New Yarn and Cross Stitch Update

Not much to report this week as I've mainly been plodding along with my cross stitch.  I decided to turn the heart cross stitch that I made a few weeks ago into a little hanging ornament and here is the result:

A little bit wonky unfortunately but it looks quite cute hanging on my door now I think.  I've also been working on my "Whistle While You Work" cross stitch design from Crossstitcher magazine and have made some good progress with that:

I've actually got a bit further with it now and I reckon it'll be finished fairly soon - especially if the weather keeps going as it has been the last couple of weeks.  I'm really enjoying this design - I thought the colours were a bit dull to start with but the pink really makes all the difference and it is really starting to come together.  I must have good taste in patterns because a couple of you recognised the design in my last post and said it was one you are planning to do!

I've also finished my first knitted scarf that I've mentioned previously and I'll post some pictures of that when I've blocked it properly.  I haven't actually got much on the go at the moment (well, for me anyway!) and I'm looking for a new knitting or crochet project to get my teeth into.  I'm finding it particularly hard to find a knitting project which is simple enough for a beginner but still something I want to make!  Any suggestions gratefully received...!

Also, when I was at Stitch and Craft a few weeks ago  I "accidentally" bought some hoopla yarn.  It was much cheaper than online and it all looked so pretty on the stall so I couldn't resist.  Now I've got it at home I'm not sure what to do with it!  I was going to make a pouffee like the one they had on the stall but I'm unsure if I really need one!  And I've already made a crochet rug so I probably don't need another one of those.....  For the moment it is just sitting looking at me so any suggestions for that would also be gratefully received!

Have a lovely rest of weekend xx

Cross Stitching Away Stress

Things have been a bit hectic in my life recently - lots of good stuff going on but it means not as much time for planning craft projects!! I think it is because of this I have been getting back into cross stitching over the last few months. Its such a lovely thing to do - calming and relaxing without taking too much concentration.

I've actually been subscribing to Crossstitcher magazine the last couple of years but almost never do any of the projects. I decided it was time to rectify this and the first project I went for was a cushion as a present for my grandma in a beautiful, bright gerbera design.


She was thrilled with the cushion - in fact, so much so that when I last went round there she kept moving it everytime someone wanted to sit down near it because she didn't want to risk anyone squashing it! (Even though I told her that was the point of a cushion!!) I also found this fab fabric which matches perfectly to use on the back:


Then, a few weeks ago, for those brief few days when it felt like summer, I needed a portable project that I could take into the garden so I spontaneously started an Emily Peacock design from the Valentine's issue of the magazine. I spent some lovely hours in the sun stitching this:


I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it yet but I really like it - gotta love the leopard print. I might make it into a stuffed ornament to hang somewhere even though the last thing my flat needs is more clutter!

My latest project - a cushion cover with a bird and buttons on - isn't finished yet but I had to show you a picture to show you my new embroidery frame:


Those wooden embroidery hoops always annoyed me and I was forever adjusting them so when I saw that Wendy had one of these square clip frames and said it was great I thought I'd give it a go. Now I have one I can't believe I didn't get one before - it is genius! So much better than the hoops - it actually holds the fabric taut! I got mine here and totally recommend it!

I am really enjoying this latest design and hope to have the finished article ready to show you fairly soon!

Happy crafting ladies xx

Latest stained glass

I feel like I don't have that much to blog about at the moment - partly because I haven't had as much time as usual for crafting and partly because everything I am working on seems to be quite a big project so I'm not getting anything finished!!

I'm hoping to rectify that a bit over the Easter weekend but in the meantime I thought I'd show you a couple of pictures of my latest stained glass piece.


It is a design from one of the books our teacher has and it quite simple but one I've always liked. I wanted to make something quick (ish!) whilst I thought about other larger designs and it was good for using up pieces of glass I already had. Apart from the yellow glass I didn't have to buy any new glass for this piece....although it has barely made a dent in the amount of glass I have!


I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out and I love the colour palette of rich, jewel like colours - I'm definitely going to remember this for future projects.

I also made a few little pieces to use up scraps at the end of the term.


These beach huts are done using the copper foiling method and I think I am going to hang them in the window as lightcatchers.


It is the Easter break from my stained glass class at the moment and I'm feeling a little bereft without it! The group I learn with is lovely and really inspirational and I can't wait to get back to work next term on a new piece. I think it is going to be a piece for my sitting room wall with lights behind it.....better get designing!

I hope you are all enjoying a lovely, crafty bank holiday weekend xx

I'm back.......and I've finished something! Yay!

Sorry for the radio silence around here lately - its been an extremely busy time recently and I've been struggling to keep up with making, blogging and checking other people's blogs. If I normally visit your blog and comment then I apologise for not popping round as much as I would normally this last month - I've got a lot to catch up on!!

The busy period culminated last weekend when I was volunteering at the Stitch and Craft Exhibition at Olympia. I spent a couple of days (Friday and Sunday) there teaching people how to crochet - mainly butterflies and flowers. The picture below is just some of the many little things I made over the course of the weekend - I think I could crochet that butterfly in my sleep now!! (If anyone is interested the butterfly pattern is from Issue 3 of Mollie Makes).


