The craft thread Showing 1,051-1,100 of 2,368

[Emma]

Thank you, it's far easier to do than it looks. No zips or anything to go wrong really. And my waist mostly just looks small in relation to the rest of me! There's nothing wrong with sewing slowly, I've had to make myself slow down to avoid silly mistakes.

[[deleted user]]

Today's free craft books

Candle making
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0...

Making bath bombs
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0...

Make your own kindle cover
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0...

[Pat ()]

[img]http://www.goodreads.com/photo/group/...

Hmm [img]URL[/img] doesn't seen to work for me any more. Am I doing something wrong or has it changed?

The links work but the image isn't inserted.

[Karen]

They linked fine for me, Pat. And very pretty they look too. Clever you.

[Philip (sarah)]

Gorgeous Pat!

[Pat ()]

Thanks ladies.

[Lexie]

Been doing some more felting in the hot weather - great fun! Does anyone have tips for crafts for the heat?

Photos:

http://www.murrayofletho.blogspot.co.uk/

But now I have to try to get my head round a wildlife-themed duvet cover: not even sure what materials, but readily washable seems to be a priority!

[Emma]

Only good thing about being off sick is that I have finally got back to my cross stitch. It is a birth sampler for my cousins baby that was born in March! Hopefully they'll have it by Christmas at least now lol!!
Only thing I am struggling with is that it uses 3 strands rather than 2 and I find that it knots up so much quicker than 2!! Never mind, I am enjoying doing it again :-)

[[deleted user]]

Beautiful blanket, Pat! You are so talented!

Love your felting, too Lexie, so colourful.

[[deleted user]]

Today's free craft book

Crochet
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0...

[[deleted user]]

Today's free craft books

Applique
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0...

Crochet
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0...

Cross stitch
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0...

[Pat ()]

Karen (Kew) wrote: "Beautiful blanket, Pat! You are so talented!

Thanks Karen, both squares were free patterns and are very easy to do.So not really like the lovely ones you make.

[Philip (sarah)]

Emma (Em or Emz) wrote: "Only good thing about being off sick is that I have finally got back to my cross stitch. It is a birth sampler for my cousins baby that was born in March! Hopefully they'll have it by Christmas at ..."
You may know this already Emma, if you seperate each thread individually ( from the 6 strand) and then put them together again they are less liable to twist and knot. Gives a neater finish too.

[Emma]

Philip (sarah) wrote: "Emma (Em or Emz) wrote: "Only good thing about being off sick is that I have finally got back to my cross stitch. It is a birth sampler for my cousins baby that was born in March! Hopefully they'll..."

Nope didn't know that! Thanks Sarah I shall try that when I pick it up tomorrow :-)

[Karen]

I didn't know that either! Thanks for the tip

[Lexie]

Good tip! I remember doing one with blended threads once (one strand from each of two colours) and now I think about it, they did sit well.

[[deleted user]]

Just got back from town where I've been buying the yarn to make my sister's blanket for her wedding present. I don't think I enjoy any other type of shopping more now than choosing wool! Lots of lovely colours and textures *drools*.

;0)

[[deleted user]]

Today's free craft books

Nail varnish techniques
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0...

Crochet
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0...

[Philip (sarah)]

Oh Karen you would love the shop in Newburgh. They make and dye many of their own yarns and they are just breath-taking. The colours and textures mmmmmm!
It's like being in a sweetie shop!

[Lexie]

Oh, it's too long since I've been to Newburgh! I get overexcited just thinking about it - it's gorgeous!

[Philip (sarah)]

We were there recently Lexie and they had a scarecrow competition in progress based on scenes from films.
The wool shop had a huge display outside the Town Hall a combination of knitted items as well as models. Terrific.

[[deleted user]]

That wool shop sounds gorgeous, Sarah! Am suitably jealous.

I'm getting on well with my sister's wedding gift blanket. It's made up of 189 (aargh!) hexagons. The pattern instructs you to sew them all together when you have finished. I looked at the motifs while I was working and was wondering on the best way to approach the joining later, when I had a brain wave. Until recently, I always used to crochet lace. I don't remember ever using a pattern where you had to sew lace motifs together, you join them as you go. So that is what I am doing with this blanket - joining the motifs with slip stitches at suitable places. It looks ok to me and will save at least two or three days work. I can watch the blanket grow instead of just watching piles of motifs getting bigger and having to face an orgy of sewing at the end!

I'm still waiting for the freebie email to come in that I get the free craft books from...

[Lexie]

I wish John Lewis or somewhere like that would have a service where you could take in your knitting and have it sewn up at the end. I know they will knit things to order, but all I want done is that tedious sewing! I've done all the hard work, is it too much to ask?!

[Lynne (Tigger's Mum)]

I used to do a lot of knitting and bought a linker. To be honest it looks good when finished but takes nearly as long to set up so its been in the loft for years. it joins with a chain stitch so crocheting the seams has the same effect and it as quick. Karen I always join motifs as I go along.

[Lexie]

I've never heard of one. Is it better for big things like jerseys or could you feasibly use it for all those fiddly little seams on things like stuffed toys? I don't really mind doing jerseys so much.

[Philip (sarah)]

Don't tend to knit much nowadays but when I did used to get MIL to sew up for me!
I remember my Mum had a contraption(I think my Dad made it for her) and she used it for joining seams and stitching crochet squares together.

