Guest Post: Book Review: Wonderful Things to Make For Kids

Today's guest post is from Vicky, of Vicky Myers Creations who's reviewed a recent charity shop find.  

Today I am reviewing “wonderful things to make for kids” published by The Australian Womens Weekly in 1987. I stumbled upon this inspiring book in my local charity shop – what’s more it was on offer buy one a child’s book for 95p get a second free!

The book has no introduction it leaps straight into it’s many chapters covering a wide range of areas including Outdoor Play, Fancy Dress, Rainy Day, Wooden Toys and Party Time. The A4 soft back book packs in 91 projects. 

Each project has a photograph of the finished item, a diagram of the materials to be cut out in a grid format so you can scale up, and written step-by–step instructions. There is no indication of skill level required for the different projects, or photographs of steps in the making process.

The book appeals on various levels, one because it covers such a breath of projects for children but also because it includes many items I have not seen before (although that might be for a reason!). The images reveal the fact it is a 1980s book but many of the projects continue to appeal.

The instructions for the sewing projects on first appearance are brief however they make sense. With modern fabric many of the designs are easily modernised (for example boy’s dungarees).

The woodwork projects are beautiful and appeal to me but I have no woodwork skills what so ever, I haven’t a clue if the instructions are adequate to make the items!!
A colleague kindly had a look. He stated that the projects do require a level of competency in woodwork, having said that the instructions are follow able.  However the cost of the materials nowadays may make the project’s cost prohibitive. For instance the brick trolley is likely to cost more to make than to buy. Of course cost is not the only reason for making items, there is an intrinsic pleasure in making and creating.

The book concludes with a helpful page giving directions on how to scale up designs using grids. Plus an index of projects

Will I be making any of the projects?? There are projects which I definitely won’t be making! The eccentric hats definitely fall into this category but I will be recycling a jumble sale man’s shirt into a craft/art smock to protect my daughter’s clothes when the painting desire takes her.

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Vicky is a blogger who is passionate about creating unique quality items from recycling materials. Vicky’s blog often shares tutorials of her original creations. In addition she runs an Etsy store selling a variety of her own designs of handbags. You can also find her on Twitter and Facebook, and check out her blog post about making the art smock project from this book.

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Corgi Love

I have to admit that don't really care very much about the royal family, or about the upcoming royal wedding (being self-employed, I won't even get a day off work!)... but I simply had to buy one of these teatowels designed by Gemma Correll:

Cutest corgi ever!

Gemma's royal wedding teatowels are available from fab teatowel shop To Dry For (photo from their website).

Listen while you work

I listen to a lot of Agatha Christie audiobooks while I do my sewing... so I was delighted when the boyfriend brought back this haul from a recent charity shop visit.I know it makes me a bit of an old lady, but they make such a great soundtrack for an afternoon of peaceful sewing.

I like listening to the radio too (especially things like Raymond Chandler adaptations on BBC7) and also do some simpler sewing on the sofa in the evenings in front of the telly.

Do you listen to the radio or watch TV while you craft?

365 / 135 - A Quiet New Year, and some Resolutions

Happy New Year! No wild parties for me last night, just a quiet and cosy night in doing some sewing...
I was so pleased with the woodland creatures I made on day 134 that I started cutting out pieces to make a few more, and I worked on 3 new designs as well: an antlered deer, a little fawn and a feather. I'm very pleased with the deer but the lighter, cuter fawn ought to have all-white detailing I think.
I am so pleased that it's January. After crazy pre-Christmas shipping, being ill, and eating far too much chocolate over the holiday I feel absolutely ready to start new things, tackle new projects and stick to new year's resolutions.

My crafty resolutions for this year are
1) To be more serious and business-like in my approach to my work, to run my business better and to promote it more actively.
2) To make lots of things in batches (higher stock levels means much less stress for me) but not at the expense of trying out lots and lots and lots of new designs.
3) To stick with my 365 project, missing out as few days as possible!

2008 is also the year of getting our flat sorted out - we have so many unpacked boxes, unhung pictures, curtainless windows, unfinished DIY projects etc, this is the year for tackling them. My pre-Christmas "give something away every day" project has finished but I'll be keeping it in mind and doing lots of spring cleaning. One of the first household tasks "to do" is attending to my potplants, giving them some love and attention and potting up some cuttings I've been rooting on my kitchen windowsill in teeny little herb jars:
It seems that 2008 will be a year filled with Etsy shopping, too. It's only 12 hours into the new year and I've already been on an Etsy shopping spree! I tried so hard to treat myself to something on the high street with my Christmas money (bargainous post-Christmas sales and all) but there was just nothing nice to be had so Etsy-shopping it had to be. Details about my shopping another time, but for now here's a picture of the lovely Etsy post that arrived yesterday, from Blomma:
The lupin cards are to be sent out in special parcels (like the celebratory free-gift-packed parcel I sent out to the buyer of my 500th item) and the dahlia is a lovely freebie. I really like how it's a thankyou from the seller and a free gift. Such nice cards, from a lovely friendly seller. Also the coloured envelopes are just yum (I'm a sucker for a fancy envelope).