Monday, June 04, 2007

Fun Monday# 19 =Crafty Monday



Karmyn has asked everyone to

"show us their "CRAFTY SIDE"....let us see something you've made - it can be ANYTHING -....post something that was handmade....junior high shop table, scrapbook pages, burnt meatloaf, knitting projects, muffins, whatever - just let it be your handiwork". There are so many 'crafty' bloggers out there that this looks like the BIGGEST number of participants since Fun Monday began.

When I first read Karmyn's challenge my immediate thought was, I've not got anything to show (I pondered about cooking but as I sometimes share my recipes I thought no one want to see those photos again). I then started having a look around the house to see if I could find anything I had made. Surprise, surprise because I can't bear to part with 'memories' I dragged out from my grandchildren's toy basket a few things that I had knitted when my own girls were young. Believe it or not Sam did wear that little green outfit back in 1966. There wasn't much money about in the 60's so we tended to make as much as possible, I knitted the yellow blanket and bound it with satin ribbon, and I made the cot cover from knitted squares that I backed with some left over material from the curtains I'd made for the nursery. I didn't knit the squares, these were done by my grandmother who died three years before Sam was born so I could never part with it although it's falling apart. I used to knit a lot of the doll's clothes and when ponchos were popular (70's) I knitted them for the girls and they wanted their dolls had to have them as well.
I still have lots of the costumes I made when the girls were in dancing displays. I've just shown a few (you may have seen some of them before) and the elephant costume originally worn here by Beccy was also worn by Dillon (her eldest son) as fancy dress. He probably wouldn't want to be reminded of that now he's a teenager! The embroidery is a tablecloth I started nearly 30 years and have never finished and the little paintings were done on scaps of paper almost 40 years ago. (Wendy[Purpleworms] if you read this don't look too closely!!)
 
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The girl's dance teacher used to ask my friend and I to make sample costumes for the rest of the class to follow and this Spanish dress is one that I did. I remember being in a mad panic at the time thinking I can never do this, I searched the shops and found a summer dress that was similar and used that as a basic guide. You can imagine I was pertified that I would waste the material (we were only ever given the exact amount so no margin for error). Luckily it worked and I was able to provide all the parents in the group with a newspaper pattern (immense relief I can tell you). All the sewing that turned out OK was definitely more luck than skill I assure you!

The real artists in the family are Sam, Beccy, Dillon (look here to see some of Dillon's work). They do not get their artistic genes from me, worst luck. I suppose I would say I'm practical and I'm prepared to try my hand at things.

PS I cannot understand why blogger has suddenly stopped publishing my Fun Mon Logo.

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41 Comments:

At 4/6/07 12:54, Blogger theotherbear said...

My fave is definately the elephant costume. I would love to have you over to my place next time I have a fancy dress party!

 
At 4/6/07 13:51, Blogger Hootin Anni said...

I love each and every ONE! They're all just so cool. You definitely have a talent.

My crafty side has been shared today.

 
At 4/6/07 13:54, Blogger Sabrina said...

Oh, my, what an amazing collection of craftiness!!!! And what a broad range of crafts!! So impressive!!!

 
At 4/6/07 13:56, Blogger Jenni said...

I've been going through the list on Karmyn's blog and I'm so impressed with all you folks that can knit and quilt. My favorites are the little Beatrix Potter like paintings and the donkey, though.

 
At 4/6/07 15:27, Blogger ChrisB said...

theotherbear I reckon their might be nearly enough to kit out a whole party!!

hootin'anni thank you I'll be over to see it might take me a day or so with so many to read.

sabrina it might have been better if I had perfected one!! rather than be a jack of all trades but master of none!!

jenni I love BP stories and Peter Rabbit in particular and so did my girls, my grandchildren didn't like them nearly as much. The donkey I copied from a bedtime story book another favourite.

 
At 4/6/07 15:30, Blogger Sam said...

I cant believe you put that ugly picture of me in a ballet dress on the internet.

 
At 4/6/07 15:43, Blogger ChrisB said...

sam it's the dress people are looking at not you; anyway I don't think it is ugly -I love you xx

 
At 4/6/07 15:50, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Chris those are all so great!
See what you can do when you have to! ;)

 
At 4/6/07 17:53, Anonymous Anonymous said...

All are amazing! I also took a peek at Dillon's work and he's very talented as well. Must run in the family :o)

 
At 4/6/07 18:03, Blogger ChrisB said...

Lisa as the saying goes 'Necessity is the mother of invention'

joy t glad you liked Dillon's art.

 
At 4/6/07 18:08, Blogger Unknown said...

You clever thing, they are great!
And, no Sam I don't think you're ugly either.

 
At 4/6/07 18:33, Blogger ChrisB said...

john you are being much too kind and humouring an old lady-but thank you anyway :)

 
At 4/6/07 18:55, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I would say you are very talented!!! I LOVE that little green outfit - it looks adorable.

 
At 4/6/07 19:35, Blogger Beckie said...

You are a talented seamstress! Anyone who can make up the pattern for the rest of the parents definitely has some talent.

Happy Fun Monday!

 
At 4/6/07 20:13, Blogger Amy W said...

All I can say is WOW! You are super sewing talented!

 
At 4/6/07 21:05, Blogger ChrisB said...

karmyn back then bright green was quite unusual to dress babies in so people hesitated about whether it was a boy or girl!!

beckie and amy thank you for the compliment

 
At 4/6/07 21:26, Blogger my4kids said...

