Posted by smudgy_cat on 2007-08-15 14:16:51
Post Subject: knitting machine patterns
Anyone have a source for free knitting machine sweater patterns, that have pictures, and are on the easier end of the spectrum?
I found some patterns for my machine on the company's website (Bond Ultimate sweater machine), but the sweater pattern has the rolled edges style, and I was hoping to find something more finished looking.
My ultimate goal is to make 2 kid sweaters for Christmas presents.
Posted by ada on 2004-10-28 03:58:21
Post Subject: Knit & craft meet, London (UK)
I'm helping organise a knitting & crafting meetup for this Saturday, at a pub in Broadway Market (East London). We're hoping to kick ourselves into getting started on Christmas presents - come swap ideas and patterns and support with other lovely crafty people! If all goes well, hopefully this will be a regular (fortnightly, perhaps?) meet.
The details are at:
http://acechick.typepad.com/knit/
(Knitting at the Market)
Posted by yenni on 2007-10-31 11:00:47
Post Subject: Need idea for classy homemade tag for homemade ornament
I''m a newbie here so sorry if I put this in the wrong section!
I am making crocheted ornament covers for Christmas presents (you place them over the standard Christmas ball ornament) and I want to make them with a really classy tag attached with my initials and the year (Kind of like the Lennox Snowflake that has a tiny tag with \"Lennox 2007\" on it). Any ideas on an inexpensive yet classy way to do this? I originally thought about getting a sheet of that metal that you can use a stylus to engrave and then cutting to size, but I think that will end up looking cheap.
Posted by strawberrytree on 2008-05-17 22:43:06
Post Subject: summer craft to do list
I plan to
1. sew shorts and tshirts
2. strip and repaint my dresser as well as put on the vintage clear glass knobs my mom saved from my great gradmas house fire years ago.
3. work on Christmas presents
4. embroider product for my etsy shop
5. work on product for the June Craftaluma show
6. paint
Posted by for_esme on 2005-05-18 16:55:27
Post Subject:
Actually... in thinking about what I'm planning on attacking this summer project-wise, I realized that if I'm going to craft ANY christmas presents for family/friends it will need to be this summer. In the fall I'll be working and going to school full time and early Dec. I'm going to Belgium on an Art History extravaganza!!
Anyway, I totally know what you mean about wanting to plan ahead. I'm kind of obsessive about getting things done early... you'll have to update when you decide what to craft for others on your list. I'm thinking I might start store-buying now as well, just to take some of the pressure off come December.
Posted by kindarana on 2004-12-01 16:05:05
Post Subject: baby Jesus visiting public school kindergarten...
So one of my students brought in a little book about baby Jesus today to share with the class - luckily I'm only the aide and the sub had her pass the book around to look at the pictures rather than reading it to the class; it was full of lots of big words they don't know like frankincense and myrrh. So we escaped the whole reading-to-class-about-baby-Jesus problem. But we are doing a little book about Christmas presents, and today we set up a little tree too.
(I should probably mention that this is a bilingual program, at least half our students are first generation Americans, much of the rest has one immigrant parent.)
So one of the little girls comes over to me and asks me who baby Jesus is, and I totally copped out and said she had to ask her family about that. What would your response have been?
Also, on a somewhat related note, the music teacher for the 4th/5th class has been teaching them hymns about the angel Gabriel and stuff. So I don't know where exactly this church/state line is supposed to be... presumably the other teachers know what kind of songs she is teaching.
I went to an Episcopal Christian school with chapel twice a week so I really don't know what's normal for public school. I mean, personally, I think the line should be drawn right through "one nation under God" in the pledge of allegiance...
Posted by breewell on 2004-10-25 20:29:06
Post Subject: ethics in selling question
Hi there,
I have a question about selling your crafts, when you have used someone else's patern to make them.
Now, I am too busy to even finish the Christmas presents I have on the go, so this won't be an issue for me anytime soon (besides I am bad at following patterns, I always get creative half way through). But...
