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Pinwheel Purse Scrap Project

January 22, 2021 · Leave a Comment

Pinwheel Purse Scrap Project

Those of us who are inclined to be messy often jump on the “Let’s Get Organised” bandwagon in January, and in my house, this year is no exception.

One of the things earmarked for sorting out is the fabric mountain behind the bedroom door.

It has got so bad that there could even be a dragon living in it and I wouldn’t know.

The worst thing is when it collapses and then nobody can get in or out!

So I’ve decided that most of it has to go.

I’ve so far sorted through about half of it, and over half of that is destined to go.

The bigger bits will be listed in my Etsy shop as remnants or fat quarters depending on their size, and some of the smaller bits will become craft kits.

pinwheel purse scrap project

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been working on the first of what will hopefully be several new kits.

This one is a little pinwheel purse that has a pinwheel quilt block on the front. The fabric is included along with a zip, pattern pieces and instructions.

If you have some left over fabric, you might like to make one yourself! Otherwise the kits I have for sale can be found here.

pinwheel purse craft kit

Pinwheel Purse Instructions

You Will Need

Scraps of fabric. I used 5 different fabrics. If you have about a fat quarter in total, that should be enough.

A 10 cm (4 inch) zip

A smallish piece of interfacing

Usual sewing supplies

Cutting Out

I’ve allowed a 1 cm (1/4 inch) seam allowance.

For the lining, cut 2 pieces 12 cm x 12 cm.

Cut another piece the same size for the back of the purse outer, and 2 pieces of interfacing.

For the purse front, the easiest thing to do is to use the pattern which you can download for free at the bottom of the post.

Instructions

Assembling the Pinwheel Block

pinwheel purse scrap project

The pinwheel is made up of 4 identical squares, each with one large triangle and two smaller triangles.

pinwheel purse scrap project

To assemble the pinwheel, each square is made separately, then the squares are sewn together.

I batched the tasks for efficiency, but how you do them is up to you!

Take 2 of the smaller triangles, 1 from each fabric.

Pin, then sew them together. The right angle needs to be on the right and the lighter coloured fabric at the top.

pinwheel purse scrap project

Trim the seam and press it open.

pinwheel purse scrap project

Take one of the larger triangles and place it on top of the smaller ones so that the right sides are together and the long edges are aligned.

pinwheel purse scrap project

Pin, then sew along the long edge. Trim the seam and press.

pinwheel purse scrap project

Make the other three squares in the same way.

Arrange the squares so that they form a larger square. Rotate them so that they resemble the picture below. 

pinwheel purse scrap project

Now join two of the squares together.

Do the same with the other two. 

Trim the seams and press them.

pinwheel purse scrap project

Sew the 2 sections together. I forgot to take a photo of this step!

Don’t worry if the pieces don’t match up exactly. Just try to ensure as far as possible that the seams in the centre of the square are aligned, because that bit will be most noticeable if it is off.

Join the shorter border pieces to the top and bottom.

Now join the longer border pieces to the sides.

Trim and press the seams.

pinwheel purse scrap project

Assembling the Purse

Take one of the interfacing pieces and place the purse front on top of it.

Lay the zip face down with the top edge matched up with the top edge of the purse front and the zipper on the left.

pinwheel purse scrap project

Now put one of the lining pieces on top with the right side facing down.

pinwheel purse scrap project

Pin, then sew, keeping close to the teeth of the zip.

Press the purse pieces away from the zip.

Take the purse back and place it on top of the other piece of interfacing.

Line up the free edge of the zip with the top of the purse back. The zipper will be on the left this time. Put the other lining piece on top face down. Pin all of it together, then sew. Press the outer and the lining away from the zip.

Top stitch along the seam on both sides, keeping close to the edge.

pinwheel purse scrap project

Open the zip. Don’t skip this part! If you don’t open the zip, you’ll have a frustrating time with the unpicker later!

Rearrange your purse so that the lining pieces are together on one side of the zip and the outer/ interfacing pieces are together on the other side.

