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Arts and crafts

Discover knitting, crochet, scrapbooking and art and craft ideas on this forum.

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Original poster

What's your oldest piece of 'work in progress'?

40 replies

WhereBeThatBlackbirdTo · 21/01/2014 15:07

I was looking for something to knit and so needed my mum's old knitting pattern box for inspiration.

Needless to say, we couldn't find it (well, she died over 10 years ago and I haven't looked for it since) but I did find a box of WIP knitting amongst all the empty lego boxes and children's old school work.

I have never seen it before in my life. Obviously, I have, but I can't remember either buying or starting it.

I haven't knitted since I left home in 1987 so I guess it pre-dates that.

Are you as bad as me?!

OP posts:

wonkylegs · 21/01/2014 15:08

I've got a teddy bear made of silk scraps that is about 15years old.... He's still waiting for his legs.

juule · 21/01/2014 15:11

A half-done embroidery sampler started somewhere around 1984.

DramaAlpaca · 21/01/2014 15:15

A tapestry cushion cover I started in 1991.

I resurrected it last year but it's still only about half finished. Luckily I still like the design & might actually finish it one day.

5HundredUsernamesLater · 21/01/2014 16:01

I started a cross stitch picture for my daughters nursery while I was pregnant. Cross stitch definately wasnt for me, I never did get it finished and my daughter will be 16 this year.

Confitdecanard · 21/01/2014 16:04

I started some bootees for my brother before he was born. He's now 24 and they are still unfinished.

stealthsquiggle · 21/01/2014 16:36

I have a 15yo scrap quilt somewhere...

My DM started crocheting a cushion cover when she was pg with DB1. I think she finished it when DB2 (12 years younger) was about 10.

BigBoobiedBertha · 21/01/2014 19:09

I found a jumper I was making for DS2 - it looks about 6mth size so presumably he was younger. I had completely forgotten about it until I found it about a week ago. He is 10 yrs now.

My mother has a part finished cross stitch for Charles and Di's wedding in 1981. Don't think there is much point in ever finishing that one. I am surprised she started actually. It isn't usually her thing.

craftysewer · 21/01/2014 20:29

Just been sorting my cupboards out and found a half finished embroidery from around 1983. To be honest I don't think I'll ever finish it and really don't know why I'm keeping it. But it seems wrong to throw it out ifywim.

MistyB · 21/01/2014 20:32

1989 - air fix model. I have carried it around through four countries and many many moves!! I must put a note in it so whoever clears my belongings when I die (many years from now!!), knows how special it is!!

ScentedScandal · 21/01/2014 20:39

My knitting should be done in time for the next but one ice age.

Original poster

WhereBeThatBlackbirdTo · 21/01/2014 22:17

Cross stitch - of course!

That reminds me of the seaside scene, all shadows and atmosphere, that I started 15 years ago.

I can't even see clearly to thread a needle now!

OP posts:

ThistledownAndCobweb · 22/01/2014 17:15

A piece of patchwork circa 1993.

Originally I had grand plans to make a bedspread. It's about the size of a small cushion cover.
I had spend ages cutting and hand stitching when DH said "so youre cutting up big pieces into small pieces and sewing them back together to make a big piece"... So began the end of my patch work ambitions.

Shnickyshnackers · 23/01/2014 01:19

The Charles and Di cross stitch really did make me hoot!!

stealthsquiggle · 23/01/2014 10:13

Thistledown - a friend rang me when I was in the middle of a patchwork workshop, many years ago, and when asked what I was doing my answer was pretty much what your DH said "cutting up perfectly good bits of material in order to sew get back together". It wasn't that which stalled my patchwork, though - just lack of time .

TimeToPassGo · 29/01/2014 21:26

A hugely complicated Alphabet cross stitch which I started fifteen odd years ago. If I dig it out soon it might be done in time for me to be buried with

ThistledownAndCobweb · 29/01/2014 21:32

I actually got my patchwork out after reading this thread ... I looked at it and put it away again.
I have changed my allegiance to crochet

Dingle · 04/02/2014 12:51

LOL. I have a box of patchwork hexagons up in the loft. I am 48 next month....and I started it in my teens!

Funny enough I am considering making the Summer House less of a toy storage area/dumping ground and into more of a shabby chic stylee chill out area. A patchwork throw would fit in just fine!!!

Lonecatwithkitten · 04/02/2014 13:08

I cleared down last year finished the cross stitch I started in 1990 and the one I started in 2004 and got them both framed. Now I can not start a project till I have finished one.

ZingSweetApple · 05/02/2014 08:30

one I designed in the summer of 2005, they are small quilted wall hangers and almost done.

another is our king sized bed quilt, designed in Jan 2006 - I'm quilting it by hand so will take a while, but it is assembled and I have quilted 1/16th of it already!

MiaowTheCat · 05/02/2014 08:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

StainlessSteelCat · 05/02/2014 08:57

Another one here with hexagon patchwork unfinished. I started it when I caught glandular fever in my teens, I have returned to it sporadically over the decades - it's now big enough for a small cushion cover.

That's not my oldest WIP though - that accolade goes to some embroidery. its a Chinese style scene, on linen, beautiful - and started by my grandmother 40 to 50 years ago. She died when I was 10, she was about 80% through it. I persuaded my mum to let me finish it (I used to help my grandma do it when she was alive - I was the official thread untangler ) and its now at about 90% finished.

Later today I'll be off into the loft to dig it out again. Would love to finish it and show my mum.

PurpleFrog · 05/02/2014 09:38

Oddly enough, I also have an unfinished hexagon patchwork I started in the 70s. It is about single bed size, hand-stitched. I can't decide what to do with it. It is a mixture of weights of cotton and polycotton, from old summer dresses to unwashed furnishing fabric from sample books. It is made up of completely random colours and patterns. I was originally making a duvet cover(!) but later realised that my patchwork wasn't going to stand the amount of washing that would require.

I did toy with the idea about 15 years ago of doing a regular pattern on it in black tape/bias binding, before quilting it as a quilt/throw, but I really can't decide...

Original poster

WhereBeThatBlackbirdTo · 05/02/2014 16:20

I can remember starting a hexagon patchwork in the 70s - perhaps they were all the rage

I can remember solemnly hand-sewing many pieces and finding that they were gradually changing shape as I cut more from the original templates.

I gave up!

OP posts:

wildstrawberryplace · 05/02/2014 16:34

A baby sized patchwork quilt that I started when I was 17, made from among other things, Laura Ashley "Nutmeg" fabric. I'm 40 this year.

Strawdolly · 05/02/2014 16:56

A patchwork quilt I started when I was probably about twenty (I'm 47 now). It was for my bottom drawer . When we moved to this house about 13 years ago I bought what I thought was wadding and backing fabric for it. Now I'm more experienced in patchwork I realise the fabric's not good enough (polycotton - pah!) and god only knows what the wadding is but it's not wadding. Doh! Anyway, last year I finished patching it but recently decided it was too big (king size) to quilt so I'm going to make it into a duvet cover if I ever get round to it.

I also have a cross stitch unfinished in a cupboard somewhere from many years ago.

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