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

Ladies. I have found the holy grail.

I have discovered the gift of time!

That dead hour between tea and bed when they just mooch about halfheartedly on toys or watch Dora and I MN or do jigsaws with DD2.
I got out the machine, quickly threaded it and finished my sisters project bag and another one for me! Super cool fabric, will have to upload pics but won't be until after the weekend. Awesome!

OOh, mini bunting!

Patchwork is another thing on my endless list of unfinished objects. My Mum bought me a kit when I was 7. It started as a cushion and has continued to sporadically grow. It's currently slightly bigger than single bed size.
I'd love to get it finished, but as it's 25 years old, and my 7 year old self wasn't too great at sewing, so I'm having to re-do bits I'm doing it so that the rubbish sewing can still be seen in places.
Just remembered there's a photo of it here

OMBD - I'm adding things to my list too.

I use delicious.com/ to bookmark things. It means I can access them from any computer, and tag them too. I also use wists.com/ to keep track of and find pretty things. Really good for potential present lists too.

Oh Bilby, that quilt is so beautiful, even more so with the notes, I would love to havea lifelong project like that!
I have hoarded some of the DD's favourite clothes so I cna do something wiht them, and feel bad as they are all good quality, but they hold memories for me.

I do have an old cot quilt that my mum made out of patchwork that lives on the bottom of DD2' bed and was all of our their first duvets. Plus I had a stripy cot sheet that my mum bought after my eldest sister was born (she was born at 34 weeks when mum was 19 and mum had nothing) after DD2 had moved into her bed I ripped it and made it into a rug for their bedroom floor by handcrocheting it. pic here

Am off to save a load on delicions, thanks for that, really handy!

I have mini bunting

I also have small bunting in my bathroom, across the window, it was really easy to make.

Now my list is longer, I have just found a tipi tutorial and I want to make it for DS for the summer! (if it ever comes that is)

This weekend I won't be able to do any crafty stuff as I have promised BF I will help him build his computer in his car. I suppose that is another project we can cross of our list if we complete it!

Wow Bilby! A handsewn quilt! my hat goes off to you.

I love the hexagons. So colourful!
dd would adore some mini bunting. I may make some for the playhouse. ds got a Thomas the Tank Engine cushion last week so it's her turn for something nice.
JackRabbitBauer - hand crochet sounds intriguing. Would solve my "which end of the hook is up" crochet dilemma...I can knit but just cannot get my head around crochet.

So nice to see you all here

There was something i kept thinking i would like to make for DD, but only ever remembered when i was half asleep (when i was just drifting off or just waking up) and i could never remember in the cold light of day when i could actually write it down!

Anyway, i remembered!!! I want to make her a fabric calender, with velcro bits for different weather/days/date/month and a couple of things that show what we are doing that day.

Ahh - EasterBilby - I have a similar handsewn unfinished quilt. I probably started mine aged 10 or so though.

I had been going to do make a duvet cover from it but have since realised that none of the fabric was pre-washed so that is likely to be a disaster.

Maybe I should make a quilt with it for dd to take to University with her. She is 12 now, so since it has been sitting doing nothing for 30 years, maybe 6 years is a long enough time frame to get round to doing something!

Oh Alice, me too, I was at a friends the other day + she has an A5 size one on the wall, very cute.

I need help now tho. Am at my mums and i left the laptop with DH at home so all I have is my crappy Nokia... Anyway. I need a crochet pattern for anything from Warhammer for my brother. Could anyone help me out with a quick google? Thanks!

Oh, and all the bunting talk has reminded me of another idea, i have a book with patterns for crochet alphabet, so am going to make letter bunting in DD's names...

Jack, my attempts at finding warhammer for you were most interesting:

Attempt 1 - produced some very strange images and sites explained when I realised I had googled 'warhammer croquet'.Must pay attention.

Attempt 2 - thought I'd found just the thing until I was attacked by a mahoosive vicious army of trojans. I had to slap them about a bit.

Attempt 3.....not quite brave ebough yet.

Sorry

I can't do crochet which makes me feel like a colossal idiot. It simply does not make sense to me! Knitting on the other hand I'm fairly good at - I just finished this sweater for my daughter and then last night I made yarn from plastic bags and started knitting this. The orange at the bottom is Sainsbury's carrier bags and the green was a pampers pack. Not sure what this will end up being (rather colourful, perhaps!!) but it's been a fun experiment.

Thanks knotty, i appreciate the effort though! It does explain why my phone wouldn't open some of the links though...

Blotted, very nice, and if it helps, i can't knit to save my life!

Bilby, that quilt is wonderful.

Blotted, lovely sweater. Plastic yarn would be good for making a re-usable shopping bag I suppose.

