A bag for Little Flower

Little Flower joined a ballet class a few weeks ago and subsequently spends most of the day on her tippy toes, fluttering around the house (fairy wings optional). The most delightful aspect of the class, to her, is that the ballet outfit is a pretty pale purple. The only thing that would make it better would be rainbow tights.

So the happy bright fabric from last week’s post has been crafted into a bag to keep her kit:

The pattern is from Helen Philipps’ lovely book:

I decided to add a cross stitch initial, to practice my skills. Little Flower loved the look of the variegated floss, and it picked up the colours of the stripy fabric:

I made a modification to the pattern – I know that sounds silly, given the fact that I have only completed one cross stitch design so far, but hey, it’s just a needle and thread! The pattern came from this book, which I think I'll review for you all soon, it's fun! 

The initial design has a blossom with four petals. I wanted a violet flower, so I doodled a bit on the page and winged it!

I’m pleased with how it turned out – and now I want to do another one with a solid-colour initial. I think that would look rather lovely!

The main bag fabric is from Pretty Fabrics & Trims, which specializes in smaller quantities of bits n' bobs, perfect for small sewing projects and lovely little embellishments. It is run by the lovely Sarah, of A Little Happy Place.

Have you ever worked with variegated floss? I wonder what else it could be used for...

We are making the most of the last day of half term; I suspect tomorrow morning is going to be a bit slow and grumpy in our household. I'm already feeling a bit blue about returning to "real life"! Perhaps I'll delay it by popping to the yarn shop in the morning, just to browse, of course...

Best wishes to you all for a happy day! Link up your stitchy projects below!

Chrissie x

An InLinkz Link-up

Stitching Sunday: Cross stitch? Moi?

Never in a thousand years did I think I’d enjoy cross stitching. (I also never thought I’d be a Shawl Person, but you know what happened there...)

Apologies if you are an avid cross stitcher...I’d been jaded by the twee, flat, nondescript cross stitch I’d seen in the past. I wondered why on earth would anyone want to make a pixelated image when surface embroidery offers such a realistic alternative?

But then I went to the Knitting & Stitching Show last autumn, and I saw the beautiful designs on linen from the Cross Stitch Guild, and I understood that this was an artistic craft in its own right, with angles and depth and interest and colour.

Like so many creative interests, it’s all about finding what appeals to you...

So the past few months I’ve been investigating the Wide World of Cross Stitch, looking for projects and patterns that suit me. Good grief I love modern technology! Where once we were stuck with whatever we could find in town, now I can seek out elegant floral designs from France, amazingly delicate and sweet Japanese patterns, and extremely fun and funky cross stitch in the UK and US.

I made good progress on my dragonfly this week. I found the stitching so methodical and comforting in a week dominated by storms, viruses and general family mayhem. And the colours! The *sparkle*!  

Perhaps the best part is that this is a craft I can easily share with my girls. Bunny, age 10, was so keen to start work on her Frozen cross stitch, but the busy days leading to half term meant that she had to wait until this weekend to get it going...

But once she started, I had to prise her fingers away to send her to bed! She spent a long time sorting the various colours. She is still getting used to the tiny stitching and counting of the squares, and I can already see that, even with a little progress, she is finding comfort and patience with her project.

Someone who was decidedly impatient with this whole cross stitch business was Little Flower. She saw Mummy and Bunny stitching and decided she wanted to be part of the action...

So off to the local haberdashery we went, and she chose this simple panda needlework kit (because her big sister’s favourite animal is a panda), and off she went!

This project is fun because it has big yarn and a large needle for her tiny, 4-year-old hands, it uses just a half stitch, and it seems to fill up quickly. Of course we have multiple colours on the go, because after three stitches she wants to change colours...

But the strangest thing I’ve found is that the kit designed for the youngest stitcher has the worst instructions (if you can actually qualify a bit of illustration as “instruction”). Bunny’s kit from wee little stitches has much more detail, and my dragonfly kit from Floss & Mischief has a guide full of helpful tips and hints applicable to any cross stitch project.

Thankfully, I have found some wonderful blogs about cross stitching, which have been so helpful and inspiring these past few weeks. And I have been very motivated by what you’ve shared here on Stitching Sundays...I’ve discovered even more beautiful cross stitch patterns from the likes of Pretty Little Things in a Box, Jenn's Crafty World, The Crafter's Apprentice and Cathie's Craftworks. Thank you so much, and please keep linking up!

Um, I've committed myself to The Frosted Pumpkin's Once Upon a Time club...it is just so cute!

I have news on my embroidery and sewing projects that I want to share with you, but – can you believe it - 

the SUN is shining!

So we’re putting the needles away and getting out the boots – time to play outside!

Enjoy your day!

Chrissie x

An InLinkz Link-up

Stitching Sunday: Slow and steady

To counter the maniacal pace of my crochet this week, I stitched whatever I fancied, whenever I fancied, and didn’t worry about finishing anything. It was lovely.

I’m at the piping stage of the sewing machine cover. This is the trickiest bit for me after the tiny patchwork at the beginning. I’ve only done piping one other time, and it was under the watchful eye of a seamstress friend, and I was basically doing as I was told!

I’m pleased with the results of my first attempts at piping solo. Don't look too closely - I still haven't sewn on the side panels that will even up the piping line. I used the pink fabric that I will use for the lining of this cover, fabric that was leftover from my Happy Spring Quilt.

It should come together quite swiftly now, just ironing on some interfacing and sewing all the parts together. Then it’s on to another practical sewing project, here’s a little peek at the materials involved:

I’m pleased to say that Sam has his eggs and ham, all ready to serve up to picky eaters:

The stitches have ranged from long-and-short stitch, stem stitch, back and split. Then I did the black markings in the ham with a scatterbrained hodge-podge of them all! I wanted thicker, scribbly looking lines, like the illustration in the book, and I found sticking to just stem stitch was too neat and orderly, so I simply stabbed away until I got the look I wanted. You don’t always have to follow the rules!

In other stitching news, yesterday Bunny and I discovered the latest pattern from wee little stitches – Elsa and Anna from Frozen!

We downloaded it faster than you can say “Do you wanna build a snowman?”, and Bunny started practicing her cross stitch on a scrap of fabric, because she herself wants to make this sweetly sentimental cross stitch for her and Little Flower! I'm going to buy her some Aida fabric tomorrow so she can get started.

So I set Sam aside – he’s waited this long, a few more days won’t bother him – and I started this awesome dragonfly kit I’ve had in my stash a little while:

I know, I know, I’ve only ever cross stitched this tiny rose, but I couldn’t resist the sparkly thread and peacock colours! I dipped my toe into the cross-stitch waters, and like so many other crafts I enjoy, I proceeded to dive in head first!

And it’s so fun to have a craft to share with Bunny that we can do side-by-side, and chatting as we go along. Slow and steady, calming for both of us.

Happy crafting! Please share your stitching below!

Chrissie x

WIPs for every occasion...

...even if that occasion is coping with a poorly four-year-old home from pre-school!

I forgot how often young children come down with little viruses – Bunny is 10 and rarely home from school. She built up her immune system during her time at pre-school and early years of primary school.

But Little Flower, ah, she has a fresh, new immune system that isn’t as prepared for battle yet. So when a virus floats around the village, she’s bound to catch it, in varying degrees. Last night she succumbed to the croupy cough making the rounds, and we were both up most of the night. She’s fine in every other way, just can’t stop coughing, and we’re both exhausted now.

So it’s an imposed Nothing Day. No housework, no errands...I’ve requested a takeaway or ready meal for Darling Husband and me tonight, I know by 6 p.m. I’ll be a zombie! (Thank goodness for batch-cooked, veggie-loaded tomato sauce in the freezer, I can manage boiling pasta for the kids...)

However, I can only take so much Peppa Pig or Disney Channel as we snuggle on the sofa. My choices are limited to “easy” and “exceptionally mindless” WIPs and activities.

The brain cannot handle this today

It can handle this

I can’t face colour changes and fiddly rounds of this

But I can do a repetitive back and forth hooking of this

A crochet item for a man that I actually like! From the latest issue of Simply Crochet...

Fingers cannot stitch this today

You didn't think I'd just cross stitch another flower, did you? Just look at those golds and peacock shades!

But the repetitive stab stitch of this negative space project, yes

(There’s more news about that red heart, coming very, very soon...)

And, of course, lots and lots and lots of cuddles!

Do you have WIPs for every occasion? Tell me more...

Happy crafting!

Chrissie x

I get by with a little help...

Where would we be without friends?

