This is one of the cutest patterns I have seen in a long time.  I am going to be making one for myself and embellishing it with buttons, hearts, flowers and whatever I can think of!  If you have a family member who sews, or a friend who is always parked in front of her sewing machine, consider making this as a very special gift.   It is a dressmaker form pincushion.

I think the cutest part of this pattern is that it looks exactly like the real thing.  Well, like they did anyway.  Now the designs for dress forms are more sophisticated and sleek.  But they aren’t nearly as charming.  The old Victorian style dress forms have now become a collectible item; this little pincushion is a wonderful, and useful, replica.

Dressmaker Form Pincushion

There is a risk in crafting.  Any kind of crafting.  The risk is addiction.  Actually it is not an addiction in the strictest definition of the term, but it might as well be because of the effect it has on crafters.  I can’t even count the number of resolutions I have heard on New Year’s Eve that go something like this:  “I promise I will finish my unfinished _____ (fill in the blank - knitting, crocheting, beadwork, whatever craft you like) before I buy any more projects.”  That is a resolution that lasts about a week, if that long.  Crafters are addicted, compulsive about, or just plain nuts about starting new crafting projects.

It is a self-defeating behavior but one that almost all of us are guilty of doing.  Much of it is because of how much we love what we do.  Another thing that can cause a huge WIP (work in progress) supply, is the explosion of imagination.  Once you start one thing and get going on it, other ideas begin to germinate. One thing leads to another and pretty soon you have a dozen projects with a dozen more sets of supplies to start others.  They call it a yarn stash, or a bead stash for a reason!

I have a few hints that have helped me get my “stash” and WIP list a little more under control.  I have recently made some changes that have caused a temporary swelling of the WIPs, but it will “cure” itself in a few months and then the WIP should diminish until I have a static and manageable amount of things I am working on.

• Don’t feel you should only have one project at a time going.  That is unrealistic.  You will want different projects to work on depending on your mood, whether you need a gift, degree of complexity, how portable it is, and so on.  But just a few different ones should satisfy the need for variety without overwhelming you.  And it is nice to finish something once in awhile!
• Pick one, two or three crafts that you really enjoy and are really good at.  Also give yourself room to grow.  Choose those crafts you continually can improve at.  Becoming really good at a couple things is much more satisfying than doing a lot of things just fairly.
• When you shop for supplies, keep in mind what crafts you have chosen to pursue(based on hint #2).  If you can use it within those crafts, it won’t be a waste of money or start you on another wild goose chase.
• Organize yourself.  File your patterns in notebooks, file folders, plastic bins or whatever works for you.  Categorize them so that when you want something, you can find it.
• Store supplies in an organized system.  Put yarns together and subdivide them; sock yarns should be stored with sock yarns and bulky yarns should be stored together.  Make it so that you can get to what you need quickly.
• Get small plastic storage bins and put one project in each bin.  Label the outside of the bin.  Keep something by the sofa or chair where you watch television or movies and work on that project there.  Keep one by your bed; when a sleepless night arrives, an hour of crocheting or knitting can do wonders.  If you work on crafts that are difficult to work on in certain environments, keep books around to read about improving your skills or admiring the galleries of other people’s work.
• Reward yourself.  When you complete a project, you get to do something you really want - a trip to the bookstore?  An afternoon at the movies?  There are many ways we can motivate ourselves.
• Keep a craft journal.  There are journals made for many kinds of crafting and seeing your progess and completed work is a lot of fun.  After a few years, you will see how your skills have grown.
• Give back a little.  Get involved in a charity project that utilizes your crafting skills.  Consider a swap of knitted or crocheted squares - there are swaps all over the Internet for every craft.  It is a lot of fun to meet people and exchange crafting projects.  I am involved in several swaps right now and they have been good for me in terms of keeping me focused.
• Keep a blog.  It will keep you honest.  If you are posting photos of your work and you talk about it, your readers will expect to see that progress and to see a finished project.  As a benefit, you will meet a lot of people and make some very special friends.

You will never get over craft addiction completely.  Who wants to?  Part of the fun is knowing all of the wonderful things you have waiting to be made.  Keeping it under control, however, will help your budget, your stress level, and your sense of pride all at the same time.  And that’s a pretty crafty idea!

What an image.  I picture someone with a sledgehammer beating the holy-bedickens out of some poor flower all in the name of art.  Actually, this image isn’t far from the truth but no sledgehammer is involved.  It is a true craft that will result in some lovely work; the pounding part will make it something that kids will enjoy and the family can work on together.  Flower pounding will also, in a very unique way, create something that allows a flower to “live” forever. 

Who might flower pounding appeal to?  Right off the top, you can tell it is a natural for quilters.  It would also be suitable for decorating around the home; framed prints would be an option as would placemats or bookcovers.  I think this is a craft that would reveal many possibilities the more that it was used.  With the right paper, I believe the images could be used to create stationery as well.

The idea that intrigued me with flower pounding was the eternal nature of one simple bloom.  To capture that essence in a fabric may not be possible any other way - as it is directly from the flower to the fabric, the natural colors will be exhibited in a manner that is elegant.

I would recommend if you are interested in this craft that you read all you can about how to create the fabric and how to care for it.  The books below would be an excellent addition to your craft library.  And if you are thinking of Christmas gifts, which would be a lovely breath of spring in December, remember your flowers are available now!

Flower Pounding - The Basics

Check out Flower Pounding by Ann Frischkorn

Check out The Art and Craft of Pounding Flowers by Laura C. Martin

Every year about this time crafters get extremely busy finalizing their entries for various state fairs.  There are few honors higher than winning a state fair ribbon for a craft.  Many magazines feature state fair winners in special issues and if you are lucky, the patterns for their projects are available in those magazines.  I generally think of this for crochet and sometimes knitting and usually with incredibly beautiful afghans.

If you have a creation in a craft and would like to enter it into competition into a fair, it is time to get the entry submitted.  It isn’t very difficult and could be wonderful exposure for you should you wish to go professional with your work. 

Go to Google.com and type in the state fair you are interested in.  Each fair, of any reasonable size, has its own official site.  Then go to the section that addresses competitions, find your category, and read the rules and regulations.  These are usually in .pdf files so have your Adobe Reader installed.  Applications are often available on the sites as well. 

Give it a shot.  It could be fun.  And even if you don’t win anything, you will have a once-in-a-lifetime experience.  Well, until you do it again next year!  And I can promise you will meet new people and make some forever friends.