Autumnal Arrangements .. . . . . . . .

Over the past few months, I have been a whirlwind of making. It has been one project following another. Our window display changed to an Autumnal theme. This only lasted a couple of months and it is now time for Christmas! Where does time fly too? 

 Window display 

 For my autumnal theme I went quite traditional, with bursts of colour and little characters galore. I played with ribbon to make an autumnal ribbon garland; 

I also made a funky fox called Derek who is a handsome chappie with a top hat and bow tie, love his colours. 

 He sat in the shop and kept giving the customers the eye. Felt he looked a little lonely, so I made him a “foxyfriend”, Doreen! 

 She is very pretty, with a pretty vintage clip in her hair. I think they make a handsome couple! 

I have become obsessed with autumnal colours, I went on another crochet rambling of round, around and around with a Autumnal giant Mandala, and this became my perfect backdrop! 

 

Love a perfect edging too. 

There were Pumpkins too and fallen leaves. 

 

Also a lovely, friend made Hoggly the Hedge pig. 

 Soon enough another Hedge pig joined in the party with the arrival of Mr Hedge.  Think Hoggly is a little shy hiding under the leaves peeping out  wiggling her nose at Hedge!  He is ahandsome devil. 

 We have lots of romancing going on at Miss Millicent. I am sure when the lights go out that things come alive!!! I may leave a note and ask if they will make themselves useful and do some of my making, you never know it may work. 

I am now working on my Christmas display which is due to be put out this week! It is all go with this making malarkey, no moaning, just keep going luckily the weather is becoming colder, perfect to get up to so cozy craftiness. Hope you have a good week and keep crafting xx

A bit of Mid-week Making

For this weeks Mid-Week Making, I have been slipper sock crocheting, using a glorious Stylecraft pattern and for once I am being good and using the correct yarn, specified in the pattern.  I don't always do that I like to experiment, then you never know what it will turn out like.  Your twist on things, it's good for your crafty soul.  

The yarn is Stylecraft  Classique Cotton which is lovely to use.  The pattern uses two strands and produces quite a sturdy slipper sock.  Can't wait to try them on!!  

Have you noticed, I am very colour co-ordinated too with my blue hook!! This was quite by accident.   It's lovely to be co-ordinated!! 

Have a good week and keep crafting xx 

Catching my tail on Mid-Week Makes'

A bit of a catch up for the last couple of makes in the midst, this week showcased knitting, yes I definitely said knitting!! The lovely art of sock knitting, it can be addictive this going around and around, and using four double pointed needles keeps the mind very occupied. 

This  lovely sock yarn is Wendy - Happy it contains bamboo to let your feet breath.  They will be a Christmas present for my Dad, he has a thing about socks.  Mind you he may only get  one for Christmas and the second for his birthday!!  I have given myself half an hour a day,  but fear it is going to be one of those projects that on Christmas Eve,  I am going to be there frantically knitting in the round with a schooner of sherry at my side!! 

For my next 'Mid-Week Makes' I am in the throws of making myself some fingerless mitts.  It has been on my to do list for 2014, to make myself two crocheted items to wear; one being a cowl and the other some mitts.  I am terrible when choosing colours as I just 'willy nilly' choose away with total disregard for what items are in my wardrobe, so I have decided that multi coloured is the way to go, they will go with everything.  I am using Katia Basic Merino which is so lovely to use and comes in a an array of happy colours.  

I am now in full swing making for my new Christmas Window display, so lots of Christmassy makes in the midst.  Hope you have a good week and keep crafty xx

The Cheery Cheeky Chevron blanket . . . . . at last!

"At Blooming last" the little voice inside my head says!  A couple of weeks ago I finally finished my 'Cheeky Chevron' blanket, which has been a pick up, put down project for about a year. I like those sorts of projects as you feel like you have climbed a mountain when they are finished, I feel really chuffed with myself too. 

 This project was a constant face in my work in progress bowl! 

Works in progress - January 2014 

 

Works in progress - June 2014 

One of my favourite colours is duck egg blue, so this was definitely going to be used. I did not want to do all different colours, I wanted a colour scheme for this little beauty.

Sure you would agree that the cheeky chevron blanket definitely lends to a colour scheme. I did not have the sun, sea and sand in my mind when choosing the colour scheme in fact is was quite by accident, as my mission when I started was to use my scraps of wool, which would mean it would be a blanket of multi colours.  Following much pondering, this little colour scheme was born. 

 I love a nice edging, so for me it had to be a bobbly one, and most definitely in sunny yellow.  It reminds me of the sea, sand with the sun poking through fluffy white clouds. 

 Hope you like keep crafting! Xx

This weeks Mid-Week making

For this weeks mid-week making, I have started a blanket which is a new Stylecraft pattern, that I  stock in the shop.  It is one of those patterns that as soon as I saw it I knew that I had to do it.  I am  sure you understand this is purely as a sample for the shop.  However, the cogs are turning and I'm thinking that one maybe on the cards for home!

