Crafty Sunday IV

Well, I actually managed to make a little this week, and even more fun, I made stuff for the family, with the kids help...

We're going away camping for an LRP event soon and we have been rejigging and revamping our camping stuff and kit. The kids couldn't wait to try out their new sleeping bags which they do look snuggly in. I'm waiting in anticipation for my new cool box as it was due on Friday by courier and didn't arrive. Everything is crossed that it arrives tomorrow.

In the meantime, the kids and I decided to make a couple of quilted bags for things that are usually hard to find when you need them. One for torches

the disgustingly gaudy colours are so you can find it easily in the dark, and a first aid kit bag

which I think is really quite sweet with it's dotty motif and drawstring.

They have both come out just the right size for their purpose, which was more by luck than judgement as it all came out of my scraps baskets. The batting will be perfect to protect contents from the inevitable knocks and scrapes.

We also made a lot of Jedi capes in many colours for our collection of Lego figures. A pic of these will have to wait until tomorrow as they have been stashed safely away by the boy before he climbed the wooden hill.

I do feel slightly mad for spending an afternoon dressing up Lego figures, but it made a very happy 4 year old so it was well worth it.

I also finished my kit for LRP, but having looked back at the photos I had taken, I got very self conscious and can't bring myself to post them up here, cos I'm in them.

But I did manage to work a kit around the embroidered overdress I bought a few weeks ago by butchering this dress.

I made it years ago and never used as it was a bit too much (I made it to challenge myself but it was too OTT) so I ripped off the sleeves (yey) and shortened it (more yey)  and also did some lace up 'vents' in back, as it fit like a glove years ago and I've had another sprog since then (not so yey!).

Ok, ok...

I think I'm pleased with the overall result, it needs to sink in a bit really before I am truly satisfied. I am very pleased with the fact that nothing else new went into the kit just stuff I already had reworked to fit a new look.

Lastly we made some baggy cropped trews for my daughter, again out of scraps, isn't it incredible what gets relegated to the scraps pile? But they're not finished yet.

Next week I can't see much getting made as prep for going away takes precedence. Getting the house, garden and animals to a stage that it can be left for a few days entails a surprising amount of work that always catches me off guard.

Another week please...

This half term has been utter bliss, I don't want it to end.

We have done some of this

and loads of this

and I have done something a little naughty, as I grabbed bargains without any distinct plans of what to do with said bargains... but... look....

I heard about Five Valley Design sale via Sew Justine Sew's blog and I'm glad I followed the link. A few items I'd ordered they had run out of, but being a closing down sale that's totally understandable. Still they took the time to wrap the stash nicely and it arrived within 3 days. 40% off was too much to ignore. I don't know if they have anything left, but the link is there if you want to try, sale runs until 30th June.

We really enjoyed discovering all that suddenly bloomed in the garden, these photos are by my daughter...

The kids have been lovely to each other and been positive and productive all week which, in turn has rubbed off on me and for the first time I felt like I could make stuff with the kids about, after I grabbed an extension lead and made an impromtu outdoor workshop.

What a mess!! More of that tomorrow for Crafty Sunday's post.

Confessions of a secret geek

The time has come to 'fess up. My family and I do a downright wierd (but great) hobby. I'm a live role-player. No, don't run away... come back... hear more first.

Remember as a child, playing out at cops and robbers, princesses, knights and dragons? We all did, and we LOVED it. Go on, admit it, forgetting reality for a while and losing yourself in a made up world where anything is possible, only your imagination limits your actions (and, of course, physics... it always seems to win - no flying for me however much I try) is FUN!!

See, I never grew up, I still love dressup clothes and pretending to be some daring heroine in armour, bashing fiends with your trusty blade or damsels in distress (actually it is still rubbish to play a distressed damsel) or a spitty hedgewitch (now they are fun to play), a rufty tufty pirate or even a dirty thieving goblin. So I do, and I'm not alone.

Otherwise known as Live Action Role Playing (LARP) or my favourite description, Cross Country Pantomime, we get out into the woods and fields and play at being kids again (though the bruises last longer and legs hurt more now we're older, the drinking, singing and general merry making around the campfire sure makes up for that!).

If you want to know a bit about the history of the hobby, look at wikipedia's entry for Live Role Playing.

I got into it without even knowing it (I thought everyone played at pirates) but went along festing with friends and their families and wondered where on earth I had landed, orcs, goblins, wizards, fairies, celts and elves all playing with or, more frequently, against each other. All in a make believe world where magic exists, loads of groups pretending to make friends or fall out. Politics and even war - a battle with around a thousand people on each side is really something you have to try, the adrenalin rush lasts so much longer than a bungee jump!!

