2024 February

Hi, here is this month's summary!

I finished my Christmas wool crochet blanket, I love the colours.  I ended up deconstructing the variegated wool as I wanted 123454321  rather than 1234512345 (if that makes any sense at all!)

I started a new one, from an old unloved one that I frogged, but I have since fallen out of love with this version too, I think it just wasn't destined to be a success 

I bought some new cutlery, with wooden handles.  The packaging said dishwasher safe but after I'd opened the packaging we realised the dishwasher proofing was 50 degrees or below, and ours doesn't go that cold.  We mixed up some resin and dunked the cutlery in the resin then left it to drip dry

There was some resin left over, so I coated some clay "toadstools" and hopefully they'll survive for a while in the garden

Jackie and I made these bags when she was here: I was delighted when I saw the same style in a shop window in Regents Street! Fancy us being trendy!

At Crafty Church I laid out my Paula Doyle blocks - I will get round to stitching them eventually!

At Stitch we had a fab production line packing kits - 53 packed and as soon as we can get them into big enough boxes we can send them off

These were made at February's Fun With Fabric - It was a bit of a challenge to attach the fabric to the plastic frame, but they persevered! 

And that was it for February - see you next month!

2021 Week 32

Hello lovely people in Blogland!  I seem to have quite a few finishes and WIPs for you today (you might even thinkthe to-be-done pile has shrunk but you would be wrong!!)

I was persuaded to the a scorpion Ginger for a bug train in the village!!!

I finished a crewel type feather embroidery (the outline was deigned on the PC and Lizzie embroidered it for me, so I js coloured in the sections with thread!!!)

I have opted in on a hexie flower swap for have July flowers coming in

And August flowers going out (a lack of fabric meant I didn't make myself a green flower)

Friends and I have been playing with resin

These embroideries were gifted to my friend Dalwyn when he was first ordained.  He sadly passed away recently - his partner Pete sent me this lovely photo from Dalwyn's study

I've tried not to refer to COVID on the blog, but I saw this and loved it - Tara will you now finally comment on the blog?????

The very kind and generous Sharon managed to travel from Dubai to UK - and came bearing gifts!!!

These amazing fabrics are from South Africa - they need the *perfect* project so I'm pinning idea here https://www.pinterest.co.uk/slikstitches/shwe-shwe-inspiration/ - do let me know if you have any ideas, they are stiffer than patchwork fabric, almost waxed

She also brought other goodies ...

And she didn't even know that I had lusted after Tara D's light box - and now I have my own!!!!

I have been very spoiled!!!

This hexie quilt is growing - slightly unusual dimensions as it's a hug rather than a bed quilt

And I grabbed this pic from Instagram - one of the tissue pouches I made for a wedding

 Hope you have managed to craft too!

2021 Week 26

Sorry - photo overload . . . you have been warned!

I know this is mostly a crafty blog - but I did make this gorgeous girl!!!!

#2 daughter is still best friends with three girls she met at school (aged just 5) and two of then are getting married this year . . . and having the other 3 as their bridesmaids.  The first wedding was last Saturday.  

This little minx is the next bride to be in a few weeks time

The bridesmaids and their partners (just the groom missing!)

We found the groom

Niki wanted a photo with "Mumma and Papa P" - the brides' parents.  

He started his speech by thanking the bridesmaids and how they'd been in and out of his house so often throughout their childhood he thought of them as extra daughters - that set them all off sobbing . . . luckily I had made plenty of tissue cases so they could dry their eyes!  (Talk to Me ginger is nothing to do with the wedding, he just wanted to be in the photo!)

I made tissue cases with white embroidery for bride and groom (or may have forgotten the change the thread but keep that under your hat!) which went down well too . . . as did the ginger bride and groom!

I was given one of the table displays and am currently drying all the flowers - I'm experimenting with resin but they need to be dry first - 

I've also got some flowers being pressed, and one bud (hopefully) drying in salt

There was a bit of dress lining and a fair bit of dress fabric left after the (very traumatic) taking up of the dress so I made a rope bowl, maybe to put the resin results in.

2021 Week 23

 My gosh it's nearly half way through the year!  How did that happen???

Not much creating this week, as often seems to be the case!

I did get a bumper load of hexies tacked

And the are gradually being added to this: In my mind the curve would continue off to the right, but I clearly didn't think that through property!  I probably should have turned it through 30 degrees then at least they would have been a chevron  to give some interest to the right side, but the stripe effect is starting to grow on me, and I'm pleased with the non symmetrical-ness of it and I'm certainly not taking it apart to restart, so it is what it is!!!!

In other news I took up one of two bridesmaid dresses for Niki - sooooo stressful, the worst sort of sewing!  Anyway this one is done and I've found someone else to do the second one as it would be ever harder to do

Brian decided that as I wasn't sewing and didn't have much work on I could help with the new porch step!!!  A lot of sand and cement was mixed, 

a lot of old bricked were used up as hardcore (thank goodness)

And we now have a proper step for the first time in 32 years!!!!

(Tiles to be added later)

I also had a play date with two mums and three munchkins: making resin stuff, it was a great afternoon!

And BFF Jackie had her birthday and has opened her pressie.  Its about 16 months since we've seen each other - bloody COVID!  This was the closest thing to a hug I could send her!  Love you Jackie xxx

2020 Wk 15 - playing around and a round up

It's lovely to receive REAL post - it does wonders to stave off the wobbles!  I got two miracle cures this morning - Lisa sent us a crochet rainbow and Plum sent a stitched Easter Card - Even husband was impressed!!!  Thank you both!

The two villages have set up a Safari Park Trail - people are encouraged to put out an animal and facts about it, so kids can look for them on their walks.  Mine:

And next door's

In other news there has been some hand quilting

And some finishing (only one side so far, I'd forgotten what a flaff this method was!)

 

I also have to confess: Following our Resin craft afternoon a few months ago, I *may* have popped some resin craft stuff into my Amazon basket!

I found a collection of postage stamps dating back to I don't know when (but some of the values have half pence on them!!!) so I made these

And then I did some more with some pretty rainbow buttons

I have also (clearly not much else to do at the moment!) made the Hexi flowers for the Facebook swap for April as well as March

 and completed some more FPP blocks 43 made, 90 needed!!!

I have been keeping a UFO spreadsheet (thanks for the idea Amo) to show me what needs doing next.  Unfortunately it's a bit two-steps-forward-one-step-back as I keep finding more projects to add to this list

As if this wasn't bad enough I've just realised the Spotty Circles quilt isn't even on it!!!!