On My Needles....and the winners of the Curious Handmade Giveaway.

Hello my friends, today we will start with the winners of the Curious Handmade pattern giveaway........ Drum Roll.........

Reinventing Mother said...

Slip stitches are so much fun! I would love to add this pattern to my growing list! Thanks for the gmiveaway!

Caffeine Girl said...

I love Helen's designs. Afternoon Tea is one of my favorite shawls and I've knit a couple. Last week I bought Global Nomad. I would love to add Red Robin to my list!

And that baby blanket is charming.

Sarah said...

I'd love to enter the giveaway! I love the Twinkle Twinkle pattern (in fact, I think I've said so in a comment here for several weeks in a row, haha!!) but she also has some gorgeous shawl patterns! She's a new favorite on my ravelry!

Congratulations to the three winners, if you could email, please with your Ravelry name and the Helen Stewart pattern you would like, my email address is on the sidebar

My first project I've been working on this week is my Pebble Beach II by Helen Stewart, this little shawl will have lots of sentimental value as I explained in yesterday's post. I cast it on with a wonderful group of people at Unwind Brighton, there's a Pebble Beach KAL going on at the moment which is running until the 10th August. It's on for 4 weeks and each week is set out with a goal, I've reached this weeks goal of 25%, I love it when you have targets to meet, though saying that you can work at your own pace.

These are three of my purchases from Unwind Brighton, a Ysolda Teague pattern, the designer was on the stand and was so lovely and very helpful. I bought some Kettle Yarn Wimbledon Sport in Blue Pictsies. It's a 100% superwash merino in a sport weight and is very soft and squishy, perfect for babies.

I actually got to purchase some Signature needles, I've heard so many good things about them. They are as every bit as good as people say, they are comfortable to hold, lightweight and a dream to knit with. My husband asked me why they were so different from other needles, he laughed when I said they were the "Bugatti of Knitting Needles". I ended up going back to the show the following day to purchase another pair, after knitting my Pebble Beach on them!!!

I cast on last night and have finished the sleeve and front yoke, the sleeves and yoke are knit in one piece then you pick up stitches for the front and back. I've never knit a construction like this before, it's a simple knit with no seaming.

The last thing on my needles is some bunting, I got together with Mel and Sarah as part of Camp Aloha Friends , we thought this would be perfect summer knitting project. It is a free pattern called Knitted Bunting by Faye Perriam. I using some leftover Rowan Handknit Cotton.

I've started reading Secrets of the Lighthouse by Santa Montefiore as one of my favourite authors, it hasn't disappointed. I will carry on with the Zookeepers Wife but it was to big to carry around with me when I was away, also it's a library book and was worried about losing it.

I'm linking to Ginny's Yarn Along and Nicole's KCCO, I'm not sure whether I'll be back on Friday with any FO's so have a good weekend.

Happy Crafting

xxxxDebxxxx

 

60 Minute Mini Bunting Tutorial.....

Hello, I hope you've had a lovely weekend, it's been beautiful and sunny here in the UK. I've pottering around and spending time in the garden, knitting and reading.

I even had an afternoon nap, yesterday, I can't usually fall asleep in the day but I think lying in the sun, reading and listening to the birds I dropped off.

As I was sat looking around the garden, I noticed my bunting that I made a couple of years ago was a bit worse for wear so I took it down with the intention of making some more when I had a minute.

Today I was supposed to be tidying my craft room, which I did sort of start but as I was going through my fabric, I found this Tilda Country Escape charm pack. My first thought was "this would make such pretty bunting"!!!!!!

I didn't want to spend lots of time on this project so I found out my Sizzix Big Shot and Stampin'Up Bigz Perfect Pennant die and found that the squares from the charm pack were the perfect size to cut out the bunting triangles, you will also need some seam binding.

