Squares, hexies, plants and weddings...

I've started another crochet project... which is actually very bad as I have quite a few on the go now. I really hate to have projects unfinished but I can't stop starting new things!

I made these teeny squares last night whilst watching telly... I tried three round ones too but they looked too big somehow, so I've decided two round ones are the way to go. They are super small though so will probably have to make over a hundred of them! I want to make a second cushion for the sofa, one which will kind of match the hexie one I'm doing... 

The duck egg blue in the hexie one I have substituted for pink and red in the little squares one. I don't want them too samey but hopefully they will co-ordinate nicely as they will both have the green/cream in them.

I have nearly made all my hexagons, I think I need four more to go then I can start joining them. I was supposed to do this before I started on the squares but I just couldn't help myself. I bought a couple of new balls of yarn yesterday, (the deep pink and the red) and I *needed* to see what they looked like made up! I also stocked up on some more Tilda fabrics, aren't they just so pretty??

This week has been an odd one really. I have been here by myself for a whole week now, as Karl is away abroad. I'm usually quite good with my own company but I have been quite bored this week though I've tried to keep busy to pass the time. At the weekend, I spent quite a while in the garden doing odd jobs - not pretty planting ones, but mainly ones that involved being up a ladder with a saw! I was chopping down a load of branches that were overhanging into the garden... I think if anyone saw me doing it they would have laughed -  especially as I was wearing bright blue 'mad professor' safety specs! I am one of the least practical people you could meet and I'm quite small (only 5' 3'') so it was quite a tough job to do by myself but it looks loads better now.

Anyway we're going to give the grass it's first mow soon (excitement eh??!) I've ordered the compost for the flowerbeds and have been trying to decide on the plants to get. I am thinking a mixture of summer bedding plants and perennials such as...

and...

and...

and...

Pictures courtesy of here and here

To be honest, I'm just going for plants and flowers which I like the look of. I have no idea really whether our garden/conditions will be right for them but I guess I will find out soon! I think I am going to be very much a trial and error gardener :)

Anyway I have also been busy with work... lots of weddingy things mainly. I have had quite a few orders for these as wedding favours lately...

Also had an order for 8 of these to do this week for wedding favours... and quite a few of these too. In fact there was definitely a wedding production line going on!

And keeping on the wedding theme, I also designed a new card this week...

 

These has been an idea in my sketchpad for so long now, months and months, I'm really glad I've finally got around to making up the samples!

Right, I think I better go. I've been writing this post for ages and I'm not even showered or dressed yet! And actually I haven't even had breakfast! I did get up at seven though so not really sure how it is now 10 o clock. I do love working from home sometimes :) Anyway hope you have a good weekend... Am very much looking forward to it myself after my lonely week... the sun is supposed to shine (here at least) and Karl is coming home tomorrow, yay! Back soon xxx

Happy Easter!

I did do a little Easter decorating this week, though sadly my Easter tree ideas never made it to fruition. I actually couldn't find any suitable twigs - the ones around here were too 'leafy' already! I did buy a few new hanging eggs though like these cute vintage  looking chick and bunny ones..

...but without a 'tree' to hang them off, they are actually hanging off the bunting on my dresser for now!

I wanted a dresser for so long, and saved up lots of pennies to buy this lovely one from Laura Ashley last year... I really love it but now I have it, I do find it difficult to decide what to put on it! I don't have much china to display so just normally go for a random mix of cups, jugs, cards, candles and other bits and bobs. It's much more difficult than I thought it would be to create a good display though!

Another Eastery touch around here is these sparkly little eggs which were a pound shop bargain...Cheap and cheerful displayed in a jug but they were calling out to me!

So anyway... my Easter weekend has been so nice so far, hanging out with friends, a lovely pub lunch, some gardening, and now I am currently lounging on the sofa watching tv with a big bag of mini eggs for company... somehow I've got through almost the entire bag already! The sooner I eat them though, the sooner they are gone and I can get back to trying to tone up for the summer :D we booked flights to Portugal in July so need to get back to my bikini body!!

Anyway, am feeling a little tired but content knowing that I have the entire evening stretching ahead to work on my patchwork granny blanket, it is a happy feeling. I do so love being at home... being comfy and cosy, there is nothing like it...

I still have quite a way to go on the square making front because I've not done any this week at all - think I was all crocheted out after the 90 I did last week! I laid all the squares out on the floor so I can see how they work together and how many more I need to make of each colour... I keep popping in just to look at them... happy sigh! I've added in the meadow green again as I thought it looked a bit pastelly - what do you reckon?

