I like making things: Still not much going on in my crafting world but........

Sunday, September 18, 2016

Still not much going on in my crafting world but........

Another couple of weeks of hardly any crafting. We have had hospital and doctor's appointments to attend and hot weather to contend with. This summer has been long and very hot and I have been feeling pretty yuk lately, not to mention fighting a raging infection for which I now have antibiotics. The humidity has really aggravated the arthritis and some days I am so stiff and sore.

Enough of the excuses.

On the brighter side I did receive a beautiful gift from my blogger friend Kim. She is the lady making 60 gifts to send to people to celebrate her 60th year. I am poaching her pictures of what she sent me and what I sent her as I forgot to take pictures. Her work is amazing and very intricate. My work is less delicate I'm afraid.

I sent her some of my leather-work (a key ring, a wristband and a bookmark) and a Christmas tree ornament and some doilies my mother in law crocheted. The bookmark wasn't my best work but I really hate to waste things so I blinged it up to distract from the imperfections in the patterning.

She made this gorgeous bracelet and sent some fabric, embroidery thread and a little needle felting kit. I had never heard of needle felting so was not sure what I was supposed to do to turn the stuff that resembled candy floss into a cute little penguin.

Swarovski Crystal Bracelet

The instructions were included so I set about transforming it by poking it over and over with a barbed needle that was included. Thankfully they also provided a foam board so I could put it behind it and avoid poking myself although I did get poked a few times.

Once in the swing it was great fun and very therapeutic for this old lady feeling sorry for herself.

Here is a photo our daughter in law recently sent of our youngest grand daughter wearing one of the dresses I made earlier this year. She is growing so fast.

The doctor upped my medication to help with the arthritis, prescribed antibiotics and renewed the blood pressure meds. I am beginning to feel better thankfully and I think there will only be one more week of temperatures in the high 80's to contend with so life should get better hereon in.

Hopefully my next post will be more positive.

4 comments:

DawnSeptember 18, 2016 at 2:30 PM
I love your leather work, the penguin is so cute, needle felting is so therapeutic with all that stabbing, granddaughter is a real cutie its a shame they grow up so fast, hope you feel better soon :-)
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KimMSeptember 18, 2016 at 2:33 PM
Holy smokes! Your penguin looks adorable. Well done on your first felting project. So happy you liked your gifts.....and what a sweet little granddaughter!
xxx
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Carol- Beads and BirdsSeptember 19, 2016 at 5:06 AM
I see so many cute needle felted items. I bought a needle and have some roving but have never done it yet. The kit is a good idea. So nice that you got pictures of your granddaughter wearing the dress you made for her. Such a cute little girl!
xx, Carol
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SummerOctober 14, 2016 at 4:57 PM
Your granddaughter is such a cutie! Nice dress too ♥
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As in the words of Thumper: If you can't say 'nuffin nice don't say 'nuffin at all.

Glad you stopped by

I started this blog in 2011: Ever since my Mum taught me to knit at the age of about six or seven I have made things. Back then it was doll clothes. I was also inspired by Mrs Levitt an elderly lady who had a sewing room in a conservatory type room on the back of her house. I would sit and watch her in awe as she sewed.

When I was a child living in England the school system was such that you started at 5 years, did two years in Infant School, then four years in Primary School then five to seven years in Secondary School, depending on whether you chose to stay on after fifth form to get qualifications to go to University. I can't remember much of the Infant school other than making the standard square doily thingy from fabric that had holes in it so you could embroider patterns into it. A bit like the modern day cross stitch fabric but with bigger holes and spaces to make it easy for small hands to use. I also remember with great joy getting a toy sewing machine one Christmas which sewed only chain stitch but I did make doll clothes on it and that was before I started Primary school. I do have very vivid recollections of Primary school and having sewing and knitting lessons. In Primary school I knitted gloves and made a dress from scratch hand sewing it all.

Secondary school continued on with sewing by which time I had progressed to using full sized sewing machines and was making more intricate skirts and dresses. My parents bought me a proper sewing machine when I was thirteen. I used that same machine right up until I emigrated to Canada at age forty six years.

I have always had a fascination for sewing machines and knitting machines. I bought my first knitting machine at around age twenty one from an ad in a newspaper for twelve pounds. I had absolutely no idea what one was just that I wanted one. I trundled on the bus to the address in the advert and handed over my twelve pounds having absolutely no idea what I had really bought. Fortunately it came with a manual. It was an aged Knitmaster, very basic and I loved it. I wore it out. Next was a Brother push button one which I didn't keep because it was at a time in my life when things were difficult. Later on in my life, around forty, when things were better I bought a brand new Brother punchard machine with a ribber attachment. I loved it and made many things. Life took a different turn, I moved countries twice and along the way, regrettably I sold it.

Now, through the universe's blessing I now have another machine. It is a vintage one because they stopped making them early 90's but works perfectly and I love it. So I decided to make this blog to document my knitting progress and include sewing projects.

In 2013: we embarked on a new hobby, leather-work. My husband got started with it and it drew me in. It is something we can do together. We have a workshop so have plenty of room to work. We added another workbench for me to work on in 2013. We already had one but we were tripping over each other both trying to work at it. We only make things we want to make. It is strictly a hobby. We made some things for our good neighbours who help us out a lot. I am also working on Christmas presents. So this blog now incorporates the leather-work. Knitting and sewing will always be my first love though.

Fast forward to 2023 and now age almost 75 years. I have seven sewing machines, four knitting machines, several ribber attachments and a garter carriage for one of the machines. I am blessed beyond words, but I know that I have more than enough machines to keep me going in my lifetime so I don’t think I will be adding to my collection any time soon……….unless a nice embroidery machine manifests itself very cheaply.

I am a Brit living in the USA, sometimes I spell like a Brit and sometimes like an American. Sometimes I use slang and even make grammatical errors. I blog for the pleasure of it and to record my endeavours in the event that my memory fades, as I am sure it will with more age. I will be able to look back and remind myself of the things I have made along the way. So please forgive my mistakes when reading about my life making things here in the hinterlands and I hope you get as much enjoyment from my blog as I do from reading the blogs I follow.

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Sunday, September 18, 2016

Still not much going on in my crafting world but........

4 comments: