Community crafting and Super Soup.

This post has been a long time coming! About a year in fact, when I started blogging I was so impressed by the support and creativity in this community I was inspired to do more. Here was the birth of a community quilt project. I gave everyone young, old, male, female, stitchers, non stitchers a blank square. All you had to do was decorate it.

After some time I got the square back and I have made a village quilt that is to have it's home in the village hall. A place that needs lots of love and making pretty, a perfect place then.

So today we hung the quilt and invited everyone along for tea and cake. So here is a our final quilt.

This Arthur's square he was the youngest (he had a little help)

These where my two squares

Plenty of tea and cake to go round!

We also used the village hall along side two lovely ladies that ran an event called Super Soup. For a donation to Christian aid you could some truely wonderful soups and home made bread.

All the hard work of making the quilt was really worth the lovely day  sitting around having soup then tea and cake. Villagers just dropping by for lunch and to see their square in the quilt, a really relaxed time but a real sense of community. I just love bringing like minded people together for crafts or food music whatever it just feels so great ( after all the worry of will any come or want to take part goes!)

I think I will really strive to work in groups more often.

PS a litle sneak preview of my OPOW!

Knitting inspiration

I was lucky enough to have an amazing day trip to London with my Mum and sister at the weekend. We went to the Stitch and craft show at Olympia, it was really fantastic I didn't expect there to be so much.

This was a highlight for me though

Yes these amazing blankets from the Simply Knitting Magazine stall. They had a campaign called Comfort Blanket in aid of Refuge. http://simplyknitting.themakingspot.com/blog/refuge-comfort-blanket-campaign-the-details

There was an e book available, each square was designed by famous knitters. They raised a whopping £2,049.50

I was totally inspired. Firstly a way to improve my not very good skills, secondly and project that can build slowly. I was thinking a square for me a square for charity, what a way the to improve. Any one else interested in joining me, I was thinking autumn time?

CRAFTIVITS

I have been recently following Craftivist Collective http://craftivist-collective.com/ who state a spoonful of craft helps the activism go down. Well anyone who loves Mary Poppins and crafts as much as I do will have a friendship made in heaven!

There is a serious side, using craft to put across messages about human rights, environmental issues the list gos on as do the worlds in equalities. By highlighting issues hopefully we make the world think and act.

So my first attempt at craftism has take some time, I struggled with my message, I wanted it to come from the heart and also know enough about my comment that if I was challenged I wouldn't wilt away.
I though inspiration messages or quotes, then I thought something simple goes a long way. BE KIND, as simple as that. Then ofcourse the time spent sewing of which I chose to hand sew, I also spent time pondering the message for myself and how I hope it will inspire others.

So my inspiration bunting as the collective call it is placed in my village bus stop. Yes it's a little dark and dingy but the local notice board is housed here too so most of the village should get a peek and hopefully take some note.

As I was putting up my bunting an older lady asked what I was doing and said what a wonderful idea and not enough of us where very kind these days and could I make a be happy one too!

If the idea of prompting goodness has sparked an interest have a look at the website with a valentines project coming up http://craftivist-collective.com/  . There is also book for avid knitter called knitting for good by Betsy Greer.

Give it ago it's surprising how liberated you feel !

Crafting in the community.

During my blog time of just under a year I have come to really enjoy this past time. I feel that I have some real friends in a cyber world, I feel supported, inspired and encouraged along my journey of crafting, dressmaking, family and anything else that happens to come along. But what about 'real life', do any of you get involved in crafting projects within the community you live?
Recently I have started a community quilt project which is a massive task, and I'm just not ready to explain it all yet but there has also been some wonderful light relief too. The back ground to this post is that my local town holds a Christmas tree festival in the church where all sorts of groups, charities and business decorate their tree, over sixty in total.
I have been really luck to be involved in two trees. The first being Shobrooke angels (shobrooke is my little village). We had a workshop in the village hall (all 1940s fans would adore it) and we made peg angels. It was a lovely experience of young, old newcomers and old timer all getting together and having a real laugh!

Here we can see Arthur's little angel, who looks as if she has had a little accident!! He was very insistent on making it all himself, I just managed brief moments of putting it together. Some of the others really made some beautiful angels.

The second tree I helped to make decorations was WEN the women's environmental network they are a very worth while group and I urge you to take a look http://www.wen.org.uk/ . So for this group we wanted to up cycle our clothes or fabric stash to make hearts and stars. here was my offering

it was also a real enjoyment putting our decorations up and then bringing the family back to have a look at our own and every ones elses efforts.

                       the lace makers made about fifty of these and it took all year to do.

It has been a wonderful experience and I will now seek out opportunities to craft as a community or group again. Does other communities have projects that you get involved in?