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

oooh I love using an overlocker!

snickersnack animals are safe, buzzy bees, birds, ladybirds and lizards...

...fish, rabbits, cats and dogs, lions, giraffes, elephants, penguins...

Hello ladies! I am back from my mums.
My sister ,loved her project bag and I used mine loads, was very handy!
I also visited the little craft shop in my mums village and bought a load of hairclip/brooch bases and some new craft eyes...
The list got a bit confused as my brother came to visit as well so I made him a crochet Cthulu after showing him the website and him going into hysterical giggling raptures. (he is 25)
I also cut his hair, that's sort of creative right? Looked quyite good actually, just clipped back and sides and then about an inch long on top. Just hope his GF likes it as it was about 3 inches long and curly before....

Appliques could also be leaves, trees, sun, star, moon, planets, comets, or food, apples, oranges, bananas, strawberries.

We are not really helping with so many suggestions, are we?

New list!

-Roman blinds for kitchen (but not until I can figure out how to fix them to my UPVC frame and tiled wall/alcove)
-Nappy bag for friend
-Crochet flowers for brooches and hairclips.

Now, I need help. MIL is veyr ill in hospital, she had a stroke a few months ago and is still unable to move her left and is getting very down about it. It's her birthday in 2 weeks. She has been moved to rehab which is really warm so blankets are out. Her sight is not good so photo frames etc are out.
I do want to get her an mp3 and do a mixtape type thing for her with the DC's talking and some music but what else can I do?

How about a case for the mp3 player?
This one is for an ipod nano, but straight-forward to change the size.

Oh good diea, I can do baggy things. It would need to be just a large storage bag as she only has the one hand to manipulate it so I want her to be able to use it when on her own.

Ok Jack. Challenge accepted.

cactus?

Fabulous. I want one now

Random cuteness

Bums. Those are all so cute (have bookmarked that last one for later too) but she has lost her vision too so decorative stuff is not any good. I have made her a large flower in Aston Villa colours, but she couldn't spot the colours.
am bringing thread down now but to lighten it up, I've just made a crochet Jaffa Cake!

Are any of you guys on Facebook? I was thinking of starting a group to stick my pics on as somewhere to store them off my phone.

A crochet jaffa cake?! Sounds perfect for my diet! Link?
(after I complained at all the links earlier...)

Yes, I'm on Facebook; hadn't thought of using it for photos of crafting. Of course, that would mean having to take photos of finished items (not that there's much danger of many of those...)

Here you go
No other link as I made it up while DD's were scoffing chocolate for pudding [bad mummy]
I do havea blog as well but I normally have pics on my mobile so is easier to upload onto there than my blog for speed.

Fish, owls and rabbits, I think. Will try and remember to post some pictures when done.

Got a bit distracted today by starting to quilt the quilt I've made for my mum for Christmas (I know it's only April but I've got several to make). Was a bit like wrestling an octopus trying to get it through the machine though.

I love the pots of crochet flowers. My 92 year old great aunt would love that! An incentive to crochet if ever there was one.

Have joined the FB group. Love the Jaffa cake, will peruse the other photos in a bit.

Jack, I'm thinking... something soft, comfortable, rather than warm iyswim.
Something like a laptable, prop or organiser to hold stuff in place so she can reach it, find it easily?

My scrapbook page is coming along nicely.

love the jaffa cake!

Today I have finally almost completed the laptop sleeve, with a zip opening. It was a PITA to think up the pattern though.

I have also patched up all the holes in DS's trousers, three pairs in total, that's kinda creativew right? I took the back pockets off and stitched them over the holes in the fornt knees

and cut more traingles for the never-ending bunting....

Very thrifty OMDB!

My scrapbook page is complete!

Scrapbooking is really good fun. New addiction forming.

Next -

• sew sleeves onto Christmas (09) jumper
• finish Paint by Numbers
• cross-stitch bookmark for step-MIL?
• red jumper for DS
• learn to crochet

I love being thrifty wastingaway

It gives me great satisfaction

I need your creative help you lot, what would the cheapest way be to attach all the triangles to make bunting? Bias binding and ribbon are just too expensive for the length I need, was thinging of making my own bias binding out of black-uot material (because is doesn't fray) but does anyone have any better ideas?

