What crafts does everyone do?

[Guest]

All right! My love other than hostas is making nice things - now this truly is a one-stop gathering place!

Right now I am working on making hats - from scratch. Yep, I go wayyyy too far most of the time (hehe). Start with wool batts (like quilt batts), get it hot and soapy and then rub, beat, roll and wring the heck of it until it is felt. Shape a hood and repeat the beating, rolling and wringing until your arms are shaking from abuse. Then put shrunken hood on plastic HatShaper and tug into shape. Heat with steam iron and beat, roll and form until your arms feel like they want to fall off...and then you have a hat. Then all you have to do is make an inner sweatband and sew it in, hand sew on a 1/4” satin ribbon wrapped around the edge of the brim, then create and sew on some snazzy hatband. I have HatShapers to make many different styles: Amish, fedora, top hat, gambler, dome, baseball cap. Check out their site at hatshapers.com for more info. You can see pictures of the first one I finished under “Amish Hat” at:

http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/druidwt

I also do wood carving, and am carving a chess set for my husband. They are very detailed, and each takes about a year to complete. You can see pictures at the same link above, under “Carvings”.

And next on the list is designing and hand-painting tshirts. The guitar shirts I make my husband also take about a year to complete, using a tiny, 4 bristle brush and 7-10 layers of dye/paint on each line. You can see them under “Tshirts”.

I design, bake and decorate all the family wedding cakes. Some have served up to 300 people. You can see some of those under “Wedding Cakes”.

I like doing most crafts, but am a complete failure at knitting.

What does everyone else do, so we know who to ask what questions?

wanda

[Wanda]

Hey, its me, guys...don’t know why it posted this under “Guest” as author instead of “Wanda”.

wanda

[patsue53]

WOW Wanda! You are so TALENTED! I knew about your Tshirts, but had no idea bout the wood carving and hat making. In fact, I don't think I've every known anybody who makes hats! COOL!

I love to dabble in crafty things, but I'm no way an artist. I like to crochet...used to sew but havn't for a few years now. Sometimes I'll see something at a craft fair and decide I can do it myself. Last year I made a fake water spigot with a crystal waterdrop for my garden that turned out cute, but it wasn't an original idea. I have 2 bowling balls that I keep saying I'm going to turn into garden art, but I can't decide what I want to cover them with.

I can't wait to see what everyone else creates! I'll post pics when I have some to post.

[Astilbeblu]

I also dabble in crafts a bit. A little of this and a little of that. I have been going to a ceramic studio for the last 20 odd years. I give quite a bit of my projects away to friends and family. I like to paint original designs freehand on large useful objects like pitchers, platters, and urns. I also have a pretty large collection of ceramic santas that I have made in ceramics class.
I do some scrapbooking for a couple of the disabled men that I work with. I keep track of the accomplishments and highlights of their year.
I am also working on a scrapbook to give to my husbands brother and his family. They took us on a wonderful trip through Banff National Park, the Glacial Ice Fields, their town of Kamloops, Vancouver, the ferry to Victoria, and Butchart Gardens.
I like do crafts with terra cotta flower pots. I have painted them and filled them with cookies for Christmas, and filled them with chocolates for Easter. I also made some cute angels out of mini pots, making the wings out of raffia, and hair from moss.

[jmboyer]

My glory....am I dense or what? I just noticed this new forum. Thanks, Chris, this is great.

Wanda, you are indeed quite talented. I love to crochet, paint in oils, sketch, paint ceramics, do computer graphics, and work on a variety of general crafts.

[newtohosta-no more]

My talents and creative abilities are dismal compared to all of yours!!! I don't consider myself prolific at anything, but that doesn't stop me from trying. I sew a bit...nothing too difficult. I sewed more when my daughter was a child and wasn't old enough to be embarrassed about what she wore. I have done counted cross-stitch in the past and enjoyed that very much. I've never been a painter or designed anything on my own, since I don't seem to have a flair for color combinations and such. My daughter learned to knit while in college and she also dapples in sewing. We got her a sewing machine of her own last year.
My daughter loves to wear hats and would think that the hat making thing is pretty cool, but it sure does sound like a whole lot of work!!!!!
I'll be looking forward to hearing about all of your projects and seeing pics!
Joan

[Wanda]

Sounds like we have quite a talented group here!

