:: Teddies for tragedies

Posted by Joelle on February 21, 2008 | Permalink

Teddies for tragedy Here’s a rather heartwarming craft project for anyone with a few ends of wool who wants to put their needles to good use. Teddies for Tragedies is a site offering a simple pattern for a knitted or crocheted bear, destined to travel with a charity or aid worker to a child in need of a teddy. Some have travelled to refugee camps, some to hospitals, some to areas damaged by natural disasters. They are rather sweet don’t you think?

Three ways to help:
- make some teddies! The patterns are here, which look simple enough. Make sure to follow the checklist to ensure they meet safety rules.
- help the teddies to travel. If you know any charities, volunteers or aid workers who could deliver some where they are needed, let them know about the scheme
- help promote the teddies on your blog or amongst your crafty friends.

Thanks to my lovely Mum for telling me about these. Hello Ma!

Categories: adventure, craft
Tags: children, craft, crochet, knitting, teddies

3 comments

:: Crafty weekend ahead

Posted by Kirsty on February 15, 2008 | Permalink

crochet rose

Oooh, I’ve got a lot of crafty inspiration and deadlines at the moment! Unfortunately, this may be hampered somewhat by the imperative need for packing to move next weekend, but I’m a girl who likes a challenge.

:: 1 - my manager’s boyfriend is now her fiance! This calls for a bouquet of crocheted roses in her favourite colour.

:: 2 - it’s Mothers’ Day in two weeks. Why did no one tell me this? I’ve got an idea for a lovely spring scarf and some luscious bamboo yarn to hopefully make my mummy very happy.

:: 3 - it’s nearly Baby Coppola time! I’m 25 squares into a 35 square blanket and I know that crocheting them together and doing the border is going to be the time consuming bit, but I’m in love with the sage green yarn I’ve bought for the border.

:: 4 - I’ve promised my brother a jumper for his birthday in April. The last time I promised a jumper to a man in my life, I gave up after three years and two sleeves, which I promptly turned into a strangely shaped cushion (in my defense, he chose a 5×3 rib pattern worked on 3mm needles - I know!). If anyone has a really simple, chunky knit jumper pattern, please, for the love of my sanity, let me know.

:: 5 - my Pointy Kitty! I’ve narrowed it down to three vintage materials from my stash (I love coming from a crafty matriarchy) and I might have to try and make three instead of deciding!

Categories: challenge, craft
Tags: baby blankets, brothers, craft, engagements, jumpers, Mothers' Day

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:: Buying handmade is still buying

Posted by Joelle on February 14, 2008 | Permalink

Buy Handmade “Desafio superzíper: eu apoio essa campanha!” by Alice Batelli on Flickr.

I just read this short article What Would Jesus Sell? by Jean Railla of GetCrafty on the Murketing blog, which has crystallised a niggle I have had in the back of my head for a while. Read more…

Categories: adventure, blogs, craft, green, shopping
Tags: blogs, craft, craftivism, jean railla, murketing, thinking

11 comments

:: Kent Rogowski’s bears

Posted by Joelle on January 24, 2008 | Permalink

Kent Rogowski’s bears I can’t decide if I want to run away from these or give them a hug. Through the rather straightforward method of turning stuffed toys inside out, restuffing and sewing them up, artist Kent Rogowski has created something very arresting. They are pathetic, adorable, monstrous looking things, don’t you think?

See the rest of the project on Kent’s site. A book is availble here, I believe prints can be sourced through the Foley Gallery in NYC, or how about creating some of your own?

Categories: about us
Tags: art, craft, sewing, toys

8 comments

:: Speaking of cute…

Posted by Vanessa on January 9, 2008 | Permalink

The kits Joelle posted about are such a good idea, they reminded me that I got this book for Christmas. Although it doesn’t come with the fabrics the ideas inside The Cute Book truly are very sweet and unusual, including a pattern for a city gentleman in his suit. I think they’re mainly designed for hand sewing, mind, and I’m currently up to my ears in a tangle of machine-stitched scraps!