[Lynne (Tigger's Mum)]

I used to make Guernsey jumpers to order so it did the seams. Mine had the machine, hand operated, like a small sewing machine and then it has a toothed bed about a 12- 14 inches long and you place the two pieces to be joined on the teeth. So you can do seams but if they are longer you have to start again. If when you are machine or hand knitting you don't cast off but knit some rows in waste wool you put the stitches on loose and the make a very neat seam on the shoulders. I occasionally do that by hand knitting a two stitches (one from each piece together but on a knitting needle) then casting off, its flexible and very tidy on a shoulder.

[Lynne (Tigger's Mum)]

I don't think a linker would be suitable for toys and fiddly things Lexie.

[[deleted user]]

Sounds like someone could make a living sewing all our knitting and crochet together!!!

[Lexie]

Indeed! I was afraid it mightn't be suitable for fiddly things. I've done the casting off together of front and back shoulders which I think is great, and I also graft toes of socks, but if you find someone, Kew, let me know!

[Lynne (Tigger's Mum)]

I once sewed up a garment for a friend and she'd made two right fronts when I phoned her to say there was a problem she said "well can't you just turn it round". Err No. She was quite put out with me!

[Lexie]

Perhaps that's why John Lewis don't offer the service!

[Jay-me (Janet)]

When I used to knit I would get mum to do all the sewing up and tidying in of loose ends etc.

[Karen]

Interesting that quite a lot of the quilts I've seen recently in 'Show & Tell' meetings have been lovingly made and then sent out to be quilted elsewhere.

[Lexie]

I visited House of Dun, a National Trust for Scotland property near Montrose, last year. It's bunged to the rafters with embroidery done by one of the ladies of the house around 1900, absolutely heaving with it. Since she also ran the estate with a rod of iron, we wondered how she found the time, but the guide said that she did the interesting bits, while the dull background stuff was given to her French chef who had a bit of a talent for needlework!

[Lynne (Tigger's Mum)]

Lexie, That's my friend to a Tee! The one who knitted me the two right fronts. She buys kits of tapestry and only does the motifs, she's given me loads of cushion covers with the background to do. Its all beautifully kept in a wardrobe, I was stunned when she showed me how much she'd got. I have to be so careful when I see her as I don't want her to give me things. It makes me feel uncomfortable plus she tells me where in my home I should put them and I find it controlling. She's lovely and in her eighties so I don't say anything to upset her but I try to avoid the situation tactfully.

[Jud]

The boring background stuff if my favourite bits, it's usually the easiest cause it's blocks of colour. I'm doing grass on my cross stitch at the minute and it's a nice breaks from the multitude of colours in the middle of the picture

[Emma]

I've just received the material I ordered and the possibilities are too much for me to handle! I can't decide what to do with it. Might have to make a trip to the fabric shop to look through the pattern books for inspiration. It's just so much better than browsing the internet.

Making two fronts sounds exactly like something I would do! I'm forever having to resew sections of things because I've managed to put them in backwards or upsidedown or something equally silly.

[Karen]

Have just posted a pic of my latest cushion - http://www.goodreads.com/photo/group/...
Think I'm becoming addicted to making cushions. They're just a nice size to have a play with and finish within a few days. Tho if I added up the cost of the fabrics plus the hours I spend making them, they'd retail at about four hundred quid!
Will put the template on my blog, cos it's one from A Patchwork of Poison. Now looking at playing with the hemlock template.

[Pat ()]

I have been trying to do some interlocking crochet. I am finding it hard going. I have put it to one side and will see if I really want to persevere with it or scrape the whole idea.I think I might just do that.

[Gingerlily - The Full Wild]

Karen, the cushion is gorgeous! I would seriously commission you to do one for me. In a different design.

[Philip (sarah)]

Beautiful cushion Karen!
I spent an hour in Hobbycraft today and was very tempted by the 3 dimensional patchwork on display. Settled for some scrapbook and cardmaking stash. Made some cards when I got home.
Hope you work the crochet out Pat, sometimes taking a break helps.

[Karen]

Thanks Sarah. Still haven't made it to Hobbycraft yet but I did find a wonderful patchwork & quilting shop in Ludlow yesterday. my OH went off to take a few photos and he couldn't believe I was still in there when he came back! I did buy a few things...

[Philip (sarah)]

HeHe! Phil left me there while he went to B&Q.
I also bought some stuff in TKMaxx. A bag of goodies from the Portobello Rd. range by Papermania. £46 worth for £15. the money saved can go towards the parking fine we got!
TKMaxx are selling lots more craft items now.

[Kay (Golden Girl)]

Hi Sarah ,sounds like you had a good shopping trip ,pity about the fine ,will have to see if we have a Tkmaxx here in Warrington .Will Pm you tomorrow not sure if you got message of thanks ,was trying to work out who I had thanked and who I missed out,after my holiday x

[Philip (sarah)]

Hello Kay! Got your email :@)! Glad you got back safely.

[Kay (Golden Girl)]

Sarah have just posted a PM .

[[deleted user]]

Sorry that I haven't been about much to list the free craft books lately. We're working away from home a lot more and we've just spent a few days visiting family. I don't get to go online as much as I used to.

We were working in Bristol earlier this week, and en route from one job to the next passed a fantastic looking yarn shop! Couldn't stop as there was no time and it wasn't anywhere near where we were staying or working - it was torture to just drive past!!!

;0)

[✿Claire✿]

I tried to make a crochet teddy for a friend's baby. One half looks great, the other is bigger and the head's not in the middle.... going to have to remake that side!

[[deleted user]]

Today's free craft books

Crochet
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0...

Cross stitch
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0...

Paracord fushion knots
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0...