The weekend is here & it’s the perfect time to get crafty! Whether you’re looking to learn a new craft or just for a new project, the weekend is a great time to dive in. I have personally set aside Saturday to be my day for crafting freedom. It’s a day to work on whatever strikes my creative fancy & ignore boring things like doing the dishes. Of course, that doesn’t always work out that way! ; D
Anyway, I’ve got a round up of free patterns, new QAL’s & CAL’s, & fun things to check out so you can have a crafty weekend too!
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Free Patterns
All of the patterns listed below are free for at least the next week. It is time consuming to write up, photograph, & edit patterns, so I always appreciate when someone offers it for free. A free pattern is also an excellent way to try out a new technique or craft!
- The Beach Day Bag from Darn Good Yarn ~> Circular bags seem to be really popular right now! This one is made from hemp, which makes it perfect for carrying to the beach.
- Sunflower Quilt Block from Craftsy ~> This is a great little pattern! You could make a bunch for a quilt or just turn it into a mug rug.
- Saiki Knitted Shawl Pattern from Expression Fiber Arts ~> If you’re not signed up for Expression Fiber Arts newsletter, you should be! She releases a pattern for free every week & it’s only free for that week. Sometimes it’s knitting, sometimes it’s crochet, & sometimes it’s both. I’ve never ordered any of the yarn {yet!}, but it is gorgeous!
Join a Crafty Club
Although you won’t get a craft to make this weekend, you will have one to work on for future weekends by joining a monthly craft club. The one’s below are all crochet/yarn clubs I’m a member of, but there are all kinds of craft clubs out there.
- Mary Maxim Crochet Club {$9.99 first month & $12.99 after that + shipping} ~> This is my first month for this club & I cannot believe I got enough yarn for a blanket!
- Jimmy Beans Wool Crochet Club {$15 per month; includes shipping for US} ~> I’ve shared this one before & I still love it! You get little bits of yarn to make a project over 3 months plus some extra goodies. This is the beginning of my 2nd project with them & I’m just waiting for this month’s box.
- Darn Good Yarn Club {$10 + shipping per month} ~> I’m still loving this yarn club too! You get a premium skein of yarn, a surprise, & a knit & crochet pattern every month. The box below is what you get for you’re first shipment. Plus, if you sign up for their newsletter you’ll get 15% off the first month!
Learn Something New
I think the weekend is a perfect time to learn something new. The links below are all for free Craftsy tutorials & I think I need to try them out too!
- Watercolor Cactus Painting ~> I’ve never worked with watercolors, but it looks like fun! You could frame it like they did in the tutorial or make a card to give to a friend.
- Sun Bleaching Paper ~> This is the perfect project for the hot summer days & easy for the kiddos to do too. You can just set it up in the morning when it’s not so hot & let it set through the heat of the day. Then – voila – pretty paper!
- Ice Cream Cone Cake ~> This looks like a fun cake to make for a summer party! Yum!
If you’re looking for more fun stuff to learn, you can check out Bluprint on Craftsy. It’s just the new name for Craftsy Unlimited & you can get a free 7 day trial to see if you like it. This is where I’m going to learn to knit, I just need to make time for it! : D
August QAL’s, CAL’s, SAL’s, & BOM’s
Okay, the first sew-along I have to mention is the Merry Christmas Sew-Along hosted by my friend Monique at Farm House Quilts & yours truly – me! Monday, August 13th, Monique will release her first ornament & the 2nd ornament of the sew-along. There are prizes up for grabs too, so be sure to check out the link above or click on the image below for all the details!
Here’s a list of several that are just starting or that will start later in the month. All of these are free to join!
- Trapped in Love Poncho CAL from Furls Crochet
- Froggies Amigurumi CAL from Furls Crochet
- The Cities Crochet Circle Bag CAL from Stitching Together ~ Just started today!
- Phoenix Wrap CAL from Underground Crafter
- Save the Bees BOM from Jaquelynne Steves
- Dot ‘n’ Dash QAL from Christa Quilts
Watch Something Crafty
One of my favorite things to do while I crochet is watch YouTube or Netflix. I recently started my own YouTube channel just because I love watching all the creative podcasts out there. It’s like I’m sitting there chatting with a crafty friend! Plus, most people I know in person don’t like to talk about crafty stuff as much as I do. : D
Here are some of my current favorites:
- The Cozy Cottage Crochet ~> Such a happy spirit!
- Bag-O-Day Crochet & More ~> I love watching her & her husband yarn shop!
- Sewing Report ~> This is about way more than sewing!
- The Fold Line ~> Find out about some great sewing patterns for clothes
- The CrafsMan Steady Craftin ~> Just discovered this one & his voice is so soothing to listen too!
I also want to mention that GoodWill is having a 50% off sale this Saturday & I’ll definitely be checking that out! Okay, I think I’ve given y’all enough to chose from to have a crafty weekend, so go make stuff! : D