Monthly Archives: June 2014

Strategy

Crafts: Pickin’ and stickin’ – Part 2

IMG_3503

This is Part 2 of a post that discusses strategies for finding a craft that will inspire you, and once you’ve found it, to overcome the initial learning curve so the craft will become a part of the things you do as routine. Part 1 discusses ways to find the right craft for you, and to give yourself the best start in project selection. Go back and read it if you haven’t.

Here I discuss strategies to turn your initial fling into a habit you will regularly come back to, and how to think of the pace of a project as your technique and skills mature.

Continue reading Crafts: Pickin’ and stickin’ – Part 2 →

Clay, Sewing, Strategy

Crafts: Pick ’em and stick to ’em through a busy life – Part 1

1 Comment

IMG_3503

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:

  • Part 1 (this post): strategies to find a craft that may be best matched for your interests and lifestyle, and how to give yourself a good start.
  • Part 2: How to turn the craft you have chosen from a fling into something you regularly do.

Continue reading Crafts: Pick ’em and stick to ’em through a busy life – Part 1 →

Garments, Sewing

Pleated knee-length skirt – Butterick B5613

Gallery

IMG_3429_cropped

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 →