This pattern is made up of beautiful simple flower motifs, which are joined together to form a beautiful cheerful blanket. How pretty is this, hope you like it?    

I will keep you posted as to my progress 20 flowers made. . . . . only 187 to go, woo hoo I love that feeling. 

See you soon and keep crafty xx

This weeks mid week makes . . . . . . .

Just a quickie for this weeks mid-week making, I am in the midst of making a mini quilt, with patchwork blocks of tea cups! 

Ohhh I do love a cup of tea, whether it be summer or winter. In the summer it helps cool you down and in the winter there is nothing finer than warming your hands on a cup of tea. I think it does truly have medicinal properties, when you are upset it cheers you up, when things go wrong it makes you feel better, and if you are happy it makes you even more happier!  

My mini make is going to be a four block quilt with pretty tea cups, in reds, pinks and crisp white.  Perfect for in my kitchen at the shop.  

 Hope you like and keep crafty xx.

A bit of home mid-week making . . . . . .

On my work table at home and for my makes in the midst this week, I found a little time to do some hand quilting, after doing some boring old chores.  In fact In my head that day I planned to do some crafting, so it made me do my boring things quicker!

This project has been a lengthy make in the midst, I knew it would as I wanted to make a quilt which was totally handmade, firstly, I English Paper Pieced (EPP) the squares of lovely fabric, which are in lovely shades of blues and creams. 

 This quilt is double bed size, in a favourite colour combination of mine,  it has appliqué butterflies which were firstly hand embroidered.   

Then by hand I sewed seed beads to make the trails of the flutterby's shimmer in the light.  Instead of binding I have made a crocheted edging in a mercerised thread, using a 1.75mm hook.    

I am now hand quilting around the butterflies to bring the layers together. A bit cock-eyed way of doing things, but I could not wait to do the crocheting, and I could not decide what design to hand quilt.  I love hand quilting, it is so relaxing, the world is your oyster regarding what design you use, and just stitch away.  I will certainly show once finished.  

Hope you like? 

Ramblings on my Mid-Week Makes - PART 2

On Wednesday 21st May 2014, I was in the process of making a circular granny crocheted cushion cover, which is a little different to the traditional granny, as there is an additional row in between your trebles. 

 This is a new Stylecraft pattern where you can make a square or round version. I also used Stylecraft Classique Cotton, which comes in an array of beautiful colours, so rather than be conventional and use what they say in the pattern, I decided to use all the colours and this is the result. I like it! 

 Finished cushion. 

The next make, is to be part of my new window display.  I try to change my window display following the seasons, I like to keep to a theme and make as much in the window as I possibly can, hence why I maybe do it seasonally. I am busy crocheting and making little summery creations and all being well I will be displaying my makes in the next couple of weeks. 

The daisy hearts are a pattern from Ravelry, which is for a dishcloth!! Ooh makes me go a bit hot to think my beloved crochet is being used to wipe my kitchen sides down!! The little roundy yellow and black thingy which looks a bit like a cork at the min, is eventually going to be a bee and is my own pattern.

A bit more crocheting for this weeks makes in the midst whereby I started a favourite pattern of mine the good ole 'Granny Stripe', the reasons for my love of this is due to the fact that I love the array of colours that can be used, how big my blanket will be? Shall I stop or just keep going, and going?  Then the decisions upon what edgings to do, oooh decisions, decisions cluster, lace, bobble, stripy?  I usually decide once the blanket is finished, every colour scheme quite rightly deserves a different edging.  

Hope you have enjoyed, keep crafty xx 

Catching up with Mid-Week Makes

I am getting there, I am a week behind, I will catch my tail shortly!  Last weeks Mid-Week makes, was the happiest of hookiness, for the past few weeks I have been working upon my summer window display, it plans to be buntings, flowers and pretties a plenty! I have decided that it will be all things summer! To me though part of summer is having a glass of pimms in the garden, do not think my shop being all about haberdashery and gifts would suit a pimms bottle!! (hee-hee) 

 My makes for last week were buntings, with all the commemorative World War I and D-Day, I thought a little bit of good ole Great British colours would not look out of place!! 

 Makes in the Midst – Bunting

Before having my shop, my makes were always for my home, turning it into a home of crafty collections. I have made my own curtains/blinds, covered lampshades, made blankets galore, cushions, bunting and lots of little bits and pieces. With having the shop, my time to do this has been drastically cut. I am not stopping though, this has spurred me on with my ‘mission to make’ my timetable has been tweeked, such that on a Friday and Saturday night I make for me! So on my sewing table at home this week is two patchwork cushions. Firstly, is a make in the midst from a couple of weeks, a hexi-bolster cushion, using the English Paper Piecing method I am winging it!!

