2022 March

Gingers are usually cheerul and happy, but  that was totally inappropriate for the shocking events that have happened this month, so I made this sad Ginger holding a Ukraine sunflower.  I'm not making them for sale but I have made a donation to the Red Cross appeal

On a more cheerful nore, the very talented Janine blogged about keeping a Book of Days - projects that grab your attention.  They are entered in the book as a safe place to keep ideas, they may never be made but they have been recorded.  My art skills are not up to hers and I tend to use Pinterest for ideas I want to keep, but she did inspire me to make a log of everything I have started to make and really should finish one day!

Be kind about my drawings - they are rubbish, but they are enough to remind me of each project, and that's all I need.  As I type this I realised there are still more to go in the book, but this gives you an idea!

I really do need to finish something before I start something else!  My plan is to cut off the top right corner if each project as I finish it so I can have a visual pat on the back for actually finishing something!!!

Not in the book, because it's crochet not sewing, is the Fall Shawl V2.  By mid March I got back to the size when I'd had to frog it 

And now, it's 99% finished (about 6 ends to sew in).  It's about 2m wide on the longest side so very difficult to photograph

It's lovely to wear, and I'm loving the "picot triangles" on the edge: I totally failed to grasp the instructions but with long distance help from Jackie and Amo I bodged a wiggly edge and am more than happy!

I went and set up the village hall early for Stitch and Crafty Church this month so I could speed date these 'covered corner' blocks in peace and privacy.  My thought was that I could do it at Crafty Church but I needed 8 tables which is all we have, and it's Lisa's birthday pressie so it's better if she doesn't see it!

Talking of birthdays - this glass panel was Brian's birthday pressie from the girls and I, I love it!

I made this Ginger for a friend,

And lots of these for Mothering Sunday at Church

However life then changed based on one of these (well two actually as husband had a matching one!)

So - jobs that had been put off for years no longer had any excuse to be put off any longer!  New kitchen cupboard doors and worksurfaces are due in April to transform this

So cupboards came down and walls and ceilings were painted

Cupboards cleaned

Patio tidied

And the fabric matched and cut

And half way to being a Chemo Comforter requested by a colleague of Niki's

But an opps!  

Do not proceed if you have any affilliation with the Quilt Police!

I cant believe when planning this block  I never considered seam allowance

How stupid is this!!!  How many years have I been patchworking????

It's simply too late to do anything about this - I think've used ten packs of FQ!!! I can't start again -  All I can say is I hope Lisa loves it despite the gaps!  (Plum I need to re-write the instructions!!!!!)

PS - and blogger spell checks seems to have gone on holiday, so aplogies for any spelling mistakes!

2021 Week 52

Happy New Year to all

I must have been a good girl in 2021 as I was very spoiled at Christmas:

My little gang of Ginger Fans in the villages outdid themselves!  Look at the awesome Gingers I received from them!!!!

This cross stitched card from Niki

These awesome goodies from Jim, Plum, Jackie, Niki and Kathy: things made for me and things to make!  Thank you all so much!!!!

And this advent calendar stocking from Sharon (must take a pic of the finished version)

In other news: Niki and I helped with Meals on Wheels on Christmas Day - and she got cuddles with Monty and that made her day!

Lisa was trying to finish Niki's Christmas pressie: a heavy (t-shirt yarn) crochet blanket but the cats had other ideas!

(Niki loves it !)

And so does Thor!!!

Photos of this years' (and last years') Julenissen flooded into my inbox and social media - it makes me so happy to see them!

  

  

  

  

Thanks to Alice I have now sussed crochet "magic circles" and have started on squares for a blanket using up oddments from my previous blanket

And I made a decision about my not-enough-wool-to-make-a-big-shawl-but-not-enough-money-to-buy-more-skeins problem. I overlapped the ends and stitched them in place so I have a cowl/scarf and I might have ordered some variegated wool and a pattern to make a big multicoloured shawl at far less cost than even the skein I bought so far of the original plan!!!

2021 Week 25

Magic, Munchkins and Gingers!

My old Boss has been training to be a Methodist minister and his ordination was held last weekend.  Stupid Covid prevented us attending in person but I was able to watch it live on YouTube

I wanted to send him a gift and at the same time my current boss / vicar had asked me to make a magic bag.  If you haven't seen one it might help to know it's a story telling bag

I started by cutting ten rectangles 9x10" (actually one green/outer needs to be 9x12")

I then added to the yellow rectangles - vicar boss got a party vibe design and newly ordained boss got a cup that runneth over, and I added  a small zipped pocket to one starry piece each

There are possibly a few million ways to sew these rectangles together, and only a few are directional, but I think I sewed and un-sewed every single combination, but I got there in the end!

(for reference: 

start with the stars, with pocket to the right, 

then add onto the right side: yellow (4th) (top to the left if applicable, the top continues to alternate),

then black (3rd) 

then blue (2nd) 

then green (1st) 

then reverse the order so green (wide piece), blue, black, yellow and stars

If you know Psalm 23 you can follow the story

So when all the shapes are stitched together, join the two green to each other to complete the loop. 

Arrange on the desk so it reads zipped star tipped anti clockwise, star, image topped anti clockwise, black and blue on the top, and (from l to r) yellow, black, blue, wide green, green on the back)

Phew.  The wide piece of green now gets folded and folded so it can be stitched down to hold ALL the sides together with no raw edges

Because I stitched it wrong soooo many times I would suggest pinning or tacking this together to check the story works but if it does you can tell the story of 

Being laid down in green pasture (then turn inside out)

Being lead to quiet waters (ditto)

Walk through the valley of death

Having a table prepared for me

And dwelling in the house of the Lord

And a zip pocket with gold lining incase it's needed!

I hope he likes it!!!!

I was sent a pic of a munchkin on a Patchwork I-spy quilt . . . my favourite kind of photo!

And this neighbour's munchkin looked so cool with his golf set I had to make a Ginger

I've been doing some "public announcement" ones too - for National Smear week 

National Chess week

And Water Safety month

And finally a few t-shirts for some friends who run a local mental health group