Five weeks of crafting

Lupin sent me an invitation to join a new flikr group recently, with the challenge to do a little bit of crafting, and document it, every day for a year - Crafting 365. This is the result of the first five weeks. Not quite one photo per day, but then how many pictures of the same crochet blanket can you take?


Five weeks down, only 47 to go!

Another day, another quilt

This quilt has been gestating for a while now, first in my head, and latterly on the floor of my sewing room, which has been covered in piles of fabric for days. Every so often I squint at them and rearrange them slightly, trying to find the perfect combination of colours and prints.


I started hoarding these bright floral fabrics months ago, inspired by this quilt by Jane Brocket, and inevitably ended up with enough to make three quilts. This is the first, and the rest of the material is still scattered around the room in ever changing stacks, awaiting that final flash of inspiration.

When you make a quilt, of course, you also make a large pile of offcuts. For a change I thought I would put some of them to good use, and sewed a couple of little pincushions. They also help to get through that enormous box of old buttons that seems to have crept up on me. How do things like that happen?


All for sale in my Etsy store

Who needs sleep?

What a fantastic weekend! 48 hours dedicated to all things craft, with no small children to interrupt proceedings. The Etsy UK retreat in York, hosted by the extremely generous Tinyisland, was a little bit of heaven.

Hand bound notebook - a present for number one

There was so much to do: screenprinting, machine embroidery, eating flapjacks, felting, bookbinding, drinking cider, painting, ceramic sculpture, eating chocolate, chatting, hand casting, rummaging through well stocked supplies cupboards....

Machine embroidered and beaded needle felt seascape

I need a rest now. Not to mention some fruit and vegetables.

The doctor prescribes sewing

It is challenge time again over on the Etsy UK team, and this month the theme is medicine. In keeping with last month's transforming pumpkin, I made a capsule shaped sewing kit and contents. I like things that are not what they seem - at least when it comes to crafts, anyway.


See all the great entries here.

Monkeying around

Today I made my first sock monkey. He is a crazy stripey thing, and number one is besotted. I now have to make another two for the others. Luckily the socks came in packs of six pairs!


If you want your own you can buy similar (but infinitely more professional) ones from the amazingly talented Siansbury's. Of course, family members can just ask nicely.

Transformations

I have been wondering about the nature of change lately. Is it possible that we can completely transform ourselves - from pumpkin to carriage - or is it that we simply release a part of our nature that has always been there, hidden under layers of duty, necessity, or embarrassment.

Being part of a community has enabled me to fully realise the creative side of my nature. It is wonderful to be able to share ideas, and have the mental space to create.

What is this community? It is the Etsy UK Street Team, and this is my entry for the June challenge - 'fairytales'. Join in - you never know what you might become.