The charm pack has two of each design so I chose thirteen different designs, twenty six squares altogether and whizzed them through the Big Shot. The Big Shot can cut through about eight layers of fabric at a time, it's obviously a lot quicker with a die cut machine but if you haven't got one you can hand cut, just draw a template to the size you want, you can make it as long or short as you want, just cut out the number of triangles accordingly.

Once cut take your triangles and lay your fabric right sides together so the wrong side is facing out, ready to sew together. I didn't pin them as they are fairly small but if you find it easier just pin before sewing.

I chain-sewed them down one side with an half a centimetre seam allowance, I used the edge of the presser foot to guide me. Chain sewing is a quick way to sew lots of fabric shapes together down one side without having to keep breaking the thread and starting again. Once you have finished sewing one triangle together, line up the second one without breaking the thread, sew down the side and carry on until all your triangles have been stitched and you have a line of triangles, joined together with the thread. Cut all the joining threads to separate the triangles, you are then ready to do exactly the same with the opposite side.

Once both sides are sewn, turn the triangles so the right sides are facing, you will need something pointy to poke the point out. I used a crochet hook, just be careful you don't poke a hole through the end! There is no need to sew the top edge as the seam binding will cover it.

Once you've got all your triangles turned the right way, iron them so you have a crisp edge and the bunting is nice and flat. It is worth the effort of getting the iron out, your bunting will look so much neater.

 

Take your seam binding, folding in half and placing the triangles inside the fold, stitching along the seam binding making sure you have caught the triangle as you go along. Again, I didn't use pins and did it by eye but if you find it easier, pin before stitching.

This is a quick way to make bunting and only took me sixty minutes but that was using a die cut machine rather than hand cutting, not pinning and preparing everything in advace like setting up my machine and putting the iron on ready. Obviously it will take you longer if you're hand cutting or you run out of bobbin thread half way through but even then it won't take you more than a couple of hours. The finished triangles measure 10cm down the edges and 7cm across the top so the are mini but again you can make them to whatever size you want.

Another quick way of making bunting without cutting out is to use the squares as the are and make square bunting. This time you'll be putting the two wrong sides together so the right sides are showing as you won't have to turn inside out. Sew around three sides about 1cm from the edge then with pinking shears cut along the three edges to help prevent fraying and finally sew onto the seam binding. Quick and easy!!!

It's now up in the favourite part of my garden, let me know if you make some so I can take a look at it!!!!!!

 

I'm so excited that my first class has gone live today on Camp Aloha Friends, it's called Tag, You're It, Part 1, it's in three parts going from a quick and easy project to the third class that is more in depth and will take you longer to finish, all using tags!!! I can't believe it's been six months since the lovely Mel approached me and asked if I'd be interesting in teaching some online classes.

I didn't hesitate in saying yes, I love Mel's ideas and she is such an amiable person. I'm so glad I did, being part of CAF has been a pleasure, I've made friends with like minded people from around the world. It's not too late to join in the fun, the classes will be online with a page protected password, where you can access them at any time until end of September, so you have plenty time. If you'd like to find out more about it, you can check here and here, there is only one "suitcase" left but you can still just do the classes and use your own materials.

Happy Crafting!!!!

xxxxDebxxxx

 

 

Summery Crochet Bunting..........

Gosh, where has the last six months gone !!!!!!!!!! It's the first day of July which is always means the start of summer for me so hopefully we'll enjoy some nice, balmy days. Also it is a very busy month, with four birthdays and two anniversary's, all in one week. This year is a special month as my youngest daughter will be 18 and my husband and I will be celebrating our 25th Wedding Anniversary.!!!! I was a child bride, lol.

A few weeks ago, a friend's sister, via Instagram asked if I could crochet her some bunting in some pretty, summery colours. I said yes and this was my first paid commission, which I was very excited about. Who'd have thought when I learnt to crochet, 12 months later, people would ask if they could buy my projects.

