Sharpies and Ceramic Plates

      Another crafty thing Kim and I did while she was visiting involved dollar store plates and sharpies. We attempted to draw permanent designs on the plates using the coloured markers. I got the idea from Pinterest (originally from here). Kim went with a floral design, while I went for my nerdy organic chemistry stuff. Unfortunately baking the plates at 150 for 30 minutes did NOT make them permanent, so we had to start over.  I was very sad to have had my hard work wash off after the first try. 

Supplies: little dollar store plates and Sharpie markers

Drawing my nerdiness on a plate

Our plate designs: front

Our plate designs: back (mine had a back design)

Our plates in the oven

     This morning I have started on the second attempt. Before Kim left she redid her design and I've been waiting for the time to re-attempt mine. I have found another site with slightly varied instructions here.  I put the plates in at 450 for a half hour.  Kim's design was made several weeks ago and the marker has had ample time to dry while mine was made, then immediately put in the oven but it didn't seem to make a difference.

After 30 mins at 450 degrees

     It turned out alright.  Both plates have survived a mild wash and scrub. The colours did fade while in the oven but it seems more "caked on" so to speak.  I'm confident using these as tea bag holders, but I'm not sure how well they'd stand up to a real good scrub with a brush. One thing's for sure, this project was not as wonderful as it seemed on Pinterest.  The term "permanent" was very loosely used.

     So I'm a little disappointed it wasn't as straightforward and fool proof as it boasted, but regardless it was a fun activity.  I will likely experiment with this idea a little more at some point in the future, perhaps with tea mugs or more plates, but I'm in no rush since it's not as permanent as I'd like.

Keep Crafty Everyone!
Monica

Ottawa Bead Shops

     When Kim was visiting in August I got the wonderful opportunity to be introduced to a new craft: beading and jewelry making! And what a craft it is!  Kim owns and operates Murch Gems and has some great talent.  While in Ottawa she wanted to browse some bead stores to add to her stash. So she picked a couple stores and we went on a little Beading Store Tour.

Sassy Bead Co.

     Our first stop was the Sassy Bead Co. in downtown Ottawa in the Byward Market area.  This would be my first time in a full out bead store and Wow! I was amazed! Beads everywhere! Kim, being a seasoned player in this field, seemed less impressed.  We wandered about but then left soon after entering.  Kim, knowing her stuff, was unimpressed with the quality of the stock and un-matching high prices. I was unimpressed with the rude uncaring staff.  Sassy Bead Co.  is NOT on our return list.

Beads when walking into the store

Strings and chains

Work table

    There was a work table available for beading, perhaps its original purpose was for teaching or something, but when Kim and I visited the lady who sat there stared and scoffed at us the entire time as if we were intruding in her home. Not the best environment for bead shopping.

Sink O' Beads

      So overall, the Sassy Bead Co was a bad experience. Not only were staff members uncaring and at times rude, but the prices were too high especially for such low quality stock.  This is not a shop we plan on returning to.

Rainbow Minerals and Beading

     The next (and last) bead shop we purposefully ventured too was Rainbow Minerals and Beading in the St. Laurent area of Ottawa.  It was quite a bus ride but was very much worth the travel.  It was a given that I'd be in awe (still getting used to the beading craft environments), but from the moment we stepped in Kim was impressed.  This place was well organized, professionally set up, kind staff to greet us... This place took beading seriously and was for serious jewelry makers.

Locker system

      As we walked in they had a neat locker system.  Each locker was named for a mineral and we were to keep are purses locked away in one of them, the key stayed with us. I found this to be a nice little touch.  I'm sure theft is a big issue in the beading industry, it must be much easier to throw a bead in your purse than it is to throw a couple meters of fabric or a ball of yarn.  This idea of mineral lockers is a wonderfully creative idea and seems much less offensive than being diligently and suspiciously watched the entire time one is shopping.

