I wonder what the collective noun is for a bunch of crafters? There is a parliament of owls, a mischief of mice and a kaleidoscope of butterflies. Witches are a coven, so have you any suggestions for crafting, an embellishment of embroiderers or a parcel of paper crafters perhaps. Clean suggestions welcome!
Are there any crafting groups in the area we don't know about, let me know and I'll put your details on here. As crafters we enjoying our own work areas, whether that's the dining room table, a kitchen worktop or if you are really lucky your own craft room. When a crafters children start to leave home we feel the the same mixture of sadness and pride as everyone else, but there is something else in there as well. At the first mention that a child is moving into there own place, a crafter starts to visualise walls of shelves with neatly arranged boxes of crafting goodies, cabinets for all those necessary machines we buy and a large work space to spread out on. We start to mentally redecorate the room and think of all the pretty things we can now display. Men have their cave, Hobbits have their hole, but crafters NEED a large, sunny room craft room, it's one of life's necessities!
But even though we enjoy our own spaces and solitude in which to create we are by nature a gregarious bunch. At craft events we flock together at make and takes, we have no problem chatting to complete strangers about anything. We are as a rule a generous bunch as well, always prepared to help others. Be it a fellow crafter with advice or with donated makes to good causes. We are, on the whole, a lovely bunch of people, maybe that's what we should call ourselves, a loveliness of crafters, it has a nice ring to it (although I think that's already a collective noun for something, I just can't remember what!)
So if there is anyone out there who wants to put forward a crafting group, my daughter and I will certainly visit. If there aren't any local craft groups then maybe we should start one, maybe all crafts welcome with tea and biscuits and a good gossip, crafting heaven.
Well I'm off to make some Halloween decorations before it gets too hot, I have a table in our conservatory (north facing thankfully!).
Goodbye for now,
Louise x
Friday, 19 July 2013
Monday, 15 July 2013
Crafting contradictions
Are you all enjoying the heat? It's a little bit too hot for me I'm afraid I don't cope well when it's this hot. But kids love it don't they, as soon as there is a bit of sun it's ' can we have the pool out?'. Being crafters though we work in contradictions, hottest week of the year, start thinking about Christmas then. Carolyn mentioned that she had started to order her Christmas fabrics the other day, I can't wait to see what she gets. They have so many uses at Christmas, decorations, for cards and gifts.
But I am also thinking of Halloween as well, even though the summer isn't over and we have the school holidays to come soon. You start to look to autumn, I measure the year in the things we do, family rituals. Soon it will be blackberry time, then rosehips and autumn mists. Getting ready for the new school year, new uniforms and always new pens, pencils and pencil cases (no matter how many they already have!). I always make my Christmas cake the first weekend in September. Then you start to look to Halloween and fancy dress, home decorations and ridiculous amounts of sweets. Next comes Bonfire Night with parkin, toffee apples and bonfire toffee lollies. You can smell the smoke just thinking about it. Then it seems as soon as Bonfire Night is over it's full pelt towards Christmas itself, the kids start practicing for nativity plays and rehearsing carols. Another year gone.
As soon as she gets her seasonal fabrics in I will put some photographs on, there should be Halloween and Christmas fabric coming in stock. She also stocks name tags, so maybe get ahead and get some. I think this year I am going to write myself a countdown to Christmas, as no matter how early I start thinking about it there is always something that doesn't get done or is last minute. I'm going to get a note book and write a project per page, plus the things I need to do it. That way I might be a bit more organised this year, I can only hope!
I will let you get back to your sunbathing and barbecuing now, but maybe call in and see Carolyn when you have chance (Make Me Fabrics) or keep watch on her face book page.
Bye for now,
Louise x
But I am also thinking of Halloween as well, even though the summer isn't over and we have the school holidays to come soon. You start to look to autumn, I measure the year in the things we do, family rituals. Soon it will be blackberry time, then rosehips and autumn mists. Getting ready for the new school year, new uniforms and always new pens, pencils and pencil cases (no matter how many they already have!). I always make my Christmas cake the first weekend in September. Then you start to look to Halloween and fancy dress, home decorations and ridiculous amounts of sweets. Next comes Bonfire Night with parkin, toffee apples and bonfire toffee lollies. You can smell the smoke just thinking about it. Then it seems as soon as Bonfire Night is over it's full pelt towards Christmas itself, the kids start practicing for nativity plays and rehearsing carols. Another year gone.