I've never taught anyone anything crafty before so teaching at Stitch and Craft was a real eye opener! It was tiring and at times hectic but in general very rewarding and fun.

Amongst all the chaos I also managed to finish a project for a change! This is a picture of my finished doily rug that I mentioned in my last post.


I'm really pleased with how this has turned out. It was really fun to do something different too and it came together so quickly as it is worked in three strands of chunky yarn with a large hook (I used a 17mm). The pattern is by Dainty Loops and is available in her etsy shop or on ravelry. It is also perfect for the space I had in mind, this is what it looks like in situ in my bedroom:

Hopefully finishing this project will spur me on to finish some others on the go! Although not before I spend the evening catching up on all the blog posts backed up in my reader.....

xxx

On the go at the mo!

I haven't finished anything much recently as I seem to be working on some bigger projects at the moment so I thought I'd show you some glimpses of those so you can see what I've got on the go!

Firstly I'm still working on my quilt. I'm hand quilting this so its pretty time consuming but when I actually get down to doing it I am really enjoying it. I am bit worried about getting to the binding stage though!


I also always like to have some cross stitch or a tapestry on the go for those evenings when I want to do some craft but my brain doesn't feel up to concentrating too hard! At the moment I am working on "Think Happy Thoughts" by Emily Peacock. I've pretty much done it all apart from the border - I've left it because it is supposed to be brown but I'm thinking of doing it another colour and I can't decide! I'm thinking maybe grey...


I also always seem to have a crochet project on the go! I've been planning to make this doily rug for ages but only started this week - its taken me a while to get round to ordering the chunky yarn! I got the pattern from here but it is also available on ravelry. It is done using three strands of yarn at once and a big hook (the pattern recommends 15.75mm but I am using 17mm) so it comes together really quickly - very satisfying! I suspect this will be the next project I finish:


Just before Christmas I learned to knit so I also have a knitting project on the go. I am working my way through the Knitty Gritty book and this is the first project in there. It is a very simple scarf and probably doesn't look very impressive to all of you knitters out there but I am actually extremely proud of it - I never thought I was going to crack knitting so this is quite exciting for me! I'm looking forward to finishing this and moving on to some more complicated projects!


Hopefully I'll actually have something finished to blog about soon! What bigger projects are you working on at the moment?

More lovely swap goodies!

It all seems to be swaps and giveaways at the moment - normal service will resume shortly! BUT before it does I had to show you the amazing swap goodies that Wendy sent me. I've been reading Wendy's blog The Crafter's Apprentice for a while and loving all the different crafts she tries so I was very excited about this swap. And with good reason, look at all the lovely things she sent me! First up some gorgeous granny bunting:


I haven't decided where to put it - probably in my bedroom as I think it will look fab hanging above my bed.

Next, a gorgeous owl softie. Wendy knew how much I loved her bunnies in a similar style but if its possible I think I love the owls even more.


If you love them as much as me then you could head over her shop and snap one up yourself!

If that wasn't enough look at all the other goodies I got too:


Wendy sent me a lovely lavender filled heart (the package smelt amazing), a gorgeous pouch which I have already started using:


A really cute card with a mini quilt on:


And finally this beautiful bracelet:


Hehee - I am a lucky girl! Thanks so much Wendy - I love it all so much. Once again I feel that the package I sent is nowhere near as good as what I received!

Wendy told me she liked red and blue together and I think I went a bit mad on the theme. Here is what I sent:


One of my octomonsters! I never would have made one in these colours but I am really pleased with the results.


I know Wendy loves bunnies (she has FOUR!) so I included this cute little amigurumi rabbit.


And I put the two fused glass necklaces I was sending in this little pouch:


I've really enjoyed doing the two swaps I've done recently - what could be more exciting than receiving a package full or surprise goodies in the post? It is so fun! If anyone else fancies doing a swap then please feel free to get in touch (although I might need a little break to get on with all the other stuff I need to make!) and I'd love to arrange something :o)

Hope you all have a lovely week xx

PS. The bunny and pouch will be going up on ravelry soon so if you want to know where I got the patterns you should be able to find them on there!

Giveaway Winners!

Thank you so much to those of you who entered my giveaway - I was not expecting so many entries! Because of that I decided to draw two winners - one to win the prize I posted about and another one who I will send a little surprise to! Apologies for not posting this yesterday - things are quite hectic round here at the moment!

Anyway, on to the good stuff! Congratulations to KerryP from Ramblings of a Biscornu Addict who won the main prize. I will also be popping a little something in the post for Penny. Ladies I don't have either of your email addresses to get in touch so please send your contact details to thedottyone@hotmail.co.uk and I will send you your goodies.

A couple of people asked me in their comments how to become a follower but I wasn't able to get back to them. If you have a google account then you can become a follower by clicking on the button in the right hand side column of my blog page. I'm not sure if you can do this without a google account but I may be wrong - I'm not very expert on such things!

