Last Day To Register for Our July Giveaway

The title says it all - go here to leave a comment...the prize will be drawn tomorrow.

Next months giveaway is Mama Made!!! Stay tuned.

Monthly Book Club - August Title - Bram Stokers Dracula

Lisa came up with a smashing idea about having a book club at Crafty Mamas - I think its a wonderful idea and I love reading books others have chosen. It broadens your mind alot!

Being the inaugural month Lisa chose and her selection is Bram Stokers Dracula....wow! I have not ever read it and cant wait to get my hands on a copy.

If you haven't read it - or even if you have come and join us. I am so excited - Lisa chose a corker of a title!

Cough Cough Splutter Sneeze

Pic: naturalmoms.com

Well this winter has certainly been a corker for illness around my house. Coughs, colds, tonsillitis and ear infections have topped the list.

It got me thinking about how next winter I can better prepare my family's immunity to hopefully prevent a repeat of this years illnesses.

So I deferred to Dr Google to see if the world wide web could shed some light on natural ways to boost our immunity for the rest of this winter and into the next. Here are some of the sites I found:

10 Ways to Boost Immune Health

Boost Your Immunity

Ideas for the Men

SMH article

Do you have any tried and true immune boosters or natural remedies for the dreaded lurgy - Please share them with us!

MILO KAL

I have finished the Milo as part of the knit along. Have I mentioned how much I love this pattern:)

Finished, but not blocked - I thought that with him wearing it and it being a machine wash yarn it was slightly pointless. I am finding that it rolls a little on him - so I might do a k1p1 rib at the bottom next time.

Cable is the large cable in the pattern. Thanks Tikki for a great pattern.

Anna Sew-A-Long

Ok after instigating this sew-a-long I have finally finished!

I think I did it right - I did find the instructions a little light on and needed an online tute to assist.

I love the fabric - stretch denim from a fabric store that was closing down - $4 a metre!

I have my sewjo back...

I have been sewing...


A cord pinni



cord pants


polar fleece skirt


On the list and cut out ready to do - an Anna dress and a set of yoga pants for Moi!

For more pics and pattern info please refer to my BLOG

skirt

Here is a skirt with a overlay size 10 child.
I wish I had someone to model it looks better on then off.

What The?

Do you sometimes read a pattern back or book and think "what the heck does that mean???".....or you come across a fabric in the shop and think "what can I use that for??".

I do...all the time...and thank goodness the clever crafty mamas at the CM forum are usually there to help me out (trust me I have asked some really silly questions..!) but in the middle of the night (and when its midnight here its about 2am in the east) when noone is around you need to turn to the oracle - the internet.

I have found some really helpful sites along the way and I wanted to share them with you.

1. Sewopaedia - sewing terminology and the language of fashion and sewing.

2. True Up - a blog dedicated to fabric

3. Only Sewing - another glossary of terms

And how about when you are trying to knit a new pattern and come across an abbreviation you dont know...check out these sites:

1. Needlepointers.com - a list of other websites that give terminology definitions and abbreviations.

2. about.com - Types of yarn and whats available on the market today.

How about embriodery stitches that pop out of the pattern at you by suprise...

1. Sharon B's Dictionary of Stitches for Hand Embroidery and Needlework - a very comprehensive guide to needlework stitches.

So there you go - I hope this collection from my 1 million bookmarks is helpful...as I know there is nothing more aggrevating than being stuck and having noone to ask !

Do you have a great link you use...share it with us..please!

School Holidays Boredom Buster - Crayon Melts

Pic: hubpages.com

Thanks so much Amanda for adding another wonderful school holiday boredom buster! Thats so cool! Well I thought I would chick a fav of ours in here. I have seen it in a number of places and here is a good one with all the instructions you need. Its for Crayon Melts - a great way to reuse all the crayon stubs...there is no need to throw then away and they make wonderful multi-coloured colouring in tools for the kiddies these holidays.

See the way to do it here....

Then once you have done that head on over here... for some free downloadable colouring in pages in a wide variety of Disney characters. My kids love these and then use the backs to draw pictures on.

Of course there are so many other colouring pages and activities for the kids...what do you love to do with the kids in the holidays?

School Holiday Boredom Buster - Bracelets

If you hate throwing stuff away and love wearing unique jewelry, then turning your old toothbrushes and knitting needles into bracelets is a match made in heaven.

1. Find an old toothbrush (if the bristles are really yuck pull them out) and/or old knitting needles.

2. Boil a pot of water on the stove (so kids you really need adults help to do this).

3. With a pair of tongs insert the toothbrush/needle into the boiling water for approx 5 mins.

4. Carefully remove the toothbrush/needle with tongs and using something like a dish cloth or similiar to prevent burns to your hands gently bend the toothbrush into shape or wrap around a tin to form a circular shape.

5. When you get the desired shape plunge into cold water.

6. Voila you know have a funky new bracelet!

July Giveaway!

Pic: karimeaway.com


Ok well what a success we had with our first giveaway...so why stop there with the pattern giveaway!

This months giveaway is the beautiful Lauren Sundress pattern from Kari Me Away. These beautiful patterns have been designed by Kari Mecca and are so cute! This pattern is for sizes 2-14 so there is no excuse not to enter!

You know the drill, just leave a comment and on the first day of August I will draw a winner.

Best of luck!

Pinny

Here is a pinny, it is a size 2 child with a box pleat in the front and covered buttons in baby cord - with a blouse or skivvy under it would be very nice and stockings as well make a nice winter outfit.

Another Jule

My finished Jule as part of the recent sew-a-long. I made this in a nice and snuggly velour from the CM shop.


This pattern is too cute, I love the spiral hood. My DD loves it too which is always a good thing. :)

And the Winner is!!!!!

Kat said...

ooOH! Me too please :)
June 22, 2009 4:04 PM



Congratulations Kat! After employing the uses of Random.org - the number 9 was selected and Kat - your post was the 9th!!

You have won the Farbenmix patterns Anna and a Geske thanks to the wonderful and generous Lisa at Crafty Mamas!

If your name isn't Kat (and for 45 of you that's the case!!) stay tuned as later today I am going to announce our next giveaway!

Why Are You A Crafty Mama?

As I sat up hand-stitching a garment the other night until 1am, even though I knew I’d be up again at 5am with a full day ahead, I asked myself the question I usually ask at times like this.... “Why on earth am I doing this??!”.

Some of the reasons I’ve heard for why people ‘craft’, include:

• Not being able to find clothes that fit
• Wanting to save money
• Wanting to be more environmentally responsible
• A fit with spiritual beliefs (which may or may not be religious) 
• A connection with generations past and future - passing down tradition and skill
• Wanting to keep busy to aid in quitting smoking or losing weight

I think I’ve given most of the reasons above at one point or another to explain my need to create.  But you know what, I think there’s something more to it.

Because it does appear to be a need - not just a hobby or something to fill in the time.  So much so, that I wonder sometimes if the act of creating is indeed something that is inherently human (a kind of Descartian “I create, therefore I am”).

So what do you think? Why are you a Crafty Mama?