The Great Outdoors

Last year my boyfriend (pictured) told me he was going to take a class called “Wilderness Travel Course” offered through the Sierra Club. It would involve a bunch of survival skills and a whole lot of camping and hiking. To him, this sort of adventure is heaven while my idea of outdoor adventure involves sitting in a chair wearing high heel go-go boots (my only pair of sensible shoes), drinking a glass of champagne while someone grills something fabulous!

Then, on one of his outings, he met a guy who actually sewed his own backpack. Now there is a way to combine my love of making things with his great outdoors- Sew Your Own Outdoor Gear! Fun!

Thru Hiker has a whole lot of outdoor project ideas as well as great basic sewing tutorials.

Backpacking.net has a lot of ideas to make your own gear.

Seattle Fabrics has outdoor fabric galore!

This site offers tips and techniques for sewing outdoor goods.

And here are some additional outdoor project ideas.

Next Pattern:

Christmas is one of those holidays that you just can decorate too much for. There’s no limit to the amount of holiday cheer you can bring into you home! There’s no such thing as too many Christmas decorations. You can bring Christmas décor into any room of the house – including the kitchen! Which is kind of fitting given how many Christmas activities and gifts are made in the kitchen. We’ve rounded up 13 Christmas kitchen accessories you can sew for your home or to give as gifts.

The list includes holiday themed hot pads, potholders ,aprons, and more that you can sew and decorate your kitchen all season long. Most are things you can make in an evening or less. These would also make wonderful hostess gifts for any holiday parties or gatherings you’re attending. Read on for the kitchen sewing ideas!