Crack the WIP!

The Blossom Bag was pushed aside and stitching was left in the hoop as I frantically put the finishing touches to the baby blanket I’d been sort-of-secretly working on for a while.

Can you guess why? Yes, my friend’s baby boy couldn’t take this summer heat anymore and arrived early! (Which puts to rest any fancy ideas that I was, maybe, just maybe, making the blanket for a certain royal ‘friend’...c’mon, didn’t you think it for a brief moment when I first showed the WIP? Nah, I didn’t think so...)

I really like the picot edge, this little detail gives the blanket a baby sweetness.

All that’s left now is gift wrapping. I don’t know why I’m rushing, with this heat it’s not like mummy will be using it anytime soon!

I used a soft green shade – Sirdar Snuggly 0403 – and the size is perfect for a pram or a buggy. I enjoyed making the raised shell pattern, where every odd row was worked Back Loops Only.

But wait, there are more babies about!

Here is the second baby robin this year; I guess the fine weather has stimulated a baby boom in the bird world! This fledgling hopped up along the feeder...

Then made himself comfortable sitting squarely on a seed ball! He pecked away for a long while – imagine sitting on a giant chocolate chip cookie you have all to yourself? *Mmmm*

These are the latest brood from the Blackbird Clan, who arrived during our first summer in this house, nearly 10 years ago. I love the friendliness of blackbirds, like robins. They all know me, and most mornings one or two will stand outside the French doors in the kitchen, looking sideways at me as if to say, “Breakfast, please!” Then they sit on a branch, hanging around while I put out the seed.

For a special treat, the girls and I put out handfuls of sultanas or raisins, then sit and watch them scoff the ‘candy’

Steady on, piggy!

 

Little Flower is fascinated by how close they allow us to be. Our back garden has a little area that you can see here – about 15 patio tiles just plonked down by the previous owners, probably for their barbecue, but for us it’s a spacious bird feeding station!

Here is daddy bird, with distinguished patches of grey feathers...

 

I’m afraid there are no more photos of The Woodpecker Family, at least not this summer. The last time I saw Baby Woody, he looked well into his teens, all slimmed down feathers, sassy look in his eye – even the red tuft of feathers on his head looked gel-styled! I grabbed the camera as quick as I could but, alas, he was gone. I’m not sure he even ate that much – perhaps he was just coming to say goodbye. Best of luck to the fella! 

I will end this post with a big swathe of jasmine flowers for my new friends and followers, welcome and thank you for visiting!

Happy crafting!

Chrissie x

Prettifying the bookshelves

Thank you all for your kind words and commiserations regarding my lack of sleep the other day – Little Flower has since slept much better and, consequently, so have I! And I have something to show for those extra hours of sleep...

Doesn’t the bookcase look *pretty*?!? I am so pleased with how this project has turned out – especially since I’ve never decopauged a piece of furniture before, and because it’s my first time using vintage wallpaper, and I was worried I’d ruin the beautiful patterns!

I was a bit worried about this side bit, the patchwork looked so dramatically different from the plain wood, quite mad really, especially when you compare it to the neutral space of my living room and hall. But hey, this is *my* space, this is where I cook and craft and create, so I am allowed some girlie expression, right?  And I think it all started to come together once I started lightening up that wood with some white paint I found in the garage.

 Most of the time all I’ll see is the front of the shelves, as the door is usually open and blocking the patchwork side.

 

I think the shelves just look so cheery with the pretty wallpaper (thank you Ada!).  

I still have some bits to trim, a touch-up of paint here and there, and a few books are missing, but I was too anxious to show you my ta-dah!  

News on the woodpecker family: young Woody visits regularly morning and evening, eating voraciously; Mama Woodpecker has made a few appearances when Woody takes a break; and today Daddy Woodpecker swooped in for some tea – haven’t seen him in a while! You can just barely see the red feathers on the back of his head

 

He wasn’t being cooperative and turning his back to me so I could photograph the red patch properly – you’d think he’d be a little more grateful for all the bird food fat balls I’m having to purchase! I’d like a family portrait, please!

Chrissie x

 

Craft hangover

No unveilings today of recent WIPs, as intended, because nothing got finished. Not for my lack of trying, mind – I managed some progress on everything, from a few scarf rows crocheted, nearly all of the Dr. Seuss Sam character outlined in black floss, another fun crochet teaching session Wednesday morning...but not one thing completed. Not even a photo of my small accomplishments.

Today I had planned to put the finishing touches on at least one project, so I could show you here and start the weekend with the satisfaction of a WIP done. Last night I had my quilting friends round to help me design the back of my quilt (“design” being a clever way of saying I hadn’t bought enough of the backing fabric, so could we figure out a way to piece together scraps without spending another penny) and get me started on the border and quilt sandwich. The four of us had a jolly evening catching up, discussing crafts...and I enjoyed making a fruity Pimms cocktail, complete with fruit, cucumber, and a sprig of fresh mint from my garden.

I only had *one* refreshing glass, so why the “Craft hangover” title of this blog? Why indeed. I had such a productive day with all of my WIPs, even my very first quilt. I felt so enriched and happy after the gals left, I decided I’d stay up a bit later and make Bunny’s lunch for today, tidy up the kitchen a bit, catch up on a few blogs...so lights out just past midnight, past my normal bedtime.

Then Little Flower decided 4:20a.m. is a fine time to start the day. Ugh.

She is a terrific sleeper, normally. Never a fuss at 7p.m. bedtime, sleeps until around 6:30 each morning. Maybe I stayed up too late, maybe I had too much fun last night, because the Powers-That-Be are punishing me today! I feel like I drank a pitcher of Pimms and partied all night. I’m rubbish without a good sleep. I wish I could function on a few hours’ shuteye, but I’ve been in a fog all day.

You know the feeling? Earlier I walked upstairs, then stood in the hall for a good 30 seconds wondering what on earth I came up to get, then shrugged and went back down. Never mind. I made a feeble attempt to make progress on a WIP, but stitched the scarf stitch sequence into the blanket I’m working on (put down the hook, Chrissie, and slowly back away from the crochet...).

Mama Woodpecker has it figured out. She stayed in bed when young Woody woke early.

 

 

See him there, having breakfast all on his own? Part of me feels like she’s being a bad parent, sending him out into the world all by himself when he is so very young. But another part of me feels she’s one smart cookie, and I’m jealous that her little one can manage on his own while she gets some more sleep. And a big part of me is worried because I am pondering the parenting skills of a bird.

Darling Husband has been away on business all week, back tomorrow, so I’ve put Little Flower to bed (as usual, quite happily, though she’d better not try an early morning again tomorrow!) and Bunny and I are having a sleepover. Cuddly pajamas, hot chocolate, magazines and lights out early. That will make up for the muddled delirium I felt at 5a.m.!

Tomorrow is a new day...Chrissie x

P.S. Welcome to my new followers, thank you so much for visiting, and I promise to have more creative posts this weekend! :-)