Archive for the 'Memes' Category
A lovely mum at Niamh’s pre-school the other day offered me some of her son’s old shoes for Rohan. She was careful to add in the disclaimer – “that is, if you don’t mind hand-me-down stuff. I know some people do…”. I had to smile – that day in particular, Niamh was wearing op-shopped pants, and Rohan was in an op-shopped top and pants I made from an old pair of my own. I most certainly do not have a problem with hand-me-down. I can’t quite believe anyone would turn down a well-kept pair of (originally quite expensive) kid’s shoes. Would they?!
Anyway. In my creative space at the moment, I’m contemplating the future of some more Op Shop* finds. A bit of refashioning is in order for a few skirts I picked up a while back. The first has already undergone the chop:
It started out looking like this:
Meh. Not really my cup of tea. But perfect for cutting up and making more doll clothes!
The other two are much kinder to the eyeballs. The brown one is a few sizes too big for Niamh – I’m not sure whether I’ll try making this one into a top or just stick with something simple and do a downsized skirt.
The pink one is going to become a light summer dress – it has shirring at the top, so I’m planning to cut it down to size and use the excess fabric for straps.
Actually, I’m not sure how any of this will happen today. Thursday is crazy with ballet-piano-swimming attendance, and later tonight I’ll be popping in to Cathy’s exhibition 
But possibly I’ll carve out a little bit of time in there somewhere.
See what other creative folks are up to today, over at Kirsty’s place.
*Op Shop = Thrift Store
July 22 2010 | Memes and Sewing | 8 Comments »
In: snapped while the kids were waiting for their porridge this morning. Creative Space/ Kitchen Table reality, don’t you love it? I admit to an occasional green-eyed-monster moment when I see other spaces which are actually dedicated Craft Spaces, but my time will come!
I picked up a Pocket Bot kit from Jodie at the Stitches and Craft show (More on the show perhaps tomorrow.) Pieces were cut out during last night’s Masterchef. Hopefully it will be less in pieces later today.
Out: car crafting while Niamh was at her Kinderballet class and Rohan was sleeping in the back.
Trying to make sense of the Blair-Witchiness of DPNs. I am determined to conquer this circular knitting thing and make myself a cute pair of fingerless mitts for winter. Note everpresent iPhone, complete necessity for catching up on crafty blogs whilst out and about 
Hmmmm. I seem to becoming the just-Creative-Space-nothing-else blog. Must work on that! Meanwhile – see other Creative Spaces today over at Kirsty’s.
May 13 2010 | Memes and Sewing and Yarncraft | 8 Comments »
My creative space today is once again a study in jostling priorities. I have a bad case of can’t-decide-what-to-do-next-itis. The knitting bug is still about, after finishing off a beanie for Rohan at the weekend – I’d like to do something lacy, perhaps this (Ravelry logon necessary for that link)? The dyeing bug is biting once more as well, since a visit yesterday to my local Savers yielded all this crochet cotton, which is just crying out for a colour-makeover; and the crochet bug is also still on the loose, since Mr. Ebay kindly delivered my new crochet hooks, which will hopefully be kinder to the once-broken wrist than my regular hooks have been lately. (I’ll no doubt be satisfying the dyeing and crocheting urges in one hit, since the dyed cotton is destined for more ric-rac)
But what I really really am supposed to be doing, is sewing. The fabric beneath my goodies is leftovers from a friend’s kids’ playroom curtains. I promised weeks ago to turn it into a couple of floor cushions and a new doll-stroller cover. Easy really, I just can’t seem to get myself in the mood to do it. Perhaps the kids will be kind to me and have an early bedtime tonight?
Feel like playing along with your creative space? Head on over to Kirsty’s to leave your link and check out the other great spaces today.
April 29 2010 | Memes | 3 Comments »
I did say I was itching to get stuck back into the dyes, didn’t I?! Funny how when I get something into my head, the priorities list has a way of rewriting itself! Last night I dyed a few pieces of 100% wool felt. It’s the first time I’ve done this – I’ve been meaning to try it for an age, but was finally spurred on when I saw a) the lovely hand-dyed felt Trudi has been creating, and b) the deliciousness out at Winterwood. Winterwood is where I picked up my base felt – it is so soft and lovely, and it thickens up a bit more in the dyeing process. The trick is getting it not to thicken up too much – I was scared to poke and prod too much once it was wet, and as a result there is a bit more mottling than I was after in two of the pieces. Now I’m a bit more familiar with the process, I’m sure the next time will be a bit easier.
Combined with a little bit of car-crafting from Monday (doesn’t this make a lovely knob-cozy for my stereo?)…
…I think you can tell what I’ll be making more of today
Visit some more creative spaces via Kirsty.
Oh, and also Speaking of Colour, it has recently been brought to my attention (when I switched to using the family Mac, with it’s whizzbang monitor, instead of my less whizzbang laptop) that on some screens, my blog and all my photographs look a bit… crap! So if you have one of those screens, I’m really sorry. It would appear I’ve been blasting your eyeballs with oversaturated colour for the past however-long-you-have-been-reading 
For what it’s worth, the background felt in the above pictures should be a lovely creamy colour, not the light yellow it appears on my screen currently (of course, the problem could lie with the whizzbang screen I suppose!)
April 22 2010 | Dyeworks and Memes and Other Craft and Yarncraft | 7 Comments »
Today I’m making wee folk for my wee folk. Do you want to know how? Trudi posted this great little tutorial a couple of weeks ago as her Creative Space. She also sells kits in her etsy shop, with all the little bits and pieces you need, including some pieces of her hand-dyed felt. The embroidery floss is the only thing not included – I picked these two out of my stash of my own hand-dyed floss. (I’ve been itching to get back to some dyeing, too – so little time, so much to fill it with! But who’d be happy if that was reversed?!)
Have a happy Thursday, whatever you’re making or doing. Check out some more creative spaces over at Kirsty’s.
April 15 2010 | Memes and Other Craft and Sewing | 4 Comments »
In the left corner we have Beauty: crocheted ric-rac, inspired by Kate at Fox’s Lane; quick and easy tutorial found here. Fun, easy, and slightly addictive crocheting. No idea what I’ll be doing with it yet – I did threaten the bemused other half I’d trim a lampshade in it!
And in the right, the Beast: product of an impromptu knitting lesson with Mum yesterday. The change in the seasons has started up the two-needle-itch again, and I want to be ready for something a bit trickier than my one completed knitted thing.
Ugly, isn’t it?! But hey, there’s increasing, decreasing, short rows, a wee bit of lacy stuff, heel stitch, 1×1 rib, and picking up stitches along the edge, all in that little piece of ugly!
(Edited to say I realise that sounds like I meant Ro’s cardigan is ugly. No no, I actually meant the grey thing just up there. The cardi is still gorgeous, but I bet it doesn’t fit anymore)
Also in my creative space today are some little bits of not-allowed-to-show-you and a whole lot of nothing-to-see-here-but-supposed-to-be-finished-by-Sunday. (Because a certain wee someone we know is about to be one, and don’t mention it to me or I might just cry!)
My Creative Space comes to you courtesy of Kirsty!
April 08 2010 | Memes and Yarncraft | 13 Comments »
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