New hobby ideas?

[Possegal]

i'm a scrapbooker. not sure i'd recommend it to folks if only because for me it has required a lot of 'stuff'. i buy a lot of 'stuff'. my niece says my spare bedroom looks like 'michael's craft store exploded in there'. now i'm sure lots of scrappers aren't addicted to the purchasing, but at least i can say that once i called my hobby buying scrapbook supplies, but at least now i'm actually using them.

[Bron]

I started quilting a couple of years ago after an operation and am still happily adding to (and occasionally making things with) my fabric stash. It's not as common over here as in the US or UK.

Any childhood hobbies that you could resurect? I've also restarted flute lessons and am determined to pass the exam that I failed when I was 17.

[TsPoet]

Dog agility! I've always wanted to do it and I finally have a dog that is good for it. Finagle, my new dog, is a natural. Now if I can just learn to do my part right and not screw up, I'll have a pretty good agility dog.
It's great exercise (for both of us) and she loves it.

[shootingstar]

I do view a synergy between cycling and some other hobbies, like my painting that I dabble. Each hobby does inspire and complement the other.

It does require careful planning and packing with art supplies and canvasses strapped to down to bike. I even have a little tabletop easel that folds into a suitcase that I could bungie cord down on the bike rack.


http://jean.thecyclistwebhouse.com/V...d/image001.htm
Yes, most of these paintings are based on what I've seen on bike trips and locally.

Cycling in different parts of the country, during various times of day/year, and its hugeness (scarcely escapable to a cyclist!) has given and inspired me with ongoing new perspectives on colour, shape and light.

I did try some sewing machine quilting before cycling...have to say...there's ton of ironing involved for each stage of the sewing a patch to the growing quilt.

[mudmucker]

Well, this isn't really a hobby. It's just having time to do something that I've been wanting to do.

I'm making a headboard today. It will go along the lines of this. I'm going to make it less high and adjust dimensions to fit the bed and bedroom. I have stain but it won't be as dark in order to match the current platform bed. I do watercolors so I'll put a couple of those on the wall above it, eventually. I'm going to put new lighting in too.

I'm on vacation and decided to hang here, visit with old friends again, and not go on a destination vacation. It still always feels like I'm on vacation when I am in this house anyway. I decided to putter and leisurely finish up house projects while I have the time off, and I will certainly ride the bike lots. I'm spending money so it's an expensive summer. I bought 2 TE jerseys, some bike stuff, generator, had a big car repair, bought my dad a new bike and I plan on doing over one of my bathrooms after. It's wonderfully sunny and I brought my table saw outside. I'm pretty comfortable with power tools but I don't particularly like them. Especially saws. I had to use the chainsaw a little to clean up the immense ice storm damage from this winter. It took 2 months this spring to clean up by myself (everyone else had to clean their property). I also had to burn for 6 consecutive weekends. I'm conflicted about burning and I don't like to do it but there was no way to remove all of that mess. I still have another year's worth of cleanup.

So to add to the expensive summer, I'd love a table top miter saw but I don't think that will happen. I'm cutting my 45's with a regular table top. I think I might splurge for a nailgun. Those are useful.

[msincredible]

Dog agility! I've always wanted to do it and I finally have a dog that is good for it. Finagle, my new dog, is a natural. Now if I can just learn to do my part right and not screw up, I'll have a pretty good agility dog.
It's great exercise (for both of us) and she loves it.

I used to do it with my whippets, but they are retired now.
When you get everything right it feels like you are dancing with your dog.

[Ana]

I started aikido about 9 months ago.

I've also tried to increase my cycling

I also very much like to garden and cook and bake new things. Some of my other hobbies are making jewelry, kayaking at the local park, knitting (although I'd like to know how to crochet), weight lifting and hunting for great deals on cycling parts and gear

I've always wanted to learn how to make my own clothes.

Happy hobbying!

[uforgot]

Oh, I like that headboard. Post pics when you get it finished! I agree about the "finish up projects" vacation. I'm doing the same thing this summer, except today Fastdogs and I are riding in Fenton. It's kind of nice not to have to be anywhere, just pick up and go when you want. I have put a new floor in my bathroom, refinished window sills, shampooed carpets, put up a new ceiling fant, planted some stuff and the list goes on and on.

[mudmucker]

Oh, I like that headboard. Post pics when you get it finished! I agree about the "finish up projects" vacation. I'm doing the same thing this summer, except today Fastdogs and I are riding in Fenton. It's kind of nice not to have to be anywhere, just pick up and go when you want. I have put a new floor in my bathroom, refinished window sills, shampooed carpets, put up a new ceiling fant, planted some stuff and the list goes on and on.

After I do the headboard, I am going to make a floating side table similar to this, although I don't think I want it to go all the way to the ceiling. I'll make final decisions when I see what the headboard looks like.

Yes it is nice not to have to be anywhere. There's something relaxing about meandering aimlessly through the day without any schedule and just moving through from one activity to the other.

[mudmucker]

Oh, I like that headboard. Post pics when you get it finished! I agree about the "finish up projects" vacation. I'm doing the same thing this summer, except today Fastdogs and I are riding in Fenton. It's kind of nice not to have to be anywhere, just pick up and go when you want. I have put a new floor in my bathroom, refinished window sills, shampooed carpets, put up a new ceiling fant, planted some stuff and the list goes on and on.

Late this afternoon I finally finished the headboard I was making. Installing it and leveling it myself was interesting, but I had some good tricks. Well, I guess it looks better than a plain wall. I think I like the look better than a solid headboard for the space it's in. I hesitate to post so soon because I'm not done with the room. It's a little spartan in that part of the room. I intend to add some floating shelves for a more contemporary look, and take away the small table. The shelves will be totally made up as I go so it'll certainly be custom. I'm thinking 2 small glass shelves over a solid wood shelf. I'd like a drawer so I think I'll make my own custom drawer, a simple one as I'm no woodworker, using one of those drawer roller kits. I'll change the lighting but I don't know what it'll be - I'm not there yet.

I used cheap pine. The key is to use a good pre-stain so any blotching of the stain on a wood like pine is reduced. I used one coat of a polyurethane varnish to bring out the luster of the wood but not have it too shiny.

I took the idea from the DIY network here. I didn't like how high it was in the example, so I just adjusted the dimensions to the size of the bed and room. Although, it looks "larger" in the room than what is represented in the photo it seems. I didn't want to stain it dark. As you can see in the photos I have natural woodwork for the window casings and baseboards with wood flooring so I tried to match that. And tried to match the platform bed as well, which it does and you can't see. The 2 vertical slats are wider in the example it seems: Their studs look to be 24" on center were but mine are 16" on center so I obviously made it so I could attach the headboard via the 2 vertical slats into the studs.

I had a bunch of harsh lighting in this first photo, which washes out the wall color. It is a north facing room, so the paint color isn't dark.


I generally have low level lighting in this room, unless I drop an earring.


The overhead light fixture makes the wood a little lighter and bounces reflection. The overhead light fixture is going.



I still have my Pottery Barn duvet cover with the down comforter on the bed. It's been so cool here this summer. My usual summer spread is a light blue and white quilt.



The DIY network instructions said to cut 2 inch returns and put them on the end of the slats (all the ends have 45's) but I changed it to 1 1/2" returns because I didn't want them to be flush with the wall and make a bunch of marks.



I'll post again when I put the shelves and lighting in.