So the lovely people at Penguin Publishing have sent me another book to review and I can give away 2 copies to the lovely and talented people who read this blog. ( that is YOU!)
This book is huge. It is 400 pages of learning and secrets revealed. If you ever wanted to learn anything about knitting, embroidery, needlepoint, quilting, patchwork, applique, it is in here. It covers everything.
From really basic how to hold a crochet hook...
...right through to things I have always wanted to know- like how they get those little mirrors to stay on fabric with what seems like a few good stitches....
And this, those of you who patchwork probably know all about this, bit I have always wondered how its done.
It is worth buying (or winning) for all of these crafty secrets alone. It has entertained me for hours and I haven't actually made anything from it yet. It is like a reference book, like craft google. Everything will be in here. EVERYTHING! Did I mention it covers everything?
To win all you have to do is tell me:
The first thing you can remember making and being really proud of.
This giveaway will end this Friday 29th October at 7pm EST.
For an extra entry you can tweet or facebook or blog about this giveaway, then come back and leave a comment to tell me you have... AND don't forget to leave an email address if you don't have a blog I can find you through.
GOOD LUCK!
also, if you are running out of blogtober ideas go here
The first thing I remember making that I was proud of was a jersey. I was in my early teens and my older brother had been bought a handknit jersey - I loved the geometric patterns on it, and graphed one up for myself - same style but different layout. Knit it, even entered a competition with it ... only to find that there was an actual pattern! At least mine was unique :) LOL
ReplyDeleteAnd I still have that jersey tucked away ... somewhere!
missmuffetnz on rav.
The first needlecraft thing I have made and am realy proud of was actually only yesterday! It was my very first knitted square for a baby blanket as we are trying for our third! My grandma taught me to knit a few months ago (it has taken me a while!) and I learnt to cast off last night on youtube (the joys of the net!!!) I actually woke my husband up at about 11.30pm (much to his disgust!!!) to show him the square as I ws so proud!
ReplyDeleteThe first thing I remember making was a blanket for my doll when I was about 9. Mum let me use some old pillow cases that I could cut and sew. I had to do it by hand because we didn't have a sewing machine. I just remember being so proud of the fact that I made something myself.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if i can recall the first time i made something! But i do recall the first time i learnt how to crochet. By a very special lady who was very encouraging and patient and ever since i have been crochet crazy making beanies, mittens and blankets (well im still working on the blanket hehe). Thanks for sharing the crafty love Cath, and hope to see you for the Melb craft show :)
ReplyDeleteI think it must have been a skirt, a very basic a-line skirt made from denim. But what I was really proud of was the row of paper-chain dolls I painted on the bottom using fabric paint. I would have been about 13 but man I wore that skirt with pride! Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteI can remember sewing a skirt in year 7 in my textiles and design class at school - I got marked down on it because I had used a knit fabric and we were supposed to use plain cotton...but the skirt was awesome and I wore it well into adulthood and would still wear it if it wasn't about 10 sizes too small :)
ReplyDeleteThe first thing I made that I was really proud of was a cross-stitch of teddy bear that I made from a pattern when I was about 7 years old. My mum was a huge cross-stitcher back then and at the first sign of interest she bought the kit for me :)
ReplyDeleteThe first thing I remember sewing was a bright yellow sundress for my barbie like doll. I cut it out and sewed the bodice to the pencil skirt and then sewing shoulder straps onto the strapless bodice. I felt a gap for a zip in the back(!) which to this day does not have a zip. To finish the outfit, I plaited some yellow wool to make a belt for the waist. That was about 35 years ago when I was 8 and my mum has kept it all this time. She was a very talented tailor and I learned everything from her.
ReplyDeleteDiana
oh it looks great! My mum and I made a fabric rucksack together...she did a lot of the hard stuff but it was made from cord and it even had a little pocket at the front! :)
ReplyDeletethe first thing i made wasnt very long ago, it was past february, i crochet block and turned it into a coin purse. it was beautiful. i gave it to my sister, since i've made at least 20 and sold some :)
ReplyDeleteWhen I was 8, my mom enrolled me in a sewing class at the community center, and we used real sewing machines, and patterns. (Note: last time I used a pattern.) We slaved for 8 weeks and I had a terrifying number of run-ins with my bobbin, but I emerged with a tan corduroy/floral calico reversible vest--with pockets! Not only did I wear it in my third-grade picture, but I still have it. It's the go-to cowboy vest when my kids play dress-up, and I take great pride to this day in telling them how hard I worked to make it.
ReplyDeletewhen i was in my early teens (maybe 14) my mum let me knit a jumper. up until then i was only knitting squares. then one day i was allowed to progress to a real project!
