Mini fruits tart completed and unwrapping cat amigurumi crochet daiso kit

I was reluctant to do the felt mini fruits tart because wanted to do something else and left it for couple of days as I was busy organizing and decluttering my room. Still not finished as need shelves to display my handmade objects well the mini fruits tart is completed.

Each daiso kit does have instructions in both English and Japanese I fell geared towards the American market. Extra equipments are embroidery need I used size 10 and has wide eye, recommend using pva tacky glue as hold fast and does stick properly, dress making scissors plus little small kind used for cutting and fabric markers. The instructions says to make photocopies of pieces I suggest you make 2.

It doesn't look like on cover as I wasn't happy with the pastry base and was messy gluing the pieces together. I have been feeling tired for numbers of days this didn't help.

I can make this again as there some leftovers but the felt available tends to be a lot thicker.

Mean while I started opening this amigurumi cat charm kit. Amigurumi means knitted doll even though it is crochet as knitting involves 2 needles didn't technique all together. I prefer crochet so much easier but won't give up on the knitting.

Comes with wadding which is polyester not cotton as I thought, yarn, thread, eyes without the washer and ball chain. It says will take 6 hours and you need crochet hook-2.30 to 3, I used 2.50, yarn needle, marking pins, scissors, 2 pliers, glue, ruler and tweezers(if you have them).

Started this kit straight away unusual for me to buy amigurumi kit as I get my project recipes from the internet and print them out plus I have Japanese book on making similar mascot charms.

There is daiso needle felting kit on order and waiting for it arrive hopefully this cat with very short tail will be completed if not I'll add to stuff to do pile. Image editing program keeps dying on me so may have to get photoshop elements I use program for other things besides editing photos.

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Unwrapping Felt Sweet Kit- Mini fruit tart

I have completed the bear beadcraft daiso kit and took longer than I thought. There were some parts I found tricky but not impossible you have look closely at where the cord exit, if possible move the diagram so it faces right direction on the bead which crosses over the two cords. The instructions are in Japanese and English. However on Japanese text has metric measurements while the English version has imperial. I suspect it was translated to babelfish or google translate. 'Gut' is nylon monofilament or fishing line included in the pack, I missed out on important note that was able to deciper from other Japanese beading book. The kinks in plastic cord can be removed by dipping on boiling water or steam from boiling kettle. Please be careful and don't scald yourself.

There are plenty of beads leftover to include in your stash or bead soup.

Next kit I picked up is Felt Sweet kit- Mini fruit tart, this isn't ever popular needle felting kit but kind you sew. I have placed an order for Daiso cute animal needle felting kit after watching a youtube video. I never have done needle felting before and decide to give it as not completed as I thought. The finished items takes a long time but so does patchwork, embroidery and crochet. If I use mindfulness approach not as bad and be relaxing.

It comes with coloured stranded cotton, felt pieces and large ball of wadding. Suppose to take 2 to 2.5 hours. Additional materials you need scissor, dressmaking shears, needle, glue and fabric making pencil. I will make a start on this kit tonight. I am still working on patchwork quilt, sewing small pieces whenever I have free moment or while I have the time. About mindfulness you do think of the end result or other things but bring focus on what you can see and do right now by slowing crafting process down. It really helps to improve my concentration. If you want to buy daiso craft kit and like me can't alway reach store which sell daiso products best place so is etsy as has more variety

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Offering free cross stitch charts

That's right I'm offering a free chart of this Rainhawk I stitched 2 years ago. After much struggling I finally got the hand of converting a cross stitch chart into a PDF. More to follow as I make more charts than I can physically stitch up quick enough. View all my completed Sprite cross stitch work at this flickr set.

 Download the RainHawk Cross Stitch Chart 

 Download the Crom Cruach Cross stitch chart

I've amended the file, suppose to say use 2 strands of thread. When it says Anchor 0001, ignore the 0s in front and buy Anchor 1 same with the DMC threads and the chart isn't centre. Something about how Cross Stitcher card and pattern maker export files. Still trying to figure out the DTP as the text appears differently when imported.

Here is a cross stitch chart of a Gwyllgi (from FireEmblem game) created by Littlemojo. There's a few more pdfs of hers saved one of many CDs. There's a finished example somewhere on archive. Get the Gwyllgi cross stitch chart PDF.

Still working on the charts.
I'm updating this page when I've completed the file conversion.

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Busy as usual

Due to stupid internet rule takes me 2 days to complete both the Flickr and Blogger updates. I've been back on MMOs scene lately prefer solo rpgs myself they take ages to complete. I don't the patience for epic rpgs anymore. Here is what completed so far.