 Hexi bolster 

Then for my second cushion, I have a great granny throw on my bed and finally got around to sorting my material stash, which uncovered some beautiful materials I did not know I had. When I found this colour scheme it would go perfectly with my "scarlett granny" throw. 

 Patchworky square cushion front . . .

And the back of my Patchworky Square 

Hope that you have a good week! Keep crafty xx

Ramblings on 'Mid-Week Makes', !!WARNING!! PART 1 OF 2

Thought that I would have a ramble on about my past and present mid-week makes, (I must warn this will be in two parts) to keep you up to speed and then hopefully do this on a weekly basis. For those who do not follow me on facebook, every week I have what is called ‘mid-week makes’. Every Wednesday I show my 'makes in the midst', hence the name. Then the plan is that on a Friday, I show my finished makes which is called ‘Finished Friday’. The point of this was to hopefully give me a little kick up the rear end to finish my makes a little speedier. It does work in principle, however as you know “Rome was not built in a couple of days”, and some makes take longer than others.

I am quite passionate about patchwork, I just love material and love having a stash of it too. Women love a stash, I hear it through my knit and natter groups. Us crafty folk love a good ole stash, whether it be yarn, material, threads, other crafty materials and things. My Mum has a pantry where she stashes essentials such as; toilet rolls, toothpaste, biscuits, chocolate, cakes, tins of foods, soap, washing powder and cleaning products. We call it her shop, you know that if you ever run out of something, we know that my mum will have one in her shop!! Crafty people are the same, I am sure when I say this that you may be the same. I admit it, I hide my stash especially from my husband, sure he knows though!  

A bit of my material stash, I am willing to share! 

In my stash I have material that I think is too pretty to use, so it has sat there in my special stash box for a good few years!! In my head I am awaiting that special project to then use it, which I know may never come! Never right!! 

Anyway back to what I came to talk about, my mid-week makes. I have had this rippling blanket of loveliness on the go for a good while, it has been a project that I return to when I am either inbetween makes, or my brain needs a little repetition.   I love the colours, think blues are one of my favourite colour, reminds me of blue skies and the yellow is a bit of sun peeping through the white clouds of fluffiness.

 Ripple blanket. 

It is not finished as yet, it is my ongoing project, as I want it to be the size of a double bed, so I shall continue the rippling journey.

My next weeks mid-week make was a BED RUNNER. I say this it will be a bed runner and not a blanket, a bed runner!!! I do start with good intentions and then cannot stop my fingers. I love the colours of this and I do love a crocheted cluster or too. 

 Harlequin Blanket. 

 All being well I will do a another post on this and jot the pattern down too. 

On Wednesday 23rd April 2014, I was and still am in the midst of my Hexi heaven patchwork. I love hexagons both crochet and patchwork. This is going to be a cover for a bolster cushion, I am not following a pattern, "just winging it" as they say. So this is my “proto-type”, hopefully it turns out like the picture in my mind. All shall be revealed shortly on hopefully my ‘Finished Friday’. 

 Hexi-Heaven

Then on Wednesday 14th May 2014, in the midst of patchwork heaven. I just get passionate with patchwork, I want to make it all. 

These little squares soon to be turned into triangles, were destined to be a cushion. I love this pattern and think that it has great potential as a coverlet or quilt! True to my word on that Friday I had a ‘Finished Friday’ woo hoo. I love it when a plan comes together it makes my Friday feeling the happiest. 

 

Think that is all for now, I do not want to bombard with too much in my little catch up session. Stay tuned to be continued/ . . . . .

Not a crafty one, but very cute!

I don't want to use my blog to dwell on sad things, but about three months ago my beloved little guinea piggy the beautiful Gloria, was called to the big clouds in the sky.  She is as we speak probably sitting on the softest cloud in the sky munching on some lovely green grass!  She was a lovely piggy, with a motherly nature, but was the boss too,  often scalding the younger pigs with a nudge of her twitching nose to place them in order.  I didn't have her for long, she was a rescue piggy who did not have a good start in life. I made sure she spent the remainder of her years munching on green grass and homegrown veggies - running free and squeaking to her little hearts content!  

My beautiful Gloria xx

I was not going to have anymore pigs, I rescued four from Petwelfare in Stafford, including Gloria.  These are my current piggy's;

Betty (the new boss)

Marjorie (an ole gal)

And last but not least the youngest scamp of the pack Marmalade!

So with the loss of my Gloria I decided no more, I get too attached and upset when they leave. However after much contemplating, I decided to add to my menagerie!  So I would like to introduce you to my new additions . . . . 

Peggy and . . . .

Winifred aka Winnie.  

For the past week I have been on "Guinea Pig watch",  as you have to ensure when introducing that no fighting occurs, so I have had a helper! 

Think there has been more watching of Mills.  A few little incidents, but now all is calm as the pecking order has been established.  

I love pinny gigs! xx