Finished in September

Hi everyone,
Oh dear, I'm just getting worse and worse at updating this blog. Sometimes I think it is time to let it go as my heart doesn't seem to be in it any more but I do have some things to share so I'll just quickly load up the pictures.
Most of what I've been doing recently has been either sewing or knitting.
I made this bag from Anni Downs book The Simple Life



The main body of the bag is made using Essex Linen and the prints are Noteworthy by Sweetwater



Another little bag I made for some of my smaller knitting projects. This was made using a free pattern from the All People Quilt website they call them grab bags but I thought this style of bag was called a Japanese Knot Bag. Whatever the name it is a very useful bag and the pattern is one I will make more of.
There is plenty of room inside as shown here with my latest sock knitting project.



I made a Tilda sewing doll

Do you see the beautiful hand painted sewing machine brooch she is holding? This was specially made for me by my friend Yvonne in Australia.
Yvonne does the most beautiful hand painted buttons and brooches which she sells in her Etsy shop here She also has a blog where you can see many gorgeous examples of her work in her blog header

Another project I finished recently is this Atkinsons Designs Classmate

I decided to do a bit of a fusion of designs using one of Lynette Andersons along with a selection of her fabrics



Back view



inside lots of pockets made of see through plastic so you can see what you need at a glance



I also made a cute little travel sewing kit from a pattern I found on Craftsy. It is a paid for pattern called Go and Sew that you can find here



The fabrics are by Rosalie Quinlan and they seemed to be begging to be made into a little four patch pincushion to go with the pouch



Here it is open with the handy built in needle case



I'm afraid I have no finished cross stitch. There are so many finishes all waiting in a pile to be turned into something but who knows when that will ever happen.

Finally a few pictures taken recently





and I think that's it. I can't believe that we are already at the end of September. This year has gone way too fast for me and I suspect the next three months will go yet faster. I hope everyone reading here is well and enjoying the various crafts that you do.
Thanks as always for visiting.

Margaret

Absent!

Poor neglected blog. I really didn't mean to be gone so long but it's been so hot I just haven't felt like sitting at the PC for the time it takes to put a blog post together.
Add to that my new fascination with Instagram although I'm a bit late to that particular party.
So, the things I have to show are many and varied but are mostly to do with yarn as I have not been stitching much at all.
My lovely friend Pat in the USA stitched a beautiful Shepherd's Bush design and mounted it on the top of a Cottage Garden jewellery box.




Such an exciting package to open



as there was also this gorgeous sewing pocket



which when opened revealed lots of tiny treasures. I absolutely love the petite scissors . Thank you Pat I love everything you sent.



My own cross stitch sampler is coming along very slowly but there has been some small progress



There has been quite a lot of knitting - all project details are on my Ravely page

socks



a shawl





and a cotton dishcloth that will be used as a potholder



Next up is the crochet. I'm working on a Rainbow Ripple baby blanket





and I finally finished my Cath Kidston inspired crochet granny square afghan that has been about three years in the making



and finally a bit of sewing. I made a pouch from Cath Kidston fabrics to match some things I already have



and another pouch from the Noodlehead Open Wide Pouch tutorial



and I think that's just about everything. I'm sorry I haven't been very good about keeping up with my blog reading. I hope to do better when the weather cools down a bit. It has been extremely hot here!
Thank you for visiting my blog today. Happy crafting!

Margaret

A look back at June.

Hi everyone,

Here we are almost at the end of June so here's a round up of what I've been working on in the past few weeks.
I finally finished the small wall hanging I've been making from Lynette Andersons Country Cottage Quilting book. This is My Favourite Garden quilt which I started at the beginning of the year. I only worked on it at my weekly quilt group meetings so it has taken a while but it was an enjoyable project to work on.
You should be able to click on the picture for a better view if you wish.



All of the fabrics used are Lynette Anderson's Secret Garden. This is the one I used for the backing.



There is a hand painted button on each of the nine squares These were gifted to me by my friend Yvonne in Australia who does the most amazingly intricate work. Yvonne currently sells her buttons via her blog here but she is hoping to open an Etsy shop soon.

Here are a few of the blocks close up so you can see the detail



I think I showed this embroidery on my blog last year. It's now finished into a pillow using Cath Kidston fabrics.



The embroidery design was free on the Bustle and Sew website

back of the pillow



Cross stitch has taken a back seat to other crafts recently so the only thing I have to show this time are two of the Lizzie Kate Flip-its
that I stitched way back when but have only just finished into little pillows





both are backed with this little strawberry print fabric



I've done some knitting - cast on for a pair of socks



and finished a couple of dishcloths. Details on my Ravelry page here



It's hot, hot hot here now so I'll leave you with a picture of the beach.


I hope you have all had a great month.
Thanks as always for visiting my blog. Happy crafting!

Margaret

Second Half

Hi everyone,
This is the second half of the post I started yesterday.
First up is cross stitch. This ornament is from the Prairie Schooler Just Hatched book #107 stitched with the recommended DMC threads.


back view



next is a Lizzie Kate design finished as a pillow. Design is from the first series of Flip its



a very small start on Sunflower Bell Pull - an oldie but goodie by The Drawn Thread



and an equally small start on The Red House Sampler by Brenda Keyes



now for some pretty gifts I have received. This teeny tiny mermaid swam all the way to Spain from France. To give you an idea of just how miniature this little pillow is I laid it on the post card it came with



it is stitched on impossibly high count linen and the mermaid tail is even done in specialty stitches!


next is a beautiful crazy patchwork needle book done in silk fabrics from my dear friend Caz in UK


back view



Thank you so much Caz I really love it.

I'm no quilter but I decided I would have a go at a lap quilt. I saw the pattern here and I thought it would be easy. It probably is but there are so many points and junctions to match up and some of it is on the bias so I'm just not finding it easy.
Anyway here are my 16 patch blocks done in two older lines by Three Sisters for Moda. One is Simplicity and the other is Aviary.

and here's how the X blocks are going to look


We were in UK at the beginning of May to visit family. My daughter and I came across a shop called Sally's Shabby Chic where the owner was rescuing old furniture from the dump and upcycling chairs, dressers etc and giving them a new lease of life.
I loved the chairs that she had painted white and covered in Cath Kidston fabrics.
Anyway, there were lots of vintage bits and pieces and I spied an old embroidery which I was admiring when the shop owner told me I could have it.
It is stitched on a good linen fabric. I think it is charming and plan on having it framed.


I don't buy many magazines these days but this one caught my eye

so I bought it because there were three projects in it that interested me.
One is this miniature quilt by Camille Roskelley which I have bought fabric for


there is also a Union Jack pillow pattern and this cute dog that I'd love to make but really, how many more projects do I need?



So I think that's just about it. Thanks for visiting my blog today and thank you for all the lovely comments received on my previous post.
Margaret