Crafting Projects

 by Nita Holstine with how-to's from some great websites 

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My Own Beading Project, Christmas 2002

  I ordered and got the best and biggest of bead catalogs. I read and wished and figured and almost made some plans but never got near sending an order. A trip to town had to exclude the trip to the craft store. When nothing else was working out with the acorns, I was becoming desperate with time running out. Randy made a trip by our local Hobby Lobby and found lots of leather straps and baubles, beads and bells. I love bells. They are so cute. To be able to use the tiniest of bells, I used some fancy pipe cleaners. The bracelets all turned out very well. I am sure the kids receiving would rather the gift be bigger and maybe a lot of money but that cannot happen. I have not been able to give so many gifts in a season before. The last time I had lots to send, I could not afford the postage to send them.

  It only took one trial to see how long a length of leather was needed for a bracelet. Each item on the bracelet had a loop that was big enough for the string. Moving the little charm around to the knot being made, each bell or bauble was placed where it was on the outside. The color schemes were amazing with a dark brown leather, a gray and a red that I could never have had from my own dye. My original pieces were probably already dyed and could not take the extra dye. Well, they were an excellent dark color but their texture was not workable. 

  I won't know if any of the kids liked their gifts for probably another week. I wished for more all along the way but will be glad for what I do have.  

  I am always looking for handy and practical patterns for knitting. Stumbling upon this website, I found they have hundreds of available patterns. For Free! Hey, I'm going to learn crochet next.

  Yarn Lover's Room is an awesome website. Look down the page to Mailing List where you can get the newsletter for free or a membership for $12 a year. The newsletter will provide you a free pattern every month. Check out the Tips & Tricks for the best of hints from those with great skill to help make it easier for the beginner.

  I found a great site with a collection of links to many places quilting related. The website says The Party Works and the page is Quilt-n-It. This will what I use to get me started with my own quilting. I have lots of fabric on hand and want to make something pretty. 

  This coming week, I will work on these ideas as  Christmas projects. I put batting on my shopping list to at least buy some to get me started. 

  Spend some time at this site. They have dozens of projects complete with directions. Really, Tall Mouse Projects. They also have other project collection books for sale. Cool site.

Angels

  Do you know someone who collects angels? This page has so many very easy projects to choose from it will be difficult to decide. Click Here to see all the angels. Most of the ideas are so easy, you can make them with the kids.

  Get out the paper and the scissors and impress the kids at what pretty snowflakes you can make. Just Click Here to have lots and lots of fun. There are many patterns to choose from so your flakes will not all be alike. 

Beading

  This project shall be an adventure in creating beadage fit for a teenage granddaughter and her mother. While browsing the other day, I came upon a really fun website. I had always been fascinated with beading as we called it and thought I had a good eye for color and size combinations. But when I did finally visit a craft store, the instructions were for sale in a very expensive book and the pretty bobbles and glimmers cost even more.

  This website, Beadage, has complete instructions and projects. fully illustrated step by step tutorials, Gemstone A-Z; find everything for over 100 gemstones & birthstones. There are pictures with explanations of supplies you need for general beading & specifically for wire work, stringing, tigertail & loomwork. The Idea Gallery is inspiration for every endeavor in beadland.

  The purpose of the project will be to see if I cannot order sufficient quantities to create the presents and have some left over.  The website does not sell beads but they do recommend a few places. The nicest catalog costs $10. I ordered a free catalog but it takes 3 to 5 weeks to arrive. I wanted to be finished before then. I spent the time to go through the complete online catalog that one company provided but that make me realize that I could not afford any of these prices. I think back to a time when I found a little shop and all they had was beads and wires and line and needles. What I keep thinking back to was a little spindle that allowed you to wrap a piece of colorful paper around the spindle and wind it into shape. It was allowed to dry and then was painted with a varnish to harden the item.

  Just looking through the catalog was enough for me to know that I could not afford to buy the beads I wanted. What I would have would be a work of art, an original like no other. I did find some nice colors and shapes that caught my eye and wonder if I could make something like that. The bead making project I remembered was in a child's craft project. The fancy beads might be more attainable if purchased in sufficient quantity where I could make more than one item. The beadage site is still the place to go and get a lot of good ideas. 

  For now, I will leave this project as it is; depending on funds available this would be the Christmas present I would want to make.

  This began as Sewing Projects but I am finding very few people that just sew. It will be much better to include all crafts. I have always been fascinated with spinning but find few sites still available. 

   There was an article about how when a sewing machine has a problem, it might just be a dull needle. Made me realize that it has been about 9 years since I'd changed mine. Oh my! These new type of sewing machines have plastic parts and  by the look of the pieces now missing from the plastic type of belt that makes everything go, I'd say mine needs a new belt if indeed they are replaceable. This machine cleaning and attempt at repair has made me aware that there are several functions of the machine that I have no idea how to use or what certain parts actually might do. This shall begin the search to find the instruction manual.

   I learned to sew on a treadle machine. No electricity, just keep the treadle going and the needle keeps sewing. There was no reverse not to mention zigzag and a button hole was out of the question! But they certainly would sew together as many layers of denim as you might want.

   It took another week of searching but I did find the manual. My problem was simple. It was necessary to take the machine apart again to readjust the piece that was set  wrong. Obviously, when moving, the little pop up had been pushed down and out of sight. Now, my machine sews like a charm. It is clean and I have fresh thread and a nice sharp needle. The thread I had been using was so old that I could easily pull it apart.