CRAFT CLUB MEETINGS
Our monthly meetings are on the first Saturday of each month, 2 pm to 4 pm, in the church hall. Just 50p - which helps to pay for refreshments. We hope you will be able to join us and please bring a friend. Bring with you your own craft work and enjoy a couple of hours of craft and chat.
Our monthly meetings are on the first Saturday of each month, 2 pm to 4 pm, in the church hall. Just 50p - which helps to pay for refreshments. We hope you will be able to join us and please bring a friend. Bring with you your own craft work and enjoy a couple of hours of craft and chat.
The next meeting will be on Saturday 3rd December. There will be Christmas refreshments.
PLEASE NOTE: unfortunately, we will not be doing more work on the Macramé until some time in the New Year.
PLEASE NOTE: unfortunately, we will not be doing more work on the Macramé until some time in the New Year.
With very best wishes
Lynn and Wendy
CRAFT FOR CRISIS
Crisis is the national charity for people experiencing homelessness. They help people directly out of homelessness and campaign for the changes needed to solve it altogether. During 2020-21, they helped 1,569 people find safe and secure accommodation. They have given grants of £3.2 million to local organisations tackling homelessness during the pandemic. They led a campaign to get a Bill in Parliament to stop rogue landlords exploiting people who need housing and support, to leave homelessness behind. That Bill has been backed by MPs. If you would like to support the charity, they have ‘Craft for Crisis Christmas Decoration Kits’ to buy. They have a House Decoration Kit (suitable for children aged 8+ and younger children with adult help) and they ask for a minimum cost of £10. There is, also, a Star Decoration Kit (for adults and children aged 12+). The minimum cost is £15. The cost of both packs cover the cost of the pack, postage and a small donation to Crisis but you can add an additional donation if you wish. If you would like to order a kit, visit the Craft for Crisis web page on their website, using this link.
Here is a free pattern for all you cat lovers. USE THIS LINK TO DOWNLOAD IT. There are other free patterns on the page, too.
Church decorations for Christmas We will decorate the church on Tuesday 13th December so can you let us have any further items you have made before that date, please?
Below are photos of Christmas wreaths made todate (there are 2 of some of the wreaths and 2 of the glitter Christmas tree decorations, too), as well as a Christmas drum and 2 garlands. In total we have 24 wreaths so far with the promise of some more to come!
Thank you to Carol Downton for knitting items for us to use (see photo of the Christmas stockings garland); to Gill Rea and her 2 granddaughters for making 3 wreaths, a garland and the Christmas drum; to Lynn Castillo for making some knitted wreaths and one made from other material; to Wendy Bird for decorating several wreath rings so far; to Jo Hill for making 3 wreaths (and helping with one of the wreaths that Wendy has since decorated; to Sharon Wright for making 2 papercraft wreaths and to Karen Bennett for making a bauble wreath. A huge thank you to Tony Breakwell, also, for providing the glittery tree decorations, some wreath rings for decorating and for donating a LOT of cones which he had decorated with some glitter (not all of which have been used but will be used in the future and many have been donated to crafters at the Craft Hub). Thank you, also, to Anona Hickin for donating some wreath rings to be decorated. We really appreciate people's efforts so far. We know other people are making some items, too. Photos below of what we have received so far are below and more photos to follow soon.
Below are photos of Christmas wreaths made todate (there are 2 of some of the wreaths and 2 of the glitter Christmas tree decorations, too), as well as a Christmas drum and 2 garlands. In total we have 24 wreaths so far with the promise of some more to come!
Thank you to Carol Downton for knitting items for us to use (see photo of the Christmas stockings garland); to Gill Rea and her 2 granddaughters for making 3 wreaths, a garland and the Christmas drum; to Lynn Castillo for making some knitted wreaths and one made from other material; to Wendy Bird for decorating several wreath rings so far; to Jo Hill for making 3 wreaths (and helping with one of the wreaths that Wendy has since decorated; to Sharon Wright for making 2 papercraft wreaths and to Karen Bennett for making a bauble wreath. A huge thank you to Tony Breakwell, also, for providing the glittery tree decorations, some wreath rings for decorating and for donating a LOT of cones which he had decorated with some glitter (not all of which have been used but will be used in the future and many have been donated to crafters at the Craft Hub). Thank you, also, to Anona Hickin for donating some wreath rings to be decorated. We really appreciate people's efforts so far. We know other people are making some items, too. Photos below of what we have received so far are below and more photos to follow soon.
PREVIOUS NEWS FROM THE CRAFT CLUB
THANK YOU:
I have received an email from Jayne Sambrook, Neonatal Sister at Walsall Manor Hospital, thanking us for the items some of you knitted, crocheted and sewed. She said:
"We have always relied on donations of knitted items but more so in the present climate as we are unable to wash and reuse them. Therefore, we give them to the families to take home to wash and keep, which is actually lovely for our families due to the love and work that goes into making the blankets. Please pass on our warmest thanks for all the hard work done by your craft club to help keep our babies warm and cosy."
