Saturday 8 August 2020

Lockdown Crafting

Look, a post that's not about reading! (Not that there's anything wrong with posts about reading, of course.)

I thought I would share a little bit about some other creative pursuits I've been indulging, of the crafty variety. Anyone who knows me well, knows that I am a very sporadic crafter and also easily distracted by shiny new crafts, and I have a bad habit of doing nothing at all for months on end and then taking on a massive, complicated project (usually with a tight deadline) - example: I made my own wedding dress, and a few years later made a wedding dress for a friend (way more nerve-wracking than making your own, believe me!)

Anyway, ignoring the fact that I have a heap of WiP craft projects, I thought I'd start with something I *have* finished.

Embroidery

I've been wanting to learn embroidery for a long time, so at the start of lockdown I ordered a medieval laid and couched work kit, based on marginalia images of killer bunnies (who doesn't love killer bunnies?) - I got it from Opus Anglicanum, in case anyone wants to try it for yourself.

The kit came with lovely hand-dyed threads, a pre-drawn outline on the fabric, and a stitch guide. I got stuck right in (see above re. shiny new crafts). Laid and couched work is a fairly easy stitch to get the hang of, the main thing that is tricky is keeping it neat and even. I don't think I did too badly for my first attempt! I thoroughly enjoyed it and it didn't take too long to complete, so I'll definitely be ordering more kits in future - I just need to decide which ones!

Here are a few progress shots - if you're on my Facebook or Twitter you may have seen these at the time, as I shared them as I went along.

The kit, ready to start

Laid stitches in one direction, held down with couching stitches
Laid and couched areas all filled in

Outlining

And here is the finished article! 😊
Wicked, bad rabbits!

Sewing: Facemasks

Ah, facemasks - the things that every crafter on the planet has suddenly started making. I am no exception, although working from home and not really going anywhere meant that I left it quite a long time before giving this a go. I also don't have a printer, so I had to use a bit of guesswork in constructing my pattern from pictures and measurements I found online. I bought some fat quarters in basic prints, some elastic, and some gardening wire to shape the nose.

Black and purple - once a goth...

My first prototype wasn't terrible, but the shape and angles weren't quite right. So I fiddled around and adjusted things a bit, and had a second go - much better fit.

Mark I bottom, Mark II top
Ta-da!

I left it there for the time being, but having just worn the second version into town for an appointment, popping into a couple of shops while I was there, and getting the bus back, I think there are more improvements I could make, so watch this space for facemask mark III...

The other thing this has made me realise is that it might finally be time to bite the bullet and replace the sewing machine I've had since I was 18 or 19. It has served me well, but it's quite temperamental these days, so I may treat myself sometime soon!


Stay tuned for future crafting updates, which may include knitting, nalbinding, dressmaking, and yes, more facemasks 😷👍

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