Alice, I'd love one of those calendar/weather chart thingies. Who was doing an alphabet wall-hanging?

I finished knitting my wristwarmers, they just need sewing up now, which I hate.

I've taken photos today for the scrapbooking picture frame, and am going to get them printed tomorrow and buy the embellishments etc. The pictures have a lot of blue in, so I'm going with hot pink papers, and blue embellishments. I think.

Aha! Found you!
Wait while I just catch up...

WILL YOU PLEASE ALL STOP POSTING LINKS!!!
I think I've just doubled my to-do list reading through this thread!

So here's my list:

• Still want to make some dolls clothes for DD - missed Christmas, birthday now approaching...

• a duvet cover for DD.

• hurray! DD back into dresses! Got some lovely checked fabric a couple of years ago with this in mind, so put it back on the list...

• Still want to make one of those wristlet things Jack posted before Christmas for my sister...

• Got a skirt that just needs hemming, a dress that just needs a few bits finishing, both for me.

• Planning a jersey faux wrap dress, and a spring jacket, again both for me...

• Now want to make some softies, a bird mobile, and fancy having a go at quilting...

I made some roman blinds a while ago, from these instructions, which turned out well (despite every mistake I could possibly make).

Morning

Just got the Joules catazine through the door and i now want to make beautiful things out of paisley and polka dots....

Updating my list in the order in which things need to be done.....

1)Make some Roman blinds for the sitting room

2)Make DD a drawstring bag for her ballet stuff

3)Make DD a ballet skirt?

4)Make some lovely little dress/nightdresses for DD (pillowcase dresses)

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

6)Make DD a calender

7)Make a bird mobile for new baby

8)Make some cute applique vests for baby and friend's baby due at same time

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

10)Make some lovely things out of felt

Most of which to be done within the next 18weeks (before baby #2 arrives)

Wow skiffler, your lidt is impressive, you sound like you know what you are doing and don't just dabble in sewing like me!

Alice what is the Joules catalogue? I want one now!

This morning I made the mistake of going to sew mama sew and then to Decor8 and that led on to other links and yet more links to pretty things to make, my mind is buzzing with ideas.

On the plus side I can now cross off a few things form my original list, but add to it:

Make a fake cover for BF's car computer out of the old radio and tape player front, with a soft felt back to protect the monitor.

Sand down and revarnish the gear stick

make some shorts for DS using he tutorial I found on sew mama sew

Make a blanket for the car so I can stay warm and snuggly even with the top down

The wedding bunting is coming along nicely now, just over 100 triangles cut, woohoo!!

Joules

I am going to look for fabric tomorrow for my roman blinds.

I have made some wonky (they didn't start off purposefully wonky but trying to stitch silk and velvet together was tricky) log cabin squares. Not enough for a quilt - am going to go to John Lewis tomorrow and get some backing fabrics for cushions, I think.

Am thinking I might pick up a pack of baby vests and do some appliqué for forthcoming niece/nephew. Would help if I knew what it was. They know but they aren't telling anyone.

Have decided I really want a new sewing machine. I bought a fairly basic Janome last year when i first started sewing and it's fine but my ambitions have grown and it doesn't do everything I'd like it too.
Unfortunately the only one that does is £1200!! So am going to have to decide if I want a stitch regulator more than I want to do machine embroidery. What machines do you have and what are the good (and bad) points?

snickersnack far nicer not to know, then you can do some nice applique vests without suddenly conforming to gender stereotypes.

Thanks for the link for joules Alice

Was hoping it wouldn't be that joules

Yeah nice images, nice colours, but pretentious overpriced stuff really isn't it?

I know that. But they are deeply traditional. If you can inspire me (teddies? letters?) then I will go for it. Have the perfect gender neutral fabric...

Animals?

I second animals, can't really go wrong there.

I've finally finished my merino wristwarmers. They're lovely. The pattern was pretty vague, and I had to rip it out and restart a few times, but they're done now.

I've also unpicked the sleeves from the sweater I made for christmas (), ready to sew back on again. I'll pin it out before sewing this time.

Snickersnack, I don't even know what my sewing machine does, I haven't used it yet! It's a hand-me-down and I've not got round to finding a pattern to try out.

I'm going to have a quick look at my scrapbooking materials, ready to crack on with it tomorrow evening.

Definitely agree with animals - no-one can complain about that.

Snickersnack - what do you use/want to use your sewing machine for? If you want the machine embroidery, it doesn't come cheap! Mine is an old Bernina, from my Grandma. It was top of the range when she bought it 25 years ago (before all the computerised, embroidery stuff, though), and still going strong.

However, I did recently treat myself to an overlocker. Still getting to grips with it, but finished that duvet cover in no time this weekend!