I’m super excited to announce that I’ll be offering a limited edition of small-scale stitchery classes in my home studio (a.k.a. the crafty clubhouse) starting NEXT WEEK! This is something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time so I finally decided there’s no time like the present! If you live in the NYC area, please join me for one (or more!) of these relaxed, intimate classes where you’ll learn one-on-one with me how to knit, crochet, or embroider.

Each class will consist of two 2-hour sessions which will be held in my home on weekday evenings. I’ll serve some savory snacks and we’ll sip wine while Fifi curls up under our feet and we stitch away. These classes are beginner-level, so if you’ve never picked up a needle or hook before, no worries–I’ll take you through it from the very beginning. If you have a little experience but need a refresher that’s fine too–since the classes are small, I’ll be able to work with each student at their own pace.

I think this is going to be super fun and I’m really excited to meet some new crafty peeps from the area and spread the stitchy love just in time for fall! So let’s get started–here are the deets:

LEARN TO KNIT
In this beginner-level class, you’ll learn the basics of knitting–casting on, knitting, purling, picking up dropped stitches, and casting off–all while making a chunky cowl for fall. The class will consist of two 2-hour sessions; in the first session you’ll learn the basic stitches and begin your cowl. Then you’ll go home and work on your cowl and bring it back to complete during the second session, where I’ll help you solve any problems you had while knitting solo, and finally you’ll learn how to cast off and finish your cowl.

Class size is maximum six students and class will be taught by me. Wine and savory homemade snacks will be served!

Thursdays, September 27 and October 11, 6:30-8:30pm, in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. You will be required to bring yarn and knitting needles to the first class; I’ll provide a detailed supply list with class registration. Class cost is $125.

LEARN TO CROCHET
Have you caught chevron fever? In this beginner-level class, crochet newbies will learn the basics of crochet while mastering the chevron stitch–a crochet classic that is having a major moment right now in the design and fashion worlds. I’ll teach you how to use the basic chevron stitch to make almost anything you like, from a scarf or envelope clutch to a throw pillow or baby blanket. In the first session you’ll learn how to begin your project with a crochet chain and how to work the basic crochet stitches including single, half-double and double crochet, as well as increases and decreases. You’ll also learn how to change colors to make all those fabulous chevron stripes. Then you’ll go home to work on your project a bit, and come back for session two where I’ll help you solve any problems you’re having with your work-in-progress, and finally you’ll learn how to finish your project.

Class size is maximum six students and class will be taught by me. Wine and savory homemade snacks will be served!

Tuesdays, October 9 and October 23, 6:30-8:30pm, in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. You will be required to bring yarn and crochet hooks to the first class; I’ll provide a detailed supply list with class registration. Class cost is $125.

(Crochet image from postcardgraffiti)

LEARN TO EMBROIDER
Hand embroidery is a wonderfully relaxing and minimalist craft that’s perfect for chilling out in front of a movie or stitching on the subway. In this class I’ll take you through everything you need to know to start doing your own hand embroidery projects–from selecting or drawing your own image, transferring the image to fabric, and how to make several embroidery stitches including straight stitch, chain stitch, french knots, herringbone stitch, and more. We will complete a project of your choice–I’ll have some templates available for use to make monograms, or you can draw or bring your own image to embroider.

Class size is maximum six students and class will be taught by me. Wine and savory homemade snacks will be served!

Thursdays, October 25 and November 1, 6:30-8:30pm, in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. You will be required to bring basic embroidery supplies to the first class; I’ll provide a detailed supply list with class registration. Class cost is $125.

If you’d like to register for a class (and I hope you will!), email me at hello [at] brettbara [dot] com and tell me which class you’d like to take. I’ll email you back with instructions on how to submit payment via Paypal, which will secure your spot in class. Class spots will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Space is limited, so I encourage you to register early.

Thanks so much–Fifi and I are looking forward to meeting you over crafts, snacks, wine and chit-chat! xo

Interested in hearing about future classes? Follow me on Twitter or Facebook.

We interrupt your regularly-scheduled crafting programming to bring you this special report on…. BABY ANIMALS! Because when you experience something as cute as tiny little piglets, goats, cows, llamas and camels, and you get to feed them bottles and hold them in your arms and pet their little faces (and maybe even have them nibble your ears)–well, you just have to share.