Recently we had a thread about paying someone to finish you crafts for you and it was said that that is similar to buying pre-assembled kits to make your crafts from (and in either case calling it your own). How does this carry over in to the retail world?
I am intersted in hearing what people feel about this, especially people who make and sell patters. Obviously copying a unique craft that someone is already selling, calling it your own and putting it on the market is reproachable, but we so freely exchange patterns and instructions here, where does one draw the line? (I don't really think anyone at this point could consider record bowls their's and their's alone - although I'm sure the patent is out there for the taking!)
If we do think it is wrong to use a Sublime Stitching pattern and start selling pin-up girl dish towels, then is it also wrong to make and sell a Butterick's item?
I guess I'm wondering if there is an understood code of ethics among craftistas, or if we just depend on each person's own common sense.
Thanks ladies for letting me ramble!
Bree
Posted by boheme-anne on 2004-12-08 11:32:23
Post Subject:
Oh yes, I am depressed this year. Jim and I are broke, I can barely afford christmas presents. I'm on sick leave from work, and I'm in pain. I started trying to make christmas presents but they came out all wrong. I just get so frazzled when I think about what I would like to do for everyone in my familly, and what I'm actually going to be able to do. I see stuff in catalogs and on tv and think, gee I really wish I could get that for so n' so. And I see nice crafts I could work on but I can't even afford some of the supplies I need to do them. I need a creative kick in the ass so I can come up with ways to just use the stuff I have here. Baa humbug!
Posted by Pickle on 2006-11-13 03:20:22
Post Subject: Painting on Rubber Boots - HELP!
Hi everyone
I have decided that I am hand-painting rubber boots for Christmas Presents this year. A new craft - Im so excited however it seems to be the most difficult craft in the world to get information on !!
Its My first time painting on rubber - Has anyone done this before or have any suggestions? I dont expect the boots to last a lifetime but Id like to ensure they are durable and can be worn and rinsed off.
I spent 2 hrs tonight at the Craft store - I asked 4 sales agents to help and everyone looked at me like I was crazy! :)
what type of paint should I use ~ or definatly NOT use
should I pre-spray with some type of bonding agent
what would I seal it with after its painted
Any suggestions would be most helpful - I cant seem to find anything on the internet about what type of paint to use. I have TONS of acrylic paint and am hoping I can use that but Im not too sure that will work (b/c its water based BUT if used a sealent on top...)
...HELP!!!!
Posted by Slinkster on 2005-11-16 09:36:46
Post Subject:
I feel like I am in over my head, too! All of my Christmas presents for adults will hopefully be handmade. If not handmade then refurbished from the thrift store, at least.
I am buying for my kids and most of my nieces and nephews. Well, actually I think just one niece is getting store bought and that is a crochet-your-own-purse kit.
It's not that I can't think of things to make for the kids, I just don't have the time...and honestly, the adults would appreciate it more.
Posted by ChristineRenee on 2004-11-22 22:00:23
Post Subject:
If I understand what you're talking about, you can get them at the Dollar Tree (if you have one near you). They have small ones and larger ones in clear and blue and sometimes pink and green. I'm a little obsessed with them because I love the way they magnify the image behind them. I've already started wrapping Christmas presents and instead of regular name tags I'm making magnets with people's pictures and names.
Posted by lindsay on 2004-11-18 16:28:29
Post Subject: Christmas is Coming!
I made soap for Christmas presents a few years ago and it was really fun. Martha Stewart has good instructions in her first "Good Things" book, which are also probably on line. I liked using clear glycerin soap, adding food coloring and then layering the colors. I tried adding ingredients too. Poppy seeds and thinly sliced lemon and orange rinds worked best. I then made wrappers out of parchment paper and twine.