My follower numbers seem to have jumped up recently so thank you and welcome to my new followers. Feel free to leave me a comment so that I can pop over to your blogs too (blogger doesn't always make it easy for me to do this without a comment!)

And if you didn't manage to enter this giveaway then keep your eyes peeled - I'm definitely planning on having another one later in the year!

Have a lovely week xx

Giveaway Reminder and Gorgeous Swap Goodies!

Firstly, just a reminder that my giveaway closes at midnight tonight. If you haven't entered all ready then head over to this post and leave a comment post haste! I will announce the winners tomorrow.

Now, onto the loveliness! A while ago the lovely Lori from Hippywitch crafts and I agreed to have a swap. It started when I asked if anyone wanted to have a swap from some of my fused glass goodies and went from there and this week I received a lovely package of goodies from her - so exciting! I told Lori I liked the sea and snorkelling and diving and look at these lovely amigurumi sea creatures she sent me:



I LOVE them - so cute. And such happy colours - really brightened up my dull Thursday afternoon! And if that wasn't enough (and it totally was!) Lori also included this beautiful cross stitch ornament in some of my favourite colours:


And this fab cow cross stitch card:


I told Lori that I seem to have been given a lot of cow things in the past (I try not to read too much into this!!) so it is very appropriate for me! Thank you so much for the goodies Lori - I love them so much! If you fancy seeing more loveliness like this then I suggest you pop over to Lori's blog or etsy shop!

I know Lori has received her package from me so I can show you what I sent her too. Firstly a couple of glass necklaces:


A cute little amigurumi cat (Lori told me she is a mad cat lady!):


A plush strawberry ornament / pin cushion:


And finally a little crochet bag in some of Lori's favourite colours to keep her necklaces safe:


I really enjoyed doing a swap and am definitely planning to do lots more in future! I hope you are all having a lovely weekend - staying warm and doing lots of crafting. I will be back tomorrow to announce the giveaway results.

xxx

Learning Bookbinding

One of my intentions for 2012 was to have a go at some new crafts and so, a few weeks ago, I got started by attending a bookbinding class at The Create Place run by Suzanne Cowan. This is the result:


Good eh? I am SOOO pleased with the results and it was a really fun course. In a few hours we managed to turn a few bits of mount board, a few sheets of paper and some free cycle maps into a proper functional journal. I took some step by step photos along the way to show you some of the process. (This is not intended to be a tutorial - just some snaps to give you the idea - I definitely recommend taking a class yourself!)

First we started with four pieces of mount board carefully cut to the right dimensions which were then stuck to the back of a piece of fabric - we used Buckram, a special type of fabric often used for bookbinding.

This was cut around the mount board and stuck down before we added the rest of the decorative cover - in this case we used old maps but anything could be used. Everything was kept neat and tidy using an (ominously named) tool called a bonefolder!

Anyone who knows me might also recognise that the map on the front of my book shows my local area, including my road!

We also added a map on the inside cover but I forgot to take a photo of that stage. After the cover was finished we folded some A4 paper in half in groups of five to form the pages of our book.

To finish we made holes in the paper with an awl which lined up with the window in the cover. Suzanne then showed us a clever sewing technique to fix the pages in our book and ta-da:

I can't tell you how pleased I am with this book - it was lovely to make something so functional, using such basic materials and come out with something so lovely. Another bonus is that the tools for this hobby are so cheap - all you need is some mount board, some paper, a bone folder and an awl (although you could use a needle). I got the lot for less than £10 and am definitely planning to do more of this - it would be great for making personalised presents I think.

Oh, and just one more photo to show you can't always get everything right the first time (as much as my perfectionist tendencies try to persuade me otherwise!):

If you look closely you can see that the map I put on the inside cover is upside-down! Whoops!

Have you tried any new crafts recently? I'm always looking for inspiration for the next technique to tackle! I will also be popping over to Wendy's blog to link to this on her Learn a New Technique page.

Hope you are having a good week and (for those of you in the UK) managing to keep warm! Brrrr!

xx

PS. Don't forget to enter my giveaway if you haven't already!

GIVEAWAY!

As promised a little while ago I have finally got round to arranging a little giveaway on my blog! Yay! No particular reason really - I just see so many lovely giveaways on other blogs (I've even won a couple - thanks Laura and Zoe!) and wanted to get involved and say thank you for reading :o)

There are no rules and regulations - all you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post and I will do a random draw in 2 weeks time on Saturday 11th February. You are of course welcome to become a follower or tell your friends but there is no obligation to do so! Depending on how many entries I get I might split the prize and have two winners...

So, a closeup of the prizes:

A little amigurumi owl (pattern here)

A sparkly dichroic glass necklace on a silver chain.

A decorative plush felt cactus - I use mine as a pin cushion.

And last but not least a smiley amigurumi fried egg (more info on this pattern in my previous blog post)

I hope you all enter (please enter! I don't want a giveaway with no entries!). Thank you for all your support and lovely comments over the 6 months or so!

Have a lovely weekend xx