a new list

Feeling refreshed and raring to go again, I have a new creative list, things I would like to make and do this year. I did one last year and managed to complete most of the tasks, the curtain and the clothes for me didn't happen, fancy.

Armed with some juicy fabrics, from here, I will be printing onto the solids and diving into the list...

a quilt each for the girls (gulp)

a couple more cushions

a dress or two for me

a skirt for me

2 sets of curtains (which I loathe doing)

clothes for these ever growing children

make more progress on the bullseye

(see below)

develop some new designs for screen printing

have a go at an embroidery collage for the wall

make a magic potion that doubles the number of hours in a day

I know that is an impossible list, but you never know!...

The Bullseye, this is a slow project. It's my on-the-go project. It comes with me on the occassional tube journey and I pick it up while watching the girls at their swimming lessons. I am almost one year on from starting it, I may not have done loads, but I LOVE it, my circles are fairly ripply, but I can live with that. 

What are your creative plans for the year? Tell me you have impossible goals too, please! 

Playing along with my creative space.

s l o w

This week has been at a very  s l o w  pace, school holidays = sick child = lots of time at home, crafting, baking, just being, it has been great (now we're past the worst of the sickness). 

Which has given me a little time to crochet, the bullseye is coming on, slowly. I'm really enjoying doing this, it not complicated, easy to do 'on the go' and I can see the progress I'm making, which makes me happy.

Linking in with our creative spaces.

I was a featured 'best of the web' blog over at Craft Corners this week, thank you CC, I'm blushing slightly - go and take a look, there are oodles of crafty ideas over there, you know you need more to add to your 'must try that' list.

Happy Holidays, enjoy some  s l o w  time. x

fabric & yarn

A little retail therapy, to feed my new quilting habit, (nobody told me how addictive it is).

From Raystitch and John Lewis. 

When I'm watching Missy Big at her swimming lessons I like to have an easy and small crochet project on the go, I have more than enough ric-rac now...

...so I've started a new blanket, the Bullseye, also seen on Kate's blog (yes I'm stalking her crochet makes), which of course meant I needed more yarn. Gulp.

Child free, free time after a lovely and inspiring quilt meeting this weekend was dangerous for my purse.

quilting

Yesterday I managed to get started on the sewing of my first piece of quilting. It's a bit of a test piece really, I'm trying out different methods of piecing / patchwork and then trying out different threads for the hand quilting. I'm going to be making this into one of the 4 cushion covers I also need to make, two birds, one stone: why not?

For the stripy side of the cushion I have used a foundation piece of fabric and starting in the center I have stitched the strips on one by one and pressed them as I've gone. 

This gives you a fairly solid piece when they're all sewn down, which makes the basting quicker (luckily for me as I cannot find my tin of safety pins anywhere and had to hunt for odd strays around the house). 
I had thought this was called the foundation method, but having googled it and found something way too complicated for me I don't know what this method is called (answers on a postcard please).

The hand quilting is quite enjoyable, I think my stitches are a little big and wonky - but I'm sure I'll get better with practice. I'll be trying out different threads to see which I prefer. I love the texture you get with hand quilting, it looks very inviting.
If you are a hand quilter what type of thread do you use? 

I also managed to get Little Missy's hat finished, it's quite a nice fit, only a little snug, I think it will probably stretch a bit too. It feels like I'm doing well with my list so far, I'm sure I won't keep this pace up - but I'm going for it while I can.

I'm joining in with Work In Progress Wednesday, I'm a little obsessed at the moment.

the list

It occurred to me just after Christmas that January and February are the perfect months for guilt free crafting. It's too cold to be at the allotment, I have no birthdays to be making / planning for for a few months, it's a quiet time to be selling. 

So I'm making the most of it and I'm speeding ahead with my list...

My crochet hook case - finished. I do love the fabrics, but it is very pink.

I am also managing to follow my first ever crochet pattern and making Little Missy's hat. It's coming together very easily but I've tried it on her and I think it might turn out a little small, she's right in between the child's size and the woman's size, I'm following the child's size and thinking it might stretch, but as I've never followed a pattern before what if it doesn't stretch? I've also never worked with wool before (Rowan pure wool aran) does it stretch / shrink?? Any advice welcome! 

I've also joined the new London Modern Quilt Guild. I know I'm a novice quilter, but they still let me join. I'm so excited about this new project and have so many ideas... 

... hoping to get onto some quilting next week - watch this space! 

my creative space

Is a bit all over the place. I finally stitched the crochet flowers onto Little Missy's scarf, she's wearing it all the time now, phew she likes it.

But my new project is very exciting. My younger brother (notice I didn't say little brother - the temptation is huge!) is getting married later in the year and his lovely bride-to-be asked me to make her wedding dress.
Of course I will!!! I was honoured, surprised, thrilled and a little bit terrified - I haven't made anything for a grown up for ages, what if I've forgotten how?

With the little one packed off to pre-school I got cracking. Stereo blasting out (sorry neighbours), No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom, I drafted the pattern and today cut out the calico for the toile (mock up version). 
This took me back to when I used spend ours cutting patterns / fabrics for new designs, bare foot whilst listening to something loud.
I had the best time. It reminded me of who I used to be, it made me wonder who I am now and who I will become as the children get older. 
Needless to say I am really enjoying this project.


This is a bit of a creative tease, because of course you won't actually get to see it until the summer, after the big day. 
As you can imagine my little girls are delighted to have been asked to be bridesmaids, Big is oh-so excited, Little said she'd rather be a princess thank you. (two more dress to make?)


The wedding is a handmade one, they are a creative pair, as are many of their friends and family who are being brought in to help, I'm very excited - there's a lot of love going into this wedding.


Speaking of love.... 