From there I tried other games and settings and played many different characters, which is a really interesting way to mould your own morals and outlooks, by trying on different personas you soon come to know yourself pretty well.

Pic courtesy of H '5 Dice' Adkins

For the kids the sense of freedom, both phyical and mental, they can feel is so special, I wouldn't want mine to be without it. Also I feel its important to show them how we, the grown ups, can let go and play too. As a hobby it can promote imagination and storytelling, playing music, community parenting, it instills confidence and independance and I feel it's great excercise for knowing yourself.

Why am I confessing all this? Well, it is what started me off on a sewing machine. The need for a girl to look good when you can't buy a cloak or a princess dress off the shelf on the high street. What else can a girl do but to make her own?

All self taught through trial and error,books and chatting to friends already doing it for themselves, I soon got the hang of knocking out kit for myself and later for my other half. When I had my daughter, 12 long years ago, we wanted to continue with the hobby but to make things easier and still wanting to be in the thick of the story, I started making kit (costume) to sell so we could have a trade stall in the market area of events where the story passes by your front door - perfick!

So that's it really, how I came to be a crafter. Little did I know at the time that I would become a whizz on the sewing machine and a dab hand at knocking up patterns and designs for people's characters.

Now Raggedy Revival is here, I am again with the kit making and am picking up orders steadily once more. See my slowly growing Kit (Costume) page by following the link in the top bar above. If ever you find yourself in need of costume design and build, get in touch raggedysana@live.co.uk and we'll talk through your ideas.

Thanks for listening, I'm glad you stayed.

Crafty Sunday III

Cheat Alert!! I know this is not anywhere near crafting, but it's what I'm most pleased with getting done this week...

I managed to mow all the lawns, which is a pretty epic task

remembering, of course, to mow around half of the daisies

just because...

Finally, I actually got around to keeping the promise I made the kids...

So this week I have made a nice, cropped (if lumpy and a bit bald in places) daisy chain making lawn and a swimming pool in time for half term. Does that count? :)

Bags of bags

Was a bit down to say the least by the end of last week. A relatively productive week, to be followed by a gloriously sunny camping weekend with a beach trip thrown in for good measure - all good... then my camera decided it wouldn't play, doom and gloom ensued, but I managed to push all the negativity aside and have a good break with family and great friends.

The weekend away was just what I needed, much fun was had by all. I mean, who can't have fun when you mix sun, sea, sand, playing at being pirates, live music and a fire to sit around? But I have no photos to show for it, so let's move on :)

My wonderful friend Jo of Muddy Puddle Crafts heard of my camera issues and has kindly lent me her spare til I can afford to replace mine, so generous, thank you Jo! It's amazing how much of a motivational tool blogging has become, though not having pics to show and tell with it becomes a moot point and my productivity has suffered because of it.

So, getting the camera on Wednesday meant that yesterday I did all these

One of the pink ones is for my niece, the others I am looking to sell, I do wonder how they will go. I am really pleased with them, the fabrics are good and strong, the pink being an up cycled pair of blackout curtains and this has worked really well.

They are perfectly sized for 2-5 year olds and they have a Velcro envelope closing so that little fingers can manage it all by themselves, zips can be such a pain for little ones, so this can truly be their own bag.

Big enough to carry spare pants, a couple of toys, a snack and even a small book, (almost) everything a small child would want to take with them on their adventures.

I made the prototype for my own, then 3 year old, for Christmas and I was actually stunned by how much he loved it. He uses it daily, whether popping out to play or going to nursery or out on family day trips and I have never had to carry it for him, which is such a blessing! I have improved this batch by adding a hanging loop to make it easier to hang on hooks at nursery etc. I wish I had done one of those on my boys!

My Crafty Sunday II

Ooops, nearly forgot... been away camping in glorious technicolour (sunshine).

Its just been the rucksacks I'm afraid... but I have again do more prepwork for next week.
My camera died on Friday, so no new pics I'm afraid.

Be back soon

No Pay to Display

A pretty busy week it has been so far, and only half way through we are!

I have finished the 2 toddler rucksacks I had on the go,

and then my thoughts turned to how to display them in the shop. I used to have space in this gorgeous little wardrobe

but I couldn't keep my stock levels high enough, so when I started the job in the Library I reduced my space and my things got dotted around in odd gaps. Now though I need to work out a display method for my stuff, yet the shop is getting quite full to say the least with around 18 crafters involved!

