All new crafting chat thread.

[Alicetheinvisible]

Hello, the old thread fizzled out after christmas, so here is a brand spanking new one.

You don't have to be at all particularly talented just enthusiastic

Can I join?

I am currently knitting a big bad baby blanket in some gorgeous custom dyed (rainbow colours) merino superwash.

I have also have a much underused sewing machine, a 3yr old DD who keeps growing and refuses to wear anything that isn't a dress, and, not very much money. I really should get my ass in gear and make some dresses.
Where do you guys buy your fabrics from? There seems to be a much poorer selection of dressmaking fabrics (not novelty costumey stuff) than before.

I just want to get my ned the naughty goat finished from the super-cute crochet book. Am a beginner!

Will be back to pick your crafty brains soon no doubt...

Hi, I have never been on these threads before but want to join in.

My list:

Get all the triangles cut for the bunting I have to make for sister's wedding

Finish friendship bracelet for BF

Sand down, paint and varnish the charity shop frames I have been hoarding

Make new pillow cases

make two cushion covrs for sofa

Make and put up shelves in hallway and kitchen

Sand down old dining table and paint white

Ok, my list.......

Make some cushion covers (have got some lovely big scatter cushions waiting for covers)

Make DD a drawstring bag for her ballet stuff

Make DD a ballet skirt?

Make some lovely little dress/nightdresses for DD

Make something for myself so i can actually get some use out of my dressform (that was much wanted and begged for)

Make some Roman blinds for the sitting room

Make some lovely things out of felt

Most of which to be done within the next 19weeks (before baby #2 arrives)

Hello all the newbies. It makes benign neglect a lot more fun if you can show what you have been doing while the DC's ahve been eating dustbunnies imo

I need to make roman blinds for my kitchen but am scared! Have never made curtain tyope things before and I need a really easy way to do it. Am getting pissed off with knowing everyone who drives or walks past my hosue at ngiht can see me in the kitchen unless I am in the dark!

Ok, have just cut 78 triangles for the bunting, so that's enough for 39 finished triangles. Only about 160 to go I figure the cutting is the most time consuming part though, and actually sewing them will be a doddle in comparison!

Jack I made the mistake of making a roman blind for DS's room completely on my own, without realising there was a formula for working out the spacings etc., so although it was very easy to make really it doesn't nicely hang when opened unless I manually straighten each layer. A pain in the arse tbh.
I'm sure you know these things though and not make the maetuer mistakes I am always making

omdb, I have no idea, am basically an over eager amateur. Have only been crocheting for just over a year and got my sewing machine 2 years ago for my birthday!
I did cut out a load of fabric for bunting once, and then a friend sent me a gorgeous bunting with happy birthday appliqued on it. So I dumped mine in the bottom of the UFO box

Right I'm determined to get more active on these threads.

Jack - Roman Blinds are quite easy, I'm no sewing expert and I managed them. Just remember to measure a lot so you know everything is level.

My to-do list:

• Start the MN baby knit/crochet thingy.
• Crochet a cover for the windsor chair seat (it's leather, very old, very ripped and taped up on the wrong side with gaffer tape. I need a cover to keep it respectable until a) we can afford a replacement, and b) until DD and any other subsequent DC are old enough to not ruin it.)
• Block and put a zip in the cardigan I've finally finished knitting after 2 years.
• Make stitch markers and jewellery requests for people at knitting group... and actually earn money!!!
• Do the embroideries that I offered to finish for the woman at work. (Her Mum died and left them unfinished. ) Or admit I took on too much and return them. I'd like to do one for her... but there are 3 and the one she really wants her Mum had barely started.

I have a million and one other things too, 2 crochet blankets on the go, 3 cross-stitches, a spinning wheel sat in the corner idle until DD plays with it, but I don't fancy practising with there are 2 and a half year old fingers in the way, and the inevitable subsequent tantrums. I'm also determined to build up a stash of birthday cards so I can stop buying them.

Oh nice list bilby, I would love to try spinning, thinkk DH might kill me if I started a new 'thing'.