I think you are very talented! What are you talking about..not talented.....
I popped over to the other site (which I do just haven't commented). Dillon is very talented also even if those were a few years ago.

 
At 4/6/07 21:46, Blogger Pamela said...

I would say that all of it is pretty artsy fartsy!

quite the dancing skirts. wow.

 
At 4/6/07 22:22, Blogger ChrisB said...

my4kids thank you for dropping in to see Dillon's art

pamela I'm in trouble with Sam for showing some of those dance costumes!!

 
At 4/6/07 23:44, Blogger Emma in Canada said...

What are you talking about...not crafty? Obviously Sam and Beccy get their talnets form you. And Dillon too then.

 
At 5/6/07 00:07, Blogger Molly said...

I am very impressed with the wide range of your craftiness. I love the embroidery on the tablecloth. Maybe you should frame a portion of finished part.

As for the Fun Monday logo, are you inserting the logo picture for each post? Or are you copying and pasting the picture into the post. I suspect that copying and pasting may result in the dreaded red X.

 
At 5/6/07 00:22, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I don't know if the girls appreciated it at the time, but I'm sure they do now. Well done Chris.

 
At 5/6/07 01:00, Blogger Unknown said...

I think I need to adopt you as my Mom and my kid's Grandma. Such talent!

 
At 5/6/07 02:14, Blogger Bethany said...

I had knitted doll clothes like that from one of my aunts! Thanks fot he memory!

 
At 5/6/07 03:22, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I like the Spanish dress - very cool picture! :)

 
At 5/6/07 03:22, Blogger Tiggerlane said...

Okay - the donkey is my favorite. I mean, look at him! Such personality! Doesn't anyone else see that precious thing?

Amazing work, all around.

 
At 5/6/07 03:30, Blogger frannie said...

I love love love the donkey! so cute. and the costumes from when the girls were little- adorable!!!

 
At 5/6/07 04:04, Blogger Unknown said...

You have made a lot of lovely things! I've always wanted to knit but I find it too boring so I never have been able to complete anything. I know I'm weird.

I think it's awesome you still have so many things you're made.

 
At 5/6/07 04:07, Blogger Woodlandmama said...

I love the elephant. My Mom made an elephant-like costume when I was in some random play. It was really itch though, I think I was a wooly mammoth. Yours doesn't look itchy. Great job.

 
At 5/6/07 05:10, Blogger Barbara said...

I think you are incredibly talented Chris. Is that Sam or Beccy in the green can can outfit? I'd be much more embarrassed out that if I were Sam. I rather like the ballet dress one.

 
At 5/6/07 06:05, Blogger Brooke - Little Miss Moi said...

Dear chrisb. Wow! Your clothes are very groovy - phooey you're not creative.

 
At 5/6/07 13:42, Anonymous Anonymous said...

chris, you make enidd feel very untalented. there's no doubt who beccy and sam get it from!

 
At 5/6/07 14:45, Blogger ChrisB said...

emma - thank you for saying that - I am hugely proud of my family (embarrassingly so according to Sam, as I like to boast about her achievements!!)

mjd - uhh the dreaded red x what is that.(I do copy and paste it)

WT now beccy is a mum I think it has made her realise how much effort goes into helping your children.

tigger lamb girl what a lovely thought :)

bethany knitting dolls clothes is no longer the done thing!!

melissa thank you it did look quite good.

tiggerlane- yes the donkey is kind of cute

frannie I enjoyed going down memory lane!

lisa's chaos everything comes in handy for blogging projects.

woodlandmamma elephant material was jersey material so non-itchy but still hot.

barbara it is Sam in the can-can skirt and they had to do the splits!!

LMM OK just a bit creative

enidd ahh but chris doesn't have enidd's writing talent now that is real creativity- big blogger!

 
At 5/6/07 20:06, Blogger Debs said...

I love them all! Great job. :)

 
At 5/6/07 21:15, Blogger ChrisB said...

Hi debs thanks for dropping by :)

 
At 6/6/07 00:13, Blogger AfKaP said...

Very creative! Gosh, I visited earlier and didn't see amything, so I assumed you weren't doing this Fun Monday! And what gorgeous things I missed! I love your painted drawings! The donkey is adorable and you have a real talent for whimsy and characterization! You definitely need to start painting regularly immediately!! By the way the costumes are also quite lovely. Great job, Chris!! I want to see more!!

 
At 6/6/07 08:02, Blogger ChrisB said...

wendy thank your for your nice comments on my funny little paintings; that gives me encouragement :)

 
At 6/6/07 17:39, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Today is Wednesday and I'm still trying to get to all the Monday posts...I'm glad, though, because I had to wade through that yummy carrot cake to get here! Your projects are lovely! Is there anything that you (and your family) can't do?

 
At 6/6/07 17:52, Blogger ChrisB said...

min that was a bit of a coincidence I was just over at yours reading about the 'grounding'

 
At 6/6/07 17:58, Blogger sallywrites said...

Brilliant costumes! I could do with someone who can make something like that for my stage school!!!

 
At 6/6/07 18:14, Blogger ChrisB said...

sally I take that as a huge compliment but I'm not sure I could produce the goods these days. We didn't dare argue with the dance teacher in those days, I was never quite succeeded in wriggling out of it. I remember one year she even got another parent to ask me to make her kid's costumes; I thought this was a bit of a nerve as I worked full time and I don't recall even getting much of a thank you for my efforts!!

 

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