The Cute Book is by Aranzi Aronzo.

Categories: christmas, craft, design
Tags: aranzi aronzo, books, craft, cute, dolls, fabric

2 comments

:: Useful tips for sewing newbies

Posted by Kerry on January 7, 2008 | Permalink

Poor old Vanessa was having a bit of trouble setting up her new sewing machine this weekend, resulting in a lengthy transatlantic phone call about bobbins. We sorted the issue out in the end, but I was reminded of a number of sites that I found very useful when I was just starting out. I’m sure Vanessa will be fine from now on, but for anyone else who got a sewing machine for Christmas and is just about ready to tear out their hair, here are a few helpful pointers…

:: The Collage Table

Posted by Vanessa on January 4, 2008 | Permalink

Probably my favourite piece of furniture is my humble kitchen table, which Stephen and I made together (well, IKEA made a plain wooden table, but we gave it its new surface). It’s a collage table made out of excerpts of ‘The Believer’ and here’s how we made it… Read more…

Categories: craft, tutorial
Tags: collage, craft, reuseable, table

1 comment

:: Some things I’d like to make in 2008

Posted by Joelle on January 2, 2008 | Permalink

First screenprint Welcome back to Four Good Corners, where we are now back posting again after our Christmas break. May I wish all our readers a very happy, crafty new year. We’re full of ideas for this blog in 2008. I hope you’ll join us.

At the start of 2007 I couldn’t sew, and I couldn’t screenprint. Now I can do both of these things and I want to do lots more. I have so many planned craft projects for 2008 I don’t know where to start.

Project ideas list:
- I love Hillary Lang’s coin quilt and fancy having a go at making a lap quilt version. It looks simple enough for a first try doesn’t it?
- Sew my own clothes for the first time, starting with a pattern from Sew U.
- Make a shirt with big buttons
- Freezer paper stencil everything in sight
- Sew a nappy bag and changing mat for baby Francesca, and another for my friend Kelli who is expecting a baby in 2008.
- Bibs for baby Francesca (she is certainly encouraging me!)
- Make some cloud shaped cushions from charity shop jumpers a la Donna Wilson
- ~~Make some nice pyjamas~~. This was on my list but I got some great PJs for Christmas from my husband so no need now.
- Improve my skill at adding zips
- Embroider some Sublime Stitching designs, maybe their dachshunds or vegetables templates.
- Learn the art of paper cutting
- Make lots of tote bags for people
- Paint the bedroom
- Plait fabric scraps into a mat
- Make more pies and quiches
- Plan an awesome holiday, and go on more day trips and UK weekends away
- Maybe get a gocco machine and print some cards
- Make more shaped cushions from screenprinted pictures
- Have a go at the felted wool slippers in the current Craft magazine, if I can muster enough knitting patience
- Learn more about html so I can help Kerry with the admin of this blog

I haven’t made any new year’s resolutions this year. I think this will be more than enough to keep me busy!

What project ideas do you have?

Categories: adventure, craft
Tags: craft, ideas, projects, screenprinting, sewing

8 comments

:: Present Challenge: The Results!

Posted by Vanessa on December 17, 2007 | Permalink

Like any huge fan of Christmas, I like to have as many as possible. On Saturday I held a Christmas dinner party - on which, more later (except for a small crisis over giblets, it went well). But today my boyfriend and I exchanged presents. We’d set one another a challenge to make one another Christmas presents for a $30 budget. I had NO IDEA what he would come up with so I was really delighted this morning to open a wall clock made from a copy of my favourite Shel Silverstein book, ‘The Giving Tree’!

Fortunately he was also pleased with his Road Trip Kit…

Roadtripkit

:: Second [wristwarmer] syndrome

Posted by Kirsty on December 11, 2007 | Permalink

I’m thinking of bringing back that fashion for wearing a single glove, or, in my case, wristwarmer. Alright, I know - it looked naff; but I’ve got serious SSS (second sock syndrome) on this project.

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