Remember, if your pocket is too deep, the flap will be very short. Play around with this a little to get it right.
Once you find a nice pocket height, pin in place.
Sew down the right edge, stopping at the very bottom, turning the whole piece, and sewing back up over the the first line of stitches again. Sew just over the edge of the pocket, and repeat a few more times. You will be able to see these stitches, so sew slowly and carefully. Oh, and using a pretty matching thread helps too! Sew the left side the same as the right. I stitched each side about four times up and down to make the seams nice and strong.

And now we're already at the last step! Trim any stray threads, and fold the flap down to find the right place for your button. The placement will depend on the size of your button. You want to make sure the loop can be easily removed from the button, while still holding the case closed. Lightly mark where you want the button to be sewn on - this is generally at the lowest inside edge of the loop, when the flap is closed and the loop is laying against the pocket, not stretched. Double check this to make sure it works for you. Sew the button in place.
And you're done! Now, stuff some of your fancy business cards in there, and always have one on hand when talking about what you do. This will give you a chance to brag about your superb sewing skills too!

10% off Reprodepot coupon!

2009-10-20T15:43:00.002-04:00

take 10% off your order of $50 or more with coupon code

TENPERCENT

through Sunday, October 25th!

www.reprodepot.com

Naughty Secretary Club Halloween Banner tutorial with Reprodepot Pattern Book patterns!

2009-10-19T12:47:00.006-04:00

That sweet lil' sugar pumpkin, Jennifer Perkins from Naughty Secretary Club made the most amazing Halloween banner using some of the color coordinated patterns from the Reprodepot Pattern books!
Simply stunning Jennifer!

Naughty Secretary - Club I Love To Create - Black Cat Banner

Trick or Treat Tote

2009-10-13T14:36:00.024-04:00

It is officially fall in New England, with bright red and orange and yellow leaves covering the trees and grass. I spent the past five days in New Hampshire taking care of my niece and nephew and managed to squeeze in some time to make this little Trick or Treat tote for Amelia to collect candy in on Halloween! She was more than willing to put on her ladybug costume and let me take photos of her to show you all the simple little bag. (She was actually wearing this costume most of the time I was there!)

This bag is so easy to make up that, maybe you'll start by making one as a treat bag, and then move on to making one for library books, one for groceries, and any other excuse you can come up with!

For this bag I started with these materials:
1/2 yd Peanuts The Great Pumpkin
1/2 yd Happy Sweet Alphabet in black

Since the Peanuts fabric has a specific direction and I wanted both sides of the bag to have the image facing up, I cut two pieces 14in x 7 1/2in. For the inside fabric, I cut one piece 14in x 14 1/2in. Lay the outside fabric face to face, making sure the image on both pieces are up right. Sew bottom edge. Unfold and iron flat. Now lay the black inside fabric on top of the Peanuts print, face to face. Sew the short sides together - this will make the top seam of the tote. Flip right side out and iron seams flat.

*If you are using an outside fabric with no specific direction, it's even easier! Just cut one piece each of your inside fabric and your outside fabric at 14in x 14 1/2in, lay face to face, sew the short sides together, flip right side out, and iron the seams flat.*

Now you're ready to sew up the sides of the bag. Fold bag in half, with the outside fabric face to face and sew up the sides. To finish the seams with a clean look, fake-serge them with a zig zag stitch (as explained here).

Are you ready to learn the trick for giving a flat tote a square bottom to sit on? I hope so - it's really tricky! Just kidding! It's pretty simple!

Push out one inside corner of the bag and flatten it into a triangle as shown below:

If you look inside the bag while holding it in place like this, the side seam should line up with the bags bottom seam. Does that make sense? I wanted to make the bottom of my tote about two inches wide, so I stitched across the triangle so that the line I was sewing made about two inches across (I eye-balled this, you could use a ruler and fabric pencil if you want to be precise). Sew the other corner the same way, making sure the width is equal. At this point you should flip your bag right side out to make sure it is as wide as you'd like it to be.

Here you can either leave the triangle flaps inside the bag and move on, or snip them off and fake-serge the raw edge the way I did.

Now you're ready to make some handles! Using scraps of fabric left over, cut two rectangles about 1 1/2 inches wide. The length will determine how long your handles will be. Since I was making this bag for my two year old niece, I made the handle on the shorter side, about 12 inches long, so that she could carry the bag without it dragging on the ground.

Once you have decided on how long you want your handles to be, fold the pieces in half, and sew up the long edge. Flip the tube right side out, and iron flat, with the seam running down the middle of one side.

Fold about a half inch of one raw edge under and pin to the outside of one side of the bag. Repeat for the other side of the same handle. Do the same for the other handle, being sure the placement of both lines up.

