UPDATE June 2nd, 2012:
Michelle over at Shee Designs has offered to take over the Craft Book Challenge for those who are interested in participating! The first challenge post is here. Please head over there to join in the challenge fun.
December 4th, 2011 Update:
Thank you all for your interest in this challenge. It’s been going on for almost a year now, but fizzled out halfway through—perhaps because of my failing as a hostess? Either way, I will not be continuing the challenge come 2012 and the link page will be shut down. However, I’d love it if you continued on with your own personal challenges or if anyone wants to take over as the new hostess, let me know! Thanks again and I hope you all put some wear and tear on your craft books!
I’m excited that many of you are showing an interest in this little challenge of mine! It’s going to help having a little group all with the same goal. I don’t really have any friends who share my love of craft, so blogging has opened me up to a whole community of crafters to relate to.
The Challenge is as follows: Make at least one item from a craft book you already have in your library every month—no matter how small. You can do a post about your goals at the beginning of the month, if you want. Then sometime before the month is up, post about the completed project. Come here and share the link to your completed project every month. Simple as that.
Feel free to play along, even if you miss a month or just want to participate every other month. The rules should be flexible to fit your life. The goal is simply to find a way to encourage and challenge ourselves to USE our books.
Like I said in my previous post, I’m not allowing myself to buy any new books until I’ve used each of my current craft books at least once. Your welcome to add this rule to your challenge if you want, too.
This is my first time doing something like this, so do bear with me! If you have any suggestions or concerns, speak up!
Hopefully we will all be adding some wear and tear to our pretty little craft books over 2011!
(UPDATED TO ADD: Feel free to join in late and adjust the rules/time frame to suit your life and craft book library. Just make sure you’re sticking to the premise of the challenge, to use your craft books!)
Want to put a button in your sidebar? Here is the html for a 200 x 200 image:
THE COMPLETED PROJECTS:
(Special thanks to Gabrielle for starting up the Flickr Group!)
Yes! This looks lovely! I can’t get the button to work though! Am I doing something wrong? I copied and pasted into a blogger gadget for HTML codes.
Genevieve
I put your button and link on my sidebar….Just having it there will motivate me. Now, I have to go check out my books and see what’s up first.
Hmm… I’ll have to dig to see what craft books I have… Most of mine are vintage sewing patterns or little pattern books from my great-grandmother (thanks, Dad!) but unfortunately I don’t sew like I would like to (one of these days…) So I will have to participate with a book I borrowed recently from the library. I’ve bookmarked at least a dozen patterns I want to try. I’ll make it my goal for January. Thanks for the motivation! Good luck with your project(s) :)
I’m in! I’m going to break out my apparel sewing books that I’ve been avoiding… Thanks for the inspiration–I’m excited!
Hi, I found you via Karen, and this is so right up my alley. :)
I am in too! The Craft Book Challenge is part of my New Years Resolutions post. I have added your button and a link in my sidebar.
I am so excited and IN! This is perfect.
This is just the thing I need to motivate me and change the status of my craft books from decorative to useful!
oh great idea :) i have grabbed your button!
http://commonthreadskingston.blogspot.com/
This is a great idea to keep me motivated this year!
What a fantastic idea! I don’t know if I have time to do it properly, but I think I’ll join in the fun and at least try! I’m in the same boat as you – not many crafting friends, so getting to know some other crafters through this could be really fun!
Great idea! I’m definitely going to do this. I’ve got your button in my sidebar.
~Kristin
Hi!
i found you through Ali, this is a great idea, i have your button on side bar while i mull over what to make :)
(p.s. i’m a loner sewer too!)
louise
Fantastic! I’ve got so many books I keep planning to use…. Thanks for the great idea! I’ll be joining your monthly challenge. :-)
I would love to join this challenge! Thanks for hosting it, I think it’s going to be fun!!
What a great idea. I would love to join. Lately life has thrown us some difficult curveballs. Hopefully that is all over and I will have time to join in this fun event.
Ruth
This is a great idea! I’ve been sewing a lot more from patterns rather than books. I’m in :) I am also in a challenge to create a garment a week for 52 weeks so I think I really should try and fit a sewing book in a month.