Anyway hope you are having a fab Easter weekend too whatever you are doing. Thanks so much for popping in as always and don't forget to enter my seaside giveaway if you haven't already! Have loved reading all your comments so far, so many fellow seaside lovers!! Am very jealous of all of you living by the sea though, it is my dream... one day! xxx

Spring has sprung!

 

I came back yesterday from my week away, and feel so much better for it, really refreshed and inspired - it was just what I needed I think! I couldn't have picked a better week off weather wise - it has been gorgeous every day, with blue skies and temperatures into the twenties. It's been more like mid summer than the end of March, though today  it's back to the cold and grey. I hope that wasn't it for the nice weather for the year!

I love spending time with my family, I don't get to see them often enough because we live so far away, so it was a lovely week. We took a few day trips out but because the weather was so nice we also were able to sit around outside quite a bit. I took all my blanket yarn so spent lots of time making squares in the sun, happy days!

Mum and dad also wanted to find a planter for their courtyard, so lots of wandering around garden centres was done looking for one. Needless to say they didn't actually find what they were looking for, but I really like pottering around looking at the plants and flowers especially as the weather was so nice...

 I thought the little coloured watering cans filled with  primroses were so sweet!

I so love spring flowers, so happy and bright and colourful after the dark grey days of winter...

We need to do our garden this year. It is basically just soil at the moment because when we moved in last year it was getting towards winter so we decided to leave it for a few months. Not really sure what to do with it though - it is quite a small space, but sure we can do something nice with it! Need to get some gardening mags/ books really for inspiration.

I managed to make another 90 squares for my crochet blanket this week in between trips out. I've changed my mind so many times on the colours - I started out with turquoise, pink and red (my fave colour combination!) but gradually decided a slightly paler, more Spring like palette was the way to go. I'm still using my Stylecraft yarn, so it was quite difficult to decide on colours which were different enough to the other two blankets I've made, but that would also compliment each other. 

This is what I have decided on at the moment...

What do you think?

It reminds me of crocuses with all the purple, yellow and green so just right for the time of year! I've now done about 140 squares in total. I'm not really sure how many squares I am aiming for, probably around 200 then it will be the dreaded joining together (really not looking forward to that bit)!

I also came back to some lovely post including Master Sorrel...

I bought him from the lovely Jooles of Sew Sweet Violet and I LOVE him!! Such pretty colours and so beautifully made, he is happily living on my new pinboard which I actually made at eight o clock this morning... (Told you I was refreshed and inspired,  I couldn't wait to start making again!)

I just covered an old board with some wadding and pretty pink floral fabric using my staple gun, then stapled on some criss-crossed ribbons and hammered in some upholstery tacks - sure they neighbours were impressed with the noise so early on a Saturday (actually their cars had gone so I'm hoping they weren't in).

Anyway have just popped some of my favourite cards and bits on it for now, though I'm sure I will fill it up soon enough! I love to make spontaneous things like this for the house, I just don't often have time. Some mini bunting is next on my list though whilst I am on a role!

I also bought this....

... after reading about it on lots of other people's blogs. Only had a quick flick through whilst I had my breakfast but it is so up my street - lots of colour, pattern and inspiring ideas, it is just gorgeous! You can buy it here and also check out Selina's fab blog.

I also got another super exciting delivery in the post too - but more about that next week - it will include another giveaway too! Anyway hope you have had a good week too, and have been able to enjoy the lovely sunshine while it lasted! Take care, will be back soon xxx

Short and sweet... (well that was the idea)

 

Morning! 

Bet you didn't expect me back so soon... but I've decided little and often is the way forward with my blog! Thanks for all your sweet comments on my last post - it is so nice to know that there are lots of us in the same boat! I've woken up this morning feeling positive and motivated though which is always nice... even though have been awake since six! Karl had to go into work this morning, so I got up, made myself a drink and went back to bed to read and do a little granny square making! I've only done a few so far, even though they are really quick. Having been inspired by both Jacquie and Heather, I've decided to go for solid colour grannies this time and make a kind of patchwork blanket! 

I originally was only doing three rounds per square but then I decided to add another to each, as otherwise they are super tiny and it will take me absolutely forever to join them all together at the end! (Don't even want to think about that part now.) Anyway, I have bought a couple more yarn colours which should be arriving this week, hopefully in time for when I go visit mum and dad next weekend. I haven't really got too much of a plan colour-wise, just making squares and will see what looks nice as I go along!

