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November craft /sewing/ knitting/everything creative thread

Melissa in Australia

By Melissa in Australia,
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Faith-manor

Faith-manor

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No pics yet because I am in the planning phase. But so have two pairs of pants for youngest grandson to cut out - corduroy - and then two quilt tops to figure out. One will be easy. I just need to decide what pattern I like best. However, the other is going to be entirely out of scrap batiks. So I have to take inventory of all the decent size scraps I have, measure them all, and then sit down with graph paper and colored pencils to see what I can make and have quilted by Dec. 16.

I will post photos when I get it figured out.

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wisdomandtreasures

wisdomandtreasures

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Finishing a sweater for my almost -4-year-old so, starting a sweater for my 9-year-oldvson, and working on a sweater for my mom for Christmas. The yarn was supposed to be light olive-y green but is actually honeydew-colored so I will dye it when it's finished. 

I also somehow got it in my head that I could sew both of my girls a whole pile of jumper dresses so I need to get those going, too. Bodices are complete for 4 of them. 

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Innisfree

Innisfree

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I just pulled out a half-finished quilt that’s been languishing in the laundry room for, oh, maybe twenty years. 😳 I vaguely knew it was there, but had forgotten how far I had gotten on it before I got too busy with kids and aging parents, and put it aside.

It looks like almost all the appliqué pieces are there, some sewn on, some tacked in place. A few are missing, though, and I don’t think I have any more of the right fabric. Naturally the missing pieces are right at one edge, so changing to another color there would look weird. Maybe I can go back, rearrange some that are still just tacked on, and intermingle a different color…

I was itching for a quilting project again, all of a sudden. Didn’t expect to find one so immediately available, but it’s kind of a nice surprise. My crafting impulses seem to come in fits and starts. There was a time when I needed to start knitting, having completed exactly no knitting project ever, and not having tried since college. Years of knitting followed, then stopped. Various kid projects happened over the years. Now apparently it’s quilting again. 😁

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Jane in NC

Jane in NC

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The Serendipity Project!

One of my knitting friends gave me two balls of Spincycle Dyed in the Wool fingering. What I hadn't realized was that the blue would become purple and the green would go to yellow.  Other colors to follow. So glove #2 will have the same pattern but a different coloration. Curious to see where this goes...

Fingerless gloves in progress.jpg

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Miss Tick

Miss Tick

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36 minutes ago, Jane in NC said:

The Serendipity Project!

One of my knitting friends gave me two balls of Spincycle Dyed in the Wool fingering. What I hadn't realized was that the blue would become purple and the green would go to yellow.  Other colors to follow. So glove #2 will have the same pattern but a different coloration. Curious to see where this goes...

Fingerless gloves in progress.jpg

That project looks so beautiful. And warm! What a funny surprise about the colors. I think you might be able to get 5 mix and match mitts out of those (although if the second sock is hard, I can imagine the *5th* mitt could take a couple of years 😄)

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Faith-manor

Faith-manor

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42 minutes ago, Jane in NC said:

The Serendipity Project!

One of my knitting friends gave me two balls of Spincycle Dyed in the Wool fingering. What I hadn't realized was that the blue would become purple and the green would go to yellow.  Other colors to follow. So glove #2 will have the same pattern but a different coloration. Curious to see where this goes...

Fingerless gloves in progress.jpg

These are wonderful!

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Jane in NC

Jane in NC

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16 minutes ago, Miss Tick said:

That project looks so beautiful. And warm! What a funny surprise about the colors. I think you might be able to get 5 mix and match mitts out of those (although if the second sock is hard, I can imagine the *5th* mitt could take a couple of years 😄)

I was hoping for 4. My plan is to have the friend who gave me the yarn pick 2; I will give away the other pair.

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Emba

Emba

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12 hours ago, Innisfree said:

I just pulled out a half-finished quilt that’s been languishing in the laundry room for, oh, maybe twenty years. 😳 I vaguely knew it was there, but had forgotten how far I had gotten on it before I got too busy with kids and aging parents, and put it aside.

It looks like almost all the appliqué pieces are there, some sewn on, some tacked in place. A few are missing, though, and I don’t think I have any more of the right fabric. Naturally the missing pieces are right at one edge, so changing to another color there would look weird. Maybe I can go back, rearrange some that are still just tacked on, and intermingle a different color…

I was itching for a quilting project again, all of a sudden. Didn’t expect to find one so immediately available, but it’s kind of a nice surprise. My crafting impulses seem to come in fits and starts. There was a time when I needed to start knitting, having completed exactly no knitting project ever, and not having tried since college. Years of knitting followed, then stopped. Various kid projects happened over the years. Now apparently it’s quilting again. 😁

I do the same thing, hopping from hobby to hobby. 16 years ago I started quilting a lot, was serious about it for five or six years, then got busy with kids and dropped it except for occasional gifts.  Then I knitted for a bit (which I had done a lot of several years before). I did some bookbinding for awhile.   I hardly ever get rid of hobby supplies because I always find back to them sooner or later. I’ve started quilting a lot again, and it’s nice that I already have books, templates, quilting gloves, a walking foot and free motion quilting for my machine, everything I need, including a whole lot of fabric. I really over bought on fabric back then.