ReplyDeletewe went to the Bendigo Woollen Mills and chose out a green wool that had grey flecks through it and a pattern for a big jumper with lots of cabling on it.
i made that jumper, its one of the only projects that i have actually completed!
its still at mum and dads house, never been worn but a knitted jumper none the less! i'm still so proud of it!
cath i have sent out a tweet a few mins ago directing tweeters here!
Well now, let's see...
ReplyDeleteMy first quilt. I was 13. I remember the whole process - picking out the fabric, cutting the squares, working with the rows, managing the batting. I was sewing this massive thing on one of the school's ancient heavy duty machines and I sewed right through my finger. Blood spurted, my friend screamed, the teacher said "Oh dear." and it hurt like the dickens! Still, I was so into making this quilt that I asked for a bandaid and went right back to sewing.
I still have a picture of me with my finished quilt. I look as pleased as punch! I really felt immense pride and satisfaction over that quilt.
I still had it up until the summer of 2009 when it was lost at a music festival.
What a grand giveaway!
I remember making a wooden gun and sword for pirate day in prep - aged 4 1/2 with my grandpa, one of my last memories with him. boy I was so proud to take my weapons to school for pirate day!
ReplyDeleteFirst thing? Wow, probably a red scarf I made that had cables running down it. My first scarf, first cables, first craftiness! I was so excited. From there, it's been an explosion of craftiness. :)
ReplyDeletei made my debutante dress and i'm still super proud of it :D
ReplyDeleteit was great because i got to connect with my great aunt, a seamstress for 60 years, who i'd never really had much to do with before.
The first thing I ever made was clothes for my Cindy doll (we were too poor for Barbie). They were hand sewn with really big uneven stitches. I think I cut them out of an old hankie...eeeew!
ReplyDeleteI knitted a scarf for my "Baby Alive" doll, because every "Baby Alive" needs a scarf- too young to think about the risk of strangulation! It was pink and blue and probably pretty dodgy, but I was proud!
ReplyDeleteThe first needlecraft work I remember doing was what we would call now an "amigurumi". I loved doing little dolls with no legs or arms (just face with hair). I would stuff them with fabric pieces and offer them to my whole family (cat included, she loved playing of these).
ReplyDeleteWhen I was about eight I had this little nook in my bedroom and I used to set it up like an exhibition space and change it around every week or two depending on what I was into. One week I would display all my hello Kitty stuff, one week all my rubbers and one week I cut up a Playboy magazine I found in the art room at school and had boobies everywhere. I wish I had photographed some of them because in my memeories they were amazing.
ReplyDeleteI was realy proud of my applique teapot on the first apron I made... lots of wonky stitches, and the rest of the apron barely hangs together, but I still have it really quite like it!
ReplyDeleteThe book looks amazing, I would so love a copy - thanks for the chance to win :-)
ReplyDeleteProbably the first thing I made that I was really proud of would have been a cake - a simple vanilla sponge - but other than that it would be a cross-stitch project. That was my first 'proper' craft :-)
The first thing I remember making was a blue and yellow embroidery in a small piece of white fabric. I still keep it and it always makes me smile!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the wonderful giveaway, I would love to win this book!
ap_lemos at yahoo dot com
I posted about your giveaway at
ReplyDeletehttp://www.facebook.com/?sk=nf
ap_lemos at yahoo dot com
The first thing I remember making is a dirndl skirt - all sewn by hand - I was about nine
ReplyDeleteGill
I must have been 7 or 8 and knitted a cardigan for the baby next door with no pattern and no sense of what yarn to use and lots of huge lacey holes that were not intentional. :-)
ReplyDeleteThe first thing I really felt proud of making was my first ever knitting project, a scarf for my husband nearly 4 years ago. Now I knit everyday and am working on my sewing and stitching, so this book would be SO perfect!!!
ReplyDeletethe first thing I can remember being really proud of making was a cutting out at Kindy. Not your typical making I suppose but I was just 4 years old and I had cut all the way around this animal shape so perfectly that the outer piece of paper was still all in one bit with only the slit where I had cut into to get to the shape. I got a special certificate for my cutting and I was so proud of myself!
ReplyDeleteThe first thing I remember making is a pincushion w/ my greatgrandmother.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway.
butler83ataoldotcom
I can remember many things that I made when I was a very young child but the most memorable items I made was a comic book series with contests and free raffles. My sister's husband still has his series and my other sister's former boyfriend also has his. I have never seen them after all these years - a little nervous about how dorky I might have been!!
