Crafting and Hobbies

[TxCat]

For those of you who need/want organization:

Pshawraven and I found these lovely toolboxes at Lowe's. They have multiple, four tier compartments with dividers you can set to hold whatever you want plus a line of little drawers up the side. The whole thing snaps tight and snug so nothing spills. We consolidated about three boxes of loose things using this toolbox. I intend to buy more of them because they're so compact and easy to store.

For the paper we've got lying around (mostly scrapbooking type stuff) we figured we would use the filing cabinet bins and organize them according to color and theme.

Any ideas for fabrics? Right now they're either lying around in bunches or randomly smooshed into tubs wherever we can fit them.

[pegasi1978]

I need to find a better way to store my thread :tard: I currently use the Stitchbow binder system, and it takes up entirely too much room. I'm thinking of changing to paper/plastic bobbins and keeping them in Ziploc bags sorted by numbers (200s, 300s, etc.). Any other cross stitchers on here? What kinds of storage methods do you use?

I use the paper/plastic bobbins inside a floss organizer like this one Works quite well.

I mostly do "kits", though every once in a while I'll do something from a chart in a magazine. The only thing I've ever done that I had to use a charting program on was for a gift for a friend in a swap. I asked permission from Niwer before I started it and showed it to her first.

Spoiler

Other examples of my cross-stitch can be found on my deviant art account..

[Neyli]

I recently got into Origami. I live an hour from Hiroshima so my goal is to make 1000 cranes to put at the children's monument there. It's pretty cool because while I'm gold farming, I fold cranes. They look awful and I'm not very good at it yet. It started as a project specifically for Hiroshima, but I've discovered I'm fascinated by the art and want to get more into it once I'm done with this particular project. The local stores sell Senbazuru sets here.

You can purchase them online at Amazon for various prices here. Although if I'm not allowed to post that link feel free to delete it. They are obviously cheaper here. I got my set for about 500 yen or around 6.22 USD. Although it's just no frills paper and no thread. Not sure what the sets include on Amazon.

When I was younger I was fascinated by World War II and the Atomic Bomb. I read up on the history as much as I could. Wikipedia covers a bit about Sadako Sasaki here and the thousand paper cranes.

Here is a photo I did of my project as a theme for peace on the 365project.org


And here is a photo of them collecting around my table fountain (I don't have any string bought yet)


I believe it's typically strung up as 25 strings of 40 cranes.
And here is a photograph of when I was at Hiroshima Peace Park in April 2011 during cherry blossom season. In the photo you can see well, I'll post my 365 descrip after the photo. There is a lot in it. The children's memorial is just out of view in this photo.

Hiroshima Peace Memorial
I took quite a few shots from my day in Hiroshima. I chose this one because it covers the most locations in one picture. Taken from a window inside the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.

The various points of interest include the Japanese flag at half mast for the recent disaster (far left), Sakura (Cherry Blossom Trees), The A-Bomb Dome (former Industrial Promotion Hall), the Peace Flame (seen behind the Cenotaph) and the Memorial Cenotaph (Saddle shaped object near center).

This Peace Park is located on a small island just south of the Aioi bridge, which was the target for the atomic bomb. The bomb detonated about 490 feet (150 m) away from the dome seen in this picture.

The cost to visit the Peace Memorial Museum is a mere 50 yen or 59 cents in USD. They want to make the museum available for anyone so the cost is very low. This trip I did not take any photos inside the museum (although it is allowed without flash) because I just wanted to concentrate on what I was learning. There was something different about this museum then others I have been to. Even after a day I can't quite put my finger on it.

It was most definitely an emotional roller coaster for me. The atmosphere isn't really too somber but it's not exactly the "happy" feel you get just outside. As an outsider, especially an American, it was a little awkward. The workers were friendly and nice and made us feel welcome, but at the same time I felt like I was intruding. I'm not saying you shouldn't go. I'm saying by all means go. It's just how I personally felt. I almost broke down into tears numerous times. From what I was reading, and from observing Japanese walking through and crying. I held it together even when at one point when I was resting in a corner and just wanted to sob. I only cried a little. Again because it felt awkward. I didn't know how they would feel to see an American sobbing in a corner.

I learned that the Mayor of Hiroshima writes a letter of protest each time there is a nuclear test by any country. Since 1964 until October 2010 when he last wrote a letter of protest to Barrack Obama, there have been 595 letters written. Copies of them can be found inside the museum.

The Peace Flame is another monument to the victims of the bomb that destroyed Hiroshima, but it has an additional symbolic purpose. The flame has burned continuously since it was lit in 1964, and will remain lit until all nuclear bombs on the planet are destroyed and the planet is free from the threat of nuclear annihilation.