I too also have a partly finished quilt ( two actually) from years ago that Id like to get done. But the lure of new projects is strong.

Edited by Emba
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Emba

Emba

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22 hours ago, Melissa in Australia said:

Pirate quilt for my grandson. All fabric was in a scrap fabric bag from the op shop. Cost $2

16992417276017775204852064514686.jpg

That’s really cute! I love making kids quilts with fun novelty fabrics. And what a deal on fabric!

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Melissa in Australia

Melissa in Australia

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12 hours ago, Innisfree said:

I just pulled out a half-finished quilt that’s been languishing in the laundry room for, oh, maybe twenty years. 😳 I vaguely knew it was there, but had forgotten how far I had gotten on it before I got too busy with kids and aging parents, and put it aside.

It looks like almost all the appliqué pieces are there, some sewn on, some tacked in place. A few are missing, though, and I don’t think I have any more of the right fabric. Naturally the missing pieces are right at one edge, so changing to another color there would look weird. Maybe I can go back, rearrange some that are still just tacked on, and intermingle a different color…

I was itching for a quilting project again, all of a sudden. Didn’t expect to find one so immediately available, but it’s kind of a nice surprise. My crafting impulses seem to come in fits and starts. There was a time when I needed to start knitting, having completed exactly no knitting project ever, and not having tried since college. Years of knitting followed, then stopped. Various kid projects happened over the years. Now apparently it’s quilting again. 😁

Thank you for the enspiring story. I got out the double wedding ring quilt I started at a patchwork class when I was pregnant with ds now 20

I was pleasantly  supprised to see I had mostly all the blocks assembled, I just need to put it together. 

 

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Innisfree

Innisfree

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10 hours ago, Emba said:

the lure of new projects is strong.

Yes! I had started by focusing on patterns which were completely different in style from the half-finished one, and I was excited about them. I want to finish the old one first, so I’m looking at variations on its pattern now to generate some excitement about it.

I must say the internet is wonderful for this. When I was really quilting before, I relied on images in books (which were great, and which I still have). Now I can scroll through so many more pictures while deciding what I like best. 

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Melissa in Australia

Melissa in Australia

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Ah well

I spent the majority of the last few weeks sewing 5 quilts for my brother's children. Dh dropped them off today. SIL aparently was not impressed. 

I don't know what to do really. I can't do anything at all and feel I am losing my mind. I was hoping sewing quilts for everyone would help me focus on something to keep my sanity. But if the family I thought most likely to appreciate them doesn't want them....... 

 Very discouraged

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Rosie_0801

Rosie_0801

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50 minutes ago, Melissa in Australia said:

Ah well

I spent the majority of the last few weeks sewing 5 quilts for my brother's children. Dh dropped them off today. SIL aparently was not impressed. 

I don't know what to do really. I can't do anything at all and feel I am losing my mind. I was hoping sewing quilts for everyone would help me focus on something to keep my sanity. But if the family I thought most likely to appreciate them doesn't want them....... 

 Very discouraged

 

It's her, not you. 

🫶 to you
😤 to her

 

How about making some for the Kmart tree, or whoever collects around your area?

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Starr

Starr

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5 hours ago, Melissa in Australia said:

Ah well

I spent the majority of the last few weeks sewing 5 quilts for my brother's children. Dh dropped them off today. SIL aparently was not impressed. 

I don't know what to do really. I can't do anything at all and feel I am losing my mind. I was hoping sewing quilts for everyone would help me focus on something to keep my sanity. But if the family I thought most likely to appreciate them doesn't want them....... 

 Very discouraged

I’m sorry she’s being a pill. Hopefully the kids enjoy them. 

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MercyA

MercyA

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5 hours ago, Melissa in Australia said:

I spent the majority of the last few weeks sewing 5 quilts for my brother's children. Dh dropped them off today. SIL apparently was not impressed. 

WTH? That is a gift that we would treasure for a lifetime. I bet your nieces/nephews will love them.

I still have the afghan my great-aunt crocheted for me when I was around 8 years old. She made a yellow one for me (my favorite color) and a pink one for my cousin. I don't remember my mom ever commenting on it (although I'm sure she appreciated it); my love for it was all me. 💛 

She made my sister a small quilt and it was her constant companion for years and years. And the baby quilt she made for my DD is packed away carefully. 