Thank you everyone...I love making stuff that other people would never take the time to do (still not sure if that is a sign of insanity or perseverence-hehe).

The hats do require quite a bit of physical labor, but that keeps your arms well-toned and the skin under your upper arm from jiggling like jello! I decided to give hat-making a try after seeing a Martha Stewart show that had two seriously weird NY types making some seriously weird hats. Figured if those two could do weird hats, I certainly should be able to make normal ones! and my husband has a hat fetish like I have a hosta fetish...and hats are far more expensive!

wanda

[hostanquilts]

Hi Wanda, I bet your hats are great. I don't have time right now to check out your web site, but I will. How many of the chess pieces do you have done now? You were working on them when we first got acquainted on the other site.
I've done many crafts over the years. When I was younger, my mom taught me how to crochet & embroidery. I still crochet, but it's been a while since I did any embroidery work, I still want that hosta! I'm crocheting 2 table clothes for 2 of my daughers. I've been sewing quilts since 1996, but do other things inbetween. I've also done counted cross stitch, needlepoint - have 4 or 5 pictures that I completed., I've covered wicker baskets with material, paint by number, I'd love to learn to tole paint, but haven't tried it yet. I know there are other things I've done over the years, but I'm starting to have a senior moment & I need to leave to go bowl this morning.
I really think this will be a good forum too.
Jan in Central Illinois

[CarolB]

Well considering I am just getting started, I love painted the figurines they had this Christmas at Michaels. I made 4 of them for gifts. I hate to brag, but they could not believe I had not done this before. I was up until 2 am many nights not wanting to put it down. Anyway, their compliments were good for me and now I feel like I want to take on more. I am in the middle of making a fleece blanket which I have never tried before. I want to paint garden stones (I already have the rocks that I found on the shores of Lake Superior), ornaments, and also, I bought 5 different wood chests in different sizes from the clearence shelves at a store. I intend to repaint those in my own designs. The possibilities are endless.............

[Denise_in_MI]

I cannot craft, I cannot sew. I have 10 thumbs.

I CAN thread a needle though.

When I want to try something new...I'll ask for tips from the pro's in this forum. Gosh, you guys are so talented.

[Patrushka]

Wow! What a creative group we have.

I crochet, do decorative painting, and general crafts. I have done some rubber stamping and a couple of scrapbook pages. I want to get going on scrapbooking. I would also like to try mosaics.

I have several unfinished projects. This new forum may inspire me to finish them.

[renaldo75]

Wanda - you make just way too much work outta stuff!! While I was reading that I was thinking it sounded like something you would do. I saw a tv show about a gentleman who makes western hats in the same from scratch way.
They showed different hats he'd outfitted stars in for some western - might have been the Kevin Costner version of the OK Corral - can't remember anymore. It was interesting - but way too much work for me to ever want to attempt.

The only thing I do is cross stitch. I get obsessed with projects & then lay off of it for awhile. Then start something up again. I tend to do 'major' things. Even the small things I've done have been pretty detailed.

It's a good pursuit while watching TV. Although New Year's Eve I ended up watching Cirque de Soleil on Bravo & finally I realized my needle had been poised in midair for about an hour so I finally just set it all down. If I am ever able to see one of there live shows I would love to go!!

I'll have to get some digital pics taken of some of my cross stitch projects I have access to & post them here since Chris has been kind enough to give us this spot to share our projects & share notes!!! He's just a pretty good guy!! And I spose that Brian's OK too even though I've never met him.

[Wanda]

Jan,

Not making much progress this year on the carvings - lost most of the time I would have spent carving last winter taking care of my MIL, and this year is pretty much a bust with my dad having 2 strokes and doing poorly, and now my dear husband has separated his right shoulder and and torn two tendons in his rotator cuff...looks like he may have to have surgery and be off work for months. I think I am on piece 7 or 8. The one I am working on is almost done, so will be designing another shortly.