Posted by appleseeds on 2006-02-01 10:12:32
Post Subject:
i think it would be fine. i used lots of resin for my christmas presents this past christmas. i used it with plastics, clays, erasers, metal, yarn..anything i found that was small and fitting.
i would say to just experiment with it and if i could give anyone any suggestions or recommendations on using resins is make sure you are in a well ventilated space. the last time i used it i was outside and i thought this would be perfect but, it was cold out and i couldn't smell the fume so i wasn't aware of them as much...i was working with the resin for a bout 30 minutes and i got so wooozy and not so great feeling from the fumes....it was NOT fun and i missed a good holiday party as i was on the couch watching the room spin around for about 7 hours!!!!!!!
Posted by lgreen on 2008-09-24 12:47:23
Post Subject:
hello all,
I love to investigate new bags to keep things organized! I sometimes need a new bag because I have changed what I carry or need a different set of thing for work----like that.
I plan to try making some change purses for Christmas presents and give them to my sisters.
Posted by delqc on 2005-01-13 11:17:09
Post Subject:
Hey there,
I think what you mean by "cocktail rings" are the rings that go around the stems of wine glasses?
We made some of these for Christmas presents in 2003. We bought 1" steel memory wire, some seed beads, some fancier beads, a pair of needle-nose pliers, and some wire cutters.
We cut the wire in "circles" to go around the stems of the wine glasses, turned one end in with the needle nose pliers to keep the beads from coming off, strung on some seed beads and a fancy bead in the middle, then turned in the other end to make it permanent.
They looked great! Some problems we had were that some of the seed beads we purchased were too small to go over the wire. Also, some of the fancy beads were too wide for the curve of the wire, making them really hard to get on, and some of them broke from the wire with the pressure from the curve of the wire. We found much more narrow beads worked way better.
Posted by danielepea on 2004-11-29 23:39:00
Post Subject:
Being that this is my first fall/winter in a warm climate since I was about 3, I hadn't been feeling the holiday season at all until this weekend. Yesterday it was cool enough for me to get a peppermint hot chocolate while walking around town. Then I came home and worked on some Christmas presents while listening to Christmas music. And now it does feel a bit more like the holiday season.
Come next week I am going to get slapped in the face with holiday cheer when I go back to the NYC area for winter break. First on my list of things to do is buy a coat!
Posted by boheme-anne on 2004-12-02 21:59:17
Post Subject: Any Buddists out there?
I've had an interest in Buddism for a while now and am reading a book by the Dali Lama from the libary but I have questions about Buddism in general and of course as always I live in an area where the nearest buddist temple is 45 miles away. Anyone up to giving advice, especially around Jesus Christ's birthday? Thing is that I am Christian. I was brought up Cathelic. My family is strict Cathelic, I am not. I have major problems with Catholism. Mostly the materialistic views many churches push in my area with donations. It's like if you don't have money, the priest is not willing to give you time of day. I've had many bad, bad experiences and I feel that you should never dread to go to your place of worship.
I'm also trying to get back in the frame of mind that I do not need any material things to make me happy in life. I find myself depressed because I'm broke but when I analyze the true backbone of my depression it's just becuase I can't afford extra items I think I only want because other people have them.
This week I used my extra cash to buy toys for tots. I have a necklace on hold at the store I work in that I really want to buy but I know I really don't need it. So I spent the money on the toys. I want to get up enough gumption to tell them to put back the necklace, that I'm not going to buy it.
Another thing is the Christmas presents. I keep thinking I'm not getting enough for people. People should be satisfied with one present right? If they are not, they should be reminded of the true meaning of Christmas. I need moral support. I hope someone can help me!!
Posted by bookish on 2005-07-22 16:55:15
Post Subject:
I was just working on my list this afternoon! I like to have Christmas presents done and wrapped by Thanksgiving and then I always want to buy a second round of presents in December!!
This year I'm making an american flag quilt for my mom, cheesy I know- but she'll love it. I also am making gift boxes for friends and sisters with Claire Crespo's book Hey There, Cupcake! and an apron.
Posted by jmdandona on 2005-06-29 17:15:03
Post Subject:
I just have to say that I share your pain. My boyfriend/fiance's family is very conservative, and it is as if we are from different planets! We just moved into their old house (they bought a new one), so I'm betting that this year I will have to come up with Christmas presents! (I was able to avoid the whole question when we lived thousands of miles away.) I hope you come up with something good! Let me know what it is!
