Last month we were pleasantly surprised to receive an e-mail in our in-box from Munich – it was Burda Style (Germany) asking us for our Canadian mailing address to send us an issue that featured Spin Off Stuff blog!

The issue arrived in the mail a couple weeks ago. Here’s a peek at the write-up, plus some other images and holiday ideas from the magazine.

If you know German, we’d love to get your translation!

My well-loved copy of the April/May 2010 issue of BUST sent from head office

We’re both in the April/May 2010 issue of BUST magazine, which is on stands now!! (including all Chapters/Indigo stores in Canada). For those of you who don’t know BUST, it’s a New York-based, women’s pop culture mag with nearly 500,000 smart, crafty readers around the world.

Check out p. 21-22 and learn how to whip up an easy-peasy flying machine, perfect for sunny spring weather and picnic days out. Then check out the rest of the mag, which features articles on celebrity male crushes, menswear inspired looks, and an interview with Mr. Morgan himself.

Shots of the two page spread

When one of the editors contacted me last winter to write up a tutorial on how to make your own DIY kite for the spring issue (based on this blog post),  it was an immediate yes of course!  BUST is such a great magazine, and was one of the very first generous sponsors of a Spins & Needles event (our first-year anniversary four years ago!)

Thank you to BUST for featuring my work and for letting me tell my mom and dad, yes I’m officially published

BTW, Jimmy Fallon had Tracy Morgan on as a guest last week – watch the clip below to see them talk about his cover story:

The Winterlude 2010 press conference took place last Tuesday at noon at one of the festival sites, Confederation Park. One of the highlights of this year’s festival is, you guessed it, the Winterlude Urban Cozy Project!

The National Capital Commission (NCC) invited us to take part and install a temporary cozy around a tree at the site. We put up cozies that we had already received as well those from cozy-makers extraordinaires Barb and Robyn who installed some of their work in progress.

There was a lot of curiousity from passers-by walking through the park, and some asked questions. One passerby loved the idea and asked how she could donate bags of yarn that she was no longer using to our intervention. Another asked if the unfinished objects tucked away at the back of her closet could be used. (We answered, of course!)

Thanks to CBC Radio and CBC television for covering this project.

We’re excited to be bringing you a project that combines community, local and international collaboration, skill-sharing, a social atmosphere, a transformation of the city, and the upcycling of materials into wearable items to help out local organizations.

We’re getting closer to opening night!

Are aprons back? Check out my take in last Saturday’s Ottawa Citizen (and other Canadian city newspapers).

I have a full-length Milk (does a body good) apron picked up at a garage sale that I use to bake and cook (and layered over this solid purple dress looks kind of neat!).

A little context around the garment: Aprons were initially worn in the days of Louis XIII, by Queen Anne and her subjects during royal happenings such as music lessons, tea parties, etc.  and were symbols of artistry and status rather than servitude.

Apron-wearing died down after the 1960s, but with the recession and the DIY movement, that might be changing: could the apron be regaining its status and moving beyond a symbol of servitude to becoming a status or fashion symbol, in and outside the home? What do you think? Do you use an apron in any of your work during the day (e.g. cooking, baking, crafting, woodworking). Or in any other non-traditional ways?

To make apron-related projects:

• Check out this easy Craftstylish tutoriall on how to make your own aprons using vintage tea towels 
• How to make an apron from a pillowcase from Craftchi (via Curbly)

• Instructions for sewing an apron from various scrap fabrics from the Discovery network.
• How to turn an apron that you tie at the waist into a purse.
• Angry Chicken’s spin off blog Tie One On showcases an awesome collection of vintage and handmade apron photos and patterns, which are also shown in blog’s Flickr group – a monthly selection of handmade aprons.

• Tips for making your own apron include looking through old sewing books and magazines for inspiration, add elements of hand sewing: hemming, embroidering and appliquéing to make it a true “vintage” apron, and search thrift, garage and estate sales for leftover buttons, thread, snaps, ric rac, binding, braid, lace and ribbon to add to your apron.

Check out our interview with the new Ottawa-based blog, Apartment 613. If you’re looking for something to do in Ottawa, this blog will definitely give you a taste of what’s hiding in this city!