Advice for a novice crafter looking for a cool project

[RoobyMurray]

I need something to do in the evenings and I fancy having a go at something crafty. Help me find something please?

Here's the criteria:

I have no creativity or artistic skill so I'm looking for a kit or book.
NO kittens/puppies/old lady stuff.
Something that would look ok in a contemporary-ish house. I don't live in a country cottage.

I've always fancied quilting and I have a cheapo sewing machine, but is quilting difficult?
I have done a massive cross-stitch years and years ago. I enjoyed doing it but the design is a bit naff so I wouldn't display it.
I like the texture of tapestry, but again, the designs I've seen are a bit country cottagey.

Any suggestions gratefully received.

ba da bump

I've done a few of these needlepoint kits - the xmas stockings are lovely.

yay, thanks Chippy! I quite like this

That's lovely - and no huge areas of the same colour, which would be dull to stitch. The pattern is printed in the canvas so you can freestyle a bit.

Anyone, else? I'd love to hear any advice on starting quilting.

Rooby, i went to a patchwork and quilting class a few years ago and since then have made many quilts.

It is easy to do, I like the quiet rhythm of it and if you are someone who likes donig things, it is great.

I made most of mine when home with two small children in a foreign country when it was too cold to go anywhere and iot saved my sanity.

I only hand quilt.I think quilting by machine is soulless.

Sounds good moondog I'm not a brilliant hand stitcher, though I suppose practise would help. It would be a bonus not to have to get out/put away the sewing machine each time too.

I also like these

I don't feel that that is truly creative though. It's like painting by numbers.
The beauty of a quilt is that you design it.
Each square can be a different pattern and you can incorporate pieces of material from clothes that meant a lot to you, or just bits from interesting material you find.

I have quite a lot of my children's clothes in them, dh's paisley boxes and some lovely second hand pillow cases and teatowels i found.

Creativity is where I come unstuck. I sit there thinking, right, what will my design be........and nothing enters my head!

There are quilt kits about like these from Cotton Patch

The Rachel's of Greenfield ones are small and relatively easy although they might not be to your taste. I think they come with pretty much all the bits so you don't have to worry much about cutting.

Alternatively you could get a jelly roll or a layer cake and just sew the stripes or squares together. You don't need a pattern although these from Hannah's Room come with a very simple pattern to follow if you want. Well, the layer cake did anyway.

A bit more pricey are the Moda ones here

The tricky part is doing the quilting if you haven't done it before but I am sure there are on-line tutorials you could use and loads of books.

Thank you Niecie. Can you tell me, what is a jelly roll? And a layer cake? And while we're at it, I keep seeing fat quarters?

Sorry, I shouldn't have assumed!!

A jellyroll is a roll of 2.5" strips which are the width of a piece of fabric long, roughly 44 or 45" You can cut them up to make patterns or just cut them into equal length segments and sew them together. An example or [[
www.quiltroom.co.uk/acatalog/copy_of_Jelly_Roll___Layer_Cake_Quilt_Kits.html some more kits from the Quilt Room]].

Layer cakes are 10" squares of fabric from the same range so you don't have to worry about coordinating them. They can either be sewn together as they are to make a very simple quilt or cut in halves or quarters and used to make a pattern. Some more examples

Fat quarters are a quarter of yard or metre (depending on how the shop works) Instead of cutting a 1/4m which is 25cm x width (usually 115cm) You cut a metre and quarter it to get a piece that is 50cm x 57cm. It is squarer, more usable piece so quilting fabric is often sold that way.

Hope that makes sense. Patchwork is really just sewing together bits of fabric - it isn't as complicated as it can sound, honestly!

Aah, I see! Thanks for that.

Right, I'm going to have a go at quilting as I've wanted to for years. Can anyone recommend a good book for a beginner?

Lots of online blogs are good for inspiration and have tutorials of how to do the different quilting stages - I learnt from a combination of these:

www.redpepperquilts.com/

www.filminthefridge.com/

www.ohfransson.com/

I had never done any quilting/sewing but started about two years ago and am addicted - they are not quick projects but amazingly satisfying, my DCs both have one each and love them (they are good for making camps/tents!)

Brilliant, thanks. Here goes!

and there is also

crazymom quilts

I have this book and have made three quilts from it already - most are fairly simple.

With patchwork you just have to get the 1/4 inch seam allowance right. I move my sewing machine needle to the left & then use the foot to guide me.

I am now swotting up on how to turn my patchworks into actual "quilts".

This has also been on my to do list for quite a while, and so nice to see a British Craft blog as they are nearly always US or OZ.

And there is always a sock monkey - if you google, you will find 101 ways to make one! Just don't usse stretchy socks - mine is still unfinished because i got fed up trying to stuff it due to the stoopid socks I bought!

Haha, I've never heard of sock monkeys. pretty cute!

Thanks for the links. crazymom has made some GORGEOUS stuff hasn't she?!