First up, I'm giving away one of my new "inspiration packs" - contents will vary but each bag is bursting with buttons and ribbon and other crafty treats to help inspire lots of new projects.
Because the inspiration packs make great starter kits for kids (supervised, of course!) and inspired by yesterday's peek at one of my early sewing projects, to enter this week's giveaway just leave a comment telling me about one of your first crafty projects. This could be something you made as a kid, or maybe an early project when you were discovering a new craft as an adult. Successes, disasters, proud memories, I'd love to hear them all!Leave your comment before midnight BST (British Summer Time) on Saturday 15th August on this post and I'll pick a winner at random on Sunday (16th August).
I'm happy to ship internationally, so anyone can enter. Please make sure you leave a name or pseudonym (no anonymous comments please!) and be sure to come back on Sunday to see if you got picked :)
EDIT: this giveaway is now closed! Thanks!
62 comments:
LOL the odds of getting picked as i'm #1 on the comment list are pretty slim, but I'll shoot for it.
I made a gingham yellow dress for one of my Barbie dolls. It was my first "OH" moment as I realized how seams worked together and how they eventually became "hidden" when turned inside out.
At 7 years old that's a pretty amazing concept lol.
Tumus & Pinpinn
I remember my mother had a pencil cup that I had decorated with macaroni. She used that thing well into my teens. She'd probably still use it if it hadn't been lost during a move to a new place.
I remember my first crafty project being cross stitch with my mom and grandmother. They were working on this big blanket and I was able to help with a few stitches here and there (this was like back in 1985 or so). Funny thing is, my mother still had the unfinished blanket and recently gave it to me when she found out I was into embroidery. It's a special thing that I can work on and maybe save some for my daughter too!
I have an embroidered sampler that I made in Primary One. It's looking a little the worse for wear, these days, as I used to keep it on my bedroom table and it has nail varnish on it!
It's really sweet and simple, and probably much better quality than any embroidery I could produce now. My mum also keeps a cardboard angel from when I was five on her kitchen dresser, looking at it never fails to make either of us smile.
I was always making something as far as I can remember. My most lasting project was a little knitted man that I made when I was about 10. I still have him twenty years later He normally lives in my handbag, which is where he is now. He is actually getting his own blog, I started it today so everyone will be able to follow his travels!
I made a needle case at school when I was 6. It was made of felt and shaped like a cat - I still use it :-D
I made a pillow for my doll with my Nan when I was 5. I was so excited b/c I was able to go through all of her scraps of fabric and pick out what I wanted to use.
I can remember the excitement of making the first cut in my bit of lino when I was at school. The smell of cut lino now always reminds me of the art classroom at school, and our teacher Mr Lowey - even years later!
It was a simple two colour print of a tree - my parents found one of the prints at home recently, but I don't know what happened to all the rest.
I made a green felt pincushion with a pink butterfly sitting on it for my sister - and she still has it. I also made a pink gingham apron at school with pink and white cross stitch and herringboned hems.
Pomona x
ahh, this is great idea!
At school I made a necklace for my mum, when I was 6-7 years old. The beads were made of some kind of white polymer clay decorated with blue and orange stripes. The teacher loved it so she sent it for some competition (together with very shy little me) and to my big horror I won! The prize was small glass sculpture of cat (in yellow colour). And my mum still got that necklace and wear it occasionally.
x x
I remember being 5 or 6 and going downstairs on a Saturday to find the kitchen floor covered with an enormous wooden batik frame with cotton pinned to it, and my mum doing amazing batik pictures.
I wanted to do one too, so she gave me a little frame and I set about drawing out a little boat in wax with drips for stars all around it. Then we painted it with dyes and it's still hanging up in the dining room. :)
Catherine
I remember making a sock monkey with my grandmother and little Beanie Baby "sleeping bags". Then of course there was the macaroni pictures from my preschool class. :)
I have been crafting since I figured out how to use my hands! LOL! When I was a kid I used to make all sorts of fabulous creatures and wonderful 'household items' from paper plates, construction paper, yarn, buttons, and markers! LOL! I would add anything I could get my hands on and then I set up a table and SOLD my creations to my parents! HA! For real! LOL!
I always had scraps of fabric, yarn, colorful papers and other craft supplies around when I was little.
Not sure what my first craft project was but I know I made my fair share of mobiles and collage books!
way back when in the sixties my gran taught me to knit, and I remember knitting a trendy little coat and matcing hat for my Tressy (she was like Sindy but had hair that "grew", rather oddly from the middle of her head). I found the pattern in a charity shop recently and recognised it instantly.
When I was about 7 or 8, my mom bought me one of those weaving looms to weave pot holders and a huge bag of those fabric loops. I had such a good time weaving TONS of pot holders. That weaving loom really sparked my interest in crafting and I have been crafting ever since!
fun idea for a giveaway :)
the first thing I can really remember making, was a paperweight for my dad - it was effectively a big rock, splattered with paint & glitter!
bless him though, he trated it like a masterpiece & it's been with him in every office he's had since, even now!!
