I am interested in the idea of American Apparel sheets. I am cracking up at word that they are selling $8 baggies of scrap fabric complete with a "zine" that has scrap project ideas like wrapped hoods for beardos.

Yeah, yeah... your first reaction is to go "Gag!!" (Unless you're me, and you seriously love you some beef jerky. Did you know I once visited a Oberto beef jerky outlet store, and subsequently bought and ate an entire pound of jerky in one sitting? I still have a headache.) However, while it's $139 price tag might be tough to swallow, there's some interesting and nicely detailed work going on here. From Etsy...

We joked about it long enough, it was time to make dreams come true! Please allow us to introduce our first EVER pair of beef jerky underwear we call BRIEF JERKY. Note the time and care that has gone into crafting this wonderful undergarment. The attention to the properly placed groments that enhance the wearers comfort! We've even "bedazzled" this pair and added our Mixed Species logo on the back next to a heart of rhinestones. All in time for Father's Day!

We consider these to be the first in "meat haute coutoure". They are made to order for each specific customer from the highest quality of dried preserved meats we can find at the closest convenience store.

They are also quick to note that "Brief Jerky is NOT for consumption." But you're going to torture your vegan boyfriend with it anyway, aren't you?

Tip o' the hat to Geekologie.

I'm about to publish a feature on the Northwest debut of Handmade Nation, the documentary film (and book) by Faythe Levine about the rise of DIY craft. I tried to be Very Serious About It, because I think the movement in general warrants that respect, but then I see crap—and I mean crap—like this and it makes me feel all funny inside.

These are laptop sweaters. SWEATERS FOR YOUR LAPTOP. Unless you did something extreme like bury it in the snow, if your laptop got cold it would still work, and if you dropped it while it was wearing a sweater it would still break. I'm all for delaying the inevitable landfill-bound fate of gross synthetic objects, but the fact that someone is selling these for $20 (you can't even use the laptop unless you take the sweater OFF!!) is just... blech.

Coming up the first weekend in April, the Museum of Contemporary Craft is hosting the Northwest premiere of Handmade Nation, the documentary film and accompanying book chronicling the rise of the modern craft movement (you can read my interview with the director and author, Faythe Levine, here). They're embellishing (haha, get it?) the event with a full day of craft-centric activities on Saturday, April 4 (they just launched a microsite with all the details): A panel discussion—er, I mean a CraftPerspectives Conversation with Levine as well as Susan Beal and Jill Bliss, among others, and moderated by the Museum's very cool curator, Namita Gupta Wiggers. There's also a "crochet-a-thon" with Mandy Greer, whose work is currently residing the Museum's first floor gallery space, an astonishing, forest-like installment of crocheted work (I reviewed the show here). And of course, there are the screenings: The fancy one is on Friday, April 3, and costs $25 to attend, but will go towards paying off the Levine's credit card debt, which is, unfortunately, what DIY financing usually boils down to in this country of ours. The $10 screening takes place on Saturday at noon, and you can conveniently stay put at the museum for the other activities, which are free. If you're interested, don't dilly dally: the screenings are at the Museum and there are only about 200 tickets available, so it's a distinct possibility that they will sell out.

For those of you crafters who devoured Susan Beal's Bead Simple last year, she's got a fresh one waiting in the wings: Button It Up is a collection of 80 projects using vintage and new buttons for jewelry, housewares, clothing, toys, bags, and more, plus bonus tutorials like how to cast your own buttons (color me impressed). The book is officially released on March 3rd, with two planned events in town next month (Powells downtown on March 20 and Bolt Fabric Boutique on March 28). In the meantime, Beal is holding a contest of sorts on her blog through the 24th—a week from today, where four people who write button-related blog comments will be randomly chosen to win one of two signed advance author copies of the book, or two button grab bags from her own vast button collection. You guys can win this thing.

On a semi-unrelated crafty note, I kind of want this cheeseburger dress to be my Halloween costume this year:

The person who leaves the best cheeseburger related blog comment wins the opportunity to crochet one up for me. (via BuzzFeed)

Don't forget that this Sunday, from 11 am-7 pm, Crafty Wonderland will be having its biggest sale of the year, requiring it to move from its usual home at the Doug Fir to the Oregon Convention Center Hall E. Check out the complete, staggering list of vendors here and try to get there early—these things are like wild feeding frenzies, and with good reason. There has been more than one year in which I've been able to get all my shopping done in one swoop.

I stumbled upon an awesome old sewing machine while browsing through an antique store in Long Beach, Washington this weekend. Since it was pink and in pristine condition, I had to buy it. It's a Morse Push Button Zig Zag sewing machine (model number TZ7). It's all metal, and weighs about 1,236,785 pounds. I've been trying to find out more about this thing, but I've had little luck. What I did find out is that Morse sewing machines were made in Japan and distributed by Morse Distributing Corp. of New York. Morse sewing machines were actually made by the same dude who started the Toyota Car Company, which helped me understand why the word "TOYOTA" is stamped into the bottom of my machine.

Are there any vintage sewing machine collectors out there who know anything more about Morse sewing machines? I'd never heard of them until I saw this one, and I'm so curious about them.

The Obama Craft Project is hosting an Obama-themed screen printing party on Saturday, October 18 (yes, that's the day after tomorrow), where you can bring an item and have it Obamafied:

Almost anything can be screen printed, if it can lay flat: bags, sun shades, most clothes, wood, paper.