At the sides, push the zip towards the lining and the seams towards the outer.

Pin the sides and the bottom edges.

Open the zip. Don’t skip this part! If you don’t open the zip, you’ll have a frustrating time with the unpicker later!  Rearrange your purse so that the lining pieces are together on one side of the zip and the outer/ interfacing pieces are together on the other side.

Sew the side seams and the bottom edge of the outer. When you sew the bottom edge of the lining, leave a gap.

pinwheel purse scrap project

Trim the seams.

Now push the outer through the open zip, followed by the lining, and it should be the right way out! If it’s a bit crumpled, run the iron over it.

Slip stitch the opening in the lining.

Now your pinwheel purse is finished!

pinwheel purse scrap project
pinwheel purse scrap project

If you’d like the templates for the pinwheel purse front, please fill in the form below. Please note that your email address will be added to the Tea and a Sewing Machine email list. You can find out more about why I do this here, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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Filed In: Blog, Sewing Projects / Tagged: craft fair, craft kit, gift, how to, purse, quilt block, scrap project

DIY Craft Tote Tutorial

January 12, 2021 · 1 Comment

diy craft tote tutorial

This DIY craft tote tutorial is a sponsored post in association with TNTEX, a family run textiles company based in Spain.

TNTEX sell every kind of interfacing. Woven and non woven, fusible, knitted, napped, all kinds of weights, plus buckram and interfacing for millinery projects. More information about their products can be found here in their online shop. They deliver internationally as well, so it doesn’t matter if you don’t live in Spain!

Their products are all made free from harmful substances and are certified for being so. You can read more about the company here.

I was sent a sample of their medium weight interfacing and I’ve used it in this project. It’s 100% viscose, and it’s very similar in weight and feel to Vlieseline M12, which is what I would normally use for this kind of project.

diy craft tote tutorial

When you’re working on a project, it’s nice to have somewhere to keep it.

And if you’re anything like me, the number of projects you have on the go at any one time can start to feel a little bit out of control!

So when the blanket you are crocheting keeps getting tangled up with the other blanket you’re crocheting and the mittens you’re knitting, and you keep losing the zip and the buttons for the dress you’re making, one answer is to put things in bags.

At least then the crochet won’t get tangled up with the knitting and the stuff for your dress is all in one place!

In the past I have used all kinds of things, but what could be better than a little craft tote that you’ve made yourself, with pockets for scissors, thread, unpicker, crochet hook and anything else you might need?

diy craft tote tutorial

How To Sew a Craft Tote

You Will Need

Cotton fabric for the main part of the tote and the lining. I used the same medium weight cotton for both the outer and the lining.

Cotton fabric for the pockets and the pocket lining.

Cotton fabric for the handles.

Interfacing. I used this.

Ricrac (optional)

Cutting out

A 1 cm seam allowance is included.

Tote outer: from medium weight cotton, cut 1 base (22 cm x 15 cm), 2 front/ back pieces (22 cm x 16 cm) and 2 side pieces (15 cm x 16 cm).

Interfacing: cut 1 base (22 cm x 15 cm), 2 front/ back pieces (22 cm x 16 cm) and 2 sides (15 cm x 16 cm).

Tote Lining: cut 1 base (22 cm x 15 cm), 2 front back pieces (22 cm x 19 cm) and 2 side pieces (15 cm x 19 cm).

Pocket Outer: cut 2 pieces 22 cm x 12 cm and 2 pieces 15 cm x 12 cm.

Pocket lining: cut 2 pieces 22 cm x 12 cm and 2 pieces 15 cm x 12 cm.

Handles: Cut 2 pieces 24 cm x 5 cm.

