Search results (tags) for: "coasters"

Craft with Etsy at the MAD Museum with Aaron McIntosh

2009-08-27T13:23:00-05:00

UPDATE: It's the last DIY Thursday tonight! Will we see you there or in the Virtual Labs?

[The following was originally posted on August 20, 2009.]

Why stay in and sew all by your lonesome? Craft Night at the Etsy Labs on Gold Street may be on hold until September 14 when we move to our new office, but fear not — many crafty opportunities abound! Etsy has joined forces with the Museum of Arts and Design to present a weekly series of hands-on workshops we're calling DIY Thursdays. Drop in between 6-8 p.m. each Thursday in August for some down and dirty, do-it-yourself fun in the museum's studios. The workshops are free with pay-what-you-wish admission to the museum. Click here for directions.

Not a New Yorker? Don't fret, you can still join in on the fun online by joining us at 5:30 p.m. ET on Thursday in the Virtual Labs for a live demo of the project. (Click here to see what time 5:30 p.m. ET is in your hometown.)

Join us as the series concludes on Thursday, August 27 with a workshop led by artist
Aaron McIntosh. Aaron will be demonstrating how to make cool coasters using paper quilting techniques. Using a variety of papers, participants will piece a small block pattern and make it into a waterproof coaster with vinyl casing. Materials will be provided.

Aaron McIntosh comes from a quilting background and his current practice includes quiltmaking, sculpture, cut paper and drawing. He uses materials’ embedded meanings to explore issues of identity, gender and sexuality in wide-ranging works. He received a BFA in Fibers from the Appalachian Center for Craft and is finishing an MFA at Virginia Commonwealth University. His work has been shown across the United States, in Hawaii and South Korea. In 2006, McIntosh was a recipient of a Windgate Undergraduate Fellowship, administered by the Center for Craft, Creativity & Design.

The Passing (2006) by Aaron McIntosh

Upcoming Events with Etsy:

9/14: Grand Opening of Craft Night at Etsy Labs' new space in DUMBO, Brooklyn (Details to come!)

Stay tuned for details on future Craft Nights at our new space in lovely DUMBO.

A snapshot from last week's DIY Thursday at the Museum of Arts and Design.

Will we see you Thursday, ready to sew? Let us know in the comments below.

Come Craft With the Etsy Labs: Coast to Coasters

2009-07-16T14:00:00-05:00

Why stay in and stitch all by your lonesome? Come join us for a felted coaster workshop — whether you're in Brooklyn or anywhere in the world. Stop by for our weekly Craft Night in our online multi-user chat room, the Virtual Labs, for a live online demo at 5 p.m. ET, or in person at the Etsy Labs in Brooklyn anytime between 4-8 p.m. at 325 Gold Street, 3rd floor in Brooklyn, New York. (Click here to see what time 5 p.m. ET is in your hometown.) Craft Night is a time to make things, sharpen your skills, meet new friends, and make your craft dreams come true.

This week, on Monday, July 20, we will be stitching up some recycled drink coasters with our pal Leslie Henkel of Spacecraft's monthly Craft on Draught. Join us at this crafty social mixer to celebrate the beginning of summer parties, barbecues, picnics and frisky biz! We’ll provide you with pre-felted, recycled sweaters and crafting tools, and instructions to make felted drink coasters and cozies. If you haven't put away all of your sweaters for the season, feel free to bring along your own pre-felted ugly Christmas sweaters.

Making your own felt at home? Here are some tips from Leslie: "Take a sweater or other wool thing that is at least 90% wool or a combination of wool and other animal fluff (cashmere is the best!) and cut apart the major seams and remove extra trim. Toss these pieces into the washer with soap on the hot cycle. They should shrink like crazy. If not, wash again on hot. When felty, dry in the dryer on low and press them on the wrong side with a press cloth and steam iron on the wool setting. Separating by color is recommended, otherwise you’ll get multi-colored fuzz on everything."