Posted by Katrin on 2005-07-18 12:39:48
Post Subject: Who's started on their holiday gifts already?
Okay, first I must say that this is totally uncharacteristic of me. I'm usually a huge procrastinator. I almost always end up sending "belated" birthday cards and gifts. My family knows this; they're often the same way, and it's no big deal to any of us.
But here in the middle of July, I've suddenly found myself already starting to amass Christmas presents. I've found some great yard-sale or clearance bargains that will make perfect gifts for certain family members, and I'm currently working on two knitting projects that will either be for Christmas or my dad's and sister's winter birthdays (depending on what other gifts I find for them before then). I'm broke right now, and still I'm thinking up all these things to make out of supplies I already have.
Does anyone else regularly do this? Any tips on keeping the momentum going? What projects are you working on months in advance?
Posted by cupcakesupernova on 2006-12-17 11:14:11
Post Subject: Horrible Customer Service
Normally, I wouldn't post something like this, but the truly appalling customer service of Reckon (reckonwordwide.com) merits it. My friend ordered $130 worth of Christmas presents on Nov. 6th. At that point their website said they had a 3 week turnaround time on orders. That's fine, but when Dec. 10 rolled around, she got worried and sent an email, then another a couple days later, than one more. They did not reply and she ended up calling them. No answer, no return call. . We started to worry that it wasn't a legitimate company at this point. I have never heard of a company not answering any emails or phone calls over a period of a week and their answering machine recording sounded strange. Finally I suggested that she contacted them through their etsy shop (reckon.etsy.com) and got this in return. Please note where he says that "People like you make fascism happen and prosper." in response to someone's worry that an order placed over 6 weeks ago wouldn't arrive until after Christmas when there had been no contact with the seller.
Sent by Reckon on December 16, 2006:
Heather,
A copy of my email although I'm thinking it did arrive safely. Btw, I lose email at a regular rate including my own sns shopping cart mails which on occasion do not reach me:
Heather,
Nice approach overall. Stopping printing and packaging to provide you an update on things because you've obviously earned it. Of some notable irony is the fact that two of your items are in my print plan today. But here you go for what it's worth:
There are currently two of us. It's poetry more than business. And it's good, and has good aim.
Also works. Very well. On both counts you are being a tad shortsighted and jumping the gun a bit.
You weren't being ignored at all - we've been in and out of pocket and having this problem and that (old Murphy) as things tend to go when the going gets busier than ever. I also could no longer (a few months back, that is) keep up by myself...so the info and tasks are split between two and on occasion things slip through the cracks. I got your last email and forwarded it to the appropriate person who is tending to shipping and thought they wrote you back but apparently not. My apologies for that. I have a third friend helping with telephones now, and they got your messages this morning. Hence, they wanted nothing to do with you. Then my cell notified me on another of your attempts. I don't know how many just yet. But, sheesh. It isn't Christmass yet and turnaround times are clearly stated with regard to these things. And you already are aware of the wild holiday season.
You see, we're absolutely swamped and overwhelmed and thereby working our tails off getting things printed, pressed, packaged and shipped out. This includes 3 of your items which were already shipped, and the remaining two which will ship today or tomorrow. Some were on our back-order list. We just got the last part of your order in. Everything is made to order until after the holidays, and we're at the mercy of our supplier. We receive no solid dates for fulfillment of back-ordered items and often don't know whether something is available or not until our actual shipments arrive. I'm not sure why. I've tried to find out numerous times to no avail. We all have but they will not, due to the constant flux, provide any guarantee or date. Makes sense when you think about it.
Furthermore, we're third in line when it comes to stock.
1. Huge clients
2. AA Retail stores, brick n' mortar
3. Tiny clients
Due to the volume of orders we've not been able to man the emails and phones as sufficiently as we would normally, or as sufficiently as it should be. But that's growth and we can't very well be blamed for that when said growth signals very positive strides for much more than t-shirts. American Apparel being so backed up signals the same.
Poets need not register with bureaus, by the way. I got a kick out of that one. I can assure you this is very Real indeed and not a one soul has been shorted here, and once the items are received and worn you and your gift-receivers will no doubt understand why. Much is put into them.
And re: these back-order issues I'm busy as well working to alter things for next year so that turnaround times will be cut in half or more. Hope you stay tuned.
3 hours of sleep per day thru December,
C/W
RECKON
P.S. By the way I love your assumptions. I'd much rather not deal with such an attitude than so need the money as to put up with such childishness. You must've been kidding. Luckily for us both your order is all but fulfilled. For the record it isn't unusual for a back-ordered situation to extend beyond a month, especially with regard to larger quantity orders. This is also stated on the site.
Lastly, your email on your order form states XXX@gmail.com.
Did you even receive the payment confirmation emails???
Hope you get this one.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You have no right to be "really,really mad." In fact it is YOU who has been out of line. All info is posted and that includes our email issues and all the rest of it. I'm certainly not the only one who was privy to your psychosis.
Your order isn't late according to policy. You just didn't read it.
You interrupted your own pieces being printed. Get a grip.
And, further, comparing your order to ANY other order is inane. That simply is not how this works.
People like you make fascism happen and prosper.
Now I get back to work so you can continue fiddling thumbs.
c
Posted by happyhats on 2006-01-01 03:42:43
Post Subject:
I liked my Christmas presents because they were all things I actually enjoy and will use. I got lots of smelly bath stuff, a great magnetic bookmark, liquer and champagne flutes, other glasses, some clothes, and the Golden Girls Season One and Two, which I watch contantly. I only got a few knicknacks-two Wizard of Oz related and one a windchime- and since they are stuff I really enjoy I like displaying them. Oh, and I got the knifty knitter because I want to learn to knit. Wish me luck!
Posted by neuroticdawg on 2005-06-26 03:29:54
Post Subject:
Here's my take on domesticity:
I'm not the best at it, and it doesn't come naturally to me, but being a SAHM was how it worked out, and I like it.
My mother was a single parent, for as long as I remember. She worked 9-5, overtime when she could get it, and then came home and made dinner, helped with homework, and went to bed. She didn't bake cookies, she wasn't a room mother, she wasn't a Little League mom, and about once a month, she gave the house a good cleaning. I had no chores, because she'd had too many as a child. I guess my mom was a feminist. She did it all on her own. It wasn't what she would have chosen, but she had a kid to raise, and didn't want the kind of help she could get, so that was that. She was a feminist by default.
I don't suppose I've ever considered myself a feminist. I'm not sure I even really know what one is. I thought my childhood was normal until I moved to the midwest. Only a few of my friends' moms stayed home, most of their parents were divorced too. I thought that parents staying married and women staying home with the kids was something that took place "in the olden days".
When I had my daughter, I quit working and stayed home with her. With the exception of a few temp jobs I took just to see if I was missing anything, I've been a SAHM ever since. It surprises me sometimes to find myself here, just because it's still such a foreign and novel concept to me. It suits me. I never imagined I'd be able to do this. To go volunteer at the school library. To sit at my kids' ball practice and crochet Christmas presents. To launder for four. To go fetch a plate of grub for the old man when he comes stumbling in all tired and sore from getting up at the crack of dawn to earn our daily bread. To cook a lasagna from scratch or make a Halloween costume, or take apart the sweeper to find out why it's making that clackclackclack noise.
I imagine this is how the hausfraus used to feel when they found out they didn't have to stay home like their mothers did, they could go to school and get a job and bring home a check with their own name on it. Funny that I'd end up feeling that way about being able to manage the house and kids instead of clocking in somewhere. I guess the common thread is having a choice. My work isn't considered "valuable" and I'm aware that some people do look down on my choice, but I'm satisfied and content, which is what all of us are aiming for.