... look what dropped through my letter box. I was the lucky winner of Flaming Nora's 'love token' giveaway. It is just perfectly scrumptious, along with a card and some chocolates for us all - which I promise I will share. Thank you, thank you!

More creative spaces over at Kootoyoo.
 

my creative space

Is a little full.

In the middle of this...

...making a waterproof cover to keep Little Missy's legs warm and dry in the pushchair and adding loops and tabs to keep it from falling off and getting tangled in the wheels...

... a scarf for the little one out of odds and ends...

...and great plans to turn this into 24 mini stockings as an advent 'calender'... (how many days do I have to get this done?)


And countless other projects that are unfinished - over ambitious as always. Do you have more projects on the go than you can handle? Please, tell me you do.

More creative souls over here.

my creative space

Having made many crochet flowers, the next question is what to do with them?

 
Add a hairband and a few french knots and you have a sweet little hairband. 

These will go into the children's lucky cups for the school Christmas Fair - much better than sweets don't you think?

More creative spaces over at Kootoyoo. 

 

laveneder and crochet

I've had my eye on crocheted ric-rac for a while, I managed to have a go... what do you think?

It's so super easy, and quick so I feel like I've achieved something. So now I'm a whizz at this, I'll be adding it to more dresses, bags, cushions, anything that doesn't move really. 
Go on, you know you want a go too. The tutorial is over at Foxs Lane, so pleased Kate shared it with us.

My little lavender plant isn't happy where it is, but it did give me a few gorgeous flowers this year. I love it's subtle colours against the slate. 

We've got family coming tomorrow, and on Friday I'm off to the Knitting and Stitching Show at Ally Pally with my Mum to be inspired by the exhibition and stock up on more crafty supplies (yes I'm very sure I need more).


I'll pop back next week with my goodies and a picture of the dress which is now back together in one piece ( never, ever, ever let me alter anything again - how long did it take me?? Ridiculous!)


Have a great week, x

my creative space

A little sneeky peek at the Christmas stocking I'm making for my swap partner in Selina's Christmas Stocking Swap. I know who my partner is, but it's a secret so I'm teasing you with just a peek. 

I quite like how it's turning out, though it's smaller and narrower than I'd hoped. I've made stockings before but couldn't find my pattern and in my excitement just made another. It's good for small gifts though - it's not all about size is it?

I'm trying to learn to follow a crochet pattern, so I'm making up flowers from this scrummy book. Some are a bit wonky, but I'm getting to grips with the terminology (almost) and they will look sweet on a garland in the girls room, or maybe on a new dress each. 

Have you seen this? I'm taking part in this Kids Clothes Week Challenge, so I've bought some new winter fabrics (I really do need them - honest!) and I'm planning on a partyish dress each.

Phew, so loads in my head  - need to get cracking....

See more creative spaces over at Kootoyoo.

my creative space

I've been a little busy on the allotment this week to get much done creatively but I did have a go at some very simple crochet flowers. I'm planning on making some summer dresses for the girls and thought some little flowers would be a lovely detail on them - so I had a go at these simple ones and had great fun - I've even ordered a couple of crochet books dedicated just to flowers and motifs, so watch this space for some more.

See more creative spaces at Kirsty's.


Meanwhile the garden is looking happy, this is my favourite tree, I have no idea what it is, but every year for few weeks it is this beautiful fluff of pink.
It's a fairly spindly tree and once the pink has gone it looks a little whispy.
Here's a close up of it's tiny delicate flowers, some are yet to reveal themselves.


If you know what it is please tell me, I'd love to know.

happy weekend x

my creative space

Here's a little peak into what I've been up to this week.
Some yarn arrived yesterday so I could carry on with Little Missy's blanket, I got stuck in last night whilst watching the last 'Edible Gardener' and mentally planning the next stages of our allotment.

I have to say the blanket is coming on nicely, it's going to be various shades of pink and red and the only plan is stripes, I do like simple.
The tale behind Missy Bigs blanket is here, this is an ongoing project - and at my rate they will be several years in the making.

Play along and add your creative space at Kirsty's.


Carrying on from my 'cutting the garden' moment I picked this cowslip ( I have much to learn - it's actually cow parsley!) at the allotment this week and thought it quite splendid in it's simplicity.

The house feels very different when full of flowers, I love it. So I think I'll carry on this idea and look at things differently in the garden - I shall be taking my snips to everything with a bit of scent and beauty and bringing it indoors to be truly admired.

happy creating x

made with love

When my first daughter was 6 months old I returned to work part-time.

I decided to set myself a project I could do during my lunch break. I decided upon a rather ambitious crochet cot blanket, whilst I enjoyed crocheting I wasn't (and still aren't) an expert so it was a challenge, especially as I had no pattern and thought I'd just make it up as I went along.

As time went on and I realised just how slow the process is, the little lady grew out of her cot.
I was then pregnant again and too exhausted to crochet.


Fast forward to now, the 6 month old baby is now 4 and a half. The blanket still isn't cot size and it's a bit wonky. I now have a 2 year old I'd also like to make a blanket for.

So I've hatched a plan.
Stop work on the first blanket - start on the second one and once that's at a reasonable size go back and add to the first one, then go back and add to the second one... you get the idea... this process will no doubt continue for the next 15 years or so, by then the blankets may be single bed size - or if not - ready to pass on to future grandchildren.



But I love doing them, and the girls have found it makes the perfect picnic blanket for their friends.....

happy crocheting x

our newest friends

meet our newest friends....
'olive' and 'rosie' - the crochet cats I made with the help of my 4 year old, she's very proud of the tails she made and the eyes she chose, aren't they adorable?

we're a crafty bunch and have decided to share our creations with you, it seems a shame to keep them to ourselves.....
i hope you like what you see.

have a happy day x