rubykittyruby

  Today's been a mainly-indoors day.  Partly because of heavy rain, but mainly because I want to try and organise all my crafty works-in-progress.  A constant complaint of mine is that I've got loads of things halfway finished or three-quarters done.  Yet I still rush headlong into new projects, having seen something inspiring on Instagram or watched a YouTube video.  Why can't I start making something, complete it, then move on to the next thing?   .... sighs, rolls eyes, accepts that logic isn't my strong point ...    Anyway, I'm browsing the Ikea website, looking at storage options.  In the meantime, as you can see in the picture above, I've sewn these pieces of handpainted material together and stitched the whole thing on to a rectangle of calico.  I'll turn it into a fabric roll, so need to decide on backing material.  A lively pink print?  Plain peppermint green cotton?  Or a fat quarter that's got a fifties fe...

In one of the scrap bags I bought recently was a packet of shisha mirrors, so this morning I had a go at using them.  There's a beautifully clear YouTube video explaining how to embroider around a mirror, attaching it to fabric, and I tried following that.  (The link's here .)  Only I went off-piste and did my own thing, which was why my first attempt wasn't good enough.  The mirror will fall out as the stitching's not wide enough to cover the mirror's edge.  My second attempt was more free-styling, but actually it wasn't bad.  The mirror's secure, which is the main thing.  I'll try again as practise makes perfect, and see if I can't get a more professional finish.   Once that was done, I dug out the gell plate and acrylics.  I'd a hankering to apply paint to fabric.  This smaller piece was previously plain white cotton.  (The photo's not great as it looks a dingy green when it's brighter in real life.)  The other material...

A rainy day in Yorkshire, and I sensibly spent most of it indoors.  There were an assortment of small craft-related tasks on my list, so I worked through them.  These two grey pieces were slow-stitched applique from months ago.  I'd had the original idea of making some kind of wall hanging.  That never materialised and these oddments were destined to be chopped up and thrown into the small-scraps-basket (ready to be used for cushion pad filling).  However, I had another idea and decided to paste them on to two rectangles of cardboard.  They're going to be notebook covers instead.  They've been put aside for the fabric glue to fully dry.   Next on my list, adding iron-on interfacing to these pieces of white material, the remains of an embroidered tablecloth and a traycloth, both bought secondhand ages ago.  The tablecloth in particular was worn thin in places and tea stained.  I managed to cut out three blocks from the remaining mate...

A long walk was called for today, especially after all those calorific Christmas treats.  I laced up my walking boots and went along to St Aidans, an RSPB reserve.  It was very busy, everyone else having the same idea.  The paths were muddy enough for me to have wished I'd put my wellies on, but it was lovely being outside, and there was even a bit of blue sky to cheer us all up.   The twitchers, with their binoculars and long lens cameras were out in force, though I've no clue what particular birds they were so interested in.   Once home I completed a couple of small sewing jobs that'd hung around for ages, plus something I'd started only the other day.  It was a little fabric bird.  Made from leftover material I'd previously painted and stencilled, most of which was used for mini fabric dolls (blogged about in an earlier post).  I attached tiny gold coloured sequins and stitched an outline of a wing in gold thread, plus beads and tiny ...

                                                     (shopping in Leeds can be a glamorous business!) THURSDAY:     I thought I was well wrapped up yesterday, but obviously not.  I've always been one of those people that feel the cold, but maybe that gets more deeply felt as we get older?  Anyway, I could've done with a few post-menopausal hot flushes as the weather was dry but flipping freezing  when I hopped on an early bus to town for an art class.  It was held at the city art gallery, a free two hour taster session about lino cutting.  I've played around with lino printing years ago, but was happy to be re-introduced to the craft.  The group of about a dozen were all women, and given the session was held during the day, it was mainly 'Women of a Certain Age'!  Though there was...

Today's going to be a lengthy post as I'm combining a couple of things.  My self-imposed task for October, namely making different types of simple books, plus my regular Wednesday craft book review.  I think I'll do the book review first, so here goes -  I've chosen 'Makery' by Kate Smith, first published in 2013.  It's subtitled 'Over 30 projects for the home, to wear and to give', and includes several patterns including ones for a clasp purse, a shoulder bag and a stuffed stag's head.  (No taxidermy involved, I promise.)   The book's divided into sections - fashion, gifts, home - and the final reference pages which give basic beginner instructions for how to hand stitch, use a sewing machine, knit and crochet.  There are a good mix of projects featured in the book.  A decoupage necklace, a flex frame sunglasses case, hand carved rubber stamps, a felt embroidered cuckoo clock (no, really!), a knitted rug and a lovely patchwork pouffe that I...