We have since received this letter from the Ward Manager, too:
I have received an email from Jayne Sambrook, Neonatal Sister at Walsall Manor Hospital, thanking us for the items some of you knitted, crocheted and sewed. She said:
"We have always relied on donations of knitted items but more so in the present climate as we are unable to wash and reuse them. Therefore, we give them to the families to take home to wash and keep, which is actually lovely for our families due to the love and work that goes into making the blankets. Please pass on our warmest thanks for all the hard work done by your craft club to help keep our babies warm and cosy."
We have since received this letter from the Ward Manager, too:
THANK YOU:
Thank you to Pete Worton for making this beautiful macramé bunting-style garland for church. It looks lovely. It now attracts people's attention to the literature at the back of the church.
CRAFT MEETING:
Thank you so much to Pete Worton (standing in the photo below) for leading the macramé workshop on 2nd April. Some of us made good progress whilst others (especially me and Di ) didn't do quite so well. 😀
Thank you so much to Pete Worton (standing in the photo below) for leading the macramé workshop on 2nd April. Some of us made good progress whilst others (especially me and Di ) didn't do quite so well. 😀
THANK YOU to Carol Downton, Jane Parkes and Karen Bennett for knitting/crocheting/sewing a supply of mini blankets and bonding squares for premature babies in the neonatal unit at Manor Hospital. I took them to the hospital on Tuesday 5th April.
CRAFT CLUB:
Pete Worton and his wife Yvonne regularly attend our craft club (yes, gentlemen are welcome to join us!). Pete is an accomplished maker of jewellery but since he retired he has taken up other craft pursuits too, such as basket weaving and macrame. During our meeting on 5th February he made this plant pot hanger whilst we were crafting and chatting. Here is a photo of the work he did.
CHESTER CATHEDRAL EXHIBITION:
‘Threads Through Creation’ is an exhibition of 12 silk panels reimagining the story of Creation. The artist, Jacqui Parkinson, took 3 years to complete the work (8,000,000 stitches!). For information use this link. The following set of photographs are ones I took when I went there earlier this year. You can hover over the images to see an explanation about each panel. If you click on the caption you can see the image and caption at the same time. You might need to click on each photo to see the full image, in which case, if you hover over the photo, you can use the arrow to move on to the next photo.
‘Threads Through Creation’ is an exhibition of 12 silk panels reimagining the story of Creation. The artist, Jacqui Parkinson, took 3 years to complete the work (8,000,000 stitches!). For information use this link. The following set of photographs are ones I took when I went there earlier this year. You can hover over the images to see an explanation about each panel. If you click on the caption you can see the image and caption at the same time. You might need to click on each photo to see the full image, in which case, if you hover over the photo, you can use the arrow to move on to the next photo.
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We were able to decorate one of the porch gates at church last year. Thank you to those of you who have knitted or crocheted the poppies. If you still have poppies, please pass them on to Wendy and she will use them to add to the display next year. A special thank you to Lynn Castillo who made the lovely poppy wreath which is on the church door.
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Over the last 12/18 months, some members of the group have knitted or crocheted flowers and a few ladies have used felt to make them. Thank you to all of you. They have now been sewn onto a frame, creating a butterfly, which is now in the porch as you enter church. Previously, a heart and a cross were created, using some of the flowers (see a previous post lower down). There are still some flowers left so another 'picture' will be created from them. The next project is to sew some poppies onto camouflage netting to adorn the gate at the entrance to the church ready for Remembrance Sunday.
FLOWER DECORATIONS IN THE PORCH:
Thank you to some of the Craft Club ladies especially Lynn, Carol, Jo and Wendy, for creating a lovely heart and cross to decorate the notice board in the porch. There are, also, some butterflies and bees. There are still quite a few crocheted and knitted flowers left as well as a knitted snail and Carol is knitting more flowers, so we aim to brighten up the rest of the porch soon.
Are you a 'Line of Duty' fan? If you are you will love these knitted characters. These amazing figures were created by Knitsonstix.
Dr Lucy Worsley OBE is a British historian, author, curator, and television presenter. She is Joint Chief Curator at Historic Royal Palaces but is best known as a presenter of the BBC Television series on historical topics. On 16th April, on her Facebook page, she wrote: "After a rare but welcome trip to Kensington Palace this week I can report that THE CROWN JEWELS ARE SAFE. Well, the knitted ones at least and they're waiting patiently in the learning centre for our young visitors to be able to come back and play with them."
Aren't they fabulous?
Sedgley Evening Townswomen’s Guild Crafts shared this pattern and image. It was made as a present for a friend. The pattern is free by Hooks and Dragons. Use this link to access the pattern.
Thank you to those of you who have knitted or crocheted key worker dolls for one of the stations in the Nativity Trail which we hope to open to the public in December. More news to follow (refer to the Christmas page for details of that event).
UPDATE ON POPPY TRAIL
Ladies from Victory Belles (WI) displayed poppies when it was not possible to have a parade.
Ladies from Victory Belles (WI) displayed poppies when it was not possible to have a parade.
