Have I mentioned before how much I love my needle book? Err - yes! About 100 times... It's just my favourite thing - practical, pretty, cool and always easy to find in amongst my crafty clutter. Recently I've decided that I would really like to extend the range of needle cases and books that I sell in the shop. I have a sweet little one using some yummy Kaffe Fasset fabric currently available, and they've been good sellers from the start.
So, I've been experimenting with something slightly different and here's one of my prototypes! I am really pleased with it - it's one of those projects where the finished product is actually fairly similar to how I imagined it might turn out. The foundation is thick pink wool felt. The cupcake case is a scrap of fabric recycled from an old Gap shirt, and I've crocheted the icing, using lots of different height stitches to create a swirly effect. I've added a red button for the cherry and some tiny beads for hundreds-and-thousands (sprinkles!). The pages are going to be creamy white felt, but I have to confess I haven't sewn them in yet...
Thinking about the usefulness of my needle book and reading Caroline's recent post on the subject of the Really Useful Box, makes me realise that my crafting experiences would be so much more fun if my various stashes and bits & bobs were better organised. What do you do to keep all your crafting stuff under control? Give me your tips!
5 comments:
Organized craft stuff is foreign to me... but this little cupcake book makes me wish I owned some needles!!!!!!!
By the way, Fischer just saw the picture and has fallen in love with the "birthday cake with that button on top!".
Lovin' all of your projects... you've almost inspired me to make something! ;)
Oh, bless you :) I have had a jolly good tidy-up today as well and I'm a bit less ashamed now. It's still absolutely rampant, though. I definitely recommend the drawers for small bits like sequins and anything you'd use for papercrafting - they've really made our joint crafting sessions a lot easier (just ensure the glitter glue is well out of reach!). The flat RUBs are fab for paper if you have space under your sofa!
Yarn and fabric go well in the Really Useful Boxes and since they're airtight they keep out the cat hair. Patterns go in lever arch folders. When I'm working on a large crochet project it stays in a tote bag (the Cath Kidston ones from Tesco are a great size!) so I can move it from room to room or on hols etc. Small projects go in zip-lock plastic bags!
My embroidery threads go on bobbins - I got a neat little winding gadget last year: http://www.wimblebees.com/pd_A[f]A01[f]WIN1_Anchor_Thread_Winder.htm and although it's a faff to get everything sorted at first, it really does cut down on both searching time and duplication. Cross stitch projects go in zip-top plastic folders with all the relevant charts/threads/fabric etc. I use a big Lapman frame-in-a-bag for most of them so they just slide into the pocket whichever I'm working on. I do have one of those DMC bags as well - never bothered with the bobbins for it - but it holds my big Afghan at the moment so is less useful.
Jewellery storage I have a big problem with; it's all in my bureau in lots of little stacking pots or jars. Not at all easy to search through so I'm always looking for a solution for that.
You're probably a lot more organised than you think, you know...:)
Love the needlebook, by the way - I must get one!
I really like that!
Lovely cupcake needle case. Can't help with the tidy bit - that's alien to me and my 'crafty bits and pieces'. It all gets a bit rampant...
The cupcake is very sweet.
I try to be organised as best I can otherwise the house gets taken over by my craft stuff.
I have my sewing box which is home to my needles, pins and junk! Then I have a box for embroiderry thread, one for normal thread, a huge box for buttons and then my fabric is all folded in a chest but it gets very messy.
Post a Comment