     There were plenty of beads and a full range of prices.  There were 3 sale racks with nice low prices, perfect for a frugal female such as myself :).  Kim and I both went on and explored at our own paces.  It was a very nice shopping experience.  

      And of course what local craft store is complete without a random wandering pet to bring a smile to the shopper's faces.  There was a small dog that wandered about and played host; visiting people for a quick little pet then moving on.

Wall of bead strings

Some strings and chains

Kim found lots of great supplies for her stash

Kim at the sale rack with a wandering pet :)

Browsing some good quality beads for my start up stash

      Both Kim and I were very impressed with this shop.  There was a minimum purchase of 50$ required, but since we were both together it was easy to obtain.  If you present your small business registration number the 50$ minimum is waved.  The staff were friendly and courteous. At one point the manager/owner seemed a little harsh to one of her workers, but everything else was great and I believe we plan on returning when Kim comes back to Ottawa for a visit.

Some quality supplies for my new beading stash

      Now that I have the beginnings of a beading/jewelry making stash I look forward to diving in and creating some piece to keep, to give and to sell.  With a great crafter like Kim Murch to instruct me, I'm sure it'll be great fun and fruitful!

Keep Crafty Everyone!

Visit with Kim

     Over the summer (and through my new roomie) I've gotten the opportunity to meet another crafty lady: Kim! Though mostly into beading and jewelry making (her site can be found here), we both found a great opportunity to learn new skills from each other.  Although Kim doesn't live in Ottawa, she came by for a visit in August and we both got to explore each other's craft.  

     Kim was quite interested in crochet so we browsed through some of my books and magazines to find something nice and simple to make.  After going through pages upon pages of projects, she settled one a cute little lamb. Being super adorable, I decided to make one too.  The pattern is from Crochet World's April 2011 magazine issue. (This may be a US magazine, I'm not sure. I think I got it in the mail through a "free issue" coupon).

     Once the pattern was chosen, we dove into my yarn stash and found some colours for the project. I lent her one of my bazillion crochet hooks and away we went. I taught her the basics, making a slip knot, a chain, single crochet, double crochets, slip stitch... I was super impressed at how quick she picked it up.  We spent the evening crocheting away watching movies with our mutual friend (my roomie).

     Over the next few days and for the rest of her visit she worked diligently on the little lamb while kitties frequently came to investigate and cuddle.  Zija in particular seemed to really enjoy having another crocheter around.    

Zija enjoying crochet cuddles

Happy kitten

     In addition to crochet, we did many other crafty things; one involved a ceramic plate craft (see post Sharpies and Ceramic Plates) another was visiting a couple specialty bead stores downtown (see post Ottawa Bead Shops).  We wandered about downtown and checked out various stalls and came across some really neat stuff. Kim of course being mostly attracted to jewelry and minerals so I got to see and really examine things I normally would have walked right by.  It was a nice change of pace.

Kim checking out one of the stalls in the Byward Market downtown

Me and a moose at Crazy Moose

     And last but not least, what out-of-town-girl-friend-visit is complete without a matching set of pyjamas :).

     All in all I think it was a wonderful experience and a great visit. Having another crafty lady around was inspiring and just plain fun :)

Keeping it Crafty with company,

Monica

New Location

     What a busy summer! So much moving, so many trips, so much going on!  I apologize for the lack of updates and will make up for it by bombarding this blog with much posting over the next 2 weeks in an attempt to catch up.  I have a long list of blog posts to make and I fully intend to get through each one! Starting with the new location.

     Since I left off back in November of last year I have moved many times but have now finally found a nice little corner to settle into for a while. Hook, Needle and Spindle has set up shop in a nice little apartment in Ottawa. It definitely doesn't provide the space for a luxurious sewing room like I had in Fort Frances, but instead offers a nice cozy setting in which I can enjoy my sewing (I sew in the main room/dinning room/living room).  I have to say, so far one of my favourite perks of this coziness is that I can easily tend to cooking while sewing; there's nothing like having (and smelling) a nice batch of soup simmering in the crock pot while working on a new quilt. Another wonderful perk has been that I can easily take a quick step out on the balcony for some fresh air and a tomato or two. Yes, I have set up a little potted garden out on my balcony (thanks to a friend's generosity) and it's great.

