Collage and craft

The new stitching group on a Wednesday morning are very keen each week to try something different,  this week we made some scrap fabric flowers for our collage.  Playing around with different thread, buttons and beads.  

They also try a bit of 'home work' each week to make as much as they can in the time we have, great work girls.....

This is the collage so far, lovely use of different techniques and detail, I have tried to balance the design.  We are planning more animals, a pond, a sun and some clouds......watch this space.
M worked had to finish her tractor and trailor for her son.  He wasn't happy in the creche last week, but he cheered up when he saw what had been made for him.  This week, he had a very happy time.  The hand puppets were made by his big sisters at home and M finished them off, great teamwork.
J is making a mobile for a new baby in their family.  She has lovely ideas for detail and her stitching is very neat, we have asked for a bird for the collage, thank you J! :-)
E has never stitched before, in the first week she was getting very frustrated with herself, just with threading the needle.  After 3 weeks, her confidence has grown and her work is neat and bold.  A great use of colour and detail, well done E!

Murtle and Murtle

This is our first project from the new magazine Sew Hip! magazine, Murtle and her friend Murtle.

Here they are discovering the hedge at the back of the Children's Centre, "nice privet Murtle"

"oh I agree Murtle, lovely"

And here they are just happy to be finished, we added some extra applique details.  Well done V. I know your daughter loves her new friend....

The house that grows with you....

S has big plans for this little house, will it be a jewelry box? A treasure box? When her daughter is older, will it be a proper little dolls house??

It is fashioned around a washing powder box and covered in felt.  The detail S is planning is lovely, it has wall paper inside and will have flowers in a window box.  What a lucky little girl to have this made especially for her.

Proudly presenting:

This is my eldest, aged 10, I let her loose on the sewing machine at Easter.  She soon got the hang of it and I was able to go off and do something else!!

This was the proud result......

Apparently, this was work in progress, there are now small beads stitched round in squares too.  Each bead is held on with THREE stitches, far more dedication than her mother I think.

 well done Evie! :-)

Equal opportunities

Yes, this week we can tick another box for equal opps.  Hurray!  I have no less than two men in my monday group and after wracking my brain for a few seconds, they are doing some lino cutting.

The lino/rubber we are using is very easy to work with.  I found it in the local Scrap Store, but sadly it was the end of a line so cannot get any more.  I am trying to source another supplier.

D. came up with this design and worked very carefully to plan it on the rubber then cut it with lino cutting tools.  We weren't sure how it would print, or what the quality of line would be.

I hope you will agree that the quality is great! Really clean line and the overall shape works well too.  D is now planning how he can repeat the design.  He is very pleased with how it turned out and has inspired the other Dad in the group to design something.

Who'd have thought it.

Well indeed, who would have thought such a simple project would have inspired such detailed results.  I hate to say it, but it is almost a shame these little lovelies are 'just' destined for pin cushions.  These new learners have a great eye for design and detail.  Their enthusiasm is rubbing off onto the less experienced members of the group.  A really positive morning spent, thank you.

They have planned a 'surprise' project for the Centre, really exciting and I am looking forward to help make it happen for them.

Start with paper

I often start new crafting groups with a quick, but brilliant star project.  Designed  originally as a Christmas Star, it can be adapted with a variety of colours for the rest of the year.  It looks particularly lovely if each 'petal' is made in a different colour.

I either use two sided origami paper or 'duet' paper which is firmer and comes in some bright colour combinations.

A star is for ever, not just for Christmas....:-)

Patchwork with t-shirts....reference

Just thought I would reference this while I remember.....Two learners have talked this week about making a quilt with their babies old clothes, as a memory quilt.  Lovely idea, but we weren't sure whether you could make them out of jersey fabrics.  Well, after a bit of research I found this link and will now be chopping up some t-shirts of my own. There is then a link to how to quilt the lovely result.  Will report back soon.