Rounding off the Year.

Hi everyone,

I seem to be getting ever worse at keeping up with my blog but I didn't want the year to end without posting something.
I have some finishes so on with the first. The design for this Christmas tree stitchery is from here and I finished it into a little candle mat.



Back view



The lovely fabrics were gifted to me by friend Angela Thank you Angela!

Still with the Christmas theme here is an ornament I stitched from a free pattern as part of a SAL on this French site



Back view



I didn't do a lot of Christmas stitching this year but I did finish something that has been sitting in the "finished but not finished" box for more years than I can remember.
It is so long since I stitched this that I remember very little about it. I think it might have been a kit by 4 My Boys.
Anyway, here it is finally finished into a door hanger





I fell way behind with Chookyblue's SAL but managed to finish the sewing case which was the project for August




The design is from the book Some Kind of Wonderful by Anni Downs

Fabrics used are Beach House by Blackbird Designs for Moda. Here is how it looks on the indside.



The only other sewing project is this knitting bag. Not my usual choice of colours (it was won in a giveaway one time) but it was just an experiment really. I have fabric to make another one now that I'm happy with the changes I made to the size which is loosely based on this tutorial



I've been doing a lot of knitting so the bag has been put to good use and I have quite a few finishes. I know not everyone that visits here is interested in knitting so further details of any of the projects can be found on my Ravelry page

Akoya Cardigan


Hitchiker Shawl



Vanilla Latte socks



A Noble Cowl



My interest in spinning continues although I am still very much a beginner teaching myself from books and videos.
This is my latest attempt and probably the best to date although I have a long way to go to get a yarn of a consistent thickness.



and this is the next braid I will attempt to spin



So I think that's it. All that remains is for me to wish you a very happy Christmas if you are celebrating it and happy crafting in 2014. Thanks for visiting my blog and your continued friendship over that past year.

Margaret

Where to start.........

Hi everyone,
I'm sorry to have been absent from my blog for so long. It was a strange summer and I completely lost my mojo for a while.
Anyway, here I am with rather a lot to catch up on - probably too many pictures for one post so I'll save some of them for another time.
A few months ago Roberta gifted me a pattern for the Bow Tucks Mini Tote so I decided to make her a bag by way of a thank you.
I've made this style of bag before using schoolgirl sampler print fabric by Blackbird Designs Rhubarb and Ginger line.



Side view of the bag



a zippered pouch and little four patch pincushion to go inside



My friend Caz from UK came to stay for a week and I made her a bag as a welcome gift.
This is The West Linn bag by Stephanie at Loft Creations
I used Ikea linen and the Pure fabric line by Sweetwater

It was a breezy day when we did the photo shoot and the bag was swinging crazily from the tree but I managed a decent picture in the end



the button was only a temporary measure and a much nicer one was found and sewn on later
back of the bag



I love how this bag turned out. Stephanie does some great patterns and she has her first book coming out early next year so do look out for that as it is sure to be fabulous.

While Caz was here we had a workshop day where we made the French Sewing Roll from Mandy Shaw's book Quilt Yourself Gorgeous

I used my precious stash of Cath Kidston fabrics, buttons and ribbon for mine and I love how it turned out
You should be able to click on the pictures for a better view if you wish



the outer case


inside



handy pockets - love that Stanley the dog fabric very much :)



Cross stitch...............oh dear I'm really struggling with that lately and can't seem to find much enthusiasm at all for it at the moment. However, I do have one finish which is Pumpkin Farm by Blackbird Designs.
I used mostly the recommended threads with a few subs where I didn't have the ones called for in the pattern.
I'm not sure what I'm going to do with this piece as I didn't leave enough of a fabric margin for framing. I am thinking project pouch but we'll see.....


I also did a bit of finishing on this little Bent Creek piece that I stitched years ago. So long ago in fact that I don't remember the name of it or what fabric and threads were used. I finished it as a pinkeep



back view



I seem to be doing more knitting than anything else lately. Here are the socks I knitted for my husband.
Full details of yarn and pattern used are on my Ravelry page



I have more knitting in the works but I'll show that next time. I just wanted to show you my latest craziness. Over the years I've often thought about how I'd like to learn to spin using a drop spindle and I finally bought a beginner kit from Katie at Hilltop Cloud

This is the kit I bought



and here is my clumsy beginner first attempt at turning this North Ronaldsay roving


into this first finished yarn. It will never be knit into anything but will hopefully be a reminder in the future of how much progress I've made


I'm getting better though and am currently spinning my way through the 50G of hand blended roving that you see in the box so more on my spinning adventures next time. If there are any drop spindle experts reading this then please do let me have your hints and tips.

