Art, Craft and Needlework, August 2017

A place for Artistry, Crafts and Needlework; Decorating and Holidays.
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Harriet
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Art, Craft and Needlework, August 2017

Postby Harriet » Wed Aug 02, 2017 2:21 pm


"The brightest, most sophisticated and creative people are the biggest procrastinators. Leonardo Da Vinci was legendary for never finishing projects on time and left scores of UFOs for us to wonder about. Accept your genius." - Debbie Bates and Liz Kettle


:lol: I'm willing to accept my genius, and it's nice to know I'm in good company. But accepting how many Unfinished Fabric Objects I have is a little tough.

Are there ANY unfinished projects you have that you might be able to finish by the holidays? That's THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM, after all, isn't it? ;)

elephant-bookends.jpg


:) Cute isn't he? I didn't dare post a photo of a fabric one or I'd risk another unfinished project, so I picked on our crocheters!

Is there going to be a chance to do something special for the people we care about this year? We have the supplies, we have the GENIUS. What about the ⌚? And if we don't find it very easy to have the time, WHAT do we do about it?
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Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, August 2017

Postby BookSaver » Thu Aug 03, 2017 9:52 am

If I mention a few projects now that I'd like to finish this month, will that increase the probability that I'll really finish them? :lol:

1) Knit top for work: Basic pieces are cut but I still need to decide what shape I want the neckline. Once the neck is done, the rest will come together very quickly.

2) Simple cardigan in purple Tshirt knit fabric: Too hot to wear now but will need it next month.

3) Crochet dish scrubbers: Easy to do during long car rides or while watching videos. I have enough strips cut to make 4. Need to buy more net fabric to have different colors. I use them all the time on my cast iron pans. I had a made a dozen but already gave them away. The hardest part of making them is cutting the strips because the nylon net fabric is unexpectedly slippery!

4) Sleeveless baby buntings: Sewing group will be having a sew-in at our September meeting to make these for a charitable organization who uses them for child care while parents are attending classes. The organization is no longer allowed to use blankets at nap time, so they zip the babies into fleece baby sacks. I have 1 cut out to make as a test before I cut out several more to have ready for the meeting on Sept. 9th.

5) Previously mentioned paper crafts using pages from old books. I've been collecting instructions for various projects like flowers, Christmas ornaments, jewelry, sculptures. I bought a bunch of books at the last library book sale that I have no interest in reading but the paper feels good. (Don't hate me for wanting to cut them apart. They had been offered at several sales but no one was interested so they were going to be thrown in the dumpster if I hadn't bought them to experiment with book art.) I'll start with the simplest ornaments.

6) Start looking for ideas for coworker Christmas gifts.

OK, now I just need to make time to play with those things! ;)

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Nancy
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Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, August 2017

Postby Nancy » Thu Aug 03, 2017 4:17 pm

I am doing sketch book summer challenge got 75% of it done late start bc they were out of thensketch books I wanted to use. Working on ideas for rock painting on the top half and on hand lettering, and notes at the bottom. It was VERY productive for me and I got the ideas down that I wanted to work on and painted the designs I sketched out. Yea for a successful time and positive experience it was very fun especailly trying put the new pens I got.

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Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, August 2017

Postby Harriet » Mon Aug 07, 2017 3:13 pm

Nancy, that's great you got so much accomplished and especially with the new pens.

BookSaver, was the pattern drafting you did, done for that top that you finished? Onto what did you draft - manila? I have a couple tops that are very well cut for my particular needs, and having a homemade pattern drafted FROM them might be wise for me. It dawns on me at the moment that both (though purchased in completely different years/fashion times) have curved hems - the older curved in a "smile" longer in the center, and the newer in what they termed a "sharkbite" or reverse curve, longer at sides. Oddly, both are flattering and they are the ones I think of rather than any tops with straight hems I can think of right now.

Children's verdict on the "bead machine" gift as the boys called it -
9 year old - excellent for him - loves seeing the beads he's stored beads in the bottle. With practice and time, can master it alone - gets the concept that the "machine" is holding the paper so he can concentrate on getting the winding centered. Gets the concept of holding the 2-liter bottle between his knees/legs while seated so both hands are free. No problems. If only he had his own room I would absolutely buy him his own, but this one's bought for his brother and I don't want to clutter their house.
7th-birthday-boy who was the gift recipient and the one who requested the craft - He struggled with the gadget and really did become frustrated, but with help and encouragement produced a pretty necklace for his Mommy. At 7, he just doesn't have the dexterity to turn the crank, hold the paper end at the right place, and remember not to let the bottle fall, all at the same time. He needed someone else to do one of the things each time.
Me - it's cool. Only drawback is that because the gadget "pinches" the start of the paper to hold it, the holes are smaller. I can string the ones I make on my crochet hook G on several choices of necklaces but these from the gadget require something thin. In the box they provide "stretchy string" which was easy for children to string, but does end up looking homemade, and most youtubes we found said put a drop of super glue after knotting it or it will loosen. (So an adult needed for that part)

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Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, August 2017

Postby Nancy » Mon Aug 07, 2017 7:17 pm

I got white and blue ink for the dip pens and a pack of patchment paper and a tablet of caligraphy wtoting paper I asked about violet ink as well.

I got some bigger rocks painted they are drying now. 3 or 4 I am sort of stuck on, lost momentum ac got turned off for got to check it till it was already hot so that could have been a factor. Interesting spin hiw the heat effects us.

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Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, August 2017

Postby BookSaver » Tue Aug 08, 2017 3:14 pm

Harriet ~ re: pattern drafting
The top I just finished was the 3rd one I've made from the same basic tops pattern.

This time I found a pattern with a really pretty neckline which was a split cowl collar. I remember having a sweater with that type of collar once and it was very flattering on me. I received a lot of compliments every time I wore that sweater.

The pattern drafting I did last month was first comparing those 2 patterns to see if I could just make the new one right out of the package. No, that wasn't going to work, as it was too far off from the basic pattern that I've worked so hard already to fit so it's comfortable. Shoulder width, back width, sleeve circumference, sleeve length, how much ease around the waist and hips ... figuring out the choices that look the best while at the same time being most comfortable to work in all day at my job. Oh 1 more important measurement is how to make the neckline high enough that it won't gap open when I bend over to help a child, but not so high that it feel like it's strangling.

After I saw that the new pattern would need too many adjustments, then I worked with just the neckline and collar portions to try to marry the shapes of the new pattern to my one that I know fits ok.

And after all of that ... I found out that I didn't have quite enough of the periwinkle blue knit fabric to be able to make the split cowl collar piece. At least now I have that drafting done to know how much extra fabric I'll need to add that collar.

Usually for pattern drafting I just use pattern tracing paper on a roll from NancysNotions.com. I also have some of the Swedish tracing paper that is stronger. Sooner or later I'll probably copy my basic master pattern onto the stronger stuff.

I think the curved hems you mentioned are quite flattering and much in fashion these days. I agree that it would be wise for you to draft patterns from those tops that you like.

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Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, August 2017

Postby Nancy » Tue Aug 08, 2017 5:20 pm

I tested the inks nibs learned how to fill one of the fountuan pens via U tube. Forgot to test white ink i will need to get some colored paper for that.


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