     The only disadvantage is that my stash is no longer easily accessible.  I've had to come up with very organized methods of storing my stash.  At the moment, my stash is split in two: half is being stored at a friend's place, and half is in my room.  As I work on more and more projects, I've been slowly bringing more boxes from my friend's place to my room and re-organizing to maximize space.  Boxes and bins are stacked pretty high, but are all clearly labeled to make it easy to find fabrics when I need them, and so far I've been needing lots.  Orders have begun to pick up and it's great to be able to find what I need, when I need it.  So as long as one is not claustrophobic, I'm happy to announce that it's completely possible to functionally cram a large stash of fabrics into a small room :).

     The kitties seem to equally enjoy the new digs. They can be found lazing about in random areas of the apartment. On occasion they've even joined me out on the balcony to enjoy the breeze.

     Here are a few pics of the new place:

Balcony

Kitty inspection

My stash in my room

Stash in my room

Other half of my fabric stash in storage at a friend's place

Temporary sewing set up

More temporary sewing set up (plus kitty)

     For more various pics, check out HN&S fb page here.

     I'm happy to finally have a functional table to work with. It needs some love; I plan on sanding it, staining it then sealing it, but that is a story for another blog post :). It can be a pain to keep taking out all my sewing stuff (ironing board, sewing machine, sewing bin, cutting board...) then putting it away again over and over, but being organized helps minimize the hassle and having a pretty laid back roommate helps too. 

     Long story short: the relocation took a long time but I'm now settling in quite nicely. It's a small space, but  that just makes things cozier and forces me to be a little more organized (which is a good thing). I'm very happy with my new place and I look forward to continuing this crafty adventure here in Ottawa.

Keeping Crafty in a different location,
Monica

Toddler Summer Quilts

A beautiful thing has happened to a friend's family! An adoption! My good friend's sister has officially adopted a little girl and the family is welcoming the first grand-child! With such a beautiful event, how can I not craft something from the heart? Colours requested were "NOT PINK", "Probably purple and green" and "she likes really soft things". So I got to crafting and designed a toddler quilt. Then I sifted through my stash to find the perfect materials. I couldn't decide on the light fabrics or dark ones so I decided to make two and decide later. One would be for the newest member of the family while the other I could sell.

Fabrics chosen

 

The pieces all cut and ready to sew together

Gurr overseeing my work as usual

Assembly was quite quick. I machine quilted the blankets and so used lots of pins to hold the pieces in place while I sewed. It was my first experience with machine quilting, and I think I might have ended up stabbing myself with pins more often than not, but once it was finished, it was well worth it. The resulting blankets turned out great!!

The first quilt to be done was the light one. Part way through assembly I decided it would be the gift for my friend's family (and the dark one would be for sale once completed)

The dark one sold the day I completed it. How exciting! :)


I truly enjoyed this project and plan on making more at some point. I decided to call these quilts "summer quilts" because of how light they are (no layer of batting). They are very cozy and not too warm.

Project Stats:
Hours / Days worked on: approximately 26 hours in 4 days
Project Deadline: TBD some time in August.
Project Progress:
Design ------------------ Done (21/07/2012)
Materials ---------------- Done (21/07/2012)
Cutting ------------------ Done (21/07/2012)
Sewing (top piece) ------ Quilt 1 Done (27/07/2012) Quilt 2 Done (24/08/2012)
Sewing (assemble) ------ Done (24/08/2012)
Quilting ----------------- Quilt 1 Done (24/08/2012) Quilt 2 Done (25/08/2012)
Completed: ------------- Quilt 1 Done (24/08/2012) Quilt 2 Done (25/08/2012)

Finished dimensions: approximately 44" x 58"

