ThreadBear

She’s framed! ✨

Absolutely blown away by the craftsmanship of @theframeroom_ and how good the beads look in a custom walnut frame.

Seeing your projects complete and finished off so beautifully makes the inspiration flow.

So. Many. Ideas.

#beadwork #beadloom #art #artist #local

The Fleet ⛵️

There’s something magical about the idea of boats drifting across still, mirror-like water beneath an endless sky of stars. A place where the ripples seem to stretch on forever. A place that makes you feel wonderfully small, yet completely certain that you are exactly where you’re meant to be.

This quilt was made for a very special little girl. My hope is that she grows up knowing she can follow whatever path calls to her, and that even when life feels uncertain, she’ll find her way to where she is meant to be.

This quilt was a journey in more ways than one. Designs changed, fabrics changed, mistakes were made, and plenty of lessons were learned along the way. It gently reminded me to loosen my grip on perfection, trust the process, and lean into creativity and problem-solving rather than frustration (well… mostly).

It’s incredible what making things with our hands can teach us.

And this one? I love it very much. 🖤

#quilt #create #boat #local #sewing

Another one of my long-standing craft obsessions: knitting 🧶✨

I remember the days when taking your knitting to school felt very cool (maybe taking it to work will be just as cool!) Back then it was mostly rows of slightly wonky strips and squares. What they were meant to become, I can’t quite remember. Some became Barbie blankets, while many were quietly taken off the needles and wound back into a ball for the next time I begged my mom to cast on for me—because I definitely couldn’t do that part yet.

Now, I can cast on, cast off, knit baby booties, beanies, and (almost finished) a whole jersey along with a few other gorgeous things along the way ✨

These little booties were made with a silk and cotton blend, which was incredible to work with and not to mention the colour!!

Lately my fingers have been itching to learn something a little more challenging, and I’ve found myself falling into the world of knitted colourwork socks. I have a feeling this might become another ThreadBear obsession 🖤🧦

#knitting #socks #create #crafts #babybooties

A stained glass moment 🪴

Stained glass feels like one of those well-kept secrets here in Cape Town—tucked away, quietly waiting to be discovered (and with supplies found in just one special little shop).

It’s become one of my favourite crafts, and also one of the most humbling. You’re working with something solid, unyielding… and you only get one chance to shape it just right. It asks for patience, presence, and a steady kind of care.

I created this propagation station as a way to bring stained glass out of its usual spaces—beyond windows and lampshades—and into something small, functional, but magical. A piece that can live quietly in a corner of your home, catching the light and growing something beautiful.

There’s something so special about the way glass comes to life when the light moves through it✨

#stainedglass #plant #glassart #magic #craft

Side quest #37: Patchwork Beads 🪡

A question I hear often is: “Have you finished the other project you started?”
And most of the time, my answer is a soft… “not yet.”

I’ve come to love my side quests. Yes, they do sometimes pull me away from the “main project,” but they carry their own kind of magic. Little detours filled with lessons, tiny sparks of inspiration, and moments of curiosity that I didn’t know I needed.

In a way, they keep the whole journey alive. They remind me why I started creating in the first place. And when I do return to the “main quest,” I find I love it even more—with fresh eyes, full hands, and a heart a little more inspired. 🖤

#beadwork #beadart #creative #art

I’m just a girl who loves forgotten crafts and the stories stitched into them. 🧵✨

This is the very first quilt I’ve ever made—and it won’t be the last. I chose a traditional pattern to learn the process, but there was something delightfully whimsical about the windmill blocks. They reminded me of the pinwheels I had as a child, catching the light and spinning happily in the wind.

Like many first quilts, this one carries a gentle lesson: learning to let go of perfection. Some seams don’t line up exactly, and some corners wander a little—but those small imperfections are part of its story. There will never be another one quite like it, and I think that’s part of the magic.

I was also lucky enough to have the best guide along the way—Simmy from @stitch_n_stuff_shop —who patiently helped me learn the rhythm of piecing it all together.

Right now I’m working on another quilt for a dear friend. It’s been quietly growing alongside me through many seasons—moments of happiness, sadness, acceptance, and the rediscovery of my creative spark. My hope is that every square in that quilt will travel through another person’s life too, holding space for all the beautiful ups and downs that make a life whole.

Recently I went to a talk at @furnitureweek.capetown where an inspiring designer said something that stayed with me: the most radical thing you can do in this day and age is create with your hands.

That thought feels very close to the heart of ThreadBear. In a fast-moving world, there is something quietly powerful about slowing down, making something by hand, and creating objects filled with care, time, and a little bit of soul. 🖤

The need to always collect little treasures - rocks, shells and shiny things - has been part of me for as long as I can remember. I think it began with hen I was a small girl and my dad would bring me the most interesting rocks he had discovered, as if he was gifting me tiny pieces of earths magic.

Over time, those treasures grew into crystals, beads, rocks, fabric and threads and eventually into a whole constellation of creative hobbies.
This past December, I felt a nudge to turn that love into something lasting - aaart - something to remember a very special holiday by. Our first one spent in my parents’ new home, after saying goodbye to our family house that held so many stories. A quiet beginning of a brand new chapter for all of us.

Leaving one home to return to another is always a little bittersweet. But now I have treasures on my wall that sparkle with memory - tiny reminders of love, change and the magic of home, wherever it may be 🏡

Frame was done by the talented @the_framer_claremont and help identifying treasures by the bestest @creating_jem ❤️

#seashells #maker #art #magic #tidal #treasures #local #smallbuisness #capetown #creative #create

I’ve been collecting beads since I was a little girl - one of the side affects of being part magpie ✨
Every now and then when I open my bead box (which is actually more of a crate), it feels like stepping back in time, peeking into young Kerryn’s creative world.

Inside are old pictures from magazines and pattern sketches I must have drawn when I was about 10, dreaming up designs for my bead loom - a very special birthday gift from my parents.
Recently, I stumbled across the sweetest little panda face 🐼 designed by @beadcrumbshawaii . and then he needed a friend stegosaurs!

Figuring out the pattern, understanding the weave, and watching it all come together has been so exciting. It’s also the perfect little pocket craft - very easy to pick up and quite hard to put down!

Beads always take my back to my childhood. There’s something quietly magical about turning tiny, shiny things into something handwoven - something you can wears hold and admire ✨

#handmade #bead #beadwork #panda #stegosaurus #local #smallbusiness #tiny #brickstitch