To make sure the handle is nice and secure, slide your bag under the needle, lowering the needle into the top left corner. Stitch a small square, then stitch across the square to form a "x". Once the handles are sewn on nicely, trim any loose threads, then hold up the little tote and admire your handiwork!

Next, give it to that cute little person in your life, and take them outside to fill it up with treats and treasures!

Amelia decided to fill hers up with fallen leaves.

Here are a couple suggestions of some great Halloween-themed fabrics we have available:
Aunt Grace Halloween Party
Peanuts Boo! - purple
Peanuts Pumpkin Surprise - blue
Aunt Grace Scarecrow

Our Reprodepot Patterns giveaway winner! (and winners!)

2009-10-06T10:46:00.005-04:00

After getting so many wonderful responses to our blog giveaway, we used random.org's Random Number Generator to pick a winner and the Grand Prize Winner is.... Yvette (post #128)!
Congratulations Yvette!!
Please email us at help@reprodepot.com to claim your fantastic prize of both Reprodepot Pattern books, plus a complete set of Reprodepot Pattern stationery published by Chronicle Books!

Since we received so many entries we decided to also randomly pick 10 other posters to each receive a runner up prize of a free pack of Reprodepot Mix and Match Stationery! The 10 Runner Up Prize winners are .... Vanessa (post #36), Sarie (post #51), Megan (post #76), jojoebi (post #89), Ester (post #94), Lisa (post #125), Victoria (post #147), frankenpug (post #153), Leigh (post #158) and LemonaideLinda (post #186)!
Congrats guys! Please email us to claim your stationery!

Thanks to all who posted!! Your enthusiasm is truly inspiring. Look for more great giveaways in the near future!

Reprodepot Pattern Books and Stationery Giveaway - not too late!

2009-09-30T09:38:00.005-04:00

It's still not too late to win a complete set of Reprodepot Pattern Books and Stationery!

We will randomly select a winner on Monday, October 5th from the comments section of the below post:

http://reprodepot.blogspot.com/2009/09/announcing-reprodepot-pattern-books.html

Good luck!!!

announcing.... Reprodepot Pattern Books!

2009-09-23T13:30:00.018-04:00

Yes, it's official. The Reprodepot Pattern books and line of stationery from Chronicle Books are now available for purchase!

The books (one folk and one floral) each have 75 patterns in 3 separate colorways. That's 225 different designs in each book, 450 total for both books. That's a lotta art!
Most importantly, each book comes with a CD of the patterns in digital format so you can print out the designs onto fabric or paper to make crafts with.

Also available are some wonderful stationery items Chronicle designed with the patterns.

And right now there are 2 great deals going on!

At Reprodepot.com if you buy a Reprodepot book, you will recieve a free pack of Reprodepot Mix and Match Stationery as well! (through 1/15/10, no coupon necessary)

At ChronicleBooks.com you can get 20% off, plus free shipping on all Reprodepot items. Just enter code VENUS at checkout through 12/31/09. (from ad in Venus Magazine)

And just to make this announcement sweeter.....

we are giving away one complete set of the Reprodepot Pattern collection :
one each of the Reprodepot Pattern books (folk and flora) and one each of the Reprodepot Pattern stationery items (Mix and Match Stationery, Folk and Flora Notecard Book and Folk and Flora Journal.

just leave a comment to this post and you will be entered in the drawing! Hooray!

Reusable Snack Sack!

2009-09-15T12:30:00.017-04:00

With the state of the economy and everyone trying to be more environmentally conscious, I have noticed fabric snack sacks popping up all over the place. Something that's incredibly cute and Eco-friendly? I love this idea! This morning I decided to sit down and try to make a couple for myself. I made my first one in fifteen minutes - that includes cutting, sewing, and making it up as I went! This was so simple and quick I can't believe I didn't make my own snack sacks years ago! Now I know what to make all my family and friends for the holidays!

Here's what you need to get started:

unbleached muslin for the lining

super cute fabric for the outside

velcro

I have heard about some people using a pretty printed fabric for the lining, and, while this may look nice, my instinct is to use a natural unbleached cotton, instead of a fabric full of dyes.

First, cut your fabric to the desired size. I made my sacks from 7x12 inch rectangles. The finished pouch is 6x5 1/2 inches. I couldn't find my rotary cutter this morning (I am constantly misplacing that darn rotary cutter!) so I cut my pieces with sharp scissors and it worked out fine. So don't worry if you haven't invested in a cutter and mat yet! It's not necessary for this project!

Now, place your fabrics face to face, and use a straight stitch to sew the short ends together.

Flip the piece right side out, iron the seams flat, and stitch along the edges to hold the layers together.

