On this thread we're learning new crafts...

[treefrog]

So, mama frog has just flown home to the UK after a couple of weeks helping me decorate and generally warm my new house. She brought over my sewing machine (Xmas present over ten years ago and used about twice ) and today she got me started on making these...

She sewed on the curtain tape on one but the rest is all mine, I'm even backing the fabric with the thermal-lined old curtains. Incredibly proud of myself to have MADE these! (the right hand one needs finishing)

She also showed me how to knit and I've already used up my first ball of yarn making, well, knitted bits. Got two months to make a couple of baby things for various pregnant people

What else are peeps up to? Any good websites for new sewing/knitting types?

 

[wayward bob]

good work treef learning a new skill is teh

knittinghelp is one i used a lot when i was learning, the videos are really good. and for sewing pattern review is great, you can search patterns to see other people's results and tips on making them up, and the forums were full of really useful info from beginners right up to much more advanced stuff. oh i once did one of their (paid) online classes which i really rated too

 

[8115]

I like this website:

http://www.cutoutandkeep.net/

 

[wayward bob]

atm i'm trying to learn how to transfer my experience of dyeing fabric to dyeing paper. the process is fun but i'm still short on results. that and reading up on printmaking, warming up to go back to college when i'll be venturing away from the whole textiles thing

 

[8115]

atm i'm trying to learn how to transfer my experience of dyeing fabric to dyeing paper. the process is fun but i'm still short on results. that and reading up on printmaking, warming up to go back to college when i'll be venturing away from the whole textiles thing

Have you ever done monoprinting? It's light on materials and heavy on results. You might like it.

 

[wayward bob]

no i haven't, just googled what really appeals to me about printmaking is the multiple copies thing, so it's prolly not for me atm. (huge sigh of relief tbh, the last thing i need is new new stuff to distract me before i've worked out my old new stuff )

 

[equationgirl]

treefrog let the curtains hang for a few weeks before hemming as the material will stretch (in case mama frog didn't tell you).

 

[wayward bob]

i'm reading up on traditional bookbinding techniques atm and it's brilliantly esoteric stuff. can't think of many sets of instructions that end "Apply beeswax and burnish with an agate."

eta: my next set of instructions has pictures. turns out an agate is a hand tool, so slightly less arcane than it sounded at first. all these things i never knew i never knew eta2: but the tool is made of agate *head explodes*

 

[Epona]

i'm reading up on traditional bookbinding techniques atm and it's brilliantly esoteric stuff. can't think of many sets of instructions that end "Apply beeswax and burnish with an agate."

eta: my next set of instructions has pictures. turns out an agate is a hand tool, so slightly less arcane than it sounded at first. all these things i never knew i never knew eta2: but the tool is made of agate *head explodes*

My great grandmother was a professional bookbinder. I have several books of prints that she bound between 1905 and 1910. The prints were just prints, but the binding and covers are her work.

 

[treefrog]

Spent the evening on my first knitting project. About two thirds of the way through a ruffly scarf using some gorgeous wool I found on my travels today. Really pleased with it so far, even managed to unpick and redo a few bits and had to deal with a very curious parrot who thought my knitting needles were awesome Pics when it's done!

 

[wayward bob]

i'm retiring my favourite polaroid camera due to ridiculous film prices, but i need to feed my square-format fetish somehow so atm i'm trying to get to grips with a twin lens refex i've had for years. i must have known how to use the thing once, i have a couple of pretty decent films off it, but i'm fucked if i can remember even the first thing about exposure values and zone focussing and all that shit there's so many buttons and knobs and i have no idea which are essential and which are irrelevant and the manual isn't exactly helping in that regard tbh. i *will* get the hang of it, but right now i haven't a clue where to start

eta: got it loaded and taken a couple of frames with a handheld meter next fun and games is gonna be reacquainting myself with all my developing equipment...

 

[wayward bob]

i can kind of work it

very ancient fast film hence the grain. colour results looking promising got the film commercially processed so i wasn't adding developing mistakes into the list. think i'm going to enjoy getting to grips with it

 

[wayward bob]

8 keepers out of 12 today i may be in love

 

[FridgeMagnet]

TLRs are ace. I love my old Lubitel, which was one of the first film cameras I got when I got back into film, for buttons basically on eBay - still works fine.

I think I'm going to try making proper prints from B&W negatives. I found a photography club not too far from me that has cheap darkrooms for members and does a cheap intro course as well. At least, it's second top on my "Things To Do When I Have Some Money" list (which should be quite soon hopefully).

 

[FridgeMagnet]

Actually, I also have "get old Polaroid land camera and some pack film" on that list as well. Fuji still make the peel-apart pack film after all.

 

[wayward bob]

doitdoitdoit you can't do the fun stuff with fuji film (image transfers/emulsion lifts) but i have a stash of old polaroid uv that was still working last time i checked if you fancy having a play. it's an unwieldy beast but i <3 my peel-apart. lens is decent too

speaking of decent lenses, my new baby *swoon*

 

[Pickman's model]

seems a good place to drop this, which links to classes about making things Instructables - How to make anything

 

[FridgeMagnet]

Actually, I also have "get old Polaroid land camera and some pack film" on that list as well. Fuji still make the peel-apart pack film after all.

Not any more they don't I missed out on that one. Though you can still buy the stuff at ever increasing prices.

I just shoot a buttload of Instax instead nowadays.

I think I'm going to try making proper prints from B&W negatives. I found a photography club not too far from me that has cheap darkrooms for members and does a cheap intro course as well. At least, it's second top on my "Things To Do When I Have Some Money" list (which should be quite soon hopefully).

I did this though

 

[moose]

After last year's enjoyable blacksmithing course, in which I made a poker and a rake, I'm going on a 2-day leather working course in a couple of weeks to make a big leather tote bag to hold my laptop and stuff for work day trips.
This kind of thing: