Let the crafting begin!

I enjoy a number of crafts: knitting, crochet, sewing, cross-stitch, petit point, sketching, painting...and getting messy with small children. And over the years I have learned that it is much easier to create when I have some basic supplies on hand at all times...sewing and knitting needles in various assortments, thread in various colors, floss, yarns of various types, fabric swatches, and odds and ends such as beads and sequins and other fun trims. These supplies have been accumulated over time: swatches of fabric purchased at sales, yarn as gifts and from clients and also from sales, and some supplies passed on from relatives - like grandma's sewing box and great-grandma's beads and crochet hooks!



This weekend I am teaching my niece to hand sew a small dress for her teddy bear, "Bear". No shopping required, as I will grab a swatch of fabric from the quilting stash, a packet of my grandmother's darning needles (little ones find larger needles much easier to learn with!), and some beads from my great grandmother's stash (which I was fortunate to inherit). So Bear will have a new dress, created on a legacy of hand crafting...the crafting skills will be passed to a new generation...and all because I had some basic supplies "on hand" to toss into my babysitting tote!