How amazing is this? Laura Chaisty says her mum suffers with anxiety and has really struggled during this lockdown. Making this quilt has kept her busy and eased her mind. It’s now on show outside her house for people to see whilst on their daily walks. ‘Our world 2020.’ Well done to Trish Chaisty; you have created a wonderful message for these times.
For any of you who are struggling with isolation or are anxious, if you are able to make something similar it might help you to cope with the isolation and the worries we all have at this time. How about making something yourself that relates to the current situation? It could be created using knitting, crochet, sewing, quilting, painting, paper craft, wood craft, resin, glass engraving, pebble craft, etc. All the best.
Thank you to Trish and Laura for allowing me to share this.
For any of you who are struggling with isolation or are anxious, if you are able to make something similar it might help you to cope with the isolation and the worries we all have at this time. How about making something yourself that relates to the current situation? It could be created using knitting, crochet, sewing, quilting, painting, paper craft, wood craft, resin, glass engraving, pebble craft, etc. All the best.
Thank you to Trish and Laura for allowing me to share this.
I never enjoyed using a glue gun as I got in so much of a mess. However, I've come to love it recently when I made 2 fairy log houses and some fairy doors for the small fairy garden under a Forsythia tree. I needed something stronger to glue lots of bits and bobs onto the logs and fairy doors. After sealing everything with varnish I have now put them in the garden. I present Wendy's Craft Cottage and Dotty Cottage as well as one of the small fairy doors. I have included special references to our daughters and grandchildren. You may need to click on each photo to see full detail. Wendy
We are happy to advise you about Saxon Hill Craft Barn. The Craft Barn is a non-profit and charitable organisation at Chasewater. It is a resource and recycling centre, providing work based learning opportunities for young people and adults with physical and learning difficulties. It really is an Aladdin’s Cave of creativity and everything is sold at a low cost. They are open Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 10 am to 2 pm. It’s well worth a visit and afterwards you can use the cafe in the Innovation Centre or sit outside by the pool. There is also a tea room at the Station. There are play areas for children too so it makes a nice day out.
Check them out on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/saxonhillcraftbarn/
Check them out on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/saxonhillcraftbarn/
On Sunday 23rd February we presented to the church the banner we have been working on (about God's natural world). It looks beautiful. Thank you to those of you who have created some of the sections. Special thanks to Lynn Castillo and Marg Wood who planned and completed the banner. (You may need to click on the main photograph to see all of the banner.). It is now hanging on a pillar for everybody to see.
CHARITY FOCUS 2019
Our charity focus started when the Food Bank in Wednesbury received a donation of mini knitted hats. After that some of our crafters and people from church knitted or crocheted more hats. Thank you to all of you. (See the photo above showing what we have been able to donate to the ‘Innocent smoothies Big Knit project’. http://www.thebigknit.co.uk
The Big Knit started back in 2003 with an idea. They asked people to knit little woolly hats, then they put them on their smoothies. For each smoothie sold with a hat, they gave 25p to Age UK. Since then, 7.5 million hats have been knit and donated. Nearly £2.5 million has been raised for Age UK so far (that figure includes other donations).
What a fabulous idea!
If you want more information (and knitting patterns) please look at their website. If you are able to knit a few hats for us to donate to this cause in the future, can you pass them on to somebody who is a member of the Craft Club or who goes to St Bartholomew’s Church please otherwise pop them into Wednesbury’s Food Bank and they will pass them on to us. Alternatively, you can donate them individually yourself. Thank you.
Please note: We have already passed on this year's donation of hats as Innocent Smoothies needed them early July.
Our charity focus started when the Food Bank in Wednesbury received a donation of mini knitted hats. After that some of our crafters and people from church knitted or crocheted more hats. Thank you to all of you. (See the photo above showing what we have been able to donate to the ‘Innocent smoothies Big Knit project’. http://www.thebigknit.co.uk
The Big Knit started back in 2003 with an idea. They asked people to knit little woolly hats, then they put them on their smoothies. For each smoothie sold with a hat, they gave 25p to Age UK. Since then, 7.5 million hats have been knit and donated. Nearly £2.5 million has been raised for Age UK so far (that figure includes other donations).
What a fabulous idea!
If you want more information (and knitting patterns) please look at their website. If you are able to knit a few hats for us to donate to this cause in the future, can you pass them on to somebody who is a member of the Craft Club or who goes to St Bartholomew’s Church please otherwise pop them into Wednesbury’s Food Bank and they will pass them on to us. Alternatively, you can donate them individually yourself. Thank you.
Please note: We have already passed on this year's donation of hats as Innocent Smoothies needed them early July.
Below is a slideshow of our Christmas Craft Fayre 2018. It was a fabulous afternoon:
All profits made from our craft fayres are saved for a project in Church or the church hall. In the past we used some of the money and gifted a new Common Worship Book (Presidents edition) to the Church which was blessed by the Bishop of Wolverhampton, the Rt Revd Clive Gregory (and Lynn made a beautiful bookmark to be used in the book). This photo doesn't do it justice.
Take a look in the slideshow below at some items our members have made:
We shared a stall with 'Wednesbury Churches Together' at Wednesbury Carnival in July 2018. It was a lovely sunny day and we had a great afternoon.
