"The Craft Group" plus...

Ida is inspiring us with the table runners she made. Christmas is just over 5 weeks away! A good time to start making some decorations that are good enough to keep for years.

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.

The Craft Group's Swap Shop always holds treasures. When someone decides they are not going to use something in their 'stash', they bring it and put it in the "Swap Shop". Anyone can help themselves to the items for free but then bring something else to replace it when they have a clean out. It works well. It worked really well for Georgina who found this fabric and turned it into a great bag! I love all those pockets! Lots of pockets inside and out! Lovely fabric, discarded from Lydia's cupboard and finding it's purpose in life via Georgina. Beautiful and beautifully made bag Georgina!

I featured some of Lorraine's quilts and toys she made for the playgroup for disabled children HERE. I said I would feature a baby book she made. It is designed to stimulate through as many senses as possible. Such a fun, creative little book for a worthwhile cause! Good on you Lorraine!

I was sure I had posted these amazing projects by Lorraine but I just searched my own blog and I haven't featured them yet! They are so inspirational and such a worthwhile project. Two years ago, we were challenged by a lady who works with families with young children with intellectual disabilities. She said that at their playgroup, one little quilt was made by someone who works there and understands the importance of tactile stimulation for these littlies. The little quilt was wearing out and they wondered if we could make some more. The challenge was taken and some of us put on our thinking caps to start to create. You can see the beginnings of our thoughts and creations HERE. Then you can look at the lovely post of when we gave the tactile quilts to the children  HERE. Since that time, Lorraine has been inspired by the freedom and creativity involved in making these tactile quilts. Her main inspiration has been to make something which has such an positive impact on the ...

Bev I has plenty of little people visiting her at home so she has a play room. She made this gorgeous quilt for the playroom. It's warm. It's colourful. It's a game of "Eye Spy". I love it. Can you see the red airplane? Can you see the yellow cat? Can you see Granny I's love that has gone into this quilt? Can you see the pink square on the back? Can you see why I love this quilt so much? You can also see Bev's Eye Spy baby clutch ball HERE .

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 10: Mending by Judy You may mock. You may feel uninspired but here at The Craft Group we are very real about our craft! Judy D knows a good productive morning when she sees one! She spent her time chatting and re-hemming a pair of trousers. A nice big fat hem on a pair of school uniform trousers for a growing boy. Bam! Done! Tick it off the list. This reminds me of something. It is hard to fall into the trap with craft to wonder more about what others are going to think of our project than what we actually think of it ourselves! Some of the best pieces I've seen are the things that people make because they love it themselves. And some of the 'worse' things are made with the same attitude. But you know, it doesn't matter what anyo...

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 4: Bed Runner by Bev, for Cheryl A beautifully made bed is a wonderful thing.   Cheryl says she likes to change her bedding around and has a Summer look and a totally different Winter look.  What a great and inexpensive way to redecorate the bedroom. This picture is not Cheryl's room but this is, (for those who are ignorant of such things) a "Bed Runner". I don't have pictures of Cheryl's bed, so add this photo and the following photos together in your mind and you will 'see' the end product. Cheryl C is a lovely card maker. Bev I is a lovely quilter. So Cheryl commissioned her friend Bev to make her the following bed runner. Great idea hey? Sharing gifts and talents! Seeing it on the end of our craft table doe...

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.

The Craft Group is starting again soon for a new year of crafting and friendship. (13th Feb for Enrolment Morning for local ladies). So everyone is thinking about what projects to finish, continue with, start or share. Fabric addicts, prepare yourselves. Do you prewash your quilting fabrics or not? Years ago it was a definite "Yes, of course!" You don't want your fabric to shrink or the colour to run after your project is finished! But now, with improvements to dyes and the preshrinking of new fabrics, there is a strong argument not to prewash. A small amount of shrinking after a quilt has been made can give it that lovely, slightly puckered vintage look.  Also, using the fabric unwashed is a bit easier to cut and sew as it is a little stiffer than after you have washed it. I found a good explanation of the whole debate HERE  on the Craftsy blog. There you can read more points for and against pre-washing and some helpful tips if you are going to wash. There is ...