This is such a great idea, and I’m really excited! I added the button too, which was pretty exciting! http://www.auroraspitfire.blogspot.com
Can we go ahead and link up if we’ve done a project for January? I’ve already done mine. I’m planning on posting about it tomorrow, but I see that nobody else has added to the linky yet. So is okay to now?
Thanks,
Kristin
I just found your blog through another blog jumping around!
Love this idea and challenge! I am a idea book/craft book junkie and totally need to do this! I also added your button on my blog!
Thanks!
Leslie (www.blessingsandblossoms.blogspot.com)
Great idea! This will encourage me to use my book stash (and perhaps toss out a few that don’t get the nod during the year).
I’ve started a page to record the craft books I will be using each month for this challenge. Think that will act as reminder and keep me motivated:)
http://sewconvert.wordpress.com/made-me-2011-2/craft-book-challenge/
Sounds like fun. I’m in! This’ll give me something other than garment sewing to think about for awhile… and it’s fun to share ideas and see what everyone else creates.
What a great idea! It looks like we have a similar craft book library. I love mine and go through them often for inspiration or just to sit and relax. I suppose I could take it a step further and actually create some things! I’ll post the craft challenge to my blog very soon! I look forward to seeing what everyone creates.
Do craft books for kids count? I realize that I have a few such books- probably related to having grandchildren and also teaching mall children, plus an art camp for older children in the summer. I have a few which I probably should see if they work and how much problem the crafts are. I also have a few craft-sewing books concerning sewing for me, plus some magazines and pattern off the internet.
IThink this is a great idea.
LindaC
Excellent idea…I do so love to BUY the books, page through them, and then daydream….
I will also commit to making more items!
Thanks for thinking of this!
I’m way behind on my blogs and just spotted this. Count me in!
What a great idea! I have a head start because I finished my first one on Christmas day using Alex Anderson’s Start Quilting. Here is a link from the post: http://dotscharm.wordpress.com/2011/01/04/my-first-patchwork-quilt/
I shall finish January’s project tomorrow. :-)
Thanks for doing this – I’m keen to be in but I’m away from my sewing machine til April (sniff!) – so I’ll start then!!
Cheers,
Georgi
I just found you over on Seam Ripper – I’ve been doing this Challenge (all alone and by myself) for a few months now, so I might just join in with you!
I just found this challenge on Seamripper via Sew, Mama, Sew. This is the motivation I need to get back into sewing.
thank you for this great idea! i still grabbed the button!
greez
lina
http://linababedierste.blogspot.com/
Fantastic idea!
I’m with you !! It´s a sort of belated new year´s resolution …
I hope it’ll wor better than dieting :o)
Thanks for your great motivation … and I’ll grab and show off yur button right away on http://cogito-ergo-suo.blogspot.com/
Greez
Claudia
I’m a bit late in finding your challenge, but I’m jumping on it. I have too many craft/sewing/quilting books to count and it’s about time I started using them!
I’m in! (Except for the part about no new books until I use the ones I have… There is no way I can commit to that!)
Yay! I finished my January project! It didn’t take very long, but since my problem is finishing things, I thought it’d be better to do something a bit quick. http://auroraspitfire.blogspot.com/2011/01/cbc-january-project-done.html
I actually tried to do this last year as one of my resolutions … but completely failed. :-(
Seems like a good idea to try this year again … with so many other people doing a similar thing it seems much more manageable! :-)
So glad I found this! I just decided last week that I would make something out of all my books but I’m trying to do one a week as I have so many books!I’d love to join the challenge, it should keep me motivated
hello hello! I found your blog today via MADE – http://www.dana-made-it.com mentioned you and linked through on her hearts with bias tape tutorial. :) (she linked to your hot pad tut)
Found your post here when I was perusing your posts quickly after adding you to my Google Reader. What a fun challenge!
In addition to adding the badge and a post about CBC on my [new] craft blog, http://www.raggbaby.com, I’m also going to add you to a post I’m doing for http://www.COLOURlovers.com about challenges for the year. I’ll include you in that list (links and badge). I’m an author for a number of their blog channels.