So, lamenting the loss of the wardrobe, which was all too quickly snapped up, I had to get my thinking cap on, so as usual, when I need a good think I took a stroll around the garden and found this

a (very) old set of cabin bed ladders from about 3 houses ago (yes I am a hoarder), the bed went the way of most things wooden in this house - part of it made our hen house and the rest fed our burner for a while. These ladders however survived as they became part of a now dilapidated and so deadly treehouse. So treehouse remodelling is on the cards for the bank holiday weekend.

I think these will work well in the shop as they wont take up much room and can have any number of fabric things strewn or hung upon it.

As the gap left to fill is against a vibrant pink wall, after a quick sand, I hunted through the old paint stash and chose the dusky pale olive green I used on a wall in the kitchen to hang my 'clutter shelves' on (does everyone have these clutter spaces in each of their rooms?). Having done that and found that being matt emulsion it left the ladders feeling dusty, I wondered about varnish. I had none. But what I did have was some of that glitter glue paint stuff that was all the rage when my 12 year old was 4. So I gave it a stir and a poke and slapped some of that on too. Very pleased it's all been salvage, it's worked a dream I think, look!

All that's left to do now is work out how to fix a baton to hook the ladders onto when I found out today its not a solid wall, hmmmm. Fun, fun, fun!!

Hello to new followers!!

I'd like to welcome new followers, both here and via networked blogs on Farcebook (!) by sharing a little about me and mine in picture form... enjoy x

My Crafty Sunday

What a nice way to sum up a week.

I have loved the thought of Sunday coming and what would I have to show for it, thank you, again to maria for the idea. The links to others joining in can be found on maria's blog, me and ma.

It hasn't been a good week for finishing, though I have started so much, so that's this coming weeks activity sorted! But I did complete a Superhero Cape as stock for the shop as we've had none in the shop since Christmas.

On the cards for next week are rucksacks, I have the privilege of making one for my gorgeous niece Hattie-Mae which I shall enjoy immensely, more capes on the go including a new 'Captain Planet' style in brightest green which I can't wait to see done, and I am hoping to make a gift bag from the fused plastic I experimented with making. Exciting week!!

Retail therapy!

I'm not usually one for enjoying shopping. I'm more of a surgical strike kind of shopper, no browsing for me! But, today was different. Maybe it was the sunshine, maybe the fact that I was alone without the kids, maybe because I have felt more productive this week, more than I have for a long time or maybe because I have many plans for making rattling around in my head. Whatever it was, I loved it! So much so I wanted to share. I even found myself trying on a dress, I can't remember the last time I actually tried anything on, proper window shopping. Needless to say I didn't buy it, but I was sorely tempted. I even found a nice necklace to go with it, but I was very, very good and put them back, and didn't feel at all guilty that I had the shop assistant running around after me!!

The shopping trip was for fabrics, I hunted around charity shop for upcyclables and found this pair of curtains.

It's very thick fabric as it's got that blackout coating on it, but this should make it perfect for bags, pencil cases even wash bags. It's still washable at 30 degrees.

I also got bits and bobs to do more Superhero Capes and bits of felt for motif making and the thread I sorely missed having earlier in the week. And managed to find some fabrics for costume orders, namely a haversack for a friend who saw the toddler rucksack, (which I can't find any pictures of strangely and right now it's filthy so it will have to wait) that I made for my son for Christmas to use at nursery and wanted an adult version.

I was looking for some inspiration for a costume with an eastern influence as I mooched round town and I spotted at a stall set up in the church, just couldn't take my eyes of this

I tried so hard not to like it, but I think I fell in love with it so I did that deadly thing of asking the price, then I asked again if she was sure... £15! All hand embroidered and so heavy for just £15!! I had to have it. Now I just have to design the rest of the outfit around it, can't wait!!

 

Then I think I got the bug so when I saw these in the last charity shop I searched, I just threw caution to the wind and bought them too!

So cute! As soon as I got them out, before I could take this photo, my little one said "Ooh, mummy, I'm very thirsty. I would really like to have a cup of tea... In that blue cup please." So duly I gave it a quick wash and made him a cup of rooibos tea, and he did look sweet sat drinking it.

I was good though, in a way... I didn't stop at the coffee shop in the church (I did use their loo though - cheeky me!), or buy a smoothie to sit on the Cathedral lawn. I even remembered the kids and got them a tub of their favourite sweets to share when I got home.

On arrival back at base I found the lawns mowed, dinner in the oven and even the bathroom clean! (I think I should leave everyone at home more often) And to find we are expecting a good friend over for the weekend too, good news!

All in all, a wonderful day! Hope yours has been too :)

Crafty Sunday from Me and Ma

Because I am known as a lazy crafter (which isn't quite true, I'm just very easily distracted...) ooh, what's that, hang on...

