Crafty stuff

projectalice

Here's the official craft thead!
We were discussing on the newbie thead how we would love to see pictures of each others crafts. So let's see them!
I love to weave and I'm currently finishing a scarf I hand dyed myself. I have a pretty blue ring sling I made before this, but this is my first project dyeing my own yarn. I'll include a few pictures of other yarn I've dyed lately. 

The scarf:

@mamanbebe @harrierwife @bumbly_b

The ring sling on the loom:


A desk runner I made for my husband:

projectalice

Oh here's some yarn I dyed!




The more pictures you have the better, I love seeing what people are up to!
If anyone has a page for me to follow too, let me know!

mamanbebe

Oh my goodness, those are beautiful! Where did you learn to weave, @projectalice ? 

mamanbebe

Here is a picture of me working on my first weaving in an intensive workshop I took in the spring. I made a couple small samples experimenting with yarn weights and shapes a little. I've tried weaving a bit with Pendleton blanket selvedge at home but they don't do well in frame looms so now I'm working on something similar to what is pictured, just practicing basics. I would like to get a Schacht flip loom when I have the funds, though. 

emeraldduchess

Beautiful work, ladies!  I love to knit, but I still have a lot to learn.  It's a good hobby to have, especially around the holidays.  Here is a scarf I made back in April, but obviously I haven't had a chance to wear it, yet. 

lillywonderland

Crafts!! This is a great thread! I love to sew and make cards/scrapbook and do crafts I find on pinterest. Here are some of my projects. I made a ton of clothes for my niece and nephew. (Apologies for the size - I’ve never uploaded pics from my phone before.)



@projectalice Those are beautiful! I love the dye jobs. I am a big fan of everything mint colored!

@mamanbebe I love all the colors you are using - so beautiful!

@emeraldduchess So envious that you can knit! I learned how to knit a long time ago, but I did not have the patience for it and I kept messing up, lol!

projectalice

@mamanbebe I found a lady about 45 min away that was willing to let me come over for a day and learn. She taught me how to dress the loom using a table loom, and then it made sense. I took it from there, and if I have a technical question I ask it in one of my weaving groups. I'll be forever grateful that the lady showed me how to get the yarn on my loom!
I love the idea of the Pendleton blanket selvedge though! Schacht looms are great, and the flip looms are lightweight and portable. They are on etsy for a pretty good price. One of these days I'll get another table loom, they are pretty handy!
@emeraldduchess I love the scarf, I have one very similar! My husband actually loves to knit, and his projects lately are mostly hats. It will be cold again before you know it and you need that scarf!
@lillywonderland those are adorable! You should make an etsy page or something. My mom was always pretty good at sewing but it's been many years since I touched my sewing machine. I'm not that great at it.

harrierwife

OMG THE LOOOOOOMS I AM SO JEALOUS. So gorgeous!

I started knitting back in 2005 and it was a total gateway drug for me. I learned to crochet, quilt, garment sew, spin yarn, etc. I would love to learn to weave. 

I'm working on creating an entirely handmade wardrobe for myself - right now I'm at about 75%. I just finished my first two swimsuits and am probably going to fall into bra making next. I keep putting off jeans making because I'm scared. 

I have a Bernina Q24 quilting machine which is my pride and joy and am currently restoring a 1951 Singer 15-91 Centennial that my husband found at a yard sale in Arizona. Otherwise, I sew on my grandmother's Kenmore machine. 

I'm making a custom shirt for my H's bday this week. I'll share photos once the fabric arrives. 

projectalice

@harrierwife those are all gorgeous! You have many talents! Bra making sounds really hard, and so does custom clothing. The closest I ever came to clothing was making a shirt and a pair of shorts using a pattern, like 20 years ago. I wish I had that sort of skill!

harrierwife

@projectalice - I mean this in the nicest way possible, but garment making doesn't take any particular talent, it just takes practice. Its a very doable hobby for anyone, really! Unlike some hobbies where you need a spare garage, expensive tools, etc, for sewing all you need is a very basic machine (a $100 machine from JoAnn's works perfectly!) and a kitchen table to work on. 

So many people are like, "I wish I could do that, but I don't have the talent," and it breaks my heart because then they never try to learn. 

