Crafternoon

One of the nicest things about crafting is sharing ideas with like minded people and seeing where the creative juices flow.  Since I tend to work alone, (quite happily) in my shed, these interactions are really important to me and it always encourages me to get on and finish things or make something completely different.
Where I live, there are plenty of opportunities to take up new hobbies or join in groups and one of those is the Transition Keynsham Stitch 'n' Bitch (http://keynshamt.wordpress.com/stitch-and-bitch/), that I've been going to for a couple of years now.  It's run by the lovely Erica who has a wealth of experience in sewing, knitting and crochet and she has helped me untangle small disasters on many occasions.  This group opens up a new world to me within a small town and I love that this is something unique to us.  It's not about being R&M's mummy or Mrs T, but just a love of making that brings us together from all our different backgrounds.

It was just a matter of time before a few friends and I suggested getting together for a similar purpose, to share skills and have fun creating and making.  So far, I've learned how to make (& eat!) delicious curries and perfect my granny squares.  It was my turn to host this week and I have to say I don't think my shed has ever been so hot - it must have been all the nimble fingers sewing and the flushed G&T tickled cheeks!  Snap purses are BIG right now, I see them at all the fairs, so I thought we'd have a go at them.  In true Blue Peter fashion, I did have 'a couple I'd made earlier' and we were all really pleased with our results.  
Lorraine kindly passed on a girl's pattern & I've made Maggie a little nightie for these warm nights we're finally getting.  Hoorah, it looks like summer out there!

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Our finished purses, cute hey?

I didn't even know they did patterns for dummies!

The finished nightie, creased because maggie insisted on wearing it to bed before I'd added elastic...

Oooh, yeah, mustn't forget to share my top tips this week!  My little scissors were getting blunt and I read somewhere that you could use foil to sharpen them - well it only bleedin' works,doesn't it!  Just fold up a small piece of foil several times until it's about 8 sheets thick and cut it with the blunt scissors.  After a few goes it starts to sharpen - MAGIC!
AND I've discovered spray painting, a bit late I realise as someone has already gone crazy in Bristol using it, but my needs were a little more domestic…  I picked up a cheap wicker basket recently but didn't like it that much.  A few wafts of spray paint though and I love it now!

Before … quite dull

After … much better!