WHile I have a captive audience. what can I make for my friend who is due with twin boys in a few weeks?
She has a 4 yo DD who was friends with my DD1 and moved away so I only speak to her sporadically so I don't know what she has or doesn't have.

Was thinking hats or blankets or something but want something a bit funky for the boys, they are a bit samey-samey.

Inspire me?

Hellooo!

Just what I need, a thread to encourage me to get bloody on with all my half-finished projects.

Jack, I bought a roman blind kit and managed to make one using a heavy vintage sheet. The sewing bit was very easy...the measuring before hand however had me for ages. Am a complete duffer when it comes to maths. But once I'd measured, measured and measured, checked several times, cursed, spat, ate chocolate, cursed, paced, thrown things, kicked a cupboard and cursed, it actually looks bloody impressive. If I can do it, you will have no trouble at all.

Ideas for the twins: my Ds's birthdays are coming up and I'm planning to get some cheap cotton t-shirts to applique some motifs onto. Could you do something similar with baby vests?

Appliques are my nemesis!

Hello
My make and do list is

Make/ finish curtains for every room in the house.

Various beanbags / organisers to make for the dc rooms to get them more organised (yes only a pipe dream i know)

Do some felting especially I especially love the spiderweb effect felt
Finish a knitted jumper - have seen a gorgeous stitch diva pattern

Learn to crochet

Alter some clothes

Make some picture for dcs rooms/ the house.

Hello everyone

Knotty - how much was the blind kit? Could you buy one, then copy for others? I want to make blinds for my bay window, so 2 skinnies and one wide one. Would i need a kit for each?

Jack - i saw in a mag a few months ago some baby vests/t-shirts that had very basic applique on with looped bits of ribbon and ric-rac sticking out. One was a jellyfish and one a dinosaur. Looked very easy and very impressive. Will try to find a link at some point

Hello, overmydeadbody... re making bunting.

I made metres and metres for my wedding last year and found the quickest way was not to cut out individual triangles and then join them but to sew them and then cut after.

It is hard to explain in words but if you e-mail me at skies . areblue at hotmail . com I will send you a picture!

Skies - that sounds lovely, i would love to have had bunting at my wedding.

Jack - i can't find it on the website, but it was in Sew magazine issue 5, the feature was called Animal crackers.

Alice, I used a kit like this one. I'm also thinking of doing our bay - like yours it's one wide + 2 narrow. Am considering getting 2 wide kits and halving one, then buying extra cord and acorn finishes.
It's probably cheaper to put together your own kit, although there's a few bits to factor in: header wood/bar and top support bar, 6 or more poles depending on length, several metres of cord, many metal hoops to run the cord through, some velcro, the acorns and the windy bit that the cord wraps around.(Obviously all the correct terminology ) Also the screws and hooks.
I decided to start with a kit, to see how I got on.

Jack, have you thought about roller blinds for your kitchen? They would be even easier.
Also, what about croqueted applique?

Alice - thanks! It did look pretty if I do say so myself!

I now have an urge to make bunting.
If only I could think of a way to explain it to my long-suffering DH who always asks "why don't you just just it?"

Arggh "why don't you just buy it?"

skiesare blue that sounds interesting! So did you sew triangles onto two peices of fabric right sides together and then cut out and turn right side round? I was just looking at the old duvet I will be making into bunting thinking that might be a possibility...

A picture would be good, will email you! Thanks for that.

I know this will be mich mich cheaper than buying it, as the material is all stuff I already have or have collected from car boots, charity shops and jumble sales (lots of old gdandad shirts for example)

JAckRabbit make them little softies out of old t shirts and vintage print fabric etc, easy, no pattern needed.

here

Or how about a mobile? There is a free fabric bird pattern floating around somewhere that would work...

bird mobile

I have made many of those birds and they are easy. Sometimes they look like dolphins but they are still easy to make!

I am knitting this for myself. It is a really quick knit so I will be done by the weekend with any luck.

I am also knitting easter chicken beaks for the whole family for a bit of a joke on easter sunday.

Jack - how about these for the baby?

Today I have been mainly been making these with dd.