Rose needle case from Cross stitcher this is my first time using water soluble canvas as I have only waste canvas. The quality of threads in these freebie kits are not good as they fray very easily I found that pass them through bees wax or similar and prevent this. I'm working on Jubilee Heart right now no problems so far. The brought threads Anchor or DMC tend to silky and doesn't match the mat texture of these kits.

This is rectangle concentric doily can came from rettangoli concentrici tatted pattern I found on google. Took ages to complete I guess about 3 weeks some parts I went wrong and often had to rejoin thread. The instructions are in Italian I found them easy to understand all it is clover joined by ring. Most of pattern is 4ds separated by a picot and with some extra on the corners. Look at the diagram and finished work for clues. I was told by my mum that she use to made doilies using a small crochet hook. I think I'll work on some my patterns from now on there are some tatted jewellery and bracelet I hope to make and sell in my Etsy shop.

I found on create and craft. I only watch the knitting, sewing and beads slots as papercraft is boring. All samey and don't like the comments. I love it when Jane Greenoff is on the show as often have examples of other cross stitch samplers. I saw this and had to buy from the site basically it is called Cherry Pie Watbo scissor keeper there's a pin cushion version as well. Watbo is place she stayed in Cambodia while you picked up this object in night market. I think this is nicest and cutest thing ever designed and keeping it in my sewing box. This Watbo consist of 3 squares sewn together and could be the next thing similar to biscornu in a way. I think should be called a whackbo as you can hit someone should they disturb you when crafting. There's enough materials in the kit to make another.
You can buy this from create and craft or crosstitch guild site.

This was my attempt at converting a image with lots of colours into a workable chart. I used Paintshop Pro and posterize- reduce the number before the image went funny and then import to cross stitch program (I use Cross stitcher it's rather old and dated about 2000 still works Windows 7) then reduce to colours to 30. I prepare to buy only 30 threads. Backstitch is optional makes the image stand out more. This is demon known as Crom Cruach and appears in Shin Megami Tensei- Devil Childen, Red Book, Black Book. Took me 5 days to complete and worked on 16ct Aida in Anchor threads.
I'm sure I have find a use for these cross stitch panels. There really not much difference between Anchor and DMC as I use both. DMC is much cheaper and popular.
I have too many kits to deal with right now, the Xmas stocking is no where near completion because  hate doing fractional stitches on Aida and started on wolf cross stitch kit. Have a look at Flickr album for any new completed projects.

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Trying out needle lace and other projects completed so far.

I've spent much of this year tatting and there are not much techniques to learn and I practically mastered this craft. Decided to try out something different but connected with lace, I won't try bobbin lace as involves lugging stuff around since I can't gain access to my work space 24/7 or craft in peace I have to be on the move.
Inspired by Victorian tatting motif I found I decided to research needle lace it is more time consuming than I first thought and used varies threads. Below is basic bookmark pattern from www.lynxlace.com

I had problems maintaining an even tension with stitches as they start off small and larger towards to the end. Here is the second tutorial in the site, each section suppose to different on close inspection there is no difference. I still had problems with consistency of stitches it wasn't until I discovered it easier to be consist with small stitches the motif still took ages. A pattern on voile I noticed is based on needle lace design. You can never beat handmade items. I found DMC special cordonnet 60-100 to be the best.

I was wondering what to do with old motifs I made as most of them were practise techniques.

This is one is most basic of all infact it's first one I ever made. What better use is to up cycle them and as an embellish to atcs. (more atcs to come on my main site.)

This is recent tatting motif I've made - free pattern hearts and flower. Appears as pdf file on a site. I used Lizabeth 20 Xmas red.

This is based on old paper embroidery pattern I found on the internet. I was experimenting and deciding what to do with all the paper ephemera given to me as part of atcs swap.

I'm not going to start on new projects unless I have time to complete them. This time of year where crafter especially cross stitchers have to focus on Xmas items also I have lots of kits floating around so I'll be using them instead.

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Short break from MMORPG- Grand Fantasia.

In the rare moments I don't play Grand Fantasia I do crafting to keep my mind active. I managed to completed a beaded pendant which has been lying around unfinished for many months. Didn't know how to finish it off.

It doesn't have title but there are more details of this pendant on my flickr photostream. In the meantime I'm working on my next project.

The plastic packaging makes a good bead and paper pricking board and a good way of reusing. I dislike throwing stuff away are they might have uses elsewhere. I still run into the problem of colour choosing but see it was this was if you use what you have than wouldn't need to waste money on impulse items. I hear stories on create and craft or crafty magazines reader lost a whole room to their crafting materials. Thinks of the Wombles of Wimbledon Common and you can't go wrong. Make use of good rubbish.
I think I will return to Grand Fantasia.

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