“I must not neglect my blog”

A month between posts, it’s not good enough and I promise that won’t happen again. I’ve settled into my new job nicely and am able to commit myself back to crafting again, now that I am able to stay awake when I get home from work.

The most exciting news is that after a lovely chat with Sister Diane from Portland Church of Craft, I have been approved as a Flock Leader for Church of Craft ! It’s all official and it feels almost as exciting as when I graduated from university (which was probably the most important day of my life so far). Crafting means so much to me and has sustained me through some tough times, to have somebody else recognise this in me and feel that I am the right person to spread crafty love is amazing. Sister Diane is one of my many crafty heroes (Susanstars is one of my others and it was Susan who first planted the seed of Church of Craft in my brain).

So Church of Craft will be meeting for crafty fun and frollicks very soon, less than two weeks in fact.
We’ll be meeting on Sunday 24th June at FUEL Cafe in Withington from 1pm to 4pm.

This month’s project will be felting wool into beads and jewellry as well as the chance to use pre formed felt to create appliques and small accessories.

Everybody is welcome and the session is free although donations are welcome. There will also be the chance to swap craft supplies, so if you have a bag of beads you will never use, some yarn that is languishing in the corner or card making supplies you just don’t have anywhere to store, bring them along and trade them for something else.

For more information just leave a comment. Soon I’ll have a churchofcraft email address where you can contact me, but for now you can email me at notmarcie AT livejournal DOT com

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Church of Craft-April

Oh my, it’s a while since I wrote anything here.

With changing jobs and ISPs I’ve been off-line for a while, but that didn’t stop me being crafty. In fact, Sunday 29th of April saw Manchester’s first ever Church of Craft meeting.
With 6 people it was a lovely size for getting to know people and being able to spend time talking as well as crafting. We did a project I love and have wanted to do for some time, making creatures from socks. This project is so much fun because each creature develops its own personality as you sew him or her together. I don’t think you could make two the same if you tried, each time you make one they have their own little quirks, a big wide mouth or a squishy little belly.Plus they’re so soft and huggable. One crafter said, “You just want to keep picking them up and touching them.”

I was able to get a few quick snaps of all but one of the finished sock creatures andKaty has promised to bring her amazing black and yellow striped fella along to the next meeting so everybody can see him too.

Pins N Needles 1pm Sunday 15th April

Pins N Needles is on again tomorrow, but this time at a brand new venue.

We have moved to FUEL in Withington. So that those people who just can’t make it onto the 42 bus can still come and knit. Plus there are good eats to be had.

Once again I’ll be bringing the big bag of yarn and needles as well as crochet hooks so if anybody wants to learn they can do.

Now is the time to start crocheting or knitting a big beach bag, the weather is nice, summer is almost here and you’ll need something to chuck your beach stuff in. Or the more daring might want to knit a bikini (it can be done, although not by me !)

I’d love to see you there, especially those people who haven’t been able to come before.

Oh and we now have a My Space profile. It’s a little bare right now and also a little bit friendless http://www.myspace.com/pinsnneedles_mcr

More than just sew-sew

I love love love it when crafting gets into the mainstream media. If it makes just one person pick up some fabric, needle and thread and make something, then I get a little warm glow. It’s this feeling that has inspired me to set up my own chapter of Church of Craft in Manchester.

I was really happy to read this little article in the Guardian , it really cheered up  my bus ride to work.  It also inspired me to make time to finish the three sewing projects I have going on at the moment.  There is the smocked dress from the great UK craft book Making Stuff (weirdly, I have the exact same fabric, although I used a purple rather than blue. I had planned to make cushions from it, but the dress was too good to resist). I’ve also got the a-line skirt I am making from upholstery fabric, which I need to make a waist band for and then I need to sew together the bag I made. Pictures to follow of each when they’re done.

Actually it was sewing that brought me to the online craft community and the old version of www.getcrafty.com not long after Jean Railla had founded it, I followed a link for making a skirt from a pillow case (we’re back to making skirts out of non-dress making fabric) and it all grew from there. Okay, so it took me about another 3 years before I sewed anything, but it was a start. From tiny seeds grow big trees and from one stitch grows a huge love of crafting.

Church of Craft

I am really very happy to announce that Manchester will now have it’s very own chapter of Church of Craft.

 The first meeting will take place on 29th April 2007 at Fuel Cafe in Withington. We will meet at 1 om until around 4pm and our first project will be sock monsters. All you need to bring is your good self and a clean (but not necessarily new) pair of socks, in fact not even a pair, just tow socks of the same kinda of material that look good together. Stripey knee socks are especially good. I’ll bring everything else you might need.

Please pass this on to anybody you might thin be interested, I’d love to be able to grow Manchester into an even more creative city than it already is.