Without a friend, I wouldn’t have made these placemats. I thought these were so cute, and I wanted to make them for my family as one of my very first sewing projects.

But can you spot the difference between the photo and my mats?

My centre panel of linen didn’t match the photo, and my mat fronts weren’t the same size as the backs. I followed the instructions so carefully, I measured, measured again, cut, sewed, measured again...then I rang my sewing guru Jooles in a panic, about to throw out the lot and call it quits.

Well, my friend came to my rescue and helped me realize that the pattern was to blame, not my new sewing skills. There was an error in the measurements of the centre panel (it’s supposed to be 12-½” square, not a 12-½” x 10” rectangle, for any of you with this book!), and she encouraged me to find a solution to this problem, rather than giving up! So we played with fabric scraps, and I decided a side panel would do nicely, picking up a featured fabric in the patches.

(I actually like mine better...!)

Without a friend, I wouldn’t have tried my hand at quince jelly this year.

She kindly handed over another batch of the beautifully floral-scented little fruits last week...

So now I have more delectable jelly to give away as Christmas gifts. About a year ago this friend also gifted me a pretty pink orchid, for helping out during a hectic week. It has since flowered twice more, with greater numbers of blossom each time.

I just had to share this beauty with you – I’ve lost count with the blossoms, both sides of the stem are laden with incredible orchid flowers! A true gift that keeps on giving...

Without a friend, I wouldn’t have finished this pretty cross-stitch posy:

And thus a new craft interest is born! This cherished friend also has taught me to knit (and promises to re-teach me once Little Flower is at primary school!).

Without a friend, I wouldn’t have ever contemplated making a quilt.

But you all know how that one turned out!

And without my blog friends, I wouldn’t be anywhere near as creative, inspired or productive as I am today! Your comments, emails and your own blog posts have offered me such pleasure and have enriched my life – even if it’s simply sharing our craft ideas for making a house a home. These little things have big meaning, offering a constant source of comfort and symbols of love for our families.

This week I passed the 100 posts mark, since starting in April this year. I wanted to share my appreciation for my friends, with my friends. You all know who you are, the ones in my daily life and the ones in my “blog life”. I appreciate you very, very much!

 Chrissie x

Stitching Sunday: Cross stitch love

This week I finished my very first cross stitch project

Golly, how much did I love the thread organiser? Where have you been all my life, you lovely hole-punched card?

You may remember that I bought this lovely little kit at The Knitting & Stitching Show, and I started working on it with the help of my lovely friend. I’m happy to report that I really enjoyed cross stitching, the repetitive nature of the stitches was rather relaxing. And figuring out what colours to stitch where wasn’t as tricky as I thought.

Here is a close-up of my work – I’m going to need some advice for certain tricky areas. Some crosses – like the sandy one on the far right – weren’t centered, like something made the thread bend up a bit. What’s up with that?

And different shades of floss behaved differently. The deep red colour seemed quite thin – I’d like my ‘x’ to fill the fabric more, I really don’t care for lots of space around the stitch – while the palest pink seemed so fluffy that the stitches tended to look a bit crowded and messy to me. But I always used two strands of floss, so not sure how to deal with this...

I also found it challenging to make a neat 'x' when all four corners were already occupied with other stitches. I think I need a coaching session...

But hey, onward and upward, as I really would like to do more cross stitch. Now that I finished my little test kit, I can justify buying this lovely book:

*sigh* It's just so pretty...I’ll tell you more about it once I try a pattern or two!

I know there are a gazillion ways to display cross stitch...trinket boxes and cushions and bags, oh my! But I was keen to get my first piece on my new little Wall of Stitching. Alas, the fabric was too narrow on the vertical sides to fit in the smallest hoop I had (I think it’s a 3-inch hoop), and just like last Sunday’s post, I had to figure out how to fit my work into the hoop.

This time I decided to fray the edges a bit and tack it onto some pretty French linen from a fat quarter purchased a while back. I repeated the simple linen ribbon bow to hide the screw.

Hmmm. Very granny-ish. But granny chic or granny ick? 

I hung it on the other end of the wall, given that both stitched pieces feature squares of fabric stitched onto a base fabric.

This might be just slightly on the wrong side of twee for my taste. I’m going to consider carefully what else goes on the wall. I think one of Delilah’s black silhouettes would balance it well. I also am mulling over something decidedly silly...

Please share your needle ‘n thread love below!

Chrissie x