Apart from the crochet, I haven't done that much over the last few days really. After I wrote my post on Thursday, I took the rest of the afternoon off and lay on the sofa surrounded by blankets, my hot water bottle, some chocolate and watched a nice girly film. It was just what I needed even though I still felt a bit guilty about taking the afternoon off! I've kept my personalised products off the website even though my new embroidery foot has arrived (yay!) to give me some time to catch up on other stuff. Yesterday though I got another large order for my floral mirrors to be used as wedding favours so spent the morning making them up.

I also made up another couple of mirror designs which I have literally just put into my shop... there will be a blue paisley design to match the pink coming soon too but just not got around to photographing yet.

 Love this fabric, it is so fresh and Spring like - Tulips are one of my favourite flowers!

And of course the pretty paisley fabric is also a favourite of mine. Funny how taste changes as you get older actually as I never liked paisley designs a few years, I don't know why... but this one is gorgeous! It is discontinued now but I managed to buy up a few metres of it, so hopefully it should last me a while yet.

 For more crafting ideas, go to www.crafts-beautiful.com

I also made these fabric covered storage pots for the March issue of Crafts Beautiful. This was actually out a little while ago now, as the current issue is the April one, but I thought I would post the pics anyway! I really do mean to make more of these pots as they are so useful for holding bits and bobs and can be made out of any old tins you have around the house. These three actually started out as a cocoa powder tin, a tin of dried milk and a tub of bicarbonate of soda (which were the only things I could find in the cupboard that morning!!)

Anyway, I think that's enough writing for today - it's actually a slightly longer post than I intended, I just can't help myself! Hope you have a nice weekend though and you get a bit of sunshine to enjoy, back soon xxx

Blanket love...

Do you remember way back in June when I decided that I really wanted to learn to crochet? It had kind of been one of those things that I'd been meaning to get round to having a go at for so long but never actually managed to. I did try to learn once years ago at Uni but it got the better of me before I could even produce a chain! Anyway I've had a longing for a granny blanket for a good few years now - I've looked in many many charity shops and scoured ebay but never found one I really liked. So there seemed to be nothing for it... I would just have to make my own!

I had great fun choosing my yarn colours...

Here they all are... all 15 of them... though I actually swapped the pale cloud blue for white in the end. On the recommendation of several lovely bloggers, I used Stylecraft Special DK yarn, and I have to say I wasn't disappointed. I had bought a couple of cheapie balls too to practise with but discarded my first few squares with them in - the yarn quality wasn't nearly as nice and my OCD-ness wouldn't allow me to leave them in under any circumstances!

Anyway before I ramble on any further... would you like to see my finished masterpiece???

Ta-dah!!!! Here it is :)

Do you like it? I can't tell you how incredibly pleased I am to actually have made something out of crochet... and if I do say so myself, it is a pretty good first project! There was honestly a time I thought I would never be able to learn to crochet, especially without someone to show me how, but with perseverence and a LOT of You Tube video watching, I was away! 

I think it is such a great thing to acquire a new skill, and a new hobby all at once. Plus it's given me something to do in the evenings of these last couple of months instead of lurking on twitter and randomly looking on the laptop - I spend enough time as it is doing that! 

I've loved seeing the squares grow each day and I really am quite proud that I've managed to make something halfway decent. I love my snuggly colourful blanket!!!

In the end I made it 8 x 11 squares with 6 rounds per square, plus the stripy border. It's just the right size for me to snuggle under on the couch watching telly... and folded in half, it is a great lap blanket. Now we've actually got a kitchen table, I like to do all my laptop stuff on it, and sitting there in the morning doing emails etc with my cosy lamp on and my snuggly blanket is just lovely!

 

I couldn't tell you how long it's actually taken me to finish - I did start it back in June but then we were moving house and then I went away for a month so there was about a 2 month break in the middle. I've worked on it most evenings since I've been back though for an hour or two each night... Then last weekend, I got a stinky cold and it was all I could do to sit on the sofa all day working on my blanket (I was a little obsessed by this point being so near the end, I just wanted to finish - Think I did about 10 hours straight in the end - pretty good really considering how lousy I was feeling!) 

I really enjoyed doing the border after the boredom of the sewing together... striping up and down with no interuptions! Loved it so much in fact that I am now planning a granny stripe  blanket too (in fact I bought my yarn this morning so expect another yarn post in not too long!)