As soon as she gets her seasonal fabrics in I will put some photographs on, there should be Halloween and Christmas fabric coming in stock. She also stocks name tags, so maybe get ahead and get some. I think this year I am going to write myself a countdown to Christmas, as no matter how early I start thinking about it there is always something that doesn't get done or is last minute. I'm going to get a note book and write a project per page, plus the things I need to do it. That way I might be a bit more organised this year, I can only hope!
I will let you get back to your sunbathing and barbecuing now, but maybe call in and see Carolyn when you have chance (Make Me Fabrics) or keep watch on her face book page.
Bye for now,
Louise x
Sunday, 7 July 2013
My husband's birthday present
I forgot to put a photo of Paul's birthday present on the other day, so here it is. I told him it was something to have with his lunch at work. His workmates reckon he is a hypochondriac and he has ocd, he inside of the card says it isn't in his mind he is just cursed! So he opened at lunch and he thought it was really funny and so did his colleagues. Good job we both have an odd sense of humour! (I bought him a proper present too).
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Friday, 5 July 2013
Some of mine and my daughter's stuff
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| birthday card for my father in law |
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| valentines card for my husband Paul |
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| Mother's Day card for my mother in law |
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| One of Jessie's mixed media pieces |
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| Some of Jessie's canvases |
Who are we?
Late nights and early mornings
Well it's been one of those nights, the dog set of barking at half one. He's twelve and a half and can't climb the stairs anymore, he sleeps downstairs with the radio and a light on. I have to sit with him before we go to bed till he drops off, he doesn't like being on his own. It's like having a toddler again! So up I get because he is sat at the bottom of the stairs doing his impression of a poor abandoned waif and stray. His legs must have been hurting because he wouldn't settle, so out he went for a wee, then a drink of water. By this time it was half two and I was wide awake so I thought I might as well put a load of washing in ( as you do at that time in the morning). My daughter then appeared in the kitchen because she couldn't sleep and wanted company. The result being we sat watching a documentary on the fairy tale castles of King Ludwig the second of Bavaria, it was very interesting. Not that my daughter and the dog noticed they fell asleep half way through, typical!
I tried to move her but she wanted to stay on the sofa, so that was my late night and early morning. I couldn't go to bed and leave her as she has been suffering from bad depression for the last eighteen months, I don't want her to be alone if she wakes up. When you have bad dark moments knowing someone is there to love you and hold you and keep you safe can make all the difference.
On a more cheerful note I have got my fabric for the picnic rug, the green farm cotton and some denim to back it, with wadding to go in between. I washed the denim first to get rid of any excess dye, I put a couple of once were white kitchen towels in and they are now a lovely shade of blue. Also bought Jessie some lining for the curtains she is going to make, never realised it was so thick and stiff. Can't see much light getting through that, bought her ordinary lining and some header tape as well. I thought she could use the black out fabric as a separate liner, so that has one inch heading and the main curtain has three inch.
Jessie did textiles at college, but they didn't learn to make clothes or things like that. There was a lot of free stitch machine embroidery and art textile pieces. I thought curtains would be a good place to start learning to sew properly, it's just straight lines really. She has bought herself a couple of fifties style dress patterns, so that can be her next project. As long as she takes it slow and gets the preparation right she should be ok. Carolyn is making a summer dress for her daughter at the moment. It's made out of one of the lovely ditsy cotton prints she has on her stall (Make Me Fabrics,) with shearing across the top. I hope her daughter wears it when she has finished, she is not really a dress kind of child. With two older brothers she is more of a shorts, t-shirt and mud girl!
Well I'm off now to get my daughter up, she has the photos I want to put on the blog. They are on her very posh, very complicated camera (she did photography at college as well) and I dare not touch it. Wouldn't have a clue anyway! So hopefully by this afternoon there will be photos, cross your fingers. Back after the weekend, it's forecast a nice one so I hope you all have a good time. Have a walk down the market to see Carolyn and be inspired by the nice weather and pretty cottons and make a summer dress yourself.
Bye for now,
Louise xx
I tried to move her but she wanted to stay on the sofa, so that was my late night and early morning. I couldn't go to bed and leave her as she has been suffering from bad depression for the last eighteen months, I don't want her to be alone if she wakes up. When you have bad dark moments knowing someone is there to love you and hold you and keep you safe can make all the difference.
