"The Craft Group" plus...

Thanks for sharing all your lovely cards with us from the March 2020 challenge! CLICK HERE to see all the entries! This next challenge is a little more open ended so watch the video below for more details. THIS CHALLENGE ENDS THIS WEEK - FRIDAY 15TH MAY! This month's challenge is to make something to decorate your home. The possibilities are endless for this one. So share with us a picture of what you have done and join us again soon for our next challenge. (Also tell us if there is a story attached to your creation!) APRIL 2020 Entry #1 - Annalee Annalee from Sydney So often we buy a kit when we are on holidays and then we get back to real life and it goes in the cupboard... unfinished. Well, this sweet embroidery was started in Thailand and now it is finishd and on her wall. It was not her intention to be living back at home for so long and a few months is going to turn into most of 2020 she thinks! So setting up and decorating her room has meant she still ...

Today we were back at The Craft Group after a bit of a break. Bev has not been wasting time - she has dusted off a few half finished projects, finished them off and brought them along to our "Show 'n Tell" time.  You are inspiring Bev! Here is her finished fabric box we made a few terms ago. Here is an adorable wool embroidered blanket. ...with cute ducks! !!! Look at those neat stitches !!! So pretty! Bev was given some bibs by Lyn who thought she would probably not get around to them. Bev found some cross stitch patterns in our "Swap Shop" and finished off the bibs. And while she was at it, she finished her redwork we also did at The Craft Group earlier this year. Thanks for sharing and inspiring us Bev! (And thanks for helping out with our morning tea too!  You are multi-talented and generous.

A project a day! I have so many photos of lovely things which have not yet appeared here on the blog. So, I am featuring a new craft item every day for 2 weeks, all made by ladies at The Craft Group. To continue… Project 13: Patchwork bags by Elaine T Elaine has been our patchwork teacher for years. She just keeps coming up with projects for ladies to make. Over the holidays she purchased 2 bag patterns and made them up to show anyone who would also like to make one. Sorry the photo is not all that clear. They are patterns from  The  Riverdale Collection  by Sally Giblin. "Mrs Pickle" and "Little Princess". We had a lovely morning tea last thursday and this thursday "The Craft Group" starts up again for the year, so there will be many more lovely things to show you!

A project a day! I have so many photos of lovely things which have not yet appeared here on the blog. So, I am featuring a new craft item every day for 2 weeks, all made by ladies at The Craft Group. To continue… Project 2: Baby singlets embroidered by Elaine T . If you want to create items that people love to receive as gifts, embroider baby singlets.  So lovely! Especially for Aussie babies who often will be in just a singlet on these lovely hot summer days. These were embellished by Elaine T, our multi talented Quilting teacher.

After a bit of a break, term 4 at The Craft Group has started up again. It was SO nice to see everyone again, craft in hand, stories to tell. Love... an embroidered quilt by Wendy. Coming along nicely. Wendy P was there. About a month ago her husband passed away. He had been living in a nursing home for the past 2 years and Wendy said it was his time to go. But it is super sad for her to have to say goodbye. He was only in his 70's. She is continuing to volunteer at the Nursing home because she has spent so much time there in the past and she is such a lovely person with a lot of love and care to share around. We pray that you will continue to know God as your real, everyday Comforter Wendy! We are so pleased you had the strength and desire to come along to "craft" yesterday. Big hugs from us all. xxxxxxxxx

Inspire your teenage girls to try a new design for their friendship bracelets. I like the fishtail style shown here in a tutorial by "Carrots 'n spice". from carrots 'n spice Have fun!

Marion's mother-in-law sadly passed away last year. Marion inherited these 2 lovely cushions. She brought them along to show as as she knew we'd appreciate all the work gone into the beautiful  candle-wicking and Hardanger embroidery. I'll put in some bigger pictures so you can see more detail. A special memory of Oma, Marion!

This is a nice and bright cross stitch Wendy brought along to show. Some women off to the markets... Some women at the markets.. The pattern was from Hanne's Needlecraft. You can buy it here You do lovely cross stitch Wendy but you really should frame them!!!

                                                                      Well, hello gorgeous bear!    This bear has had a lucky life! Bev bought it for $7.99 at a 'cheap' shop for her daughter, Kaitlin to take to school at the end of year 6, to have all her friends sign their names on it. Bev and Kaitlin are such big softies. The bear was too cute to be covered in year 6 kids comments.  So they took pity on him and rescued him from a future all tattooed with things he would later regret. Instead, Bev made up a scrapbookers page, using black and dark card, gave Kaitlin light coloured gel pens and had all the school mates sign the page. What a lovely idea and so easy to store afterwards! So then, back to the rescued bear. How could Bev resist? She thought she might add some embroid...

Cross Stitches are not something you do overnight. They are always started with genuine enthusiasm and a real love for the colours and design. Only the serious cross stitchers complete their projects. They see and love the colours... ...they keep the goal in sight and steadily work away,  seeing it as a form of relaxation rather than a chore. They take pleasure and delight in each section completed  and are motivated to continue on. Sometimes, like with Jennifer, they move to a new town  and join a new craft group  and then pick it up again to complete. Congratulations on finishing your cross stitch Jennifer! It's a great and beautiful achievement!

The Craft Group has had a bit of a break over the holidays but we are soon on board again! Elaine made this lovely patchwork and embroidered wall hanging and is happy to show you how it's done. The pattern is from the Country Crafts Magazine  a few years ago. I like to make one special new Christmas decoration each year. This is a great project that is not going to take a whole year to make!

Find a pretty design and pattern. Photo copy it. Place the card over a soft cutting board, secured with blu tac. Place pattern over the card and secure so it doesn't move.  Punch the holes with a special tool or a needle. (You can push the needle half into a cork to hold it more easily). Follow the pattern to do the embroidery. Stick on pretty embellishments. Frame your masterpiece with another coloured card. Punch corners for added style. Stick onto a card. Write a special message. Give to a special friend. See friend smile. That is what Cheryl did to make this pretty card. If you would like to try an embroidered card, here is a free pattern to download for this card on the right...