In one of the first years at school i remember making a poster for a competition run by the school library.
It was a bookworm made out of circles of green cardboard and it had glasses and read tiny books.
It might also have the only time I've ever actually won anything. I WON :D The prize was a book. A good one which I still have.
When I was about twelve I discovered the beading loom, and I spent hours and hours using it. I made some pretty flat beaded bookmarks, and the one I remember with fondness was half day sky, half night sky, that I designed myself. I've misplaced it, but I remember being very happy with it when I made it, and I haven't stopped crafting since.
The first thing I remember making was a long stitch with wool, of a hot air balloon when I was about 8. My Nanna came to stay with us for a while and she helped. I still have it!
I only just found your blog this week btw via Flickr-- saw your amazing butterfly mobile!
Rebecca.
I remember making a poncho for Sindy on a family holiday to York. Mum had taken a bag of odds and ends of wool and some needles and I knitted in stripey garter stitch. Mum had to turn the knitting around at the end of each row. A really happy memory. xx
When I was about 5 years old my aunt showed me how to do the basic embroidery stitches on an scrap of fabric left over from making her wedding dress. I can still remember the material-lilac with a kind of embossed pattern. Never forgot the stitches either and am still doing hand and machine embroidery 45+ years later.
ger
i remeber trying to make dresses for my barbies, i just drew around them to figure out theri sizes. but the first big project i remeber doing was making a cushion for my great nan (still ticking, bless her!). i embroidered 'i love you great nanny on it' and hand sewed everything!im pretty sure she still has it!
I made a corduroy rabbit at school when I was about 8, I was so excited about it and hand sewed all the way round in back stitch. When I finally turned it right sides out, what I thought was a brilliant interpretation of a rabbit turned out to be a bit of a strange lump! x
I was horse-crazy, so I sewed a saddle blanket for my toy Breyer horse, and I made a saddle out of tin foil, and a bridle out of yarn.
Thanks for this opportunity!
I was 7 years old, sitting in the floor in front of the Christmas tree, after the exciting day, flipping through all the gorgeous Christmas cards we had received. I told my mom that we should do something fun with them and she proceeded to teach me how to make small gift boxes out of the cards. Once I had them all made, I went to my room and found little trinkets and such to give as gifts to family and friends in my new crafted gift boxes.
How fun! One of my favorite crafty memories is using those little acrylic snowflake beads to make Wishing Stars for my friends in elementary school. We were so proud of them! They're also one of the first items I added to my shop (and the very first things I sold!) because it's such a sweet, fun memory! :)
I remember so many things I made at primary school, a cross-stitch coaster/sampler, a felt football... the sewing classes were always my favourite, mainly because my teacher, Mrs Logie, looked like a cute granny.
I went to an evening class for dressmaking when I was about 14 years old. I wasn't very successful
and dressmaking never became my forte. I now dabble in all kinds of crafts and I'm loving it.
KAren
My mum (who is a profesional crafter) show me how to knit before I learned to write!!! And then started all: sewing, painting, cross stitching, everything!!! I remember I made like dozens of dresses for my doll, and when I was 14 I thought I was to old to have a doll, so I give it away, doll and dresses, there's nothing I regret more!!! :(
Ooh, enter me please! You have such lovely supplies in your shop!
I just found one of my early embroidery projects when I visited my mother a couple of weeks ago. It's a small embroidery that says "god jul" ("merry christmas" in Swedish) and it was apparently abandoned before it had the chance to become something like an ornament or card. I need to find a use for it soon! :)
hmm first crafty project? I guess it would have to be making pillows of the care bear characters and rainbow bright when I was really young. First things I ever sewed and surprisingly they didn't fall apart right away lol
I have distant memories of stitching a cross stitch sampler aged 5 with a really big wool needle. I was so proud of myself.
Haven't a clue where it got to...
One of the first things I remember making at Brownies and it was a brown owl made of felt and nahd stiched.
I am an absolute newcomer to the "crafty world", but I turned into it with the faith of a convert.
This whole craziness started some months ago with... a copper tinkerbell found on the street. I saw it and thought of the cat that could have lost it. I put it in my pocket and didn't think much about it. Some days after, a friend offered my a gift wrapped with a sassy green ribbon, and I inmediately thought of the copper tinkerbell. And that was the spark. My first cat-with-a-green-collar-and-tinkerbell brooch was about to come :) I feel so proud of myself when I wear it.
I want to say that I just found your blog and your creations, and I think you have a real talent to make pretty things.
Thanks for the inspiration!
I remember a craft project for school that my grandma made for me. It was sort of a puppet made of yo-yos. If she rose from the grave and saw me making yo-yos like crazy now (AND enjoying it!), I'm sure she would think I'm NOT her granddaughter!!!