Anyway, so I hope you share my excitement and thanks for all your supportive comments on my progress over the last few months. Also thank you to these lovely ladies in particualar for their crochet blankety inspiration... Vanessa, Julia, Lucy and Jacquie - you have all inspired me no end with your lovely creations (plus your tutorials have been super helpful too!)

xxx

christmas and crochet

Hello! Thought would pop by quickly just before I have lunch -  though I've been up since the absolute crack of dawn this morning (way before dawn actually) for an appointment so I'm really feeling this should be early evening by now and not just lunchtime! Anyhow, here are my projects for this month's Crafts Beautiful. They're in the October issue, but I'm a bit late in posting about them - I actually picked up the Xmas special issue today (yes it is only mid september I know!)

I've been designing Christmas projects since way back in May... and this week I've been finishing a couple more Christmassy ones... that's the last of them though then I can start concentrating on my own Christmas products (haven't given them a thought really yet... eeek, quite a lot to do!)

Apart from working on the couple of commissions, I've also been sewing mirrors this week... lots of them - My sewing mojo's back, hurray!! I've been making lots of different versions of my butterfly, flower and cupcake mirrors but haven't got round to taking any pictures yet so they will have to wait for another day. 

I have also been working away in the evenings on my granny blanket though.... and excitement... it's nearly finished!!

I had a lovely weekend actually... Karl had a day planned with friends on Saturday, so I spent most of it working on my blanket, starting with a square or two after breakfast in bed... oh the luxury!  

I still do have a way to go before any ta-dahs... am at the sewing the squares together stage and I have to be honest, I'm really not feeling this bit - I loved doing each individual square but the joining together is feeling tediuos and never-ending! I then need to crochet the border (looking forward to that bit though) so it will be a while yet but hopefully I will have it done quite soon :)

Anyway, have a great week, hope to be back soon with a blanket update xxx

a granny square update...

Hello! Just popping in with a quick crochet update and also a little news...

The granny blanket is coming along slowly but surely. Still only managing one or two squares a day but it is surprising as the weeks go by how quick it starts to build - have done forty squares so far. Have decided to make the blanket 8 x 12 squares with a nice big border round the edge so nearly half way there on the squares front anyway! (And actually, I have done more than forty squares, that was a little lie... but some of them I just wasn't happy with the colours so I have hidden them in my drawer of shame!) Haha, yes I am that much of a perfectionist.

It was mainly that at the beginning, I did some squares that turned out either too light or too dark and they just looked funny amongst the rest. It would never have sat easy with me that they were in there, so annoying as it was to have to re-do them, it is for the best I think! 

There are some colour combinations and sequences that I find so lovely together, and then there are others that are not quite up my street individually but I think the overall balance is ok - am trying my hardest not to be overly fussy and just look at the bigger picture! 

Is it weird though that I am thinking about my next blanket project even though there is so much to do for this one still?? I am planning a granny stripe next. Oh I do think I may be a little bit blanket obsessed, but since I am always cold, I always have one never far away, so at least they will come in useful!

 

Anyway I also have some other news to tell you... you may (or may not) have noticed that both my website and NOTHS shops are suspended at the mo, and also I have been pretty much absent from the world of twitter/facebook etc recently. Well, these last few months have been quite stressful but kind of exciting too, as tomorrow, we complete on the purchase of our first house!!!!!

It has been a long old road with months and months of delays with mortgages, plans and solicitors (seriously, I have the solicitors on speed dial the number of times I've had to ring them lately) but things are almost there now. We have carpets to be fitted on Monday but then we will be moving on Wednesday next week with any luck!!

Have not even started the dreaded packing yet as I have been working hard to get a couple of commissions out of the way beforehand, but as of this afternoon, I am going to start on the packing/cleaning/organising stuff in earnest! So basically, I may not be around much for the next few weeks. Apart from all the above, I'm not holding out too much hope that BT will get their act together and transfer our phone/broadband etc on time, so may or may not have access to the Internet for a while anyhow, though fingers crossed we do - I hate living with no Internet, I always feel so cut off!

Then the week after we move, am actually going on holiday to Portugal for three weeks (yes I know, I did say three weeks!!!) Apart from the month I spent backpacking around Europe, I think it will be the longest holiday I've ever been on! Am hoping to be able to squidge my grannies into my baggage allowance but failing that, three weeks of sun, sea and hopefully relaxation will follow! So officially am not going to be re-opening my shops until 1st September. Wow does that does seem like a long way off at the moment but I know it will just whizz by, especially as I am planning to pack such a lot in!

Anyway, hopefully I will get the chance to post again before I jet off, but just in case I don't, here is wishing you all a very happy summer! 

Jenny xxx