CLOSED: Harry Potter Craftalong - Midsummer 2021

Class/Challenge:Apparition
House: Hufflepuff
Project Name: 70’s inspired top
Brief Description: When my grandmother passed away numerous years ago, I received many of her patterns. I was looking for a particular pattern style to sew a linen shirt. I had no luck finding one locally. I pulled out g.mas dress patterns and was able to use an old 70’s dress pattern to alter into this blouse.

Class/Challenge: Arithmancy
House: Hufflepuff
Project Name: Linen bra-Boylston Bra Pattern Boylston Bra Instant Download PDF Sewing Pattern - Orange Lingerie
Brief Description: I had just enough fabric left from my linen top to make a bra.

Class/Challenge: Study of Ancient Runes
House: Hufflepuff
Project Name: Playing with Boylston Bra pattern (link in previous post)
Brief Description: Like the Deathly Hallows this bra has 3 main components. Fabric, foam, and some metal (underwires and hook and eyes). I had fun altering and trying out some -new to me- techniques including the triangle enforced foam lining to improve support and lift.

Class/Challenge: Quidditch Beater
House: Hufflepuff
Project Name: Barbie top (Simplicity 4702) and Skirt (self designed)
Brief Description: I crafted this skirt and top together.

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How is it September already? Here’s the new Iron Chef Challenge for the month!

:ice_cream: September : Dessert

Usually accompanied by a glass of dessert wine or coffee and tea, this is a sweet and decadent course. In NJ, summer is still going strong in September! Key lime pie, boozy (or not) ice cream floats, or summer strawberry shortcake would be classic ways to say goodbye to summer.

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A new Headmistress Challenge has been posted!

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Happy Back To Hogwarts Day, everyone!

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Speaking of Back to Hogwarts… Now that Swapping no longer has to go in waves, or be voted on, what would you guys like to see for an upcoming HP swap? A Back to Hogwarts theme? Hold off a little, and do another round of HP Holiday (mostly ornaments) Swap? Something else entirely? Tell me your thoughts!

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Vixen!

I do love a good HP swap. I’ve been on a swaps break for summer/sanity but for you this I might start hoarding shipping boxes again!

Editing to actually answer your question: I like different things about each of the swap themes you’ve done. I really liked Malkin’s, the wearable focus was fun (although next time I’ll be more realistic in my time requirements!) The Burrow ones are fun for making things that have the aesthetic and maybe not the overt. The holiday is nice as it could be more of a small item (ornaments) so that might be more accessible…
Personally I have been in a wicked slump lately so I haven’t committed to any swaps for fear of unstoppable procrastination. From tooling around the site it isn’t obvious if that is a trend for others or not, although I have seen a few swaps cancelled for lack of participants or run with much fewer than originally expected. So maybe a “small” swap is what is calling to people these days? Not sure. So helpful, I know. :roll_eyes:

I would def be down for HP Holiday.

Ooooh! That sounds like fun!

Ooh, a swap sounds like fun…I wish I didn’t have so many projects up in the air right now.

Class or Challenge Title: Divination
House: Slytherin
Project Name & Page Link: Rainbow Unicorn Amigurumi
Brief Description: This toy was a collaboration between my DS2 and myself. He helped to dye the fiber that I spun into yarn. Then he decided what that yarn would become, and gets to keep the end results for himself.
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I live your unicorn Amigurumi, so cute!

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Class/Challenge: Book Club
House: Hufflepuff
Project Name: Chocolate Chip Cookies
Brief Description: Cooked a little something sweet to go with tea.