Thanks for the chance to win this great pack! :-)
librosfera(at)gmail(dot)com
I wasn`t very crafty as a kid, but I have looots of plans for my son 1st year birthday party!!
I remember I had a dollhous (made from papper) what I made and all of the dresses for my dolls.
Regards
Scotty from Hungary
My first embroidery project was an "embellished" western shirt for my hubby on our 2nd anniversary. He'll wear it because he's sweet, but I "could have done better." Hee, hee.
İ learn crochet,sewing from my mumy İ make her napkins Nowadays i make toys(amigurumi) for my baby:))
I remenber Doing some needle stuff when i was 14....but not exactly.....it wasn't really beautiful.(you know like jean's pocket with horrible drawing for a bag =o=)
But i do remenber my first glory :p.It was a Ron Weasley doll that i made 3years ago!(A friend keep him é_ è)
Regards from France :]
(nuage-noire@laposte.net)
I still remember my first real craft...I made a pillow with a needlepoint heart in the middle. I earned my Girl Scout sewing badge for it!
Ooh how generous of you, and those packs look fabulous! I'm not quite sure what my first ever crafting experience was, but I do remember being very excited that I was picked to be in the special cross stitch group in about primary 5 and I made a tiny picture of some yellow flowers for my mum!
My first craft projects are crocheted table centerpiece and matching glass cozies as a school project. I got a high grade but never received my project back. :(
My forays are a bit vague with mum - as it was pretty much constant crafting, particularly with fabric. But Mrs Hayden Smith in Year 2, showed me how to sew a design onto red hessian and use backstitch to have unbroken lines.... a bit of a turning point for me! And this was at Yanchep Primary, just out of Perth, Western Australia.
My first craft project is a bear I sewed on a whim. It is made of sky blue felt, had buttoned eyes and a yellow ribbon round it's neck. It took me quite a while to sew as my mum guided me. And I learnt that I should have cut more cloth than the shape of the bear. Haha...in the end my mum named it Jean, and I loved to hold it in my hands when I sleep.
Jasmine Fu
From Singapore
My first crafting memory is making animal masks with my English teacher when I was about 5! :)
I remember making a basic stitch sampler on aida in primary school when I was about 6. I loved it and found it so easy I went straight home and started sewing everything in sight! That Christmas I asked Father Christmas for a sewing box. I just wish I had kept it!
My first crafty effort was a little teddy bear made out of faux fur. I found the pattern in a library book and was sooo proud of my efforts. I gave the bear away to a family friend who had a baby (I was about 8 at the time).
Ooops just published my comment without my details! See above re: teddy bear
Lovely giveaway! I remember making jewellery with pasta! I painted pennes and other types of pasta, strung it together and gave to my mum to wear!
I had a tiny circular knitting tube thingie! It was great cuz it was the perfect size to make tube dresses for my barbies! Hahaha.
I remember weaving potholders on a little metal loom when I was about 6 or 7. I made them for my mom and for Christmas gifts- I remember wondering what color would go best with my aunt's kitchen. I didn't make just random multi-colored potholders either, I loved to make plaids and checks and was quite intrigued by the way the different colors of potholder "loopers" would intersect each other perpendicularly and blend together to make another color.
As thought about this i remembered so many of my early craft projects ... I made a stuffed cat using two paper cutouts stapled together and stuffed. I drew all sorts of fabric and patchwork on it ... and didn't understand why I had to explain to everyone that duh ... it's a calico cat.
One of the first crafty things I remember doing is sitting down with my friend to make little paper costumes for our beanie kids. I still have my favourite beanie bear but all of the teensy pointed hats, capes and aprons have long since disintegrated. :(
As an adult one of the first crafts i worked on was a halloween outfit for my little girl. It looked great, unless you looked at how it was stiched.
In my childhood i was making funny birthday cards but one of my first serious projects was actually manufacturing flower broaches (breast pins) from buttons and textiles. They were so colorful and fun to wear on anything from blouses to bags and even headbands.
O my giddy aunt, it was a little ladybird soft toy with blanket stitch all around it. I was about 7 years old and so proud when I eventually finished it! Thinking of it now has inspired me to make some little ladybird felt broaches! I'll get the red felt out now!
Cheerio, Louise
I did my first cross stich piece when I was six- an angel, it took quite a bit of time as I often had problems getting the thread through the needle then.
Its the first and last so far, I dont think I can get the designs right without the help of my crafty mum! haha!
I remember making a ceramic spoon rest. It was a yellow fish and is not in use any longer but my Mum still has it!
Anam
Wow its amazing what you remember when asked to think about it. My mum did lots with us as children but my first memories were making tooth fairy outfits and little gifts to leave under my pillow. I also remember my mum trying and failing to teach me to knit. It wasnt her fault she just produced the most cack handed child ever.
I am in love with those giant buttons. I must have one. :)
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