Granted I read patternmaking and alterations books for fun, so there's that. 

projectalice

@harrierwife hmmmm maybe once I need a break from weaving I'll pick up sewing again. 
Where do you like to buy fabric from?

emeraldduchess

@lillywonderland those are precious!!  I love the little penguin outfit.  
@harrierwife, an entire handmade wardrobe?  That's amazing!  Beautiful quilts, too.  I have a sewing machine and have made a few basic quilts, but I haven't sewed in a few years.  I think making just basic costumes for our school plays put me off it for a while!  I made sooooo many long skirts for "Fiddler on the Roof"!

I have to make a big dent in my yarn stash before I will allow myself to buy any more yarn.  Some of my students distribute warm clothing to the homeless every fall, so I think I'll make hats and scarves for them to give out.  

mamanbebe

@lillywonderland those outfits are so sweet! 

@projectalice that is wonderful that you were able to find someone to teach you on their loom we have a weaving center a few blocks from me, but they have historically had a 2 year waitlist, which is now so long that they closed the list indefinitely. i think i can find someone to do private lessons but i need to get more in the habit of working on my frame loom again first. 

@harrierwife i love that you've dug right in with so many projects! how did you get into quilting? i would love to learn some day, i have a few family quits and would enjoy making another to add to the collection. we have a bernina-centered sewing and fabric shop here that does lessons and workshops - it is on my wish list to take some. 

harrierwife

@mamanbebe - I got into quilting because people were giving me a bunch of quilting cotton fabric that they weren't using and I didn't say no. I also fell into an Instagram rabbit hole and started following internet-famous quilters. You don't really need to take classes if you feel confident teaching yourself. YouTube is a great resource!

@emeraldduchess - Yeah, its an unusual and borderline silly goal of mine, but I get a kick out of knowing I made the majority of my outfit for the day. I wore my first bathing suit at a party the other week and had several girls ask where I bought it. I told them I made it and they were so confused. Best feeling ever    

Ugh, man I've been trying to knit and sew down my stash for the 2nd year now. Not easy. 

@projectalice - I buy my fabrics from www.blackbirdfabrics.com, www.fancytigercrafts.com, www.indiesew.com or fabric.com. The first three links are pricier, but have very high quality, curated fabrics. I'm a total snob and want to know where the fabrics I use were made and how. Fabric.com has a much larger selection at all price points. 

thismustbethemom

I love this thread!! Y'all are seriously amazing.

I'm a knitter at heart. I have also learned to crochet, sew and spin yarn, but have not practiced enough to take on any major projects yet. I also want to learn how to weave and quilt. I'd love to be able to make everything I need, but that goal feels super far off right now. @harrierwife I can't believe you are at 75%!

I don't have any pics of my own projects, but right now I'm working on this sock pattern  

harrierwife

@thismustbethemom - Whoaaaa holy colorwork. Good for you. I can do it, but don't have too much patience for it. I really admire those that can stick with patterns like that - it just doesn't move as quickly as I want it to 

gnarkillxx

I’m actually so jealous of all of you. 

hestia-is-wearie

@harrierwife Thanks for posting the fabric website links! I want to make my sister a pair of dachshund-print pajama pants for Christmas. I'm not at all crafty by nature, but I'd like to be better at it, so I'm taking baby steps with a few mediums I'm comfortable with.

harrierwife

@hestia14 - Honestly, pajama pants are a great place to start. They're very forgiving and if you use flannel fabric with a good matching thread, you can barely see your wonky stitches because they nestle down into the pile of the fabric. 

This is the tutorial I used when I made my first pair : https://www.craftsy.com/sewing/article/how-to-sew-pajama-pants/

There's also a lot of cheap or free (!) patterns online. 

hestia-is-wearie

@harrierwife Thanks! I'll for sure check that out 

harrierwife

I got up at 5 AM this morning to finish up the last sleeve of MH wedding sweater (knitters, you know of the sweater curse...) that I hope to give to him on his birthday on Wednesday. I also have some fabric arriving tomorrow to make him a casual, collared shirt to go under it. I'm stressing a little bit but I always work down to the wire like this. 

This is the sweater and shirt pattern I'm using. I'll post pics after they're actually finished. 

wishiwaspreggo

So many people are like, "I wish I could do that, but I don't have the talent," and it breaks my heart because then they never try to learn.

Yes, this!! Same with cooking, music, or anything else that just requires constant repetition. You get the hang of it eventually. The first several attempts may suck but you just keep going until you get it. I learned to sew by making capes for a friend. By the 5th or 6th cape I was a pro. Then you move on to the next pattern.