OK, it's time for a lovely story. Once upon a time, Joan made a pretty peg apron for a friend. One day in central Queensland, a lady called Queenie happened to be looking at our blog. She liked the apron and emailed me to ask if we sell them. Joan was flattered that someone liked her handiwork but wasn't looking for a new career in selling her creations. To cut a long story short, Joan was happy to make an apron for our new Northern blog friend. Queenie did request that white was not so practical on their rural property, so this was Joan's new creation... Joan didn't want any money for it so "The Craft Group" paid Joan and we sent it with a few other little gifts to Queenie for nix.  Would she like the new funky print?  Would she think we are strange for asking her to take a photo of her wearing the apron at her clothesline?  Would she be offended by the great little recipe book we sent her which also contained the great news of Jesus...

Bev I. is at it again. When Wendy P had a great grand son, Bev made her this Clutch Ball (also known as a Baby Grab Ball) to give to the little man. I'm calling it an Eye Spy Clutch Ball because of all the interesting fabrics she has used. Blocks of colour are all on the outsides and inside each section is something else to look for. This makes it more that a baby toy. It can be used for little eye spy games for the toddler or preschooler too. You can tell Bev used to be a primary school teacher!  And a clever, crafty one at that! Want to make one? Check out this  Tutorial here

I found these  easy quilted cushions  on the web. The instructions maybe aren't super easy if you are not a sewer but it still looks like a good way to make some quick cushions. Let me know if you try it!

I will not accept humility as an excuse for not bringing finished craft projects along for Show 'n Tell at The Craft Group! I will also not accept the excuse that it was left at home, or sold at the last church fete. So, luckily Pam had a photo of the cute little owls she made.  She did make them to sell at her church fete and they are very cute... I was surprised they could be seen so clearly peeping out of Pam's phone screen! Oh Pam, you are nearly out of battery. Just thought I'd let you know.

Bev I. pieced together these alphabet blocks to make a very sweet quilt for her Great Grandson. The back has its own border full of letters and a very special backing fabric. So on the front, you can learn your A B Cs. Then on the back... you can get some chalk and draw your A B Cs on the chalkboard fabric! Then it all easily washes off making way for more literary or artistic masterpieces! What a lucky Great Grandson to receive such a fantastic gift! If he becomes a famous creative writer you can take the credit for it Bev! But if he starts drawing on his  bedspread with crayons, you should blame...um... the education system. They seem to get the blame for anything else kids do wrong!  ;) 

Shirley has a flower loom and with it she made pretty flowers galore.  They can be tricky to sew together, so she sewed them onto fabric. She still has to line it and put a backing on it and there is a funky rug! You can buy the flower loom from Spotlight stores. On their website they have some project ideas sheets for using the flowers.  I found a good tutorial of how to use the loom on the Better Homes and Gardens site. Nice gadget and pretty project Shirley!

I will use Heidi's dress as a segue back to the theme of this blog... to show off things people have made! In yesterday's blog post you would have seen Heidi wearing this dress. She made it herself as part of her  Textiles class at school.  I thought I would show it off for her.  Tied at the back. Tied at the front Part of her portfolio. The PJ's she made earlier this year. Nice work Heidi!  If a 14 year old can make a dress like this, the rest of us have no excuse!

Seeing as it is The Craft Group's 20th Anniversary, here is another blast from the past! I decorated this jumper with pretty appliqued girls at The Craft Group about 15 years ago. My daughter wore it constantly and then, 8 years later my other daughter wore it just a bit (appliqued jumpers sadly went out of fashion). It has been washed and washed and I just couldn't throw it in the bin, so we gave it to a friend whose little girl can enjoy it. (That is what I like to think, I was having trouble parting with the 3 little girlies, so 'passing it on' makes it easier to say goodbye!)

Some people are just so clever! Jenni and Leanne met Anne K in the train on the way home from the Craft Show at Darling Harbour this year. Leanne had previously made a bag, from a pattern, and Anne was admiring it. She had a good look at it and said "I think I will make one like that too."  Leanne would have been happy to share the pattern.  Pattern shmattern. Who needs a pattern? (That is not a quote from Anne by the way).  So home she went, inspired by all things crafty and she made this cute denim backpack, just creating it out of her stash of fabrics and her clever mind. Cute project Anne.