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Never say never, but probably not... |
I did, however, watch more YouTube videos that I ever thought I would.
Sometimes it would be cooking/baking videos. (I collected a handful of new
"keeper" recipes over the past year.) Sometimes it would be one of those "XX
things wrong with [insert name of movie here]". (I'm a big movie
plot/continuity nitpicker.)
But more often than not, if I needed to exhale and find a way closer to zen, I
would search out a video from the archives of
diy HandyMum Lin TV and just watch her do her magic.
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| Tortoise pin cushion... |
I keep up with select YouTube channels with the expressed
desire to make (some of) what they show.
I keep up with HandyMum Lin just to see.
Not that I haven't attempted a project of hers before. I am proud to say that
I did conquer her
tortoise pin cushion. It came out smaller than intended, but it has a cuteness factor that cannot
be denied.
Where Lin really shines is in her detailed needle work and use of geometry to create works of art with her vast supply of "scraps". Quite honestly, even if I wanted to make some of these nifty things, I wouldn't have the amount of "scraps" required. (I use the quotation marks because in some of these projects, it's arguable that you'd need more actual fabric than scraps.)
Here's one that I originally thought that I could do. It's best described as a
piece of patchwork art highlighted with decorative hand stitching. It was
uploaded in October 2020. (Again, I'm not going to provide the links to any of
these projects; you can find them by searching her YouTube channel.)
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| image courtesy of diy HandyMum Lin TV... |
Described as a "makeover of leftover fabric scrap", it certainly meets the
definition of a makeover. Who would have thought that a handful of scraps
could be turned into this?
But when I started searching through my box of fabric scraps, it was difficult
to find pieces with small prints that coordinated well.
So even though this project is made out of scraps, I believe those scraps have
to pass a certain test, and mine weren't cutting it.
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| image courtesy of diy HandyMum Lin TV... |
This next one (uploaded in February 2021) is a hexagon gift box, consisting
of a base, six triangular segmented sections and a lid. Like most of her
creations, it's hand sewn. It's relaxing watching her do it, but if I were
ever to make a similar box, I would find a way to make it as machine sewn as
possible!
I feel like these next two projects require a lot of fabric, albeit in
small pieces. You have to sew a bunch of layers to get the final result,
so in my frugal mind, I'm thinking, yes, it's just fabric scraps, but
there is a lot of fabric involved, with much of it ending up hidden
under each layer.
But I love how they look. I will just never make one.
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| image courtesy of diy HandyMum Lin TV... |
This one here is a hexagon mug mat, uploaded October 2020. (Once again,
you see how her scraps mostly feature tiny prints or checks? I got nothin'
like that.)
This hot pad project was uploaded September 2020. Beautifully constructed
— hand sewn again — out of many, many circles of folded fabric.
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| image courtesy of diy HandyMum Lin TV... |
In fact, if you're going to make this, be prepared for the amount of
fabric you'll need. Four circles of fabric make up the centre, but you'll
need eight for each of the three subsequent layers.
This last project (uploaded October 2020) involves a geometric technique that I find intriguing and may want to pursue in a different way at some point. It's called iris folding and has its roots in paper crafting. This is a table mat.
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| image courtesy of diy HandyMum Lin TV... |
Essentially, triangular pieces of increasing size are layered on top of one another in a spiral fashion, to fill a shape; in this case, a simple square.
As I said at the top of this post, this is a YouTube channel that
you can drop in on just to see someone's creativity at work. Whether or
not you end up making any of Lin's projects, I guarantee you'll find her
inspiring.
Not to mention infinitely relaxing!
Did you catch my first post about nifty things I'm never gonna make? If not, check it out here and stay tuned for another "chapter". (Because after all, just because I'm never going to make certain things, doesn't mean that some of you won't want to.)
For those who might have some free time on their hands next week,
Creativebug
(affiliate link) is offering free access week starting tomorrow (23rd) through to the
end of October. The best part is that you don't have to provide any credit
card details.
I've implied in the past (most recently in
this post) that most of their content is not to my taste, but for anyone looking
for something different, there's nothing like a free offering to check it
out.
'Til next...
Hey there Rochelle! I do appreciate projects that require time, patience and fine details to create such unique pieces. Lin has those skills down pat! I suppose if I were confined to a small space or had to sit for a long period of time, I'd attempt one of these ...particularly the iris folding or the mini with houses and ladders. Most days when I play with my fabric, it's the pedal to the metal of the sewing machine that I enjoy and seeing my pieces come together in a quicker fashion. I'm not such a fiddly person, I guess. Still, great inspiration and admiration for her work! Have you heard anything in return from your red heart you placed out in the wild?
ReplyDeleteI used to watch her youtubes all the time. Definitely relaxing. But since youtube stopped notifying of new posts, I've lost touch with all those I used to follow. I know I can go back to my youtube list, but I have to remember to do that; it was much nicer to get that reminder email with new postings.
ReplyDeleteKathleen - kakingsbury at verizon dot net
Another addictive YouTube maker is Pay It Forward with Lisa Pay. Nifty things galore! I love your blog - I find a little treasure or nifty idea every time!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the kind words! And yes, Lisa Pay's YouTube channel was the subject of my first post on this topic.
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