Right, where was I? Oh yes, Jo from Muddy Puddle Crafts and one of the lynch pins of The Hope Emporium, pointed me to Me and Ma's blog, where I found mention of Crafty Sunday, where you post each Sunday what you have made that week, typically I think I'm a week late, but I am going to try and achieve this, though I do worry my creations will be pitifully small and simple compared to others, but hey ho... I need any motivational tool I can get my hands on!

Plastic Fantastic

I ran out of thread for my current makings so was trawling the Internet for ideas and came across Etsy Labs archive's guide on fusing plastic carrier bags to make a stronger plastic fabric. What joy! This has kept me very amused this afternoon, if a little frustrated at the trial and error nature of new tricks...

So I started by rummaging for old carriers, few and far between in this house these days so that was a game of discovery in itself. It's amazing what you find in the back of cupboards...

Cut off the bits i didn't want and layered them up like so between pieces of what should be parchment paper, but seeing as I have no clue what that is, I reckoned the greaseproof paper I had in the baking drawer would do just fine.

The iron temperature is where the trial and error, and error, and yes more error came in, but eventually settled at a wool setting on 7 layers of carrier bag. Apologies the pictures are rubbish, but you can see the 'far too hot' with holes and molten plastic, the almost there, but I overdid the amount of ironing necessary in the centre, and the bottom picture does seem about right, if a little on the wrinkly side.

So I definitely improved as I went along... going to have to raid friend's cupboards now for their carriers so I can do more trials, and yes undoubtedly more errors so that eventually I can make, get this... shopping bags from, er, shopping bags!! But these will be strong I hope and durable and definitely upcycled!! 

It's brightened up an otherwise 'um, er, it'll have to be housework then' kind of day :)

Resurrection

Hello, at last!

Crafting has been asleep since I agreed to take that job, how can such a small part time job mess up each and every day so wholly that not only did my crafting suffer, but so did my garden and even quality time spent with the kids and my other half? (Or 'current partner' as he said on his latest CV which is another story, but I was less than impressed!!)

For a few months I tried to carry on thinking that these sacrifices needed to be made and hey it is bringing in steady money, something crafting can never do. But you know what? I got pretty depressed, especially as spring finally sprang and the kids and garden developed without my nurture, I ran out of stock at the shop and struggled to fufill orders that came my way - I'm not a great multi-tasker

So then came the internal struggle, feeling pretty useless and with no drive yet beating myself up that I wasn't good enough and all that tosh, but thankfully I never stay in that dip for long and even more thankfully things looked up for my partner (current!) in his work so financially it became possible to risk losing the steady money to achieve a happy balance of chaos once more.

So..... I'm back!!!

This is week 2 of being 'free' and it's been great, though not that productive until today (I got a good telling off from a friend yesterday that put a rocket up you know where..). Until today freedom has been just that, all fun and shirk, catching up with family and friends, hiding in the garden playing with my birthday present of a 30cc strimmer - such fun! But today, I'm really feeling back on top... Welcome back and thanks for sticking with me :)

Before I go and make tea, I'll finish with a pic of Puzzlewood in the Forest of Dean, a great family day out and a stunning environment that lends itself to imaginations running wild...

until next time x

Creative Dictator? Yeah me too

My favourite blog at the moment is blueprints, full of patterns and tutorials with no limits on what you can do with it, a very generous thing to do in this all to profit driven world, and something I am determined to copy in my endeavours.

Anyway, getting off the point here, I was reading some of her older posts and found her post entitled Crayon Liberation. Everyone should read it and let go of the 'don't make a mess' mentality when kids are being creative.

Got to go, battery dying on the laptop. Happy reading

Isn't it pretty?

I have been prettying my blog for my own amusement, hope you like it too!!

Juggling

I have passed myself another ball to throw into the mix - nothing like keeping it fresh, eh?

I have been offered a new job which is like gold dust; term time, part time and very, very local! They are even willing for me to do 4 days instead of 5 until my youngest begins school in September! The job is also more interesting than I imagined, running the library at our small, but caring secondary school where Kate, my eldest has just started year 7. Just refurbished and now known as the Learning Resource Centre, my role is to make the place an effective area for study and quiet reflection for the students in an otherwise bustling school day. I can run projects that go along with curriculums, poetry and reading challenges and allsorts, my first thought is to do a display board for current affairs entitled 'Am I Bothered?' . Very exciting.

But now it means I am juggling an extra ball now, home making, crafting and now work. I was anxious about arranging childcare as I detest childcare settings in the mainstream, but with much thanks to my friends, I have managed the time when nursery sessions don't cover with weekly playdates within Freddie's friendship group, which I feel very comfortable with.