If you are attending Craft Night virtually this week and would like to stitch up some felted coasters along with us, you'll need to gather a few supplies:

Felt/felted wool
Fabric shears
Paper scissors
Double-sided fusible webbing
Embroidery thread
Embroidery needles
Paper
Pencils
Iron
Fabric to cut shapes from, such as t-shirts (optional)

Upcoming Events at the Etsy Labs

7/22: Crafting for a Cause hosted by Global Goods Partners

7/27: Open Craft Night

8/2: Church of Craft meeting at the Etsy Labs (2-6 p.m.)

8/3-9/13: Craft Night will be cancelled, during our move to Dumbo, Brooklyn.

9/14: Grand opening Craft Night in our new home! (Details to come.)

If you'd like to lead a Craft Night, send your ideas to labs@etsy.com with "Craft Night idea" as the subject line. Have you participated in Craft Night? Share your photos with the Etsy Labs Show and Tell Flickr group! If you'd like to learn more about the Etsy Labs, check out our FAQs. Want to receive email updates? Join our Etsy Labs mailing list.

Will we see you Monday, ready to sew? Let us know in the comments below!

Looking for more felt-based projects? Try these links:

Make a Felt Mushroom | Felted Mouse Booties | Felt Garlands

News from the Etsy Labs: 10/20 Craft Night

2008-10-15T12:06:00-05:00

Have plans on Monday night? Well, you do now! Dust off your crafty pants and come join us for our weekly Craft Night at the Etsy Labs in Brooklyn. Each craft night is also broadcast live into in the Treehouse room of the Virtual Labs. All demos will be shown both in the Labs in Brooklyn and in the Treehouse online.

Craft Night occurs every Monday from 4-8pm EDT at 325 Gold Street, 3rd floor in Brooklyn, New York. Each week the Etsy Labs organize a skill-sharing project. We provide supplies, tools, snacks, and know-how. Participants are also welcome to bring their own projects to work on independently. Craft night is a time to make things, learn new skills, and hang out

This week, on Monday, October 20, we'll be creating Halloween coasters with Kimm of The {NewNew} York team and kimmchi fame. She will show us how to create Halloween-inspired drink coasters out of felt and thread. These coasters are perfect for fall decorations and Halloween parties. We will demonstrate how to cut and stitch these spooky household accessories. This project is open to people with all levels of sewing experience. If you would like to add a cork backing to your coasters, feel free to bring some sheets of cork with you. (That's optional.) All other supplies will be provided.

If you are joining us virtually for Craft Night this week and would like to sew along with us, you'll need a few supplies:

- Sheets of felt (mainly black + contrasting colors)
- Scissors or craft/exacto knife
- Embroidery floss + needle
- Sheets of cork (optional)
- Templates for the coasters. Download coaster templates here.

Or, just be ready to take some notes and see if this is a project you'd like to try out later on.

Next Week's Craft Night Project:

10/27: Pumpkin carving with Christine!

Would you like to lead a craft night project? Send your ideas to labs@etsy.com with "Craft Night idea" as the subject line. Have you participated in Craft Night? Share your photos with the Etsy Labs Show and Tell Flickr group!

Want to learn more about the Labs? Check out our FAQs. Want to receive email updates? Join our Etsy Labs mailing list.

Will we see you this Monday? Let us know in the comments!

Fresh Shops: avrilloreti

2007-12-20T11:08:00-05:00

This week's Fresh Shop is avrilloreti. Avril's only been on Etsy for a month, but her work has a definitive style and design that really stands out. These innovative napkins and coasters really make you think. (And they're pretty, too!)

Check out avrilloreti today!

Etsy Finds: Pine Cone Decor

2007-12-12T05:20:00-05:00

This past weekend, my husband and I visited where Rip Van Winkle slept for 20 years in the Catskills. We stayed in an old Protestant church that had been converted by some founders of the Village Voice back in the day. There was a huge stone carved fireplace, and the lady who owns the place told us to watch out for bears getting into the house. All the waterfalls in the hills were frozen and looked like glaciers.

If we had thrown a cocktail party there, these are the coasters I would have used.

They would be equally nice at home in New York City for holiday parties or as a housewarming gift!