Here is a design of my own, for a project I finished in sunny August. It was a birthday present for an amazingly athletic woman. This is an example to show that it only takes a basic knowledge of freehand embroidery and a simple design, to turn a creative idea into a product that feels personalized and looks great.
The fabric is plain muslin, and the hoop serves as a frame so the final place can be hung up on a wall. Continue reading Embroidered cyclist
This project certainly wins the medal for being the one longest deferred – almost two years! I had started it in mid 2012, before I had much experience with embroidery. The idea was to embroider a pillowcase with a sweet Japanese haiku. In this case, I had selected
Under the moonlit sakura
A butterfly dances
I’ve overslept
For those of us who haven’t grown up with crafting traditions among friends or family, the idea of picking a craft sounds exciting but daunting. The blogosphere abounds with beautiful, inspiring examples of crafting, including sewing, embroidery, and toy-making. Wouldn’t it be lovely to personalize your space, make your clothes, make handmade things for the people you care about? But how to justify the initial investment of time and money, if the craft may not stick, or life will takes over?
In this two-part post, I discuss:
Continue reading Crafts: Pick ’em and stick to ’em through a busy life – Part 1
Here is my first attempt at a skirt ; a staple for those lovely, warm days (when we chance to get them in Toronto). I find the pleats a very graceful way to add structure and flair to the skirt. Finished this in about a month, working on it in an extremely interrupted month of May. There were a number of new concepts for me with this project:
Continue reading Pleated knee-length skirt – Butterick B5613
I’ve had the Waldorf-inspired “Creative Play for your Toddler” since before my older child turned two, and would often leaf through its beautiful projects for inspiration: felt animal finger puppets, cloth dolls, tumbling men, crowns and capes, to name a few. While the skills required may seem daunting as you’re starting out to craft, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in making toys for their children. The hobby horse has been long overdue, and it’s great that my kids are as excited about the prospect of a horsie as ever.