I used Drops Paris yarn that is an Aran weight 100% cotton, it is great for bunting as it's a nice sturdy yarn. It is a bit splitty when you use it but I don't find it a problem as most cotton yarns split including the more expensive ones.

The pattern is a modification from the book Cute and Easy Crochet by Nicki Trench and the flower was from an old copy of Mollie Makes.

Before I added the flowers, I starched the bunting, just to give it a bit more structure. The recipient loved it and sent me a photo of it up, in her baby girl's bedroom.

One last thing, Google Reader has ceased to exist from today so I've switched to Bloglovin, if all my lovely friends want to follow my posts that way, the icon is on my sidebar,

 Thanks for stopping by, have a great week.

xxxxDebxxxx

My Month in Review.....April's Photo's...

Happy May Day, well another month over and we are now into May so we've got a few Bank Holidays coming up, yay !!!! April was a good month with plenty going on, here's my photo's from last month.

Jodie's 22nd birthday celebrations at Miller & Carter's.

Jule's 40th birthday celebration at Jekyll & Hyde's and Bar Epernay, Birmingham, that bowl of strawberries with the candle was knocked over two minute's after the photo was taken by ME, you can't take me anywhere !!!!! On the evening her hubby had organised a surprise party for her, she was so shocked when she saw us all, we had such a fun day.

Mick bought me this fabulous Nescafe Alegria coffee machine and some Costa Coffee syrup's,mmmmm, my favorite is gingerbread !!!!!

Lazy Sunday mornings reading magazines and drinking coffee made with my new coffee machine.

Dog sitting for this cute little pup, Yogi Bear.

A shopping trip to Birmingham with Kerry, including cocktails at Browns and lunch at Jamie (Olivers) Italian.

 I seem to have spent a lot of time in Birmingham this month but this is the coolest place to eat, it's Ed's Diner, a 50's style American themed diner, situated in Selfridges. The cheeseburger and cheesy fries were delicious, there was 50's music playing in the background and they had authentic mini jukeboxes on the tables. This was one of the best places I've eaten at in a long time, it had such a great atmosphere, I need to go back and try one of the yummy milkshakes they do, I was just to full up to have one that day.

So that's my month in review, thanks for letting me share it with you, I hope you all had a good April, I'll be back  soon with a crafty post.

xxxxDebxxxx

Rubbish Blogger and No Crafting.......................

I really am hopeless during the summer with blogging and crafting but my girls are at home a lot during the holidays and I like to spend time with them rather than by myself in my craft room. If we're not out somewhere we'll be in the in the garden or conservatory chatting and while they're still living at home I want to make the most of them,time passes by so quick and you can never get those missed moments back.
I went to Bromsgrove crop on Saturday and did one and a half LO's ,I was more interested in my friends newborn baby who came along (start them early,I say) than scrapping. My finished LO was using a sketch by Lisa.

I've also got my my finished bunting  to show you all,I've hung it in my garden and love seeing it blowing about in the breeze,I'm quite pleased with my first attempt.I think it would look fabulous in a kids room with their name on,I might give that a go.

I

Have you noticed the Cath Kidston Cowboy print fabric,it matches my teepee so I had to add that to the bunting.
On Tuesday I had some friends around for afternoon tea,which was really good fun.I met them all through a card class that I use to go to, I don't get to see them as often as I would like but we had a good ole' catch up and ate lots of cake. Jan dressed the part and bought some gorgeous homemade scones,filled with cream and strawberries from her garden,delicious!!!!!!

 Jan and Maria,

Maria found her floral skirt out especially for today,don't they both look pretty.

Best scones ever!!!!!

Here's a few more pics.............

 Lady Binda

 Jan enjoying a slice of cake.

Dee eating sarnies with the crusts cut off,lol.

I will catch up with everyone's blogs hopefully over the weekend,thanks for looking and hope you don't mind my lack of cards and LO's at the moment,I will get back to it soon.

 xxxxDebxxxx