My current craft fad...

I wanted this blog to be separate from my usual moans and ramblings. Somewhere to display my current craft fad. So here it is...

The current craft fad is sewing -inspired my my beautiful Singer sewing machine (who I have named Ethel). She is hand operated, and was made in 1924 - so has a big birthday coming up next year as she will be 90 years old. I can only hope when I am that age I am running as smoothly!

 "Ethel!"

My current makes are bunting, cable tidys and small red hats to turn cacti into Christmas cacti. (I never said I would be making sensible stuff!)


 Christmas Cacti

My goal is to make a dress - and I have bought a pattern in readiness - however I am not quite ready yet and I am shelving this project until after Christmas when I will (hopefully) have a lot more time.

A history of my previous fads...

As a child I was encouraged to be creative - I just wasn't very good at it. When I was 9 I struggled through one bootie for my forthcoming baby brother - the second one never materialised. I'd dabbled with kniting before - making scarves for toys. My scarves all featured unexpected buttonholes! I tried and failed at embroidery - making a tray cloth that my mum finished off for me.

As a teenager I remember getting into macrame for a while. After that, it was patchwork - aided mainly by passing a Laura Ashley shop on my way home - they used to sell small bits of fabric for patchwork and I used to have a huge box of it. I made some cot covers and one for a double bed. Then I decided I would never do patchwork ever again and threw everything away! I did a few bits of sewing - some baby dresses. Nothing major.

Then I discovered knitting. I knitted baby clothes and toddler clothes and small child clothes. Then I discovered Jean Greenhowe patterns and made masses of toys! Mainly to sell at the school summer fair, and the occasional epic clown.

Then one day I became completely disillusioned with knitting. I was in the middle of a nativity scene - I'd some some fantastic looking rustic shepherds - only to come home to discover the husband had upset a cup of coffee inside my knitting bag, and just left it to fester all day. I threw it all away.

I did some cross stitch - bought several books - did some samplers. Then I bought a map of Shropshire to do. I managed to do the county outline and the river, a couple of trees and Market Drayton. Then I gave up and never looked at cross stitch again.

For a long time I did nothing - then I discovered card making which I tend to do when I am in the mood.

 Scarf yarn

Then suddenly, with no warning I got back into knitting! It was the new scarf yarns that did it - discovering a scarf could be made in about an hour was truly amazing. Then suddenly I was knitting again (thankful that I did keep the knitting needles - though sadly not all the patterns I'd accumulated in my 20s). My favourite knitting project is baby hats. They are so quick to do and there are so many amazingly silly patterns.

 Baby hat

Then I decided I wanted to learn how to crochet, and fell in love with it.  It grows so much quicker than knitting and doesn't make my hands ache in the same way. I did a mass of blankets. I did scarves. I did lots of cacti pin cushions. Owls. Pigs. Flower brooches.

 Pin cushions

 Owls and an imposter

Then I spotted Ethel in a shop window - and a week or so later and she was mine!

So what will it be next I wonder? I have just made some hedgehog letter racks out of old books. And some patchwork lavendar bags. I've had some interest in my cable tidys - and I have sold my first string of bunting!

 Book hedgehogs

I am gathering some things for a craft fair at the weekend - then I will have to see what next week brings. I am thinking a mega batch of cards, then possibly some crochet. Then I may well invest in a piece of hessian and make a rag-rug out of all my leftover fabric bits (new skill just learnt). Or I might tackle one of my many UFOs!

 Crocheted roses