Sewing the Pockets

Take one of the larger pocket outer pieces and the corresponding lining piece. With the right sides together, pin along the top edge. Sew, trim the seam and turn the right way out. Press the seam.

diy craft tote tutorial

If you are using ricrac, cut a piece the same width as the pocket. Pin the ricrac about a cm down from the top. Sew the ricrac to the pocket.

diy craft tote tutorial

Do the same with the other pocket pieces, so that you have 2 smallish pockets and 2 wider ones.

diy craft tote tutorial

Sewing The Outer

The first thing to do is to pin the pockets to the side and front/ back pieces. Pin them right side up to the right side of the outer panels. Make sure that the bottom of the pockets are lined up with the bottom of the panels.

On the front/ back sections, measure half way along and sew vertically down the pocket do divide it into 2. You might want to backstitch at the top a couple of times to reinforce it.

diy craft tote tutorial
diy craft tote tutorial

Now take one of the side pieces and one of the front/ back pieces with the pockets pinned, and the corresponding pieces of interfacing.

This is where you will be making a weird kind of sandwich. Firstly take the front/ back piece of interfacing. On that place the front/ back piece of tote outer with the pockets pinned.

On top of that and face down, place one of the side pieces, matching up the side edges. Place a piece of interfacing on top of that, then pin the side seam. Sew, then trim the seam.

diy craft tote tutorial

Attach the other side and front/ back piece in the same way. You’ll end up with a kind of bottomless box. Trim the seams and press.

diy craft tote tutorial

Sewing the base is a little bit fiddly! The trick here is to pin one edge, sew it, then pin the next and sew that until you have attached the base to all four sides.

Sewing the Lining

Take one of the front back pieces and one of the side pieces. Pin the sides with the right sides of the fabric together. Sew the side seam.

Attach the other side and front/ back pieces in the same way. Trim the seams and press them.

Pin the base to the sides and front in the same way you did with the outer. Sew. Trim the seams.

Making The Handles

Take one of the handle pieces. Fold the long edge inwards towards the centre and pin, then fold the other long edge inwards so that they meet. Press it where you have folded (your finger will do), then fold it in half lengthways. Pin it, then press it with the iron.

diy craft tote tutorial
diy craft tote tutorial
diy craft tote tutorial

Use pins to mark 4 cm in from each end of the handle. Now sew the folded edges together.

Repeat with the other handle.

Finishing The Bag

Turn the outer the right way out. Now pop the lining inside so that the wrong sides are together. Pinning the base and the sides of the lining to the outer will make the next bit easier!

diy craft tote tutorial

Fold the top of the lining over the outer, then fold the raw edges underneath. Pin, then sew all the way round, keeping close to the lower edge.

diy craft tote tutorial
diy craft tote tutorial

To attach the handles, measure 3 cm in from the edge of one of the long sides.

Fold the raw edge of the handle end underneath, then pin the handle to the tote bag. Do the same with the other end of the handle.

diy craft tote tutorial
diy craft tote tutorial

Sew the handle to the tote bag. It’s a good idea to backstitch over where you’ve sewn so that the handles won’t fall off!

Repeat with the other handle.

Now you have a nice little craft tote to keep one of the projects you are working on!

Or you could make a few and give them to people as presents.

diy craft tote tutorial
diy craft tote tutorial

Now for the verdict on the interfacing! It compared very favourably with the Vlieseline I would normally use. It was nice to work with and I’m pleased with the results!

If you like this DIY craft tote tutorial, you might also like this fat quarter basket tutorial.

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Filed In: Blog, Sewing Projects / Tagged: gift ideas

Klein Bottle Hat Crochet Pattern

January 7, 2021 · 2 Comments

klein bottle hat crochet pattern

This Klein bottle hat crochet pattern was originally featured on the Minerva Crafts Bloggers’ Network, but since they’ve revamped their site it’s no longer there. As I’ve had several people asking about it, I’ve rewritten the post with the pattern here.

My son Aidan loves maths.

Some children like maths because they find it easy, but Aidan loves maths like a mathematician loves maths.

When Aidan was 9 (he’s 13 now), we were watching the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures, and Matt Parker of Stand Up Maths was talking about Mobius loops.

A Mobius loop is a loop that is made by taking a strip of paper, twisting it once and sticking the ends together. The twist means that you can run your finger all the way round it on both sides without having to take your finger off the paper. Without the twist, you can run your finger round the inside or round the outside, but not both without swapping sides.

If you’ve ever made an infinity scarf, this is a Mobius loop.

One of the reasons mathematicians like Mobius loops is because if you cut them in half along the long edge, the results are not what you might expect. Different numbers of twists get different results. I’m not going to tell you what they are in case you want to have some maths fun and try it out yourself!

A Klein bottle is a Mobius loop in 4 dimensions.

The whole idea of 4 dimensions makes my brain boggle a little bit. Apparently the way to deal with this is to not think about it too much.

Shapes with 2 dimensions are flat shapes. They have height and width. Shapes with 3 dimensions are solid shapes, with an extra line coming out that gives them depth. 4 D shapes are theoretical shapes that have a 4th dimension in addition to height, width and depth.

A Mobius loop in 4 dimensions becomes a solid shape. It works in the same way as the Mobius loop in that you can cover the inside and the outside of a Klein bottle in one go, just as you can cover the inside and the outside of a Mobius loop without needing to swap sides.

There are pictures of Klein bottles here.

Anyway, after giving it much thought and with help from Aidan’s drawings, I came up with a Klein bottle hat crochet pattern.

The hat is made by crocheting one piece, which has 2 head shaped pieces joined at the top by a tube. One of the head shaped pieces is then passed through a gap in the other head shaped piece, then the bottom edges are sewn together.

In 4 dimensions you wouldn’t have to do pass one hat through the other or sew the edges together, but in our normal 3D world it is necessary in order for the hat to be wearable!

I made the hat for Aidan when he was 9. Having said that, it fits my head, but I do have quite a little head. So please check the head of the person you are making the hat for because you might need to adjust it.

klein bottle hat

Instructions

For this Klein bottle hat crochet pattern, I used most of 200g of chunky yarn and a 6 mm hook.

Another thing to take into consideration is how much hair your favourite mathematician has. Yarn with a high wool content might irritate their head, so a synthetic yarn that’s nice and soft might be a better choice.

When you finish each round, join it with a slip stitch, then turn around and go back the way you came. This is so that it doesn’t look odd when you make the gap in the outer hat.

Make 70 ch

Round 1 2 ch, 1 tr into 3rd ch from hook, *1 tr into each st to end of round.* Join with ss.

Rounds 2-6 2 ch (counts as 1st stitch), 1 tr into 2nd st from previous round, *1 tr into next st* to end of round. Join with ss.

Rounds 7-8 2 ch (counts as 1st stitch), 1 tr into 2nd st from previous round, 1 tr into next 3 st. Crochet together the next 2 st. *1 tr into each next 5 st, then crochet the next 2 st together* to the end of the round. Join with ss.

Round 9 2 ch (counts as 1st stitch), 1 tr into 2nd st from previous round, *1 tr into next st* to end of round. Join with ss.

Round 10 2 ch (counts as 1st stitch), 1 tr into 2nd st from previous round, 1 tr into next 3 st. Crochet together the next 2 st. *1 tr into each next 5 st, then crochet the next 2 st together* to the end of the round. Join with ss.

Round 11  2 ch (counts as 1st stitch), 1 tr into 2nd st from previous round, *1 tr into next st* to end of round. Join with ss.

Rounds 12-14 2 ch (counts as 1st stitch), 1 tr into 2nd st from previous round, 1 tr into next 3 st. Crochet together the next 2 st. *1 tr into each next 5 st, then crochet the next 2 st together* to the end of the round. Join with ss.

Rounds 15-16 2 ch (counts as 1st stitch), 1 tr into 2nd st from previous round, 1 tr into next st. Crochet together the next 2 st. *1 tr into each next 3 st, then crochet the next 2 st together* to the end of the round. Join with ss.

Rounds 17-31  2 ch (counts as 1st stitch), 1 tr into 2nd st from previous round, *1 tr into next st* to end of round. Join with ss.

Rounds 32-33 2 ch (counts as 1st stitch) 1 tr into 2nd st from previous round, 1 tr into next 2 st, 2 tr into next st, *1 tr into each next 4 st, 2 tr into next st* to end of round. 

Rounds 34-36 2 ch (counts as 1st stitch) 1 tr into 2nd st from previous round, 1 tr into next 4 st, 2 tr into next st, *1 tr into each next 6 st, 2 tr into next st* to end of round. Don’t join these rounds!

Round 37 2 ch (counts as 1st stitch), 1 tr into 2nd st from previous round, *1 tr into next st* to end of round. Don’t join this round.

Round 38  2 ch (counts as 1st stitch) 1 tr into 2nd st from previous round, 1 tr into next 4 st, 2 tr into next st, *1 tr into each next 6 st, 2 tr into next st* to end of round. Don’t join.

Round 39  2 ch (counts as 1st stitch), 1 tr into 2nd st from previous round, *1 tr into next st* to end of round. Don’t join.

Rounds 40-41 2 ch (counts as 1st stitch) 1 tr into 2nd st from previous round, 1 tr into next 4 st, 2 tr into next st, *1 tr into each next 6 st, 2 tr into next st* to end of round. Join with ss.

Rounds 42-48 2 ch (counts as 1st stitch), 1 tr into 2nd st from previous round, *1 tr into next st* to end of round. Join with ss.

Push the first hat through the slit you made in the second hat. SAM_0624.JPGLine up the bottom edges of the hats. Check that the lines where the rounds are joined are together. Dc the 2 hats together.SAM_0620.JPG

Aidan was very happy with his hat, so much so that he even agreed to model the hat so that I could take some pictures. Usually he hates having his photo taken!SAM_0612.JPGSAM_0609.JPGSAM_0617.JPG

Tips

If you are making the Klein bottle hat for a larger or smaller head, just adjust the number of stitches you start with, then follow the pattern.

The 2 hats need to be roughly the same size. If, when you get to Round 42, you find that you have a different number of stitches to what you started with, use the next couple of rounds to make adjustments by increasing or decreasing until you end up with the correct number of stitches.

If the 2nd hat seems a little short, then add an extra row.

Feel free to add a picot edging if you are making the hat for somebody who might like it!

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Filed In: Blog, Crochet / Tagged: Crochet, how to, maths

Reflections on Making a Life, Blessed Are the Weird, Covid and 2020

December 19, 2020 · 12 Comments

Reflections on Making a Life, Blessed Are the Weird, Covid and 2020

What with all the pre Christmas busyness of Christmas, I thought I’d write a different kind of post this week.

I know lots of you have probably ended up here because of a tutorial. I love to make things and I also love to share the things I’ve made. Doing this as a tutorial means giving people ideas of things they can do themselves. 

But I want my little corner of internetland to be more than that, which is why from time to time I write posts about other things. 

We’re now in December of the weirdest year ever, and there’s lots of Christmas crafts flying about and everybody’s busy. Some people are pretty much there in their Christmas preparations. The rest of us are still panic buying pants for our nearest and dearest.

So we’re going to put all that to one side, make a cup of tea, find an armchair that doesn’t have stuff on it and have a bit of think about some other things.

I was recently reminded of a book I read last year. It was a book called Making a Life and I was sent a copy to review (the review’s here if you want to read it).

There are lots of books out there about making things, but this one was different, and I enjoyed it very much. It was about people who have, in one way or another, made making things a way of life.

When I read it, it made me think of another book I read at about the same time. This was Blessed Are the Weird by Jacob Nordby. One of themes in this book is how creativity was valued much more highly in the past than it is now, and how for the most part, we’ve lost this. Priorities have been redefined and the arts are now seen as frivolities. This kind of life is not doing us any good and we need to regain some of this that we’ve lost.

A common theme that runs through both books is the idea of being able to live the kind of life where creativity is a part of it. Not a part that gets squeezed in when the we’ve finished for the day at our important job, when the kids are in bed and the housework’s all done, but the kind of life where creativity and life go hand in hand.

This kind of life means slowing down. Any sort of creative process takes time. Sometimes we have to leave things for a bit for them to dry, or for the dye to take, or for the things to grow. Other times things need to be left so we can come back to them with fresh eyes.

During Lockdown 1 lots of us no choice but to slow down. Many people found themselves spending more time with their families. The circumstances made us re evaluate what was important to us. People talked about being stuck at home, like they were trapped in a prison, but in an odd way, we were made free. There was freedom from endlessly rushing about, commuting, being stuck in traffic, having to do things because of other people’s expectations. We were free from some of the pressures of modern life.

And lots of people, once they’d got used to it a bit, rediscovered the desire to make things. It provided an outlet for processing what was going on and a distraction that kept hands and minds busy.

So here are a few random thoughts about both books and the weird year that is almost over.

Being Forced to Slow Down

We know that living life at a million miles an hour doesn’t do us any good.

We have become human doings, rather than human beings.

Modern life pre covid could be held responsible for all kinds of things, including:
Stress related illnesses
Health problems caused by eating things that are not good for us
Intensive farming practices, leading to reduction of different species of insects, animals and plant life, inhumane treatment of animals and risks to health and the environment.
Fast fashion and a throw away culture
Consumerism and a focus on having more or better stuff, rather than what we actually need.
A preoccupation with stuff rather than relationships.
Unhealthy work practices where we work long hours to pay for the stuff.
Pollution caused by traffic we rush from one thing to the next, and by delivery vans bringing the stuff we’ve bought that we wanted yesterday.

Being made to slow down encouraged us change how we see some of things, at least for a short while.

2020 Has Made Us Re Evaluate Our Priorities

When we went into lockdown, things that previously seemed important suddenly  didn’t matter as much anymore. The foremost things in our lives became food, health, family and community.

Having money didn’t make any difference when the supermarket shelves were empty. 

People who could sort us out with food and take care of us if we became ill were suddenly the most important people in the world.

The coronavirus doesn’t care about your status. Having a big house or a fancy car or feeling important because of your job makes little difference if you catch it.

It will be interesting to see how life will look when we come out of this. I’m hoping that the world will have changed for the better. Remote working is definitely an option for lots of people, even if it’s just for some of the time. We’ve enjoyed the cleaner air and we’ve realised we don’t need half the stuff we think we do. And people have rediscovered the benefits of making things.

We’ll Attach More Value to the Things We Have

One of the reasons we don’t value things is because they don’t cost what they used to.

In the past, a winter coat was an investment, as was a pair of shoes. It was acknowledged that skill was involved in making them and the materials used were expected to last.

Now we can pick these things up for a few pounds, wear them for a couple of months then throw them away.

There are reasons why these things are so cheap. The two main ones are that the people who make them are paid a pittance, and they are made of cheap materials.

When there is still some use left in clothes that we have simply got bored of, we hand them off to charity shops as a way to relieve any feelings of guilt we might have. But the unfortunate reality is that a lot of what gets donated to charity shops still ends up in landfill anyway.

Making things ourselves gives us a sense of the skill and the effort involved.

If you’ve spent hours making a dress, it’s very unlikely that you’ll only wear it a couple of times before deciding that you’re bored of it or that you don’t like it!. 

Usually much more thought goes into making something than buying things often on impulse from high street shops. 

You get to choose the style, the colour, the kind of fabric and whether it’s a print or plain.

Every step of the way you can check that it fits, and if it doesn’t, you can adjust it. 

You can modify the pattern as you like, make the sleeves longer or shorter, add a contrast panel, change the length of the skirt. Ultimately you’re far more likely to end up with something that you like and that fits properly!

Even when it reaches the end of its life as a dress, you might decide that there’s still useable fabric there and turn it into something else.

It’s not just clothes either. Everything that we have made, cultivated or nurtured with out own hands is much more likely to be used because we know the effort that we put into them. 

So the ripe tomatoes get eaten and the unripe ones turned into chutney, the weird pottery bowls get used, the hand painted flower pots are given as gifts and tie dyed experiments are turned into cushion covers. 

This leads to less need for mass produced things, less waste and much more satisfaction at using things we have made with our own hands.

Creativity is at the Heart of Humanity

Countless generations of humans have made things. 

Our primitive ancestors made bowls and cooking pots and tools. There’s even a theory that modern day humans survived was because they learnt how to sew!

The Vikings travelled all the way to North America in beautiful boats they carved by hand.

Beautiful cathedrals have been built from stone and filled with stained glass windows and other works of art.

Even in the post industrial age, there is still skill and beauty in the things that humans have made. Steam trains are beautiful things. The Millau bridge in France is a wondrous feat of engineering.

The boys and I have been watching a series on Netflix about design. Our favourite episodes so far have included a guy who designs trainers and the architect who designed the Lego house in Denmark. There was another episode about a car designer, and another about a chap who makes funny little animations. 

One thing that is clear here is that humans are designed to make things. Some of us have never lost this, but some people were in danger of forgetting.

We know that making stuff makes us feel better. It makes us feel happier, calmer and less tired and grumpy. There’s evidence to suggest that it can help with depression and PTSD. 

We might not recognise this as a spiritual thing, but scientists have discovered that losing oneself in a creative project actually has a similar effect on the brain as mindfulness and meditation. If you’ve ever forgotten to eat because you’ve been engrossed in something, you’ll know what I mean! 

For some people creativity allows them to connect with their cultural heritage. For certain groups this is a big thing, often because they were in real danger of losing their heritage at the hands of other people, for instance the First Nations of North America. 

But white Europeans have a cultural heritage too, and there’s a very high chance that we will lose it because we don’t realise that we have something to lose.

To sacrifice our creativity in favour of a life of consumerism and mass produced junk means to lose touch with an essential part of our humanity.

Living a Life With Meaning and Purpose

The good news is there has never been a better time to be a creative person.

Government funding for the arts before the pandemic was already at an all time low. This includes school budgets for creative subjects, although there is still money for endless educationally dubious testing of children.

In spite of this, we are seeing a creative revival.

The fact that Etsy is as huge as it is now shows that there is an increasing interest in buying handmade. 

Upcycling has also gained in popularity. Not only does it offer an alternative to throwing things away when they still have life in them, it’s another option instead of buying everything new.

The wonder that is the internet means that whatever you want to learn, there are blog posts, YouTube videos and online courses.

And you have something to offer, you can. Anybody can write ebooks, start a blog, post videos on YouTube or sell things on Etsy.

It’s worth remembering that when it comes to creativity, there is a huge variety. Anything from basket weaving to growing tomatoes and knitting mittens to drawing mandalas. 

I’m going to let you in on a little secret: you don’t have to be an expert! Never mind about 10,000 hours of practice, you just need to be a couple of steps ahead of the people who want to learn from you, or be able to make something that somebody without your skills wouldn’t be able to.

There’s no avoiding it that 2020 has been a horrible year. But hopefully some good can come out of it.

We’ve had the chance to reconsider what is important and realised that health and family are more important than money and status.

Perhaps as a result of this success can be redefined as a life well lived, a life that allows us to exercise our collective human heritage as creative people. 

And maybe normal can be redefined so as to encompass the whole of the human experience with creativity at its centre.

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Filed In: Blog, Other Stuff / Tagged: random, review

Reindeer Cross Stitch Christmas Decoration

December 5, 2020 · Leave a Comment

Reindeer Cross Stitch Christmas Decoration

Reindeer Cross Stitch Christmas Decoration

The pattern for this reindeer cross stitch Christmas decoration can be downloaded by filling in the form at the bottom of the post.

Although I love making things, I have to confess that I don’t do an awful lot of Christmas crafting.

One reason for this is that it’s hard to find the time! In the past I’ve wanted to make lots of things and felt annoyed and frustrated because I didn’t have time what with everything else going on at this time of year.

Another reason is that it’s hard to think of different things to make every year.

And the third reason is that because I like my decorations to mean something, I keep everything! I’ve kept every last little thing my boys have made. There’s even a couple of things from the first time I had my own Christmas tree, twenty years ago! It all goes on the tree, and there is a limit to how much stuff we can hang off it!

I do like to make some things though. I usually make a Christmas cake and a wreath for the door, and I’ll probably make one or two other things as well when inspiration strikes!

Inspiration did strike the other day when the School of Mummy boys were doing some cross stitch. I had the idea to make a cross stitch Christmas decoration in a little embroidery hoop.

Reindeer Cross Stitch Christmas Decoration

I made the design on squared paper first, then cross stitched it onto 8 count aida.

If you’d like to make a reindeer cross stitch Christmas decoration, the instructions are below and you can download the design by filling in the form at the bottom of the post.

Reindeer Cross Stitch Christmas Decoration

You might also like to know that I have a limited number of kits for this in my Etsy shop. You can find out more here.

Instructions

You Will Need

8 count aida in red
White embroidery thread
An 8 cm (3 inch) embroidery hoop
Felt for backing
Ribbon

Embroidering the Reindeer

Reindeer Cross Stitch Christmas Decoration

If you’ve done cross stitch before, you’ll know what to do!

If you haven’t or if it’s been a while, here’s a reminder.

Start by finding the centre of the aida. You might want to mark this with a stitch. The centre of the design is marked on the pattern.

Decide where you want to start. It’s usual with cross stitch to work from top to bottom and left to right, but I started at the bottom and in the middle of the row! The reindeer’s chin seemed to me to be the easiest place to start.

In the past I always sewn over the ends rather than tied a knot, but while I was watching Mr X Stitch videos with my boys, I discovered that he has an ingenious way of catching the ends when you start. There’s a video here.

Form the crosses by sewing from one corner to the one diagonally opposite, then from one of the 2 remaining corners to the one diagonally opposite.

To tie off the ends, thread them through the back of some of the stitches.

Putting it in the Hoop

Take the inside part of the hoop and draw round it onto a piece of felt. Cut it out.

Reindeer Cross Stitch Christmas Decoration

Pop the reindeer over the inside part of the hoop. Check that it is centred, then put the outside bit over it. You’ll probably need to loosen it a bit first.

Reindeer Cross Stitch Christmas Decoration

Trim away some of the extra. Don’t cut it right back to the hoop! Leave a couple of cm. You’ll probably just need to cut off the corners.

Sew around the extra and gather it.

Reindeer Cross Stitch Christmas Decoration

You could leave it there if you wanted to, but I like to sew some felt to the back so that it’s neater.

Reindeer Cross Stitch Christmas Decoration

Tying the Ribbon

Cut 2 lengths of ribbon about 15 cm long.

Take one of them, fold it in half and knot the ends together. Thread the knotted ends through the metal bit on the hoop, then pull it through the loop of ribbon.

Tie the other piece of ribbon in a bow around the bottom of the metal bit.

Your reindeer cross stitch Christmas decoration is ready to hang on the tree!

Reindeer Cross Stitch Christmas Decoration
Reindeer Cross Stitch Christmas Decoration
Reindeer Cross Stitch Christmas Decoration

If you liked this post, you might also like these:

This is another Christmas embroidery hoop with a reindeer. The reindeer and the trees are appliqued onto a bit of old net curtain.

embroidery hoop christmas decoration

Another Christmas embroidery hoop! These have the words love, joy and peace embroidered in a wreath.

christmas embroidery hoop

Here’s the form for the pattern! Please note that you will be added to the Tea and a Sewing Machine email list. More information about why I do this can be found here. You can unsubscribe at any time.

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Filed In: Blog, Embroidery / Tagged: decoration

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I'm Anna and I live in rural Norfolk in the UK. My mum taught me how to use a sewing machine when I was 10 and I haven't looked back! I love making all sorts of things and I hope you find inspiration here.

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