All of that to say that the smaller people for whom the quilts were intended may very well appreciate your lovely gift. 

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Innisfree

Innisfree

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I agree that the kids and your brother may well appreciate the quilts. I can’t imagine not being delighted with such a thoughtful gift. What is your SIL’s problem? 

How about sewing for an organization that can use your talents? Kids in the hospital, needy families? Lots of people would be very happy to receive your efforts.

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Emba

Emba

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7 hours ago, Melissa in Australia said:

Ah well

I spent the majority of the last few weeks sewing 5 quilts for my brother's children. Dh dropped them off today. SIL aparently was not impressed. 

I don't know what to do really. I can't do anything at all and feel I am losing my mind. I was hoping sewing quilts for everyone would help me focus on something to keep my sanity. But if the family I thought most likely to appreciate them doesn't want them....... 

 Very discouraged

That’s such a lot of work, I can’t believe Ake doesn’t appreciate it!  But I bet MercyA is right, the kids will. My aunt crocheted us afghans, and we loved them. They were aids in make-believe play (build a tent, roll up like a hot dog, wear as a cloak, etc) as well as a way to keep warm.  
 

i also have a SIL who is ungrateful about gifts. I give my nephews gifts, and I don’t worry what she thinks about them. It is 100% for the boys, and I have let go of thinking it will matter to her at all. That was a process, though. I just hope she doesn’t throw them out or give them away before they get some good use out of them.
 

I used to make a lot of quilts for children in foster care. I gave them to CASA, which is an organization here that arranges volunteer advocates for children in the system. CASA distributed them to the kids.

I also donated a batch to the local emergency services for firefighters, police, and paramedics to carry in their vehicles and give to children in traumatic situations.

 You might look into local organizations and talk with people to see what they could and would use.

 Another thought is to focus on more complicated patterns or techniques so that sewing the same size quilt takes longer.

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Melissa in Australia

Melissa in Australia

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Thanks 

I can't do complicated patterns at the moment. I seem to be having some cognative difficulties and even the most simplest patterns at moment are confusing. I am  spending a lot of time unpicking.  

I won't bother making quilts for charities. I couldn't afford it. The  wadding is now  close to $100 when on special.  That is before getting fabric. 

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Miss Tick

Miss Tick

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12 minutes ago, Melissa in Australia said:

I can't do complicated patterns at the moment. I seem to be having some cognative difficulties and even the most simplest patterns at moment are confusing. I am  spending a lot of time unpicking.  

Sorry to hear that. I hope you see steady improvement.

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Rosie_0801

Rosie_0801

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2 hours ago, Melissa in Australia said:

I won't bother making quilts for charities. I couldn't afford it. The  wadding is now  close to $100 when on special.  That is before getting fabric. 

You can use old blankets or a few layers of old sheets as wadding. No one can see the inside, so they won't know if there are holes.

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prairiewindmomma

prairiewindmomma

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2 hours ago, Melissa in Australia said:

Thanks 

I can't do complicated patterns at the moment. I seem to be having some cognative difficulties and even the most simplest patterns at moment are confusing. I am  spending a lot of time unpicking.  

It’s still good rehab work (tummy and back toning when sitting upright) and it’s keeping you busy which helps your mind stay in positive places. Sew what you’d like without needing it to be a gift.
 

Also keep an eye on how well you are oxygenating. Some of the brain fog is likely from high inflammation levels, but it can also be a sign you arent keeping your oxygen up where you need to. 

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Jane in NC

Jane in NC

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9 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said:

It’s still good rehab work (tummy and back toning when sitting upright) and it’s keeping you busy which helps your mind stay in positive places. Sew what you’d like without needing it to be a gift.
 

Also keep an eye on how well you are oxygenating. Some of the brain fog is likely from high inflammation levels, but it can also be a sign you arent keeping your oxygen up where you need to. 

This is my philosophy with regard to knitting.  I want happy hands!

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Innisfree

Innisfree

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1 minute ago, Melissa in Australia said:

A elephant quilt for the couch. I had to unpick many times. I kept sewing the squares wrong way. 

Fabric was a bag if scraps from op shop backing was a length of tartan from op shop. No wadding. Total cost $8

16994880158273238511085012117836.jpg

I love that! It’s so cheerful. The green squares work well with the green wall behind it, too.

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Faith-manor

Faith-manor

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31 minutes ago, Melissa in Australia said:

A elephant quilt for the couch. I had to unpick many times. I kept sewing the squares wrong way. 

Fabric was a bag of scraps from op shop backing was a length of tartan from op shop. No wadding. Total cost $8

16994880158273238511085012117836.jpg

I sighed with delight when I saw this.

