Reconnect to your wise self
New Renaissance Bookstore 07/22/2012
12:01PM-430PM
Wouldn’t it be great to have a cheat sheet when you are under stress?
Do you struggle to remember the tools or guidelines that you want to live by?
What would it be like to have a book of tools to refer to when you are feeling out of sorts?
How cool would it be to have a book of your own making that reflects an important quality in your life?

¤I invite you to come and fill a pre-made Origami Book with special quips, quotes, images, or sayings that help you reconnect to your authentic self in a flash.

Whether it's sewing clothes, making cheese, or growing a garden, the modern appeal of "do-it-yourself" projects has a broader reach than ever. And who better to teach us how to DIY our lives than the uber-crafty editors of BUST, the quirky, raw, and real magazine "for women who have something to get off their chests"? In The BUST DIY Guide to Life, magazine founders Debbie Stoller (of Stitch 'n Bitch fame) and Laurie Henzel have culled more than 250 of the best DIY and craft projects from its 15-year history.

Stephanie Pearl-McPhee has become the irreverent spokesperson for today's knitting revival through her popular blog (yarnharlot.com) and her books, At Knit's End, Knitting Rules!, and Stephanie Pearl-McPhee Casts Off. With All Wound Up, Pearl-McPhee spins her third yarn on knitting, parenting, friendship, and even crocheting in essays that are at times touching, often hilarious, and always entertaining.

In Sewing for Boys, Shelly Figueroa's innovative boys-only pattern book, readers will find projects — ranging from sporty to dapper — to create an entire handmade wardrobe little boys will love. The patterns span all seasons and include a selection of specialty items for playtime, art, and "on the go" accessories. You'll get instruction and guidance on numerous techniques to add longevity to each pattern — not just for the boy who grows too quickly, but also for his little brother or cousin to wear and cherish later.

Delight young children and encourage play through unique handmade toys. From sewn and stuffed musical instruments to interlocking paper building blocks and wooden animal figurines, the projects in Joel Henriques' Made to Play!: Handmade Toys and Crafts for Growing Imaginations are meant to encourage open-ended play. The projects in this book include a variety of crafts, from drawing to sewing and light woodworking. The toys presented here are made out of wonderfully tactile materials — repurposed fabrics, wood, and paper — and invite opportunities for creative and imaginative play.

Portland's Sarai Mitnick is a pattern designer to watch. Her line, Colette Patterns, is quickly gaining popularity not only for the beautiful, nostalgic designs, but also for their ease of use and thorough instruction. With her new book, The Colette Sewing Handbook, she takes the instruction even further, providing readers with the fundamentals to the perfect sewing projects. Five projects with tissue paper patterns means you can learn to sew and create a gorgeous project from one beautiful package.

A book for low budgets and high ambition from the founder of the Yellow Owl Workshop, Christine Schmidt's Print Workshop; Hand-Printing Techniques and Truly Original Projects (Potter Craft) leads readers through a crash-course on printing everything from T-shirts to playing cards, utilizing techniques, materials, and surfaces that can be used from home. This event is cosponsored by I Heart Art: Portland Etsy Street Team.

The Basil Hallward Gallery is pleased to present Portland artist Bijijoo, whose oil-painting series, The Presidential Ham, includes portraits of every U.S. president holding a ham. Attendees of the reception are encouraged to wear presidential costumes; hams and a photo booth will be provided thereat.

If you think quilting is too difficult or too complicated, you're not alone. Cutting hundreds of pieces and joining angled seams can be tough work! But log cabin quilting--an artful and simple way to piece strips of fabric around a central square--is different. From the intuitive construction through the straight-line stitching, this style of quilting is simple as can be.

I Felt Awesome: Tips and Tricks for 35+ Needle-Poked Projects shows you how to turn traditional needle-felting techniques into irreverent felted fun. Moxie's playful and cheeky sense of humor will needle you into taking your felting beyond traditional motifs, and decorate yourself and your home with feisty designs of wearable, playable, and coffee table-worthy objects, including a felted spike bracelet, bendy toys, and larger-than-life home decor.