Renaldo: I just can’t help myself! That extra effort is the difference between a $5 Kmart hat with a 1 yr. lifespan and a $500 hat good for your entire life. And the time spent truly shows in the final product. Now if I could just find some customers...aside from my husband (hehe). I am just finishing up two charcoal grey fedoras, a gambler in dove grey, a fedora in dark blues over dark grey, and a western in dark greens over dark grey. Got to get those done so I can make myself an Amish with wide brim in jet black merino (lusciously soft)...its cold this winter!

wanda

[kHT]

Wow, what a great group of crafters here! I'll keep reading all the posts to see what you all do. As for myself, I've done just about all of them listed and more.

[CarolB]

Oh yes, I also have an empty wine bottle from a friend who made wine a couple of years ago. Of course it was full when she gave it to me. It's dark green and I hate to throw it away. I was thinking I would try to paint a picture on it and give it back to this gal. She decorates in a wilderness theme and thought a little moose and trees would be nice. Has anyone tried painting bottles?

[Wanda]

They have all sorts of neat glass paints - transparent, opaque, pearlized, iridescent, textured. You can find them at dickblick.com, and I saw some at Michaels (but not much of a selection). You can also get leading in squeeze bottles so you can “fake” the look of stained glass. The leading comes in the standard dark grey, black and most metallics. I haven’t tried glass painting yet, but its on the list for upcoming projects...as soon as I finish all the other projects I have going (hehe).

wanda

[Janet D.]

I used to knit and crochet, and paint ceramics, but haven't since before DS was born (he'll be 18 tomorrow )

I took some Bob Ross painting classes a couple of years ago, and really enjoyed it, although I kept getting so tense about how it would turn out! I was having fun and stressing out all at the same time

I've done some quilting... nothing fancy. I tend to try to figure out how to do something on my own, and then MUCH later find out the "correct" way.

I love to "make do" with whatever I have on hand. Last year I made a coat rack out of a peice of plywood, some old jeans, and fake flowers!

Gosh, I'll try anything, I guess, just as long as it doesn't cost too much

Oh, and I decorate cakes and cookies, and make my own molded candy. I nearly forgot that... I think I'm still swooning from the holiday baking

[KellieD]

Let's see......I used to do crewel embroidery but never finished a single thing. Got an A+ in school more than once for partially finished pieces. I still love hand embroidery, sewing and crocheting. My sister tried to get me interested in quilting, but it just isn't my passion the way it is for her.
I think I am going to try my hand at basket weaving out of non-traditional stuff next. I'm thinking dierama for the ribs of the basket and daylily, lavender and possibly oregano for the weave.
Made a nesting wreath for my BIL's birds for Christmas by threading nesting materials through a grapevine wreath. Materials used were dried grasses, moss (both green and spanish) wool yarn and Newfoundland hair. Turned out really cool!

[LadyR]

Wanda, I've admired those hats of yours since you first posted them a while back. They are gorgeous! And, of course your carving is magnificent! Where did you learn to do that? That is more than just a craft! Those will be handed down for generations!

I like to sew clothes for my children, pillows, window treatments, etc. I've crocheted all of my life (mostly lace), but just learned how to tat about 6 years go (very tedious!). Could never get the hang of knitting - don't know why. I also like to embroider. Don't have time for much more

Roberta

[Wanda]

LadyR: Thank you kindly. I will have pictures of a few more hats shortly. The one already pictured is made of Icelandic wool, which stiffens up and holds a wide brim. Two I am working on now are Romney wool and one is Shetland. They just don’t stiffen up like the Icelandic, so I spent yesterday and today putting on a fabric stiffener. I like the Icelandic and merino wools better - they stiffen up without aid. But the other wool was free, so I can’t complain. I truly don’t know how the carving happens...its sort of like magic! I get in the mood, grab my tools and start carving. In the other artwork I do, I know all the theories, history and techniques...this just sort of happens (hehe). I thought I was going to fail sculpture class in college. We started with additive sculpture, where you add things together to create a piece (paper, cloth, clay). I didn’t get it at all and was extremely frustrated. Then we moved on to subtractive sculpture, where you start out with a firm substance and remove material to expose your piece (plaster, wood, stone). Eureka!!! That I got. Then after I got out of school I didn’t even think about doing any sculpture - until my husband got me a nice set of carving tools and some nice clear basswood. He said it was because he knows lots of people who can do lots of the art projects I do...but no one who can create sculptures like these. I was so charmed I started carving immediately! (hehe) The man sure knows how to pick out awesome gifts.

wanda