hobbies – Through My Eyes

Crafting Sources

With the demise and death of yet another crafting giant, it’s back to the drawing board for supply needs. If you are going to rush out to Hobby Lobby or Michael’s, you might want to ck their websites before as both may not have what you want. Yarn, in particular, is in demand. Hobby Lobby has a very limited amount, and I was told by Michael’s they are not buying any more. If you shop FB Marketplace, you will most likely get ripped off. What’s a crafter to do…. get creative, of course.

For crafting tools, you need go no further than your local hardware store. You will be surprised what you can not only find useful but also cheaper than conventional craft stores. My favorites are Ace and Harbor Freight.

For yarn and bead lots, check the following: Dollar Tree and Five Below.

For other buys in quantity, check your local auctions both in your local area and online. Over the years, I have literally bought thousands of dollars worth of yarn, beads, and pattern books, all for pennies on the dollar. If you have a lot of yard sales in your area, these are also a possible source of supplies.

For other retail sources, there are these:

Amazon.com – While I hate this is a China company, I do still support them because they have a distribution center here locally, so I get some things in 24 hrs.

https://123stitch.com/ for all your cross stitch and embroidery needs.

https://www.equilter.com/designer/39/rubin-design-studio/page/2 This site is great for quilters.

https://www.bearwood.com/live-edge- An interesting site for small project woodworkers.

Will post more links as I find them. Until then, happy crafting.

Final Stitches…

You might recognize the center of this sampler as a throwback to an old nursery rhyme. The pattern for this particular cross stitch design is by Pam Johnson and is called “Home Sweet Home,” as depicted in the smaller block below the shoe.

While I have enjoyed working this piece, I can’t wait to make that final stitch. If you look at the toe of the shoe, you can see where I am in this piece. This is the largest piece I have stitched so far and has taken me almost a year to complete. I’m pretty sure most of you could do it quicker!

What happens next? I’ll wash it, stretch it like a canvas, let it dry, pin it to a mounting board, and frame.

This is a vintage pattern, so it may be difficult to find. Could not find a date on it, but I purchased a really long time ago. Vintage copies of this magazine do appear on both eBay and Amazon. It is published in the UK and it contains beautiful patterns.

If you are new to cross stitch there are videos on YouTube. I rarely pay full price for the fabric and supplies but acquire them through yard sales, auctions, and thrift shops. You don’t have to go broke to create beautiful works of art

Get stitching!

Have a great weekend!

Crochet Mania

If you are around me long, you will find I always need to have something in my hands, a cup of coffee and/or paintbrush, crochet hook, knitting needle, and more.

While I spend a lot of time designing, I am now beginning to focus more on creating the patterns for some of the designs. You can find these patterns through payhip and ravelry. Here are two with their links.

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/shells–more-tote

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hooded-baby-blanket-7

Come back often for patterns and more. Have a great day.

Crafting On The Cheap

You should never use the excuse “I can’t afford it” when it comes to crafting and here’s why. I do a number of crafts but one I spend a lot of time on is cross stitch embroidery. Over the last four years since our economy has been in the sewer I have been more resourceful in where I buy supplies.

Welcome to the world of thrifting. I shop Flea markets, yard sales, and most often auctions. The last place you would buy crafting supplies, right? You would be surprised. Over the last four years, I probably have spent less than $50 a year on supplies. I have bought multiple boxes of yarn, large boxes of cross stitch patterns, mixed craft supplies, and more. It is too the point that most of the auctioneers will point those items out to me prior to the sale. Here is just a sample from my latest purchase.

Sitting in what we affectionately call a “goodie box” underneath a table was this large binder full of thread and in the box was an array of cross stitch fabric, Scissors and more. I spent a whopping $5 for the box and the binder. The binder looked to be in poor condition so I really was not expecting the thread to be any good. In desperation one night when I failed to find a particular thread in my thread boxes I opened up the binder and quickly found the thread I needed. The thread was on a card that was enclosed in a zip lock bag carefully pulling a strand off the card I held my breath waiting to see if it was any good. On inspection the color looked good but was it weakened with age. I threaded my need and began stitching. Amazingly the thread seemed to be in good shape most likely because of the zip lock bag. On first inspection this binder was the one piece I thought I was going to have to throw out. So glad I didn’t.

So the next time you are in need of supplies, why not venture out to your local auction. You might be surprised at what you will find.

Have a great day, and take a moment to thank God for it