"The Craft Group" plus...

Wishing you a very happy Christmas  and a terrific, crafty and blessed new year! From me and my friends at The Craft Group! This nativity scene has a story. It has 2 stories actually. The first story is the real story it depicts. That one of God becoming man. The story of Jesus being born in a humble stable to live a perfect life only to be killed by those who hated Him. But His death was a payment for the things we do wrong and He came alive again to show that He is strong enough to do anything. He is God so if He can overcome death, He can surely forgive our sins and make us right with God. We just need to accept Him. Now THAT is a gift! The second story is about the making of this nativity scene. At The Craft Group we have a "Swap Shop" where people donate things from their craft cupboard at home that they know they will never make. Any optimistic crafter from the group can take items for free if it they think they will make it. I took a felt nativity sc...

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!

Rita gave me this cute bag. She said the Winnie The Pooh meant she didn't use it.  But the bag is padded and fits my laptop in it perfectly! Bye bye Winnie The Pooh. Hello pretty crocheted flower by me! And another fun fact about my new bag... I used tapestry wool which I found on our "Swap Shop" at The Craft Group a while ago. Spare tapestry wool is hard to reuse in other tapestries and is too small in quantity to use in other crochet projects (and maybe doesn't wash well) but is perfect for crocheting flowers!

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 ...

This weekend is CELEBRATION TIME! We are celebrating The Craft Group's 20h Anniversary! 20 years is a long time for a community group to be operating and we have had, over the years, many lovely talented girls of all ages come through the door and be a part of our craft family! It has been (and Lord willing will continue to be) such a lovely group to be involved in. So... this Saturday we are having a whole day of craft (BYO) and a craft display of things people have made over the past 20 years. We are having a special "High Tea" Reunion in the afternoon with some speeches and fun. Then... when we are all crafted out we are going out for Thai for dinner. I can't wait. It will be so nice and I have heard of a few ladies who are coming who I have not seen for years. During the day we are auctioning off a quilt to raise money for a women's project overseas. At The Craft Group we have a "Swap Shop" where people put the excesses from their craft cupboar...

What do you do with nylon yarn like this? Years ago people knitted coat hanger covers from it. Someone donated these rolls to our "Swap Shop".  Obviously they didn't want any more knitted coathangers! Ta da! Elaine made a new look coat hanger cover. These are great for hanging a wet stretch item on  to allow it to dry without getting the coathanger stretch marks on the shoulders! Just cut the nylon into lots of equal lengths and knot them onto to covered wire hanger.  Couldn't be easier. Or, as Marion did, you could use the same cut-and-knot method on a round of elastic to make a cute little girl's tutu.

I love lots of things about "The Craft Group". One really special things is the way people do things for each other. Rita makes lovely cards . Cards involving a lot of work and skill. Well, she made some lovely cards for Bronwyn a while ago. Then, one day they were both shopping at our "Swap Shop" where everything is free (but if you take something, you try to put something back on another day). Rita loved this fabric which was looking for a new home, but didn't know how to turn it into cushions to match her new lounge. Bronwyn appreciated the cards Rita gave her, so said she'd help her out with the cushion.  (She did more than help, she completely made them.) So Bronwyn has nice cards (by Rita), Rita has nice cushion (by Bronwyn).  Everybody happy.