I’m excited to participate! I’m going to maui for a little over a week, but I’ll get right on it when I get back! – Molly
This is such an awesome idea! I’m such a sucker for an awesome craft book but I must admit that it takes a lot for me to actually complete a project from one. I just got a bunch of new craft books over Christmas so this sounds like a wonderful challenge for me! I’m joining in!
I love this idea. Last month I made my first project from a book I just bought ‘Martha Stewart’s Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts” and I love this book. The projects was really easy and I was able to adjust it to my needs. It is a purse that I call my everything but….the kitchen sink purse!
http://flutterbysandflowers.blogspot.com/2011/01/everything-butbag.html
~Laura
FlutterbysandFlowers.com
I just have to thank you again for starting this! Getting one project done helps me start new projects rather than just constantly planning and puttering. Thanks for that! Here’s my February project: http://auroraspitfire.blogspot.com/2011/02/nap-time-is-fun.html
I am game! I already added your button to my blog to help motivate me.
Hi, I’ve linked you in to my blog and added your button, to motivate me, too! Thank you.
I’ve just posted a photo of a bag made from “Fabricate” by Susan Wasinger. It was a really fun project, as you create the “fabric” out of plastic shopping bags and then sew it together. Because we try not to get bags when we shop, I used up virtually all the plastic bags that were in the house, so won’t be able to do this one again anytime soon! The photo just links back to this page, as I don’t have a blog (yet!) – hope that’s okay.
I just found your blog and say this challenge and I’m very excited to participate! Thanks for adding me to the list! I just have one question…modifications to the projects will be fine?
OOOhhhh my God!! I must harry … I have justfew hours to post my February project and I have no clue what I’m going to seeeeeeeeew……
Hiya! Can I join in? I tried to copy the button, but after three attempts I cannot get it to work. Anyways, love your blog. :o)
-natalie
Just wanted to mention that I wasn’t able to get my code to work at first (I’m on blogger).
My son told me to delete all quotations and then retype them again.
At least that worked for me.
You might want to post this somewhere.
cheers suki
Sorry it should say delete all quotation marks and then retype them again.
cheers
OK, this is a perfect follow-up to my last comment…I love this challenge! I guess this is precisely why I do not buy craft books often…I am going to gather my craft books and decide if I shall embark on this challenge…
Is it too late to embark on this journey??? I am a sewing book collector! Would love to join the group if its not too late :)
oh my gosh – do you know how many times i have tried to challenge myself to do exactly what you have set out?!?
i just found your blog today and love it… maybe i’ll have to join in the challenge starting with april.. great idea!
I love this! I want to join even though I am late. I love books so I have a lot of books that I “would love to make” things out of. This is a great challenge for me. What a great idea!
This is a fantastic idea. I’m nearly done renovating my sewing room and possibly then I will join in. I often borrow craft books from the library (as I often only want one or two of the ideas) does that count?
Hi! I love this idea. I just got some new craft books too so this will ensure that I use them.
I’m entering late but I guess what matters is that I’m entering at all. This is a great idea, I mostly use my craft books as inspiration but this will be good motivation for me to do some of the projects in the book that I’ve been meaning to
I’ll join in too! This exact same thing happened to be my 2011 New Year’s resolution – nice to see so many of use are trying to use what we have to improve our crafting skills!
http://birdandbicycle.wordpress.com/
oh i love this idea! and the perfect motivation i need and start getting use out of the craft books i have and maybe a excellent excuse to buy more hehehe.
hugs
xo
Have the button on my side bar
Hi Liesl! It’s such a nice idea =) I found your blog this week and I’m excited to start participating the challenge!
Great idea – I think I’m going to have to join in!
This is such a great idea! Maybe I’ll actually get something done with that stack of books! I’m late but half a year is better than none!
I am in! I use my craft books all the time. This will keep me motivated.
Oh, I am so in for this! I don’t think I’ve ever actually used any of my books!
What a great idea. I have a book of Miss Rosie patterns that I have not even used yet. This will keep me motiviated.
a wonderful idea!