Hello can I join too please?

to-do list:

• also want to make pillowcase dresses for dd but the only old pcases I have all ming quite badly
• wrap around skirt for self
• ribbon/bead curtain for dressing table mirror
• 100% escape-proof ventilated lid for rabbit enclosure (this is impossible I know)

ALso a question: how many of you have taught yourselves to sew? And are you happy with the results?

OMDB, you can buy stuff called bunting tape from e-bay for about £5.00 for 50m that I then sewed my triangles onto using zigzag and turning the tops over at the same time.

OMDB
"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..."

Sorry it has taken ages to get back, I hope this is not too late!

What I did was:

1. Cut length of fabric just over twice the height that you want the triangles to end up.
2. Fold this over right sides together to make a rectangle, just over the triangle height and pin roughly.
3. Make template 1/4 inch larger than you want triangles to end up.
4. Starting at one end, draw a whole zig-zag of triangles along the length of your folded fabric - each time turning the template and lining it up on the line of the previous triangle.
5. Move the pins so that there is one at each corner.
6. Starting at one end, sew round the long side of each triangle inside the lines (leaving what will be the tops open).
7. Cut apart along the lines and slit the top of the triangles that were up against the fold so that you can turn them the right way out.

I hope this helps!

Thank you skiesareblue, both for the bunting tape pointer and the instructions! I am going to try that method for the old duvet, I'm actually getting quite good at cutting the triangles using a rotary cutter, cutting mat and quilting ruler but a change of method would ease the tedium

EndangeredSpecies I taught myself to sew, through trial and error, following patterns, experimenting a bit (sometimes with disasterous results) and just trying. Sometimes I am happy with the results, sometimes a helpful hint or tip from a friend or from online forums and tutorials has made the difference between a mediocre result and a fab result.

There are literally hundreds of free tutorials available online these days to help this basic sewing techniques.

Ah ha, you see I did not have such kit at the time! I remember the tedium well though, some of the triangles came out a little wonkier than others when I was a few glasses of wine in at 1am in the morning.

skiesareblue, that's genius. I have a duvet from the charity shop that would make such cute flowery summer bunting, will have to try that method.

endagered, I taught myself mostly from tutorials online, I could sew and knew the basics of using a machine from school but hadn't touched anything in years. I taught myself to crochet last January as well. Still can't knit though!

I also subscribed to some cool magazines, Sew Simple is brilliant and quite funky, and they have patterns and very simple ideas with detailed instructions. Or the library will have some generic sewing books that are helpful as well.

Endangered, I pretty much taught myself last year. Hated it at school, bought a cheap sewing machine and a couple of books, a cheap pattern and some fabric and made dd a dress. Have done quite a bit since then - I did a class at Peter Jones in London which taught me to do zips and buttonholes. I've signed up for a couple of quilting classes as I've reached the end of the line without some help, but YouTube is a pretty good teacher.

I also hated sewing at school - I used to pin, and re-pin until someone had thread a sewing machine in the colour I wanted to use!

I picked up an old hand sewing machine in a charity shop when I was a student and decided I wanted to make a dress like one a friend had. So I just bought some fabric and a pattern and just followed the instructions... Back in those days I had a How-Hard-Can-It-Be? attitude - saw something I wanted to do and just dived straight in without stopping to ask whether it was too hard or needed more experience. As a result I tackled all kinds of things I wouldn't have attempted if I'd known more!

Other than that, I learnt to crochet when I was around 12 or so, and taught myself to knit (poorly) while I was pregnant. I don't do much of either these days, though - I'm addicted to the sewing.

So pretty much self-taught, like others. This thread is not a good advertisement for Needlework lessons in schools...

I miss that attitude skiffler.

I have a 30 year old Complete Guide To Sewing, do you think it will still be relevant? Technology and equipment-wise?

I've got the sewing machine manual, and a current Starting Sewing type booklet too.

Is it the Readers' Digest one? I've got that and it's very good - very comprehensive. Sewing techniques don't really change that much; there may be more sophisticated tools and materials available that will make things a little easier if you know about them, but the basics are universal. Some of the photos can be a little in a 70s book, though...

That's the one. I love the foam block furniture.