PS: I seriously want that little black pig. I wonder if he and Fifi would get along?

It was a most excellent summer weekend around these parts. From the top:

Bongo Lounge in the West Village serves all their drinks in vintage glassware.
Neon feet with an old friend.
Mint chip ice cream from Van Leeuwen in the park.
Corn at the farmer’s market! Corn at the farmer’s market!
Extremely cute mini eggplants purchased mostly for cuteness (rather than for actual culinary plans).
Channeling my inner eighth-grader with a multi-color mani.

*Are you on Instagram? Find me there as brettbara! xoxo

I just unearthed this piece of history and had to share: it’s my beautiful mom showing me how to use my first sewing machine, Christmas 1981.

31 years later, we are still sewing together. (Did you know my mom sewed a good number of the samples for my book? She’s amazing!)

Happy mother’s day, mom! I love you.

I’m very excited today to be a guest blogger over at Yolo Colorhouse (a great indie paint company that’s all about being good for the environment and doing good things in the world). Yolo is sponsoring a fantastic series this week, Color Your Life, where they’ve invited five different bloggers to post each day of the week and talk about how color impacts their work.

The really great part of this is that for every comment my post receives on the Yolo blog, Yolo will donate $1 to the non-profit of my choice. My post will be raising funds for a NYC-based non-profit called Sinergia. I learned about Sinergia recently when I met a cool, crafty gal who is an arts teacher there. She spends her days teaching mentally disabled adults to do various crafts and arts, which they then sell at crafts fairs throughout the year.

I was so touched when I met her and learned about their program, because their work really hit home for me in a couple different ways. First, I believe so strongly that creative work can truly impact our lives and give us a very real sense of accomplishment, pride, and meaning. I think everyone should incorporate creativity into their lives in some way, and that it truly makes us better people. Second, I grew up with an uncle, Uncle John, who was mentally challenged (he had Down’s Syndrome). He was a very close member of our nuclear family and, well, he meant a lot to us. I grew up seeing how hard he worked to have the best life he could, just like we all do, but of course it was harder for him in many ways. For that reason I’m always drawn to organizations that help to improve the lives of mentally challenged adults.

One of my favorite old photos, of my two brothers, Uncle John and me–coloring. He loved to color with us when we were little and just to spend time with us doing whatever we wanted. When I grew up and moved to New York, he loved to tell me that if I ever needed anything, ever, to just call him and he’d do anything for me. He was truly a sweetheart.

So! Please click over to the Yolo blog to check out my post, and please take a moment to leave a comment to raise money for Sinergia, to help them in all they do to improve lives with creativity. Thank you so much! xoxo

Exciting news! I’m super happy to announce that I’ve opened a temporary Etsy shop where I’m currently selling a batch of samples of some of my recent handmade goods from this year’s projects. It’s a VERY limited edition collection of projects handmade by me, mostly for my Design Sponge Sewing 101 column, and also for publication in Interweave Stitch Gifts magazine (as well as one lonely – but beautiful – crochet wrap that appeared in Vogue Knitting On The Go).

So if any of my recent projects have caught your eye, this is your chance to snag them for yourself, all nice and finished, without having to actually make anything!

Click here to visit my Etsy Sample Sale Pop-Up Shop, and shop away! Hurry before things get snatched up – and your item(s) will have plenty of time to get to you before the holidays. Fifi says:

I’m a very busy bee over here at MCR headquarters… but if I must work around the clock, at least I have especially pretty things to work with!

I’ve also got a double batch of chai cashew milk brewing as I type. YUM.

Nutmilk and sewing. That’s all this blog has been about, and it’s pretty much all my life has been about! Can’t wait to share some of the stuff I’m sewing up.

(Oh, and I also recently acquired an awesome new jello mold — I’m looking forward to gettin’ jiggly with it just as soon as I have a little time to play.)

Strolling around town this weekend I came across these fantastic lions in front of the amazing salvage house Olde Good Things. It was a crazy walk down memory lane – someplace in my childhood, we had these lions. It was either at the playground or at the zoo. They’re water fountains, and you have to stick your head in the lion’s mouth to drink. Naturally, as kids we loved them.

Does anyone else remember seeing these in use? If so, where?

I wonder where these treasures will find a home. If I had a giant mansion in the country, I’d buy these and place them on either side of the front gate!