Memorial Cenotaph
A concrete, saddle-shaped monument that covers a cenotaph holding the names of all of the people killed by the bomb. The cenotaph carries the epitaph, "Rest in Peace, for the error shall not be repeated." (in Japanese, can also be read as "we shall not repeat the error"). The arch shape represents a shelter for the souls of the victims.

Some of this post is from the Wiki article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroshima_ ... orial_Park

Overall it is a very moving experience to go here. Hiroshima has been a military center, first city to be hit with an atomic bomb, to a city dedicated to the abolishment of nuclear weapons and peace.

[TxCat]

I love origami! I started folding cranes when a friend died unexpectedly. Pshawraven and I folded them together for a little girl she knew who was murdered. We strung ours and then hung them way out in a tree on the bayou.

Later, I folded them to make decorations. I string beads and crystals with them to make them into ornaments. My latest project is going to be a mobile for Dee's baby boy.

I have found instructions on folding a coyote and a raven (realistic looking) but I can't seem to follow the instructions correctly.

Down in Dallas, at the Crow Museum, they have a hallway full of blue cranes folded by the Oriental communities as a symbol of peace and togetherness. I loved that hallway, all full of blue and light!

[NKfloofiepoof]

I need to find a better way to store my thread :tard: I currently use the Stitchbow binder system, and it takes up entirely too much room. I'm thinking of changing to paper/plastic bobbins and keeping them in Ziploc bags sorted by numbers (200s, 300s, etc.). Any other cross stitchers on here? What kinds of storage methods do you use?

I use the paper/plastic bobbins inside a floss organizer like this one Works quite well.

I mostly do "kits", though every once in a while I'll do something from a chart in a magazine. The only thing I've ever done that I had to use a charting program on was for a gift for a friend in a swap. I asked permission from Niwer before I started it and showed it to her first.

Spoiler

Other examples of my cross-stitch can be found on my deviant art account..

I have a bunch of those too - the problem is they take up almost as much room as the Stitchbow binders, so it's not really much of an improvement.

And that's adorable~ I have a program I use to make my own patterns too. That's how I made the bookmarks. I do a lot of kits too, but I like doing patterns as well as long as they're easy to read.

That Megatron bookmark is awesome! Of course I'm a huge Decepticon fan since I was five so I'm biased.

Thanks~

[onyxrose]

I love crafting, I especially like making things that can be used like clothes and jewelry. I'm mostly into drawing and crochet but I've been trying to get into jewelry making and paper bead making. I have one big problem in what ever I do/make and that is I feel like I'm so slow! I can move that crochet hook faster than you can blink and yet it still takes me almost a month to make a simple lace shrug. And my knitting is the worst. I sat down to make a sock and can you guess how far I got into it in an hour? 2 inches of ribbing! Does anyone else feel this way?

[TxCat]

Does anyone else feel this way?

I'm extremely slow with my projects. Knitting and crocheting can only really be worked on in the winter here in Florida because it's just too hot to have all that yarn on you. Furthermore, I'm nearly blind and I have arthritis in my hands. When I have to do close or delicate work, as with beading or jewelry, I can only work on it a bit at a time and sometimes it takes me days to finish one project. If the pieces are small, it takes even longer.

I'm also the world's worst procrastinator. I start things and either forget about them or lose them. Some of my projects are years old because of this bad habit.

[Neyli]

Don't feel bad TxCat. I haven't made an origami crane in days. I should really get on that.

[pegasi1978]

Spoiler

Does anyone else feel this way?

I'm extremely slow with my projects. Knitting and crocheting can only really be worked on in the winter here in Florida because it's just too hot to have all that yarn on you. Furthermore, I'm nearly blind and I have arthritis in my hands. When I have to do close or delicate work, as with beading or jewelry, I can only work on it a bit at a time and sometimes it takes me days to finish one project. If the pieces are small, it takes even longer.

I'm also the world's worst procrastinator. I start things and either forget about them or lose them. Some of my projects are years old because of this bad habit.

I have a project that I originally got to make for my parents' 25th wedding anniversary...they celebrated their 40th in December and the project still isn't done.

[MistyoC]

I come from a long line of procrastinators. My Grandma made me a baby afghan and I got it on my 12th birthday! lol Unfortunately, my Great Dane ate it a few years later. Grandma doesn't knit anymore. I still need to crochet my grandson his baby blanket. I hope I don't take another 11 years. He'll be 1 in 8 days. My excuse is: it's hard to find nice yarn around here. Wal-Mart is the only store in town that regularly carries it and they don't have a good selection anymore. I haven't tried ordering online.