Dala Craftalong on WhipUp

Remember the Dala Horse Craftalong? Well Carina just did a guest post about it over at WhipUp, check it out here!

Dala Round-Up: Week 4

Hi all! Today is the last day of the Dala Horse Craftalong. It has been so much fun seeing what you've created and how everyone has been so excited about this! Here are a few of the latest additions to the Craftalong Flickr group:

Christina (Golden Lilly Crafts) made this adorable Dala Lavender Heart Pillow.

Muriel (Hopfaldera) created this cutesy Dala pouch. I love the stitching on this, so, so, so cute!

Meg (Megacrafty) made this amazing and intricate polymer clay ornament!

Thank you all so much for joining in the Dala crafting fun! It was such a blast seeing what everyone made and how many different Dala projects were made!

Just because the Craftalong is over doesn't mean you can't still make something Dala-themed. Feel free to keep adding any additional photos and projects to the Flickr group here.

Dala Round-Up: Week 3

Hello everyone! I can't believe that we're already over halfway done with the craftalong, that seems nuts! But, it's true. There has been some fantastic new additions to the Flickr pool this past week, check out what's been created:

Pam (Gingerbread Snowflakes) made matching Dala aprons for her and her daughter using Carina's fabric - don't you love the green trim?!

Perhaps the smallest of the Dala projects so far, Dunderklumpen12 created these mini felt Dala brooches.

Jani (the Butterfly Jungle) embroidered this cutie of a Dala right onto an apron.

Christina (Golden Lilly Crafts) made these adorable Dala babies! What I love most is that she gave them each a different name. From left to right: Thor, Inga, Brother Bo, and Laila. She even has a great tutorial showing how to make your own Dala softie (pattern included!).

And, Andrea over at the Paper Sparrow created these free printables for some Dala stationary - how awesome is that?! [hint: pretty darn awesome]

It's not too late, you can still join in! The Dala Craftalong continues until August 21. But don't worry, there are no rules against Dala crafting after the 21st, it's even encouraged. Upload any of your new Dala crafts to the Dala Craftalong Flickr group here.

Happy Crafting! :)

Easy-Peasy-Dala-Horsey Apron

I finally finished the tutorial I promised last week. It is seriously easy. The hardest part of this tutorial was trying to get the pattern figured out. Tricky stuff for a girl like me. But with the help of the friendly blogging world and deciding to just upload it to flickr, I finally figured it out!

So without further adieu, here it is!

You will need:

1/2 yard of Dala fabric (Carina's is super-duper-adorable)

Bias tape - 1/2" and 1/4" double-folded (1 package of each will do)

Pattern pieces here, printed and put together

Sewing machine/thread/scissors

Ok! Let's get started!

First, print out the linked pattern, assemble and cut. Pin the pattern and cut out your fabric.

Next, pin your 1/4" bias tape around the bottom and sides of the apron. You don't need to cut an exact amount of the bias tape. Just pin around and trim off any excess. Then, sew. Carefully. I'm usually a cheater when it comes to pinning things, but this part is actually crucial that you pin and sew it well. Take your time. You can use the 1/2" bias tape for this part too if you think it'll be easier.

Make sure when you're sewing that you're catching the three layers: front of the bias, fabric, back of the bias. The fabric easily slips out if you don't pin it well.

Lastly, [yes, it's this fast!] pin your 1/2" bias tape centered on your apron and across the top. Sew, sew, sew! Start at one end of the bias tape and sew shut along the entire edge, catching the apron section on your way to the other end.

Bake something Swedish. Think about Dalas. Enjoy.

Pin It

And if you haven't yet, join in the Dala Craftalong!

Dala Decor

Just wanted to share a little Dala decor around my sister's house that is inspiring for the craftalong month.

The apron tutorial is still in the works. Check back Saturday for the free pattern and tutorial!

Dala gift

I wasn't planning a craftalong post for today, but then I received a special surprise in the mail and I just have to share because it totally fits into the Dala-theme!

My bestest friend in the whole world sent this to me and Ryan as our wedding gift! It's from a little Swedish shop called Hemslojd. One one side it says "welcome" in Swedish and the other side is our last name.

It's meant for hanging, so Ryan and I have to go get a couple hooks to hang it on. Yay for another trip to IKEA!