So, it's Halloween and I don't expect so much as one trick or treater here tonight but I hope that those of you who are dressing up or going out to have fun have a spooktacular time.
A big welcome to my new followers and thanks as always for visiting my blog and for your kind comments.
Margaret

Nothing finished in August!

Hi everyone,
Here we are at the end of August already.
I don't think I've finished so much as one thing this month but luckily I do have pictures of some things I made a while ago that have not yet been seen on the blog.
First up is a needlebook, zippered pouch and pincushion
The cross stitch design I used is LHN Wool Needlebook and Fob but I did my own thing with it. I couldn't face stitching the design a second time over one so I didn't do the fob.
This is the inside of the needlebook.



Now onto the bags............I made this bag last month for the July project on Chookyblue's SAL

the fabrics I used are Petite Ecole by French General for Moda

one of the fabrics was an alphabet sampler panel so I used that on the inside pocket

The stitchery design is Sing by Kathy Schmitz

When my friend Angela came to stay in July a mutual friend of ours sent us a charm pack to use and share in one of our crafting sessions. We meticulously shared out the charms and found we had just enough to be able to make this bag.

Actually, we were each two charms short to be able to make the bag so we hit upon the idea of stamping a design onto some linen and made that a feature in the centre.

Fabric is Dogwood Trail by Moda. Here's how the other side looks

The last bit of sewing is this zippered pouch.

I made the pouch for Stephanie, the designer behind Loft Creations, because she loves giraffes. I also cross stitched the logo from her business card and made a little pillow out of it as I thought she might get a kick out of it.

here's the back

The only other things I have to show you are of the woolly variety. I finished a crochet cushion using scraps of yarn from my ripple blanket finished last year.

I did an envelope style back using the tutorial on this blog

and finally a pair of socks. Yes, I really did take a pair of socks out into the park for a photo shoot and just thanked my lucky stars there was no-one around to see me :)

Anyone interested in pattern details for either the socks or pillow can find them here on my Ravelry page

So that's all for now. My husband was in hospital for nine days and with one thing and another I just seem to have lost my crafting mojo but hopefully I will find it again and be able to have something to show you next time.
As always a big thank you for your continued visits and your lovely comments.
Oh, and I almost forgot that a new reader, Jennifer, had asked me about the pattern used on the mermaid set in my previous post.
I couldn't reply to you Jennifer as you are noreply but I hope you are reading this. The pattern is by Patricks Woods.

Margaret

Angela's Visit

Hi everyone,
I have probably too many pictures for one blog post so am going to split it into two this month.
I mentioned in my last post that my friend Angela would be coming to stay for ten days. The time flew and now all that's left are the happy memories.
Angela told me her suitcase was over the limit on the way here and I can see just why that was as she spoiled me with some lovely gifts some of which I will show you here.

As a belated birthday gift I received this beautifully stitched set. My birthday was way back in December but as you can imagine a LOT of work, both stitching and finishing, went into it. I love mermaids and anything to do with the ocean so I am thrilled with this gift. Good things are worth waiting for!


A few more pictures of the inside of the needlecase and the back side of the stitched pieces. I think you should be able to click on any of the pictures for a better view if you wish.


I also received some Cath Kidston goodies. Love the Stanley fabric :)



this tiny little stitched pillow and a Kelmscott seahorse needle minder



We had a tea party of course with a Queens Coronation theme this time celebrating 60 years on the throne.
I don't know what happened to the pictures I took on that day but I only seem to have these three.
On the menu - Coronation chicken (of course) salad, blueberry and raspberry pavlova and a coffee and walnut cake. All very delicious!



When Angela came last year we both stitched this design
and as neither of us had done any finishing on the piece yet the plan was to make them into flat folds this year. However, I wasn't very patient fiddling about with pieces of cardboard so Angela made mine up for me. I love the way she did the ribbon trim on the top.



The perfect backing fabric.....



Friend Hazel (no blog) stitched this sweet little Christmas ornament for me and Angela brought it over with her.



The backing fabric is just perfect. My family is into ice skating in a big way so this is just the perfect design for me.
Thank you Hazel :)



and while we are still on the Christmas theme this is a free design on this blog
I did the stitching and Angela finished it into a tag for me



Back view



Just one final thing to show you is this little pin book that Angela made for me to fit in with our Coronation themed party



inside


How cute is the bobbin shaped card with the ribbon?

These little pin books come in a variety of designs. You can see more of them here

I think that's it for this post. I will hopefully be back with another post (of my own work this time) in a few days.
Thanks as always for visiting my blog and for your kind comments. Welcome to the new followers who have joined this past month.
I'm glad you found your way here :)

Margaret