On a more cheerful note I have got my fabric for the picnic rug, the green farm cotton and some denim to back it, with wadding to go in between. I washed the denim first to get rid of any excess dye, I put a couple of once were white kitchen towels in and they are now a lovely shade of blue. Also bought Jessie some lining for the curtains she is going to make, never realised it was so thick and stiff. Can't see much light getting through that, bought her ordinary lining and some header tape as well. I thought she could use the black out fabric as a separate liner, so that has one inch heading and the main curtain has three inch.
Jessie did textiles at college, but they didn't learn to make clothes or things like that. There was a lot of free stitch machine embroidery and art textile pieces. I thought curtains would be a good place to start learning to sew properly, it's just straight lines really. She has bought herself a couple of fifties style dress patterns, so that can be her next project. As long as she takes it slow and gets the preparation right she should be ok. Carolyn is making a summer dress for her daughter at the moment. It's made out of one of the lovely ditsy cotton prints she has on her stall (Make Me Fabrics,) with shearing across the top. I hope her daughter wears it when she has finished, she is not really a dress kind of child. With two older brothers she is more of a shorts, t-shirt and mud girl!
Well I'm off now to get my daughter up, she has the photos I want to put on the blog. They are on her very posh, very complicated camera (she did photography at college as well) and I dare not touch it. Wouldn't have a clue anyway! So hopefully by this afternoon there will be photos, cross your fingers. Back after the weekend, it's forecast a nice one so I hope you all have a good time. Have a walk down the market to see Carolyn and be inspired by the nice weather and pretty cottons and make a summer dress yourself.
Bye for now,
Louise xx
Tuesday, 2 July 2013
Carolyn's new stock
Well I have just been on my sister's Facebook page (make me fabrics) and it turned out to be the wrong thing to do. She has now got some jars of candy coloured buttons in different shapes and sizes, that are just begging to be bought. If for no other reason than how pretty they look. She also has some new glue in that' s going to have to go in the basket as well. I have a lot of glue, glue for sewing, glue for card making, adhesive tapes and glue dots, foam pads and tapes, in fact an entire drawer full! Yet you can guarantee that if I need sellotape we never have any, I used to blame my son. Stuff used to go in his bedroom and never be seen again, but he's left home now, so it must be the sellotape fairy!
The farm fabric she put on the other day is going in the basket as well, I have decided to make a picnic blanket and back it with the denim she has in stock. I thought about backing it in the vinyl fabric to keep the damp from coming through. However, I
don't know if that would be too stiff, I'll have to see when I get to her stall.
I've just said to her I don't know how she fits it all in, she keeps getting more and more stock (all stuff I obviously need!). Someone said the other day they call it Aladdin's cave, there is certainly something magical about it. Not just how lovely it looks, but it's like the Tardis, bigger on the inside, it must to be to fit everything in.
I'm going down today mainly to get some pictures of all her lovely things and of her so you can put faces to names. So hopefully by tomorrow the photos will be on my blog. I have some nice pictures of things Carolyn, my daughter Jessie and myself have made as well.
Well I better check my bank balance if I'm going to visit my sister this afternoon! She is not the only one who needs more storage space, but I'm sure I can find room for a few more things. Talk to you all later, bye for now.
Love Louise x
The farm fabric she put on the other day is going in the basket as well, I have decided to make a picnic blanket and back it with the denim she has in stock. I thought about backing it in the vinyl fabric to keep the damp from coming through. However, I
don't know if that would be too stiff, I'll have to see when I get to her stall.
I've just said to her I don't know how she fits it all in, she keeps getting more and more stock (all stuff I obviously need!). Someone said the other day they call it Aladdin's cave, there is certainly something magical about it. Not just how lovely it looks, but it's like the Tardis, bigger on the inside, it must to be to fit everything in.
I'm going down today mainly to get some pictures of all her lovely things and of her so you can put faces to names. So hopefully by tomorrow the photos will be on my blog. I have some nice pictures of things Carolyn, my daughter Jessie and myself have made as well.
Well I better check my bank balance if I'm going to visit my sister this afternoon! She is not the only one who needs more storage space, but I'm sure I can find room for a few more things. Talk to you all later, bye for now.
Love Louise x
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