ReplyDeletei'm really proud of these statues i used to paint when i was younger. some are better than others, but i went to a ceramics "class" ever weekend and it was so much fun.
ReplyDeletelauren51990 at aol dot com
First thing I remember making was a knitted doll ( knit 2 rectangular shapes, sew together add buttons for eyes and embroider a mouth!) I cursed that stoopid thing all the way through making it!
ReplyDeleteAnd I remember it so well because to my 6 year old mind (OH MY GOOD LORD! I just realised this was 40 years ago!!!) the teacher had no idea what she was doing, as it was all completely different from how my Oma had been teaching me for the last 2 years!
My example came pretty late in the piece - I was probably about 26! My mum taught me to knit when I was a kid, but I don't think I was ever really proud of anything I had made until I turned the heel on my first ever sock. Now it's my favourite thing in the world to knit (seriously, this whole sock-knitting caper is just for the brief thrill of turning those heels) and I still marvel over it.
ReplyDeleteI remember hemming some sheets and a pillow case for my dolly's rocker, when I was about 10, I think. I was really happy with the result. But I think my first really serious thing is the sampler quilt that I made about 14 years ago now, when Mum and I did a learn to quilt course together. My son is asleep on it right now, underneath the computer desk....
ReplyDeleteThe first thing I can remember being really proud of was a costume I had designed with my mother for a school activity. We had to create our own costumes for a competition and we created a blackboard. Whilst I only one a screenprinted t-shirt of the school from the competition, it has fond memories and I was proud of the finished product.
ReplyDeleteI have also mentioned your giveaway on my facebook page - http://facebook.com/challencharms
ReplyDeleteI have a square of huckaback that I embroidered in primary school in 4th class. It has blue and yellow cross stitch, straight stitch and boxes on it. I am so glad I still have it.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was little I was always making things (not much has changed) and I remember quite clearly one of my favourite crafts was making toilet roll people with cotton wool hair...kept me busy for hours!
ReplyDeleteHrm... The first thing I remember being proud of making...? It has to be a sampler I stitched for a country fair when I was little. That sampler took all summer long and I lost the blue ribbon to a cross stitched bookmark, but I was so happy to have stitched it.
ReplyDeletei was 6 and my non english speaking grandma taught me how to sew an apron! WoW was i proud of that! i took that knowledge home & began to design & create barbie clothes! it's affected me thruout life with a desire & love to create:) thx for askng :)!
ReplyDeletei've posted your giveaway on my blog sidebar :)
ReplyDeleteWhen I was eight I used my Holly Hobbie sewing machine to make myself an elastic-waisted skirt. My neighbour was very impressed- and she was hard to impress! ;) It's lovely to remember that moment when she showed her mum and dad, and said "Annie made it herself!"
ReplyDeleteI've blogged about your giveaway here: http://quarterinchfeet.blogspot.com/2010/10/chunky-chookys-craft-book-giveaway.html
ReplyDeleteI made a pair of trousers out of brown suede-like fabric, inset zip and all! I loved them and wore them to death. And they are just about the only item of clothing I've successfully made for myself....must remedy that one day.
ReplyDeleteThe first thing I remember making was a yellow knitted blanket for my doll (I was 6--my granny taught me to knit).
ReplyDelete:o)
pippirose59 at gmail dot com
I tweeted your giveaway @quilary
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe first thig I remember doing was attempting to learn knitting when I was about 5. Attempting was the correct word. My brother at 6 was perfectly capable but I have never really mastered that art. I love a good crochet or sew though. Thanks to all for the chance to win this book. I would love know how to sew those little mirrors on even if i never do. Cherrie
ReplyDeletePS I have reluctantly blogged a link to this because I don't want anyone else to win. sigh
i have two firsts. one was a petal picture made with individual flower petals arranged into a picture on a saucer filled with dirt, the other was a pink gingham tissue cover box. I had to rock paper scissors Lisa Hannigan in year one for the pick of the fabric pile. I chose Rock. Rock always wins!!!
ReplyDeletexB
I taught myself how to crochet. The very first thing I made was a blanket for my stepdaughter. It was super simple and nothing too fancy but she loves it and still uses it! The next thing I was proud of was I crocheted a hat and matching blanket for my son when he was born.
ReplyDeletegiveawaymommy at yahoo dot com
The first thing I remember making, I was about 8, and they were macrame bugs. I taught my cousin how to make them,too.
ReplyDeletetwoofakind12@yahoo.com
the first thing i remember feeling proud about making was a simple cloth doll with a drawn on face. i also made a simple two piece dress and knickers.
ReplyDelete