Now it's time to add the velcro. I highly recommend using non-adhesive velcro. I couldn't get my hands on any non-adhesive velcro for this project, and I ran into the exact problem I knew I would - the velcro adhesive gummed up everything it came in contact with! My scissors, my presser foot, the needle. I am also blaming the adhesive for the messy bobbin thread on my stitches that I just couldn't seem to avoid. Try to stay away from this stuff! It's not worth it! But, of course if you can't get your hands on anything else - it gets the job done, just not as pleasantly as regular velcro would.

That being said, my velcro began as 3/4 inch wide, but I cut it in half lengthwise. I figure this amount of velcro will keep the sack closed while still being easy enough for little hands to open (my sister is coming to visit today, and my two year old niece will be the first lucky snack sack recipient!)

Cut a 6 inch length of velcro and pin each side to the inside edges of your sack (against the muslin). Stitch it in place well - this area will bear the brunt of being opened over and over again. Sew all the way around each little rectangle of velcro. (You can see some of my messy gummed-up stitches below)

You're almost done! Now it's time to sew the pouch closed. Fold the piece face to face again, matching up the corners. Begin by sewing a straight stitch down the edge. Yesterday at work Angela and I were talking about our current sewing projects (as usual!) and she mentioned having just learned to fake-serge raw edges. I thought it would be perfect for this project - sealing off all those loose threads so they don't mix in with your snacks. I am in love with this technique! (for all of us with regular sewing machines instead of fancy sergers!) Use a zig zag stitch to seal the frayed edges. Do this by sewing so that the far right of the zig zag catches the very edge of the pouch. I went up and down the seam twice. And look how clean that edge is!

Flip your snack sack right side out and you're done!

Fill it up with some cookies or pretzels and head off to school, or work, or for a nice little walk!

Here are some cute suggestions for the outside fabric:

The Birds and the Beans

Now, get making and giving and snacking!

Colored Pencil Roll-Up

2009-09-02T13:34:00.016-04:00

It's barely September and I can already smell fall in the air. I love this time of year. The excited feeling I get as if I am going back to school again, even though I graduated years ago. I love living in a college town just for that reason - main street is suddenly flooded with students again and full of excitement.

With school on my mind, I began dreaming up some unique back-to-school accessories I could make using some of this amazing Heather Ross pencil fabric (I fell in love with it the first time I saw it!). I decided to start with a pencil case - something simple and useful (even when I am not actually going to school myself!). Then Djerba suggested instead of just a regular zip-up pencil case, why not make a roll-up pencil case? The kind you find specifically for paintbrushes or knitting needles. (hmmm... next project?) I loved the idea!

You see, I'm a little bit obsessed with organizing my supplies according to color (my fabric stash, spools of thread, even my shelves of in-progress animals when preparing for a craft fair) and I loved the idea of making a little case for my colored pencils where I could lay it open and see all the colors side by side. The case was fairly simple to make, and I think the results are lovely.

To start, I got a half yard of two coordinating fabrics. I chose to use the Heather Ross Pencils for the outside of the case, and a grey linen for the inside.

Lay the inside fabric (linen) on top of the outside (pencils) and use a rotary cutter to make a 4x14 inch rectangle (HxW). For the pocket, cut a 10x14 inch rectangle from just the linen.

Fold the pocket piece in half (right side out if you are using a patterned fabric) so it becomes 5x14 and iron along the fold to crease it. Now, layer the fabrics together as follows:

Lay the pencils face up. Line the open seam of the folded pocket fabric to match the bottom corners of the pencils. Lay the linen on top (if you are using a patterned fabric for the inside, this top fabric should be face down). Pin the layers together around the edges.

Sew all the way around, leaving a two inch opening in the middle of one short end (left or right). This is where you will turn the fabric out, and also where you will add the ribbon tie.

Once you have carefully turned the fabric out, use a pointy tool (my favorite is a small phillips screw driver, but others use a knitting needle or chop stick) to push out the corners from the inside. Iron flat.

Now you will want to put your ribbon into the opening, and pin the hole closed (ironing the seam here will help sew the opening straight). Sew around the whole roll-up again carefully, close to the seam. This will strengthen the seams, and hold the shape.

Now it's time to stitch the pencil slots. First you want to use a pencil and a ruler to lightly draw lines one inch a part for each colored pencil. This case will hold twelve standard size colored pencils. To draw these lines I would recommend using an erasable fabric pencil. I didn't have one, so I used a white colored pencil - oops! You can still kind of see the lines! Oh well! Make sure to pin the three layers together so they don't slip while you're sewing.

To sew the pencil slots, I started at the lower left corner, stitched across the bottom, turned and followed up the first drawn white line to the very edge of the pocket. Then, with my needle still in the fabric, I turned the roll-up and very careful stitched back over the same line again. When I reached the bottom corner, I continued along the bottom stitch to the next drawn line, and stitched up and down again. Repeat this until you reach the lower right corner. This does take a bit of patience to make sure the stitching is straight (though mine is definitely not perfect!) but it's worth it:

And there you have it! A colored pencil roll-up case! I made a second one using a dark navy corduroy for the outside and this school house pattern so you can see how it looks using a patterned fabric on the inside. I am really happy with both! I'm excited to be able to carry my pencils around with me in one of these cases! Maybe you have a little friend starting school this fall who could use an awesome handmade pencil case? Or maybe you're thinking about getting a head start on holiday gifts? (I'm thinking about it!)

Here's short list of some of my current favorite fall/back-to-school themed fabrics:

Happy Sweet Alphabet- blue multi

Aunt Grace School September

Apple Dot Yellow

Mice Love Apples - Tan

Aunt Grace Acorns

Tossed Apples - Pink

Trefle Apple Toss- blue and brown

Aunt Grace Alphabet Animals Blue

Please feel free to leave any questions you may have about this project right here. Or a link to a photo of your own colored pencil roll-up! We'd love to see it! Good luck!

*UPDATE* This fabulous fabric has just been added to the website! Just thought I'd let you all know because I think it would be an excellent choice for one of these roll-ups! The weight is perfect, and so are the colors! Happy crafting!

Summer Sewing = Summer Reading

2009-08-04T09:53:00.000-04:00

It's seems like sunny summer days are hard to come by this year, at least here in New England, with just one or two days a week, surrounded by clouds and rain. On top of that, the air has gotten thick and sticky. Today has been overcast, but it feels better outside than in my stuffy studio. To give myself a little break from work, I took my new picnic blanket out onto the lawn to enjoy some fresh picked raspberries and light summer reading.

I made this simple little quilt in just one day while it was raining outside. When cutting orders in the Reprodepot warehouse, I am always eyeing the new fabrics and day dreaming about all the things I could make with them (it is so hard to not take a piece of every single pattern home with me!) When I came upon these perky cherry prints, I knew they were just what I needed to cheer me up and remind me that the clouds would in fact clear, and when that happened, I would be prepared to lay out on the grass, and enjoy a lazy summer day.

To make the quilt I used:

1 yd Summer Cherries - Light Blue
1 yd Cherry Stripe - Yellow
1 yd Cherry Stripe - Pink
1/2 yd Sweet Mod Floral - Butter
1/2 yd Aunt Grace Poppy Garden - Pink

For the backing I recycled 3 yds of solid blue cotton. It is covered in big sun bleached patches, but I figured the back of the quilt would gather grass stains eventually anyway, so what better way to use up this large piece of fabric? You could also reuse an old/vintage bed sheet.

I cut the fabric into 10 inch squares, and proceeded to lay them all out on the floor in a 6x7 grid, rearranging until I was happy with the pattern. I tried not to over think it, making a point only to keep two of the same patterned squares from being next to each other.

Once I had all of the squares sewn together, I laid the quilt top face down on the backing (which was face up), pinned around all the edges, and sewed it up, leaving a six or seven inch opening to turn the quilt right side out. I did not use any batting in this quilt. With practicality in mind, I decided omitting the batting would allow the blanket to be lighter and fold up smaller, making it easier to stuff into a back pack or tote bag for a bike ride or long walk.

With the quilt turned right side out, I sewed all around the edges, keeping about 5/8 inch seam allowance. This closed the open seam and will help hold the shape, without having to tie the back to the top. The finished size is 55.5 inches x 66.5 inches

Then I was done! So simple, right?
There's nothing better than sitting down to make something, and completing it in the same day! (Or in a couple days at least!)

It's unfortunate that the beautiful light blue cherry print I used is now out of stock, I know. But, we have lots and lots of other amazing patterns (and more being added everyday!). Here are a few of my favorites right now, in the picnic/summer theme:

Cherry Stripe - Red
Cherry Toss - White
Cherry Toss - Butter
Mixed Fruit Check - Navy
Strawberry Garden - Pink
Tossed Vegetables - Purple
Aunt Grace Tea Pots - Blue
Strawberry Delight - Seafoam

Oh, I could go on and on! There's so many great choices!

Looking out the window now, it looks like it's going to rain again - I'm so glad I got the spend the morning outside reading on my new picnic blanket! You should make one too!

exciting news!

2009-08-02T20:36:00.003-04:00

Ashley Anna Brown is an amazing artist, talented crafter and hardworking Reprodepot part-time employee.
We are extremely lucky to have her also add "Reprodepot Blogger" to her impressive resume.
She will be posting weekly or bi-weekly for us as her busy schedule allows.

You can learn more about her by visiting her website
Ashley Anna Brown - Fern Animals .

Thanks Ashley, you're awesome!!