More details on the event, including registration information, can be found here.

Screen Printing for Change, Saturday, Oct. 18, 2-5pm, OCP Headquarters (details upon registration), $10 suggested donation to the Obama-Biden Campaign.

Tomorrow you can shop 'til you drop at three different crafty events happening around town.

First, the Portland Hallowe'en Bazaar is going on all day at the Memorial Coliseum. There you will find an array of local craft vendors peddling their spooky handmade wares. In addition to the one-stop Halloween shopping, there will be a costume/fashion show, Dark Horse Comics horror editors panel and Q&A, the Home Haunters' Flea Market, a shadow puppet theater, a Hallowe'en art show, a make up and prosthetic application demo, a kid's goblin dance party, a raffle benefiting the Multnomah Library Foundation (yay literacy) and much more. More info, including a list of vendors, can be found here.

Then, of course, there's the Portland Craft Mafia Kickoff Show happening at the Secret Society Ballroom. Browse through over twenty vendors, grab a drink or two, "oooh" and "ahhh" over the door prizes, and welcome the new famiglia to town. More info on this event, including a list of vendors, can be found here.

Last but not least, HandmadeNW is hosting the 1st Annual SoEaPo Summer's Last Rockin' Outdoor Fest at Plan B. Twenty local artisans will set up shop under covered tents outside. In addition, there will be a Portland celebrity dunk tank, live music, and a BBQ going on until midnight. More info, including a list of vendors, can be found here.

Portland Hallowe'en Bazaar, The Exhibit Hall at Memorial Coliseum, 300 Winning Way, Noon-6pm, $5 ($3 if wearing a costume), kids under 10 free, all ages; Portland Craft Mafia Kickoff Show, Secret Society Ballroom, 116 NE Russell, 5-10 pm, $2, all ages; 1st Annual SoEaPo Summer's Last Rockin' Outdoor Fest, Plan B, 1305 SE 8th, 4pm-Midnight, FREE, 21+

I was just reading Susan Beal's blog, West Coast Crafty, and discovered The Obama Craft Project, which "seeks to celebrate and archive the work of the many crafters who have created projects inspired by Barack Obama's 2008 campaign for the Presidency." Some highlights include a free knitting pattern for making your very own Obama beanie, various crafty fund raising events and projects going on around the country, and a Flickr pool showing off DIY Obama swag.

Here in Portland, Susan is hosting an Obama postcard-writing party on Friday, September 26th at Tandem Coffeehouse here in Portland. She writes:

I'll bring the gocco printer and a big stack of cards for people to write, but please bring your own cards (handmade or souvenir) if you'd like to, along with pens and some 27¢ stamps. I'm bringing Pearl, and it is definitely baby-and-kid-friendly if you are traveling with a crew. I'll take care of sending all the cards out in a batch by September 30 to save postage and extra trips to the post office.

Obama Postcard Party, Friday, September 26, Tandem Coffeehouse, 3041 SE Division, 11am-2pm

The Craft Mafia sounds like something that could have been invented in Portland, but it wasn't. And while one could scarcely say that Portland's craft scene has suffered from the lack of a Craft Mafioso presence, the fact that Portland has joined the mob is big ol' belated no brainer. Still, for the crafter who wants to take their business to the next level, there is a lot of support to be found in the arms of the mafia. (Gosh, that sounds exciting, doesn't it?) Interested crafters should peep this to find out how to "get made"--the new chapter is actively seeking members. For those who simply love a good craft fair, hold tight: The first Portland Craft Mafia event takes place on the 27th of this month at the Secret Society Ballroom (116 NE Russell). There's a $2 cover charge for the all ages event (with a bar on hand for the big kids who like to combine therapies).

Louie here will make sure you get squared away with paying your dues.

If you waited in line around the several blocks of people trying to get in to Crafty Wonderland's holiday sale this past winter, you will be relieved to know that this time they're moving it to the much roomier Oregon Convention Center. And if you're a crafter, this event is a jackpot of customer crowds. If you want to be a part of the colossal sale, snag yourself an application on the Crafty Wonderland website linked above--but hurry! Applications are due on the 19th of this month. And, if you haven't already had a taste of the Wonderland, pop by the Doug Fir this Sunday (11 am-4 pm) for the monthly craft event, with special guest Susan Beal, author of Bead Simple!

Local artist/designer Diana Schreiber is the mastermind behind the charming creations of MOSS. Schreiber uses her love of fiber arts to create an irresistible array of work in a variety of styles and projects. Her amigurumi dolls are playful and bold, while her jewelry line is very feminine and sweet. To learn more about Schreiber and her designs, check out the interview after the jump.

This Sunday afternoon, the Multnomah County Library is hosting a free crafty seminar at the central branch downtown. In this workshop, learn how to make bead earrings from local lovely crafty lass Susan Beal. Supplies to make one pair of earrings will be provided. More info here.

DIY Crafts: Solo Earrings with Susan Beal, Sunday July 20, 12:30pm-3:30pm, Central Library, U.S. Bank Room, 801 SW 10th Ave., FREE

The poster explains itself pretty well, so if you're tired of sitting on the sidelines of design, heres a great way to get your feet wet with an experienced (and friendly!) apparel designer: