Phew...It's Lovely To Be Open Again!..
It was so lovely to be able to open the door to anybody that wanted to come in last Monday. Thanks to all of you who did come in. It was so lovely to see so many familiar faces as well as some new ones. We just loved being able to chat to real people again. We knew we had missed you, but not quite how much! It was so exciting, but then we had to do it all again the next day! That was quite a shock to the system, but so worth it, I've enjoyed every moment.
Our Opening hours are 9.30-5.00 Monday to Saturday
Well! The Great British Sewing Bee is back on our screens. (Weds BBC 1) I always find this part of the series a bit confusing and prefer it when a few have gone and the are about 7 or 8 left. That way I can decide who I like and who I think should leave. Apart from the awful 'T-Shirt challenge', I thought the other garments were quite interesting. The shell tops were, on the whole, pretty good, one was even made in a fabric we stock! The dresses were made with varying degrees of success and I totally agreed with garment of the week. My favourite part was when Patrick had a fit of the giggles, I don't think I've seen that before! I thought the 2 young girls did very well. It's always good to see youngsters getting involved in making. How about you? do you have any favourites yet?
I have finished making the summer jumper in our new recycled yarn, Karma.
I have even written up the pattern, which we are giving away free with the yarn for a limited period. The smallest size takes 2 balls of each colour and m-xl takes 3 balls of each colour. Priced at £3.20 per ball, it is excellent value. Karma is made from 70% recycled cotton (from the garment industry) and 30% recycled pet single use bottles. (So a few less littering the planet!) It feels just like a good quality cotton and behaves like one as well.
What's on my needles? It would take a long time to go through all my current UFO's! I decided at the beginning of the first lock-down that I would tackle the UFO pile and get lots of things finished. Well, it all started very well, but then in my euphoria of finishing one project, I tended to start 2 more! So, the pile hasn't gone down very much! Below is a picture of the projects I I sorted out as 'current projects' and one of one of the crochet blankets I'm working on (the other one is somewhere else entirely!). There is another, less prominent (hidden), pile which contains mostly sewing projects, but also lovely some yarns. Then, upstairs there is a wooden chest full of 'Interesting' yarns that I will use one day, I just need to find the right project! Then, of course, I have a whole shop to choose from!
Come on! I've 'fessed up, what does your stash/pile of UFO's look like? Have you found anywhere creative to store them?
I just wanted to share this with you. A while ago, I held a workshop for Judith and her friends. They made Bead & Wire Hearts, beautifully! Judith's was included in an exhibition for Her Majesty The Queen of Malaysia as part of an exhibition organised by the 'Associated Country Women of The World', held in December 2019 during Her Majesty's state visit. How exciting is that! Who knows where your crafts will end up?
If you are still enjoying your craft and fancy something different to listen to while you do it, I came across a podcast from Haptic and Hue which looks at textiles and how they have shaped our lives and how our lives have shaped textiles. The series includes an item about the first British, female, black, international textile designer. A woman of influence (her designs were even worn by The Queen) but whose name is no longer familiar to us. There is another programme on, 'Technical Developments' and one about 'The Story of a Hand Weaver', there are many more. You can find them at hapticandhue.com.
I am still enjoying spending some time with Kate from 'The Last Homely House' which you can find on YouTube. She is a craftswoman of many talents and has an easy, comfortable, friendly way about her. Her programmes are both informative and relaxing. She visualises her 'YouTube Friends' sitting on a long lime green sofa with pink cushions, that is big enough for everybody to sit on. Do take a look.
That's it for now, we have more new goodies coming in and I will tell you about them when they have arrived. In the time being, enjoy your new freedom, but please stay safe and be careful! Do pop in to see us when you can. All the best from Jane and The Team at Craft Days.
Don't forget to tell us about your stash and latest projects. What have you been most proud of making during lock-down?