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Emba

Emba

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On 11/8/2023 at 1:18 PM, Melissa in Australia said:

Thanks 

I can't do complicated patterns at the moment. I seem to be having some cognative difficulties and even the most simplest patterns at moment are confusing. I am  spending a lot of time unpicking.  

I won't bother making quilts for charities. I couldn't afford it. The  wadding is now  close to $100 when on special.  That is before getting fabric. 

I’m sorry to hear about your cognitive difficulties. That would make everything harder, for sure. 
 

I was surprised at how much fabric costs now, compared to what it was when I last quilted, but really shocked by how high the batting (same thing you call wadding, I think) had gone.  You can piece large chunks of it together, if you have leftovers.  The Christmas table runner I made recently had pieced batting inside.

My sister made a quilt once with no batting but a polar fleece backing, if you see any fleece blankets in good condition in the op shop. 

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Emba

Emba

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On 11/8/2023 at 6:04 PM, Melissa in Australia said:

A elephant quilt for the couch. I had to unpick many times. I kept sewing the squares wrong way. 

Fabric was a bag of scraps from op shop backing was a length of tartan from op shop. No wadding. Total cost $8

16994880158273238511085012117836.jpg

i really like the lines of elephants marching across!

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Melissa in Australia

Melissa in Australia

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9 minutes ago, Emba said:

I’m sorry to hear about your cognitive difficulties. That would make everything harder, for sure. 
 

I was surprised at how much fabric costs now, compared to what it was when I last quilted, but really shocked by how high the batting (same thing you call wadding, I think) had gone.  You can piece large chunks of it together, if you have leftovers.  The Christmas table runner I made recently had pieced batting inside.

My sister made a quilt once with no batting but a polar fleece backing, if you see any fleece blankets in good condition in the op shop. 

Thanks for the great ideas

I make quilt as you go quilts once I get enough leftover bits of wadding (batting). I actually use to call It batting, but the product is labled wadding on the roll so I thought I had it wrong and started calling it wadding. 

I refuse to use fleece as it is not natural fibres. I am trying for environmental reasons to only use natural fibres if at all possable for everything.  It is even bad for the environment to wash petro-chemical fabrics, all those micro plastics or whatever they are called shed off.

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Faith-manor

Faith-manor

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Hey all sewing fiends! 😁 I found two vintage/estate sale fabric stores that ship. ATriftyNotion in Ogden, KS, and TheFabricMarket in Bakersfield, CA. I have ordered from thrifty notion before. Their things are wonderful. I have a two hard piece of chocolate colored wale corduroy that is simply some of the highest quality fabric I have ever worked with, and so I am excited to cut into the 3 yard price of soft, lamb's ears green that came from them. 

I am ordering today from The FabricMarket. I was flabbergasted to find several light and medium weight cordoroys as well as some gorgeous 100% cotton velvet, and some 100% wool pieces. They have some pretty amazing vintage quilters cotton that I am looking at too. They do ship internationally, but I have no idea if that would be cost effect for our none stateside fabric-a-holics. The corduroy is $4.99 a yard ($7.84 aus, $4.09 gbp, $6.89 cad). Did see in the comment section that someone from the UK had ordered, paid for shipping, and when the store shipped it, the cost was slightly less and the refunded the difference to the customer's credit cars which I thought was very nice customer service.

With ThriftyNotion, it is easy to get lost in their vintage buttons! I tried to tell Mark that he needs to drive me there so I can handle all the fabrics. But sadly, he was just fine paying shipping. 😂

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DawnM

DawnM

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I think I have decided to make these for extended family (mom's side) this year.

We have lost 2 spouses this year (my dad and my aunt's husband) and will do at least those 2, although all 4 sisters' husbands have died and I didn't do anything for them, so I may make 4 per family as they are not expensive and would be appreciated.  

I just need to figure out if I should do photos that show the couples (one sister is still living) or just the men who have passed away.   

Anyway, this is what I am planning to do:

https://www.hometalk.com/posts/craft/ornaments/diy-photo-christmas-ornaments-25371674?id=3629450&id=3629450

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Annie G

Annie G

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I’m putting a skinny tree in my guest half bath, which is actually the one I use on a regular basis.  We host for Thanksgiving and Christmas and I enjoy decorating for that. Anyway, these are a few wool felt ornaments I have made this month.  Embroidery is NOT my strong suit!

IMG_7174.jpeg

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Faith-manor

Faith-manor

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41 minutes ago, Annie G said:

I’m putting a skinny tree in my guest half bath, which is actually the one I use on a regular basis.  We host for Thanksgiving and Christmas and I enjoy decorating for that. Anyway, these are a few wool felt ornaments I have made this month.  Embroidery is NOT my strong suit!

IMG_7174.jpeg

These are really cute!

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