The job is set to start very soon, on the 30th so wish me luck, I do hope I can continue to be creative both with craftiness and the family and keep this blog going. I am sure I'll struggle some days, but I am so very thankful to the gods right now for answering my pleas of need for the family, and now I am in a much more secure place and will be meeting my earnings target to help out the family budget. I have already planned where the money I'll earn is to go, swimming lessons for Freddie and music lessons for Kate are a couple.

In all I am truly happy and excited and very, very grateful for the full feeling I have right now, long may it reign!! I wish a bit of that warm and fuzzy feeling for all of you as the weather bites cold and wet.

Back from the brink

It seems like a long time since I have posted here, or indeed made anything of any merit! I have however made plenty of mess while I have been away; lurgy-filled household followed by half term break, my eldest's 12th birthday and going camping (in November!!) and then the inevitable clear up from all that.

So I thought I'd take a moment to pop on here and give an update of what I'm doing and planning right now. I have been able to make some Christmas decorations, both for the shop and home. Also did a couple of new things, for my kids for Christmas I have covered mache initials for them both with gorgeous cotton prints which I have hung in the shop for now to take orders from. Also, whilst I had the spray glue out I covered some simple wooden photo frames in delicate cotton prints too, they look amazing if I do say so myself!! Pics will follow in the next week.

It's been a great month all told, we got rid of all illness before the end of the month and since then it's been joyous. Really enjoying the autumnal weather, food and family time together. Managed to get out to the woods when the trees were really showing off, they put on an excellent display this year thanks to the wet summer!

Also got to go camping near the dunes at Merthyr Mawr, Bridgend. It's the second time we've braved the weather and camped in November, and we were lucky again. There were showers, but that kept it mild and we had a lovely sunny day on Sunday in time to dry everything out and pack up for home.

This morning I have been offered an interview for a job I had forgotten I had applied for, that was a nice surprise! It would be great to get this job, it's erfect as it's based in a school, therefore term time only and during school hours, so fingers are very much crossed that I get it as term time part time jobs are like gold dust!!

Wish me luck for Thursday's interview!! Thanks for reading.

Stuff what I have made

So, how many times have I promised these?

These are my pencil rolls and they have come up really well. I and others have made these before, but this time I have really simplified the pattern making them speedier to put together.
I have also incorporated a cotton batting in between the layers, this really keeps the pencils snug in their pockets, allowing some degree of protection against knocks and drops, which are inevitable but make pencils frustrating to keep a point on as we all know!
I love the fabrics on these, you can't quite see the detail on this pic but the orangey one is a lovely vivid print of cerise ovals and dots on the brightest orange background. I even got clever and the topstiching co-ordinates on one side and contrasts on the other, just because I felt like playing! I really like the duck egg blue paisley with mulberry coloured flowers, a very pretty mix. The stars print is fun, lined with brightest yellow to appeal to boys as well as girls.

Need I introduce these? My fabulous superhero capes!! I just adore these. We have a superman as the stalwart design,in red or blue., and this week I increased the range in time for Halloween to include a batman design and pumpkin man (?) well, that's what my son calls it! I have 2 more designs I am going to do in time for Christmas, a Captain Planet design, in green with a planet earth felt design and a Princess Power design in, of course, pink with a crown or a butterfly felt applique, I haven't decided yet! Both of which I am really looking forward to making.

Made from polyester satin, a break from my norm as I usually strictly use natural fibres only, but they need the shine, and with acrylic felt appliques, simply because I can get them easily from my local haberdaser in a load of great colours and also to keep the costs down. I do hope to move to wool felt as soon as stock is shifting and I can afford the outlay. I have found Blooming Felt online and really want to buy her stuff, I truly love felting, but I am too slow at it to be able to make feasible. I just do it fo the joy of it.

Finally these, my Raggedy Hearts, blatantly nicked from bellsjo's tutorial (see her blog from my blogroll).
THANK YOU!! These made up my first sale at the shop and I need to make more! I have made them smaller than bellsjo suggested, mine are 6" rather than 8" that bellsjo made.

I am going to town on lovely prints for these. Helped by the fact that, yes another mention for her (did I tell you she is wonderful?) bellsjo sent me some stash, including my first piece of Amy Butler fabric!! I was a very happy lass when that arrived with a lovely postcard that keeps me going. when I feel like sitting in the bath all day.

Finally I shall leave you with a pic of my stuff in the shop, my display space at the moment is a gorgeous little wardrobe, which I hope to outgrow soon.

Happy crafting!!