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Art, Craft and Needlework, January, 2018

Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2017 9:54 pm
by Harriet
Thanks to everyone who made this thread so interesting in 2017!

In December,
Kathryn made a third-generation personalized matching Christmas stocking for her grandson
Harmony made a custom-size cream colored tablecloth for her dining table's full extension
Nancy knitted a lap robe and a baby blanket and organized paper crafting supplies
BookSaver made a jacket and top, altered tops for her sister, and made bags for coworker gifts
And then Harmony surprised (I nearly missed it) by making a table runner, too!

Does anyone have end-of-year compliments to report?
Gifts you were able to give
or decor in your home that received compliments?
Did you have insights into your creative pursuits
or have you decided to make 2018 changes in priorities or plans?
Do tell !


Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, January, 2018

Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2018 12:30 pm
by blessedw2
this year I put together the last year of grab bag gifts for dds, d nieces and d nephews. I took this over with dd sis in laws the last couple of years as very d mom used to do it. This year I did one last one bc of d youngest niece. It really was such a joy to make up and decorate those little bags and fill. The kids esp. youngest d niece enjoyed them. I was so happy I could do those for them. I found buffalo red and black check ribbon closed up the bags as well.

I still have my needlepoint ornaments in the family room and work on them when I find time.
I also repaired christmas knit items and sewing items before I put them away

Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, January, 2018

Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2018 9:29 pm
by Nancy
I finished up a hot pad today and have started another one. Made up a round knitted dish cloth over the holidays. My hot pads & dish cloths were requested again this year so I put some extras ahead for next yr in the holiday tote for giving next yr.

Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, January, 2018

Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2018 6:25 pm
by Harmony
I didn't get any compliments on any decorations...except one person asked about the tablecloth, when I was talking to someone else about how I made it. DH and I are both pleased with how it looks. The padding underneath, which is the first time I've used that, makes a big difference and the runner is great! I'm ready to take down all the decorations, but the table looks so pretty and it's out of the way so I'm not in such a hurry to dismantle that. I'm glad I did all that work. However, I wouldn't recommend taking on any big sewing projects in the week before Christmas. That was just dumb.

Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, January, 2018

Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2018 11:47 pm
by Nancy
I am working up a batch of cotten hot pads and dish clothes one or two more then I can start the next color! Done with that yarn yea!

Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, January, 2018

Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2018 1:00 am
by BookSaver
Quick report: I attended an amazing 25-hour webinar series that started yesterday at 11AM my time and ended at noon today. 4 instructors, 20 classes on a variety of sewing topics. It would have been more classes, but 2 planned instructors couldn't make it because their flights to the east coast were cancelled, and a lot of time was spent attempting to do remote webcasts which ultimately failed.

The event was livestream only, not recorded at all. If I'd had the equipment, there may have been a way to record some of it on my end, but I didn't have bandwidth to deal with it -- neither literally with my computer system and internet provider, nor personally with my time and energy.

I'm surprised that I was able to stay awake for it all. The instructors were so good, though, that I just kept taking notes and having fun on the side chat with other attendees. The chat was not video/audio, just typing; it felt like the old days on our original SHE boards with lots of people posting messages and trying to read them before they scrolled off the screen.

I had planned some projects to work on while watching the classes, but was kept too busy scribbling notes. They took a 10 minute break every 1 1/2 hours or so, and that's when I would get up to run to the bathroom and/or try to do a mini chore around the house.

Yesterday I did manage to finish making 3 cloth shopping bags for myself, using the same pattern as the Christmas gifts I made last month and fabric leftovers from those gifts.

Hoping to do more sewing next week.

Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, January, 2018

Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2018 1:09 am
by Nancy
I started a hot pad but I noticed it was only half as big as it was supposed to be so I had to rip it out and need to restart it. Done with that one.

Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, January, 2018

Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2018 8:05 pm
by Nancy
I realized the baby would be due in the summer so gave the lap robe to the boys to use here they love em!

I have done a batch of painted stone of tea cups tea time theme in honor of my mom I will put them out on or after her birth date. Did obe more batch of them.

Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, January, 2018

Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2018 8:13 pm
by Harriet
The webinar sounds amazing, BookSaver. Good job on more bags.

You'll enjoy putting out those teacup designs, Nancy. i like teacup images.

Harmony, I agree that the WHEN of doing a thing is kinda important. Maybe everyone thought your tablecloth and runner were so well-made you must have bought them!

What are the designs on the needlepoint ornaments, blessed? My dear aunt and her best friend used to needlepoint and enjoy it very much. It always seemed to me to be timeless. The most unusual thing I remember was needlepointing a cover for a brick and using it for a doorstop to match the furniture in a room. Other forms of needlework wouldn't make a doorstop very well! But the needlepoint held up beautifully - it was burgundy.

I am going to give myself a clean slate and not beat myself up about the times I couldn't create much in 2017.


♫ Rudolph with Your Nose So Bright ♫


For 2018, I'm going to take creative Rudolph Days more seriously (getting ahead on handmade gift-giving and decor). In January, the 25th is a Thursday. In theory, I should be able to give time to Rudolph Day then. In February and March it does fall on Sundays each month so I'll be out of the house that day, but tentatively I'll just move it over to the previous Friday the 23rd, if that will work. (Saturday usually finds company coming.) Will try to be flexible but still honest with myself about which day offers a good span of private time - it could be a Monday, we'll see.

Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, January, 2018

Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2018 11:51 pm
by Harmony
OMM projects: I have 4 things I'd like to do. 2 I actually made a stab at starting last year but never got very far. 2 are new ideas. So little time. So little time.