Class/Challenge: Iron Chef September
House: Hufflepuff
Project Name: Frog Eye Salad

Brief Description: Some folks consider this a “salad” I disagree. It is always a dessert for me. With the vanilla pudding base and lots of fruit it is the perfect after dinner treat.
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hourglasses
:zap: Headmistress Jennie casts the House Points Charm! :zap:

:zap::sun_behind_small_cloud::trophy: Summer Quidditch Update! :trophy::sun_behind_small_cloud::zap:

Fans, it’s time for a quick Quidditch update! So far this season we’ve had 9 players among our four House teams. The scores stand thusly:

Hufflepuff: 3 players, with 60 points, for an average of 20 points per player.
Slytherin: 3 players, with 75 points, for an average of 25 points per player.
Gryffindor: 2 players, with 190 points, for an average of 95 points per player.
Ravenclaw: 1 player, with 105 points, for an average of 105 points per player.

This Quidditch season ends on Sunday, September 12th! Be sure to score any last minute points before midnight on the 12th!

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I’d be well up for a swap, especially a Burrow one! (You KNOW they’re my faves!). I’ll be honest tho, I don’t think I would want to receive anything overtly HPish - I have trouble with some of JK’s political opinions, especially in support of the people in my life who fall into the groups she talks about. So I would join cautiously depending on the exact swap theme.

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Have been rather absent over the last couple of months, but have been dropping in on occasion - so many fabulous projects :smiley:

Class or Challenge Title: Summer Quidditch – Preseason Training
House: Hufflepuff

Keeper
Project Name & Page Link: Felt embroidery
Brief Description: I used felt and embroidery thread, both long term stash items, to create this felt embroidered birdhouse. (Pattern can be found on Etsy here - PDF pattern to make Pastel garden garland. Felt garland. | Etsy)
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Chaser
Project Name & Page Link: Flower bouquet
Brief Description: I created a bouquet of paper flowers for a friend’s birthday, these leaves provided some greenery. (All bouquet patterns can be found on the Canon Creative site.)
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Beater
Project Name & Page Link: Flower bouquet
Brief Description: The ‘paper’ bouquet needed a vase, and vases always need some flowers – these are the anemones.
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Seeker
Project Name & Page Link: Carrot cake (Best Carrot Cake Ever Recipe | Allrecipes)
Brief Description: I have been on the search for “that” carrot cake, the go to recipe, and I think this may be the one – it is certainly the best one I have tried so far. (Still on the hunt for a better cream cheese frosting though!)
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Quaffle
Project Name & Page Link: Flower bouquet
Brief Description: More flowers for the paper bouquet – this time red, red roses.
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Bludger
Project Name & Page Link: Bug twinchies
Brief Description: The tiny fussy cutting on these ladybugs and bees made this twinchie set difficult to make. Each bug had multiple parts to give a layered look, but they were so worth every tiny cut.
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Snitch
Project Name & Page Link: Fresh strawberry Victoria Sandwich
Brief Description: If I had to pick the one cake I would love to receive, it would be this one – light vanilla sponge, fresh strawberries and fresh whipped cream.

I never use a written recipe for sponge cakes; first, decide how big you want your sponge (this was a 3 egg mix). Weigh the eggs in their shells and weigh out the same weight in butter, caster sugar and self-raising flour. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, slowly beat in the eggs (bit by bit), adding a little flour if needed. Beat in the flour and a teaspoon of vanilla extract. If needed, add a splash of milk. Divide into sandwich tins and bake at 170C until golden and springs back to the touch. When cool, layer with fresh sliced strawberries and whipped cream. Dust with icing sugar.
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Broom
Project Name & Page Link: Blackberry cordial (Blackberry cordial | Sainsbury`s Magazine)
Brief Description: This blackberry cordial can be used as a drink, either with still or sparkling water, or could be poured over ice cream for a summery dessert.
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Beater Bats
Project Name & Page Link: Pea and blue cheese risotto
Brief Description: Making a risotto means a lot of stirring with a wooden spoon.