I'm here to AW my Trump cross-stitch. It's yuge! I held it up for my wife when I was done with his face and she physically flinched. Pretty damn proud of it. I just need time to transform it into a pillow... soon...

mamanbebe

@wishiwaspreggo omg! i love it!

klmcguire

@lillywonderland those little dresses are beautiful! 

@projectalice Those yarn colors are to "dye" for For real though they are absolutely gorgeous! 

@mamanbebe weaving is such a beautiful art! I love it! 

@projectalice I dont even have words for how gorgeous your weaving is.


I am not very good with things that take patience! Give me some power tools and wood though and I am a happy woman! I have made several pieces, but these are a couple that were within a couple feet of me.

mamanbebe

@klmcguire The table and shelves are beautiful!

lillywonderland

@klmcguire Your woodworking is awesome!! I was just telling DH this weekend that I want to learn how to use power tools so I can make myself a laundry basket organizer.

klmcguire

lillywonderland said:

@klmcguire Your woodworking is awesome!! I was just telling DH this weekend that I want to learn how to use power tools so I can make myself a laundry basket organizer.

It is definitely not awesome, mediocre at best. Power tools are totally fun! I look for things to make so that I can get new ones! 

harrierwife

klmcguire said:

... but these are a couple that were within a couple feet of me.

Just a few pieces that were a couple of feet from me, she said.....



Good one. 

Your work is gorgeous!!

dpjennifer

I LOVE looking at all the beautiful work you ladies are doing!  Look at how talented we all are!

OK, so I can't stand to knit, but I do love to crochet. This is my son on the blanket I crocheted him. I plan to make one for his daughter this winter.

I'm a Civil War reenactor, so I made pretty much all of my own stuff. I also make some non-civil war stuff (although I'm rubbish at following a pattern, so I pretty much just make crap up as I go along, or rip apart old things to base my ideas off of):
An apron I made for my friend's birthday:

Pillows I made for DH and our cotton anniversary: 

I also love to bake and decorate cakes/cupcakes:

chichiphin

You all are so amazing at your crafts! I used to quilt with my babysitter when I was like 8-12 yrs old. One day I'll get a sewing machine again!!

wishiwaspreggo

@dpjennifer That is fabulous!!! Your sheep cupcakes are amazing

I really, really want to see your Civil War reenactment stuff. The only Civil War junkies I know are old men I'm interested to see what a young woman does for Civil War reenactment type stuff.

projectalice

I love seeing all these! You all are so talented!
@harrierwife thanks for the fabric sources, my mom is always sewing too, so I bet she would appreciate some quality fabrics.
The sweater and shirt you're working on is awesome. 
@wishiwaspreggo that actually came out really well, nicely done!
@klmcguire thank you, and I love that table!! You do a great job! My husband loves his power tools. 
@dpjennifer that cake and the cupcakes are amazing! Now I'm hungry. Yours look like they came from a bakery, you should think about advertising your talent!

holly321

@dpjennifer, I second @wishiwaspreggo, I love civil war stuff. (I grew up very close to Gettysburg.)

You ladies have amazing talents. I am pretty talentless in the crafting department. But that is not without many attempts, but they are all packed away at the moment.

dpjennifer

@wishiwaspreggo heres a few.... sorry it took a bit!
There's an image of me in a day dress I wore this weekend (minus the belt... it apparently wandered off by this point?)

Also a wrapper/ morning dress  (basically a fancy robe) I just finished.

harrierwife

Finished MH's wedding sweater in time for his birthday last week:


Knitters know that knitting a sweater for your SO before marriage is a jinx, so I didn't even start planning this until a few months after. The yarn is a 50/50 mix of alpaca and merino from Green Mountain Spinnery in VT. 

lcking82

@harrierwife - that is BEAUTIFUL!!!  I've never done anything larger than a scarf, so I'm always blown away by an actual GARMENT.

chichiphin

@harrierwife I'll take one in cream. thx. lol

harrierwife

@lcking82 - thank you! Honestly, if you can cast on, bind off, knit, purl, increase and decrease, you can knit anything. That sweater is just a specific combination of all the aforementioned skills and some courage/patience. 

lcking82

*patience* being the key word. 

dpjennifer

harrierwife  Wow... holy crap that's nice!

emeraldduchess

@harrierwife that is a beautiful sweater!  I don't think I have enough patience to knit an adult sized garment.