In a last-minute cramming of creativity before I leave for Kununurra next Tuesday (eep!), I am taking the opportunity to finish off a small pile of orders.
Here in the picture are four fabrics that I'm going to use for a series of matching doorstops - a lovely lady has requested one for each of the main doors in her home - I'm guessing three bedrooms and the main bathroom? Or two bedrooms, the bathroom and the back door?
Yesterday was the first time it really struck me that I'm about to go away for five weeks (yes, I can be a bit slow on the uptake sometimes) and the impact practically caved in my pre-frontal cortex. Five weeks .... without my sewing machine.
Gasp. I think the last time I had five weeks away from my beloved sewing machine was probably in the time before I learnt how to sew. Let us refer to it as The Pre-Creativity Period. It is an ancient time, lost in the darkened, spidery corridors of early Flickettysplits history.
Five weeks! So what on earth am I going to do in the evenings and on weekends? I mean, I know there will be all sorts of natural wonder to gape at, like the Bungle Bungles and the Diamond Mine and Lake Ord and the art galleries and all of that .... but that is not going to be enough.
I need something to do with my hands. Like a cigarette smoker, if I don't have something crafty in my hands, I'll eat instead, and then I'll be the size of a house when I come home, because five weeks of mindless eating is going to add up, that's for sure.
What are your suggestions? I'm thinking maybe I could use the time to learn how to embroider - all I'd need is a hoop, enough linen to toss out the really bad early attempts, a needle and some black thread. What kind of needle though? And what kind of thread? I don't know the first thing about what I should buy to take with me!
Help, dear fellow crafters, please help - I need your suggestions!
13 comments:
well, I would be taking Crochet, but if it is embroidery, I know a lot of gals round these parts who can offer better guidance than me! Enjoy your trip
I'd have to take embroidery and knitting and perhaps a book about sewing so I could learn some new techniques. If you haven't already, have a look at www.sublimestitching.com for inspiration on embroidery patterns. Have a great trip!
I don't suppose you could hand piece? Shouldn't have a learning curve there. Several years ago I got a book by Ginny Beyer, and surprisingly, she does much of her (very elaborate) piecing by hand. Said she got quilts done much faster as she could piece in odd moments when she couldn't have her sewing machine handy.
Sounds like the perfect solution!
I cross stitch rather than embroider (I suggest taking a book to learn how to embroider ... I'd really like to learn how too) but one only thread sounds plenty and a fine needle you can safely thread two threads (not the whole six) through.
You could also take some Aida cloth and cross stitch hearts as I sometimes do ... they make great cushions or even pincushions. I use two colours.
My heart cross stitch
Take along some knitting! Easy to pack and you'll get lots done in 5 weeks :)
learn to crochet...its faster than knitting, you only have one hook and there is only one stitch to drop :-)
I’ve been to The Kimberly and for us it was non stop adventure. I took a sketch book, but I don’t think I got it out once. I took hundreds of photos and just gasped in amazement constantly at the beauty. If you can take a joy flight over the Bungle Bungles, do it- just astounding. We were not often up late, because the days were so full and you really want to be up early to take I all in before it gets too hot. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy – I can’t wait to be back in that spectacular part of the world.
I vote for crochet too.
the first thing i thought was embroidery as well, or crochet but that involves a little bit more case space. i can't really help out with the what needles and etc questions though!
hahah and the word verication for the comment is 'dresses' - one thing you won't be able to do!
I'm not an embroider although I did give it a go several years ago. The needle I used then would have been whatever I could find with an eye was big enough to thread!
But with the wonders of google, here's a website that offers some simple advice on the best needle. Hope it helps...
http://www.ehow.com/how_5971_buy-embroidery-needles.html
Try http://www.etsy.com/shop/andwabisabi for some awesome little cross stitch patterns- should be easy to carry around
I would be making some hexagons or something I can sew by hand or knitting, good luck with deciding.
Embroidery. Take a big project, and do a bit at a time. Easy to pack, won't take up much room if you pack a small hoop. Knitting is going to be too hot out there and crochet is too boring...
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