Hi, I’m Jess. The mess-maker behind Make & Do Crew.
This might be your ideal digital hangout if: -You long to make things with your hands–real, tangible, non-digital things, just like your grandma did. But you don’t necessarily want those things to look like they belong in your grandma’s house. (Although I’m sure it’s lovely.)
-You stroll through the aisles of West Elm, Anthropologie and Pottery Barn saying, “Hey, I bet I could make that!”
-You like pinning, but you LOVE making.
Alright, come on already—let’s make something! If you can’t wait another second to start planning your next DIY adventure, check out a few of my favorite free crochet patterns to add some handmade pizazz to your life:
And if you’re a fan of corner t0 corner crochet, check out my new book, “Corner To Corner Crochet: 15 Contemporary Projects” to learn all the basics of this magical technique. (You can see a video flip-through of the entire book in the video below.)
If you’d like to know a little more about me:
I started a blog called Make and Do Girl in 2011 to document all my crafty adventures. A few years, 1,208 handmade pom poms and two babies later, Make and Do Girl officially has a crew. At times to my husband, Mike’s, chagrin, the making and doing is no longer happening solo. Oh yes, this tangled nest of yarn, sweat and popsicle sticks is now a family affair.
I’ve been DIYing for a long time. Like I suspect I might have knit my own placenta in utero. Creating is just what has always made me happy. I was in kindergarten when I decided to undertake one of my first epic DIY endeavors.
I wanted to make a quilt. (Blame it on the Laura Ingalls’ Wilder girl crush.) My mom could have said, no Jess, you might poke your little five-year-old eye out with that needle, now go outside and play with a stick. But instead, she rummaged up a book of wallpaper samples, tore out the attached fabric swatches and said go to town, kid.
It was about that age that my mom also nicknamed me the “Make and Do Girl.” Although really, she is the master of make and do. Part preschool teacher, part thrifty hippie, that lady’s DIY resume reads like a Pinterest feed. On top of that, my dad refinishes antique furniture and he built the house that I grew up in.
Consequently, my childhood was filled with more power tools than My Little Ponies and I was lucky enough to grow up thinking anything could be made with a little ingenuity, a drill and some homemade play dough.
Before starting Make & Do Crew, I worked in advertising doing stuff most people would generally call “creative.” But whether you work in an accounting office or a grocery store, I believe we all have a little maker and doer inside of us. I hope that the tutorials and ideas you find here pump up your inner maker elf.
Feel free to drop me a note (jess [at] makeanddocrew [dot] com), follow Make and Do Crew on Instagram and Pinterest and subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive free patterns and tutorials. I look forward to making and doing with you!
Hey Jess!!!! So happy to find this site! (by accident browsing your moms facebook page)I’ve been knitting a storm this winter. Looking for a pattern for a wool sweater. Any new cool patterns you’ve seen you could share with Auntie? I’ve been surfin knitty and see a few I like. Not sold yet. I’ve got off white fishermans wool just crying to be knit into a sweater. Love ya and feel your moving pain. AN-T Marika
Hi AN-T! Thanks for stopping by! I’m so glad you’re knitting like crazy. Me too! Do you use Ravelry.com? It’s THE BEST source for finding patterns, a lot of which are free. One pattern my mom and I both knit from Fisherman’s wool is this girl friday sweater. I can email you the pattern if you’d like. Another option, although it’s not a sweater, is this awesome capelet I knit a while ago. I love it and it’s pretty quick to knit. Let me know what you decide! Happy New Year! xoxo
Hello! Just came across your blog via pinterest! Not to sound too stalkerish, but I noticed you are also living in Richmond! So neat!! Love looking through all of your posts; they’re great!
Hey Laura, Thanks for stopping by! Funny thing is that we just recently moved to Colorado. Guess I need to update things! I sure loved living in Richmond though. Maybe you could swing by Lamplighter and have a decaf iced americano for me? xo j
13 Comments
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marika chop
January 9, 2012 at 6:20 amHey Jess!!!! So happy to find this site! (by accident browsing your moms facebook page)I’ve been knitting a storm this winter. Looking for a pattern for a wool sweater. Any new cool patterns you’ve seen you could share with Auntie? I’ve been surfin knitty and see a few I like. Not sold yet. I’ve got off white fishermans wool just crying to be knit into a sweater.
Love ya and feel your moving pain.
AN-T Marika
Make and Do Girl
January 9, 2012 at 4:23 pmHi AN-T! Thanks for stopping by! I’m so glad you’re knitting like crazy. Me too! Do you use Ravelry.com? It’s THE BEST source for finding patterns, a lot of which are free. One pattern my mom and I both knit from Fisherman’s wool is this girl friday sweater. I can email you the pattern if you’d like. Another option, although it’s not a sweater, is this awesome capelet I knit a while ago. I love it and it’s pretty quick to knit. Let me know what you decide! Happy New Year! xoxo
dennis
January 31, 2012 at 11:38 amhttp://dennisssblegh.com|dennis
hey
love your site!
Cheryl
February 28, 2012 at 1:25 pmWhat DON’T you do, Make and Do Girl? So happy to have found yer blog, ye abundantly talented friend! 😉
Make and Do Girl
February 28, 2012 at 5:30 pmHi Cheryl! Thanks for stopping by! Let’s be blog (and real life!) friends, what do you say?
Golightly
March 12, 2012 at 11:40 amJess,
I love that you have a blog! It is amazing. I miss you and our craft/wine nights in SF. Now I can do all the crafts you put on here :).
xoxo
H
Make and Do Girl
March 15, 2012 at 6:40 amHi Holly! Oh, I miss them too! Maybe we can be virtual craft buddies right here? xo
kim
October 13, 2012 at 4:16 pmthanks for this site – just registered and am so excited
comtinued success
thanks again
kim
Laura
February 5, 2013 at 6:06 pmHello! Just came across your blog via pinterest! Not to sound too stalkerish, but I noticed you are also living in Richmond! So neat!! Love looking through all of your posts; they’re great!
Make and Do Girl
February 17, 2013 at 10:13 amHey Laura,
Thanks for stopping by! Funny thing is that we just recently moved to Colorado. Guess I need to update things! I sure loved living in Richmond though. Maybe you could swing by Lamplighter and have a decaf iced americano for me?
xo
j
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