Christmas Bazaar!

Well, I did it! And survived!

My stall at the Christmas Bazaar looked pretty good I think...

 

All thanks to my lovely mum who set up for me (I was teaching all day, not just being lazy!)

 

I managed to borrow back some of the blankets that I have crocheted as gifts recently, but was a bit disappointed that nobody even looked at them!! Well, I suppose they are not Christmasy.

 

There were a few very frantic late nights of stitching before the bazaar, mostly finishing off the bunting (thank goodness for the wall bars to hang it all on!)

 

I was (and still am) really pleased with the bunting. It has been sold and I'm thinking about making some for our house this Christmas :)

 

 

 

I have just put all the "left-overs" into my folksy shop

 

So now I need something else to spend all my crafty time on...

 

Oh who am I kidding?!

I already have about 3 million ideas for my next project(s)!!!!

There just aren't enough hours in the day!

 

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Busy, busy, busy!

Hello!

It has been quite a while!

I have been busy.

Busy, busy, busy!

 

Having opened my Folksy shop not that long ago I decided a Christmas bazaar at one of the schools I work in would be a fantastic way to get my little 'shop' known. Spread the word. Put myself 'out there'.

 

So there has been lots of Christmas crafting!

Want to see?

 

Sparkly Christmas tree cards...

yummy gingerbread man cards...

red, red, robin cards!

Mini stockings with buttons...

mini stockings with initials.

Gingerbread man tree decorations

lots of them :)

and a baby's first Christmas card.

So it's Monday. I've just got in from work. I have a few hours of crafting time tonight, a few hours after work tomorrow and that's it!

The Christmas bazaar is on Wednesday, straight after school!!

 

Wish me luck.....!

 

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Birthday Blanket ta-dah!

Yay! One of my secret projects is finished!

This blanket is for my very lovely friend's birthday.

Which is today!

So now I can show you!

Although I very nearly didn't finish it in time!

 

The colours were secretly matched to the colours in her lounge and I worked away quietly, stripe after stripe after stripe.

It was a very lovely, relaxing pattern. A bit ripple-ish.

 

Lots of photos now.

Sorry!!

 

Ta-dah!

 

Now I can get on with Christmas stitching!!

 

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ETA - I forgot to tell you about the stitch I used for this blanket (thanks for reminding me Fiona!) I found the pattern here when I was searching and playing with ideas and totally fell in love with it! I decided against the border though, as it was a bit too frilly for the simple look I was after. xx

Thirteen

Yesterday Miss M turned 13!

My baby girl!!!

So it has been a busy weekend, filled with girly celebrations.

 

Friday evening Miss M and 3 of her girlies went ice skating. Afterwards we brought them back home for pizza and cake.

I made a marble cake, but then totally ran out of time so had to turn the decorating over to Miss M. Which she loved obviously! So the marble cake turned into a chocolatey chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream and chocolate decorations, mmmmmmm!

 

 

They destroyed it in record time!!

 

I thought at 13 the girls were probably a bit big for party bags, so I made a few pencil cases/make-up bags and filled them with sweets. They were a big hit!

 

 

Saturday evening there were lots of presents and a lovely family meal at our local Indian restaurant, Miss M's favourite :)

 

Sunday I got myself back into the kitchen for some more baking. Miss M was banned as this was to be a surprise cake. It did take me pretty much the whole day! Once it was finished and iced Miss M was allowed to see.

 

We took the cake with us to our friends for our annual fireworks gathering.

 

Miss M had a little accident whilst helping with the younger children and managed bash into the handle of the buggy and split her lip on her teeth. Poor birthday girl! She was a bit sad for a while but the cutting of the cake cheered her up!!

 

I think it turned out ok!

 
Miss M has gone back to school today, complete with a sore lip :(
I'm catching up with some crochet today! Hopefully a ta-dah post will follow later this week!
 

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Poppies

Hello lovely bloggers!

 

It seems like AGES since I have been here, I have worked far more than I anticipated over the last few weeks which has left me very little crafty time :(

Add to that the secret, un-bloggable projects I have on the go and I find myself with nothing to write about!!!

 

But I have found a few moments to crochet up these little lovelies.

 

I had been playing about with a few different keyring ideas and my mum asked me to make her a poppy keyring. Quite obvious really if you read her blog poppycottage48 !!

 

So I fiddled about for pretty much a WHOLE DAY until I was happy with my poppy. And happy I am! I really love it. I made 2, with the only 2 large black buttons that I had in my button box.

But then I decided that my poppy would make a really pretty brooch (I hate that word SO much, but can't think of an alternative!) 

 

So I ordered lots more black buttons and some brooch backs and set to work!

Miss M has one on her school blazer...

 

and my mum has one too!

I'm obviously wearing one too but am staying very much on THIS side of the camera thank-you very much.

 

I made quite a few.

They are fun.

Quick and pretty.

A real change from my 2 big secret projects.

And my 'me' blanket that has been totally neglected lately!!

 

The rest of them can be found in my folksy shop and will hopefully be joined by some Christmasy goodies soon.

Just as soon as I finish this blanket...

 

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Sampler quilt course - day 2

Yesterday was the 2nd day of my sampler quilt course.

I was just as excited as the first day!

 

We started by showing the 1st block that we had completed at home as our 'homework'.

If only homework had always been this fun!!

 

We then began our 2nd block - 'rail fence'.

 

For this block we had to cut long 1 1/2 inch strips of fabric and then sew them together with a quarter inch seam. I was a bit nervous about this, I tend to leave quite generous seam allowances - just incase I wobble! I had bought a quarter inch seam foot for my machine and this has made SUCH a difference. It really helps me to sew in a straight line! So I'm not as nervous about being only a quarter of an inch away from the edge!

 

The strips were then cut into squares, and then sewn together to create a zig-zag effect.

I'm really pleased with how it turned out.

 

This is the first time I have been happy about the dark purple fabric I bought.

I was persuaded that I needed a dark fabric to balance my other choices, and I could see why - I just didn't want it!! But it looks great here in this block :)

 

 

I came home yesterday with 9 little squares, and I have just spent a few minutes sewing them together.

Homework complete!

 

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Hexagon pencil case

I made this for Miss M.

To cheer her up after a bad week at school.

 

I let her loose in my box of fabrics, and she chose LOTS!!

 

 

Then I had lots of fun making the teeny little hexagons.

And she had lots of fun setting them out in a pattern that she liked.

 

We chose a lining that wouldn't show any pencil marks inside.

 And a plain back to save time!

I had a navy blue zip that I was going to use, but then Miss M found this rather lovely red one while we were shopping.

I think it looks pretty good!

 

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