Have some warm stock (of choice, I used chicken) ready to go. Finely chop an onion and gently fry in a little oil and butter – I also added some dried sage at this time. Once soft, add a couple of handfuls of risotto rice and stir into the onions until well coated with the buttery mix. Start adding the warm stock a ladleful at a time and keep stirring until the stock has been fully absorbed. Keep adding stock a bit at a time and keep stirring. Occasionally try the rice until it just had a tiny crunch left in the middle. Then add your flavours – I used blue cheese and frozen peas, with a small handful of parmesan cheese – you don’t want anything that needs lots of cooking! You want there to be a little “ooze” left, you don’t want it to be dry. Serve immediately.
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Goal Hoops
Project Name & Page Link: Flight ATCoins
Brief Description: These ATCoins had the theme “flight” so I used some butterfly images.
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Gryffindor Project Name & Page Link: Boozy raspberry oat slices (You need to try these gintastic boozy raspberry crumble bars! — Craft Gin Club | The UK's No.1 gin club)
Brief Description: This was a completely new recipe to me and required some planning, as the fruit needs to soak in the gin. I used strawberries though, as I had them to hand – they were a little sweet for me, so if I used strawberries again I would reduce the sugar a little. I think if you used raspberries the level of sugar would be good.
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Hufflepuff
Project Name & Page Link: Chocolate cake (cake - Chocolate Cake - Preppy Kitchen - but frosting is whipped chocolate ganache)
Brief Description: This chocolate cake is a recipe I go back to time and again, it stays so good, even after a few days.
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Ravenclaw
Project Name & Page Link: Flower fairy ATCoins
Brief Description: I loved the flower fairy books as a child and I still love the images today. When the theme of these ATCoins was fairies, I knew what images I wanted to use.
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Slytherin
Project Name & Page Link: Beaded dragonfly
Brief Description: Not only was this a new technique to me (I have used beads in many projects, but not built up in this way) but it was also a huge learning curve. I first made this dragonfly with fishing thread (picture one) which I loved as it almost disappeared, but it couldn’t be lifted – it just flopped :roll_eyes: So I took it apart and used beading wire, which was so much harder to work with, but gave such an improved end result. (picture two)
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Part one - a very floppy dragonfly, that looked lovely when laid out flat -


Part two - I was so much happier with this version, and it is beautifully balanced -

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Gorgeous birdhouse!

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Those paper flowers are gorgeous! What do you coat them with?

Class/Challenge: House Pride
House: Hufflepuff
Project Name: Summer Gauze shirt pattern: Simplicity 8949
Brief Description: This summer gauze shirt is a very Hufflepuff yellow.

Class/Challenge: Detention Advanced Studies
House: Hufflepuff
Project Name:Working on Clyde Pants
I started with an odd choice of fabric for my first try at the Clyde pants-knowing they probably would not fit great. This swimtrunk fabric had been lying around for years. I created a pattern based on a few different pairs of my pants and then did a lot of altering. The Clyde pants I am basing mine on has very wide side pockets-both something I like and dislike. I love large pockets but not how the Clyde ones sit so far out from the body. I ended up making my version to close to the body-the pockets are large but too tight against my to get my hands in-oops. But, I am on the right path.

Class/Challenge: Quidditch - Chaser
House: Hufflepuff
Project Name: Scrunchies
Brief Description: 3 Scrunchies

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~ ADVANCED STUDIES PROPOSAL ~
Project Name: Collared Button up Gauze Blouse
House: Hufflepuff
Brief Description: I have always avoided shirts and dresses that have collars. I once tried to make one MANY years ago, and it was a disaster. With the plethora of youtube videos how-to’s I have decided to tackle my fear of collars and learn how to sew them. I also have not had great luck with buttonholes and need to learn how to properly use my machine to master the art of the buttonhole maker. I expect this project to take at least 10-12 hours from start to finish. If I have extra time I will try out my new skills on a doll size shirt or dress.

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They are brushed with two coats of gloss mod podge.

You could leave them without any coating, but if they get damp, I find the ink can smudge and it makes them easier to dust :smiley: