Crafty Chicks!!!!

[Maffie]

Hi all

I've lost my craft bug but hoping it will come back. I do loads of different crafts and have a craft room (although this is to become the nursery) I have a massive stash of scrapbooking and card makign goodies. I also do some cross stitch and jewellry making.

 

[nightkd]

Does anyone on here knit?? If so i am hoping to learn how and wondered if there was any advice ???

Hey, I knit.

I'd recommend going on youtube and finding a well rated beginners video. Just about to go to bed so will try and find and post some tomorrow.

I'm finding it easier (used to prefer thinner needles) to use some nice thick needles and good quality wool (that doesn't fray up easily). Put a slip knot onto one needle, slip the other needle through the back of the knot and bring the strand of wool over the top of that needle and push the needle down through the loop you make with the strand, then slip that onto the first needle.

Sounds complicated (thus why video guides are the best way to go - I might make some crafty videos tomorrow) and probably the only bit of useful advice you might understand enough to find actually useful is get some nice thick needles and good quality wool!!

It's very satisfying once you get the hang of it!!

xxx

 

[Seraphim]

Have any of you girls got a cross stich design programme??

I used to have a few, years ago, but can't find the discs.

I wanted to do a sampler to match the characters in the bedding set etc.

 

[Maffie]

Have any of you girls got a cross stich design programme??

I used to have a few, years ago, but can't find the discs.

I wanted to do a sampler to match the characters in the bedding set etc.

You have reminded me I have one, wonder where it si

 

[cyclura]

Hello ladies can I join you? I like to sew but I am not brilliant at it. I have not long finished a cloth nappy and a patchwork quilt, I am just trying to think of my next project

 

[nightkd]

Help! I have to make a scrapbook for DH's birthday in like...2 and a bit weeks.. (I've been waiting on photos from both our mum's for like a month, at least!!).. I have no idea where to start! Any tips? I've got some buttons and a few sheets of paper I like...A 12x12 album (which I need to decorate on the front!!)... Uhhhhh...that's about it, lol!

Do I need to stick the pages to thin card before I put them into the scrapbook?...

 

[BlackBerry25]

Nope I don't. I just slide them in.

I am making a one year scrapbook for my daughter, and it really is time consuming so I would get working now.

I really like to use double sided tape (it does get expensive though) because I find glue annoying.

And I usually just use paper, I am not one for a million things stuck on the page.

I will take some pics and show you

 

[BlackBerry25]

These aren't necessarily finished yet, I usually add a little blurb or the date, etc.
https://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn91/cannibalwendy2/IMG_5611.jpg

https://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn91/cannibalwendy2/IMG_5606.jpg

 

[nightkd]

Thanks Wendino, they look really nice. I think I'm over-thinking, trying to make things more complicated than they need to be! I like the simplicity of your pages, and the frame around the pictures. That's what I'm having most trouble with, fitting the pictures into the page rather than just sticking them on a piece of paper!!

I have no clue what to write for each page. It's a book of both of us from babies to now and we've only got approximate ages, no dates etc etc. I'm going to make it an ongoing project, so I'll do as much as I can for DH's birthday, but keep building it and adding to it.

 

[BlackBerry25]

I usually google little quotes or poems too if I have no idea what to put, or sometimes I leave it plain.

 

[PeanutBean]

What is everyone's latest craft project they are working on?

I am just painting some cheapo Ikea shelves black to hang above my windows to put some breakables on, far out of Helena's reach, and I should work on my scrapbooks a bit.

Putting all the house decorating aside, I'm working on painting a toy box for Byron. It's midnight blue with yellow stars. Just simple because I couldn't afford to buy lots of different colours! But I'm using stencils for the stars which is a bit tricky. The box came cheap from Argos. It's going to be for Byron's birthday.

I'm also working on a large embroidery piece that's really time consuming! Actually I'm working on three!

I don't have photos so this is what they will look like.
I've been doing this one since before I was pregnant when I just stopped sewing completely: https://www.sewandso.co.uk/prodimagesh/35314h.jpg
I already made https://www.sewandso.co.uk/prodimagesh/46037h.jpg so now I'm making: https://www.sewandso.co.uk/prodimagesh/46035h.jpg
For my parents ruby anniversary I'm currently sewing https://www.sewandso.co.uk/prodimagesh/46039h.jpg
For Christmas last year I gave them https://www.sewandso.co.uk/prodimagesh/47997h.jpg and my first proper piece of embroidery was https://www.sewandso.co.uk/prodimagesh/179h.jpg

 

[Trinity42]

I have been sewing since i was very young. I brought out my old sewing machine last week and decided to start making pet beds, and stuff for pets. I went today to buy everything i needed and got home and relized my sewing machine i have had since i was 9 was missing a piece from the bobbin, so I have to track down the missing piece and order it or eather get a new sewing machine....
I ended up sewing my kittens bed from hand and made my rat and hammick to put in her cage.

 

[BlackBerry25]

What is everyone's latest craft project they are working on?

I am just painting some cheapo Ikea shelves black to hang above my windows to put some breakables on, far out of Helena's reach, and I should work on my scrapbooks a bit.