Reversible Curtains

     Being in a new home, many things are needed to make it "liveable"; one of the more prominent ones being curtains for my bedroom. What's a crafty girl to do? Make them! I decided to get a "cheap," simple curtain rod from Walmart and use some nice fabrics from my large stash to make myself curtains.  The process wasn't as straight forward as one would think though.  First I had to pick out what colour I wanted my room to be, then find materials to match. I ended up going picking a medium green with an earthy brown accent wall and trim. With those colour chips close in hand I chose two fabrics in matching colours I really liked then got to designing. Since I really liked both colours and was aiming for just plain regular curtain panels, I ended up designing reversible curtains which could be switched depending on my mood or decor.  I wasn't too sure how it would turn out seeing as how I'd only ever made curtains once before and that was well over a decade ago. Also they hadn't been anything impressive, but with so many recent triumphs in sewing, I just dived in and this time around I was very happy with the result, despite a couple mishaps and recuts of course.

My temporary sewing set up.

     With the fabrics chosen and the designs and measurements done I just needed the time and motivation to cut out and sew up the curtains.  As I mentioned before, being in a new home means a lot of things need to be done and one of the less important needs was a table on which to actually do cutting and sewing. Fortunately I have a small light desk which is easy to relocate.  So one a particularly perky day I took out my tools, set up shop and got to work on my curtains.

    

Gurr enjoying the fabrics.

      I made the loops first. In order to make the curtains TRULY reversible I made the loops half green and half brown.  I was sure to make the loops thick enough to sew them inside out then turn them inside right so that none of the seams would show.  I may or may not have used the end of a wooden spoon handle to push the fabric through itself.

Pieces to make the hanging loops.

The hanging loops, some inside right, some inside out.

Gurr being Gurr.

More Gurr being Gurr.

      Gurr for some reason *always* enjoys a good roll on some fabric. I've yet to determine if this is simply because he enjoys getting in my way or if he loves the smell or the look of it.  Either way, it never fails to be adorable yet hindering. 

 And again with the brown fabric....

      I could sit here and post photos of his mischief all day, but I will spare you.... This time...

      A couple mishaps: first I miscut the brown panels and had to sew on a 6 inch piece. I'm still unsure on if I mismeasured or just mismarked the fabric.  It really is true: measure twice, cut once. Then a few times I sewed the panel backwards and had to undo all my work to start over.  Again, I did the original sewing on the inside, then turned it inside right and resewed in order to hide the seams.

Final product. Side 1: Green side.

Final product. Side 2: Brown.

     As I said at the beginning, I'm quite happy with how this project turned out.  The curtains look and work great.  My only issues are the miscut brown panels (at the top you see where I had to sew on an extension) and the left panel doesn't seem to ripple like the right one when it's open.  The bottom of it just seems to flare. Overall, a great success though and I just might make some more for the living room and take orders for anyone who'd like some custom made curtains for their space. 

     I'm super glad to be getting crafty again. There's just something about creating things that is greatly rewarding.  I have many projects in the works and will endeavour to post them up as I go.  For now, I will sign off but encourage everyone to:

Keep Crafty!

Relocation

     After nearly a year, things seem to be settling down a bit.  I've found a cozy little place to "set up shop" and get crafty again in Ottawa. I'd like to extend my apologies for having disappeared for a few months.  As I tended to more pressing matters in my life, HN&S basically ground to a halt, but now that the dust is settling I've been back to crafting.
     Getting things going again will take a little time, but here is what I hope to accomplish over the next few months:

• HN&S' Etsy site back up and running by the end of the summer as well as the "Products" page of this site,
• Weekly Projects to resume by the start of the Fall season,
• Get the New Line project started up again, not sure how long that will take,
• Make posts more frequently and consistently.

     The last one will be tricky over the next couple weeks as I will be out of town, but by mid August I should be better with posting.

Zija and Gurr chillin on the couch in the new apartment.

Poor little kitties, relocation is always so difficult and tiring.

     Getting back to crafty,
     Monica