Putting all the house decorating aside, I'm working on painting a toy box for Byron. It's midnight blue with yellow stars. Just simple because I couldn't afford to buy lots of different colours! But I'm using stencils for the stars which is a bit tricky. The box came cheap from Argos. It's going to be for Byron's birthday.

I'm also working on a large embroidery piece that's really time consuming! Actually I'm working on three!

I don't have photos so this is what they will look like.
I've been doing this one since before I was pregnant when I just stopped sewing completely: https://www.sewandso.co.uk/prodimagesh/35314h.jpg
I already made https://www.sewandso.co.uk/prodimagesh/46037h.jpg so now I'm making: https://www.sewandso.co.uk/prodimagesh/46035h.jpg
For my parents ruby anniversary I'm currently sewing https://www.sewandso.co.uk/prodimagesh/46039h.jpg
For Christmas last year I gave them https://www.sewandso.co.uk/prodimagesh/47997h.jpg and my first proper piece of embroidery was https://www.sewandso.co.uk/prodimagesh/179h.jpg

Those are so gorgeous. How do you get started with this? I am so interested!

 

[PeanutBean]

Those are so gorgeous. How do you get started with this? I am so interested!

They are the photos from teh website I buy from www.sewandso.co.uk though I don't know if they ship internationally. The pattern designers are international so there's probably a Canada shop you can them from.

I started maybe 3 years ago with a runner I bought with purple pansies on it. I started sewing with no idea of what I was doing. I showed my mum and she took me to a friend of hers who does loads of embroidery and told me I needed to split the threads! I had no idea! So I unpicked it and started again and also got an embroidery hoop so I could make it taught. It was quite good so I gave it my mum for her 60th birthday as she loves embroidery.

I then started the one with the blue bird and pink flowers. It was pretty epic but I bought a book of stitches so I knew how to do those I hadn't used in the first piece. The wood in the bottom corner is Persian wool which is quite hard but otherwise it seems I have a bit of a talent for it hitherto undiscovered. I'll attach a picture of the blue bird one as I was sewing it but I haven't one of the finished thing. My parents currently have it as they were planning on making a frame for me.

Aside from those attached I've only done little cross-stitch things and a tapestry cushion that I hated hated hated sewing! It looks ok but I can't get out of my head how much I disliked making it!

I have a plan for doing some white work, making candlewicking, on a navy tablecloth. My mum has the fabric for hemming. I'll then make white napkins with blue motifs of to complement it. I'm not sure of the design yet. It needs some thinking about the geometry - I want fancy corners, a track of design round the edges and an oval centrepiece - and then about the actual design. I really want to do something marine associated, like with white work lobsters on one corner, seahorses on another, that sort of thing, then use hydroids in the way stems are usually used to make the flowing patterns, iykwim...

Anyway. The book I use for stitches is 'The Embroidery Bible' by Betty Barnden and so far I've just bought kits as you see from my previous post.

 

[BlackBerry25]

It is a really beautiful artform!

 

[MummyBurgo]

I am wanting to start a scrapbook how do I go about it do I buy a special album to do this? Not done one before lol. made cards before tho

 

[nightkd]

I am wanting to start a scrapbook how do I go about it do I buy a special album to do this? Not done one before lol. made cards before tho

Hey, I just got into making my very first album for my hubby, Wendino was really helpful and gave me a few tips (thanks again! )... This is basically what I did for a starter album...

I bought a white (just because I wanted to decorate the cover) 12x12 album (just depends what size pages you want to use) with toploading pages (which is just slippies that have the opening in the top to put the paper in)... Got some nice bits of paper (12X12 for the page) some nice bits of complimenting paper (found out it's easier to get another 12x12 sheet to chop up, which will act as backing for the pictures) and picked out some pictures.. Placed the pictures on the page, cropped them down etc etc and made them fit nicely...cut some of the complimentary paper so it showed about a centimetre around each edge of the photo and stuck everything down. Added a couple of notes and buttons... That's about it. Kept it very simple...of course you can add ribbons and other decorative stuff to make it all pretty too! I just decided to keep it simple.

Here are some pictures of pages (some finished, some unfinished):

https://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr265/nightkd2/DSCF1147.jpg

https://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr265/nightkd2/DSCF1149.jpg

https://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr265/nightkd2/DSCF1150.jpg

 

[nightkd]

Just wanted to show off another prezzy I made for hubby, finished it last night (still need to get a centerpiece as the one I bought originally went missing, but there's a temporary one for the moment) he asked me to make him a new Rosary as he can't find his old one:

https://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr265/nightkd2/Rosary1.jpg

I'm rather proud

 

[MummyBurgo]

Wow nightkd that rosary is lovely!

Also I need to buy a special album where do I find these?? Lol

 

[nightkd]

Thank you!

You can generally get scrapbook albums at craft stores - Hobby Craft etc.. I'm sure smaller stores will keep some too. Uhh, Walmart here keeps a lot of Scrapbooking stuff so I imagine Asda will and maybe a big Tescos or Sainsburys.... Most crafty stores should keep some kind of selection nowadays. It'll generally be with all the pretty papers, stamping stuff etc...